The James Mae automation division specialises in the development and manufacturing of custom automation & robotics for a wide variety of industry sectors. Our in house services offer the highest standards of design, manufacturing capability and technical skills.
Whatever your product or pack handling requirement, we can provide an innovative cost effective automation solution as a standard design or to bespoke requirements.
We have over 40 years’ experience in delivery of automation & robotic systems to a large installed base of equipment in many Blue chip businesses. We use our experience gained with all past projects to develop new solutions to meet the latest automation challenges.
Our skilled and professional team provides a complete design and engineering service, including; concept calculations, mechanical design & detailed drawings, electrical / controls design, risk assessment, CE marking and project management.
We use the latest 3D computer aided design technology which delivers better design visualisation, reduced lead times and improved drawing quality and documentation, to ensure a “right first time” mentality for every project.
Sectors
Tertiary (Transit) Packaging
Special Purpose Automation
What ever the application, we can deliver.
Designing and manufacturing a bespoke solution is very different to the selection, purchase and delivery of a standard machine purchased from a supplier catalogue.
For new projects with particularly challenging requirements, we can conduct a PROOF OF CONCEPT phase before a full-scale design and build, to demonstrate the solution to an identified technical risk. A proof of concept phase “de risks” the project by identifying and proving the solution to a challenging problem.
The identified technical solution is then built into a detailed project plan and together, these items form the core of a costed automation proposal. It is vital this level of analysis, design, and planning is performed up-front to help minimise the risk of unacceptable project slips or inability to meet the machine capability requirements.
Many different skills are necessary for ensuring that this is managed successfully, across multiple departments – such as sales, engineering and project management. It is these in house capabilities and over 40 years of experience which make James Mae Group a great choice for the development of special purpose automation.
Primary Packaging
Specialists in packaging automation.
Sometimes described as “PICKING”, primary packaging is basically taking an unwrapped (naked) product off a production line to allow first stage packaging to be applied in some manner……the first packaging layer in which the product is contained. This packaging stage is used to contain, preserve, protect and inform the end user of product details. Products can be primary wrapped in a number of different ways e.g. flow-wrapped film or packed in pre-formed or thermoformed trays.
With the introduction of high speed pick and place robotics and vision technology over the last 15 years, any type of naked product can be automatically handled and placed in different types of primary packaging. Robotics can form part of machinery systems such as flow-wrappers, tray sealers, de-nesters and thermoformers. Product picking can be from enrobed, frozen, baked, raw, fried, fresh items and also used for work in progress. Products can be unscrambled from bulk at high speeds and with the addition of the latest innovations in vision technology products can also be quality controlled before being placed for primary wrapping.
With a number of different robotic and vision system manufacturers in our portfolio, any speed or production application / environment can be catered for by the James Mae Group.
Secondary Packaging
In a James Mae automated solution, any type of pre packed product in any type of packaging format can be handled.
Secondary packaging is packaging stage used to group various pre-packaged (primary wrapped) products together. Additional packaging will be applied to the primary packaging and is is used for protection and collation of individual units during storage, transport and distribution. Secondary packaging can be used in some sectors to display primary packs on shelf or to display multiple product units for sale, in order to speed restocking from stockroom to shelf. This form of secondary packaging are also know as retail-ready packaging (RRP), shelf-ready packaging (SRP) or counter-top display units (CDUs). Common packaging formats are cartons, cases or food tray / shrink-wrapped trays.
In a James Mae automated solution, any type of pre packed product in any type of packaging style can be handled, collated and if required, buffered. Our integrated custom carton / tray erectors and de-nesters can produce and load all types of packaging mediums to a secondary packaging system.
We can provide custom closing systems that tuck, fold and can use glue or tape to close any packaging style. Vision systems are also available to QC finished packs. Our flexible systems can be quickly and simply changed to other required packaging types without the need for tools.
We work with various quality manufacturers and their pick, place and heavy duty multi axis robots so that any speed or production application can be catered for. Product can also be automatically quality checked as part of a system prior to loading.
James Mae Group has over 40 years of experience in delivering quality systems to this sector.
Custom Robotics
James Mae has extensive experience working with many leading third-party robot suppliers.
James Mae group has a wide range of robotic solutions to offer, all with maximum flexibility and reconfigurability to suit their purpose. Typical robot solutions –
High speed pick and place using delta or Scara robots
Packing, palletising and de-palletising using four and six axis robots
General industrial robotics
Cutting and slicing
James Mae has extensive experience working with many leading third-party robot suppliers such as (but not limited to) ABB, Fanuc, Kuka, Staubli, Schneider and Yaskawa enabling us to match a client’s preferred supplier. If there is no preference, we are able to select the best robotic fit for the application.
Any uncertainty can be satisfied via full simulation services to prove the system architecture is correct before starting a project.
Collaborative Robots
James Mae robotic experience also extends to advice, application and use of collaborative robots.
A cobot or collaborative robot is a robot intended to physically interact with humans in a shared workspace without the requirement for safety interlocked guarding. The robots are designed to run at a speed and force that will not injure an operator in an unintended collision.
This is in contrast with all industrial robots, designed to operate autonomously at high speed inside a locked safety enclosure.
Only one kind of collaborative robot can be used without any additional safety features (Power and force limiting) according to the international standards ISO 10218 pt 1 and pt 2, and there are four types of collaborative features for robots.
Safety Monitored Stop
Hand Guiding
Speed and Separation Monitoring
Power and Force Limiting
Conveyor Systems
James Mae can design, and manufacture all types of conveyors.
James Mae Group provide a wide range of conveyor types either as standalone individual units or integrated into a fully automated system. Typical types of conveyor include:
Flat belt
Powered belt bends
Pallet handling rollers
Straight running plastic modular
Curved plastic modular
Powered roller
Wire belt
Spiral elevating and de-elevating with cooling functions
Cutting Automation
James Mae has automated cutting technology that can be applied to almost any area.
Food products are very often produced in a way that requires them to be cut or portioned. These could be sweet products which are made into bars or bite sized pieces or cakes that need to be sliced before filling. Fruit and vegetable produce may need to be peeled, trimmed or portioned prior to packaging perhaps.
James Mae has automated cutting technology that can be applied to all of these areas. Typical technologies include:
Reciprocating blades
Continuous bandsaws
Static blade
Rotary blades, plain or serrated
Ultrasonic technology
High Pressure water jet (typically 4,000 bar or 55,000 psi)