Linear positioners locate robots precisely

Precision linear positioning equipment from Gudel UK has been specified at the heart of advanced work handling systems at specialist automotive parts supplier Carringworth.

Precision linear positioning equipment from Gudel UK has been specified at the heart of advanced work handling systems at specialist automotive parts supplier Carringworth - not just once, but six times during the past year! The Gudel equipment is used to position Fanuc type M16 industrial robots quickly, consistently and with pinpoint accuracy, as part of fully automated parts loading solutions installed by Fanuc Robotics in six flow line manufacturing cells at Carringworth's Sussex-based production plant.

Carringworth is a leading producer of components such as fuel pumps, injectors and power steering equipment for tier 1 and 2 motor industry supply chain organisations throughout the UK and Europe.

It employs around 300 staff and has further manufacturing sites at Baglan, near Port Talbot and Chalon-sur-Saone in France.

"Most of the parts we manufacture are high volume items, which are produced 24 hours a day, five days a week," says Carringworth's Operations Director, Bob Hare.

"Competition in our sector is extremely fierce; so we employ lean manufacturing methods and organise our facilities into single item production cells, so that we can keep costs down and throughput up." "We recognise that the key to productivity is control; and that the key to control is consistency," he continues, "and that's just what the new work handling systems provide." Each of the manufacturing cells equipped with the advanced Fanuc / Gudel equipment incorporates five machine tools and dedicated induction hardening equipment, which are employed to produce power steering input shafts.

In operation, raw material blanks are initially picked from the input track and loaded into a twin spindle lathe.

Once the turning operations have been completed, parts are then transferred in sequence by the robot to a gun drilling station and one of three machining centres.

They are subsequently positioned in the cell's induction hardening station before finally being returned to the output track.

"By mounting our robot on a Gudel TrackMotion module, we have extended the equipment's operating envelope to allow all the machines in the cell to be serviced effectively," explains Fanuc's Area Sales Manager, John Rainer.

"During the manufacturing process, the parts are loaded into collet chucks with no more than 0.5mm clearance.

That's why handling accuracy and repeatability are so critically important.

"We selected Gudel equipment to provide the 7th axis motion for the robot because of its proven ability to position loads of up to several tonnes to better than +0.2 mm, anywhere along its linear run.

Gudel products also have an excellent reputation for trouble-free operation and low maintenance, even under extreme operating conditions.

The TrackMotion module therefore represents a highly cost-effective element within the overall solution." Gudel systems are used extensively throughout the automotive and metal cutting sectors, as well as in foundry, nuclear, pharmaceutical, aerospace, defence and electronics industry applications.

Many installations operate as part of continuous production processes, in extreme temperatures and in dirty, corrosive or radioactive environments - underlining that their capabilities are backed by exceptional in-service reliability.

Through close collaboration with Carringworth, Fanuc developed a custom-engineered control system for the cell handling equipment that communicates with the various machine tools via a central touch screen panel.

Not only does this allow operators to adjust individual cutting tool offsets without stopping production, but the control system also incorporates a reporting facility to monitor a historical information such as cutting tool life, parts produced per shift and stoppage time.

Since their specification and installation as part of Carringworth's GBP 650,000 investment, the positioning and transfer systems have more than proved their worth.

According to Mr Hare, automation of the work handling process provides a degree of consistency that human operators simply cannot match.

"It's not just about positional accuracy or eliminating errors.

The system maintains a consistent pace throughout every shift and indeed, will operate round-the-clock without the need for any sort of break.

In part, it has helped us to combat some of the difficulties we've experienced in recruiting skilled staff," he adds.

"It also means that operators can now focus on inspecting process parts, rather than simply loading and unloading the machines.

This, in turn, brings additional benefits with regards improved product quality and a corresponding reduction in rectification costs.

The workhandling system has undoubtedly helped us to improve the stability of our overall manufacturing processes." In the automotive sector, even the smallest savings can lead to substantial benefits, especially in high volume manufacturing operations.

Such has been the effect of the new workhandling equipment that Carringworth is already looking to build on the success of its first six systems - by installing further robotic units in cells used to manufacture fuel injection components.

(This was Manufacturingtalk's Top Story on 5 December 2001).

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