Product category:
Flexible machining cells and systems (FMS)
News Release from: Fastems Divisions, Helvar | Subject: Fastems two-level magazine
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 24 April 2001
FMS investment secures telecomms racking
contract
Coventry-based Viasystems has installed a new, flexible manufacturing system (FMS) for machining the front and rear extrusions that go into electronic equipment racks.
Coventry-based Viasystems has installed a new, flexible manufacturing system (FMS) for machining the front and rear extrusions that go into electronic equipment racks it produces for a global telecommunications solution provider The system is based on a Fastems two-level magazine for automatically storing 500 mm square by 850 mm high cube fixtures and transporting them to and from two Mitsubishi horizontal-spindle, twin-pallet machining centres
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 23 May 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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FMS features flexible fixture storage
Coventry-based Viasystems has installed a new, flexible manufacturing system (FMS) for machining the front and rear extrusions that go into electronic equipment racks.
Small parts FMS to amortise in one year
At the end of October 2000, the first phase of a GBP 600,000 flexible manufacturing system project became operational at the Poole factory of Westwind Air Bearings.
The crane-operated storage magazine, two work-set stations and associated control software accounted for GBP180,000 of the GBP1.6 million investment, which included civil engineering work in a former warehouse and two FINN-POWER turret punch presses.
The significant financial commitment has resulted in the customer awarding to Viasystems a substantial ongoing contract to supply this particular 19 inch sub rack in three variants for housing integrated networked communications multiplexers.
The company runs the system 24 hours a day plus weekends as necessary with two operators per shift.
Further reading
Versatile pallet store for aerospace manufacturer
One of the most advanced subcontractors in the UK serving the aerospace industry, Hamble Structures, has invested £12 million recently in new production plant including 15 CNC machine tools
System serves any make of M-C with pallets
One of the main benefits of the Fastems FPM compact pallet storage and retrieval systems design is that the pallet crane can deliver pallets to a variety of machining centres.
HMC has opposed twin spindles
Fastems showed for the first time at EMO a horizontal machining centre - the Twin-Mill - with twin opposed-spindles to machine small to large component batch sizes.
There are significant benefits including elimination of rework, better accuracy and repeatability of the machined components for reliable first-time rack assembly, and integrated control over sourcing of raw material and production of racks.
Additionally, information is readily available for improved management supervision.
Furthermore, operators use the system to assist with quality checks, statistical process control (by in-cycle probing of the first and last component in a batch) and machine maintenance.
The entire system, including kanban-based, line-side delivery of aluminium extrusions up to three times a day, is driven by the Fastems control software.
Three different profiles are bought in for the different rack variants and currently this information is keyed manually into the Fastems computer, although the delivery schedules will be downloaded directly later in the year.
Based on Viasystems' order intake information from the customer, the computer instructs both operators to load the 343 mm long extrusions onto the four sides of cube fixtures at the two work-set stations.
Between 15 and 20 parts are located on each face to within a few microns of their datums using special cam-action clamps.
Thirteen of these Steelcraft fixtures are needed across the three rack types, although the Fastems store can accommodate 36 cubes to allow for possible future production of other products.
Each fully loaded cube weighs 500 kg, so a 700 kg capacity, rail-guided stacker crane has been supplied to traverse the in-line store.
Each loaded cube carries the same designation code as the kanban delivery tray containing the extrusion.
The cube is instructed either to go into store or to proceed to one or both of the machining centres where the components are machined to within a few microns, the drawing tolerance being two orders of magnitude greater at +/- 0.2 mm.
The one- hit machining cycle predominantly involves individually drilling 84 holes followed by slot milling, operations previously performed in multiple set-ups using a press tool and CNC mill after the extrusion had been sawn to length and brush deburred.
Machining time per pallet is approximately 75 minutes, after which parts go for chrome finishing and then to assembly.
All 40 or so machine programs were prepared by the Mitsubishi agent, Yamazen (UK), and are identical for both the machining centres with the exception of the tool offsets.
A feature of Fastems' automated storage and retrieval systems is that they are compatible with virtually any make and type of machine tool and may be extended to suit increased production volumes.
At Coventry, for example, provision has been made for the addition of a third identical machining centre.
Speaking more generally, upgrades can include additional storage positions, extra work-sets stations and extension of the system to incorporate assembly and other non-machining operations.
Supplied as part of the FMS is Fastems' PC-based process control software running under Windows NT.
The screen's default graphic is a full colour mimic diagram of the FMS giving an overall view of the system including the position and status of the work-set stations, machine tools and storage locations.
A crane status panel informs the operator of the its current location and task, reveals the work-to list and can be used to over-ride its operation.
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