Ets. Joskin automates five Okuma machines with RoboJob
More than 4,000 parts a month, with unmanned night shifts
Ets. Joskin automates five Okuma machines with RoboJob
Ets. Joskin in Soumagne, Belgium, builds one of the world’s widest ranges of machines for transporting and spreading agricultural products. Faced with a shortage of skilled workers, Joskin automated its machining department with RoboJob in 2018. Today, five RoboJob systems run on its Okuma machines, producing thousands of parts a month and running unmanned at night.
Key facts
- Company: Ets. Joskin SA
- Location: Soumagne, Liège province, Belgium
- Founded: 1968
- Employees: approx. 415 (Soumagne)
- Industries: Agriculture, Machine construction
- RoboJob products: Turn-Assist 270 (2×), Mill-Assist Essential, Pallet-Load (2×)
- CNC machine brands: Okuma
- Automated machines: Okuma MB-46, Okuma Multus, Okuma LB 3000, Okuma MB-56VA, Okuma Multus B300 II
- RoboJob customer since: 2018
- Key results: more than 4,000 parts a month (first three systems); 2 to 12 hours unmanned at night; output of an older machine doubled
Agricultural machinery from the Pays de Herve since 1968
Founded in 1968, Joskin is a family-owned and independent manufacturer of machines for spreading and transporting livestock effluents, as well as for pasture maintenance. Its machines are sold in more than 60 countries every year. Joskin keeps the strategic stages of production in-house; its site in Soumagne, in the green hills of the Pays de Herve, is the heart of its production, with modern CNC machines.
Why automate: a shortage of skilled workers
“Although we’re an important employer in the region, the search for skilled workers is becoming increasingly difficult. That’s why we’ve fully focused on automation. We met Robojob for the first time at the TechniShow in 2013 and we were highly impressed with their concept.”
— Ets. Joskin, Soumagne
Why RoboJob: quality and simplicity
“We also noticed that they fully focus on quality and simplicity. You can see this not only in the quality of their products and suppliers, but also in the care with which they program. This means that the Turn-Assist is very easy to operate and that the programming and change times are very short. As a result, production is more profitable, even for small series. All these elements turned out to be crucial reasons for choosing Robojob.”
— Ets. Joskin, Soumagne
Five RoboJob systems on Okuma machines
At the end of 2018, Joskin installed its first three RoboJob systems. The first two were running within a week; the third, with a larger robot for larger parts, took a little more time. Joskin also put a robot on an older machine, whose output has since doubled. Today, five RoboJob systems are in use.
- Okuma MB-46 with a Mill-Assist Essential
- Okuma Multus with a Turn-Assist 270
- Okuma LB 3000 with a Turn-Assist 270
- Okuma MB-56VA with a Pallet-Load
- Okuma Multus B300 II with a Pallet-Load
The result: thousands of parts, unmanned nights
“Using these 3 systems we’re producing more than 4,000 pieces per month. These numbers speak for themselves and we’re convinced that we can do even better! We operate with 2 shifts, 5 days a week. Because we believe 100% in the work Robojob delivered, we load them to the maximum in the evening so that they can operate unmanned at night. Depending on the pieces, the working time with a full load can vary from 2 to 12 hours.”
— Ets. Joskin, Soumagne
“The robots aren’t there to cut back on the workforce; on the contrary, they’re enabling us to increase production and to make work more pleasant for the operators. All employees experience this as very positive.”
— Ets. Joskin, Soumagne
See RoboJob at work at Joskin in the video below (in French).
Frequently asked questions
Which machines did Ets. Joskin automate with RoboJob?
Ets. Joskin in Soumagne, Belgium, runs five RoboJob systems on Okuma machines: a Mill-Assist Essential on an MB-46, Turn-Assist 270 cells on a Multus and an LB 3000, and Pallet-Loads on an MB-56VA and a Multus B300 II. The company has been a RoboJob customer since 2018.
Can an Okuma Multus B300 be automated?
Yes. Ets. Joskin runs a RoboJob Pallet-Load on an Okuma Multus B300 II. KMWE and Manfred Zaiser automate Multus B300 machines with Turn-Assist cells. See all Okuma automation projects.
Can Okuma machining centres be automated?
Yes. Ets. Joskin automated an Okuma MB-46 with a RoboJob Mill-Assist Essential and an Okuma MB-56VA with a Pallet-Load. Stubbe Metaalbewerking runs a RoboJob Tower on an Okuma MU-5000.
Is it worth automating an older CNC machine?
Yes. Ets. Joskin hesitated at first, but installed a RoboJob robot on an older machine. Its output has since doubled, while the operator has more time for other tasks.
Do robots cost jobs?
Not at Ets. Joskin. Its RoboJob robots take over physically demanding, routine tasks, so operators can focus on preparing machines and quality control. The robots help increase production and make work more pleasant, not reduce the workforce.