Mobile robotic cell provides support for the loading and unloading of CNC machining centers
A KUKA KR AGILUS works in the mobile MRC flextray robotic cell developed by wbt automation GmbH & Co. KG. At DANNORITZER Medizintechnik GmbH & Co. KG, the small robot loads and unloads CNC machining centers.
Thanks to its flexibility, precision, speed and relatively small space requirement, the robot is the best solution for us to increase productivity.
Flexible robotic cell optimizes CNC milling process
Using its own docking station with integrated machine interface, the MRC flextray is positioned safely and precisely at the machining center. “Thanks to the low-friction rollers, the mobile cell can be easily moved manually to the next application area, docked and started,” explains Joachim Burkert, Managing Director of wbt. The pallets are then loaded with the blanks or semi-finished parts and fed into the robotic cell. The small KUKA robot opens the relevant drawer, removes the parts and places them in the clamping fixture. Once they have been machined, the robot places the parts back on the pallet. “The parts are accessible for inspection and various parameters can be monitored to ensure process reliability without having to interrupt the automation,” explains Production Manager Julian Dannoritzer.
The robotic cell can process up to four drawers, each with two component-specific pallets. It is thus also highly suitable for small and medium batch sizes. Individual expansions can be easily tailored to specific customer requirements.
Process and quality enhancement through robot-based automation
At DANNORITZER Medizintechnik, the robotic cell, featuring a small KUKA robot, and the milling center work together reliably. The parts count can be calculated over longer periods and the operating times of the milling center have been increased. Subsequent processes are no longer required due to the application of new milling techniques. It has consequently proved possible to streamline the process and improve the quality of the products. As a result, the company intends to incorporate further products into the automation process over the long term.