Featuring handling and welding robots operating much more closely together than usual, an underbody line for the Mercedes Benz E-Class car has been commissioned at the Sindelfingen plant.
The underbody of the new E-Class is being built in the same hall in Sindelfingen, near Stuttgart, Germany, as the existing C-Class car, but one floor up. The space limitations on the ground floor represented a challenge to the planners. Nevertheless, the engineers from TMS Produktionssysteme (TMS), a company of the French GTIE group, have succeeded in packing all the required production cells, buffer and transport equipment into the planned space provided.

As Friedrich Genger, the TMS welding plant and assembly system project manager explained: ‘This is the compactest space in which we have ever had to build.

Things were so tight for the E-Class that the collision tests for the robot routing were of particular importance.’ In this situation, TMS engineers once again played their ‘trump card’ in the form of simulation (Tecnomatix < www.tecnomatix.com > ).

This is already the design non-plus ultra as today there is simply not the time to carry out month-long experiments on site.

The use of simulation engineering for the material flow and robot movements means that the viability of planning ideas under practical conditions can be speedily ascertained.

However, that is not all.

Genger said: ‘In the case of the E-Class project, we programmed the robots off-line on the basis of simulation, thus reducing the levels of on-site programming by around 60%.’ This procedure was extremely important to the E-Class project because the planning had to be changed, mostly for the parts for the T-model.

Genger added: ‘We were, nonetheless, able to meet all of the deadlines and the hand-over took place four weeks in advance.’ This achievement was partly due to the fact that the E-Class project was carried out in tandem by teams from DaimlerChrysler and TMS, which were virtually identical to those, that had already successfully completed the C-Class line.

In addition, both BIW lines have certain similarities derived from the use of the same underbody platform.

Accordingly, as in the case of the C-Class, the Z1 production line for the E-Class underbody was divided into the areas ‘front assembly’, ‘main assembly’, ‘rear assembly’ and ‘Z1 overall assembly’.

The positioning of the individual sections could not be realised in this floor.

The production cells for the main assembly and the back wall are on the ground floor, as there, space was available.

It entailed an increased transport requirement, in order to bring the assemblies to the Z1 area located on the first floor.

The back walls were carried to their assembly points in component containers using floor transport vehicles.

Otherwise, everything else runs automatically.

Of the 442 robots in use (Kuka Roboter < www.kuka-roboter.de >), 182 are concerned exclusively with handling.

In spite of the cramped conditions, the production ‘islands’ have material buffer units that provide transportation and interim storage.

The completed main underbody assembly is transported to the Z1 line on the upper floor by means of lifters and skids.

Conversely, the rear assemblies are completed on one level and then, in perfect synchronisation with the material flow, are transported to the ‘complete rear underbody assembly’ area through a buffer zone.

The treatment of the front assemblies is different, for although these are located directly adjacent to the Z1 assembly line, they are picked up by ‘power and free’ hooks and transported under the hall roof to the Z1 line.

Three transport lines suspended beneath the hall ceiling conduct the differing ‘W1′, ‘W2′ and ‘S’ rear assemblies from the ‘complete rear assembly’ area to the Z1 line using lifters.

At Z1, all the component assemblies are joined and welded to form the finished underbody, before being fed onto skid transporters by lifters for dispatch to the Z2 line.

As the rear assembly of the ‘S’ type underbody (to be produced during 2003) differs considerably from that of the W2 model, a separate area had to be provided for its production.

The area is located on the ground floor between the ‘main assembly’ and the ‘back wall’.

Transportation to the Z1 line on the first floor will be done by a lifter, which will hand over the ‘S’ rear underbody assembly to a skid transport system below the hall ceiling.

An assembly system integrator has been set up for companies who wish to industrialise a prototype or want to switch from manual to automatic assembly.
TNO Industrie from Eindhoven, Nyquist Industrial Control from Eindhoven and Te Strake from Deurne together have set up MA3 Solutions BV. The shareholders have combined their expertise in order to provide flexible assembly solutions for hybrid micro systems. MA3 Solutions focuses primarily on companies who wish to industrialise a prototype or companies that due to quality or cost considerations want to switch from manual to automatic assembly.

MA3 Solutions focuses particularly on the sensory systems and biomedical markets.

Bulk microsystems are generally manufactured on specially designed fixed production lines.

