Automation’s reach extends

A manufacturing facility recently commissioned for the machining of 105 mm artillery shells has made an early impact on the aims of the MASS (Munitions Acquisition – the Supply Solution) contractual partnership between BAE Systems and the UK MoD. It comprises four separate robot controlled manufacturing cells, capable of independent operation to allow maintenance and re-tooling to be undertaken without stopping production. The system is designed to manufacture both the 105 and 155 mm shells, using quick changeover routines. Three of the cells have two Doosan Puma CNC machine centres, supplied by Mills CNC (01926 736736), the prime contractor, while cell four has a single machine centre. Each cell is fitted with a Fanuc R2000iB/175 robot loader from Fanuc Robotics (02476 639669). Image: The automated turning system at BAE Systems The cells have provided the facility with a number of advantages. For instance, it removes operators from potentially hazardous areas, occupies a quarter of the space, requires four fewer operators per shift, and has increased product quality and available capacity. Shells are machined progressively in each cell and transfer between cells is managed by outputting machined parts on to link conveyors designed by Ewab Engineering (01952 239200) for collection by the Fanuc robot in the next cell. The four R-2000iB robots each have specially engineered grippers that handle the shell either on its outside diameter or the fuse bore internal diameter. Just a few miles down the A1 from Birtley is ALM Products, a manufacturer of washroom cubicle hardware that has used a Fanuc robot to help it diversify into subcontract manufacturing. Andy Hey, ALM products sales and marketing manager, explains: "Finding 'die hard' night shift operators isn't easy and many of our tasks require fairly straightforward loading and unloading of components into CNC machines. Using a robot seemed the best option, and, as we were already using Robodrill (01327 706880) CNC machining centres, it effectively steered us in that direction." A system was supplied to the Newton Aycliffe-based company by Fanuc Robotics comprising a 10 kg payload Fanuc M10-iA robot, complete with grippers, guarding and a work input table. The input table allows raw material to be stacked and arranged in rows to enable continuous unattended operation. Image: ALM Products has used a Fanuc robot to help it diversify into subcontract manufacturing "Maybe in the early days of installation, the investment could have seemed extravagant for a smaller business such as ALM," continues Mr Hey. "We initially had a limited knowledge and the changes in batch were frequent, but we've learnt to adapt and find what's best for the cell so it can run through the night totally unmanned – this makes us very competitive." VIPER (very impressive performance extreme removal) grinding of turbine blades is another machining process taking significant volumes of automation for UK-built projects. For instance, a recent £2 million cell, based on a robotically fed Makino A99e machining centre (NCMT, 020 8398 4277), configured for VIPER grinding, has been installed at one of the Crewe facility of Trac Group. It follows the award of a long-term contract to produce four types of nickel alloy turbine vane for a leading European power generation company. The cell produces four varieties of larger vane for power generation. Now in full production, it will grind a total of 186 engine sets of vanes during the life of the contract. VIPER grinding is also the centrepiece of an automated machining cell being developed currently by Hardinge (0116 286 9900). The cell will produce nozzle guide vanes for an aero engine manufacturer based in India and centres on a Bridgeport FGC-2 Flexible Grinding Centre served by a Güdel (02476 695444) gantry loader with Kuka (0121 585 0800) robot. It is anticipated that the cell will halve the processing time of NGVs, compared to existing methods. Image: Trac has installed a robotically fed Makino A99e machining centre configured for VIPER grinding UNMANNED MACHINING At Birmingham-based IMI Components, a new 13-axis Miyano ABX-64THY3 turn-mill is part of a machining cell making valves for the energy and power generation industry. The machine is served by an Iemca gantry loader – available in the UK from Kitagawa Europe (01725 514000). "The turnkey installation has already achieved so, much apart from significantly reducing production times," states Adrian Floyd, engineering manager at IMI. "For example, it can run for up to 19 hours in an unmanned single cycle operation, against our previous methods that were operator dependent, with the added lead time restrictions of part-buffering between the different machines. It will contribute significantly to our year-on-year cost down demands." The Miyano is fed from its Iemca gantry system that incorporates a buffer magazine, able to store up to 190 billets. At Seco Tools' UK facility at Alcester, automation equipment has been retrofitted to a Hermle 5-axis C30U vertical machining centre from Geo Kingsbury (023 9258 0371) and a second, identical automated cell has also been installed. Both of the C30Us are fed from an Erowa 12-station pallet loader from REM Systems (01452 314100), the one on the first Hermle forming part of the retrofit. Image: At Seco Tools' UK facility at Alcester, automation equipment has been retrofitted to a Hermle 5-axis C30U vertical machining centre The same combination of Hermle machining centre, twinned with Erowa palletisation, is paying dividends at Alcon Components, a Tamworth-based supplier of brake and clutch parts to the motorsport sector. Alcon's flexible production cell includes a Hermle C20U 5-axis machining centre and an Erowa Robot Easy automatic pallet loading system. The cell is configured to handle 12 pallets based on the Erowa Production Chuck 210. This capacity allows Alcon to automatically load large and complex brake caliper housings that can require as much as three hours' machining. The machine can