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Reliance Automation Introduces Innovative Japanese Technology to Revolutionise Meat Processing in Ireland

Reliance Automation, a leading provider of cutting-edge robotic and automation solutions, announces their strategic partnership with a Japanese technology firm to revolutionise meat processing through automation in Ireland. Leveraging innovative Japanese technology, Reliance Automation aims to drive efficiency, improve quality, and ensure food safety standards in Ireland’s meat processing industry.

De-boning and carcass processing challenges are a global problem within the meat industry. Traditionally, these tasks have been manual due to precision and the non-uniformity of the product.  This has created a health and safety issue within the industry and in turn a critical issue in retaining staff willing to work in such a high-risk environment.  According to the Irish Farmers Journal, the meat Industry in Ireland estimates that factories need 2,000 extra workers, while workers’ union SIPTU says pay and conditions are part of the problem.  The environment also poses other challenges due to the need for washing machinery daily. 

Meanwhile, Reliance Automation’s partner, Staubli robotics, has worked extensively with their multinational Japanese partner, Mayekawa, to develop a robotic solution to this de-boning and carcass splitting issue.  After thoroughly assessing the environmental demands within the industry, the 6 -axis Stäubli RX160 was chosen for the task.  The RX160 is a humid environment robot, specifically designed to withstand the food industry’s harsh cleaning processes and to work with the expected level of reliability under conditions that would kill a conventional robot.

The outcome of the newly implemented carcass splitting, and de-boning system was a successful throughput of no fewer than 500 portions of pork product leaving the plant every hour. To get the performance and speed required, three Stäubli robots were installed on the line, and were pushed to the limit to meet these requirements.

The successful Japanese collaboration marks a significant milestone in the evolution of meat processing worldwide.   By integrating its partners’ advanced automation solutions into meat processing facilities, Reliance Automation seeks to address key challenges faced by the industry, including labour shortages, hygiene requirements, production efficiency and improved health and safety.

Key highlights of the automation solution include:

Advanced Automation Technology: The solution brings cutting-edge Japanese technology tailored for meat processing applications. This collaboration enables the development of custom automation solutions that meet the specific needs and requirements of meat processing facilities in Ireland.

Enhanced Efficiency: By automating labour-intensive tasks such as cutting, trimming, and packaging, the solution increases production efficiency and throughput while reducing reliance on manual labour. The integration of Japanese technology optimizes workflow processes, streamlining operations and minimising downtime.

Improved Quality and Safety: Automation ensures consistency and precision in meat processing, resulting in higher product quality and uniformity. Additionally, advanced hygiene features integrated into the automation systems help maintain stringent food safety standards, reducing the risk of contamination and ensuring consumer safety.

Sustainability: The solution prioritises sustainability by optimizing resource utilisation and minimising waste. By improving operational efficiency and reducing energy consumption, the partnership contributes to the industry’s efforts towards sustainability and environmental responsibility.

Commenting on the de-boning and carcass splitting solutions, Peter Creighton, CEO of Reliance Automation, stated, “We are thrilled to partner with Staubli, as well as a renowned multinational Japanese technology firm, Mayekawa, to revolutionise meat processing through automation in Ireland. This collaboration underscores our commitment to innovation and our dedication to providing cutting-edge solutions that empower businesses to thrive in an increasingly competitive market.  We prioritise supporting our customers’ and providing new innovations to meet their requirements, so we are excited to provide this new meat processing system and pave the way for urgently needed manufacturing improvements in the meat industry.”

The adoption of automation technology in meat processing represents a significant step forward for the meat processing sector in Ireland. By embracing automation, companies fill the labour gap, enhance their competitiveness, meet growing consumer demand, and ensure the highest standards of quality and safety in meat products.

For more information on Reliance Automation’s automation solutions for meat processing, please visit www.relianceautomation.ie or email info@relianceautomation.ie.

Reliance Automation Introduces Service Robots

**Reliance Automation Introduces Cutting-Edge Service Robots to Fulfil Demand for Waiter and Cleaning Solutions in Ireland**

 

Reliance Automation, a leading provider of robotics solutions, announces the launch of its latest range of service robots designed to cater to the growing demand for innovative waiter and cleaning solutions in Ireland. Leveraging advanced automation technologies, these state-of-the-art robots are poised to revolutionize hospitality and janitorial services, offering unparalleled efficiency, reliability, and versatility.

 

With the hospitality and service industries facing increasing pressures to enhance operational efficiency, deliver exceptional customer experiences, and adapt to evolving health and safety standards, Reliance Automation’s new service robots represent a timely and transformative solution. From bustling restaurants and hotels to office buildings and healthcare facilities, these robots are poised to redefine the way businesses approach service delivery and facility maintenance.

 

Key features of Reliance Automation’s service robots include:

 

  1. **Waiter Robots**: Equipped with autonomous navigation systems and customizable tray configurations, Reliance Automation’s waiter robots streamline food and beverage service operations, enhancing speed, accuracy, and customer satisfaction. These robots are designed to navigate crowded environments safely and efficiently, delivering orders with precision and style.

 

  1. **Cleaning Robots**: Reliance Automation’s cleaning robots leverage cutting-edge sensors, robotic arms, and intelligent cleaning algorithms to automate janitorial tasks and facility maintenance. From vacuuming and mopping to sanitization and waste disposal, these robots ensure pristine cleanliness while reducing labour costs and enhancing workplace safety.

 

  1. **User-Friendly Interface**: Intuitive touchscreen interfaces and mobile applications enable seamless interaction and control of Reliance Automation’s service robots, empowering users to customize settings, monitor performance, and access real-time insights with ease.

 

  1. **Scalability and Adaptability**: Reliance Automation’s service robots are designed to be scalable and adaptable, allowing businesses to deploy and integrate them into diverse environments and workflows with minimal disruption. Whether in a small café or a large-scale hospitality venue, these robots can be tailored to meet specific operational requirements.

 

Commenting on the launch of Reliance Automation’s service robots, Peter Creighton, MD of Reliance, stated, “We are thrilled to introduce our latest range of service robots to the Irish market, offering transformative solutions for businesses seeking to enhance service quality, operational efficiency, and workplace safety. With their advanced capabilities and user-friendly design, our robots are poised to revolutionize the hospitality and cleaning industries, driving innovation and excellence.”

 

As Ireland embraces automation to address workforce challenges and elevate service standards, Reliance Automation stands ready to partner with businesses across industries to unlock the full potential of robotics technology. By leveraging automation solutions, businesses can optimize resource utilization, improve productivity, and deliver exceptional experiences to customers and employees alike.

 

For more information on Reliance Automation’s service robots and robotics solutions, please visit www.servicebots.ie

Robotics Addressing Labour Gap

 

**Advancements in Robotics Revolutionize Manufacturing in Ireland, Addressing Labour Gap through Automation**

 

Ireland’s manufacturing sector undergoes a profound transformation as advancements in robotics drive unprecedented levels of automation, offering a strategic solution to address labour shortages and enhance competitiveness on the global stage. With cutting-edge robotics technologies, Irish manufacturers are poised to revolutionize production processes, streamline operations, and unlock new opportunities for growth and innovation.

 

Innovative companies and research institutions in Ireland are at the forefront of robotics development, pioneering solutions that redefine traditional manufacturing paradigms. From small-scale enterprises to multinational corporations, organizations across the country are embracing automation as a means to overcome labour constraints, improve efficiency, and drive sustainable economic development.

 

Key advancements in robotics technology in Irish manufacturing include:

 

  1. **Robotic Assembly Lines**: Automation of assembly processes through robotics enables manufacturers to achieve higher throughput, precision, and consistency while reducing reliance on manual labour. Collaborative robots (cobots) work alongside human operators, enhancing productivity and flexibility in production environments.

 

  1. **Flexible Manufacturing Systems**: Agile robotic systems equipped with advanced sensors and adaptive control algorithms enable rapid reconfiguration of production lines to accommodate changing product specifications and market demands. Flexibility in manufacturing ensures responsiveness to dynamic market conditions and enhances competitiveness.

 

  1. **Quality Assurance and Inspection**: Robotics-driven quality assurance systems utilize machine vision, artificial intelligence, and robotic arms to perform rigorous inspection tasks with unparalleled speed and accuracy. Automated inspection ensures adherence to stringent quality standards while minimizing defects and rework.

 

  1. **Material Handling and Logistics**: Robotics-enabled material handling solutions optimize warehouse operations, inventory management, and logistics processes, reducing lead times and operational costs. Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) navigate complex environments, transporting materials and components with efficiency and precision.

 

Commenting on the role of robotics in addressing labour shortages, Gerry Graham, Automation Manager of Reliance Automation, stated, “As Ireland’s manufacturing sector evolves in response to changing market dynamics, robotics emerges as a transformative enabler of growth and competitiveness. By embracing automation technologies, manufacturers can enhance operational efficiency, drive innovation, and create sustainable value for stakeholders.”

 

As Ireland charts a course toward a more automated future, collaboration between industry, academia, and government is essential to accelerate the adoption of robotics technologies and maximize their socio-economic benefits. By investing in research and development, workforce training, and supportive policy frameworks, Ireland can position itself as a global leader in advanced manufacturing and robotics innovation.

 

Reliance Automation is a leading provider of robotics equipment, dedicated to driving innovation and efficiency in manufacturing through the integration of advanced automation technologies. With a commitment to excellence and sustainability, Reliance Automation empowers manufacturers to thrive in an increasingly automated world.  Reliance Automation is focused on supporting its nationwide customers ensuring they achieve their automation and production goals.  To arrange a free site visit and find solutions to your production challenges, contact Reliance Automation on info@relianceautomation.ie

Pudu Robotics Announces Strategic Partnership with Reliance Automation

Pudu Robotics, the global leader in commercial service robotics, is excited to announce a strategic partnership with Reliance Automation. This collaboration aims to elevate the commercial service robotics industry, combining Reliance Automation’s robotics expertise in the Irish and northern Irish market with Pudu’s product and technology advantages in delivery robot and cleaning robot.

Pudu Robotics is proactively expanding its global presence while maintaining a stronghold in Asian markets. Known for its popular cat-shaped robot “BellaBot” in Japan, PUDU has captured a significant market share for catering service robots in Japan. Its rich product line empowers businesses across various sectors to harness the full potential of robotic solutions to elevate service quality, customer experience, and cost-efficiency for business operators.

“We are honoured to hold partner with Reliance Automation. This collaboration is a recognition of the unique value that Pudu brings to the table,” said Felix Zhang, CEO of Pudu Robotics.” We’ll continue to deliver reliable products and outstanding services with our strong full-stack capabilities to all our partners and customers, as we have consistently done.”

