Robotic cell elements with 3FG15 gripper and pallet magazine with pegs
Zanasi Iuri snc di Alfredo & Iuri Zanasi, a company specialising in the production of metal i parts for various automotive and earthmoving industries, needed a compact automated solution to optimise the loading and unloading process of a STAR D6 3-axis vertical machining centre with a double worktable and Fanuc CNC. The machine was very old, but still efficient and productive.
The main objective was to automate an outdated machine tool and create user-friendly automation for in-house operators who were new to the subject. The main objective was to automate an outdated machine tool and create an automation system that would be easy to use for in-house operators with little experience in this field.
Metalmechanics
Modena, Italy
Zanasi Iuri snc di Alfredo & Iuri Zanasi, a company specialising in machining parts for the automotive and earthmoving industries. It boasts thirty years of experience.
Automation of the loading/unloading of a very old STAR D6 3-axis vertical machining centre with Fanuc CNC and double worktable
After the first meeting between the customer and our technical team, the customised RoboFeed C20 solution was identified as the most suitable to meet the customer’s needs and objectives.
The chosen system included the FANUC CRX-10iA/L collaborative robot, with a load capacity of 10 kg and customisation of components such as jigs and wrist, but not only. Retrofit work was carried out on the machine tool of interest by our Assistec technical support team.
The customer needed to machine five circular part recipes with different inner and outer diameters, using the Star D6 machine tool. The outside diameters ranged from 142 mm to 225 mm, with the largest workpiece weighing 2.5 kg. The workpieces were clamped on the machine by means of clamping jigs, which changed according to the outside diameter, together with brackets and a central presser to contain the scrap, using two fixtures per pallet.
Before the introduction of the Robo Feed C20, the cycle time for each part was 10 minutes. Thanks to the process upgrade, we moved from simple cutting to full milling, an operation that required the implementation of a robotic system for loading/unloading parts. This improvement also allowed us to handle batches of just one part per machine table, reducing the machining time to just 5 minutes per part.
Our Robo Feed has been retained in its original structure, with some of its most outstanding features:
the pallet workpiece magazine, the robotic wrist and the retraining station.
Robotic cell elements with 3FG15 gripper and pallet magazine with pegs
As with HT's C20, we designed a customised pallet with rungs, optimised for maximum efficiency and reduced machining time. This pallet, equipped with an integrated jig, ensures smooth handling and stable, secure positioning of unmachined or machined parts. In this specific project, we supplied a single pallet as the loading and unloading of workpieces is always handled manually by the operator.
This choice brings a significant production advantage: thanks to manual loading/unloading, the production cycle becomes continuous, allowing machining to continue without interruption, reducing cycle times and, in a short time, doubling production capacity.
A practical example: the robot starts machining parts on the first row, starting from the top. As it proceeds with the second row, the operator can simultaneously unload the already processed parts from the first row and reload the blanks, creating a repetitive, uninterrupted cycle.
This process is possible thanks to the collaborative nature of the robot, which ensures that the operator can carry out his operations in complete safety. Finally, the pallet pegs can be adjusted according to the diameter of the workpieces to be machined, thus ensuring the correct space for optimal positioning.
For this application, we chose the OnRobot 3FG15 electric collaborative gripper, an ideal solution for self-centring gripping operations on parts of different sizes. Thanks to its ability to adapt to various diameters, it guarantees excellent stability in gripping and handling all five components to be machined, optimising operational efficiency. This flexibility reduces set-up times and improves productivity without compromising safety and precision.
To further ensure the correct gripping of all five workpieces, a retraining station was designed and built for use when required.
Another highlight of this automation project was the retrofit performed on the machine tool, demonstrating the perfect synergy between our core businesses: Assistec, and RoboFeed.
The 3-axis vertical STAR D6 machine tool, despite being an outdated machining centre, was preferred by the customer over purchasing a new machine due to its proven production efficiency.
For this reason, our electronic and mechanical service technicians performed the following operations:
I. Z - Proprietario
The integration of our RoboFeed C20 and the machine tool retrofit enabled the customer to achieve its production goals, demonstrating how automation solutions can bring significant improvements even on older machine tools. This case history fully reflects our customised and collaborative approach to ensure efficiency and safety for our customers.
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