Small series, however, are usually made by hand.

MA3 Solutions provides flexible assembly solutions for medium-sized series and products that due to excessive miniaturisation can no longer be made manually.

MA3 stands for More Accessible Micro Assembly within a Modular Architecture.

MA3 Solutions makes as much use as possible of proven and standardised solutions.

A functional prototype of a customer’s product and the assembly processes used are evaluated and modified where necessary.

MA3 Solutions then selects and realises the equipment most suitable for its customers.

This custom-made equipment is based on basic solutions that have been developed by MA3 Solutions.

The MA3 Pilot Bench (a semi-automatic assembly solution) can be used to demonstrate the most critical of processes and to manufacture the smaller series.

The MA3 automatic assembly Cell is composed of standard assembly cells as well as delivery and discharge modules that are attached to them.

The advantages of the MA3 Automatic Assembly Cell are the local clean room conditions within the cell, the standardised transport system, the shock-proof production environment, the integral control system and the far-reaching possibilities to design the production environment according to one’s own needs.

The solutions of MA3 Solutions can be continually re-configured, enabling the standard modules to be constantly modified, too, according to new requirements.

In addition to the design service and the supply of equipment, MA3 Solutions also accepts commissions to take care of the entire production of microsystems for its customers.

‘MA3 Solutions reduces the barriers for our customers in industrialising hybrid micro systems.

In this way investments can be better kept in line with the development of the turnover and the market of the customer,’ says Managing Director Jean van Wersch.

‘The solutions of MA3 Solutions show at an early stage the technical feasibility of a chosen product design and process, thereby helping to keep risks to a minimum.

MA3 Solutions shortens the time to market for the products of customers, by using standard processes and solutions as much as possible.’ What is special about MA3 Solutions is that the expertise of a knowledge institute such as TNO Industrie in the area of Micro System assembly and the industrial experience of Motion Control supplier Nyquist and Mechatronic Module and Machine Construction company Te Strake are combined in unique solutions for customers.

MA3 Solutions expects to be able to supply the first Pilot Benches very soon.

Systems integrator specialises in the design and manufacture of production solutions using robotics, intelligent vision, data capture, lasers, pneumatics and other technologies.
TEC Manufacturing (TEC), established in 1980 and based in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, is a leading systems integrator specialising in the design and manufacture of production solutions using robotics, intelligent vision, data capture, lasers, pneumatics and other advanced technologies. It is one of the few UK companies with sufficient in-house disciplines to be able to offer a totally integrated design and build service for turnkey projects and bespoke special purpose machines. Typical projects completed recently have involved pick and place, test equipment, assembly, vision inspection, materials handling, paint spraying, coiling, glass bending and forming, glue laying, laser cutting and welding, TIG/MIG welding and palletising.

TEC serves a wide spectrum of industrial sectors including automotive, white goods, telecoms, pharmaceutical, plastics, lighting, electronics and general engineering.

The company employs 55 people; its current annual turnover exceeds GBP 3 million, and sales growth is currently around 10 per cent per annum.

Micromech has added to its actuator range the ultra-powerful electric cylinder ETB125 that generates up to 44kN thrust and has positioning speeds in excess of 1.3 metres/second.
Micromech has added to its actuator range the ultra-powerful electric cylinder ETB125 that generates up to 44kN thrust and has positioning speeds in excess of 1.3 metres/second. Forming the latest addition to the popular ET series of Parker Hannifin’s electric cylinders now available from Micromech, the new ETB125 is based on an exceptionally robust design to ensure durability in high duty cycle applications. It is particularly suitable for high power automation and robotics applications demanding continuous use and minimum downtime - the design features sealed tapered roller bearings, and the drive screw nut can be re-lubricated without dismantling the actuator.

The electric cylinder offers a choice of 24 standard stroke lengths, spanning 100mm to 2.4 metres.

Furthermore, the cylinder’s recirculating ball screw drive is available with a pitch of 5, 10, 20 or 50mm, allowing users to select the optimum characteristics for their particular application.

The 50mm pitch model, for example, can handle positioning speeds in excess of 1.3 metres/second, and has an efficiency of 99%.

Depending upon the system configuration, the cylinders can achieve bi-directional repeatability to within ?25 microns.

Motors can be mounted in-line, in parallel or in reverse-parallel with the cylinder, allowing virtually any desired orientation to be accommodated.