“We are excited about our partnership with PUDU Robotics as it allows us to enhance our offering in the field of robots and automation equipment in Ireland. This collaboration reinforces our commitment to delivering advanced robotic technologies, while also helping businesses address workforce challenges and improve overall efficiency.  The significant increase in overheads that the service sector will soon experience cannot be ignored, and service robots will contribute to offsetting this cost.  Service robots are also surprisingly affordable with customers recouping the cost in under a year.” Peter Creighton, Managing Director of Reliance Automation.

About Pudu Robotics

Pudu Robotics is a global leader in design, R&D, production, and sales of commercial service robots with nearly 70,000 units shipped in over 60 countries worldwide. The company’s robots are currently in use across a wide variety of industries including restaurants, retail, hospitality, healthcare, entertainment, and manufacturing. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Shenzhen, China, its mission is to use robots to improve the efficiency of human production and living. For more information on business developments and updates, follow PUDU on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram

 

About Reliance Automation

Reliance Automation is part of the Reliance group which is almost in its 100th year of trading.  The business was first established in Cork and now trades across the island of Ireland in Cork, Dublin, Limerick and Antrim.  After serving the industrial and agricultural industries for decades, Reliance continued its innovative approach and is now the leading automation equipment supplier in Ireland.  Pudu joins other global leading brands such as Universal Robots, Nachi, Staubli, MiR, Bosch Rexroth and many more on the Reliance Automation portfolio.   Reliance Automation has a team of very experienced technical engineers to offer local support to customers as well as holding stock in Ireland for fast turnaround. 

Service Robot Trial

Ireland’s level of unemployment is at an all-time low creating a labour gap especially hitting the service industries.  Reliance Automation offers a free trial to any service company who is experiencing difficulties to demonstrate to them how easy Pudu robots are to use and how they can enhance any service business.  Pudu service robots are suitable for hospitality, catering, hospitals, cleaning, offices, events and so much more.  Visit info@servicebots.ie to find out more and book your free trial.  Trials are carried out with the technical support of Reliance engineers on site at your facility. 

Reliance staff sleeping rough on Friday 13th October in aid of Focus Ireland

For the third year running, Reliance is participating in the Shine a Light campaign in aid of Focus Ireland. The campaign aim is to raise awareness on the homelessness crisis in Ireland. The company has raised €15k over the last 2 years for the charity and it’s target for 2023 is to break the €20k fundraising target. On Friday October 13th staff will sleep rough in the Cork branch. Donations can be made here. Thank you for all the many donations to date.

Elementor #11032

2 WEEKS TO GO – WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT

On Friday 13 October, the Reliance team are participating in Shine A Light for @FocusIreland supported by @BordGaisEnergy. We will be sleeping out for one night to raise funds to end homelessness.  You can sign up to participate in Shine A Light or donate towards our fundraising target here 

Help us, help Focus Ireland challenge homelessness and change lives.
#ShineALight

UR 20 Cobot

UR20

Fastest, heavy payload cobot

The UR20 is our top-end model with the longest reach and heaviest payload capabilities. Thanks to its incredibly small footprint, this industrial collaborative robot enables you to automate more applications where heavy objects need to be lifted over a longer distance.

Scaling up to your needs

While payload and reach are certainly important factors in choosing a cobot, there are other features that define a modern cobot: accessibility, space consumption, deployment options, software features, and sustainability. The UR20 meets all of this criteria while offering the longest reach and heaviest payload capabilities of all the UR cobots.

The UR20 is built to support you in tasks where lifting heavy payloads over a long reach is a basic requirement. At faster speeds, the UR20 comes with superior motion control to ensure smooth and precise movements at the same time.

To support your need to automate processes in your existing work floor, the UR20 comes in a lightweight design and small footprint that can be installed almost anywhere. This cobot is versatile and will enable you to automate applications from material handling to welding.

Specification

Payload at full CoG offset and in the entire workspace

20 kg (44.1 lbs)

Reach

1750 mm (68.9 in)

Degrees of freedom

6 rotating joints

Programming

12 inch touchscreen with PolyScope graphical user interface

Performance

Power consumption

750 W

Moderate operating settings

500 W

Safety

17 configurable safety funcions

Certifications

EN ISO 13849-1

Certifications

PLd category 3

Certifications

EN ISO 10218-1

Force sensing, tool flange

Force, x-y-z

Torque, x-y-z

Range

200 N

20.0 Nm

Precision

5.5 N

0.2 Nm

Accuracy

10 N

1 Nm

Movement

Axis movement

Working range

Maximun speed

Base

± 360°

± 120°/s

Shoulder

± 360°

± 120°/s

Elbow

± 360°

± 150°/s

Wrist 1

± 360°

± 210°/s

Wrist 2

± 360°

± 210°/s

Wrist 3

± 360°

± 210°/s

Features

IP classification (arm)

IP65

ISO 14644-1 class cleanroom

5

Noise

< 65 dB(A)

Robot mounting

Any Orientation

I/O Ports Digital in

2

I/O Ports Digital out

2

I/O Ports Analog in

2

Tool I/O power supply voltage

12/24 V

Tool I/O power supply – Dual pin

2 A

Tool I/O power supply – Single pin

1 A

Physical

Footprint

Ø 245 mm

Materials

Aluminium, Plastic, Steel

Tool flange connector type

M8 | M8 8-pin (female), EN ISO-9409-1-80-6-M8

Cable length (robot arm)

6 m (236 in)

Weight (incl. cable)

64 kg (141.1 lbs)

Operating temperature range

0-50 °C (32.122 °F)

Humidity

90 %RH (non-condensing)

Reliance Automation represents Staubli robotics as exclusive Irish distributor

Staubli Robotics introduces explosion-proof & cleanroom robots to Ireland through Reliance Automation

 

Reliance Automation, the leading Irish supply partner of robotics and automation equipment, recently announced that it has partnered with Staubli Robotics for the Irish Market.  This new partnership is a first for Staubli Robotics and it strengthens Reliance Automation’s unique range of robotic technologies for the Irish market. Reliance now offers industrial robots, collaborative robots and specialised robots for pharmaceutical and food manufacturing sectors.

 

Staubli is a world leading Swiss multinational mechatronics innovator and manufacturer. Staubli was stablished in 1892 and with a workforce of 5500 today, the Stäubli Group generates a yearly turnover of 1.3 billion euros. The company has 14 industrial production sites as well as presence through business units and agents in 50 countries.  Since its formation in 1892, the company has split into 3 divisions, Staubli Textiles, Staubli Connectors and Staubli robotics.  Staubli robotics was set up in 1982 and produces scara and 6 axis robots. 

 

Reliance Automation is a leading force in the Irish automation industry and is recognised for regularly introducing new innovative solutions.  Reliance monitors manufacturing trends and anticipates demands in specific sectors that is demanding improved efficiencies, reliability and productivity.  With employment at an all-time high level and operators as well as skilled labour in desperate demand, robotics is a solution that must be considered, particularly in pharmaceutical, chemical and food manufacturing sectors.  According to the CSO figures gathered in 2019, food, pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing in Ireland equates to 74% of all production.  The top then industrial enterprises account for 49.2% of overall production. 

 

These three sectors have very specific manufacturing automation needs because of health and safety regulations such as cleanroom robots, explosion proof robots and wash down robots.  The addition of Staubli to Reliance Automation’s portfolio of technologies now means a more comprehensive range of robotic solutions is available to benefit manufacturing.

Reliance Automation was an obvious choice for Staubli too as their exclusive distributor due to their knowledge and experience spanning almost 100 years.  The business also has strong partnership agreements with Ireland’s machine builders to compliment the supply of equipment with the overall construction of the manufacturing system.  With four offices in Ireland in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Belfast, Reliance Automation can offer on the ground support 365 days a year.

Peter Creighton MD of Reliance Automation signs contract with Simon Jenkins Staubli

 

Pictured above is Reliance Automation’s managing director Peter Creighton shaking hands with Simon Jenkins, Robotics’ director for Ireland and the UK from Staubli.  On signing the contract with Staubli Creighton commented “Today is a very proud moment for Reliance Automation. We have partnered with Staubli Robotics for the Irish Market. This is amazing news for Irish manufacturing as Staubli Robotics is a leading international player in industrial automation, providing engineering and technical support recognized for their efficiency and reliability. From ultra-fast SCARA, to washdown capable 6 axis industrial robots, their powerful, high-precision solutions allow us to work with clients in many industries to help them tackle the challenges of Industry 4.0.”

 

To find out more about Staubli robotics or any other products in the Reliance Automation range visit www.relianceautomation.ie.  Reliance Automation runs automation roadshows bi-annually around the island of Ireland and holds open days in its Dublin facility.  If you would like to attend any free events visit the events page on their website or search and book events on Eventbrite.  The business also carries out automation audits and demonstrations on customer manufacturing sites by request so simply contact them on info@relianceautomation.ie to book.

UR Train the Trainer Course

TRAINER CERTIFICATION TRAINING

Universal Robots (Collaborative Robots)

KEY TAKE-AWAYS FROM THIS COURSE

  • Understand what the UR Training Methodology is
  • Facilitation Skills
  • What makes a good training?
  • How to motivate
  • How do people learn
  • How to use UR Training Materials
  • Practice Hands-On Training Skills

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Learners can become a Reliance Automation Authorized Training Partner (ATP) to offer certified training. A prerequisite for this is the provision of a suitable trainer who undergoes the certification process, which includes participation in the Online Academy, Core, and finally the Trainer Certification Training.

The Trainer Certification Training is a 3-day course in which the participants will learn the UR Training Methodology, or how to L.A.F.F. The focus of the training methodology is to guide both the development and delivery of Universal Robots’ trainings. At the end of this course participants will understand L.A.F.F. and will have hands-on experience in implementing L.A.F.F. principles through class discussions, presentations, and exercises.

Please make sure you have submitted the Trainer Application form you should have received from your trainer, you´ll also receive a copy of the form in the confirmation email after your registration. Also included in the confirmation emails is a “Trainer guide”, covering the UR Training Methodology”, that you need to read and understand before the training and a one-page document showing your steps to become a UR certified trainer.

You must have completed the UR Academy free e-Learning Core Track and have attended a certified Core Training before attending this training.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Cancellation Policy

If cancellation is received more than 5 business days before the first day of the Training a full refund will be granted. If cancellation is received less than 5 business days before the training, the participant will be charged 50% of the activity fee. In case of a participant not showing up for a training without prior cancellation, the full amount will be charged.

