'SMART' ULTRA-COMPACT PROFILE SENSOR IS KEY TO SPACE AND TIME
- SAVING ELECTROPLATING ROBOT
In many applications surface coating such as electroplating is
an important part of the manufacturing process and if performed
manually, will require a considerable amount of space and human
resources. However, a good example of the benefits of advanced
automation and robotics is the development of an innovative robot
cell which enables fully automated electroplating and has proven
to be a big benefit to Swiss automation company Roth Technik.
A three-way collaboration between the customer, surface coating
specialist Collini based in Dubendorf, near Zurich, with automation
company Roth Technik and sensor specialist BAUMER, has resulted
in the development of a fully automatic system for plating racks.
Minimal space was a key factor for the customer which is why
they were looking for a space-saving solution that would enable
a fast and reliable way of hanging small parts on racks in preparation
for transfer to the electroplating bath.
Marco Fuchs, Head of Product Engineering at Collini explains,
"Boxes containing small metal parts were stacked in a narrow
niche with barely enough space to manoeuvre a single pallet between
the wall and the liquid tanks. Behind this assembly are rows
of tightly packed electroplating tanks and this lack of space
was a key factor in why we were looking for a space-saving solution
that would deliver a fast, reliable way of hanging small parts
on racks for the electroplating bath".
The conventional method of loading the racks by hand requires
lots of space and human resources because several racks need
to be loaded at the same time. Collini confirmed, "This
is why we wanted to switch to a new automated coating system.
However, this type of system had yet to be created so we embarked
on a search for pioneering companies that we could collaborate
with to take up the challenge". The search resulted in collaboration
between Collini, automation specialists Roth Technik, which in
turn relies on smart sensor solutions from Baumer.
Working together, the team began the development of a fully automatic
and compact loading line. At the heart of the loading line are
4 robots that automatically load parts onto the empty hooks on
the racks, with the biggest challenge being that no two racks
are the same. The hook positions are not located in exactly the
same place on the welded racks and some hooks may be bent or
missing entirely. Whilst this isn't a problem for a manual system,
it is a big challenge for robots that require precise positioning
data. Furthermore, the huge variety and high throughput of parts
presented other challenges. So how did the 'team' solve the problem
of rack positioning accuracy, enabling the robots to 'learn'
the exact positions of the hooks for each rack?
A simple, yet effective solution from Baumer, the ultra-compact
OXM200 profile sensor proved to be a key component in the efficacy
of the system. Mounted on the robot arm, the sensor detects the
exact position of each individual hook as it moves down the rack
and reports this data back to the robot control. With the help
of a camera, the robot then picks up one part after the other
from the separating carousel and hangs it on a hook. The robot
uses the position coordinates previously collected by the profile
sensor to finely adjust the position of the part and this enables
the profile sensor to guide the robot precisely and quickly on
the electroplating rack.
Markus Roth, CEO of Roth Technik, explains, "Whilst the
process might sound simple it requires the sensor to deliver
an outstanding performance, we had to install a sensor that detects
and precisely measures very thin hooks, not just in 2-dimensional
space but in a 3-dimensional one too". Initially, the Roth
Technik team tested various camera-based systems and other laser-based
scanners, but eventually decided that the sensor was the way
to go. Markus confirmed, "In the end, we chose the Baumer
OXM200 profile sensor because it was the best solution for our
strict requirements regarding accuracy, ultra-compact design
and ability to detect objects".
The OXM200 offers another major advantage, thanks to powerful,
integrated measuring tools, the sensor outputs the measured values
for the X and Z coordinates directly in mm, significantly reducing
the number of calculations in the control. This resulted in less
integration work on software and enabled the project to be up
and running faster.
Also, thanks to Power over Ethernet (PoE) a single cable is all
that was needed to connect the sensor to the control and supply
it with power, an important detail when it comes to mounting
the sensor on a mobile robot arm. Further time savings are achieved
by scanning the hook positions only once when the rack is inserted
and as the control stores all the hook positions, the racks don't
have to be scanned each time. The result…two robot cells
enable a throughput of 15 million parts per year using minimal
space whilst eliminating the issues associated with a manual
system.
More
Information >>
About
Baumer Ltd:
Baumer Ltd is part of a family owned company which operates on
a global scale employing around 2400 people in 38 subsidiaries
across 19 countries Worldwide. Baumer is acknowledged as a leading
supplier of sensors, encoders, measuring instruments and components
for automated image processing. Baumer is your partner for, Food
& Beverage Sensing, Food & Beverage Processing, Assembly
and Handling, Material Handling, Encoders and Motion Control
Solutions.
For
more information, please contact:
Jon Sumner
Baumer Ltd.
33 / 36 Shrivenham Hundred Business Park, Majors Road, Swindon,
UK, SN6 8TZ
Tel: +44 1793 783839
Email: sales.uk@baumer.com Website: www.baumer.com
October
2023
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