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Truck and Track Spring 2019 38
TRAILERS
The Cartwright Group, multi-award-winning trailer and
commercial vehicle body manufacturer, has driven up productivity
and efficiency at its South Manchester production facility by
making an extensive investment in a fully programmable robotic
welder.
This major leap forward in the existing production process
manufactures components to an exacting tolerance of 0.2mm, an
outstandingly consistent quality due to its continuous welding
capabilities that result in a strong and durable finish.
The significant investment is one of many enhancements to
the production line which has enabled the company to increase
production to drive efficiencies, quality and completion times
during the process.
Cartwright’s Operations and Manufacturing Director, Paul Avery,
said: “The robotic welder, together with investments such as our
£1.8 million panel press, enables us to keep more of our processes
in-house and also increase volume while improving efficiency.
“The quality of components that are welded by the robot is
tremendous; the process is repeatable, accurate and produces parts
of exceptional structural integrity – which is vital for components
such as kingpins, for example.
“It is a completely new way of working and we have had to adapt
some of our designs accordingly. We are delighted with the
performance of the robot and it is testament to our commitment
to continuous improvement that is driving our business forward.”
The robot is operated by two time-served welders both former
Cartwright apprentices, each having contributed ideas about how
to adapt operations to make the best utilisation of the robotic
welder.
Improvements at the production facility included updating and
upgrading the electrical power supply, doubling the power capacity
of the switching gear from 600kVA (kiloVoltAmps) to 1200kVA,
ahead of the robotic welder’s installation.
To ease the movement of materials around the factory and
improve workflow, efficiency and safety, Cartwright has invested in
upgraded lifting equipment, including a powerful new vacuum lift
that can handle large floors and fibreglass panels gently.
The Cartwright Group has doubled their turnover during the last
four years and is already planning for further growth. The group
now employs 1170 people, 850 of whom work at its 39-acre
manufacturing base in South Manchester.
The Group is complemented through a trailer rentals division,
offering 6,500 trailers to the existing and new customer portfolio;
a fleet maintenance services division managing a compliance
programme for over 12,000 assets; Cartwright Finance which is
an authorised FCA firm providing flexible asset finance solutions;
CartwrightConversions,basedinDoncastermanufacturingbespoke
vehicle specifications in the ambulance sector and Cartwright GSE
whichmanufactures aircraft ground support equipment and is also
exporting its refrigerated products across the globe.
With its reputation for engineering excellence and innovative
designs, The Cartwright Group is well positioned to continue the
pattern of growth over the next decade that it has achieved over
the last four years.
The new Cartwright robotic welding machine enables an outstandingly consistent quality due to its continuous welding capabilities that result in a strong and durable finish
The Cartwright Group improves
productivity with robotic welder
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