In the event that a Training is cancelled by the Training Provider a full refund of any paid amounts will be granted.

Registration Policy

The Trainings will be open for registration up until 5 business days before the first day of the training. After this date, no further registrations will be accepted.

LOCATION

Celbridge FETC,
North Kildare Further Education and Training Campus,
Unit A11, M4 Business Park,
Maynooth Road, Celbridge ,
Co. Kildare
W23 YK2V

Contact Info:

+353 1 627 5673

Roadshow 2023

Book Here

Reliance Automation hosts an event showcasing the latest collaborative robotic technology. Featuring UR cobots, MiR mobile robot, OnRobot and Cobot safety.

Reliance Automation hosts an event showcasing the latest collaborative and industrial robotic technology. Hear about features and benefits of collaborative technologies as well as safety. Featuring industrial robots, UR cobots, MiR mobile robot, OnRobot end of arm tools, linear drives and more.

  • 9.30am registration, tea and coffee
  • 10am Hear from our partners
  • 12pm Learn about safety
  • 12.30pm Get hands-on with the technology
  • 2.00pm Close

Light lunch provided for corporate guests

Focus Ireland Shine A Light 2022

Focus Ireland Shine A Light – Reliance team will sleep out to support Irish charities 

 

On Friday 14th of October, the team at Reliance will be sleeping out for one night to shine a light on homelessness in Ireland and raise vital funds for Focus Ireland and HUGG.  In May, homelessness figures surpassed 10,000, the highest figure recorded since before the pandemic due to a lack of affordable, secure housing in Ireland. Right now, there are 1,366 families, including 3,028 children without a home. These families can spend up to two years in a one-bedroom room in an emergency accommodation situation, which has a significant impact on mental health, self-esteem, and child development.

 

However, homelessness would be much worse without the work of Focus Ireland.  Focus Ireland are ending homelessness every day for families and individuals and our services are working hard to protect people who are currently homeless – especially children from the trauma caused by homelessness. 

 

HUGG is a peer support organisation. They provide a safe, confidential environment in which those bereaved by suicide can share their experiences and feelings, so giving and gaining support from each other.

 

Please donate to our Shine A Light Night to help Focus Ireland and Hugg Irish charities.  Friends and family of Reliance are welcome to join in.

Reliance Donates €10,500 to help Ukraine

Everyone at Reliance is devastated by what is unfolding in the Ukraine.  We feel totally helpless however we hope that a donation of €10,500 shared equally between Unicef and the Redcross will help in some small way.  We chose these 2 charities in particular because they are working hard on the frontline helping families with life-saving aid.

Collaborative Technology Roadshow March 2022

Collaborative Technology Roadshow

 

In the past 2 years, Irish manufacturing companies are being forced to automate.  Regardless of whether it was in their strategic plan or not, automation is necessary due to lack of available staff, health and safety issues, Covid 19 restrictions, increases in demand and more.  Innovative improvements in technology have not stood still while the market was developing meaning there are a lot more cost-effective solutions available for processes.  Collaborative technology that safely interacts with human workers and can be easily programmed is surging in popularity.

Reliance Automation is the biggest automation product supplier in Ireland and represents both industrial and collaborative robot brands.  The company recognises that it is not always feasible for engineers to visit their Dublin, Cork or Limerick offices so they are taking their collaborative automation products on the road during March. 

The roadshow will take place in four venues and engineers are invited to attend and get hands on with the latest technology.  The event will kick off on 21st March in Reliance Automation’s Dublin facility which houses the “Automation Hub”, a permanent centre where the newest automation technology can be viewed by customers.  The event will then travel to Monaghan on 22nd March, Mullingar on 23rd March and Galway on 24th March. 

Collaborative technology on display will be cobots, autonomous guided vehicles, grippers and more.  The event will be run in conjunction with three of the world leading companies in the sector, Universal Robots, MiR and OnRobot.  Experts will travel with these companies to communicate in detail the features and benefits of their technologies, the safety specifications and how they can be integrated with other collaborative systems.  Ease of programming, flexibility and deployment will be a focus of the demonstrations also.

Manufacturing professionals are invited to attend the event free of charge.  The events will begin at 10am and will run until 2.30pm.  The agenda will include speakers from Reliance Automation, Universal Robot, MiR, OnRobot and the IMR (Irish Manufacturing Research Centre).  Light refreshments will be provided on the day.

Spaces are limited so attendance is by pre-booking only.  Attendees are invited to bring project detail, URS (User requirement specifications), components, manual process breakdowns, videos or any relevant information with them and it will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.  Non-disclosure agreements can be signed prior to or during the event.  Please book your space online at www.relianceautomation.ie/roadshow to ensure your attendance is secured.  For more information email info@relianceautomation.ie

Automation Hub Open Week

Automation Hub Open Week

Reliance is pleased to invite you to our brand new Dublin facility in Ballymount where we are showcasing all the most innovative and up to date robotics and automation.  The company recently relocated the premises from the Naas road to a much bigger modern facility.  The first floor of the new premises houses Reliance Automation, a branch of the main company.  

Reliance Automation has grown rapidly and is now the largest supplier of manufacturing automation products in Ireland.  The hub will be open to customers by appointment only between Monday 7th and Friday 11th March 2022.  Customers can book a slot of between 1 and 3 hours to get the best from the guided tour.

Automation manager Gerry Graham and automation engineer David Webb will be on hand to demonstrate all the latest automation technology and enable attendees to get hands-on with the products.

Market leading collaborative robots “Universal Robots” will be available to program and run along with collaborative end of arm tooling from “OnRobot”.  Industrial robots from “Nachi” Japan which were famously designed for use in Toyota will also be demonstrated.  

Mobile robots are becoming increasingly popular in Ireland and represented at the open week will be the market leading collaborative autonomous mobile robot “MiR”.  

Some products on display are so new to the market that they are completely unknown but they will solve some existing problems withing manufacturing production.  The “Wyzo” is a high speed delta robot that is collaborative and slows when it comes into contact with humans for safety reasons.  It is already extremely popular and is mobile.

Another product new to the market is the “Flexibowl” intelligent unscrambling bowl with integrated vision system that can sort more than one product in the same bowl.

Reliance Automation also represents many other technologies such as SMC pneumatics and electric actuators.  The company also represents Bosch Rexroth as Ireland’s sole distributor.

Reliance Automation is credited with its strategy to bring the newest and most innovative technology to manufacturing in Ireland.  The company has recognised the need for an affordable collaborative palletising system.  It is expected that there will be a palletising solution unveiled at the open week so stay tuned!

Customers are encouraged to book in advance to secure their slot.  NDAs can be signed prior to the visit to ensure the best use of the time.  Customers are also advised to bring video footage of manual processes and physical components for testing and discussion.  

To book your place on the open week please contact info@relianceautomation.ie and specify a date that will be suitable along with the number of attendees.  

In The Press: Rise of The Machines

Rise of The Machines Article: 

Sunday Independent 23rd January 2022

Reliance Automation:

If companies can’t hire the workforce they need, will more firms start building them instead?
Peter Creighton certainly thinks so. He is managing director of Cork-based Reliance Automation, a division of an engineering products and mechanical agricultural components company that was founded in 1920 out of the back of a Model T truck by Creighton’s great-grandfather Horace Rhodes Kenworthy.  Reliance distributes and maintains industrial cobots (collaborative robots) in Ireland for Danish manufacturer Universal Robots, and has just opened an automation hub in Dublin.

“What the pandemic did was made companies realise that if they had automated before they wouldn’t be in the sticky situation they are in now,” says Creighton.  “Covid has taught us a lot of lessons about the way the world will look going forward, which is that there are going to be times when we are going to go through pandemics – though not for a long time, I hope.

“Staff can be out because they are sick or there is a Covid outbreak and all of those elements come into the mix in how businesses are planning for the future.

“This next generation of robotics has been a game-changer for businesses looking to automate, because all of a sudden you can put a robot working side-by-side with someone without having to deal with safety issues.

“You can move that robot from one application to another and have as many pre-saved programs as you want – you just pick a program for any application and press ‘go’.
“The biomedical and biopharma companies are advanced in their use of robotics, but they are always adding on to what they have.

“A big problem is those businesses don’t have staff now, because of Covid outbreaks, and have to stop production lines. One large customer who purchases a lot of automation now has three out of 20 production lines that aren’t working because of Covid.

“It’s worrying because they are manufacturing products that save lives.
“The food industry is certainly growing in its requirements for automation. Meat processing plants are very labour intensive and have had awful problems with labour during Covid.
“A cut of meat will be a different size every time, so it’s very difficult to automate the cutting of meat. But we do work with those companies for tasks like moving product from one area to the next.

“Robotics in high-volume warehousing housing and logistics it is most definitely an area that’s going to grow.

“Ireland is still in its infancy in this regard – the return on investment is more suited to larger high-volume warehouses, like the Amazon fulfilment centre that’s opening [in Baldonnell]. The logistics companies are looking at automating more than general warehousing, because of the surge in online shopping. The supermarket distribution warehouses are too.”

Automation Hub Open Week

Reliance Automation Opens to the Public for Automation Testing

On 7th to 11th March 2022, the brand new Dublin 12 facility containing Reliance Automation’s technology centre will host an open week.  The purpose of the week is for customers and manufacturing companies to visit and carry out hands on training or even proof of concepts.  Visitors are encouraged to bring parts and components as well as project details with them to allow them to test the in house automation and robotics.

Reliance Automation’s engineering experts will be on hand to discuss automation options and test in house solutions first hand.  Technology available for exploration will be Universal Robots cobots, end of arm tooling, MiR autonomous mobile robots, a high speed collaborative delta robot, bosch rexroth, SMAC actuators, IAI actuators and so much more.  Olympus robotic welding cells will be available for testing with customers actual parts.

A busy week is expected so please email info@reliance.ie to book a time slot to ensure we can support you and you get the best out of your visit.  You can also express your intention to attend on our Linkedin event page.

Get hands-on with innovative technology at Dublin’s first automation hub

COVID-19 has impacted Ireland in many ways, but one unforeseen change is that the automation of manual tasks has increased significantly.


McKinsey report analysis suggests that 39-58% of the worldwide work activities in operationally intensive sectors could be automated by employing current automation technologies.

Reliance Automation, Ireland’s largest automation supply partner, has seen such a change first-hand within the Irish market where their customers are finding it very difficult to attract labour. The issue is apparent across the whole island, especially for repetitive, arduous and dangerous tasks.

