Stenner Pump meets increased demand with Baxter the Robot
Stenner Pump Co., a Florida-based water treatment pumps, tanks, and injection systems manufacturer, is leveraging Rethink Robotics' two-armed Baxter robot in its manufacturing plant.
Baxter is in operation at Stenner’s Jacksonville plant where it is used to increase flexibility and efficiency, allowing for quicker product development and delivery.
The team at Stenner is deploying Baxter in a production cell to complete two tasks using each arm simultaneously.
Baxter uses one arm to package and place finished parts from an injection moulding machine into a bagging machine for final production.
Using the other arm, it begins a three-step machine tending and assembly task by placing a strainer into a fixture and ensuring proper part orientation.
The robot then places a weight into the strainer and waits for the lid to be pressed on to the strainer, before finally removing the finished part and placing it into a bin of finished products.
"The efficiency of our pump manufacturing process allows us to maintain a three day lead time and 98% on-time delivery for our customers," said Dennis Neibrook, director of engineering at Stenner Pump.
"When we first implemented Baxter on the factory floor, we were surprised by how easy the robot was to programme compared to traditional robots that use older technology. As a low-volume, high-mix manufacturer, Baxter's ability to handle a variety of parts and products is invaluable."
"Traditionally, manufacturers with low-volume, high-mix operations have been unable to justify the cost of automation in their facilities," said Jim Lawton, chief product and marketing officer at Rethink Robotics.
"Now, companies like Stenner are effectively achieving their automation goals by using smart, collaborative robots that can work in variable manufacturing environments to meet customer demands," he concluded.
Stenner manufactures and distributes peristaltic metering pumps, tank systems, and injection systems for a range of different industries, from agricultural to industrial to food and beverage.
