Flexibility, product tracking, accuracy and reliability for British Timken

Citation

(2002), "Flexibility, product tracking, accuracy and reliability for British Timken", Assembly Automation, Vol. 22 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/aa.2002.03322aaf.008

Flexibility, product tracking, accuracy and reliability for British Timken

Flexibility, product tracking, accuracy and reliability for British Timken

Keywords: Assembly, Robots

Modular Automation has built a flexible assembly system for British Timken that uses innovative engineering to provide speed, accuracy and unique product traceablity for bearing assemblies (Plate 8).

Plate 8 This new system designed by Modular Automation provides British Timken with speed, accuracy and unique product traceability

It has been designed to be sufficiently flexible to handle multiple products, including bearings of various heights and diameters, on a single machine.

At the start of the process the bearing cup and cones are fed from a buffer and loose assembled. The bearing components are then identified as a set and tracked from that point to provide unique product traceability right through the process. Conveyors deliver the components to an adjustment process before moving on to the final automatic assembly cell.

The assembly cell uses an indexing conveyor and is' dominated by a Staubli six- axis robot that performs all handling operations within its working environment. To allow it to perform all the tasks necessary within the required cycle time, Ivlodular Automation has hung the robot upside down allowing it to reach all the components with ease. The robot takes all the necessary assembly components from magazines held on carouseIs and from bowlfeeders.

The bearings are indexed by a walking- beam system. The robot places all the components on the assembly heads for fitting. The system packs the bearing with the correct amount of grease. The head uses special quick-fit connectors to avoid contamination as two different types of grease are used for different bearing variations.

A turnover station inverts the completed bearing for the application of a unique identification number to reference all assembly information to that part. A final oiling station applies oil for corrosion protection (this area is guarded separately to prevent operators from inhaling the atomised oil).

The system control uses a Siemens $7 PLC and Profibus connections for reliability, simple maintenance and easy integration with other equipment on the site. It is linked to the grinding machine to ensure traceability and to a SCADA package for management control.

Since the system was completed, Ivlodular Automation has received orders for two similar machines. One machine has been designed to provide higher volume production with fewer components; the other is a semi-automatic system that operates without the robot.

All enquiries to: William Bourn, Ivlodular Automation, Talbot Way, Small Heath Business Park, Birmingham, B10 OHS UK. Tel: 0121 766 7979; Fax: 0121 766 6385; E-mail: bourn@modular.co.uk