Machine tending
Machine tending solutions enable manufacturers to run industrial machine tools autonomously offering a way to unlocking manufacturing output cost-effectively.
By automating the operation of industrial machine tools in a manufacturing plant the robot can continually feed the machine minimising cycle times whilst optimising operational processes by removing parts from the machines working area.
The key to the success of any machine tending system is not just its parts, but how these parts are configured to work together. The integration of the various machines together with the programming and installation enables manufacturers to get the most out of their machinery not just from a productivity point of view but also maintenance and ongoing support.
The experience CNC Robotics has gained over ten years of machining through robots gives us a unique perspective when developing systems for machine tending. A typical machine tending cell designed by CNC Robotics includes a robot, its enclosure and a purpose-designed fixture to load and remove the parts.
Machine tending cells can be designed to include a collaborative robot often described as a “cobot” or an industrial robot. We prefer to use industrial robots due to their robustness. Not only do we find that they are faster and perform tasks with greater accuracy than collaborative robots due to their robust nature they can be repurposed with greater ease. The resulting increase in productivity means that the investment can often be repaid in a few months or even a few weeks.
