Case Study: Heemskerk Fijnmechanica boosts CNC machine tending efficiency with Universal Robots cobots

UR Cobots at Heemskerk Still Going Strong after 10 Years Operation

Heemskerk Fijnmechanica, a medium-sized Dutch manufacturer of high-precision parts, faced frequent product changes, small batch sizes, and long CNC cycle times that made machine loading and cleaning repetitive, time-consuming work. Universal Robots supplied UR5 and UR10 collaborative robots to help automate these tasks and reduce the burden on skilled workers.

With support from system integrator Gibas Automation, Universal Robots implemented eight cobots at Heemskerk: one UR5 for part cleaning and seven UR10s for CNC machine tending and workpiece cleaning. The solution let employees quickly reprogram robots for high-mix, low-volume production without safety cages, improving flexibility, productivity, and staff retention; the first UR5 has been running successfully for over 10 years.

Heemskerk Fijnmechanica

Lucien Heemskerk

Owner and Technical Director