Page 19 - MetalForming-Feb-2018-issue

Teaming Hydraulic Presses with Robots
...can pay big dividends for shops large and small. Read on to see how this combination may boost productivity while promoting employee safety.
BY LOUIS A. KREN, SENIOR EDITOR
Rob Bisbee sees quite an uptick in manufacturers across lower- tiers metalformers seeking out robotics to ease the metalforming process, keeping employees out of harm’s way while boosting productivity in various applications. As senior automation engineer at Greenerd Press & Machine Co., Inc. (www.greenerd.com), he’s in a position to know. With the Nashua, NH, hydraulic-press provider recently announcing that it has become a Tier One Industrial Authorized Robot System Integrator of automated-equip- ment manufacturer Fanuc America Corp., Greenerd has full access to Fanuc’s comprehensive roster of robots and related automation. The company has been busy working with metal- formers keen on introducing automa- tion into their operations, and Metal- Forming thought it would be a good time to tap Bisbee’s expertise and find out why hydraulic presses and robots can be an ideal fit.
Robots More Affordable, Easier to Use
While robotic cellular manufactur- ing has been a popular trend in fabri- cating applications, more recently, an increasing number of hydraulic-press
This horizontal-oriented hydraulic press teams with robots to feed and manipulate heavy, large aluminum blanks, and hold part material during a draw operation. With installation of this cell, a metalformer has increased productivity by 233 percent while saving employ- ees from ergonomic risks related to manually manipulating the heavy part material.
www.metalformingmagazine.com
MetalForming/February 2018 17
users have expressed serious interest. Affordability and easier-to-handle tech- nology are major reasons why.
“Overall, we have seen a trend of metalformers wanting robotic systems, and we’ve been quoting more of these,” Bisbee offers. “Either they are looking to team a new press with a new robot, or bring in a new press with the ability to tie in robotics later on.”
This holds true across the different tiers, even reaching into ‘mom-and- pop’ operations, as robots become increasingly affordable to buy, program and run. Some can ROI-justify a full
robotic press cell, while others with a lower capital-expenditure budget, can install a press now and have it wired and oriented to easily accept robotics down the line.
Why Bring in a Robot?
“Customers tell us that a part is too large, heavy or awkward to handle manually, or placing or orienting blanks involves too much reach into a press,” says Bisbee. “In other cases it is just a matter of speeding production and increasing productivity.”
Simpler operation also can boost