IMA DEVELOPING AN ASSEMBLY CELL WITH SCHUNK GRIPPERS
Under the slogan “You provide the product, we provide the machine,” IMA manufactures innovative, high-quality prototype machines tailored to their customers’ needs. Their latest creation is an automated cell that assembles various machines. To make this a reality, they turned to SCHUNK, which provided them with the right grippers so that the assembly cell can handle all variants.
CUSTOM ASSEMBLY CELL
“For the assembly process, it was necessary to be able to pick up and move various parts. In addition, there were many other tasks—such as quality checks—that needed to be performed. The team maintains a logbook for this purpose. This ensures that it is possible to trace exactly when a product was processed at any given time.”
HOW THE CELL FUNCTIONS
Using carts and conveyors, the operator loads the machine at multiple locations. The robot can then pick parts from these locations and assemble them.
“The machine is designed so that there is always a station available for loading and assembly, ensuring that the machine never stops. At the end of the cycle, the operator can remove the product from the machine and perform any necessary manual tasks.”
CHOOSING SCHUNK
Given the technical nature of this project and the extensive product portfolio, IMA decided to collaborate with SCHUNK. The customer’s request was to develop a cell capable of handling three types of machines. Each type has specific components that vary in diameter, size, and weight. This complexity made it important to have as wide a variety of grippers as possible. The required precision also posed a challenge.
“SCHUNK provided us with excellent guidance in this regard. They actively contributed to this project by assessing the feasibility and implementation of the grippers and kept us fully informed about other necessary robot accessories, such as changeover systems with passages for compressed air and electrical signals. This allows the robot to select the appropriate gripper and automatically switch to another one to produce the correct part. We are satisfied with the quality delivered, and SCHUNK’s expertise in these projects was also a clear advantage.”
This particular project is so complex that, according to Kris Vidts, Sales Manager for Gripping at SCHUNK, it fully leverages the combination of technology and product portfolio.
“By using two- and three-finger parallel grippers in this assembly cell, we can flexibly adapt to the available space for gripping the various parts,” Kris begins.
Thanks to the quick-change system, the robot can easily switch grippers
“This also involves the use of an automatic quick-change system mounted on the robot arm, allowing the robot to easily switch grippers during assembly and install all specific components. Both the compressed air supply and the transmission of electrical contacts are guaranteed throughout the SCHUNK quick-change system. This also enables continuous position detection. It is, among other things, this combination of grippers and robot accessories that makes the implementation successful.”
SAFETY
From the very beginning, it was clear to IMA that a 6-axis robot was the optimal choice for this project. After all, a wide variety of products must be picked up and set down in hard-to-reach places. In addition, such a robot is also highly flexible during product design reviews. Of course, its use does raise questions about the safety of the cell.
Mathias: “To ensure the operator’s safety, the cell is enclosed by a fence and multiple doors. As soon as a door opens, the robot is safely shut down.” In addition, there is also a safety feature built into the SCHUNK grippers. “In the event of an emergency stop, the grippers will never release a workpiece or component. Furthermore, the locking unit in the quick-change systems ensures that they do not come loose mechanically if pressure is lost.”
During this project, both companies were challenged to push themselves to the limit. Thanks to SCHUNK’s technical expertise and wide range of products, this collaboration was a success, resulting in an efficient solution.