State-of-the-Art Feeders Boost Productivity Even in Small Numbers

When the head of the product engineering team asked the consultant again about solutions, the consultant suggested she had Kubota design the production lines because Kubota offered a wide range of feeders. Straightaway, the employee made inquiries with Kubota.

“The Kubota NX feeder can be used with a wide range of materials simply by swapping optional parts. Because the NX allows you to switch materials as necessary, it is possible to consolidate multiple lines handling different compounds into a single line, thereby making production volumes more consistent. This also enables a reduction in the number of optional parts required. Most of all, because the feeder’s simple construction can handle even tricky materials, it confers major benefits in terms of reduced maintenance time and maintenance costs,” she explains.

She also liked the fact that the Kubota NX is easily relocatable thanks to its integrated control circuitry. In order to move a conventional freestanding feeder to a different production line, you need to add the corresponding control hardware to the control box for that production line. However, if the feeder has an attached control box, these circuits are located immediately behind the feeder unit, so you can easily move the feeder to a different line by simply moving it along with its control box.

Appreciating the possibilities offered by the NX feeder, the divisional head asked Kubota to help design the new production lines. And thus, the design for the production lines in the new factory was completed, with advice from the consultant.

“The use of a production line design that leverages the features of this feeder enabled us to reduce the number of feeders on each line from six to four. This gave us more freedom over production line layout, enabling a simpler product flow. There is no need to install new hardware when switching materials. Kubota’s comprehensive on-site engineering service also appealed to management,” says the divisional head.

The new production line design was approved by management in no time, whereupon commenced on the new factory. Thanks to the fact that the feeders were delivered quickly, the new factory was able to open promptly.

“If the NX feeders work as hoped in the new factory, we are planning to replace the feeders in our existing factory too,” smiles the divisional head.