American manufacturing from the rest of the world, and this is really where we push our customers to consider this technology.”
Palletech is very modular in its construction, adding multiple load stations, the ability to store material, tilt load options and it has an adaptable footprint, Kerscher said. The system features automated cell-management capability with Mazak’s con- trols and a third-party Sail software package from CMS Software (Oshkosh, WI). “We provide systems that automatically build the schedule for the Palletech from
a higher-level MRP system to the manufacturing system,” Kerscher said. “I think it’s important to understand that we provide a spectrum [of automation]. Automation is the statement of ‘I don’t need a man to intervene.’ You have to have a predictable known process that develops a quality part. Once you get that, you move on to the question of how do I get material in and out of the system. The process will deter- mine the rate at which you move the material.”
Where Hybrid Automation Makes Sense
In some cases, going to a hybrid mix of palletized automation combined with robots makes sense, and many pallet automation suppliers offer such systems. With its FANUC RoboDrill machines, Methods Machine Tools Inc. (Sudbury, MA) can supply customers with a pallet changer or instead they can opt for robotic automa- tion for loading/unloading the drilling machine, according to John Lucier, automa- tion manager, Methods Machine Tools.
Methods Machine Tools offers the FANUC RoboDrill with a pallet changer loaded by a six-axis FANUC Robotics LR Mate 200iC robot.
When comparing pallet changers to robots, it really depends on the parts, Lucier said. “When producing small short-cycle time parts, it can make sense to load multiple parts at a time on a pallet, in turn sharing the pallet change time over several parts, and resulting in better spindle utilization,” Lucier said. An option from Methods is the company’s JobShop Cell, consisting of the RoboDrill coupled with robotic automation including a six-axis FANUC Robotics (Rochester Hills, MI) LR Mate 200iC robot.
August 2013 |
ManufacturingEngineeringMedia.com 71
Photo courtesy Methods Machine Tools Inc.
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