CNC machine loading (Machine tending)

A robot can easily be installed on different CNC machines (lathes, milling machines, bending machines, grinding machines, etc.). Nor is there any real limit to the brands of machines the robot can be integrated with. It is, therefore, possible to integrate a robot into machines from Mazak, Haas, Fanuc, DMG Mori, Amada, Trumpf, Nakamura-Tome, and more.

The first answer to this question is not to ask yourself this question from the outset when you're looking to automate the loading of your CNC machine. Both technologies are applicable to this kind of application. Start by looking at the format of your parts (geometry and, above all, weight). Then look at the range required for your application. This means looking at the distance inside the machine for part loading, and how the parts will be fed. Then look at your machining time (spindle time) to quantify the real gain of having a higher speed with the industrial robot than with the cobot. And finally, think about the variability of your production, how everything will be programmed, and who will be in charge of operating, improving, and programming your robot. With these answers, you'll be able to make a better decision about which robot technology, collaborative or industrial, is best suited to your application.

Yes, it's possible to deploy a robot cost-effectively in a low-volume application. With Revtech's flexible solutions, it's possible to start up a new part in 10 minutes at the robot programming level. You can then analyze the machining time (spindle time) and the quantity to be produced to see the benefits of using a robot for your production. You can also consider our mobile collaborative robot solution, which will enable the robot to move autonomously between machines and load several low or high-volume productions.

Yes, it's possible. In fact, one of the key advantages of using a collaborative robot for CNC machine loading is its ease of use on multiple CNC machines. Revtech has several solutions for this. The first is the manual changeover of the robot between machines. Depending on the positioning of the machines in the factory, it may be possible to position the machines so that the robot can access more than one machine. If the machines are relatively far apart, a solution with a linear axis can increase the robot's reach, enabling it to load more than one machine. Finally, the most flexible solution is our mobile cobot solution. In this solution, a collaborative robot mounted on a mobile robot navigates autonomously between machines in the plant, to load them. Contact our application experts to discuss the various possible solutions.

Of course, labor savings is the first aspect of ROI that comes to mind. But there are other variables to consider. The use of a robot enables more punctual machine loading. In other words, as soon as it's ready for loading, the robot carries out the task, whereas, with an operator, we can't guarantee that he'll be immediately in front of the machine for the task. There will also be a gain in production during breaks and hours when no human is present in the plant. Meanwhile, the robot continues to feed the CNC machine. It is also important to consider what the human who has been freed from this task will do instead. There will generally be a quantifiable gain in productivity.

Yes, there are several ways of performing quality control with the robot cell. Quality control can be carried out by loading into a CMM, by inspection with an artificial vision system, or by adding a dedicated metrology station. In addition to quality inspection, other tasks such as cleaning and deburring can also be added in masked machining time. The choice of what can be done is generally linked to the machining time of the part, which gives us the range of masked time in which the robot can perform other tasks.