Dover Precision Components, a US manufacturer of high-performance engineering parts, has activated robotic tuggers at its Inpro/Seal manufacturing facility in Rock Island, Illinois, US.
The company says that the tuggers will be used to move raw materials, in-progress parts and completed products around the Inpro/Seal facility. This will improve worker safety, by avoiding potential problems from manual handling such as lifting, pushing and tugging. The tuggers will also regulate production cell pacing, improve workflow and reduce lead time, and eliminate waste associated with moving materials and parts.
The introduction of robotic tuggers marks a strategic expansion of its use of manufacturing automation, as part of Dover’s long-term manufacturing strategy to improve safety, ensure quality, optimise productivity and quickly scale manufacturing volume in response to customer demand. It has previously introduced an automatic bar feed at the Inpro/Seal facility and an articulating arm for loading material into CNC machines at the Cook Compression facility in Jeffersonville, Indiana, US.
‘Dover Precision Components is committed to its continuous improvement journey. The strategic implementation of automation in our manufacturing processes is targeted at eliminating the ‘seven types of waste’ and focusing our energies on activities that add value to customers,’ says Dave Brown, Dover vice president of operational excellence.
