Since 1989, EODA has enjoyed an excellent reputation in the Hauts-de-France region. The company specializes in manufacturing components in single pieces, but also small and medium-sized batches. In order to provide its customers with the best possible support, EODA has invested considerably in the design and manufacture of special machines. You see that right away in the workplace, where you can’t ignore the latest high-tech machines. Productivity and ultra-competitive costs are therefore key to EODA's strategy. CNC Automation can’t be missed either.
Fabrice Monier, Commercial Manager: « The reason why we’ve focused on automation may not be that obvious. In the first place, we wanted to upgrade the role of our operators within the company. Our main objective was to use our operators for their skills: preparing and setting up the machine with more attention for the first workpiece and a better control of the result. A robot should then support them with the physical, repetitive work. Of course our employees were a bit sceptical about this, and that’s also human.
We came in contact with RoboJob via Degomme-Boccard, and the first installation was immediately already quite complex. You see, we wanted to automate an old machine: a Mazak QTC 200 MY with quite a few years of service. This machine had no automatic door, and of course no robot interface. However, RoboJob dealt with the whole thing in less than a week: the door was automated, the signals removed from the machine and by the end of the week our first Turn-Assist Essential was bowling along. Our operators had also already received training. Amazing, when I look back on it now.
It only confirmed to us that we’d made the right decision. Since then, two more Mill-Assist Essentials have been added: one on a Mazak VCS 530 and the other on a Mazak VTC 760.
I dare to say that the combination of the Mazak machines with the Fanuc robots that are also used at RoboJob is a perfect harmony. Of course you have to have the work, but we’re succeeding in making our robots work both during the day and at night, and even during the weekend. So it goes without saying that the efficiency of machines with a robot is considerably higher than those without a robot. Our operators too have noticed that their work has indeed been upgraded, and that more time has been released for other tasks. The robots are extremely easy to use and rarely or never have problems or a breakdown. Moreover, the automation setup is so open and free that you can easily continue to use the machine without a robot.
As a supplier of the aeronautic industry, we are obliged to continually question ourselves and improve internal processes. We are very happy with the move to automation, and our aeronautic customers are also reaping the benefits. Just like our own people. »
