WCA January 2017

Industry news

£250,000 investment in latest welding technology

WILLIAM Hughes, specialist manufacturer of springs and bent wire components for the global automotive and aerospace industries, has invested more than £250,000 in a high technology twin robot welding cell. The new welding cell was supplied by Bauromat with Fanuc robots, all installed at William Hughes’ new UK headquarters in Stalbridge, Dorset. The unit features advanced weld monitoring and recording ensuring that the highest standards of quality and consistency are maintained for its customers. “We have been very successful in winning significant new business from our automotive customers and this has meant that we needed to increase our production capacity for our welded seat frame assemblies,” said Emma Burgon, engineering director. The welding cell is in operation 24 hours a day during the working week and is currently being used for the bulk manufacture of seat frame backs for an SUV. This particular assembly has 56 welds and uses 25 wires. As well as the improved quality and consistency of the finished product provided by the twin robot cell, the welding process is much quicker, enabling parts to be produced in just 1 minute 40 seconds compared with 3 minutes 45 seconds previously. Furthermore, to ensure throughput speed

❍ The twin robot welding cell

is maximised, the weld jigs are all designed by William Hughes engineers using the latest CAD software and manufactured using CNC milling machines. This recent investment in the latest manufacturing technology continues the programme of continued growth which includes the opening in October 2014 of a new 87,000ft 2 factory at its UK base in Stalbridge. William Hughes Ltd – UK Website : www.wmhughes.co.uk

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Wire & Cable ASIA – January/February 2017