August 2023 Volume 5

AUTOMATION

The First Step to Automation – A Crawl, Walk, Run Approach By Shayna Nenni

With established vendor relationships, integrators can become experts on the product, offering training and additional education to their customers on how to operate the technology. Training opportunities are highly valuable to companies who are automating for the first time. Operators are able to become familiar with the technology before implementation to ensure a smooth transition. Service support is an additional item to look for in an integrator. To maximize the life of equipment and minimize downtime, service support including training, on-site repairs, preventative maintenance, and spare parts programs are integral to optimizing operations in a forging facility. Qualifying Projects Robots can be used for various applications in a forge shop including bin picking, unload/load of heater/forge, part transfers, die spray, and unload/load of a trim press. To understand how to efficiently integrate a robot, an integrator must first understand the basic forging process. It’s essential to collaborate with forgers to gain perspective and insights to why they do things the way that they do. To qualify a project for automation, a forger must consider the following items: part geometries, production rates, ambient conditions, changeover requirements (frequency, time allowed, access points), part presentation, control requirements, utilities available, floor space, material flow, and any what-ifs that could arise during the forge process. Once a project is qualified, an experienced integrator will be able to take the information provided by the forger to select the appropriate robot for the job. Engineers will consider payload, reach, cycle time, environment, controls, and more to determine which robot model is most suitable. Additionally, simulation software can be used to study reach, verify cycle time, and develop tooling concepts. Automation Components & Solutions As robots are integrated into forging processes, there are other aspects of system design that can be looked at to optimize the entire process. With a basic understanding of the overall forging process, integrators can begin to design solutions with components such as: hot part conveyance, single or multiple robots with flexible end of-arm tooling, forge press controls (PLC, HMI, I/F to forge and upstream/downstream equipment), quality process monitoring (temperature sensors, vision, sample parts), safety requirements, part takeaway conveyance, trim press, and cooling conveyance.

Why Automate? Automation can be daunting. Jim Warren of the Forging Industry Association (FIA) sat with two Adaptec engineers to discuss the history of forging and the current state of the industry. Warren mentioned the United States’ great history in forging, and how that led to roadblocks preventing robotics and automation to replace older equipment that forgers have had success with. The big question is: if it’s not broken, why fix it? The answer is people – for two reasons. 1. The lack of labor in the workforce. With the FIA monitoring the health of their members, they realized forging companies are struggling in the industry due to the nationwide labor shortage. 2. Ergonomics. The great cause of automation is inevitable. People are getting worn out with the dull, dirty, and dangerous tasks that robots are designed to occupy. As injuries are increasing, the stigma of robotics will hopefully begin to dissipate as they are used to extend the workforce, not replace it. The lack of labor is continuously pushing forgers to consider automation, but where do they start? With dangerous and unique processes, the first step is partnership. It takes an experienced robotic integrator to understand and automate a forging process. Building a trusted partnership with an integrator creates an open dialogue for forgers to educate engineers on their processes, working together to define a path to automate. Cohesion with individual expertise from the integrator and forger is key to understanding how to successfully integrate the technology. Once the relationship is developed, an everlasting synergy between the two begins as they both continuously look for ways to improve processes. What to Look for in an Integrator When searching for an integrator to partner with, experience is one of the most important aspects to consider. Have they automated any forging processes before? Due to unique challenges in the forging industry, some integrators have not had the ability to break into that sphere yet. With a general understanding of forging processes, an integrator will have basic knowledge of end-of-arm tooling design, robot selection, vision implementation, and more. Subsequently, they will have built relationships with vendors to source products suitable for the forging environment including robots, conveyors, cameras, industrial electronic components, and safety devices.

FIA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2023 26