Grinder replaces manual weld dressing, saves time

A portal-type, twin-belt grinding machine, capable of working on fabrications up to 3m in length, has replaced manual weld dressing operations and nearly halved dressing time on some jobs.

Leicester, UK-based Carlton Laser Services has built its business on the firm foundation of investment in the most suitable technology, systems and the development of their people to meet the demands of its customer base.

Those customers tend to operate in what Mohan Jassi, Carlton's production director, describes as niche markets, namely medical, food, electrical and specialist vehicles.

The result is a business that specialises in producing laser cut components and complete fabrication solutions in the low to medium volume range, delivering to 'just in time' and Kanban scheduling systems.

Working in these areas demands a great deal of flexibility on the part of Carlton Laser Services and its 70 employees.

However, having heavy investment in automation, including an FMS laser/punching cell and highly efficient robot-loaded press brake highlighted another potential bottleneck and quality issue, namely manual weld dressing and finishing of completed fabrications.

"As part of our project of 'working smarter' we are constantly looking at ways of taking cost and time out of manufacture of components and we had identified solutions in terms of lasering and folding, etc, but one of the bottlenecks we had was the grinding section.

The challenge was to reduce cycle times while at the same time deliver consistent quality," said Jassi.

The solution was to replace manual weld dressing operations with some form of automation, namely a Kuhlmeyer PZM 2.2 portal-type, twin-belt grinding machine from Ellesco.

The machine, which is capable of working on fabrications up to 3 m in length, is equipped with two continuous grinding belts offering roughing and finishing options in the same setup.

The belts run parallel to each other, travelling around a triangular pulley system, providing an open working environment for operating and loading the machine.

Once loaded onto the machine components can be easily positioned on the motorised axes to achieve the ideal working position, greatly reducing operator fatigue, and presenting any of the five available component faces to the belts for grinding.

The operator then applies pressure using shaped hand tools or the machine's 'pendulous' pressure pad to remove excess material.

"We see the future of manufacturing as one where you have to invest to survive," said Jassi.

"You have to have the right equipment to remain competitive, particularly in the markets that we operate in.

We have studied what our competitors are doing overseas, and this helped us to recognise that we have to constantly look at ways of reducing costs and improving product quality.

To do this we have to recognise problems, identify solutions and work smarter.

The installation of the Kuhlmeyer machine is a result of all of these." While the overall justification of the Kuhlmeyer machine was based on it operating across a range of components, one particular fabrication was at the core of that process.

"This particular customer was driving us to reduce costs," said Jassi.

"The nature of our business is that we work in strategic partnerships with our customers and in doing so we were able to discuss their requirements as part of our ongoing relationship.

We then worked with Ellesco to engineer the ideal solution." The result is a reduction in weld dressing time on this component from 6h to 3.5h, with the added benefit of consistent quality no matter which of the three shifts is producing the work.

Many of these benefits were evident within 4-6 weeks of the machine being installed.

Carlton Laser Services' operators, who used to carry out these functions manually, have taken ownership of the machine and process and are helping to advance Carlton Laser Services lean manufacturing programme.

Now that the Kuhlmeyer machine is established what was once a bottleneck and a source of concern regarding consistent quality has become an area that is delivering genuine benefits to Carlton Laser Services and its customers.

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