This shift in the market has prompted the company to seek out even more new and innovative solutions to customers’ needs in our manufacturing industries. As a result, full automation of heavy lifting, packaging, driving pallet trucks, manual picking and placing of parts and even handling dangerous components is now more commonplace.

Utilising mobile robotic technology

Examples of innovations that are being continually deployed in today’s factories include the use of AMRs otherwise known as autonomous mobile robots. Previously these were known as AGVs but newer technology allows the mobile robots to now move around workers and obstacles safely and be programmed easily without any need for floor or wall sensors.

Reliance automation distributes AMRs from the world leading mobile robot brand, Mobile Industrial Robots A/S (MiR). Companies are deploying MiR robots to simplify and automate logistical tasks like moving products between clean rooms and warehouses, moving pallets to storage areas etc. Typically, this frees up crucial staff for more meaningful tasks thereby improving job satisfaction.

MiR robots can be used seamlessly with many other collaborative technologies such as universal robots, OnRobot grippers and ROEQ accessories (carts, rolling conveyors) for the top of the mobile robot.

“Newer technology allows the mobile robots to now move around workers and obstacles safely.”

Safe human and robot collaboration

Another automation trend that is being deployed on the manufacturing floor is the use of collaborative robots, meaning robots that can safely interact with humans without the use of extra guarding or safety systems. The robots are built specifically for this purpose as well as focusing on ease of programming and flexibility of re-deployment. Universal robots are the market leader and a partner of Reliance Automation. UR collaborative robots now have many compatible technologies to make the systems even easier to implement into production, by the end user themselves in many cases.

OnRobot is a company based in Denmark, Europe’s silicon valley for automation. The company has a vast range of end of arm tooling that clips easily and seamlessly onto the universal robot. The tooling is high tech and extremely intuitive. It automatically communicates with the robot so that minimal programming is needed to run an automated process. The range includes palletising, electric suction grippers, finger grippers end even sanding and screwdriving tools. OnRobot grippers are fully collaborative, very affordable and additional safety validation is not necessary for deployment.

New automation hub

Reliance Automation will be opening a brand new automation hub within its new facility in Ballymount, Dublin in January 2022. The hub will allow engineers and stakeholders to experience innovative automation technologies first-hand on a one-to-one basis with their technical experts. The hub will also house Dublin’s only training centre for Universal Robots. A launch of the automation hub is expected in the first quarter of 2022.

Interactive technology on display at the automation hub will include innovative products such as a world’s first collaborative high-speed delta (spider) robot with built-in safety scanners and vision system. A vision guided collaborative palletising system for bags and boxes, an intelligent bowl feeding system, a robotic welding system and electrical pneumatic replacements will also be showcased.

If you are part of the manufacturing industry and would like to attend the launch or book a one-to-one automation experience, please visit www.relianceautomation.ie/automation-hub/ to secure your place.

A no strings attached free site audit to evaluate automation possibilities

Robotics Roadshow 2022

Reliance Automation hosts an event showcasing the latest collaborative robotic technology. Featuring UR cobots, MiR mobile robot, OnRobot and Cobot safety.

Reliance Automation hosts an event showcasing the latest collaborative and industrial robotic technology. Hear about features and benefits of collaborative technologies as well as safety. Featuring industrial robots, UR cobots, MiR mobile robot, OnRobot end of arm tools, linear drives and more.

  • 10am registration, tea and coffee
  • 10.30am Hear from our partners
  • 12pm Learn about safety
  • 12.30pm Get hands-on with the technology
  • 2.00pm Close

Light lunch provided for corporate guests

Reliance Dublin moves to a new modern facility in Ballymount, D12

Reliance Automation at the Manufacturing Exhibition 2021

Reliance Automation Wows at RDS Manufacturing Show

Reliance Automation didn’t let visitors down at the recent Manufacturing Exhibition held in the RDS.  The stand was a huge 24M2 and hosted a huge range of innovative technology including cobots, industrial robots, mobile robots, electric actuators and even some brand new innovative products.  

There were some stand out stars of the show; the Wyzo the Flexibowl and Bosch Rexroth Control X.   The Wyzo is the worlds first robot that marries the benefits of fast industrial robots and safe cobots in one unit.  The demonstration on the Reliance Automation stand was in fact only the 6th unit in the world.  Visitors were able to interact with the delta robot when it was moving quickly and it responded by slowing down into safe mode.  

The Flexibowl also attracted lots of attention by demonstrating how parts can be picked using vision from an intelligent vibrating bowl system.  The system sorted and picked pens for visitors to take from the stand.  

Having just announced it’s partnership with Bosch Rexroth, Reliance Automation was also proud to showcase the brand new ground breaking Control X technology.  ctrlX AUTOMATION surmounts the classic boundaries between machine controls, the IT world and the Internet of Things. With a Linux real-time operating system, consistently open standards, app programming technology, web-based engineering and a comprehensive IoT connection, ctrlX AUTOMATION reduces components and engineering costs by 30 to 50%.

Reliance Automation clearly demonstrated it’s unique place in the Irish market as the supplier with the largest and most innovative range of automation products.  The company does not built machines or integrate, rather they sell directly to end users who have the expertise to self integrate or via machine builder.  This makes savings much easier to achieve for lean specialists and Reliance Automation prides itself on after sales service to ensure their product quality speaks for itself.  

Reliance Automation plans to open Dublin’s first automation hub to showcase their technology on a permanent basis and provide training to customers.  They also plan to do a roadshow in May of next year to bring technology to major cities across the island. 

If you would like to find out more about any of Reliance Automation’s products please contact us.

Webinar: Collaborative Vision Guided Palletising Solution

Collaborative Vision Guided Palletising Solution
Cobot Lift is a new and innovative company providing a solution that extends the lifting capacity of a Universal Robot cobot to 45kg. Cobot Lift can be used in various different industries and environments and is an affordable and flexible solution to health and safety concerns.  Join our webinar to learn abour Cobot Lift’s brand new vision guided palletising solution using a universal robot.

Webinar Agenda:

  • About Cobot Lift
  • Benefits
  • Solutions
  • Vision guided palletising solution
  • Case studies
  • Prices
  • New Products
Cobot Lift Webinar Host
Henrik Elm Gullov will host the webinar and discuss the features and benefits of Cobotlift. He will discuss the innovative and dynamic vision based palletising solution paying attention to case studies in various different industries and environments. Henrik has a wealth of executive and technical experience at national and international board level.
CEO & Co-Founder of Cobot Lift
Henrik Elm Gulløv
1st December 2021 9 am – 9.45am
Cost: FREE
Book Now
Learn more about Cobot Lift
Are you interested in finding out more about Cobot Lift in advance of the webinar?  View the video above or Contact Reliance Automation, Ireland’s exclusive Cobot Lift partner.

Reliance Staff Raise Over €8k for Charity

Over 8k raised by Reliance team for Focus Ireland and HUGG Charities

October 15th saw the national “Shine a Light” campaign run buy Focus Ireland to raise funding for homelessness in Ireland. As of August 2021, the number of people certified as homeless in the Republic of Ireland is 8212.  The aim of the annual event is to raise sponsorship for sleeping out that night while gaining a real insight into what homeless people must endure on a nightly basis.

The team at Reliance took the last minute decision to bring together their Cork, Dublin and Limerick facilities and stage a meaningful sleepout at its head office location in Little Island, Cork. 16 people braved the night weather and came together on the night raising a total of €6182, over twice the target!

Peter Creighton, MD of Reliance, got involved and brought along his teenage daughter. “When I came across the charity, I just knew it is something we had to do.  This was our first-time taking part as a company. As a family business almost a century old, we are very focused on the team so we felt that such an amazing charity on our own doorstep was very worthwhile.  We are absolutely delighted with the amount raised and thank you so much to all those who donated. It is overwhelming just how generous people have been with both their time and donations.  We also gained a lot from the experience as a team, and it brought us closer together.  It was a wonderful experience for me and my daughter to go through together.”

Reliance was 14th on the company leader board for funds raised which was a great achievement considering they only decided to participate a week in advance of the event!  The overall amount raised by Focus Ireland was over €1.2m which will go a long way to supporting the charity’s work.  Reliance has vowed to take part again next year and delighted that their contribution will make a real difference to those suffering here in Ireland.

In addition to raising funds for homelessness in Ireland, Reliance staff ran a joint fundraiser for HUGG, a charity that supports families affected by suicide.  This charity was particularly supportive of a team member from Cork, Frank Hurley, who tragically lost her son in January.  HUGG was her lifeline when she struggled to find solace in everyday life.  The charity provides refuge by bringing families together in a group setting who have suffered the same loss.  Reliance raised an additional €1200 in support of HUGG.  Details of HUGG can be found on www.hugg.ie

Reliance achieves Bosch Rexroth Certified Excellence Partner status for Ireland

NEW Certified Excellence Business Partner

We are very pleased to announce that RELIANCE may now call itself a Certified Excellence Partner of Bosch Rexroth.

RELIANCE has successfully completed all stages of the certification process and from now on will specialise as an Linear Motion (LT) Distribution Partner and a Automation & Electrification (AE) Solution Partner of Bosch Rexroth UK

You can find Bosch Rexroth products on www.reliance.ie as well as our automation website www.relianceautomation.ie

#OneRexrothSales #CertifiedExcellence #WeMoveYouWin

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Reliance Sleep out for Focus Ireland

Help Reliance Shine a Light on homelessness with Focus Ireland

The past two years have helped everyone to appreciate the food, shelter and family are all that truely matters to make us happy.  Unfortunately though, pandemic or not, there are still homeless people in our own country.  This is an ongoing serious problem that is affecting over 900 families and over 2000 kids in Ireland.

In order to help make a difference Reliance will “Shine a Light” on homelessness in Ireland by sleeping out in Reliance Cork on 15th October in aid of Focus Ireland.  Our team is working hard to raise funds towards the big sleep out so we would really appreciate if you can also contribute to such a great cause.  


Donate Here

Soft Robotics Gripper for handling delicate products 

 

Reliance Automation Wins 2 Awards

Award Winners

 

Reliance Automation won not 1 but 2 awards from OnRobot at their partners event in Edinburgh. The awards recognised Reliance Automation for having the “Highest turnover” and “Best collaborative application” for projects carried out in 2021. 

Automation division manager, Gerry Graham, delivered a presentation on how Reliance Automation adopts a partnership approach with clients to choose the best end of arm tooling for their applications. The automation division continues to lead at the forefront of innovation in Ireland bringing robots, cobots, mobile robots and advanced solutions to the market.  The event was hosted by Vikram Kumar and his team at OnRobot.  

