Are you ready to finally discover how to improve your production and make it more streamlined and faster?
When you have to deburr a piece with a traditional robot system you must build references to lay the fixtures: the equipment. Then you begin to think about how to place the parts, the projects of equipment and then how to build them.[space]
[space]
Everything is fine, your technicians are skilled and capable, this is your routine process…
However there is a problem!
The situation is much more serious than you think:
• You are losing time building the fixtures: from when you receive the pieces from your client to when you put them into production it takes weeks.
• Your costs are raised: the equipment requires investments that nobody wants to pay.
But especially…
• You must store the equipment that you build: it take up space, never knowing where to put it.
• Retooling of the machine costs a lot of time: you have to take the equipment from the warehouse, to replace the mounted parts on the machine and finally store the equipment that you have removed from the stock.
Nowadays nobody is willing to pay for all these operations and to solve this problem the entrepreneur thinks he is smart by building his equipment “universal”. I also saw equipment made of wood, constructed maybe over time.
The operator using the machine becomes a carpenter … and …
He starts to compete with Geppetto!
From the drill in hand to the robot, he is making holes on a level of wood and is building his equipment.
But this generates so many other problems:
• You need always someone able to build the on-site equipment
• The cycle is not reliable: sometimes the equipment is deformed and the robot blocks into failure mode
• You have no idea what the repair costs are: each time you put a piece into production the repair time and its costs are different, leaving you at the mercy of the events and the amount of the costs are not covered
Considering all of these problems we have thought about
a new way of working …
WE HAVE GIVEN THE VIEW OUR ROBOT!
All the machines of series AFC can be equipped with a vision system, eliminating seriously all the problems and difficulties of the “in-house” programming saving in the long run the costs much more than with a personal solution. Giving the VIEW TO THE ROBOT we are changing the world of THE CASTING PROCESS, the way to work and to produce, making it leaner and faster.
What you have to do to retool your machine
by adopting this technology? … NOTHING!
You just need to insert the pieces on the loading conveyor of the machine; the vision system detects the position of the workpiece and communicates to the robot the coordinates for the picking, favoring the benefits of speed and ease of your production process.
What are the improvements you have?
• no need to build the equipment
• no space is used to stock the equipment
• no waiting time for the construction of the equipment
• retooling in no time
The system by which the machine is given this
great advantage, consists of:
• Vision system on dedicated hardware
• Vision Software 6.0 ERG Trebi
• Lighting
• Loading conveyor with special mat for vision
This SYSTEM has taken me many years of my working life and not only because each component is designed to give its best, but also because every detail is taken care of in order to make the machine flexible and reliable. The heart of the SYSTEM is the vision, which has been designed and developed specifically for work with cast parts. It is completely different from everything you’ve seen so far, as me and my engineers have invested thousands of hours in its development and I can not help but telling you that there is NOTHING comparable on the market.
1) Dedicated hardware
First we have tried to market a supplier who could give us the cameras and processors with a reliable and consolidated service. We contacted all the producers in the market, we have watched the solutions that were more interesting, we have made several pilot projects, then we choose. After 15 years that I am installing systems I can tell you that hardware that we use has the best possible performance and reliability: we have never had to replace one. The first that I have put into operation has now totaled 60,000 hours of work.
2) Software
The software is really what made the difference.15 years ago I took the standard software and tested it. The pieces were recognized…
However there is a problem!
The system was not stable, sometimes a piece was not recognized or some parts were difficult to set. So I thought we could do better. We had to develop our software. I can not count the hours I have spent in the development of this software, but there are many unwanted. Even today, year by year we introduce improvements and solutions to make the software more user-friendly. We called it ERG Easy Robot Guide. The ideas were clear from the start: it had to be simple and effective.
The software has the following characteristics:
• edge search: the search of the piece transmits the localization of the edges
• light not sensitive: operation guaranteed also by the variation of the quantity of the light
• focus not sensitive: has no problem with changes in focus
• hide areas: you can mask areas of the piece whose research makes it difficult to be recognized
• part sorting: the system recognizes the different pieces and communicates the pieces to be withdrawn in an orderly manner, from the coordinates that are the closest to the end of the conveyor, then those further away.
All these features make the software robust and reliable for finding any piece.
3) Lighting
The light is a very important part of the vision system. We have developed an illumination system that allows to pick any piece. I tried to illuminate the piece from the bottom …
However there is a problem!
I had to use a conveyor-belt that is transparent but it soiled easily. We had to constantly keep the conveyor-belt clean. So I have found a way to do it. I have made my own illuminator that lets you make a lot of light, very widespread and constant across the viewing area. The light comes from above, so if the conveyor-belt is dirty the VISION SYSTEM continues to operate without any problem.
4) Loading conveyor
Every detail contributes to making a “perfect” system, because the conveyor belt is important. I must confess that I used a standard conveyor. It worked, but it has not been the best. From the outside my belt seems exactly like a standard one, but it is completely different.
The belt has the following characteristics:
• the carpet’s special material: we have made a black, anti-glare and anti-dirt, very durable carpet
• steel structure with screwed elements: the belt is extremely rigid and the replacement of the carpet is really simple
• motor concealed in the traction roll: there is not the external gear-box and no external, this solution gives the best power transmission and the robot does not ever collide with the gear box
• sampling area amortized partly: the area where the robot picks up the piece is amortized to avoid collisions during the withdrawal of the piece
• protected sensors: all the sensors are compact and protected by steel covers
All that I have described allows our machines to be equipped with a VISION SYSTEM, through which along with other UNIQUE components are capable TO GIVE VIEW TO THE ROBOT.
IF YOU ARE A PERSON WHO DOES NOT LIKE TO SPEND MONEY IN VANE FOR YOUR BUSINESS AND CAN NOT BEAR THE MACHINE DOWNTIME…
THIS TECHNOLOGY IS THE ONLY ONE ABLE TO ENSURE A LEAN, QUICK AND EASY PRODUCTION …
WITHOUT NEVER AGAIN LOOSING TIME AND MONEY!
[space]
See You Soon
Piercarlo Bonomi
The Main Expert in Robotic Cutting and Deburring Machines
