autonomously within the closed-off production area. After the employee has given the start signal, the first
robot reaches for the crucible with the hot melt, while the second robot places the approximately 900 - 1150 °C hot shell into place. Both robots then turn the crucible and the shell synchronously so that the approximately 1600 °C hot melt properly pours into the shell. “The coordination and synchronous movement of two robots in the casting process was a particular challenge,” says Jedrysiak. “The developed production cell is a pioneer for new machine technologies in the casting process.” This was developed over many years in cooperation between the casting technology department and the company’s own plant planning department. Product and Process Engineer, Bartosz Debek was part of this development process from the very beginning. “An especially hard challenge was the handling of the shell by the robots in connection with the high temperature during the casting process. We first had to gain a feeling for the robots and their movements and adjust them to the materials involved, such as the sensitive shell and
the hot metal”, says Debek. In addition to the shell, the coordination of the robots
with each other, as well as the feeding of the melt and the automated shell placement had to be planned and adjusted in detail. After two years of development, Mr. Jedrysiak considers the developed casting cell to be ready for series production. “Meanwhile we have expanded the concept and can use it for a variety of tree structures (for tree assembly). Now, with the automated casting process, Blank casts the same alloy varieties as the previous, non-automated process. Nevertheless, the robot cell still offers possibilities for expansion and optimization concepts.” For example, the Development Department is currently working on refining the gripping concept and automating the necessary logistics activities. You can see the robots in action in the following link on our
YouTube page (
https://www.youtube.com/user/FeingussBlank) or visit our webpage at
www.feinguss-blank.com.
June 2020 ❘ 21 ®
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