Fuchs and Reliance Partnership News

Announcement

Exclusive Distribution Partnership Agreement between Fuchs and Reliance

As a user of high-end lubricants, you will appreciate that quality, service, and cost are crucial in a lubricants supplier.

Fuchs values its customers and therefore has made necessary changes to combat customs administration challenges, extended shipping times and uncertainty brought on by Brexit.

To overcome Brexit issues and improve service levels, Fuchs has taken the decision to partner with Reliance, as the authorised technical distributor of Fuchs Industrial lubricants in Ireland. Reliance is Ireland’s largest engineering products distributor, with 3 strategically located facilities in Ireland, and with over 45,000 sq. ft of warehousing space available.

Our new partnership will ensure lead times and delivery service levels for Fuchs Lubricants will improve significantly ensuring Fuchs customers will be able to plan better and stay more competitive.

Should you have queries please contact us at any of our 3 locations.


Manufacturing Exhibition 2021

The National Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference and Exhibition is taking place on 23rd and 24th November in the RDS Dublin. The day starts at 9am on both the days and runs until 16.00pm on the 23rd and 15.00pm on the 24th.

Meet the Reliance Automation team

We will be on stand C16 and looking forward to demonstrating our technologies.

What can you see?

  • Universal Robot Cobot
  • MiR robot
  • Nachi robot
  • ROEQ equipment for MiR
  • Onrobot end of arm tools
  • Flexibowl
  • Cobotlift
  • IAI
  • THK
  • Smac

If you would like to meet one of our automation experts to discuss your application, send us an email and book a time slot info@relianceautomation.ie 

Covid Pandemic shifts manufacturing towards automation

After 2 years of wading through business in a pandemic it is difficult to see who the winners are… 

Many sectors of the domestic economy have been severely affected with widescale job losses, the unemployment rate stood at 14.7 per cent in September 2020 which is much higher than the pre-pandemic level and household spending declined by 22 and 24 per cent respectively in the second quarter of that year according to the ESRI.

On the other hand, Irish export figures were strong due to medicinal and pharmaceutical products and computer services. With extra pressures being inflicted on an already struggling manufacturing sector such as health and safety covid measures, social distancing on production lines, illness, pandemic payments and covid outbreaks, many businesses had to seek out an alternative way to continue trading safely.

Reliance Automation, a large automation technologies supply partner serving the Island of Ireland, identified a shift in the type of automation being requested by their customers.  Peter Creighton, MD of the company comments “We have had two difficult years just as every other business; however, we continue to experience demand for automation resulting from the Covid pandemic situation.  Production lines of people who were tightly packed within one metre of each other suddenly needed to distance themselves 2m apart and there was also a huge increase in demand for covid related products such as testing and vaccines.”

“Many factories found themselves introducing extra shifts to split the workers for safety reasons and introducing automation to ensure demand was met.  One large customer introduced robotics to significantly increase covid samples being tested quickly and safely.  Within the food industry, which is traditionally very slow to adopt automation, there has been a significant shift towards automation due of significant increased demand.”

Looking outside of Ireland the trend has continued in the USA and Europe.  In 2021, robots imported into the USA increased by 26.3% according to the Financial Times.  Within Europe it was also reported that many factories chose to adopt “lights out manufacturing” with production continuing with 100% automation and operators controlling systems remotely from home.  The International Federation for Robotics (IFR) testified that automation has now been deployed 25 times faster than was expected pre-pandemic.

Let us address the elephant in the room, job losses.  The pandemic seems to have also brought the controversial debate about automation and job losses to the fore and finally proven that automation is a necessary part of industrial evolution.  The IFR also conveyed that digitisation will create significantly more jobs than it destroys in the next 5 years.  Due to an increase in automation jobs like engineering, IT and programming, there has merely been a shift in the types of jobs that are now in high demand.  UiPath, a software company founded in Romania and now headquartered in New York, reported that they have employed 60% more programmers since the pandemic began in 2019 and they expect to recruit a further 70% more this year. 

Does Ireland reflect the global trend?  Peter Creighton of Reliance Automation confirms it does.  “I can honestly confirm that, for the robots and automation solutions we have supplied to our customers since the Covid pandemic began, no staff members have been replaced as a direct result with redeployment to more interesting roles being the main change for many.  Demand continues to be driven by an increase in sales or a lack of available people.  There has been a huge change in attitudes of both our customers and the public in general and there now seems to be an understanding of the benefits of automation.  Afterall, automation kept the public safe from the virus for the past 2 years in many cases.”

According to Reliance Automation, there have been huge strides in robotics and automation innovations in recent years to allow for humans to work side by side with machines.  Collaborative robots, often termed ‘cobots’ are specifically designed to engage with operators safely.  Cobots take repetitive and dangerous tasks from humans but still allow humans to interact with them closely.  Rather than replacing humans, cobots are carving out a future for human and machine cooperation to achieve the best manufacturing solutions.

Robotics and automation is here to stay and is now being embraced more rapidly due to demand, safety and future proofing necessities.  The pandemic has removed the fear factor and sky-rocketed the raw need for automation to enhance performance, efficiency, and reliability.  The future may be a little different, full of digital innovations and automation, however it is safe, and it is bright.

If you would like to find out more about robotics, automation or cobots contact Reliance Automation www.relianceautomation.ie or email info@relianceautomation.ie.  The Reliance Automation website hosts lots of videos showing automation applications in manufacturing that have promoted health and safety and webinars for further learning.

UR 16e Cobot

Quick UR16e Facts

Reach: 900 mm / 35.4 ins

Payload: 16 kg / 35.3 lbs

Footprint: Ø 190 mm

Weight: 33.1 kg / 73 lbs

THE UR16e COLLABORATIVE INDUSTRIAL ROBOT

The Universal Robots UR16e delivers an impressive 16kg (35.3 lbs.) of payload within a small footprint, and is ideal for use in heavy machine tending, material handling, packaging, and screw and nut driving applications. This powerhouse robot allows for heavier end of arm tooling and multi-part handling, and is especially useful for achieving shorter cycle times.

GET TO KNOW OUR UR16e ROBOT

The utility of this collaborative industrial robot is unmatchable. The UR16e is built for heavy duty tasks like machine tending, material handling, packaging, material removal, and screw and nut driving applications.  It handles an exceptional 16 kg of payload that is especially useful for carrying heavy end of arm tooling and can lift multiple parts in a single pick, making tasks much more efficient by achieving shorter cycle times. UR16e is also offered as an OEM robot system and with a 3-Position Teach pendant. Are you looking for the CB3 model you can find it here

 

UR 10e Cobot

Quick UR10e Facts

Reach: 1300 mm / 51.2 ins

Payload: 12.5 kg / 27.55 lbs

Footprint: Ø 190 mm

Weight: 33.5 kg / 73.9 lbs

OUR BEST-SELLING COBOT JUST GOT BETTER.

Delivering 25% more payload – the UR10e now lifts up to 12.5 kg. That means more performance and even more productivity, 24 hrs a day.  With a proven 1300 mm reach and an even longer record of success, our best-selling cobot has been built to do even more.

GET TO KNOW OUR NEW UR10e ROBOT WITH 25% MORE LIFTING CAPACITY

The UR10e is an extraordinarily versatile collaborative industrial robot, delivering both high payload (12.5 kg) lift and long reach (1300mm) which makes it well suited for a wide range of applications in machine tending, palletizing, and packaging. The UR10e is also offered as an OEM robot system and with a 3-Position Enabling Teach Pendant. Are you looking for the CB3 model? Find it here

UR 5e Cobot

Quick UR5e Facts

Reach: 850 mm / 33.5 ins

Payload: 5 kg / 11 lbs

Footprint: Ø 149 mm

Weight: 20.6 kg / 45.4 lbs

THE UR5e – A FLEXIBLE COLLABORATIVE ROBOT ARM

Built with the future in mind, the UR5e is designed to grow in capability alongside your business, a spring board to improved product quality and productivity, so you will always be able to stay ahead of competition. Equipped with intuitive programming, versatile use and an almost endless list of opportunities for add-ons, the UR5e is able to complement production regardless of your industry, company size or product nature.  The UR5e strikes the perfect balance between size and power.

GET TO KNOW OUR UR5e ROBOT

The UR5e is a lightweight, adaptable collaborative industrial robot that tackles medium-duty applications with ultimate flexibility.   The UR5e is designed for seamless integration into a wide range of applications. UR5e is also offered as an OEM robot system and with a 3-Position Teach pendant. Are you looking for the CB3 model? Find it here.

UR 3e Cobot

Quick UR3e Facts

Reach: 500 mm / 19.7 ins

Payload: 3 kg / 6.6 lbs

Footprint: Ø 128 mm

Weight: 11.2 kg / 24.7 lbs

NEW SERIES OF COLLABORATIVE ROBOTS

The UR3e collaborative robot is a smaller collaborative table-top robot, perfect for light assembly tasks and automated workbench scenarios. The compact table-top cobot weighs only 24.3 lbs (11 kg), but has a payload of 6.6 lbs (3 kg),  ±360-degree rotation on all wrist joints, and infinite rotation on the end joint.   

The UR3e has a compact form factor making it a good fit for tight workspaces.  Its small footprint is great for bench-tops or built directly inside machinery, making it well suited for light assembly and screwdriving applications. UR3e is also offered as an OEM robot system and with a 3-Position Teach pendant. Are you looking for the CB3 model? Find it here

Brand New Innovative Automation Products Launched

Introducing FlexiBowl

Reliance Automation is delighted to announce that we have been appointed as the official distributor for Flexibowl in Ireland. FlexiBowl® is an innovative flexible parts feeder that is compatible with every robot and vision system. Entire families of parts within 1-250 mm and 1-250 g can be handled by a single FlexiBowl®, replacing a whole set of vibrating bowl feeders. Its lack of dedicated tooling and its easy-to-use and intuitive programming allows quick and multiple product changeovers inside the same work shift. Production changes are made in a matter of seconds, without needing long mechanical adjustments.

 
Find Out More
 
 
Introducing Cobotlift

Reliance Automation is delighted to announce that we have been appointed as the official distributor for CobotLift in Ireland. Cobotlift is an ideal solution for palletising or de-palletising where manual handling is a health and safety concern. Cobotlift offers a solution allowing the operator to work collaboratively with the robot and can lift up to 45kg

The Cobotlift solution is new and innovative in solving manufacturing issues such as:

  • Manual Handling
  • Lack of Space
  • Integration with other technology
  • Flexibility
  • Cost of automatic palletising/de-palletising
 


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Reliance Launches A New B2B Web Shop

Reliance is the largest provider of technical engineering products to Irish manufacturing and agriculture. Nearly 100 years old, Reliance attributes its long success to personal customer service and by continuing to introduce leading innovations. Reliance is pleased to launch its online web shop (www.reliance.ie ) to introduce a new dimension in how you can now do business with Reliance.

