e-Bot cell success at Mazak, Worcester
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A Mazak e-Bot Cell has now been successfully operating in Mazak's UK facility for over a year.
The cell machines castings destined for the company’s machining centres and lathes. The e-Bot Cell, a turning centre complete with its own robot loader, has helped to double capacity of large turned components.
Mazak’s e-Bot was launched into the European market in 2006, and the one at Worcester features a Fanuc Robotics M900iA having a capacity to handle parts up to 350 kgs.
At Mazak’s Worcester factory, three machines manned by two operators over two 8 hour shifts have now been replaced by two machines, one e-Bot and one manually loaded machine, with one operator over two shifts. The result is two fewer operators and, with the e-Bot operating to a target 720 hours (24 hours x 30 days) unmanned operation, a doubling in capacity in the area.
In addition, the e-Bot has speeded up load and unload times significantly while helping to reduce the manual handling of heavy loads. Castings weighing up to 140 kgs are handled.
Dave Simkin, Mazak’s machining manager, who was tasked with implementing the e-Bot Cell into production, says: “720 hours runs off the lips quite easily until you fully understand all aspects of production that have to run for the period. The core objective of its implementation is 720 hours unmanned operation and in reality there has to be a period of assessment while this is achieved. Maintaining cutting fluid levels, providing sufficient sister tools in magazines and occasional chuck jaw changes need to be accounted for.”
The e-Bot Cell at Mazak UK is configured with an Integrex e-500HSII turning centre with a 1.5 m bed and a Fanuc Robotics M900iA. A conveyor transports stillages of components, stacked three high, into the guarded area of the cell where the robot locates them for loading into the lathe chuck. After completing a layer the robot removes the stillage to access the next layer until the stack is complete.
“Successfully implemented, the e-Bot Cell is now producing 300 parts a month and serves as a demonstrator as well as an important part of production – it illustrates confidence in our own products and supports its claimed capabilities,” concludes Mr Simkin.
