New ABB I-R cutting box boosts efficiency and flexibility of routing

Citation

(2003), "New ABB I-R cutting box boosts efficiency and flexibility of routing", Industrial Robot, Vol. 30 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2003.04930faf.005

New ABB I-R cutting box boosts efficiency and flexibility of routing

New ABB I-R cutting box boosts efficiency and flexibility of routing

Keywords: ABB, Cutting, Robots

With the launch of the new cutting box routing S, ABB I-R aims to revolutionise the market for robotised routing systems for a wide range of polymeric and moulded parts, including automotive parts such as instrument panels, door panels, bumpers and SMC components (Plate 5). The new cutting box routing S provides many advantages over other robot or five-axis gantry systems on the market. It is a safer, more compact, flexible and cost-effective routing system that can be installed quickly, is easy to customise and offers high productivity levels. In addition, the cutting box routing S has a global support package, providing technical, service and parts coverage in virtually every country in the world.

One of the main advances in the cutting box routing S is the approach used to remove scrap and other waste particles from the box. To begin with, the cutting box routing uses a vertical worktable arrangement for processing workpieces, whereby waste material falls by gravity on to a conveyor below the routing area, from where it is transported out of the box into a waste hopper. In addition, the airborne dust that always accompanies routing is sucked through ducts on either side of the worktable, by a high powered vacuum system that passes the air through filters, before returning the filtered air through floor level vents at the back of the box. The flow of filtered air helps to push even more waste material on to the conveyor for removal from the box.

The new system offers the highest safety levels and its design exceeds CE Safety Class 4 standards, with a state-of-the-art Failsafe Profibus system which groups all the safety related features in one closed loop. The cutting box routing S features several interlock switches to prevent any access to the box whilst routing is taking place. There are a number of clearly placed emergency stop buttons in case of danger and there is a pre-defined "Reset" procedure to avoid any accidents in the event of an abnormal stop. At the front of the box, there is a light barrier protection system for the turntable loading area with an optional rolling door providing further protection.

Another advantage of the vertical worktable arrangement is the improved ergonomics for loading parts. The worktable is two-sided, allowing the operator to load a part offline, whilst another is being routed on the flipside inside the box, increasing system productivity. The part is fixed in place singly or by a combination of clamping and/or vacuum suction. Sensors mounted on the fixture detect the presence of the part and whether or not it is properly positioned before the routing cycle can begin.

The operator panel is on a swivel arm and is located well away from the turntable loading zone. The man-machine interface is excellent with touch sensitive controls on the screen and simple, easy to learn procedures for the user to follow to operate the system.

Like all ABB I-R cutting boxes, the new routing system has a modular design allowing the customer to add options such as a barcode reader, skip functions and an automated tool-changing system to increase machine uptime and utilisation. The system is designed in a "Plug & Produce" fashion that makes installation in just 1 day a reality.

The cutting box routing S features a single IRB 2400/16 M2000 industrial robot from ABB offering a 16 kg handling capacity and 0.06mm positional repeatability. The robot is controlled by the S4Cplus M2000 robot controller. This utilises the powerful RAPID robot language providing easy human-machine communication, fast signal processing and a modular program structure. Inside the box, the 400 lux lighting provides excellent illumination for programming the robot. The system utilises the renowned Jäger range of spindles providing high quality performance for this exacting application.

The new cutting box routing S system from ABB I-R is based on a well proven design, with similar systems already in use for manufacturing interior and exterior trim components for major car makers such as Audi, BMW and Daimler Chrysler. The system complements the market-leading range of cutting boxes for waterjet cutting from ABB I-R, allowing the company to offer customers the most suitable cutting solution for their parts with regard to system design, comfort of utilisation and, of course, productivity and cost efficiency.

Plate 5 The cutting box routing S