NOMINATION 05: "ICM Electronics" – First Serbian factory of robotic lines

Company "ICM Electronics" from Novi Sad provides its clients with the solutions from the domain of robotic packaging and palletization and the process automation, with the aim to make the buyer’s business more profitable and to raise its competitiveness in the market.

Company "ICM Electronics" is about to finish realization of significant investment in Platičevo, near Ruma – construction of the first Serbian factory for production and assembling of robotic lines. Production in this factory should start at the end of February. The production unit and the administrative building of "ICM" will occupy the space of 1,000 square meters. The factory will have its own workshop for production and assembling of robotic lines, as well as the administrative building.

"ICM Electronics" maintains good cooperation in the area of robotics with several world-famous manufacturers, such as Japanese "Fanuc" and "Omron" and Swedish "Motoman".

INNOVATION

The project for construction of the factory of robotic lines in Serbia has significantly improved the existing process of production of industrial robots, and it raised the quality of the level of solutions that “ICM” can offer to both local and foreign market.

Construction of the factory has made “ICM” the leader in Serbian market in the area of robotics. Thanks to this factory, ICM has, also, become competent in foreign markets, and it will be able to export products and know-how to the countries of European Union.

With the construction of the factory, "ICM" is going to solve many welding problems of the metal-processing industry. Serbian metal-processing industry is experiencing a big problem with the deficit of manpower in the domain of welding. With the help of a single robotic cell, local manufacturers would be able to solve the problems of insufficient number of welders in Serbia. Also, robotic cells for welding will make it possible for local manufacturers to raise the quality of their ready-made products, reduce production costs and become more competent in foreign markets.

With the help of robotic cells for packing and palletization, local manufacturers in food industry will be able to cut the number of workers on packing lines. Packing works are quite monotonous and demanding since large number of people must rotate their positions on the line every 15-20 minutes. Reduced number of workers on packing lines will, automatically, reduce the costs of production. Also, local manufacturers will be able to satisfy the standards of European Union that do not allow the workers to have any contact with the products.

This project is the foundation stone for development of the latest technologies in the domain of industrial robotics, and it requests constant learning. Since the robotics develops at incredible speed and becomes more and more automated and advanced, learning and innovations are the only way for keeping the pace in the industry.

PUBLIC USEFULNESS

With the help of robotic cells, human organism will no longer be exposed to harmful radiation of welding machine, which is damaging to both eyesight and skin. Also, in many industries, human organism is exposed to harmful acids that are very dangerous for man’s health and can cause poisoning in most of the cases. With the help of robots, man’s health is not going to be endangered any more because the workers will be maximally protected from harmful influences of the industry.

Also, the packing processes are exceptionally monotonous, and they do not allow the workers to develop menthally because they do not request any creativity. With the help of robots, people will be able to specialize in some more demanding areas that exploit the intellectual potential of the worker to the maximum.

Production of robotic cells is environment-friendly because it has no negative impact on the ecology of microenvironment. In general, every robotized process is maximally optimized when it comes to consumption of materials and methods and duration of processing. Therefore, the use of robotic cells increases efficiency in production and reduces consumption of materials and emmission of matters that have damaging influence on environment.

COMMERCIAL SUCCESS

Thanks to this project, “ICM“ is going to become the leading company in the filed of industrial robotics. Before the project however, “ICM“ was unable to to work on projects that demanded use of robots for palletization and linear connecting of robotic lines longer than 20m. Before the construction of the factory, “ICM“ managed to integrate about 10 robots in local manufacturers. With the help of the factory for robotic lines, “ICM“ will be able to satisfy those market needs that it was unable to satisfy before (application of palletisation in brick industry, which is the most often user of industrial robotics in Serbia).

Following the commencement of construction of the factory, local manufacturers started to express great interest in the use of industrial robots in their processes, and the requests emerged for export of robotic lines to regional countries and the countries of European Union (Spain and France).

According to expert estimates, “ICM“ is at much higher level of development than the other manufacturers of robotic lines in the market.

The investment in construction of the factory of robotic lines can be returned through 8-10 small robotic line projects (which include one robot) or 5 mid-sized projects that include 2-4 robots.

The investment amounts to about 1m EUR.

The factory will be opened on February 27, 2009.

Since the factory has not been put in operation yet, no profit has been registered.