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ANCA launches the market first Dual Robot technology to be displayed at SECO Tools Inspiration through Innovation event

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The dual robot cell includes a fully integrated Renishaw Equator gauging system providing process control feedback and running EZ-IO software for automated part loading
 

4 October 2017: ANCA CNC Machines will be demonstrating its market first Dual Robot technology at SECO Tools Inspiration through Innovation event in the U.K. An annual event held by SECO Tools at their state-of-the-art Technology Centre in Alcester, Warwickshire - the objective is to be an inspiring and practical event that is truly customer focused and to demonstrate improvements in productivity, performance and reducing waste that can be achieved by collaboration, sharing best practice and working in partnership.


Adrian Wright, UK Sales Manager said: “This year is the first time we are attending Inspiration through Innovation and I am confident it will be a worthwhile event. Collaboration is the way forward and by sharing ideas and new innovations across the manufacturing sector we will together achieve new and better solutions that were previously not thought possible.”


ANCA will be showing a market first - dual robot grinding cell


Tool and component manufacturers now have the capacity to integrate several manufacturing operations into a single production line in ANCA’s market first multi-robot production cell solution. The single-base cell includes automated part loading, high precision grinding, and quality assurance, outproducing the previous multi-machine process while achieving part quality requirements. Watch a video explaining the new technology here:
 

 
 

Using a single robot, ANCA’s standard TXcell automated grinding machine can automatically load grinding wheel packs, and the work piece – a highly successful approach for ANCA customers manufacturing rotary cutting tools. And, with the addition of a second robot in the TXcell, the machine can complete secondary operations unmanned. The Dual Robot runs on ANCA’s premium machine, the TX model which has flexible software and tooling combined with a large working envelope enables the production of more complex tools, heavy duty manufacturing and component manufacturing.

 


Duncan Thompson, TXcell Product Manager said: “Two robots in the cell has opened up possibilities to use their inherent flexibility to do numerous processing tasks. For example: one step in a normal grinding process is part serial number tracking. This is achieved with the addition of a Cognex camera and Automator laser etch to the TXcell. Before grinding, the component serial number could be read by the Cognex camera. This data was then passed to the Automator laser etch for post grinding ID marking.
 

ANCA has also worked closely with Renishaw to showcase another innovation in fully automated grinding. The cell features a fully integrated Renishaw Equator gauging system, which provides gauging data that is used for controlling the grinding process. With constant monitoring of component dimensions any drift of a critical dimension, for example due to grinding wheel wear, can be adjusted back towards a nominal value, well within tolerance limits. This eliminates the need for manual intervention and can improve the dimensional quality control of parts, while also controlling the replacement of grinding wheels according too actual wear, rather than at estimated intervals.

 

Duncan Thompson explains “A further capability is in-process part gauging by adding a Renishaw Equator to the cell. The second robot unloads a finish ground component and presents it to the Renishaw Equator which can then automatically gauge the part, using a comparator method. If the shop-floor temperature changes the robot loads a master to ‘re-zero’ the Equator system for accurate gauging in the new conditions. Using the gauging data, the grinding process will be automatically compensated as required.”

 

Watch a video showing the Equator in action at the EMO show in Hannover https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPYCfPoXWO0