Automation is one way SMEs in the manufacturing sector can stay profitable and competitive in the face of growing labour and skills shortages. However, many SME owners won’t even go there because they assume the cost would be prohibitive. Not so says Kealan O’Connell, who cofounded Nuálach Automation with Evan Roarke in 2021 to overcome this perception and help smaller companies use innovative technologies, such as robots, to sustain and grow their businesses.
There is no shortage of companies in the automation space, but Nuálach’s founders are differentiating themselves from the competition by providing tailor-made solutions to smaller companies focused on maximising output and building more capacity while reducing operational costs. To do this, Nuálach takes best-in-class software, technology and equipment and combines them in a bespoke way to give its customers the best bang for their buck. They are also offering a more novel funding option that allows companies to “rent” and benefit from an automation package without the capital investment up front.
“What worries people is that they are taking on another cost and that it will be a long time before they see a return on it. In fact, the cost can be managed within their budget and in our experience they will see a ROI in 12-15 months and more likely within 12. In addition, a robot will run for years and will hold its value,” O’Connell says.
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“The most important thing to identify is where automation can add the most value and innovation within an operation,” he adds. “For example, robotic solutions are particularly effective when used to address repetitive tasks on production lines, as well as those putting a physical strain on workers such as lifting heavy weights over and over again. A robot will do this sort of task 24/7 and never get tired. Given the current labour shortage, and people’s reluctance to be in a role where they are doing the same thing again and over again, robotic solutions are an effective alternative and employees are freed up do more valuable work elsewhere in the company.”
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O’Connell also points out that Nuálach builds flexibility into every design. “This ensures that if a production line or a product needs to change in the future, then the robot can be reprogrammed to reflect this – so it’s not a question of investing in a piece of equipment that gets stuck in time. If things change, it can change too,” he says.
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O’Connell and Roarke initially started Nuálach in their spare time and by the time they went full-time into the business they already had a handful of customers and were revenue-generating. Their start-up costs were bootstrapped at about €15,000, which paid for specialised software and the fit-out of a premises in Virginia, Co Cavan, while the company has also been supported by Cavan LEO. Nuálach now employs four people and O’Connell says a further two hires are on the cards.
Our aim now is to grow the business as this will give us more scope to vary the scale of the projects we take on
— Kealan O’Connell, Nuálach Automation
Both founders come from a background in automation and mechatronics in manufacturing industry. “We have experience in designing, manufacturing and commissioning a range of solutions from assembly and verification jigs to multiple robot solutions, including 3, 6 and 7-axis robots and we are working with companies in medical devices, life sciences, automotive and wider industry,” O’Connell says.
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“Most of our installations to date are in Ireland, but we are also getting work from abroad and were recently involved in a project in South Carolina with a company making automotive components. Our aim now is to grow the business as this will give us more scope to vary the scale of the projects we take on. At the moment we are largely focused on smaller companies, as this is the area of greatest need, but we also have the skills to handle much larger projects for bigger companies with bigger budgets.”
