Page 40 - Metalforming Magazine April 2022

Automate the Pressroom with No Upfront Cost?
of the system. The concept: Robotics as a Service. Formic’s customers— Polar in this case—pay an hourly rate to use the cobot setup.
“The Formic solution really makes sense for us from an ROI perspective,” Figueroa says. For its initial project, stamping-press tending, Formic paired a Universal Robots UR5e cobot with grippers, a touchscreen HMI, wheels for mobility and an input magazine to
position sheet metal blanks for the cobot to then deliver to the press.
“We focused on low hanging fruit,” Figueroa adds, "very-high-volume repetitive jobs fit for automated press tending.”
For integration and installation sup- port, Formic partnered with Chicago- based DesignHawk Innovations LLC, which started by conducting a proof- of-concept analysis for Polar. Then
Formic purchased the equipment and set it up on the Polar floor. Job one: stamping grab handles, which Polar manufactures by the tens of thousands in a range of sizes.
“DesignHawk integrated the cobot to the press,” Figueroa explains. It also rewired the press control so that the cobot’s control system actuates the press, signaling it when to stroke based on when the robot moves in and out of the die space—first to load the blank and then to remove a stamped part.
“We didn’t start making payments until it was proven it would work,” Figueroa adds. “That didn’t take long. It’s truly been a turnkey project for us.”
A Few Challenges
Like any automation system, design- ing a solution for Polar required over- coming a few challenges. First, the press, a 150-ton model, is 30 years old, so it requires the use of external sensors to detect motion and work seamlessly with the cobot. Additionally, this press runs different part sizes (handles range from 8 to 36 in. long)—some that the cobot can accommodate and some that it can’t.
“That’s one reason why we wanted the cobot mobile and mounted on wheels,” Figueroa says, “so that it can be moved away from the press when we want to operate it manually. And, when the press recently went down for maintenance, we were able to wheel the cobot setup over to a nearby 220- ton press and set it up to run produc- tion there. We’re also wiring a third press—one that punches holes in the stamped handles—to accept the cobot.
“We were so backed up on this job,” Figueroa continues, “that we regularly ran overtime shifts to keep up with pro- duction. Now, with the cobot, installed in September 2021, that press produces 85 parts/hr., compared to 40 to 60 parts/hr. manually. That equates to nearly a 50-percent reduction in ‘labor’ cost, as we’re only paying an hourly rate of $8 for the cobot—with increased through- put and production consistency.”
In operation, an operator loads the cobot’s magazine feeder—developed by DesignHawk—with blanks of 5⁄8-in.-
Vibro Transporters - up and conveying in no time
■ Durable, versatile design. Maximum load weight from 25 to 500+ lbs.
■ Many Vibro units first sold in 1985 are still in operation today
■ Quiet, powerful & safe to operate
■ At 0.4 cfm, there is no substitute for the efficiency of the Vibro Transporter
■ 100% air-operated and 100% American made
■ 2-year, renewable warranty
Register online or call us to receive your product line kit, application video, engineering support, or to locate the sales representative nearest you.
Global Distribution
Engineered First to Last
717.527.2094
www.vibroindustries.com
MADE IN USA
MTI MONTERREY, MEXICO • CSP EQUIPMENT INC., ONTARIO, CANADA • FOSMO & DELI A.S., OSLO, NORWAY VEUGEN INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGIES LTD., ONTARIO, CANADA
38 MetalForming/April 2022
www.metalformingmagazine.com