With the aging of experienced operators, who had been the backbone of the company’s production line, GKN faced a chronic labor shortage issue. “We first considered introducing a dedicated machine, however, it was challenging to have machines perceive sensations in the same way humans do, such as tightness and looseness,” says Mr. Nobuyuki Sakamaki, sub leader of operations while operation supervisor, Mr. Mitsuo Oyama, points out the challenges of the traditional robot: “The typical impression of robots in the old days is a space surrounded by fences where people are not allowed in, wasting space.”
GKN Driveline
UR Cobots Deliver Stable Supply of High Quality Products by Automating the Professional Engineer’s Experience and Sense
GKN Driveline Japan Ltd is one of UK-based GKN Automotive’s companies, a global company that develops and manufactures powertrain and driveline solutions for automobiles. The company’s technology is installed in approximately 50% of all automobiles in the world. GKN Driveline Japan was facing a chronic labor shortage issue and considered automation using robots. In addition to maintaining a stable supply of high-quality products, there were concerns about the difficulty of automating the experience and sense of the operators as well as the safety issue with the traditional machineries. UR cobots solved these challenges, assembling gears and handling inspection.