Assembly Planbook - March 2009 - (Page 35) a larger ratio of size vs. throughput. As production volume increase, flexibility decreases. If annual production volume is at least 5 million units, or if the product’s market life is expected to be at least 5 years, manufacturers may be better off with a dedicated machine. “Slow applications tend to work the best with flexible automation,” says Bob Rice, applications team leader at Automation Tool Co. (Cookeville, TN). “Contrary to popular opinion, manual operations are the ideal form of flexibility. Robots are the biggest flexible tool in the automation world, but they also have limits, such as parts feeding. Operators still do most things better than a robot.” “Parts feeding is the most challenging thing that limits flexibility, but new technology holds promise,” claims Mark Handelsman, industrial marketing manager at FANUC Robotics America Inc. (Rochester Hills, MI). “Flexible feeding and 3D vision are becoming more prevalent, especially in applications where parts can vary in dimension or have a contour.” Force control is another technology that improves flexibility. “Hard tooling solutions have their place and will continue,” notes David Huffstetler, market manager at Stäubli Robotics (Duncan, SC). “However, our appetite for quick delivery of new products demands flexibility. Choosing the correct technology is paramount, because of the design decisions that will be made later. “The key to maximizing a robot arm’s flexibility begins at the design stage,” explains Huffstetler. “Speed, dexterity of envelope and quality of motion performance are often-overlooked parameters when considering which robot to build your cell around. Understanding these items will attribute to an optimized workcell. While there is no doubt that programming flexibility is paramount to success, long-term reliability and capability in the mechanics is what will be important to realize the true benefits of a flexible design.” Typically, the first stage of flexible assembly is the most flexible. As volume increases and automatic stations are added, a machine often becomes less flexible and requires more time and effort to retool. Motion control also plays a key role in achieving flexibility. Instead of using pneumatic actuators or cams, servodriven actuators enable engineers to change motions simply by entering a new value in the control software. However, servomotors are typically more expensive than pneumatic actuators. Fixtures are also critical to flexible assembly systems. Adjustable fixtures feature one or more sides built on slides so that the length and width of the fixture can be quickly changed. Multipiece, adjustable fixtures are more expensive than off-the-shelf fixtures. “Product design is critical to flexibility,” Lucci points out. “You need common access points for tooling and common end points for fixtures.” A Time Machines New quick-change Kappa machines set up cut-and-strip jobs fast to save time. New sensor technology gives these new Kappa wire Each unit covers a broad range of processing, including cutting and stripping machines a powerful advantage. difficult materials. intuitive software modeled after our exclusive TopWin™ interface used in Komax fully automatic equipment powers all units. And each one can Wire diameters are automatically detected by be optimized with a full array of optional add-ons. sensors using an inductive measuring system. This significantly shortens the setup and tool-less There is no time like the present to save time with Kappa. changeover times while reducing the chance of operator errors. www.komaxusa.com Professionals in Advanced Automation Kappa 321 Kappa 310 Kappa 320 www.assemblymag.com March 2009 / ASSE M B LY 35 http://www.komaxusa.com http://www.assemblymag.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.