Case Studies

Automated Knurling Machine

01/09/2014

3 minutes

Midwest Engineering Systems Inc. provided a valve plate knurling machine for a metal fineblanking company. This machine is used to fully automate the knurling process for an automotive industry application.

The Challenge

Machine must be capable of programming four (4) different part numbers
Must process one (1) part every 2 seconds
Compact design to optimize floor space
Capable to flip parts that are loaded up-side-down
Must have sensors to detect radial orientation of part on in-feed conveyor to insure correct placement in dial table nest
Designed for high pressure and high forces exerted by the knurling process
Built-in quality assurance throughout the knurling and handling process to detect defects on top & bottom surfaces such as:
- Missing features
- Slug marks
- Missing holes
- Missing or additional material
Ability to log failure information to an operator interface including:
- Part number
- Defect type
- Quantity of each type of defect
- Time and date stamps

the solution

After a full evaluation of the project's challenges and goals, Midwest Engineering Systems provided the customer a complete solution, which included:

Heavy duty common base for simple install and portability
Fanuc LR Mate 200iD robot and R-30iB controller with Fanuc 2D vision camera for part orientation identification on in-feed pick-up locations and placement on dial process system
Robotic End of Arm Tool
- Magnetic gripper
- Sensors
In-feed Flip Station with two (2) position shuttle escapement
Two (2) TOX 30-ton, air over oil, presses
Twelve (12) position, servo driven, dial table
Three (3) position, servo driven, out-feed flip station
Out-feed conveyor
Four (4) camera PPT vision system
Control System
- Electrical enclosure
- Servo motor control system
- PLC with EtherNet IP communication
- Robot to PLC interface
- Operator HMI display
- Arc flash compliance
Safety system and enclosure with components, programming, and layout per ISO 13849-1:2006 Category 3 safety guidelines and ANSI/RIA R15.06-1999 specifications
Complete electrical and mechanical engineering design
Complete robot, vision, PLC, and HMI programming
Complete electrical and mechanical fabrication, assembly, and system test
On-site installation, start-up, and acceptance testing
Technical training for operators, engineering, and maintenance

impact to the customer

The final automated knurling machine provided the customer with process improvements such as:

Increased productivity- machine can run 1800 parts/hour
Increased productivity - less tooling than previous machine equals faster changeover between parts
Decreased maintenance - fewer moving parts to maintain than previous machine & less tooling to maintain
Increased reliability and uptime - Mechanically driven, hard tooled, walking beam replaced with programmable 6-axis servo robot and two (2) programmable servo driven dial tables
Increased floor space - robotic solution requires 20% less floor space
Improved quality- multiple sensors are able to detect failure and immediately notify the operator
Failure reporting- automatic data logging and tracking of failures