Article by Maria Eva Virga
As in all industries, automation has been widespread for several years also in the household appliance sector, both large and small. Companies use robots, cobots, mechanical arms not only for the assembly of certain components but also for entire production lines, for fully automated production.
Automation systems for hoods and hobs
«We have introduced advanced industrial automation technologies as a result of the investments we started in 2023», explains Giorgio Rossi, Operation Director of the Sassoferrato (An) plant of Faber (Franke Group), «when we decided to focus strongly on robotic systems and intelligent solutions for sheet metal forming and material coupling.
These automation systems find their main use in the production of cooker hoods and hobs. In this sector Faber is internationally renowned for innovation and quality. In particular, the production of these appliances requires high-precision machining and constant quality control, aspects that our robotic and digital technologies help us to manage with maximum efficiency.
At the Sassoferrato plant, the use of artificial intelligence has been coupled with two important organisational approaches: the ‘pull flow’, which produces according to real market demand and avoids stockpiling, and the ‘end to end’ model, which integrates and coordinates all the steps of the production process (from the procurement of raw materials to the delivery of the finished product). Robots and automated systems operate mainly in the metalworking and assembly stages, integrating smoothly throughout the production chain. Besides, thanks to data analysis and machine learning, these systems make it possible to optimise times, reduce waste and intervene in a targeted manner where there is room for improvement, thus maintaining a high level of operational continuity».
When automation is linked to sustainability
Located in Isère, 35 km south of Lyon, France, Pont–Évêque is Groupe SEB’s production hub for laundry and also home and personal care. There SEB produces irons, steam generators and garment steamers.
The site employs nearly 700 people and is highly automated, with around 200 robots and cobots. Internationally oriented, the Calor factory in Pont-Evêque exports 75% of its production to 68 countries. To mark its 60th anniversary, in October 2024 the SEB group inaugurated a new plant with two biomass boilers to replace the two previous boilers running on methane gas, each with an equivalent capacity of 800 kW. This transition marks a significant step in the group’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, because heating accounts for around 80% of the site’s gas consumption and supports the group’s overall objective to reduce all CO2 emissions by 60% by 2030.
«For 60 years, the Pont-Évêque industrial site has demonstrated agility, innovation and excellence in meeting consumer demands by offering revolutionary products. The various redevelopments and extensions have made it possible today to have a state-of-the-art industrial facility and to overcome technological limits. Today, Groupe SEB renews its commitment by transforming the site into an energy performance model thanks to the installation of this new biomass boiler room», said Stanislas de Gramont, CEO of Groupe SEB, on the day of the 60th anniversary.
