Customers require suppliers of systems are made responsible for the complete solution

The interfaces are one of the keys of the automation. The first step in a good automation is a reliable flow of materials. Manipulation of robots for machine tool manufacturers, however, is only a part of the automation. Pallet changers, shelving systems and tools and parts stores are an essential part of this Automation. In the "Automation" interface match different specialised sectors, manufacturers of machine tools or handling equipment dealers and distributors of transportation and storage techniques. No matter who is the provider: customers require systems that become responsible for the complete solution partners.

For some time that loading and unloading are not the only tasks that can perform the robots. In the surroundings of a machine tool there are still many things to do.

It is not that the distributors to the best solution of automation lack of practical experience. HandlingTech, Stuttgart-Möhringen, is somehow a special case, because the company founded by Jörg Hutzel about ten years ago markets in principle the know-how accumulated in the Group of companies with the automation of machine tools. Subsidiaries of the House of systems are used more than 200 machine tool, a great part of them automated. In addition to the classic pneumatic loading devices for Lathes are portal solutions as some years ago the robots articulated for automation.

HandlingTech no denying its roots as a company of contract for works of turning. The concept of automation was adjusted accordingly. With the know-how of a few hundreds of facilities, the company's major expansion has now developed a standardized cells, the so-called "Robax cells".

In all the automations, Hermle leaves the door open to its users: automated machines can also be loaded completely by hand.

The layout of cells is a feature of current automation trends: there are cells of different sizes, so that each robot can adapt to different sizes. Handling cells grow on the basis of the growth of the size of the pieces you want to manipulate. "In more than 80 per cent of the applications only are necessary modifications of pieces in the hand of the robot, i.e. choice of tweezers and adaptation of the finger", says Jörg Hutzel, director-general of HandlingTech Automations-Systeme. In the most basic version, the robot serves only to load and unload the machine. The change of pallets is performed manually. It will gradually climbing version to full automation.

"80 Percent" is a magnitude which serves as argument to Index-Traub, because with the modular handling system located in the town of Reichenbach company could cover four out of five cases of necessity in practice: Traub MHS 1500 modular handling system, for example, chains automata of turning simple type and covers most of the applications with several variants of memory and handling. Thanks to its modular construction it is with more diverse situations of download. The base of the system of handling are the axes powered by electromotors for Festo. Thus, different axes, i.e. by spindle drives or propelled by toothed belt axes can be used in principle for the Assembly. Machine tool manufacturers have copied this principle to his fellow workers in the sector of the injection. "In it, the extraction devices made from linear axes are standard and following the same argument also must load and unload the pneumatic or electric linear axis of lathes and milling machines:"access from the top of the machine is optimal as it saves space"is the simple and logical argument".

Portal robots are requested primarily to linking machine tools. In principle many distances can be saved, at least you can connect several machines each other. Depending on the task, it is enough with a system of manipulation and simple linear characteristics. Other axes are required to perform the manipulation in a flexible manner on the grounds of the manipulation. Why not combine directly with the rail-5 or 6 axis robots? Installed at the top of the machine, the robot is suspended, the manipulation is done, so to speak, "from the foot" and the space around the machine is free. In part, robots manufacturers have such devices of Rails in its range of products, in part hire houses of systems for carrying out this type of applications. Practically has already reached the limit. Even have been already robots suspended with a load of 200 kg. Which should carry more mass, must simply be it specialists.

For Röders, Soltau, for example, chaining of several machines with Fanuc robots on a rail of procedures among the most advanced solutions. The company is specialized in the complete automation of HSC milling cells and in recent years has automated more than 100 cells, in part with up to seven machines. Therefore Röders aspires to solutions of the type "Plug and Play", as Martin Lindner responsible for the distribution and screening of automated installations: "For the user the flexibility is always decisive". For the fair AMB in Stuttgart, which was held from 19 to September 23, 2006 that the automation is not going to stop upon reaching the size of lot 1. He is expected that Röders submitted a new system of scalable automation, it completes the breadth of the various possibilities.

A shaft of displacement gives the robot a degree of additional freedom and above all a scope on more machines.

HandlingTech no denying its roots as a company of contract for works of turning. The concept of automation was adjusted accordingly

With its "Automation offensive", Hermle advocates the production unattended for 24 hours a day. Anyway, the new concepts with proven material should provide increased productivity. Recently premiered the cell of RS 60 robot for the loading and fully automatic unloading of pallets and parts. When the subsidiary handling, Herme Leibinger Systemtechnik, Tuttlingen, develops at their own pace, the AMB will be the next step of enlargement, as very late at the end of the year, as says Udo Hipp, director of marketing at Hermle AG, Gosheim: "Our concept is that all the machines always must be used also manually". Thus, the user can get maximum performance to the machine, regardless of the size of lots. The new system of robots is designed as a modular unit and will be created based on the interests of each client, based on standard components. And when Udo Hipp said: "With the offensive of the automation we showed what we can do", this also means that the robot, as well as load and unload the machine, must perform other tasks. For those to which the concept of the complete solution not suits them, Gosheimer also has alternatives. The system of handling parts 30 HS or the Erowa-Robot-Easy system are suitable for small and medium-sized pieces.

Users show in practice that the robots must work continuously possible. For example, Eckhard Brandt, director general of Geiger Feritigungstechnologie GmbH, Pretzfeld, and owner of 200 machines for machining recognizes it for a long time: "It is a shame to use a robot only to upload and download, and thus take advantage of only a part of it". This is precisely the argument that the manufacturers of robots working in this field. The fact that a robot can be used for other tasks makes sense especially if subject times have an equivalent duration.

One, linear and yet flexible: on top of the machine is sufficient for a manipulation apparatus site.

The product flagship of Chiron, Tuttlingen, is the new series "Quattrocell", a center of manufacture with two twin spindles, optionally independent or synchronous. The handling of the pieces is directly integrated in the machine. Loading and unloading of gross and finished pieces, must therefore be made in a few seconds. In addition to the machine working, at the same time to the process of machining swarf removal, a robot and is responsible for the flow of materials. But developers of Chiron still come them many more arguments in favour of the robots: "the robot performs other tasks as the deburring, cleaning, or the measurement of finished parts in case of need". If also adapts a parts store, Quattrocell allows a production unattended for several hours.

Surely, a constructive form that has been favoured by manufacturers of machines and robots a few years ago will only have a future: putting the right robot inside a machine already is not such a good idea, because if the process changesthe limits of flexibility are rapidly reaching.

If the robot is well installed in the machine room, often missing the possibility of including the area around efficiently in the process. In this sense, the robots still have much what improve.