Page 26 - MetalForming February 2012

Kuka robots replaced a two-axis feeder system along this stamping line at a German automotive plant that produces body panels and struc- tural components. The crossbar-robot retrofit dramatically increased the output of the line— by as much as 40 per- cent when stamping structural components and 80 percent when stamping body panels such as fenders and roof frames.
Crossbar- Robot Retrofit
The call for cost reduction and greater flexibility in automotive production is accelerating the trend toward robotic press tending. Retrofitting robots to aging press lines can greatly enhance their output.
weighing as much as 200 lb., and a smaller Kuka model designed for loads to 130 lb. In development is the next generation of crossbar robot using a Kuka Quantec model—Kuka intro- duced its Quantec series in mid-2010, which, say company officials, “use lighter components to allow greater dynamic performance and shorter cycle times, as well as being stiffer than before.”
Case Study: Stamping Retrofit
Several crossbar robots are at work at stamping plants in China, Europe and the United States. Here we present one recent successful project involving the replacement of a two-axis feeder system with a crossbar robot automa- tion retrofit, completed at a German automotive plant. The stamping line in question produces body panels and structural components, and the new automation allowed the manufacturer to improve transport flexibility while also increase line output. The per- formance improvement resulted from the ability to accurately orient the parts with three rotating axes while trans- ferring parts between presses, as well as the highly accurate positioning of the parts in the die.
The manufacturer dramatically increased the output of the hydraulic- press line by as much as 40 percent when stamping structural components
After launching six years ago, Schuler’s crossbar robot has found use in more than 70 instal- lations around the world to automate press lines, “by combining the benefits of a robot with the flexibility of crossbar technology,” explains Torsten Schwab, sales director at Schuler Automation in
Germany. “In addition to the improved throughput the technology provides, it also offers improved access to the space between the presses, and results in quicker tooling changes.”
Schuler Automation offers three dif- ferent robot models for varying loads: larger Fanuc and Kuka models for loads
24 MetalForming/February 2012
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