ART Ltd discusses the ART of bespoke machinery

At the heart of Automation and Robotic Technology Ltd (ART) is an innovative approach to special purpose machine building and automation to improve quality and speed of response. This philosophy has resulted in highly successful projects for their customers.

Founded on over 50 years of combined experience, ART has created an innovative approach to bespoke automation. Maintaining only a few active projects on the books at any one-time, ART is able to provide greater technical and project focus. Here, Directors and Co-Owners Richard Matthews and Richard Pryle explain how this has resulted in an improved customer experience.

‘We are the main points of contact at all times. Being directly involved in all company and project processes, ART’s lean management structure enables speed of response, which is always a key factor in time-critical projects. Decisions can be made and acted upon immediately to address any requirements … Therefore, customers can have absolute confidence that their project will be delivered with exceptional quality and attention to detail.

‘Our business model is simple but highly effective. Having provided a detailed and comprehensive quotation to establish all the project requirements, we then secure resource from a large pool of trusted, highly experienced and successful independent sub-contract companies. Confident that this labour resource meets our exacting requirements allows us to build the team around the specific demands of each project. Therefore, from a technical and industry sector standpoint we always have the appropriate level of resource and expertise available to us.’

From its new-build 3,200sqft industrial unit in Peterborough, ART has completed several large projects for leading UK and European manufacturers within the pharma sector, who have returned to ART for further automation and robotic systems.

Typical projects undertaken include a combination of technologies such as robot systems, machine vision, servo operated mechanisms, controls systems and safety guarding. One such machine required a fourteen camera 100% vision inspection of medical pipettes at the rate of 600 parts per minute, including removal and replacement of out of tolerance components.

With the ever-increasing skills shortage in the UK, together with the existing business pressures that are part of system integration, ART’s low overhead and stable business model plays a key role in the longevity of the company’s flexible approach to bespoke machine design and manufacture.