The foundational part for the braking system of heavy truck trailer axles is a
called a “brake spider”— a critical safety component in vehicle manufacturing.
For 40 years, metal stamping and assembly company Pentaflex has been
manufacturing this key product for their principal customer. With this goal in mind, the Ohio-based company aimed to invest in and upgrade their manufacturing technology to enhance their core product.
With an aging system on their hands, and an ongoing struggle to find available
and reliable labor, the company saw an opportunity to enhance their
manufacturing processes. To solve these issues, Pentaflex connected with
global automation leader, JR Automation.
JR Automation provided Pentaflex with a custom automation solution that integrated FANUC’s material-handling M-20iD/25 and M-710iC/50 robots, along with the compact and flexible LR Mate 200iD robots. This system reduced the number of labor units needed per shift from seven to two, helping the company decrease its dependence on inconsistent labor and upskill its current employees.
Automation streamlined the management of production schedules for Pentaflex,
while enhancing flexibility on the manufacturing floor allowed employees to be
utilized more effectively throughout the workday.