Automation components reliability encourages

Reliability of automation products has encouraged a company to develop a new key cutting machine and sell machines for other companies using the automation components as a standard platform.

Reliability of automation products has encouraged a company to develop a new key cutting machine and to offer and sell machines for other companies within the a group using the automation components as a standard and preferred platform.

Mul-T-Lock is a world leader in locking technology.

It designs and manufactures hundreds of different styles of high security locks, cylinders, padlocks and other complementary products.

Mul-T-Lock has been a customer of General Engineers, GE Fanuc's Authorised distributor in Israel, for a number of years.

Mul-T-Lock has called on General Engineers expertise and GE Fanuc products in the development of one of its latest key cutting machines.

Design of an automated system - Mul-T-Lock was established in Israel in 1973 and was acquired in Year 1999 by the ASSA ABLOY Multinational Group Company.

The company specialises in patented products, which include key blanks and cylinders, and in electronic and electro-mechanical locking systems.

Mul-T-Lock Machinery is a sister company within Mul-T-Lock, producing special purpose automatic machines for Mul-T-Lock and other companies within the ASSA ABLOY Group.

In the current climate there is a growing demand for products that offer even greater security, especially in creating key cutting machines that discourage unauthorised duplication.

In 2002, the company wished to design a unique, computer-controlled system for the automatic cutting of lock combinations on key blanks.

The system that Mul-T-Lock Machinery has developed is a fully automated machine handling four sets of three keys at once, and producing 15,000 units per shift all cut and packaged.

The lock keys drilling platform is fed on all four sides by a robot.

On each of the four sides is a drilling station.

Each drilling station has three drills simultaneously producing identical combinations in three keys.

A vision system checks all the keys before they are transported to the customised packaging section.

Any faulty products are rejected automatically.

System control by CIMPLICITY HMI software - the whole process is controlled from a PC employing GE Fanuc's CIMPLICITY HMI software.

CIMPLICITY HMI provides superior HMI and SCADA functionality and establishes a solid foundation for Collaborative Internet Manufacturing.

True client/server architecture and open-system design offer fast, easy integration with the ability to grow from a single computer node to a plant-wide monitoring and control system if required, providing real-time information from the factory floor to all levels of the enterprise.

Project Wizard provides an HTML-style interface, guiding the user through project setup and configuration.

The wizard explores the network and automatically detects GE Fanuc Series 90T PLCs.

OpenObjects defines point structures to contain process or device information that can be coupled with graphic objects and dragged-and-dropped into HMI screens.

Enhanced database logging helps analyse any production and process problems that may have occurred.

WebView Broadcast allows an unlimited number of authorised users to securely view a designated CIMPLICITY HMI screen over an intranet or the Internet.

CIMPLICITY HMI also allows the user to pass live point data over the Internet, providing easy integration of remote systems and access to real-time data.

CIMPLICITY HMI controls the coding for each key so that a unique set of keys is cut each time.

Any faults which occur during the process are immediately displayed on the PC monitor.

This provides a description of the fault and where it has occurred, and recommends how the fault should be corrected.

The software provides monitoring and control of around 150 points via a GE Fanuc 90-30 PLC fitted with a CPU364.

In total the drilling table has 13 axes under software control - 4 drilling stations, with 3 drills each, and one axis for the table itself.

Each axis uses a GE Fanuc 3Nm Beta motor.

In total, seven GE Fanuc Motion MateT DSM302 Digital Motion Controllers provide control of these motors - one for the table, and one for every pair of drills.

The Motion Mate DSM302 is a high-performance, fully featured motion controller which complements the reliability and performance of the GE Fanuc Beta Series motors and amplifiers.

Each two-axis controller provides point-to-point or follower motion control.

The cost of integrating the DSM302 into an application is greatly reduced as a result of the digital interface to the servo amplifiers and the extensive machine logic control available.

The DSM302 units are easily and quickly configured in software and can store multiple motion programs for different machine cycles.

GE Fanuc productivity reliability - according to Izik Vaxmann Marketing Manager of Mul-T-Lock Machinery, "We have years of experience working successfully with GE Fanuc.

The reliability of its automation products has encouraged us to develop the new key cutting machine using GE Fanuc technology, and to offer and sell machines for other companies within the ASSA ABLOY group using GE Fanuc automation components as our standard and preferred platform." About GE Fanuc - GE Fanuc Automation is a leading global supplier of automation solutions and is a joint venture between GE and FANUC of Japan.

GE Fanuc products and services include CIMPLICITY collaborative production management software, nano to high-end PLCs, a wide range of CNCs, motion control, operator interfaces, industrial computers, lasers, and a wide range of integration and customer support services.

The company's European headquarters are at GE Fanuc Automation Europe in Luxembourg.

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