Kawasaki ‘swap-out robots’ upgrade Norgren production
As part of a major investment by Norgren at its Lichfield manufacturing site, Kawasaki Robotics has replaced two aging robots with two Kawasaki RS06L robots. The new robots allow faster cell tool change times and are able to work more comfortably within target cycle times.
Installed over 13 years ago the original robots, both Kawasaki robots, operate between 5 to 7 days a week and three shifts a day in Norgren’s Automotive/Truck air-brake fittings section. Loading and unloading brass fittings into a rotary transfer machine, with a six seconds cycle time, has seen the robots in virtually continuous operation for the period of installation.
“Generally the robots have been reliable but as expected after 13 years hard labour there have been some joint wear issues,” explained Mark Clark, manufacturing engineer at Norgren. “Although Kawasaki recently gave them [the robots] ‘a clean bill of health’ for another year, ongoing investment by Norgren, in the Automotive fittings section, made this a good replacement opportunity to upgrade interface electronics and remove risks of obsolescence.”
The new Kawasaki RS robots load and unload brass fittings to two rotary transfer machines which have been moved to new bays in the plant. The cells are programmed to produce up to 100 variants of fitting produced in batches.
Brass stampings enter the cell, randomly positioned, on a conveyor belt. A vision camera over the conveyor belt pick up point, illuminated by a structured light source, provides the robot with co-ordinates to pick the component correctly. The robot has a double gripper and moves to the transfer machine load point, removes a finished machined fitting and loads the un-machined fitting.
The complete machine cycle is complete in 6 seconds. “The new robots are quicker – they work well within the machine cycle time and present the part to the machine before its cycle is finished and that’s what we want,” continued Mark, “In addition the old robots had a shorter reach which meant they needed to be moved, on a slide fixture, away from the transfer machine to facilitate tool setup. This had a potential to introduce inaccuracies and effectively slowed down tool changes – this process isn’t necessary now as the new Kawasaki RS06L has a longer reach. So we now have faster tool changes and zero risk of the robot being out of position.
“We’ve received excellent support from Kawasaki – moving a transfer line is complex and they’ve worked around us well when we’ve able to make the system available to them.”
Ref: Ka-011-A
Issue date: November 2011
Photography and graphics:
Contact: Katiel@jonoliver.com for high resolution image file.
Issued by:
Katie Lees, Jon Oliver Communication Ltd. +44-(0)1902-757115
Further information:
Jim Carr, UK Sales and Marketing Manager, Kawasaki Robotics UK Ltd
Units 6 & 7, Easter Court, Europa Boulevard, Warrington WA5 7ZB
Tel +44 (0)1925 713000 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting email: sales@kawasakirobotuk.com
Visit our web site: www.kawasakirobot.co.uk
Notes to editors:
Kawasaki Robotics (UK) Ltd is the UK robotics division of Kawasaki Heavy Industries Japan.
Based in Warrington, Kawasaki Robotics (UK) Ltd occupies a 15,000 Sq. Ft. Building. Its location provides easy access to the main motorway network and is at the centre of its customer base.
The facility centralises all the sales and customer support operations, with areas for customer demonstrations, training, robot test and integration and a large area for stock machines. Over 1,800 machines are now operating in a wide range of industries and applications throughout the UK.
Operating through a network of system partners, automation integrators and also supplying direct to end users, Kawasaki Robotics (UK) Ltd offers experience in the widest range of industry sectors.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries introduced its first industrial robot into the Japanese domestic market in 1969 and since then has developed into a world leader in the manufacture of industrial robots. Renowned world-wide for quality and technology in all its engineering systems and products, this philosophy is continued throughout the Kawasaki Robotics divisions.
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