Page 30 - Packaging News Magazine Jan-Feb 2019

MEMBERS NEWS
FIBRE KING PARTNERS WITH SMC ON ENERGY WASTE
AXELENT EXPANDS IN ANZ
Modular safety guarding and cable tray systems manufacturer Axelent is boosting its presence in Australia and New Zealand with a new Adelaide facility and a new business development manager.
The new 1400 square metre building in Melrose Park includes a warehouse, meeting rooms, and offices, and is aimed at growing Axelent’s product range and reducing order lead times in the region.
Helping this expansion along is Rob Quinn, Axelent’s new BDM, who says he’s thrilled to take up the role. “I look forward to continuing the growth in the New South Wales and Queensland markets and being able to support the customers in the regions with a local Axelent representative,” Quinn says.
“I am excited to be joining Axelent at a pivotal time of expansion and being able to work with such a strong distributor and customer base,” he says.
Continuing growth: Rob Quinn (right) and Drew Hoxey, Axelent.
Packaging equipment supplier Fibre King is collaborating with SMC to bring the automation specialist’s pneumatic solutions to its customers in the name of saving energy.
Fibre King is fitting its machines with SMC technology, including digital flow switches
to measure the amount of air expelled, and the Automatic Leak Detection System (ALDS), which can detect leaks with no external supervision required.
James Windsor, managing director of Fibre King, says these systems will help customers save energy and, therefore, money. “PFM flow switches from SMC are used on our machines to monitor air flow and energy changes,” he said. “Changes will be flagged as readings change, and it will also show you the differences in air usage with pressure
Drew Hoxey, sales director, says Quinn will ensure a strong focus on customer development and growth in NSW and Queensland. “We will be able to expand our reach into industrial, warehouses, engineering and airport industries, plus maintain the distributors and resellers community that we have developed in the region,” he says.
According to Hoxey, the time is right to add to the Axelent team following the expansion of its product range with McCue forklift barriers, as well as its existing X-Tray cable trays and its Axelent Machine Guarding systems.
“Rob brings to the role 12 years’ experience in business development and sales and a strong background in mechanical engineering and tool-making. We look forward to introducing him
to our customers and distributors,” Hoxey says. 
changes. This saving translates directly into cost savings for our customers.
“While energy saving is great for the environment and does play its part, for our customers the bottom line is – how much will I save now and in the long run? Essentially, it’s about profitability, return on investment and ultimately, long-term gain.”
According to Windsor, the partnership is part
of Fibre King’s commitment to research and development, and increasing customers’ productivity. “We want to offer our customers speed, precision, reliability and peace-of-mind with intelligent packaging machinery to ‘future proof’ your business and increase profits,” he said. “Realising energy savings forms part of our ongoing commitment to our customers, the industry and the environment.”
OMRON LAUNCHES 12 NEW COBOTS
Japanese robotics and automation provider Omron has launched 12 new collaborative robots in its TM series, which it says will automate monotonous tasks and free up human workers for more creative applications.
Omron says its TM series enables a robot to automate applications such as picking, packing and screwdriving which, although traditionally performed by humans, can be challenging to easily automate.
As part of the TM series, Omron has brought out a mobile-compatible model, which it says will seamlessly integrate into the LD series of autonomous mobile robots.
By integrating the mobile-ready TM series with the LD series, users can automate more complex tasks such as picking and placing onto a tray/into a container, and flexibly automate by connecting processes with autonomous mobile robots. The manufacturer says three key features set the TM series apart: fast and simple programming to cut back on programming time, integrated on-arm vision systems to shorten setup,
and compatibility with all human/machine collaborative safety standards.
030 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2019 WWW.PACKAGINGNEWS.COM.AU