Press Tending, Stages 1, 2 & 3
Three cell, six Kuka KR125 robot implementation for Press Tending for Automation Line at Dorf Clark. The three stage implementation provided minimal disruption for the client and in conjunction with auxiliary equipment has increased productivity while reducing rejects to a negligible level. The cells handle over twenty different types of product and due to a modular programming technique new products can easily be implemented by the client. For more details please click here.
Grinding Robot
A technically challenging project of grinding the base of cast toilet pans to an optimal plane. The challenge is to maintain throughput while providing a satisfactory grind. The cell is setup as two booths so the operator can load and unload a pan while the other side is grinding. Different pan types can be ground and are selected by scanning the product barcode on the pan when it placed in the booth. Cost savings where implemented when the grinding wheel life was extended from 1500 pieces to 50,000. Grinding is performed by a Kuka KR125 robot and controlled by Simatic S7-300 PLC system. The robot communicates to the cell via a 12 Mbit Profibus network.
Palletising Robot  
Replacement cell for an existing IRB 6400, where toilet pans are palletised on four pallets within the cell. The operator selects the product to be loaded onto the pallet bays (which can be any combination different products) and the robot is used to stack the pallets based on which pan is present. The pan type is determined by a barcode scanner that reads the product code prior to presentation at the robot. The cell safety is implemented using AS-i technology, where standard and safety modules are connected on one AS-i bus. Cell control is by a Siemens S7-300 PLC communicating to a Kuka KR-125L90 robot.