Paradigm Electronics is a manufacturer of high performance loud speakers and subwoofers. In trying to meet demand on labor-intensive products, Paradigm has now implemented Universal Robots in polishing applications, resulting in significantly increased production throughput eliminating bottle necks while improving the work environment. When Paradigm launched the “Midnight Cherry” finish on a line of new speakers, the market quickly embraced the new product made entirely in-house at the Toronto-based manufacturer now faced with a challenge to make even more than anticipated of the new cabinets.
“In order to produce that finish, you have to apply multiple layers of lacquer and between each layered application, you have to sand and buff, sand and buff. There’s a lot of manual labor involved in that. The problem is to find people who can do that, we just couldn’t find enough skilled people,” says Director of Operations Oleg Bogdanov.
The business transformation
The company had already implemented one robotic cell with a cartesian type robot, but it required a lot of safety guarding around it for the protection of the worker.
“It really didn’t allow for an employee to work in conjunction with the robot at all. The application of buffing is one that requires a lot of observation and collaboration by the operator, so having the work being done in a remote cell just didn’t seem to be a workable solution,” says Senior Manager of Production Services at Paradigm, John Phillips.