ROBOTIC SOLUTIONS
6 axis Robots are gaining a strong foothold in the manufacturing & process industies. All major Robot OEM’s have a strong presence in India. Robots are a capital investment similar to CNC machines. Their lifespan is quite long and can be reused for multiple projects over its lifetime. Currently due to the unavailability of labour for skilled and harardous jobs, the use of robots is a must for the indian manufacturing industry to sustain and grow. At Synapse we offer a variety of robotic solutions
ROBOTIC MACHINE TENDING
CNC Machine Tending
CNC Machine tending is economical if a robot services 2 to 3 turning centers or a combination of CNC’s and VMC’s. Robotic systems are also more flexible when compared to stand-alone autoloaders and gantry systems.
We provide systems integration for robotic cells with the following,
- In-feed & outfeed-systems systems such as slat chain conveyors, rotary tables, belt conveyors & bin feeders
- Re-grip/flip stations, orientation fixtures & intermediate inspection stations
- Safety systems with interlocking gates
- Complete interfacing with CNC machines.
For components which have a machining cycle time of above 1 minute, a single robot can serve 3 spindles. This is very efficient way of utilizing both the robot and the CNC machine. The machining process has to be stable and the manual intervention for offset corrections and insert changes has to be minimal to achieve maximum productivity.
At least 2 robotic cells can be manned by a single operator. Robots are also very user friendly and easily reprogrammable. Programming and understanding robots is much easier compared to CNC programming. Robots are very reliable. With proper selection and maintenance, their life can be very long and easily be on par with of a CNC Machine.
Press Tending
Forging presses have very short cycle times, usually less than 5 seconds. Loading presses can be a tiresome operation for the operator. 2 stage presses require multiple handling and precision loading. Robots can help by eliminating operator fatigue and the risk factors associated with press loading. Hot billets can be handled with special grippers.
Typically robot fed presses have a 25% higher productivity compared to manually loaded presses.
ROBOTIC WELDING
While spot welding is mostly restricted to automotive BIW applications, MIG welding is most popular for sheet metal fabrication. 7th axis systems can be used to extend the reach of the robot. Rotary positioners can also be added to make the component accessible to the robot. For these applications, the input components need to be very consistent and clamping fixtures need to be thoughtfully designed.
Today there are several advanced features like seam tracking and vision based welding where feedback is provided and the robot automatically adjusts the path to make up for variation in the input components. These are expensive options and are to be used as a last resort.
For welding, we offer complete solutions with component fixturing and safety interlocks. Our solution at one of the OEM’s involves an OH Gantry system for welding large sheet metal components used for textile machinery manufacturing.
ROBOTIC DEBURRING, FETTLING & DEFLASHING
The quality of castings needs to be consistent and the parting line flash thickness and length should be consistent. If there is consistency, robotic deburring can drastically improve the productivity and significantly reduce the dependence on labour. Inventory costs will also come down as the components can be delivered to customers faster.
A variety of high RPM pneumatic deburring spindles are available with both axial and radial compliance. Compliant grinding wheels are also available for removal of thicker gates. Linishing tools can also be added. Tool selection is highly critical to ensure the success of deburring projects. Runner riser cutting can also be accomplished with robots.
Deburring can be accomplished by two means. Option 1 is where the deburring tool is mounted on the robot and the component is located in a fixture. In this case, if multiple tools are to be used for deburring, tool changers can be used to pick up 2 or more tools. Option 2 is where component is handled by the robot and deburring tools are mounted on pedestals. This is a cost effective method.
Robot programming support
We provide robot programming support on contract basis. Our programmers have handled the following robots, welding power sources & PLC’s.
