Nottingham-based
Micro-Mesh Engineering, a leading filter manufacturer, has installed a robotic arm at its factory, the first step in introducing automation to its production process. It kicks off a round of investment that the company is planning in 2022.
Representing a £50,000 investment, the robotic arm helps speed up the filter laser engraving process by placing the caps onto an automated conveyor system where they are engraved. Previously, the task took Micro-Mesh staff 16 hours per week, which equates to almost 35 days annually. They have now become freed up to do other tasks making the entire production process more streamlined and efficient.
The investment in the new equipment was made possible thanks to funding from an Aerospace Unlocking Potential (Aerospace UP) programme, a collaboration between the University of Nottingham and the Midlands Aerospace Alliance.
Launched in 2020 and backed by the European Regional Development Fund, Aerospace UP has more than £5 million of funding to provide to SMEs in the aerospace sector who are looking to unlock their innovation potential.
Jaden Nicholson, a graduate mechanical engineer at Micro-Mesh, has been busy programming the robot arm, which features a built-in ‘machine vision’ camera, which identifies the part it is picking and passes the information onto machines further down the production line, further streamlining the production process.
Four sensors are built into its motors which can detect any external forces being applied, causing it to stop and require resetting. This health and safety feature will help maintain and safe working environment for Micro-Mesh operators.
Founded in 1968, Micro-Mesh, is the UK’s leading filter manufacturer, providing high-quality hydraulic and air filtration solutions to a wide variety of industries. In December 2020 it launched FilterFinder, an online cross-reference database with a catalogue of more than 600,000 part numbers from over 1,000 different manufacturers. Together, the two businesses are committed to innovating, evolving and advancing their offerings.