The cylinders feature ISO 6431-compliant mounting options and can be supplied in any of nine metric ISO mounting styles.

There is also a choice of four different rod end configurations - including spherical eye and clevis - to further simplify system integration.

The cylinders are fitted with a corrosion-resistant ground stainless steel thrust rod, and the extruded aluminium housing features integral grooves for easy mounting of limit and home switches; a comprehensive range of compatible IP67 rated Hall-effect sensors and reed switches is available.

They are ideal alternatives to hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders in high power positioning applications that demand full programmable control.

They are designed specifically to provide a long operational life with minimal maintenance; a unique anti-rotate mechanism virtually eliminates cylinder rod end-play and reduces noise, whilst the front screw-support and extra length rod-support bearings withstand side loads and prevent screw whipping, vibration and run-out.

The cylinders are rated for operation over a temperature range of 0 to 60C, with a 100% duty cycle.

Outsourcing automation projecv ts is a growing trend for which a consultant engineering company offers a wide range of services.
Square One Systems Design is widely considered to be one of the most innovative of a new generation of automation outsource companies. The Square One team is responsible for a wide range of robotic technologies now used for photomask handling and inspection. Their staff, drawn from both academics and the private sector, are experts at developing elegant manufacturing solutions tailored to a customer’s specific needs.

Their systems are widely deployed in the manufacture of both magnetic and optical data storage devices.

Square One also works closely with the Department of Energy to create specialized machines for the unique needs of the scientific community.

With the spiraling complexity of today’s high-tech products, manufacturing automation has become an ever more crucial component of business success.

Aggressive demands for extreme precision, through-put and cleanliness often require that futuristic machines completely replace human workers on the modern assembly line.

But the technical challenges of implementing this level of mechanization are significant and few companies can afford dedicated, in-house automation teams.

Consequently, more and more companies are turning to outside specialists to supply the necessary automation wizardry.

Formed two years ago, Square One’s offices are located at the foot of the Tetons in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

‘Our vision was to assemble some of the best minds in the business in an idyllic location, equip them with the latest design tools and then turn them loose on a wide variety of automation projects’, explains co-founder Bob Viola.

‘We believe our unconventional setting fosters original thinking.’ Viola is quick to add that while Square One may pride itself on blue sky creativity, their engineers are also realists with a ruthless devotion to each customer’s bottom line.

As the trend towards outsourcing accelerates, companies will increasingly turn to custom automation suppliers such as Square One in order to cost-effectively meet their manufacturing challenges.

To satisfy fast, highly-sensitive reliability testing and failure analysis of magnetic disks, Candela partnered with an equipment manufacturer experienced in the HDD market.
In order to satisfy fast, highly-sensitive reliability testing and failure analysis of magnetic disks, Candela decided to partner with an equipment manufacturer experienced in the HDD market and capable of rapid development. Candela Instruments, the leading supplier of Optical Surface Analyzers (OSA’s) to the global data storage industry, needed to quickly move their disk surface scanning technology from the laboratory to full production. In the customer’s lab, their product was detecting never before seen defects in magnetic media.

Candela had successfully proven the technology with a manually loaded machine, and now wanted to quickly expand the sensing capability within the thin film magnetic disk industry.

This meant that a fully-automated in-line configuration had to be developed.

The potential to improve yields with full-scale production in this market was enormous.

In order to address the emerging market for fast, highly-sensitive reliability testing and failure analysis of magnetic disks, Candela decided to partner with an equipment manufacturer experienced in the HDD market and capable of rapid development.

Automation parameters such as cassette feeding and integration to factory systems needed to be addressed.

Disks had to be loaded with precision, scanned on both sides, and handled at high speed.

There were definite space constraint issues and, adding in the factor of keeping costs low, the challenges were compounded.

After several joint meetings involving Candela’s end-user, the decision was made to go with Owens Design, an OEM capital equipment manufacturer with a reputation of fast product development lead times and close collaboration efforts with their customers.

The solution - once the specifications were finalized, Owens began development of the automation.

They designed a custom robotic manipulator agile enough to allow precise loading of the disk to the vacuum chuck, a mechanism that accepts and secures the disk for high speed rotation.

