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A manufacturer of commercial refrigerator equipment recently chose Formtek as their supplier for the automated production of refrigerator and freezer cases. Previously, the Formtek Maine division had provided installation of a CTL line to this manufacturer. Due to their positive experience, the customer chose Formtek as the vendor for this automation project.
The customer asked if Formtek had experience with equipment for automation of refrigerator outer wrappers. Formtek then presented them with videos and photographs of past projects to show expertise. Formtek also works with the manufacturer’s competitors, allowing Formtek to be familiar with similar products.
The goals of the customer were to: 1) increase the output compared to current production rates, 2) increase quality and appearance of the new family of refrigerators, and 3) prepare themselves for future demand of their products. They also wanted specific parts of the machine to be automated, such as the notching of the blank’s pattern.
In addition, Formtek’s engineering group took it upon themselves to implement automation in order to decrease setup times and operator work load. The Flexible Fabrication System has been created for efficient production of the outer wrapper of refrigerator and freezer cases.