Reliance’s long-standing reputation is based on partnership and loyalty. We love engaging with our loyal customer base on a daily basis. We also wish to make it easier for our customers to do business with us. In addition to being able to place orders online or check stock and pricing, customers will also be in a position to print old invoices set up template order profiles amongst many other capabilities.

The new Reliance web shop has now been launched and customers are invited to set up an account.  Reliance is offering a €10/£10 discount to be applied to the first order placed online. To open an account simply click on the log in section of the website and follow the instructions. Customers will be guided through the account set up by a knowledgeable web shop assistant. Reliance service representatives are also available to assist in account set up and ordering. 

Other benefits of setting up an account include being the first to learn about new innovative products and promotions.  To avail of the discount simply type 1STWEB into the code box when asked for a discount code then complete the purchase.    Delivery and customer service policies will be unchanged.  To browse products and prices visit www.reliance.ie

We hope you enjoy the experience of being able to trade with Reliance online.

Reliance Launches Innovator’s Hub

Reliance Automation Partners Innovators in Technology to Launch to Market

 

There are many types of innovators in the world, those who have create ideas, those who turn ideas into products and those who take products to market.  Often innovators with ground-breaking ideas lack the support, skill sets and funding to commercialise their vision successfully.  Reliance Automation is at the forefront of innovation in Ireland and our mission is to closely partner with innovators to successfully introduce their ground-breaking technologies to market.

Many research support agencies currently operate within Irish universities such as the Tyndall institute or the IMR (Irish Manufacturing Research) centre.  These supports provide excellent guidance and funding for innovators to research and test their ideas and prove that their concepts are marketable.  However, great inventions need to be taken many steps further to be ready for successful introduction to industry. 

Reliance Automation recognises that substantial innovative talent exists in Ireland and with the right support, together we can drive change through technology. Reliance Automation partners with innovators of new world 1st innovative solutions and provides guidance on protecting intellectual property as well as engineering and business advice.  Reliance Automation is already a leading provider of automation solutions in Ireland and works within manufacturing daily.  The company can offer practical support on market research, budgeting, economics, costing, strategic planning, exporting and so much more.

Reliance Automation has set up an “Innovators Hub” to actively support innovators we partner with.  Innovators and education institutions are encouraged to engage with Reliance to openly discuss their concepts and new solutions.  Confidentiality is paramount and Reliance Automation will undertake all measures to protect the private nature of a viable concept.  The business values fairness and honesty and builds strong, comprehensive partnerships to successfully introduce new innovations to market both in Ireland and internationally. 

Reliance Automation Appointed as Irish Partner for Schaeffler OPTIME Condition Monitoring

Reliance Automation is delighted to announce that it has been appointed Ireland’s sole technology partner for the newly launched Schaeffler Optime condition monitoring system. The system is set to take industry by storm for its effectiveness in improving plant reliability and asset optimisation.  Read on to find out more about Schaeffler Optime and contact us for more information

Monitor all assets in a single app

Schaeffler OPTIME makes condition monitoring cost-effective for all plant assets

Pressrelease Stage Image

With Schaeffler OPTIME, comprehensive and automated condition monitoring is now a cost-effective proposition for maintenance personnel and facility operators. Schaeffler OPTIME is an efficient and easy-to-use low-cost solution designed specifically for the comprehensive condition monitoring of all indirectly process-critical assets across entire machine and equipment parks.

2020-02-12 | Schweinfurt/Hannover

 

  • Schaeffler OPTIME: Comprehensive and automated condition monitoring
  • Highly scalable wireless IoT solution
  • Easily integrates several hundred assets in a single day
  • Cost savings of up to 50 percent compared with manual offline measurement

For cost reasons, permanently installed continuous condition monitoring is typically used only for production machines that are directly process-critical. In the process manufacturing and automation industries, it is therefore not uncommon for up to 95 percent of all assets in a production facility to be either totally unmonitored or monitored only periodically by means of route-based, manual measurements. With Schaeffler OPTIME, however, comprehensive and automated condition monitoring is now a cost-effective proposition for maintenance personnel and facility operators. Schaeffler OPTIME is an efficient and easy-to-use low-cost solution designed specifically for the comprehensive condition monitoring of all indirectly process-critical assets across entire machine and equipment parks.

Automated data analysis powered by Schaeffler expertise
OPTIME is an easily scalable system that consists essentially of wireless, battery-powered vibration sensors, a gateway, and an app to visualize the resulting analysis data. The data captured by the sensors are analyzed using specially developed algorithms that draw on Schaeffler’s technical expertise, its extensive storehouse of physical models developed and refined over many decades, and the experience in condition monitoring that it has built up in the course of its bearing servicing operations. OPTIME provides several weeks’ early warning of damage to machine components such as electric motors, fans, and pumps. It also provides early warning of imbalances, misalignments, and knocking. The app presents trends in graph form and visualizes the severity of incidents using traffic light colors, alarm states, and other information. Assets can be grouped according to users’ requirements, and their condition can be presented in a range of user group-specific views. With OPTIME, in-house maintenance crews and external service contractors receive specific recommendations on the remedial steps required, so they can easily plan their maintenance work, manpower requirements, and spare parts procurement in a timely and cost-efficient manner.

Quick and easy initial operation
OPTIME can be installed and initial operation carried out without any prior condition monitoring expertise, and several hundred measuring points can easily be set up in the space of a single day. The vibration sensors are attached to the monitored assets by means of screws or adhesive, and are activated by the accompanying app, which connects to them via near-field communication (NFC). All installed sensors communicate autonomously with each other and the gateway, thereby forming a dedicated mesh network that ranks among the most reliable and energy-efficient types of IoT networks in use in industry today. The sensors in the mesh network transmit machine KPI data and raw vibration and temperature data via the gateway to the Schaeffler IoT Hub. The hub analyzes the data, and the results are displayed in the app, which supports a very wide range of end devices commonly used by maintenance teams and plant operators. Alternatively, the analysis results can be made available for integration into the customer’s own IT environment via a REST API.

Cost savings of up to 50 percent
OPTIME can yield cost savings of around 50 percent compared with monthly offline measurements made using hand-held devices. It also provides better-quality monitoring than most wireless online CMS systems thanks to its complex, algorithm-based analytics. Moreover, OPTIME can be used for a multitude of assets for which condition monitoring was previously not commercially viable, which makes it the first solution capable of providing an overview of machine states that is truly comprehensive and encompasses all subsystems and auxiliary assets. This is important, because the automated condition monitoring of all assets is fundamental to the reliable prevention of unplanned machine and plant shutdowns.

 

Inspection in Industry 4.0: The rise of Cobotics

HARNESSING THE POWER OF AUTOMATION IN QUALITY ASSURANCE

Industry 4.0 is here and more pivotal than ever. Whether you’re in automotive or electronics, generating greater output efficiencies with reduced inputs can be a challenge that many Production or Operational Teams face.

Using cutting-edge software as part of Industry 4.0, the power of cobotics can leverage your current inspection system to quickly identify multiple parts or component quality issues before they arise.

Discover how by leveraging cobotic automation you can offer…

  • Enhanced production workflow flexibility.
  • Greater product repeatability.
  • …and most of all, offer consistent quality assurance.

Unlock the power of automation in your quality assurance process today by registering for our latest webinar on 6th April, at 11:00am (GMT).

Machine Tending

Robotic Machine Tending 

On top of the increased uptime, robotic machine tending systems are more accurate, safer and more repeatable than manual loading and unloading. Not only can this increase the quality of parts produced, but it can reduce the amount of error in the machining process, maximizing throughput and minimizing wasted materials and time.  The increased uptime benefit comes from the ability to do what known as “lights out” runs, setting up a large run of items to be machined in the evening, and coming back in the morning to find them finished.
Machine Tending Simulation using Universal Robot

Benefits of Robotic Machine Tending

  1. Lower operating costs and fast Return on Investment
  2. Improve speed and precision as well as reliability and quality
  3. Relieve machine operators from physically demanding, repetitive work, freeing them up for more valuable tasks
  4. Eliminate the risk of injuries
  5. Flexibility if your work flow changes, the Universal Robot can be deployed quickly and easily elsewhere due to its small size and lightweight design
  6. Small footprint, the robots can even be pole mounted beside the machine, taking up almost no floor space, and when using Universal Robots, no caging is necessary
Contact Reliance Automation for a free, no commitment consultation
Find out More
 

2021 Automation Brochure

Click the image to view the Reliance Automation NEW Automation Brochure

Need to Automate? What Next?

NEED TO AUTOMATE? WHAT DO I DO NEXT?

 
 

The decision to invest in automating is reached by in-depth analysis of sales, finance, space, staff and your return on investment. 

When you decide you want or need to automate, how do you then select the right automation solution that is best suited to your process…Reliance Automation specialises in assisting you in this process and at no cost to you…

 Reliance is the only authorised specialist automation company in Ireland that is nationally based and not biased towards using one technology over another. This means we will support you where-ever you are located and we will have your best interests as our primary goal.

 

Reliance is partnered with the widest range of global leading automation technology manufacturers and depending on what your application is, we will determine what the best suite of technologies will be for you to achieve your automation goals with no hidden agendas.

Reliance is not an integrator, instead we work with the majority of established integrators based in Ireland. If your application requires an integrator to be involved, we will know which integrator is best suited to your project and importantly, will deliver on time, using best in class technologies and within budget. In addition, Reliance Automation will always be there all the way to make sure your project runs smoothly from start to finish.

What’s the catch…There is none. Reliance specialises and represents the widest range of automation technologies in Ireland, we have nearly 100 years of application knowhow and we have very strong partnerships to ensure any automation project will be delivered at the best price for the application. When a project needs to be automated, Reliance’s role is to marry all of the key components of the project so that the process is easy, efficient, cost effective and most importantly, delivers the planned return on investment. Our strong ethos is a collaborative open book partnership approach to any project we are involved in. Read on for some practical and impartial advice to help you choose the right technology for your application.