be left unattended for 24 hours, although, more typically, operators attend the machine during the day for process-proving and the machine then continues on its own during the night with more established work. "As well as being able to run unattended, the cell gives a more flexible way of working," says Alcon production engineer Allan Ford. "One-off jobs are easily accomplished and the repeatability of the pallet base allows us to stop jobs before they are finished and restart them later, with no realignment." Image: Hermle machining centres twinned with Erowa palletisation is paying dividends at Alcon Components Taking palletisation to the next level of automation typically falls into the remit of an FMS (flexible manufacturing system). One subcontract machinist in the Midlands has been enjoying the benefits of flexible manufacture since 2005, when it installed a Fastems (01322 282276) store to house 30 machine pallets (630 mm) and deliver them automatically to a pair of Mori Seiki (0844 800 7647) horizontal machining centres. A couple of years later, the store was extended to 66 pallet locations on three levels and two more HMCs were added – another Mori Seiki and a Mazak (01905 755755). The company has now reconfigured the system and further expanded it. Another Mori Seiki 630 mm pallet HMC has been added to sit in line with the other four machining centres at the front of the FMS. The cell is also equipped with a Fanuc 6-axis robot and tool changer to allow automatic exchange of both deburring and marking tools. Setting times have been eliminated from the production time - it is now just as easy to make one part as it is to produce one hundred. Image: Fastems is integrating Mori Seiki and Mazak technology at a Midlands subcontractor According to the company, the FMS is the most cost-effective method of producing prismatically machined components. The sub-contractor says that it makes a higher margin on all of the parts that are transferred to it from stand-alone machining centres, irrespective of batch size. Moving to sheet metalworking and load/unload stations is today recommended with most installations of CNC laser profiling machinery. A case in point can be seen at the Bradford facility of George Baker & Co, a refrigerated display cabinet manufacturer that has improved productivity 50 per cent with an automated nitrogen laser cutting system. A 5 kW Axel 4020 Linear from LVD (01295 676800) was selected after six months of market research. It is based on a modular design, featuring integrated shuttle tables as standard. The shuttle table format allows one table to be loaded while the machine is cutting on the other table, maximising uptime with a changeover time of just 24 seconds. George Baker & Co chose to add an automatic load/unload unit to further enhance machine productivity by eliminating manual material handling. It handles sheets up to 1,000 kg and is fully programmable. Image: George Baker & Co chose to add an automatic load/unload unit to its Axel machine A similar thought process has been executed at Washington Metalworks, a sub-contract fabricator based in Tyne & Wear that has installed two Trumpf (01582 725335) TruLaser 5030 CNC laser profiling centres with 5 kW resonators and integrated automation. Representing the first Trumpf installation of its kind in the UK, Washington Metalworks has replaced less powerful, 10-year-old technology to quadruple productivity. The new Trumpf machines are linked to a LiftMaster Linear automated load/unload system and TruStore sheet storage unit. Press brakes can also enjoy the benefits of automation in the form of machine-tending robots, as Metstrut, an Oldbury-based cable management and framing specialist, has discovered to its advantage through the installation of an Astro 100NT robotic bending cell from Amada (01562 749500), which, in tandem with an Amada CNC punch press has been integrated into an Amada CS compact store modular stockyard system for FMS applications. The installation represents the longest automated and integrated machine/production line installed by Amada within the UK. The Astro 100NT flexible bending cell features a 5-axis bending robot, fitted to a lower beam at the front of an Amada HDS-1030NTR 7-axis press brake. An accompanying 6-axis ERX 1220 articulated load/unload robot makes it the only system of its kind to feature two robots as standard. Additional automation factors contributing to minimised labour input at Metstrut include Amada sheet loader and part removal unloading devices for both punch presses, and the integration of an Amada CS300 compact store modular stockyard system. Box item Additional automation solutions [] The Lang modular automation system, available from Thame Workholding (01844 208050), is said to offer an inexpensive route to unmanned operation. The system has been boosted since its introduction with an alternative to the vertical Eco Tower. The new Eco Compact is a horizontally configured load/unload option designed for small batch production. It comprises a horizontal indexing table, capable of holding up to ten Quick Point pallets, accessed by an integrated Eco Feed handling unit. Image: The Lang modular automation system [] Haas (01603 760539) says robot-based automation for its machine tools can cost as little as £150 per week. This is thanks to a new package developed by Haas, ABB (01908 350300) and Neuteq (01827 313644), among others, that sees a robot loader/unloader serve Haas machine tools. Image: Robot-based automation for its machine tools can cost as little as £150 per week, say Haas, Neuteq and ABB [] For firms looking for automated press brake solutions, there's the R-Brake from Safan (0116 200 1777). The R-Brake's robotic arm can be moved horizontally along the integrated gantry, leaving the floor area in front of the machine free for pallets containing raw sheets and for stacking finished products. The R-Brake can also integrate additional cells such as insertion stations, punching and spot welding. Originally published in Machinery, September 2010