OMCD Group joins the "Collaborative Robotics" project

On Friday January 24^th, the Industrial Union of the VCO at its historic headquarters in Villa Pariani in Verbania, officially presented a project called “Collaborative Robotics” to the press and all parties involved.

Promoted by the L. Cobianchi Institute of Verbania, this initiative consists of creating a laboratory capable of becoming a training center in the field of traditional and collaborative robotics. The project is also supported by the Community Foundation of VCO and 12 leading companies in the area: headed by Lagostina SpA, Albertinari Srl, AST Srl, International Chips Srl, Lavanderia Milanese Verbania Srl, MAC Impianti Srl, Meccanica Zanoli Srl, OMCD SpA, Sinterleghe Srl, Tecnolab del Lago Maggiore Srl, Togno Plastics snc. United by the shared vision of an innovative industrial future achieved primarily through investing in the training of young people, these public and private bodies have thus created a real synergy; combining their economic resources and energies to achieve a common goal.

The first step was taken in December of last year, when the Institute received as a donation from the aforementioned companies, a UR3 collaborative Robot from Universal Robot. The robot was a special addition to laboratory and was put along side the Comau e.DO robot already at the service of the students during laboratory hours. Teachers and specialized staff have already undergone specific training and in the course of the next school year, they will in turn become mentors to interested pupils.

A second step will take place in the coming months; the laboratory will be open to initiatives carried out in collaboration with the companies involved, in order to promote school-work alternation and facilitate the insertion of students in the industrial world.

Through this new robotic resource it will be possible to carry out even more targeted training activities in addition to the activities provided by the Institute’s study plans; supplementary courses and requalification courses will also be available for the personnel of the local industries.

Strongly convinced that the “school-industry-territory” synergy can bring numerous benefits to all involved, the OMCD Group did not hesitate to take part in the project considering it a first big step towards a series of initiatives that will help make the district of the VCO “flagship” in the national industry.

OMCD’s production sites are very familiar with collaborative robotics, having used these tools successfully for years and measuring the concrete advantages that derive from them. The increase in productivity is significant: the robots in fact do not replace a man, but perform functions of collaboration and accompaniment to work, mainly carrying out assembly, installation, loading and unloading activities. In our production plants they are used alongside presses, ovens, and welding islands.

In order to reach the 4.0 industrialization level it is essential that all companies evolve in this direction and that new generations acquire specific skills related to the use of these robotic resources.