Electrolux is upgrading its tandem press line robots at its Dudley Park cooking plant in Adelaide after 19 years and 35 million cycles.
Supporting the team at the plant since 2004, the lifecycle of seven robots is coming to an end as Electrolux continues to invest in the future.
Part of the tandem press line, the new robots can produce 600 parts per hour and play a critical role in the Dudley Park press shop by keeping the supply of parts moving to the assembly teams. The lack of availability of parts for the robots has been the catalyst for the upgrade.
“We’ve done well to have the robots serve us this long; 19 years of service is quite incredible,” Electrolux project lead for the upgrade, Atul Badgujar said.
“10 to 15 years is the usual lifespan of these robots. We’ve got seven in operation plus one spare and each has performed approximately 35 million cycles since installation. With spare parts no longer available for the robots, it’s important we replace them now.”
Procured at the same time from the same batch to ensure compatibility of parts in the future, the phased upgrade has already commenced with the second of three stages due to be completed in December and the project completed in April 2024.