Automated set-up in the milling center
Setting up machines is often time-consuming and laborious and requires highly specialized expertise. With our solution for two times eight 5-axis milling machines, the automated insertion of clamping devices together with the workpiece is child's play - including fully automatic cleaning and measurement of the workpieces.
Highly qualified workers are not always available. Automation ensures that the quality of the workpieces is nevertheless top and that operating errors are avoided. Our automation solution supplies two independent areas, each with eight "nests" of UMILL 630 CNC universal machining centers from Emco. Each machine can mill components measuring 445 x 445 x 400 mm (max. weight 200 kg) with high precision and dynamic 5-axis simultaneous machining.
The machining centers' tools, which can be called up quickly, are located in integrated magazines (turrets) directly in the machine. The "Milling Center" is designed as a fully automatic machining center. To ensure that the feeding of workpieces and their clamping devices does not become a time-consuming "bottleneck", we have developed an automated overall solution with pallets held in a storage system as carriers. A zero-point clamping system forms the basis for this.
In the middle of each Milling Center we have placed the pallet storage with integrated cleaning and connected measuring machines (CNC coordinate measuring machine SF 87). The components are set up on the system pallets at setup stations at both ends of the system areas. Poka Yoke templates are used to prevent operator errors during clamping. Pallets with multiple clamping devices also enable several components to be processed in one clamping operation without changing tools.
Fully integrated gantry robots are used to manipulate the pallets from the storage area to the set-up station, from there to the milling machine and from there back to the storage area. One robot supplies two milling machines at a time. Everything is perfectly orchestrated. Step by step - all processes interlock. Not a second is wasted and the workers at the machine become the companions of an automated, highly efficient process.