FULLY AUTOMATED ASSEMBLY MACHINE RETROFIT
Case: The customer needed to increase the throughput of two similar assembly lines, but production efficiencies were held back by some common challenges: time, money, and space.
Despite producing 800,000 units per year per line, production needed to increase. However, the addition of a third line was impractical due to space limitations and budgetary constraints. The production schedule only allowed for minimal downtime, so any updates needed to be strategically planned.
Result: Husco AMG stepped in to evaluate and optimize the existing process. The team’s comprehensive analysis led to a set of strategic upgrades to modernize the lines:
- Integration of an Additional Bowl Feed System: To enhance the efficiency of product infeed.
- Robotic Placement at Press Stations: For precise and consistent component placement.
- Transition to Servo Press Control: Replacing distance monitoring with force control for improved precision.
- Robot-Assisted Palletization: Automating the placement of finished products onto the existing palletized system.
- Electrical System Overhaul: Introducing a new enclosure for the existing electrical setup.
- Machine Guarding Redesign: Adjusting the guards to safely enclose the new equipment layout.
These upgrades transformed the assembly lines. A cluttered system with two presses and a five-gripper gantry was replaced by a streamlined module featuring a single servo press and two robots. This not only enhanced efficiency but also simplified maintenance.
The pre-programming and debugging of the module before installation conserved critical production time. The retrofit was executed with less than two weeks of downtime per line. Ultimately, this led to a 21% increase in production, from 1.9 million to 2.3 million units annually, alongside a notable improvement in machine uptime.
