Above: To automate its blank-to-bend process, MC Machinery uses industrial automated guided vehicles to move parts between large stationary equipment
November, 2024: In a galaxy far far away, the “Star Wars” film franchise introduced the world to a workforce of autonomous robots and droids that could interact with humans and tirelessly perform tasks in fields ranging from biological science, math and engineering to packaging and maintenance.
In 1961, the first real-world industrial robot appeared on a General Motors assembly line. Last month at the Fabtech exposition, MC Machinery Systems unveiled a new automated system for laser cutting and bending operations. The blank-to-bend process is aided by industrial automated guided vehicles (AGV). These mechanical vehicles autonomously move materials and products from one location to another in factories, warehouses and distribution centers.
MC Machinery, based in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, acts as a single source for a comprehensive lineup of manufacturing technologies ranging from simple fabrication to CNCdriven, automated production cells along with an extensive network of service and support.
BREAKING BOTTLENECKS
“Manufacturers continue to look at high-powered fiber lasers to increase production speeds,” says Nick Plourde, fabrication project specialist for MC Machinery, “but we’ve also observed a growing number of companies applying automation to fiber lasers that are 6kW to 10kW because they realize they don’t necessarily need a higher wattage fiber laser to increase throughput. As an automation specialist,” he says, “we’re always looking for ways to advance the technology, especially material handling and part sorting, since this is where the majority of bottlenecks occur.”
With legacy fiber laser cutting operations, employees must often manually separate, pick, sort and load parts before transferring them to a press brake. To automate this blank-to-bend process, MC Machinery first evaluated the best method for moving parts between large stationary equipment.
“We chose AGVs to demonstrate the blank-to-bend process at Fabtech, but the system can also work with autonomous mobile robots,” says Plourde.
MC Machinery has versatile options available to automate a customer’s cutting and bending operations. Its Mitsubishi fiber laser automation technology can include varying combinations of machines, storage towers, product cars and break-in stations for applications ranging from small fabrication shops to lights-out part runs. The modular system can include automatic part picking, sorting, loading/unloading, material handling and inventory tracking. The whole setup takes 30 percent less floor space compared to conventional laser automation setups.
A Mitsubishi all-electric BB Series or BH Series hybrid press brake fitted with an automatic tool changer (ATC) can enhance workflow and save time and costs.
CUSTOM FIT
“In a blank-to-bend process, we automate these machines to fit a customer’s requirements, then connect them with an intuitive software package,” says Plourde. “Once the travel routes for the AGV is determined, we embed magnetic tape into the concrete floor. The AGV reads a pallet’s RFD tag to see where it needs go and then follows the magnetic tape to the next location. The AGV can move parts around a customer’s entire facility if required. They are robots. They don’t get tired and they don’t sustain injuries or need breaks.”
In addition to its research on the portable robot, MC Machinery conducted a case study on the new process to help answer customers’ questions. “For example, people want to know if their parts sorter will keep up with their laser,” says Plourde. “We eliminate the guesswork by running a customer’s parts through the system so that we’re able to [record actual] laser, automation and part sorting times.”
By fully automating the blank-to-bend process, an operator can control the timing between machines in terms of producing parts, Plourde says. “That includes how long it takes for the AGV to move a pallet from point A to point B. Their speed is a constant so it’s a variable that can be calculated in advance.”
MC Machinery’s blank-to-bend process can be automated to meet customer requirements.
MC Machinery starts by asking a manufacturer or job shop to identify existing bottlenecks. Automation can help companies increase throughput, improve quality and part consistency, enhance flexibility, improve safety, reduce waste, make better use of floorspace and initiate data-driven decision making.
AGVs follow magnetic tape embedded into the concrete floor to take parts where they need to go.
According to Plourde, the blank-to-bend process is designed to enhance overall production workflow and can “seamlessly integrate with existing systems, regardless of the laser wattage being used.”
A modular approach allows MC Machinery’s automated systems to operate independently of each other as well. “If there’s a problem, the whole system doesn’t go down,” Plourde explains. “A company can keep going. That is so important in a climate where market demands challenge companies to achieve faster response times in the face of labor shortfalls and uncertain supply chain conditions.”
MC Machinery Systems Inc., 630/860-4210, mcmachinery.com.
