Product category:
Robots and robotic systems
News Release from: Fanuc Robotics (UK) | Subject: 'Ready to go' fully enclosed routing cells
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 29 July 2003
Robot routing system minimises on site
programming
The first of a new generation of 'Ready to go' fully enclosed routing cells has been designed to be 'up and running' and producing 'in tolerance' products within hours of unloading.
FANUC Robotics UK has delivered the first of a new generation of 'Ready to go' fully enclosed routing cells Delivered just eight weeks from the date of order the system has been designed to be 'up and running' and producing 'in tolerance' products within hours of unloading
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 30 Apr 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
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The design philosophy of the cell is based around the increasingly important need to reduce product 'time to market'.
FANUC's customers, particularly in the automotive sector, often need to procure process equipment before tooling or even pre-production samples are made available.
Julian Cashman, FANUC's project manager, explains, "We have supplied many systems similar to this to tier one automotive suppliers and so kept to well proven components.
Comprising a FANUC M-710i robot, a positioning table and full enclosure, the main difference was driven by the need to dramatically reduce on site installation and commissioning time.
The starting point was to ensure the cell was designed for 'fully assembled' delivery with the aim of loading the entire cell in a single lift.
As no components and tooling were available during the build process, Off Line Programming was used to generate the robot programme and locations from CAD data.
Where we make significant time-savings on 'ready to run' systems is being able to accurately calibrate the robot cell and its environment relative to the tooling, before it [the tooling] is made available to us.
To enable this, a hand held Co-ordinate Measuring Machine is used to measure the robot and the tooling positioners location relative to its real world environment.
As the simulated robot programmes are developed from the same reference data as the tooling we are able to update the reference frames in the robot controller from the nominal to the measured frames." Further assisting the system's ability to 'hit the floor running', the structure, measuring 5m long x 3,6m wide x 2,5m high and weighing 7 tonnes, is transported fully assembled - complete with control system - with only the connection of services and floor fixing required on delivery. Request a free brochure from Fanuc Robotics (UK) ...
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