Food and Drink Matters is incredibly pleased to present EK Automation as its prestigious Specialist of the Month.
EK is a market leading European supplier of Automated Guided Vehicle Systems (AGVS) which provides smart ideas in order to get the best results. With more than 50 years of continuous industry experience this specialised company has become a leader in the field of turnkey transport robotics solution delivery, tailoring its services as appropriate in order to go above and beyond customer expectations.
EK’s roots date back to 1963 when the oldest part of the company, Wagner Indumat, was established close to Stuttgart. Dieter Eilers and Jürgen Kirf set up the Eilers & Kirf software house in 1980 near to Hamburg; the same year that Wagner Indumat set up its UK operation. The Germany-based businesses merged in 2000 and aligned under the EK banner. This amalgamation has given these AGV experts a presence in the UK (Hampshire), Germany (Rosengarten and Reutlingen), Italy (Milan) and Czech Republic (Prague). Through this network and other collaborations EK has delivered more than 9,000 vehicles in nearly 1,000 plants worldwide.
The service offering from EK can be broken down as follows: transport robotics (the provision of bespoke and industry standard Automated Guided Vehicle Systems for transport, storage, retrieval, order picking and assembly), intralogistics (systems & controls for conveyor technology, warehousing solutions and material management control) and simulation (dynamic system simulations, planning and the visualisation of high-tech processes). EK also has an active and successful Process Industry software division.
The state-of-the-art AGVs or transport robots from EK ensure that customers can fundamentally improve their intralogistics by delivering most, if not all, materials and components in a safe and timely manner. This, in turn, makes processes more efficient, operations more industrious and, ultimately, the business more profitable. Dynamic simulation of the systems during the sales process allows potential stakeholders and users to better understand how their processes can be optimised by means of an Automated Guided Vehicle System and how using transport robots will improve and enhance gains in intralogistics and material flow.
EK’s most recent range is the SMARTMOVE Transport Robots, which are ideally suited to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and companies that wish to explore the technology for the first time. EK reports that there has already been a great deal of interest from clients. For those companies looking to take this first step, and for other more experienced users, EK is able to arrange financing options for the purchase of these and other solutions that it has available.
In the UK, EK Automation focuses predominantly on AGV systems and assisting customers during all aspects of a new project (this extends to the arrangement of pre-sale, sale, delivery, installation and post-handover support). EK’s dedicated aftersales service is based around individual needs and is incredibly comprehensive, as it includes remote access, updates & upgrades, training, modifications, the supply of spares and a hotline that is operational around the clock. EK can also provide support and refurbishment for its own and other non EK, AGV Systems.
“AGV Systems bring order, reliability, dependability and cost effectiveness to a wide range of manufacturing processes,” explained EK’s Managing Director, Mike Burke. “The ability to work multiple shifts as and when required brings flexibility to workplace logistics while data acquisition by the AGV System control provides transparency to the materials handling processes. As a result our equipment is used across virtually all walks of life – from hospitals to morgues and from automotive to micro-electronics. Any size, any shape, anywhere.”
For intelligent solutions that can enhance the way your business operates, EK Automation is the company you need to contact. As an AGV one-stop-shop EK has the expertise to be able to offer you the best choice when looking to increase efficiency and productivity in any given working environment. If you would like any further information please feel free to get in touch with the team via telephone or email.
T +44 (0)1256 880228
info.uk@ek-automation.com
www.ek-automation.com