Robatech AG, based in Muri AG (district capital of the canton of Aargau in Switzerland), was founded in 1975 by Hans Meyer out of necessity. The family business knew how to capitalise on this situation and made a virtue out of necessity: today, Robatech is one of the world's leading manufacturers of sustainable adhesive application solutions.
With an initial five employees, the foundation stone for a solid, innovative and sustainable company was laid on 11 August 1975. „We offered a machine in the canning industry and knew in advance that instead of cold glue Hotmelt will be used. These Hotmelt machines were available in America. When we enquired how much they cost, it was half the price of the machine. That would have bankrupted us. We were therefore forced to develop a device ourselves,“ explains Hans Meyer, founder of Robatech AG. „This device was a small pot with a piston that shot a dot onto the cardboard. It worked perfectly right from the start and the machine was successfully delivered to the customer.“
Developments set standards
With the purchase and relocation to the new company headquarters in 1979, the operating area was increased to 1,000 m2 enlarged. The market launch of the Roba 30-50 series at the beginning of the 1980s marked the introduction of the Roba 30-50 series. Standards for modern adhesive application technologies The company has set new standards in the field of heat treatment: precise electronic temperature control, reliable pump systems as well as durable and fast application techniques, controlled by user-friendly controls - integrated into a visionary modular structure and realised using the latest technologies.
The positive development and growing demand led to the opening of the first subsidiary abroad in 1980. With the founding of Robatech GmbH in Germany, the first step was taken towards today's globally successful company.
Always focussing on customer benefits, the specialists expanded their product range in the following years and strengthened their presence on the international market. While the main focus at the beginning of the company's history was clearly on the packaging and packaging materials industry, the family business quickly gained a foothold in other sectors such as the graphics, wood and hygiene industries.
With the market launch of the Concept device series with multifunctional ICS electronics in 1995, Robatech offered the first Hotmelt applicators with intuitive user interface, integrated fault diagnostics and order control. Over the years, the technology has been continuously improved and adapted to the new requirements of the market.
Generation change
With great entrepreneurial spirit, Hans Meyer led Robatech to become a globally active SME until 1996. Since then, the family business has been managed in the second generation by Marcel Meyer managed and expanded. „In order to meet the high demands of the market, we maintain an intensive dialogue with our customers and partners. Solutions are sought and developed together. With innovative appliances and technologies, we are able to provide our customers with sustainable production,“ explains Marcel Meyer, CEO and company owner.
Robatech sees innovation as a consistent focus on customer benefits. However, innovation also means constant progress and the pursuit of improvement: for more sustainability, more reliability and increased efficiency in the processing of hot melt and cold glue in various industrial manufacturing processes.
The extremely short switching cycles of the hotmelt application head introduced in 2012 SpeedStar-Diamond enable small and precise adhesive dots in fast processes at very high speeds of up to 800 dots per second. With a guaranteed service life of at least 250 million switching cycles, it promotes an efficient gluing process.
Supported by the continuous growth of the company, Robatech moved into the new company headquarters in Muri in 2000, with 4,200 m2 operating area. In 2006, this was increased to 9,000 m2 expanded. The last expansion phase was completed in 2014.
Modularity and compatibility
The once visionary modular structure has successfully established itself due to its numerous advantages. The modular design of Robatech products enables customers to customise their systems precisely to the process-specific requirements of their production. From procurement to commissioning and maintenance, the modularity of the developments keeps overall process costs low and guarantees sustainable production.
Thanks to the high compatibility of the components, existing systems can also be easily retrofitted with new features. This reduces the cost of system modernisation, simplifies maintenance and significantly increases the efficiency of production systems.
Into the future with solar power
In order to create the best possible conditions for customers to be successful in the market, the company focusses on sustainability and efficiency when developing new products and enhancing existing ones. The photovoltaic system completed in 2014 with 1,055 m2 area and an annual output of 170,000 to 180,000 kWh covers around 50 per cent of the electricity requirements at the headquarters. Employees also benefit directly from solar power. Some of the new car parks are equipped with electric charging stations. This means that electric cars can be charged conveniently and free of charge during working hours. With this project, Robatech has built for the future and proven that alternative energy sources can also be used in industry with reasonable amortisation periods and without subsidies to cover costs.
Convincing in practice
Robatech has been supplying high-quality solutions and outstanding services for industrial adhesive application for 40 years now. The focus is always on the benefits for the customer. Quality, service, efficiency and the careful use of resources are decisive for the products and solutions. These aspects, together with technological innovations and a global presence, have been among Robatech's core competences from the very beginning.
For wrap-around labelling from the magazine, Robatech's LabelStar M is a cost-effective solution. Hot melt application solution. With this type of labelling, an adjustable slot nozzle applies an adhesive strip in the shape of a curl to the end of the label. The label is then placed around the bottle and glued precisely at the overlap by an adjustable flat head. The system impresses with its short changeover times, simple format changes and low maintenance requirements. These advantages guarantee more productivity at lower costs, as the example of Rivella AG from Rothrist shows.
Robatech also offers a powerful and reliable product for manual adhesive application in the form of the EasyStar manual gun. A well-known Swiss packaging solution manufacturer is one of the convinced users. The EasyStar manual gun is a user-friendly, safe and flexible tool for the manual, fatigue-free application of thermoplastic hot melt adhesives in bead form.
Everything from a single source
With its comprehensive range of products, solutions and services, Robatech is a one-stop shop for all aspects of adhesive application. This increases the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of customers' industrial processes. Maintenance is optimised, downtimes are avoided and system modernisations are implemented cost-effectively.
In close cooperation with customers, machine builders, adhesive manufacturers and suppliers, Robatech also develops high-quality complete solutions and customised services for a trouble-free bonding process.
With the strategic alliance agreed with W. H. Leary for the paper converting sector in 2014, Robatech also expanded its product portfolio to include high-quality cold glue applications and quality assurance from W. H. Leary. Customers worldwide benefit from precisely customised complete solutions for optimum cold and hot melt application.
Milestones in Robatech's development
1979: Roba 30-50 series
1985: Roba 30-50-MCS: Microprocessor-controlled hotmelt application systems with optional integrated application control,
1992: First IK 40 high-speed application controller with intuitive user interface, first hot melt application head with integrated filter
1995: Concept series melters
1999: ECX electric cold glue heads
2002: Surface application heads FKW: highly precise and infinitely adjustable up to 2,600 mm metre width
2004: MOD 20 PUR applicators with gentle, patented melt-on-demand technology
2008: SX-Diamond electro-pneumatic hot-melt application head: the world's first fully insulated application head with optimum personal protection
2010: ergonomic ErgoStar manual gun for manual adhesive application
2012: Commissioning of in-house hose production, electromechanical SpeedStar-Diamond application head
2013: Concept-Diamond, expansion of the Concept product range with the modernised adhesive melter
2014: AX-Diamond hotmelt application heads: robust spray heads for the
Application of low to medium viscosity thermoplastic hotmelt adhesives,
Electric cold glue heads from the ECX Platinum series
2015: RobaDrum 200 drum melter, intermittent surface head FK IT with mask technology[/infotext]
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