Motoman Robot Handling, Loading, and Depalletizing Heavy Vehicle Parts

Summary

Cycle time: 19 minutes for three levels (one dunnage layer each of three components). Cycle time is 5% faster than customer's requirement.

Project Challenges

• Maintain extremely accurate orientation of three components throughout handling process for precise placement into machines within ± .25 mm (.010").
• Automatic part location - determine height of dunnage and orientation of 9 - 35 individual tray levels, depending on the part.
• Automatically orient component A and component B based on hole location, and - based on that value-shifting part placement.
• Production rate - one part every three minutes, 20 per hour, 150 per shift/ two shifts per day.
• Cycle time - one layer of each part in 20 minutes. This includes 10-12 operations for each of the three components, plus tray handling for 9-35 levels within the dunnage.
• Space constraints - SK45 robot must handle parts in close proximity to existing machines that intrude into the robot work envelope.
• Special handling requirements for heat-treated precision parts which must be scrapped if scratched, dirty, oily, or otherwise contaminated.

Motoman Robotics Solution

Motoman supplied following equipment:

• SK45 robot with MRC controller
• Custom end-of-arm tooling (mechanical gripper) to handle parts and dunnage trays. Gripper includes pneumatics and electrical package, as well as a shock sensor
• MARIO remote I/O interface to customer's Programmable Controller
• Fiber optic hole orientation stand
• Four bulk box locators
• Safety fence with two interlocked gates

Fixtures/Tooling Details

Motoman designed and provided a custom pneumatic mechanical gripper with a mechanical switch to sense tray height and a fiber optic sensor to detect tray orientation.