Engmark Meteor specializes in manufacturing griddles, which are large open frying pans, with or without sides connected to a power source. The griddle is part of an ancient culinary tradition in Norway and is used to make traditional Norwegian flatbread and other baked goods such as pancakes, tortillas or pita bread.
It is important for the long-established company to keep its production in Norway, despite competition from countries with significantly lower production costs, and to offer its employees optimal working conditions.
“We’re competing against people who earn 5 kroner (0.50 Euros) per hour. At the same time, we want to spare our employees the arduous task of having to lift the griddles four times before we pack them on pallets,” says Håvid Engmark, owner of Engmark Meteor.
The business transformation
Engmark Meteor machine manufacturing has deployed collaborative robot arms from Universal Robots to perform all the heavy lifting and repetitive movements in its production of griddle frying pans. The cobot installation has provided a good working environment for the staff of six employees – while helping the company compete with manufacturers in low-wage countries, enabling it to keep the entire production in Oslo.
