Autocoupler is designed for rotary tables.
Share:
Press Release Summary:
Autocoupler enables unmanned cable connection of rotary tables in pallet pools. Able to address 400 mm pallet applications and larger, unit fits most HMCs. First side is fixed to center post of HMC, on pallet shuttle door, and other side of coupler is mounted to back side of rotary table. Once machining is complete, PLC and cell controller communicate, Autocoupler disconnects, and pallet moves out into pool.Original Press Release:
Autocoupler for Rotary Tables Pushes Cellular Productivity
CINCINNATI, OH - The Autocoupler, a new, smaller compact version of Technitron's continuous connection cable management technology, offers unmanned cable connection of rotary tables in pallet pools to a wide variety of cellular manufacturers. Which boosts productivity and efficiency while reducing down time and costs.
According to Mike Ortman, the previous system, configured from "off-the-shelf' components, was larger, more expensive and limited to large horizontal machining center (HMC) applications, perhaps 800 mm pallets and up. The new Autocoupler, designed and manufactured entirely at Technitron, can address 400 mm pallet applications and larger. "By making the Autocoupler smaller and more compact," Ortman says, "we've made this technology available to a much larger base of companies employing cellular concepts, permitting them to more fully optimize the advantages of cellular manufacturing."
A typical scenario
A typical scenario in a typical application of one or two horizontal machining centers being served by a pallet pool of eight, ten, or 12 pallets with one or more 5th or 6th axes rotary tables, the operator plays a critical role.
Normally, the operator is loading and unloading parts, doing part inspection, checking tolerances and so on. At the same time, he visually has to be aware of pallet movement. He has to know when a pallet with a rotary table is cycling into one of the HMC's. The HMC at this point is idle, waiting for the operator to climb up into the machine and physically connect the cables from the machine tool to the rotary table. He then has to cycle the machine.
When multi-axis machining is complete, the operator again has to climb into the HMC and physically disconnect the table from the machine tool, taking considerable care to store the cables in the machine cavity such that they remain dry and free of chips. The Autocoupler changes this scenario.
With the Autocoupler
According to Russ Bush, "Ideally, we'd like to get involved at the point when the machine tool builder is designing the cell. Realistically, the builder or distributor will come to us and say he's got a HMC machining cell with 12 pallet pool and a rotary application, and what would we recommend? Until now, we'd put a rotary table in the cell, write some software in the machine tool for what we call an operator-coupled interface, meaning the operator does the coupling and uncoupling. Today, we can offer the Autocoupler, and the cell controller and the machine tool take care of all the work. The operator doesn't have to couple anything. He's not involved."
The Autocoupler fits most HMC. One side of the coupler is fixed to the center post of the HMC, on the pallet shuttle door, outside the harsh environment of chips and coolant, and the other side of the coupler is mounted to the back side of the rotary table. A guide pin on the coupler mounted to the machine tool ensures precise mating of the Autocoupler halves and the electrical and pneumatic connection between machine tool and rotary table.
The machine tool's PLC and the cell controller communicate so that 1) the machine tool knows it has an Autocoupler as opposed to manual coupling, 2) the cell controller knows that it's picking up a pallet with a rotary table equipped with an Autocoupler and 3) that the machine tool knows when the pallet has been delivered. Once machining is complete, the PLC and cell controller again communicate and the Autocoupler disconnects and the pallet moves out into the pool.
Costs
Cost justification for the Autocoupler is pretty straight forward, says Ortman. "What this technology does," Ortman says, "is allow full optimization of cellular manufacturing when a rotary table is involved. With no need for an operator, you can run true lights out manufacturing. And the cost saved by not having an operator on the third shift more than pays for the Autocoupler."
Other savings come in the form of the reduce downtime, the result of riot having an operator climbing in and out of the machine, making manual connections.
Further, the Autocoupler is virtually maintenance free. "If this were in a big cell," Ortman says, "once an hour would probably be at the high end of the number of times you'd bring a rotary table to the machine to run a part. So, you couple and uncouple maybe 24 times a day. We've got a system on our floor right now that's run more than 18,000 cycles - with no maintenance. That's the equivalent of more than 750 days of continuous operation."
Since 1992, Technitron has supplied more than 1500 complete turnkey installations and custom interfacing services for rotary (4th) and rotary/tilt (4th/5th) tables for vertical machining centers as well as turnkey interface services for single or dual (5th or 6th) axes rotary tables on horizontal machining centers. Technitron provides table interface services for virtually all manufacturers of vertical and horizontal machining centers. Among the rotary tables it installs and provides interface services for include Tsudakoma, Kitagawa, Nikken, MMK, Troyke, Eimeldingen, Yukiwa, Yuasa and other quality brand rotary tables. Technitron is known for meeting customer-specific needs with efficiency and quality and has built a reputation for industry-leading innovation and unparalleled service and support.
