February 2022 Volume 4

AUTOMATION

The billet for these parts was loaded axis vertical. The billet started out as a cylinder and looked like a thick disk after the first hit. Since we had to advance the part, we used a dual jaw setup on the end-of- arm tool (EOAT) to accommodate the diameter range.

We supplied a PLC as the traffic manager and used Ethernet IP communication to connect the robots and forge. We used FANUC intelligent interference check software to prevent the robots from getting into a deadlock situation. The robots were equipped with a Move Safe program that allowed them to move from any position along their normal paths to the home/safe position. Additionally, we used a custom robot riser to “wall mount” the die spray robot and keep it above the air blowoffs. The beauty of using automation to apply die spray is the consistency. The die spray robot was programmed to work sequentially from station one to station three, applying the proper amount of lube—not too much and not too little.

Case Study #3 We worked with the OEM to supply robots to tend a large hydraulic forge press. This press used five stations to produce a deep drawn part. The automation requirements included: • Load billet-axis vertical • Remove in-process forgings to allow the dies to be cooled and lubed • Transfer forgings from station to station • Unload completed forging and place to a cooling conveyor axis vertical The part-to-part cycle time was aggressive, and the part weight required us to use a heavy, 6-axis robot. We used Roboguide to simulate the operation and determine optimal robot location and elevation. We used three robots to tend this forge: • Robot #1 unloaded the hot billet and loaded station #1. This robot came through a side window. • Robot #2 was equipped with a three-handed tool to transfer parts between stations. • Robot #3 was equipped with a two-handed tool, necessary because station 5 is actually a 5A and 5B die position. They don’t move; therefore, the robot had to alternate between 5A and 5B.

To minimize the number of points, we used parametric programming for the robot. This approach uses the user-defined diameter and length to guide the robot to the proper positions. New parts can be added by entering the diameter and length before and after the first hit. This robot was installed in the side window of the press so we could keep the front open for the operator(s) and die change out. DCS zones prevent the robot from moving off a very narrow path, even if jogged via the teach pendant. The project resulted in a 35% increase in production and increased part quality. Die life improved about 20% over manually loaded parts. Case Study #2 This forge cell had two robots originally set up to move parts and perform die spray. Our customer wanted to increase production. We analyzed the operation and used FANUC Roboguide to simulate a new design that added a third robot to perform the die spraying. This gave robots #1 and #2 time to pick and place a new billet, transfer between stations, and unload the completed forging to place on a cooling conveyor.

FIA MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2022 31