Case study: Fully automated production of top frames in the automotive industry

Challenge: aluminum profile robot milling

ACL is a well-known supplier of auto parts in the Czech Republic, which is engaged in the production and manufacture of roof racks and supporting racks. Its Czech factory mainly provides frame products for Skoda Jingrui, the third generation Ming Rui and Yedi.

The high level of competition in the automotive industry continues to inspire new manufacturing concepts. ACL's previous production line could only produce one type of product, but now a production line needs to produce two types at the same time. Facing the production demand of doubling the new output, the existing equipment can not meet, and the design of a new traditional plane machining system is very complicated, time-consuming and costly.

ACL, in conjunction with equipment manufacturer Ultratech, is considering using Stäubil robotic automation solutions. How to choose a more flexible and efficient robot without changing the accuracy requirements of the system, while reducing the cost of equipment is the key to the solution.

Solution: End-to-end machining in four work cycles

In the process of finding a suitable robot, the customer Ultratech contacted the Stäubir Czech company. Stäbir employees immediately started to deal with this challenge and selected the six-axis TX200 robot for many tests. The excellent performance of the TX200 robot and the excellent customer service of Stäubbier led Ultratech to choose Stäbbier.

The TX200 robot is designed for processing two different types of aluminum. The production process is efficient, and there are always four pairs of workpieces distributed on the four stations of the equipment. After manual loading by the operator, a pair of workpieces enters the lower part of the work area during the first cycle and is trimmed to the correct length by four servo-driven saws. In the next cycle, the workpiece enters the dual TX200 robot operation area.

The two robots are equipped with the same tool head, each with 2 milling spindles, working in parallel at both ends of the workpiece. The larger 13mm milling cutter is used for rough cutting, and the smaller 6mm milling cutter is used for finishing.

In order to fully automate the entire machining process, the Ultratech has integrated another six-axis RX160 robot, which is responsible for further finishing the workpiece and purging and cleaning it with compressed air to ensure that there are no residual chips. Then the robot grabs the laser marking pen and pneumatic fixture and carves the serial number on the finished roof rack. In the last process, the finished product after finishing is returned to the loading and unloading area of the system, and the operator is manually blanking.

Results: Flexible system, small footprint

The Stäubil robot performs well with its excellent performance and compact structure. The compact structure is particularly important for the larger two TX200s. Compared with robots of the same size, the TX200 has a smaller base and can be integrated into the available space more easily. In addition, the robot cable is placed inside the arm to reduce the failure rate and optimize equipment utilization.

This practical application shows that with a dedicated team and innovative ideas, we can improve production efficiency and thus enhance competitiveness in this challenging market. The use of two high-performance TX200 robots for simultaneous machining has undoubtedly greatly reduced the cost of the factory, and this excellent machining concept has also made ultra-fast cycle times a reality.