German subcontractor Euler Feinmechanik has invested in three Halter LoadAssistant robotic systems to support its DMG Mori lathes, increasing productivity, reducing costs and increasing competitiveness. PES report.
German subcontractor Euler Feinmechanik, based in Schöffengrund, north of Frankfurt, has invested in three robotic machine control systems from Dutch automation specialist Halter to automate the loading and unloading of a range of DMG Mori lathes. The LoadAssistant Halter range of robot controllers is sold in the UK through 1st Machine Tool Accessories in Salisbury.
Euler Feinmechanik, founded over 60 years ago, employs around 75 people and processes complex turning and milling parts such as optical bearing housings, camera lenses, hunting rifle scopes, as well as military, medical and aerospace components, as well as housings and stators for vacuum pumps. Processed materials are mainly aluminium, brass, stainless steel and various plastics including PEEK, acetal and PTFE.
Managing Director Leonard Euler comments: “Our manufacturing process includes milling, but it is mainly focused on turning prototypes, pilot batches and serial CNC parts.
”We develop and support product-specific manufacturing strategies for customers such as Airbus, Leica and Zeiss, from development and production through to surface treatment and assembly. Automation and robotics are important aspects of our continuous improvement. We are constantly thinking about whether individual processes can be optimized so that they interact more smoothly.”
In 2016, Euler Feinmechanik purchased a new CTX beta 800 4A CNC turn-mill center from DMG Mori for the production of highly complex vacuum system components. At the time, the company knew it wanted to automate the machines, but first it needed to establish a reliable process to produce the required high quality workpieces.
This is the responsibility of Marco Künl, Senior Technician and Head of the Turning Shop.
“We purchased our first loading robot in 2017 due to an increase in component orders. This allowed us to increase the productivity of our new DMG Mori lathes while keeping labor costs under control,” he says.
Several brands of machine maintenance equipment were considered as Mr. Euler sought to find the best solution and make future-oriented choices that would allow subcontractors to standardize.
He explains: “DMG Mori herself is also in the fray as she just launched her own Robo2Go robot. In our opinion, this is the most logical combination, it is a really good product, but it can only be programmed when the machine is not working.
”However, Holter was an expert in the field and not only came up with a good automated solution, but also provided excellent reference material and a working demo showing exactly what we wanted. In the end, we settled on one of the Universal Premium 20 batteries.”
This decision was made for a number of reasons, one of which was the use of high quality components such as FANUC robots, Schunk grippers and Sick laser safety systems. In addition, the robotic cells are produced at the Halter plant in Germany, where the software is also developed.
Since the manufacturer uses its own operating system, it is very easy to program the unit while the robot is running. In addition, while the robot is loading the machine at the front of the cell, operators can bring raw materials into the system and remove finished parts from the back. The ability to perform all these jobs at the same time avoids stopping the turning center and, as a result, reducing productivity.
In addition, the mobile Universal Premium 20 can be quickly moved from one machine to another, providing the shop floor with a high degree of production versatility.
The unit is designed for automatic loading of workpieces and unloading of workpieces with a maximum diameter of 270 mm. Customers can choose buffer storage from a large number of grid plates of different capacities, which are suitable for rectangular, round workpieces and tall parts.
To facilitate the connection of the loading robot to the CTX beta 800 4A, Halter has equipped the machine with an automation interface. This service is a big advantage over those offered by competitors. Halter can work with any brand of CNC machine, regardless of its type and year of manufacture.
DMG Mori lathes are mainly used for workpieces with a diameter of 130 to 150 mm. Thanks to the dual spindle configuration, two workpieces can be produced in parallel. After automating the machine with the Halter node, productivity increased by about 25%.
One year after purchasing the first DMG Mori turning center and equipping it with automatic loading and unloading, Euler Feinmechanik purchased two more turning machines from the same supplier. One of them is another CTX beta 800 4A and the other is a smaller CLX 350 that produces about 40 different components specifically for the optical industry.
The two new machines were immediately equipped with the same Industry 4.0 compatible Halter loading robot as the first machine. On average, all three twin-spindle lathes can run unattended for half a continuous shift, maximizing productivity and reducing labor costs.
Automation has increased productivity so much that subcontractors intend to continue automating factories. The shop plans to equip existing DMG Mori lathes with a Halter LoadAssistant system and is considering adding additional functions such as blank polishing and grinding to the automated cell.
Looking to the future with confidence, Mr. Euler concluded: “Automation has increased our CNC machine usage, improved productivity and quality, and lowered our hourly wages. Lower production costs, combined with faster and more reliable deliveries, have strengthened our competitiveness.”
“Without unplanned equipment downtime, we can better schedule production and rely less on staff presence, so we can more easily manage vacations and sickness.
”Automation also makes jobs more attractive and therefore easier to find employees. In particular, younger workers are showing a lot of interest and commitment to technology.”
Post time: Jul-24-2023
