Robots for production flexability.

Ultra-precise robots, high-performance connectors and innovative couplings combine to enable a unique assembly concept says Ralf Högel.

In its factory in Weil am Rhein (D), Stäubli Electrical Connectors is showing how unprecedented flexibility can be achieved in series production. The company has introduced a pioneering system here, in which mobile assembly modules equipped with robots can be docked onto the production line in less than a minute. And it doesn’t stop there.

It takes a high degree of creativity and expertise to be confident of realizing an assembly line like the one that has been in operation at Stäubli Electrical Connectors since the third quarter of 2022. To understand what the Stäubli team and the plant manufacturer involved have achieved, it is necessary to look at the range of tasks performed on the assembly line, where sockets and plugs are fitted with a MULTILAM in a multitude of variants.

Stäubli’s patented MULTILAM contact technology boasts unrivaled electrical and mechanical properties and exemplifies the highest standards of quality and reliability in electrical connector manufacturing. In a production context, this means robot-supported zero-defect precision assembly in the tolerance range of 20 to 30 mm, with widely fluctuating batch sizes of 20,000 to 2,000,000 units. Further, when demand and workloads are high, the system can be expanded, and a specific item can be assembled simultaneously on two parallel production lines.

Mobile assembly modules with integrated robots.
Identifying suitable robots for this high-precision assembly was relatively easy for Stäubli, as the most accurate machines on the market are made by the company itself. Five of them (four six-axis TX2-40s and one TS2-40 SCARA) now work in the assembly plant at Weil am Rhein. There was initial skepticism about the feasibility of docking a mobile assembly module plus robot, together with all its complex peripherals, onto the line within a one-minute time limit and starting production without having to first calibrate the robot or make other adjustments.

"Not possible," said many. 

"Oh yes it is," said Stäubli, and then provided the proof. John Dallapiccola, Managing Director Stäubli Electrical Connectors Weil am Rhein (right), describes how the squaring of the circle became possible: “The concept of this unique system is based on the utilization of synergy effects within the Stäubli Group. We have our own precision robots and innovative interface solutions, which in this case were key to the realization of the plant. And, of course, we had a brilliant idea.”

Connector technology and precision couplings: the key to realizing this advanced concept.
What Dallapiccola means becomes clear on closer inspection. The decisive factor for the realization of this concept was the ability to dock the mobile modules onto the line with precision down to the hundredth of a millimeter. The time factor played an additional decisive role. The specification was to position the module manually, center it automatically, lock it in place and set it to work. Production start-up was to be within 30 seconds.

During this short period, the energy and compressed air supply must start flowing to all components of the module. The robot, parts feed, separation and image processing, power, signaling and pneumatic connections of each component must be connected reliably and simultaneously. This is where the CombiTac modular connector from Stäubli Electrical Connectors comes into play. Hovering next to both the assembly station and the mobile module, the CombiTac automatically connects all power and media circuits in sync with the docking process. High-precision mechanical guides and a pneumatically actuated quick coupling supplied by Stäubli Fluid Connectors ensure that the mobile module is correctly positioned on the assembly line.

Four- and six-axis robots mounted on mobile modules.
In the current expansion stage, the complete assembly line consists of no fewer than 12 modules linked to each other by means of a Beckhoff XTS linear transport system. Four more modules are to be added later. There are currently 20 magnetically driven movers in operation on the transfer system, which move along a route consisting of fully integrated motor modules. An industrial PC with TwinCAT automation software enables independent control of the movers with individual motion profiles. The degree of precision – one hundredth of a millimeter – is yet another remarkable feature of the system.

TS2-40

Fixtures specific to different parts are located on the movers, which the first two Stäubli six-axis robots on modules 1 and 2 equip with a MULTILAM and, depending on the variant to be produced, with a plug or a socket. “Gripping and positioning these miniscule components with dimensions in the millimeter range requires the highest precision from the two TX2-40s mounted on their mobile modules, and it also has to be done with maximum dynamics,” says Production Manager Sebastian Wiech. “The six-axis machines perform this demanding task with aplomb.” Asyrill vibration platforms with image processing systems suspended above them ensure process-reliable parts supply as well as the transmission of gripper positions to the robots.

The components then reach the processing station, where the MULTILAM is married to the socket or plug. Depending on the variant, further work steps follow. If, for example, a socket ring has to be fitted, this task is performed by an ultra-compact Stäubli TS2-40 SCARA. The four-axis machine is impressive not only for its small footprint, but above all for its impressive precision and dynamics.

One hundred percent quality control.

Jan Schwarzwälder

Stäubli connectors are among the best of their kind in the world, so, as you would expect from this manufacturer, every connector undergoes one hundred percent quality control. Supply Chain Manager Jan Schwarzwälder: “Ensuring product quality is one of the most important tasks performed by this production line. To this end, we integrate quality assurance into several sub-steps. We fully document the quality produced, of course, and can guarantee traceability on an individual part basis.”

In the process, each connector goes through a mating force test, in which the specified tolerances must be adhered to precisely. Missing or duplicate MULTILAM components would be immediately detected by the system.

At the end of the line, a camera-based final inspection takes place. Sebastian Wiech: “To keep cycle times to a minimum, we have equipped the station where the pass/fail parts inspection takes place with two modules. A camera system measures the inner diameter and checks the number of pins on the MULTILAM.” The handling of completed parts at this station is the task of another Stäubli TX2-60. With its high dynamics, the six-axis machine ensures compliance with the specified cycle time.

