Denso Promoting Use Of Industrial Robots To U.S. Manufacturers

Auto parts giant Denso Corp., which operates an advanced manufacturing facility in Osceola, has quietly initiated a campaign to promote the use of small industrial robots to U.S. manufacturers as a way to increase productivity.

During the past year, the Japan-based automotive supplier through its Long Beach, Calif.-based Denso Robotics arm has ramped up marketing of the company’s robotics systems that are used for precision assembly, manufacturing, product testing and quality assurance by manufacturers across the globe.

Earlier this month, Denso began sending brochures highlighting the company’s small industrial “assembly robots,” touting their ease of operation, low maintenance, durability and low cost of ownership.

“Denso’s primary business is manufacturing automotive parts, not robots,” said Peter Cavallo, robotics sales manager, Denso Products & Services Americas Inc., said in a Sept. 2 news release. “And that’s why our robots are built the way they are. Because in order to succeed in the fiercely competitive automotive sector, Denso requires its robots to deliver not only the highest levels of productivity, but also the lowest cost of ownership.”

In July, Denso opened a full-service robotics training facility in Dayton, Ohio, bringing the total number of such centers in the U.S. to three. The company also operates a West Coast Training Center in Long Beach and its Maintenance Training Center in Maryville, Tenn.

“Expanding our customer support services is a core element of our business,” Cavallo said. “We strategically located our new training center in Ohio to better serve our growing customer base in the U.S. Midwest, East Coast and South.”

According to company officials, the Dayton training center offers a full line of courses in a state-of-the-art classroom designed to provide customers with the highest level of support and product training for their Denso robotics systems.

The high-tech facility is equipped with vision hardware, infrastructure for wireless operations, and workstations with dedicated robots and controls to ensure customers get hands-on training specific to their operational needs, officials said. The center also offers online video training, including real-time classes via remote webcast.

In March, Denso unveiled its complete line-up of robotic products and services at Automate 2015 in Chicago. Held once every two years, Automate is the largest automation technologies and solutions trade show in North America.

According to Denso, more than 77,000 of the company’s robots are used by companies worldwide. Also, the Japanese automotive manufacturing giant is the world’s largest user of small assembly robots with more than 17,000 designed and used in its own facilities, including the company’s 224,000-square foot manufacturing operation in Osceola that produces HVAC assemblies and modular radiators.

A new study by WinterGreen Research shows that robotics markets are expected to rise 11.5% annually through 2021. Industrial robot markets generated $22 billion in 2014 and are anticipated to reach $48.9 billion by 2021.

However, Denso is not the only company with Arkansas operations that is on the forefront of robotics. In April, Chris Hoyle, general product manager at Fort Smith-based Baldor Electric Co., said robots play a key role in the company’s manufacturing process in improving safety, productivity and quality costs.

According to the Wintergreen report, Baldor parent ABB Ltd. provides a comprehensive range of robots to help manufacturers improve productivity, product quality and worker safety. ABB has installed 250,000 robots worldwide.