Product category:
Flexible machining cells and systems (FMS)
News Release from: Fastems Divisions, Helvar | Subject: Flexible pallet container
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 29 April 2002
Plug-and-play magazine delivers machine
pallets
Designed as a versatile, expandable alternative to the pallet pool, a flexible pallet container will be shown serving a new HMC during MACH 2002.
The Finnish group Fastems will show for the first time in the UK a new, flexible pallet container (FPC) designed as a versatile, expandable alternative to the pallet pool at an equivalent cost For demonstration purposes, it will be integrated on the Fastems stand with a Mori Seiki SH5000 half-metre-cube, horizontal machining centre, which itself is new
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 29 Oct 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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Based on the company's proven automated pallet storage and retrieval systems, FPC is supplied only through OEMs.
A number of worldwide marketing agreements with machine tool manufacturers have already been concluded.
Each container holds all necessary equipment for an automated pallet storage and handling system designed to suit the particular machining centre being supplied to a customer.
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Coventry-based Viasystems has installed a new, flexible manufacturing system (FMS) for machining the front and rear extrusions that go into electronic equipment racks.
The container can be unpacked, connected electrically and mechanically to the machine tool and in operation the same day.
Although it is not a true flexible manufacturing system (FMS), FPC is much more than a conventional pallet pool.
It comprises three models covering pallet sizes from 400mm x 400mm up to 800mm x 800mm.
Double mast stacker cranes with three numerically controlled axes offer load capacities from 700 to 3100kg.
Providing compact pallet storage, an FPC can be installed quickly as it is virtually a plug-and-play system.
Electrical and control connections are made via a single multi-pin connector; while mechanical interfacing requires just a few bolts to be tightened.
Even the component load / unload stations are mounted inside the container for transportation so commissioning requires little more than to move the load station from the inside to the outside and re-mount.
Stacker cranes can be supplied in three different size ranges each having telescopic masts which lower the system height during transportation.
Load handling is carried out using a patented parallelogram system.
The aisle floor is designed to collect coolant and chips.
The Fastems concept, which has patents pending, is expandable and therefore largely future-proof.
FPC can have one, two or three containers and machine tool interfaces and one or two loading stations.
The user is able to upgrade at any time, whatever the current configuration.
Systems with a pallet weight capacity of 700kg to 1500kg have two storage levels whereas the heaviest model has 3100kg capacity and only one level of storage.
The number of pallets can range from 6 to 30.
The loading door moves down under the loading station to make pallet and workpieces easily accessible to the operator.
Pallets can be manually rotated and indexed.
The FPC's control system is based on the easily understood MMS 1000 base module used in Fastems multi-level pallet systems.
Fastems is less well known in the UK as a supplier of FMS-related peripheral equipment.
To help correct this image, at MACH 2002 the company will integrate a robotic handling and deburring cell with a Fastems FPM-LD500 flexible in-line pallet system.
Advantages with the company's automated deburring system are their compactness and modularity, allowing easy integration within an FMS in less than a day.
They are, however, also available as stand-alone cells.
Two fundamentally different systems are offered.
In the first, a spindle head is carried by the robot to drive the deburring tools while the component remains stationary or is indexed on a rotary table.
The second configuration involves a lighter component being picked up by the robot gripper and presented to fixed live tooling.
The former is ideal when parts are heavy and/or fixed to the machine pallet; while the latter has shorter idle times as there is no fixturing or ATC and also benefits from higher power tooling, leading to more efficient material removal.
The machining centre in this FMS will be the new Hitachi Seiki HS400, and the system will have 12 pallet storage positions on three levels as well as one load / unload station where parts enter and leave the system.
A Fastems FMS is controlled by its own MMS (Manufacturing Management System) software.
It is entirely PC-embedded, doing away with programmable logic controllers.
The latest software release, Version 2.1, will be demonstrated on the stand at MACH 2002.
The software runs under Windows 2000 to provide integrated control over all functions of the FMS.
Within the scope of the base MMS-1000 module, in addition to control over movement of the hardware elements, are job scheduling, advanced diagnostics and stacker crane utilisation data.
The modularity of the software means that other functions may be added to the core package such as order management, materials resource planning, production capacity simulation, machine tool utilisation, and downloading of programs to the machines over DNC links.
With the latest software, the latter may be accomplished with high speed connections over an Ethernet or Fanuc HSSB bus.
As with the previous software, each machining centre's tool magazine is 'mirrored' within the MMS control where dynamic tool monitoring takes place.
Other performance enhancements include improved graphical functionality, an easier user interface, automatic recovery after power failure and easier access to data sheets containing information such as set-up instructions attached to the pallets.
New also from Fastems is Remote Alarm, an advanced transmission system that allows service operators to receive alarm calls via their mobile telephones directly from an FMS control system to which a GSM modem is connected.
In the event of a fault, Remote Alarm sends a text message automatically to the designated mobile number.
Alarm lists and recipients are easy to configure within this versatile system.
Fastems is one of the leading suppliers of flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) in Europe.
It is an open system integrator supporting all major machine tool manufacturers with proven software and hardware modules.
Users are able to choose a combination of machine and pallet handling system which best suits their production requirements.
Companies utilising such FMS have experienced rapid return on investment by reducing inventories at different stages of the manufacturing process.
Often the result is a factory that occupies half of the floor space which would otherwise be needed, with two thirds less work-in-progress and one third fewer people.
To date, Fastems has delivered more than 250 FMS in 15 countries.
They range from small systems consisting of two-level high-bay storage with eight machine pallets, one loading station and one machine tool to the biggest delivery so far that has about 2,000 materials pallets, several loading stations, assembly stations and numerous machine tools - a complete factory in itself.
All systems endeavour to utilise the 8,760 hours available in a normal year and come close to achieving this goal.
Fastems, whose origins date back to the 1950s, is owned by the Helvar Merca Group (turnover Euro 323 million; personnel 1,550).
The company's sales in 2001 totalled EUR 58 million with 230 employees.
MACH 2002 - NEC Birmingham.
April 29 - May 3.
Hall 5.
Stand 5295.
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