Robotization at Rairies Montrieux

The Rairies Montrieux company, a manufacturer of terracotta building materials, began making bricks using the traditional method of the time: extracting the clay with the strength of the arms, molding the tiles by hand and firing them in a wood oven.

This process has made the reputation of Rairies Montrieux, which retains its ancestral know-how despite the industrialization of the process.

Today the human hand remains essential on the site but the company must be able to meet the growing demand and increase its productivity.

It is in this context that Rairies Montrieux wishes to robotize its production site.

The primary objective of the company, by choosing to modernize, remains of course on productivity and quality. In terms of pure production, these smart machines can go twice as fast with half the people.

“This robotization of the site does not lead to any job cuts but to referrals to less arduous and high value-added jobs such as enamel workers. » says Arnaud Chevet, Plant Manager

The company, by making this choice, wishes to be able to replace the tasks of operators with low added value by other more interesting and rewarding tasks. In addition, the robotization of the site makes it possible to respond to an important problem, MSDs (work-related musculoskeletal disorders) often caused by repetitive tasks such as sorting.

Several strategic points in the factory could be automated.

“We started with the tunnel kiln because we also needed to increase productivity on wafer packaging. Over the past five years, we have moved from an opening of eight hours a day over five days, then over six days. And for a year, an opening of twelve hours a day. With the arrival of the two new Céramifor ovens, in March and December 2023, we would need sixteen hours a day. » Says Arnaud Chevet. “With the automation of packaging, the site will be able to pack 200m2/hour compared to 100m2/hour. The opening time will therefore increase from eight hours and will leave us the possibility of increasing future volumes. »

Locations on the site, choice of machines and strategy of Rairies Montrieux

Eight robots are expected to be put into service at the beginning of February. The last (the most imposing, in six axes) is the palletizer, it will store the boxes filled with wafers (1m2) on a pallet.

A second robot, similar but smaller, will have the function of forming the boxes serving as a storage box.

The other six will allow you to store the plates in the boxes:

Three Delta robots: which will sort the chips on the sorting belt, by a picking action, in order to collect them in packets.
Three less bulky robots, in five axes, to make the packages in order to transpose them into the boxes.

“Our main challenge on these new installed mechanisms will be the control of robotic lines. Our teams were not structured for this type of line. This first installation is an important test because it forces us to rise even more towards quality. Poor productions will create operation problems. The machine will never be as flexible as the human. » Says Arnaud Chevet

Rairies Montrieux called on the company SEA, (manufacturer of special machines and integrator of robotic solutions) for all the robots on the site.