At present, auto parts manufacturers are constantly facing pressure from various aspects such as shortened product life cycle, increasingly stringent product quality requirements, and reduced production costs.
For example, the workshops that produce cars and truck exhausts are constantly looking for higher precision and efficiency in the production process. As a result, some companies, such as Elson Mckee (web site), an expert in pipe bending and pipe end molding, have also increased their investment in a complete set of fully automated work units in an effort to produce higher quality products. Parts.
These work units include the following devices:
â—† One or more DataBend full electric tube benders.
â—† A roll-type pipe Transfer rack with weld detection device for pipe positioning.
â—† A set of pipe bender replacement system.
â—† A FormMaster exhaust pipe cutting and end-forming machine.
â—† A Fanuc R2000iB automatic control robot with a carrying capacity of 165 kg.
â—† A marking machine workstation.
â—† One workpiece exits the conveyor â—† There is also a main controller of the work unit
Recently, Addison McKee designed and developed a typical highly automated system for a global truck exhaust manufacturer.
The system can bend large-diameter thin-walled pipes. For different grades of soft and aluminized stainless steel pipes, it can be processed by 1D bending. The diameter of the pipe to be processed can reach 6 inches and the minimum wall thickness is only 0.065 inches.
Addison McGovern’s automated machining process initially used a dedicated bender clamp changer, which used a four-piece clamp changer. This fixture changer was developed for truck exhaust manufacturers who need to change fixtures frequently due to relatively short production cycles.
Once the fixture needs to be replaced, the program will trigger the robot system and automate the related operations.
Since each set of work units has embedded read/write chips, the fixture change dial can identify various fixtures at each location.
When the correct fixture is placed in the bending die, the robot moves to the roller bracket. After the pipe is transferred to the position, the weld detection device locates the pipe weld. After the correct positioning, the robot grabs the pipe from the weld detection device and places it on the pipe bending machine.
Once the tube is in place, the bender will be able to complete the elbow process precisely and completely. Since this system uses a "roller" or "convolute" elbow process, it is possible to bend one pipe into multiple pipe sections with the lowest scrap rates and labor costs.
After the bending of the pipe is completed, the robot transfers it to the marking system to mark the product identification including the part number and serial number.
Next, the manipulator puts and fixes the pipe that has been bent and engraved, and at the same time cuts the pipe and trims the end of the part. All components that have been processed will be removed and sent to other stations via the conveyor.
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