 Which Robot is Right for your Application

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Industrial Robot

  • Cost: From €16k for robot 
  • Programming: Must be programmed by integrator or robot brand supplier
  • Flexibility: Can be re-deployed but needs integrator and re-programming
  • Safety: Non-collaborative due to high speeds and payloads so needs guarding or light curtains
  • Versatility: Many end of arm tool options
  • Reach: Up to 4m
  • Space:  Usually needs considerable floor space but can be ceiling mounted
  • Support:  24/7 support 365 days a year 
  • Speed: High speed option 
  • Payload: Can manage huge payloads and is used for car manufacturing 
  • Other Costs:  Up to €100k for safety guarding, programming, EOAT, cell etc.

Collaborative Robot

  • Cost: From €23k 
  • Programming:  Can be done by in-house engineers so no need for outside integrators
  • Flexibility: Adapts to processes and can be re-programmed in house quickly and easily
  • Safety: Conforms to health and safety standards and is safe when run in Collaborative mode
  • Versatility:  Many end of arm tool options. For collaborative mode the EOAT must also be collaborative
  • Reach: Up to 1.35m
  • Space: Ideal for small spaces no guarding needed
  • Support:  24/7 support 365 days a year 
  • Speed:  Ideal for slower processes in collaborative mode
  • Payload:  Max 16kg including EOAT – Can be increased to 45kg using CobotLift (Supplied by Reliance Automation)
  • Other Costs: EOAT from €2k
 

Suitable Applications

Industrial robots are ideal for applications that are high speed and require heavy lifting. These could include high speed palletising, pick and place of heavy car components etc. The project focus is on speed and not on space. Industrial robots allow for fast return on investment due to scaling up of production through dramatically increased speed and running 24/7. These robots solve issues such as output increases, quality, and heavy lifting.  View suitable applications in the video below.

Collaborative robots are suited to smaller intricate applications such as pick and place within the pharmaceutical or food industry. These applications are not speed focused, but space is an issue. Collaborative robots work well in busy production areas where operator interaction is necessary. Collaborative robots can palletise using a very small footprint. They are also easy to program and re-deploy in house. Collaborative robots solve such issues as repetitive stress injury, quality, output.  View suitable applications in the video below.


What’s The Verdict?

It is clear that both collaborative and industrial robots have a place in the production line with different advantages. Which one is best is dependent on the specific application. Both are compaiable with other equipment such as end of arm tooling, conveyors, motors, HMI and PLC etc. At Reliance Automation we can supply you directly with both Universal Collaborative Robots and Nachi Industrial robots and we support our customers to ensure they make the best equipment choices. We work with you and our suppliers to ensure you reach your automation goals and achieve the best ROI.  

Contact Reliance Automation www.relianceautomation.ie for more information info@relianceautomation.ie

Irish food and agribusinesses turn to automation to help solve manufacturing challenges, mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and get ready for Brexit

Launching a guide published by ifac and Reliance Automation for Irish food and agribusinesses turning to automation, to help mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and get ready for Brexit, were Robert Troy T.D., and Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation; David Leydon, Head of Food and Agribusiness at ifac; Peter Creighton, Managing Director of Reliance Automation; and a Cobot.


Ifac and Reliance Automation publish a guide to help businesses on their
automation journey in response to rise in enquiries

Ifac, Ireland’s farming, food and agribusiness professional services firm, and Reliance Automation have joined forces to support Irish food businesses considering automation.

Recent advances in technology mean robotic automation is now more accessible, cost-effective and safe, and less complicated than in the past. The automation opportunities that now exist can enhance businesses of all sizes; cobots (collaborative robots) can now take on a wide range of repeatable production tasks from the end of production line inspections and packaging to tray handling and loading products onto pallets.

Automation can also help to address a wide range of manufacturing challenges including increasing productivity, improving efficiencies and product quality, and redeploying teams to higher-value work. By addressing these challenges, businesses can achieve higher margins, improve competitiveness, manage staffing shortages, enhance their health and safety management, and mitigate the impacts of Covid-19 and Brexit.

Ifac and Reliance Automation have partnered to produce a practical guide for business owners and CEOs to help them manage the funding process from start to finish. The publication covers planning and implementing automation projects, return on investment, funding your investment in automation, and business process automation.

Speaking at a photocall to launch the publication, Robert Troy T.D., and Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation said:

“I am very pleased to see positive momentum in Ireland to assist businesses to adapt to new digital technologies and embrace digitalisation. As we navigate the road ahead, we must ensure our SMEs are able to adapt to new innovations and reap the benefits of digital transformation.

“My Department recognises that investment in Advanced Manufacturing and Digitalisation are vital to ensuring that Irish companies remain competitive. Specific financial and advisory supports are available to the food sector through its agencies, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, for the advancement of technologies in the area of robotics, cobotics, automation and industry 4.0.

“We are committed to supporting companies to mitigate the challenges presented by both COVID-19 and Brexit, and now, more than ever, it is important to look at ways to improve both business and manufacturing processes, to make your business more resilient and competitive.”

Head of Food and Agribusiness at ifac, David Leydon said:

“Business transformation makes up a big part of the work we do at ifac and now we’re seeing businesses move faster towards automation than ever before. You don’t have to be a big business to put in industrial robots – cobots are now available to any SME and the cost is coming down all the time.

“We are delighted to collaborate with Peter and the Reliance Team on this guide. There are things in the guide that some businesses aren’t fully aware of so we hope it will be of some assistance. At ifac, we will work with business owners every step of the way on their automation journey to help them future-proof their businesses.”

Managing Director of Reliance Automation, Peter Creighton said:

“There is no doubt that we are seeing a rise in the number of automation enquiries. Smart automation solutions are now easier, faster, and more cost-effective to employ in all types of industry. Jobs that are not suitable for people to do, repetitive or dangerous processes are very suited to both collaborative and industrial robots. Implementing sensible automation solutions frees up experienced employees to be redeployed to do more rewarding and productive work. 

“This approach also enables manufacturers to grow and achieve important economies of scale, very cost-effectively. Reliance Automation is delighted to be partnering with David and his team at ifac to help manufacturers make sensible decisions about intelligent automation solutions that will help their businesses realise their true ambitions.”

In September, ifac published its 2020 Food and AgriBusiness Report – its third annual sentiment survey of Irish food and agribusiness small and medium-sized enterprises conducted during June and July. The findings revealed that one in four respondents believe increased investment in new technology and automation will be one of the long-term impacts on their businesses from Covid-19

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Reliance Automation Announces new sofware partner

Reliance Automation has partnered with Vantage to support our clients with validation and serialisation. Vantage consulting group is a well known and respected global company that has been supporting manufacturers for decades. Vantage is based in New Jersey, USA and boasts some of the major pharmaceutical giants as their customers.

In order to offer their customers the most up to date technology to enable them to be at the forefront of their industries, Reliance Automation felt it was time to offer digital based supports. Validation is a huge part of planning and execution for all major manufacturing projects and Reliance Automation is pleased to be able to now offer this service.

Peter Creighton, MD of Reliance comments “Reliance is thrilled to be partnering with Vantage who are the global leader in serialisation, validation and strategic vision consultancy. We are very much looking forward to introducing Vantage to our life sciences clients as we continue to drive towards helping improved efficiency, reliability, compliance and productivity.”

in 2018, as a result of counterfeit drugs flooding the market from South East Asia, serialisation was made a legal requirement in the pharmaceutical industry. Apart from protection against counterfeiting, serialisation has also introduced many other benefits such as protection of consumer safety, brand protection, improved efficiency and controlled costs and recall integrity.

Emma Lacy, Marketing and Business Development manager for Reliance Automation comments “It is important for us to support our customers from inception of projects, through implementation and finally to montioring. We are leaders in innovation and for that reason we want to ensure our customers have the best and most up to date technical supports on their production lines.”

“For almost 100 years Reliance customers have trusted us to supply their hardware and we are delighted to now be able to work with them through their entire production process, supporting hardware with validation, serialisation and line monitoring solutions. In this way we can ensure our customers are saving time and money throughout their production processes “

In partnership with Vantage Consulting group, Reliance Automation offers serialisation, validation and monitoring/counting systems to ensure customers can impement lean systems into their production facilities as well as monitor and control the output and success of these systems. Contact Reliance Automation for more information.

RELANCE AUTOMATION SUPPORTS IRISH SMES TO SCALE UP PRODUCTION

Universal Robots Webinar
  1. Rental scheme for cobots
  2. Free expert resources to help businesses access automation in the wake of Covid-19
  3. Cobots support safety measures and allow Irish SMEs to keep operations going

Reliance Automation, an Irish supplier of automation and robots is located in Dublin, Cork and Limerick.  Reliance offers a wide range of automation solutions for various industries including pharmaceutical and food.  Among its many high-profile brand partners is Universal Robots, the world’s most recognised collaborative robot supplier.

In conjunction with Universal robots, Reliance Automation has announced it will introduce its first-ever ‘SME Automation Month’ this October. The month will be dedicated to supporting Ireland’s community of small and mid-size enterprises to understand and access collaborative robots (cobots) to begin to bounce back from the challenges of Covid-19.

The month, designed specifically to tackle the pain points faced by smaller businesses when adopting automation, will offer a wide array of free resources such as webinars and online, one-to-one consultations with local automation experts, as well as new leasing options which will allow SMEs to reap the financial rewards of automation before having to start payback on their cobot.

The full SME Automation Month offering includes:

  • Introductory Webinar – SMEs can join an expert-led webinar on Wednesday October 7th at 11:00am which will detail the month’s offering in full and serve as a guide to attendees on how to avail of resources.
  • Free Automation Assessments – connect with experts who can analyse existing operations and detail where cobots can optimise production, increasing efficiency, output and profits
  • New Leasing Terms – although UR cobots are already affordable, starting at just £300 per month, UR’s new ‘buy now, start paying 2021’ leasing programme allows SMEs to reap the financial reward of automation right away
  • Expert training – businesses can train their team in cobot programming within 2-4 days. As UR cobots are highly user-friendly, very little training is needed.
  • Quick, painless setup – cobots can be set up within 30 minutes, meaning that SMEs can benefit from increased productivity and profits almost immediately

Mark Gray, Ireland Country Manager said: Following a challenging period for the industry, greater adoption of automation is critical across the Irish SME landscape to allow producers to support jobs by ensuring they are competitive, efficient and flexible enough to thrive now and into the future. Yet, we know that many Irish SMEs still feel ill-equipped to start their journey with automation. We also appreciate that during these uncertain times, SMEs are understandably reluctant to invest in new technologies, but with cobots, smaller businesses can reap the benefits, almost immediately and at an affordable cost.

