Product category:
Vertical machining centres (VMC)
News Release from: 600 Centre | Subject: Fanuc Robodrill Alpha T14i CL VMC
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 30 June 2003
Robotised machining cell set up inside
14 weeks
When diesel engine and automotive components specialist secured a major new order to produce front wheel hubs it moved quickly to set up a robotised machining cell inside 14 weeks.
When diesel engine and automotive components specialist Triplex Components Machining (TCM) of Peterborough secured a major new order to produce two types of front wheel hubs for a leading car manufacturer, it had to move fast because it only had 14 weeks to set-up a complete new production line from scratch At the heart of the line, which is geared up to produce 250,000 hubs a year, is a robot-based cell which includes a Fanuc Robodrill Alpha T14i CL vertical machining centre, supplied by 600 Centre of Shepshed near Loughborough
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 22 May 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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With a wealth of experience supplying the automotive industry and having one of the largest independent machine shops in the UK with more than 180 CNC machines installed, TCM, which formally traded as Precision Components, knew exactly how it wanted to produce the hubs.
As Technical Director Ivor Keene recalled: "As the customer's current hub supplier was about to cease production, we had to move quickly to win this major deal and maintain supply of parts to the OEM." He describes how the steel forging machining process was fairly standard.
"However, to make our proposal cost-effective, we had to limit the number of operators on the line.
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With eight main operations required to produce the hubs, we needed to automate as many production tasks as we could and decided that a multi-axis robot would be best to serve three of the main processes in a fully automated cell." The robot loaded cell, which is completely enclosed by a robust safety fence, comprises the fast cycling Fanuc Alpha Robodrill T14i LC vertical machining centre, a vertical broaching machine and an industrial washing unit.
All three machines are served by the centrally positioned Fanuc M16i, six-axis robot which is equipped with a rotating, dual gripper attachment.
Although a wheel hub is not heavy, a large capacity robot had to be specified to provide the 3.6 metres of reach to load and unload the vertical broach as well as to serve the other machines in the cell.
The new front wheel hub line started production in August 2002.
Two front wheel hubs have a common 139mm outside diameter with different main bearing diameters.
The S48C steel forgings are turned complete prior to the robot cell.
The robot then manipulates each part initially to the Fanuc Robodrill then to a broaching machine, and then into a washing system for cleaning.
Changeover between the two different hub styles is usually carried out each day.
However, this can vary according to production schedules or market demands and line changeover periods are relatively short.
The Fanuc Robodrill is ideally suited to this hub machining work with its 15,000 revs/min spindle, 14-station turret and 2•1 second chip-to-chip tool change time.
The machine is equipped with a fourth-axis Nikken indexing unit which allows the trunnion-mounted hubs to be manipulated two at a time and automatically turned over so the reverse sides can be countersunk in a single cycle.
The process involves drilling four 13mm diameter holes in each hub and the drilling and tapping of another two 6mm diameter holes.
The component is then reoriented for reverse countersinking of the two tapped holes.
TCM is no stranger to the short cycling Fanuc Robodrills as it already has six machines installed in its Walton factory.
In addition, the company still uses several Drill Mates which were the forerunner of the Robodrill.
But as Ivor Keene added: "We need to keep right up to date with the latest machine developments and did careful research before deciding to buy the T14i.
From our investigations, we found the machine was the best suited for the job in terms of its speed, all-round performance and value for money.
It also helped that the machine and robot came from the same supplier which ensured the interface between the Fanuc 16i control of the Robodrill and robot was straight forward." Employing 370 people at its Peterborough site, TCM is one of several companies in the Triplex Components Group.
It produces a wide range of fully machined automotive components including: flywheels, pulleys, manifolds, timing cases and covers, sumps, clutch housings, gears, shafts, turbine housings and, driveline parts for medium volume engine and vehicle applications.
The company also has considerable expertise in the manufacture of automotive rear wheel spindles, hubs and hub and brake disc assemblies.
All these components are primarily for front wheel drive applications and its experience of product and facility development has been generated over some 10 years following a technical collaboration with a Japanese supplier.
In projects such as the hub production cell, TCM works very closely with the customer to jointly engineer the process with the machine supplier to ensure that the level of quality and capability is developed from the outset.
And as Ivor Keene maintains: "Although we had very little time to engineer the project, the Robodrill solution from 600 Centre provided a simple but very effective solution for drilling and tapping.".
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