Following sustained global growth that saw its sales increase by 23% last year, the Telford-based oil mist collector manufacturer Filtermist (www.filtermist.com) has bought an ABB robot for its welding department.

Managing director James Stansfield said: “Filtermist oil mist collectors are currently available in more than 60 countries, and we are constantly growing awareness of the Filtermist brand around the world via our international distributor network.

“This has resulted in a significant rise in sales and we have a number of plans in place to ensure that we can meet the increasing demand for our products without compromising on quality.”

Every Filtermist unit is manufactured in the UK, and the robot has been installed to TIG-weld the internal drums and outer cases; cylindrical steel blanks are positioned on the turntable inside the dedicated welding cell, and the robot applies the weld while the table slowly rotates. Each cycle lasts 2-3min.

Manufacturing manager Brian Lowe said: “The addition of the robot is the first significant capital investment the company has made since it moved to new purpose-built premises in 2015.

“When we moved to Telford, we wanted the transition to be as seamless as possible, but we’re now in a position to be able to identify areas of our operations that can be improved.”

Filtermist sourced the ABB robot through Cannock-based WG Automation (a fellow Made in the Midlands member), following a conversation at a breakfast event in 2016. WG specified the model, oversaw the installation and provided on-going support to ensure that the robot was operating exactly as Filtermist intended.