Shall I shear or cut with the robot?
After you die casted your piece, you have to remove the gating system and deburr it.
Until yesterday, the way was one: put a shear, a shearing mold and… violà! The game was done!
BUT IT ’S NO LONGER THE CASE!
If you are still using shearing molds don’t worry… there are many other foundries still doing the same without considering another more modern solution.
Working with tried, tested and ancient is surely reassuring.
Surely if you do as you have always done do not incur risks and mistakes.
It’s as sure as staying behind and competition moves forward.
TO INNOVATE MEANS CHOOSE BEFORE IT BECOMES FOREGONE!
So, what is the alternative to the shearing?
A COMPLETE ROBOTIC SYSTEM!
It’s not enough to take a robot and a cutting unit. If you do so, surely it is better to continue with the shear and its beautiful mold.
A robotic cutting system must be like a tool machine. If this is not the case then it fails to maintain the required tolerances and then the required cycle time.
The main parts are:
- Ultra-rigid and precise robot
- The motorized cutting unit, a cutting spinale Unità indipendente from the motor and controlled on elongation
- Multi-tool deburring unit
- Entri chassis
- Sound-absorbing cabin
- Chip conveyor belt system
If you have such a machine, so you have the following advantages:
- Production flexibility
- Programmable process
- Controllable and self-adapting system
- Easier additional operators
- More complex gating systems
Production flexibility
When you change production with a shearing, then you have to change mold…
A DRAMA!
Anyone is capable and you need lifetime to do it. YOU NEED A MAGICIAN OF MECHANICS!
If you have a robotic system you can change production in 2 minutes.
But above all you can easily train your staff to do it.
In short, your production change becomes easy.
You have just to consider that you can modify the work cycle (and therefore the finishing of the piece) little by little the mold ages.
Ti sembra poco?
How does that seem?
With a shearing mold, when you you have a crack to remove, you must do it by hand!!
With the robotic system you just have to plan what to do.
Programmare process
When you have a sharing mold and you want to change your work…. for example you want to cut a higher or lower cast you you just have to:
- stop production
- remove the mold
- change it
- put on the mold
- check the cycle
make references to the new knifes so that they do not move
Very good, you have thrown 10 hours of processing!
If you have a robotic system?
You just have to change 1 parameter on the video.
Without stopping production your cycle changes.
It is as to compare a trip from Brescia to Naples with the cart and a donkey and a trip on a high-speed train.
It is really comparable!!!!
With the robotic system you can easily:
- Change the hight of the cast cuts
- Add deburring operations
- Change process speed
- Add control operations
- And all without touching a tool.
Controllable and self-adapting system
If you have a Shear the only thing you can check is….NOTHING! you are a victim of your process!
With a robotic system everything is different.
First of all you can save all the production data for each piece.
Do you want to know which parameters a particola piece was made of?
You have just to check it in the database.
Do you want to know when it has been produced?
You have just to check it in the database.
Do you want to know what operator was working with the machine?…
Furthermore, the cycle can adapt to the production flow. Just connect the machine to the others and explain it how to do it.
The process becomes more complete and integrated!
Easier additional operations
If you have a shear, you can only shear it.
Do you want to remove a burr on a vertical closure?
You have to do it by hand.
Do you want to remove “collected dust”?
You have to do it by handLo fai a mano
Do you want to file a surface needed for machining?
You have to do it by hand.
You have a myriad of operations to do by hand.
With the robotic system everything is easier and more immediate.
What you usually do by hand, can be done with the robot.
You program the deburring trajectories by using the self-learning system: in practice, you teach to the robot to do the job how you expect it.
In a moment you have set up you work cycle.
More complex gating systems
If you have a shear you are forced to gating system that sticks on plane piece
it is mandatory, otherwise you can not shear it!!!
Maybe you spent thousands of euros on a casting simulation software.
The software tells you that you have to do a certain sprue, perhaps on several points of the orthogonal piece (on different levels).
And what do you have to do? SUBMIT TO YOUR PROCESS!
However, with a robotic system there is no problem. You have just to program the cuts as you need.
You change the way you conceive the casting!
Nothing is as before!
Use robotic systems gives many advantages
ALL IS PERFECT!
Now, the only thing you have to do is to stop buying shear molds ….. BUT IT’S NOT SO!
In fact, depending on the cycle time and the productions lots, the shearing is a fundamental element of a decanting unit.
Is a matter to assess case-by case.
Many are the factors to consider
- Cycle time
- Robot gripper points
- Profile to deburr
- Geometry/shape of the pieces
- …
Very often it is decided to leave in a production cycle a shear with a very simplified mold. This allows you to solve all process problems, increasing flexibility and efficiency.
Would you like to see how the casting unit changes introducing a robotic system?
Are you still thinking it it’s worth it? Don’t think too long, maybe tomorrow it will be too late.