Short changeover times thanks to synergy effects.
The changeover processes on the line are also optimized down to the last detail. Jan Schwarzwälder: “Depending on the complexity of the end product, the changeover time varies from two to a maximum of 20 minutes. We owe these short changeover times not least to the MPS 025 robotic tool changer from Stäubli Fluid Connectors, which operates with a precision of ±1.5 µm and eliminates the need for time-consuming manual changes.”

Currently, the system is running seven product variants, the so-called high-runners for use in e mobility and welding automation. Further variants will follow. Likewise, the integration of a fully automated packaging line is planned, which will further expand the plant’s scope of delivery.

“That’s the beauty of this pioneering system,” says John Dallapiccola with justifiable pride. “Thanks to its immense flexibility, we are no longer subject to any restrictions. We can produce any number of variants and integrate further processes as required. The synergy effects of Stäubli’s Robotics, Fluid and Electrical Connectors business units have played a major role in the realization of this unique assembly plant.”

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@PresseBox #Stäubli #Manufacturing #Robotics

Sustainable shipping.

Intelligent use of raw materials protects the environment and increases economic efficiency.

IDS products leave the dispatch area plastic-free

Plastic is one of the most serious problems of the 21st century. This is not due to the raw materials or production processes, but to the fact that 32% of plastic packaging worldwide is not recovered (whether by landfill, incineration or recycling). They end up uncontrolled in the environment. A complete decomposition of plastics takes several centuries. Previously, plastic merely disintegrates into ever smaller particles, which ultimately find their way into the human body via the food chain – the keyword being micro plastics. The best strategy to combat plastic waste, including in the oceans, is undeniably to avoid plastic products and to replace them with 100% biodegradable alternatives made from renewable raw materials, e.g. paper.

IDS Imaging Development Systems has taken up the challenge. The industrial camera manufacturer's shipping department uses only paper instead of plastic. First of all, fillers for cartons were converted from bubble wrap to paper. A specially purchased packaging machine produces creped filling material in the desired length from normal, smooth paper layers. Even delivery note envelopes can only be found in the dispatch department in paper form. An alternative to plastic adhesive tape is currently being tested in order to feed shipping cartons into the recycling cycle largely free of plastic. 

"These measures have already enabled us to replace 95 % of the original plastic materials in the logistics/shipping area," reports IDS Logistics Manager Kai Schrödter.

But it is not only plastic-free shipping that plays a role for the camera manufacturer. The topic of recycling is also very important. "For example, we reuse all fillers we receive from customers instead of simply throwing them away," explains Schrödter and adds "In the future, all used cardboard boxes will also be pressed into bales directly at our premises and then used to produce new recycled cartons". In this way, IDS makes an economic contribution to sustainability. In addition, the company makes sure that all paper materials used in shipping are already purchased as recycled products.

"This has already enabled us to save a considerable amount of plastic waste at our customers in 2019. In 2020, this is likely to rise even further," explains Sebastian Liepe – Head of IDS Quality Assurance. At the same time, the intelligent use of raw materials alone increases the profitability of the entire packaging sector.

In the near future, the industrial camera manufacturer is planning further measures to conserve resources, such as CO2-neutral shipping. Switching to a shipping service provider that relies on electric mobility on the road directly avoids CO2 emissions. If goods have to be shipped to other countries by air, newly created green spaces, for example, provide the necessary compensation. A further project already underway is the introduction of shuttle packaging, which allows shipping free of disposable packaging. On the initiative of IDS, these containers are utilised wherever suppliers or customers receive or ship large quantities of products – each in the same individually configurable boxes.

In addition, exchangeable load carriers avoid returns of empty containers and help to use the resource of transport as sparingly as possible.

IDS is convinced that the changeover to sustainable action is the only right way forward and tries to develop resource-saving solutions together with business partners. After all, relatively "small" changes can make a big difference – for the environment and for the company itself. 

@IDS_Imaging @mepaxIntPR #PAuto #Environment 

Muting reinvented.

“Smart Process Gating” is the name of a new process from Leuze electronic through which muting processes are made more economical, simpler and safer.

In intralogistics as well as in the automotive and packaging industry, material locks often need to be safeguarded against unauthorized access by means of safety sensors. Previously, muting processes with muting sensors were required in order to clearly identify when transported goods are approaching a protective field and to bridge the passing of these goods through the protective field at the correct moment.

As a result of the SPG (Smart Process Gating) method developed by Leuze electronic, signal-emitting sensors are no longer needed. Based on the MLC safety light curtains, conveyor systems can thus be made more compact. The risk of misalignment or damage to the sensors is eliminated as is the costs for their maintenance and servicing. Furthermore, the purchasing costs, the wiring and risk of manipulation are reduced which increases the availability of the complete safety device.

In the case of typical intralogistics applications particularly, the height of the protective device is entirely dependent on the safety-related requirements. Synchronization beams do not have to be taken into consideration. With SPG, the first muting signal comes from the process control (PLC), while the second muting signal is generated by the protective field itself. Smart Process Gating requires a detailed knowledge of the process so that the necessary SPS control signals are made available in the expected time window.

@Leuzeelectronic #SPG #PAuto