System integrator Umbra Control has selected Piab ‘s Kenos ® KCS clamps, in a special version with four suction cups, to accurately and efficiently handle Meccanotecnica Umbra’s end-of-line picking and placing operations for production. Seals for the automotive industry.
Umbra Control implemented clamp system Kenos ® KCS on one Collaborative Robots (Cobot) installed on the assembly line at Meccanotecnica Umbra SpA. Before process automation, work was done manually by an employee. Today, this process is performed by Universal Robot’s Cobot UR10, which uses Piab clamps to process heat-formed molds and trays containing washers. Thermoforms with washers are located in the respective compartments to the end of the line on the conveyor belt.
The cobot is positioned so the camera can frame the mold and inspect all the components in the cavities. During this stage, the unique codes of the washers are read through the video analysis system integrated by Umbra Control in the UR10. The information is displayed on the touch screen for the cobot operator to check. Along with the new offline voice command system, the touch screen represents the control interface of the entire system.
The cobot picks up the heated mold with controlled washers and places it in the box to be filled. It then takes the empty tray below and places it on the starting point of the conveyor. Finally, the cobot takes a hollow thermoform from the racks at the top of the line and places it on the tray at the top of the conveyor.
Cobot repeats this cycle until it fills a box consisting of 12 heat-formed molds with 36 sealing rings each, then inserts an interlayer and completes the box before closing it. The process involves a cycle time of approximately 100 seconds to load a single heat-generating die, for a total of 15 – 20 minutes per box. What matters in this process step is not speed, but level of accuracy, as Meccanotecnica Umbra operates with zero margin of error.
Giorgio Passeri, Umbra Control’s Director of Software Research and Development said: “The key issue was finding a reliable clamping solution for two types of surfaces: the thermal mold containing the washers and the tray that carried it. “. “Geometrically shaped plastic thermoforms do not guarantee high flexural stiffness. This significantly influenced the selection of clamps. Initially, the finger simulation systems and effect sets were introduced. commercial end with evaluated suction cups, the thermoforms warped in the outer areas, so it was necessary to develop a custom clamp, which we produced in conjunction with Piab.
The choice went to the Kenos ® KCS system, the customization of which resulted in the extraction of the suction cups from their place in commercial end-effect sets, allowing the heat-formed dies to be lifted at outermost part, avoid bending the material. We start with a solution with 5 suction cups. However, during the test, not all 5 suction cups were able to adhere effectively, causing the thermoplastic to bend. Therefore, we removed the central suction cup.
The vacuum channels feeding the suction cups located at the four corners of the end effector are longer than the feeding channels to the central suction cups. This difference in length means that clamping at the center point occurs earlier than at the circumference, resulting in deformation of the heat-generated material making it impossible for the circumferential cups to obtain an effective grip. fruit. The solution with 4 suction cups solved all of the above problems. This has also proven to be optimal for trays, having a regular surface finish and higher flexural stiffness than thermoforming materials,” adds Giorgio Passeri.
“The correct function of the clamping unit is ensured by Piab’s COAX ® vacuum generator, which is integrated into the Kenos ® KCS clamp. A key feature of the pump is the anti-backflow function, which promotes resolution. release the heating die and the interlayer.Without this function it would not be possible to remove the suction cups when the vacuum supply is stopped.The Piab solution we have chosen is certainly very competitive from an economic point of view, having Taking into account the consulting service that Giorgio Passeri technicians concluded, the Italian subsidiary suggested to us, in collaboration with Mateg, Piab’s authorized distributor, to guide us in a good way. as possible according to our selection.
Piab’s Kenos ® vacuum gripper was developed to simplify handling in many industrial applications. The Kenos ® KCS gripper is specially developed for cobots. It is a plug-and-play system consisting of a compact modular vacuum generator and a clamp, in the standard version made of engineering foam that can adapt to a wide range of surfaces. Piab can also design and build custom systems, as is the case with Umbra Control.
Piab’s COAX ® vacuum generation technology reduces energy consumption while providing a safe and quick grip, thanks to its high initial flow rate. The pump unit can deliver high performance even when the supply pressure is low or fluctuating.