Page 12 - MetalForming May 2010

Robots
Move Dishwasher Parts
The largest dishwasher plant in the world— Whirlpool in Findlay, OH— automates three tandem lines with press-to-press robotics to tackle a new stainless-steel model. Specially engineered destacking systems handle the challenges presented by inhouse blanking with dry-lube application.
BY BRAD F. KUVIN, EDITOR
In 2008, engineers at the Whirlpool Corp. dishwasher plant in Findlay, OH, were tasked with developing a whole new way of assembling stainless- steel tubs. And the new assembly process required a new approach to part design. Jay Hipsher, the plant’s lead process engineer for metal stamping, led the effortstotacklethattask.“Attemptingto manufacture the new stainless-steel tub components through our three auto- mated press lines,” he says, “it quickly became clear that the 1990s-vintage press-line automation would not stand up to the task at hand.”
Robotics a Clear Winner
“We looked at several styles of press- to-press automation systems to upgrade our lines,” Hipsher says, “and robotics clearly made the most sense, particularly when considering the accuracy of plac- ing blanks in the first operation (draw
Press-to-Press
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The entry end of press-line B where a Rexroth-driven air-knife system separates blanks and an overhead-mounted camera system checks blank position (as needed) before blanks feed into the first press, for drawing dishwasher-tub bottoms.
forming). Also, our production runs have been shrinking to keep pace with lean initiatives throughout the plant. We’ve seen inventory levels drop from what used to be a week to just a day, which means we have to change dies much more often than we used to—typ- ically twice a week or so. Thanks to our new robotic transfer setups, we can change over the stamping lines in 90 min. or less, whereas line changes used
to take as long as an entire shift. And, now there’s no debugging needed—we call up the new robot program, change the dies and we’re good to go.”
Of the three press lines producing stainless-steel stampings—six SKUs in all—A line comprises six presses and stamps two styles of inner doors; B line employs six presses and stamps two styles of bottoms and one top; and D line houses four presses to make the