Seegrid Corp. today announced that Sumitomo Drive Technologies has chosen its robots for its expanding operations. The power transmission component manufacturer chose Seegrid's Palion robots and Fleet Central software to autonomously haul parts and equipment between its existing 250,000-sq.-ft. assembly facility and its new 100,000-sq.-ft. warehouse.
"Reliability is a critical factor in getting parts to the line—the initial Seegrid Palion Tow Tractor workflow is 3,000 ft. round trip, running up to 30 to 40 times per day,” said Tony Barlett, vice president of business operations at Sumitomo Drive Technologies. “Seegrid had us up and running in three days—fully trained and confident, our operators immediately identified more opportunities to leverage the technology."
Tokyo-based Sumitomo Drive Technologies said it works closely with customers to ensure that their industrial gearboxes, speed reducers, servo gearmotors, and accessories remain operational for years to come. The company, whose U.S. headquarters are in Chesapeake, Va., claimed that many of its products have been in high-speed and harsh environments for years.
Sumitomo added that its clients can use its products to decrease the amount of unscheduled downtime and maintenance in their facilities.
Sumitomo Deploys Palion Tow Tractor
With labor shortages, wasted travel time, and repetitiveness of tasks, Sumitomo's operations team sought a way to allow their existing personnel to focus on more valuable activities. To automate this workflow, the company's facility in Virginia implemented a Seegrid Palion Tow Tractor and the Fleet Central software.
