Quick Tour of an Automation Cell (Video)
07.09.2014
Recently we hosted an “ABCs of Automation” event here in Charlotte where we held some walking tours of the various productivity-boosting technologies we had on display. At one of the tour stops we demonstrated a closed loop automation cell – how it works and what kind of benefits you can expect. The event was packed with attendees, but if you didn’t get a chance to attend, you can check out this quick video clip of the demo. (And yes, you can still ask questions!)
See the Automation Cell in Action
Check out the video and you can see how this automation cell covers all the bases. It not only speeds up operations, but also allows for lights-out or low-attended operations. Here are just a few of the highlights:
- On the infeed conveyor there’s a vision system that determines what part is being fed in, then the corresponding program is called up on the machine
- After machining, a KUKA robot unloads the machine (which in this case happens to be a GENOS L300-M , one of our Affordable Excellence machines) and loads it into a Renishaw Equator
- The Renishaw Equator then measures critical dimensions, and auto-comp information is sent back to the machine tool to ensure accuracy for the next part
I hope this quick tour is helpful. This is also a great demonstration of Partners in THINC in action. All the various components of this automation cell are fully integrated by a team of engineers from our various partners, who’ve done all the work for you to make sure everything works together seamlessly.
Any questions from the audience? Feel free to comment below with inquiries, or simply to add your thoughts. You can always contact us or your local distributor to learn more about implementing automation in your shop.
Jeff Estes is Director of Partners in THINC, Okuma America Corporation.