A global toy manufacturer and distributor has increased capacity to cope with increased demand this Christmas thanks to Invertek Drives.

The speed and efficiency of a range of toy production lines have increased by nearly 40 per cent and energy costs have been cut by 30 per cent at the company’s global operations in Lapland.

Invertek’s multi-purpose Optidrive E3 has been installed and commissioned on a range of lines producing everything from teddy bears and bicycles to computer gaming consoles.

“The company’s existing manufacturing lines were controlled manually and becoming outdated. They were unable to accurately control the speed of the motors controlling the lines which was impacting on the speed of the production,” said an Invertek spokesperson.

Manufacturer meets 24 December deadline

“With increasing demand during the winter period, it was imperative orders could be fulfilled and delivered in time for its distribution deadline of 24 December.

“The existing system was frequently breaking down, resulting in downtime and expensive repairs. Due to the isolated and hard to reach location of the company it was also proving difficult to source parts quickly or easily. So, reliability was another factor in choosing the Optidrive VFDs.”

The manufacturing process involved a range of electric motor-controlled production lines and conveyor systems. Each line worked at different speeds and the conveyer system had to be intelligently controlled to cater for this.

There was also a need to update the ventilation system to ensure workers could work 24-hour shifts comfortably.

The Optidrive E3 was used on the majority of motor control units, including the conveyor system. Its accurate speed control makes it ideal for such production applications.

The Optidrive Drive Eco was commissioned within the company’s ventilation and water pumping system.

The spokesperson added: “Large numbers of air conditioning and ventilation systems are used within the facility to ensure an even temperature around the clock. In addition, the demand for water in the production process varied. The Optidrive Eco’s Optiflow system ensures the required pressure and flow levels are maintained regardless of how many pumps are required.

“When demand increases, additional pumps are automatically brought on stream to assist and are switched off again when not required.”

Increased productivity for global distribution

Buddy, a Production Manager at the manufacturer, said they were impressed at how the Optidrives had helped increase productivity while reducing energy costs.

“We have tight schedules and a client with a specific deadline in December each year that we have to meet. The reliability of our production lines is paramount.

“As a result of increasing production, we have managed to increase productivity, as well as reaching our 24 December deadline with weeks to go.

“Our CEO, Mr Claus, has been impressed. He’ll be away for a short time at the end of December but plans to look at how we can create even more efficiencies and greater control of our manufacturing and HVAC systems here in Lapland.”

For more media information, contact:
Owain Betts, PR, Media and Communications
t: +44 (0)1938 558 253
m: +44 (0)7787 437 052
e: Owain.Betts@invertek.co.uk
w: www.invertekdrives.com