“We’d love to see Irish SMEs engaging with automation like we have seen across the UK in recent months and SME Automation Month is an ideal time to do so. Bloom in a Box used our cobots to adapt their operations quickly during the initial coronavirus outbreak, switching their production line from packing flowers to manufacturing PPE, proving that whether a business wants to improve existing operations or quickly adapt to a new market opportunity, cobots make it simpler to be flexible and stay profitable.

“At Universal Robots, we’ve seen a huge increase in the frequency of cobots in the Irish workplace in the last 12 months, with approximately 250 cobots in place across the country as it stands. In addition, there has been huge variation in the types of workplace enquiring and adopting cobots to perform specific functions. And while we do envisage that cobots will make their way into more consumer-facing outlets in retail, hospitality and healthcare quite soon, it’s highly unlikely that a cobot is a threat to your job.

“The magic of cobots is that they are purposefully designed to change the workplace for the better – to collaborate with humans and make their working life easier. In addition, cobots make the workplace safer by ensuring that humans no longer have to do dangerous or overtly manual labour. Now with distancing a key measure in the fight against coronavirus, cobots pose a real opportunity for SMEs.

“We hope that the increased prevalence of cobots, as part of the rise of automation will deliver a positive shift in the perceptions held towards them. For us, it’s all about education and helping people to see the benefits to understand that cobots are here to support and empower.” Businesses can find out more about SME Automation Month and register for resources by visiting www.relianceautomation.ie

Reliance Covid-19 notice 30th March

Further to government guidelines regarding the provision of essential services, Reliance is classified as an essential service provider by the Irish Government under the new public health guideline will remain operational during this period.

Our 3 branch’s remain open and will operate as usual with trade counters adhering to strict physical distancing procedures.  We have implemented all HSE and government guidelines in our facilities to protect our team as best we can as health and wellbeing for us is our top priority. 

As you face the challenges of operating during this period please know that our 24/7 out of hours emergency service remains in place. If this service is required, please phone the landline of the Reliance branch closest to you to receive our out hours mobile numbers.

The Reliance branch landlines are as follows…

• Dublin – 01 4502821
• Cork – 021 4354204
• Limerick – 061 419158 

Please be rest assured if there is anything we can do to help you and your business during this time, please let us know and we will do our best to assist!

Stay Safe! 

The Reliance Team

COVID-19 notice from RELIANCE

We want to assure you during this unprecedented crisis that Reliance is operating at full capacity. 

Whether from our 3 x Branch locations or remotely, our dedicated support teams will continue to operate as per usual.

We have implemented all HSE and government guidelines in our offices to protect our team as best we can as health and wellbeing for us all are the most important thing right now. 

As you face the challenges of operating during this period we want to advise you that our 24/7 out of hours emergency service remains in place. If this service is required, please phone the landline of the Reliance branch closest to you to receive out hours numbers.

The Reliance branch landlines are as follows –
• Dublin – 01 4502821
• Cork – 021 4354204
• Limerick – 061 419158 

Please be rest assured if there is anything we can do to help you and your business during this time, please let us know and we will do our best to assist!

Kind regards, 
The Reliance Team

Why wait to Automate- finance options available.

Reliance Automation together with UR Robots has launched a cobot leasing program in collaboration with DLL, a global vendor finance company giving manufacturers of all sizes an option to finance the purchase of UR Cobots.

With flexible payment options, payments can be scheduled to fit fluctuations in cash flow, upgrade to new equipment, or add cobots anytime during the contract term.

At the end of the finance term, customers will have the option to buy the equipment for a fraction of the original cost, upgrade to newer technology, extend the finance term or simply return the equipment.

MiR

Reliance continues on the path of being Ireland’s leading Automation and Robotics specialists! Reliance Automation is very pleased to announce that we are now the official technical partner for MiR (Mobile Industrial Robots) for Ireland.

MiR Collaborative mobile robots are global innovators in changing the way Industry moves product and materials within facilities, by automating internal transport and logistics.

MiR Robots can be mounted with standard top modules such as lifts for pallets and hooks for towing, or customised top modules such as bins and racks, or even a Cobot arm. The standard top modules are easy to change out allowing redeployment of the Robot to many different tasks. Currently 4 Robots are available with payload capacities of up to 1000Kgs.

Call us today and let us show you how MiR can radically shape your processes into the future…

More

Automation Roadshow

The Automation team are following up a very busy January by hitting the road for the first Reliance Automation Roadshow of the year.

We have been visiting some of our integration partners to showcase our Automation solutions, including our latest tech from Utility AR, augmented reality smart glasses & solutions for industry.

National Manufacturing Event Jan 29-30th 2020

January will be a busy month for Reliance Automation, in addition to exhibiting at Pendutech we will end the month with a return to the National Manufacturing event in Citywest Convention Centre.

Future proof your manufacturing process with Reliance Automation! Our team and automation partners will be on hand to demonstrate our solutions to simplify & automate your production process enabling you to reduce cost, improve efficiency and productivity.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Reliance Automation and UR to exhibit at Pendutech @ Pendulum Summit

Reliance Automation is embracing the new decade ahead with purpose, passion and performance.  

Reliance Automation and Universal Robots will be exhibiting a range of cobots at the new Pendutech expo at the Pendulum Summit in Jan 2020. Reliance Automation and UR cobots will proudly showcase technical advances and innovative workplace solutions to the World’s top business leaders, entrepreneurs and forward thinkers. 

Sophia, the World’s most advanced humanoid Robot, is opening Pendutech expo and will be addressing the Pendulum summit. Sophia and UR is sure to inspire attendees to maximise business potential through the future use of Robotics. Reliance Automation and UR cobots is looking forward to demonstrate how we can unlock this potential and help grow your business to the next level. 

Pendutech takes place at the Pendulum Summit in the Convention Centre Dublin on the 8th & 9th January.

Introducing the UR16e

The heavy duty UR16e is the latest edition to the e-series family of cobots from Universal Robots .

UR16e combines the high 16 kg payload with a reach of 900 mm and pose repeatability of +/- 0.05 mm. The UR16e is the game-changing Cobot we’ve been waiting for, it is ideal for automating tasks such as heavy-duty material handling, heavy-part handling, and machine tending.

Click her for more information

https://youtu.be/PqJ4ndNjkzY

UR and Reliance Automation on the Road to Croker!

Last week Reliance Automation and Universal Robots were back on hte road again with the Automation Roadshow stopping in Mullingar and Croke Park.

We recieved very positive feedback from exhibitors and attendees at both events who found the morning very informative and beneficial. At the Roadshows the attendees could see for themselves how easy and safe UR cobots are to use and how the end of arm technologies demonstrated on the day could be used in their production processes.

Newstalk joined us on our Automation Roadshow in Croke Park last week. See link below for report!

https://www.newstalk.com/news/use-robots-not-threat-irish-jobs-firm-says-904052

Francie and Dave didn’t let County rivalries get in the way of a throughly successful day!



Automation Roadshow

Reliance Automation and Universal Robots are hitting the road again in September. Our Automation Roadshow will make stops in Mullingar ( Irish Manufacturing Research Lab) and Dublin (Croke Park).

At our roadshow you will have the unique opportunity to discuss application specific queries in depth with our key automation partners. Even more, you will have the opportunity to program the flexible and user-friendly robots yourself. Roadshows are free but places are limited, so please book your spot below!

Automated welding from Olympus Technologies

Reliance is delighted to have been appointed as a distributor for Olympus Technologies.

The UR welding application can easily be fitted in existing welding booths

Olympus Technologies Ltd. has developed a unique Universal Robot Welding system that can be deployed easily into existing manual welding booths, eliminating the need for costly new robotic cells.
The system is capable of providing an economical and high quality robotic welding solution, perfect for simple and repetitive welding processes.
Affordability: great value for smaller businesses seeking to invest in robot welding
Easy Programming: simplest programming interface on the market – quick and smooth transition into production. Full training included
Fully Integrated: welding characteristics controlled on robot – changes can be made mid-process
Compelling Cost Benefit Case: customers typically see 4x productivity increases
Consistent Quality: every part is welded to the same quality, providing the source parts are consistent
Your Solution to Welder Recruitment: existing trained welders are released onto more complex tasks – the job of running the robot’s production can be handled by an operator

MANUFACTURING SOLUTIONS 2019


Visit us at the Manufacturing Solutions Event on Wednesday 12th June, LIT, Limerick.

RELIANCE AUTOMATION in partnership with SHUNK will be exhibiting End of Arm gripper technology at the Manufacturing Solutions Event.

More than just a gripper….. we will demonstrate the dynamic range of solutions Schunk end of arm tools and UR cobots can deliver to your business.

Talk to us on the day and discover how Cobots and end of arm tooling can improve your company’s productivity and reduce costs.

To register for the event click on the link below.

REGISTER

Universal Robots and Reliance Automation Tour 2019

 

Universal Robots and Reliance are pleased to announce we will be running workshops nationwide to demonstrate innovative automation solutions.

Our aim is to show you how production efficiencies can be optimised through Universal Robots Cobots and related automation technologies.

At our workshop you will have the unique opportunity to discuss application specific queries in depth with our key automation partners who offer a wealth of experience ranging from different end-effector technologies and tooling.
Even more, you will have the opportunity to program the flexible and user-friendly robots yourself.

Our Roadshows will take place in May (Limerick and Galway) and September (Midlands and Dublin)

These events are free, register below today!

May 28th  Limerick Roadshow

May 29th   Galway Roadshow

Sept 11th   Midlands Roadshow

Sept 12th   Dublin Roadshow

 

Reliance partner with Soft Robotics Inc.

Reliance is delighted to announce our new partnership with Soft Robotics Inc.  Soft Robotics is an innovative end of arm tooling manufacturing company whose pneumatic gripping system has human hand-like dexterity – meaning it can manipulate items that vary in size, shape & weight!

mGrip allows quick tool builds with limitless configurations and spacing options. Each mGrip kit comes equipped with the components needed to build, validate and install production-ready systems in minutes.

 

Reliance in the news!

On Friday 11th January Tánaiste Simon Coveney, officially opened Reliance Limerick Ballysimon.

The morning also marked the distribution partnership between Reliance and Universal Robots.   A UR arm collaborated with Mr Coveney cutting the ribbon in front of a gathering of Reliance customers, Politicians, Limerick sporting heroes and media.

Left to Right, David Wallace, Tánaiste Simon Coveney, Peter Creighton (MD Reliance), Samantha Cummins-Byrne (UR Robots)

 

Below are links to some of the media coverage of the event

Irish Times Saturday 12th January

Limerick Leader Monday 14th January.

Limerick Leader Wednesday 16th January

Engineers Journal Tuesday 15th January

Live95FM News 11th January