AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS
ROBOTS TAKE THE STRAIN IN HANDLING HEAVY AUTOMOTIVE COMPONENTS
When it needed to increase production, while relieving workers of heavy lifting and a challenging inspection job, Japanese manufacturer G-TEKT turned to ABB robots. The result was an automated system that frees up workers for other tasks, while maintaining quality and boosting production.
A
Japanese manufacturer of automotive components is using ABB robots to inspect
and handle steel blanks, freeing up workers and increasing productivity by 10 percent. G-TEKT is one of Japan’s leading specialists
in the manufacture of automotive body and transmission components, with operations in 12 countries worldwide. The Tochigi plant is one of G-TEKT’s main plants for the manufacture of transmission components. The production process involves a 500-ton press
punching out blanks for transmission components from steel sheet. Two workers per shift would visually inspect each punched piece for scratches, dents, and other minor defects. The 42 types of blanks weighed up to 2.3 kg and some were over 300 mm long. Each person had to load them onto pallets at a rate of about 40 sheets per minute. These tasks were very challenging for factory
workers, involving intensive visual inspection and handling of heavy blanks. G-TEKT wanted to introduce automation that would help improve quality and productivity while shifting workers to less demanding and more creative tasks. Several requirements for the automated system
were identified, including fitting into the limited space around the press, the ability to increase production capacity and the need to handle a wide variety of products. System integrator MES Koshin was asked to
lead the implementation of the system. The company assessed the needs and challenges of the proposed automated solution, which included limited space for the entire automation system around the press and space constraints limiting the number of robots. Due to the limited number of robots possible, the reach of each robot would need to be
approximately 1200 mm. The system would also need to support more than 40 different products, with weights ranging from 0.4-2.3 kg, and dimensions of 120-330 mm at a plate thickness of 2-6 mm. G-TEKT also wanted to increase production,
going from handling 40 sheets per minute to 50 sheets per minute.
TESTING THE SOLUTION Working with ABB, MES Koshin tested several arrangements of different numbers of robots. The ABB FlexPicker was the only option that met the system concept of a payload of at least 5 kg and a working range of at least 1200 mm. MES eventually settled on three ABB IRB 360 FlexPickers with a 6 kg payload and 1600 mm reach.
The system also uses the ABB PickMaster 3 software. Designed to control multiple robots,
46 APRIL 2022 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS
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