Page 35 - MetalForming Magazine May 2022

COBOT BIN PICKING
IS TOP PICK FOR ASSEMBLY
APPLICATION
BY LOUIS A. KREN, SENIOR EDITOR
The Schaeffler Group employs a cobot- anchored solution to properly pick and place stamped parts in the correct orientation while meeting needed cycle-time targets.
“Alot of the low-hanging fruit has been wiped out over the years, so now it’s more chal-
lenging and complex.”
That’s Marty Parker, director of Son-
dermaschinenbau (SMB) Americas, Schaeffler Group’s special machinery group, describing how the 75-yr.-old manufacturer has maintained a proac- tive stance toward automation.
With two of its factories in Cheraw, SC, Schaeffler produces high-precision engine components and industrial products for markets worldwide. Stamped and fabricated parts and com-
ponents produced at the two plants route through assembly machinery provided by SMB. SMB supports the company’s global production facilities with unique equipment and projects to extend automation and improve labor utilization and productivity. SMB also provides its expertise to outside manufacturers.
“We use robotics; however, we need to continue improving how we do so by working to utilize robotics and their capabilities,” Parker says, commenting on internal efforts at Schaeffler to drive more-effective automation usage. “That means more part picking on the fly, less hardcore tooling and fewer constraints. Previously, robotics pri- marily were used for applications that contained one or more of the 3Ds: dumb, dangerous and dirty. So we’ve tried to turn the corner and say, ‘Okay, what else can we do with robotics and move past that thinking?’”
Schaeffler brings this directive to life by implementing robotic automa- tion, often through SMB, whenever and wherever Schaeffler’s team in the Americas sees opportunities. This holds true on a recent project that incorpo- rated collaborative robots (cobots) into SMB technology to optimize a partic- ularly challenging complex process where engineers had, until now, been unable to develop a cost-effective auto- mated solution.
Needed Answer for Tedious, Labor-Heavy Machine Feeding
The process: picking complex stamped components, jumbled togeth- er in bins, then placing the components in precise orientation on an automated conveyor for assembly. The solution: SMB chose the Universal Robots (UR) ActiNav machine-tending kit. Incorpo- ration of the kit, according to Schaeffler officials, yielded improved labor uti-
32 MetalForming/May 2022
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With a cobot as the centerpiece, Schaeffler Group USA has implemented a successful pick-and-place application, feeding stamped parts for component assembly. A 3D sen- sor (black box at top center of photo) scans parts, with the resulting data sent to the cobot. The cobot picks and orients each part, then places it on the conveyor at left. This setup delivers a 15-sec. cycle time per part.