A robotic arm incorporating a direct-drive rotational axis which enables high speed disk flipping and allows for dual sided measurement was designed to navigate within the machine’s confines while making fast and efficient process characterization and control.

The first system was ready for high-volume production in 12 weeks and market acceptance of the product configuration has grown ever since.

Randy Curtis, Vice President of Sales at Owens Design, said ‘The key to transferring the technology smoothly from the lab and into high-volume production as fast as possible was the close collaboration with our client, Candela, and their end-user.

When dealing with instruments this precise, the automation integration as desired by the end-user must be defined very early in the manufacturing process.’ About the machine - known as OSA 5120 performs optical analysis on thin film magnetic disks with exceptional speed and sensitivity under full automation or in standalone configuration.

To cover a comprehensive spectrum of metrology and defect applications, the analysis incorporates five measurement methods, both topographical and non-topographical: ellipsometry, reflectometry, scatterometry, Kerr-effect microscopy, and optical profilometry.

At the heart of the system is a proprietary Q-polarized light source which combines P and S linear polarizations to optimize phase-shift detection.

The light is focused on the disk where it is absorbed, reflected, and scattered by the surface.

The presence of a film or magnetic defect will also introduce a phase-shift.

‘We chose Owens Design as our partner to help reduce product development times and introduce an outstanding product to our customers.

They have provided a complete outsourcing solution and helped make our automated OSA product a tremendous success.’ said Rusmin Kudinar, President of Candela Instruments.

Having found a huge ‘information gap’ in the UK industrial sector, a company has launched a monthly e-mailed automation news magazine.
Automation E-news updates supplied every month Following recent market research, LC Automation found there was a huge ‘information gap’ in the UK industrial sector. Malcolm Chadwick, LC Automation’s Sales and Marketing Director explained the findings; ‘Due to the pace of change in our industry many of our customers felt they were missing out because they hadn’t time to keep up with new products and industry developments’. And Chadwick went on; ‘Identifying that problem was easy, finding a suitable solution was going to be a lot more difficult!’ Of course people often prefer to talk to another human being rather than by fax or e-mail, but it’s not very practical.

Calls take up valuable time, and usually come at the most inconvenient moment.

A fax is very impersonal and carries very little information, which still takes time to follow up.

So that leaves e-mail, and LC Automation’s e-news Update! Despite its poor reputation, when it’s used in the correct manner e-mail is an excellent way of communicating.

As you would expect, LC Automation have taken time to make sure that the e-news Update is both useful and well targeted, without many of the drawbacks usually associated with e-mail.

‘We have taken serious steps to ensure that we don’t annoy anyone’, says Chadwick.

‘We guarantee that the LC Automation e-news update will only be sent out once a month, so no one will receive dozens of e-mails every week and our e-mail database will not be used by any other company.

The e-mail can be read at a time that suits you, and is quick and easy to read with a brief resume of each article.

There are single click links to our website for more details, PDF downloads or requests for further information etc.’ Chadwick ends by saying; ‘Just five minutes will help you to stay up to date in our ever changing industry.

A leading automation products manufacturer and systems integrator has recently started doing work for designing and prototyping of special purpose assembly machines.
Elscint Automation, the leading automation products manufacturer and systems integrator from India has recently started doing work for designing of special purpose machines. The full design of special purpose machines can be undertaken based on the end requirement given by the customer. The scope can include making the design and all the drawings, including detailed component and assembly drawings.

Elscint Automation has a full fledged design department consisting of ten full time senior design engineers.

One can get the full design ready at a very competitive cost as compared to design houses in Europe and America.

Elscint can also manufacture the first prototype machine to prove the design.

Due to e-mail and the internet, communication has become very fast and all drawings can be sent by through E-mail for approval.

Recently it has done the work of design and manufacture of a prototype assembly machine for a leading European manufacturer.

Industrial marking and systems integration company opted to outsource the handling system design function for its latest bespoke machine contract - ultimately selecting an automation specialist.
Progressive UK industrial marking and systems integration solutions company Telesis Eagle Ltd of Devon opted to outsource the handling system design function for its latest bespoke machine contract - but shrewdly chose to look for the best true value rather than simply the lowest cost service, ultimately selecting automation specialist Festo. Originally focusing on roll marking and impressions marking systems, Telesis Eagle now offers a wide range of standard and bespoke solutions that make it the UK’s leading supplier of programmable permanent marking and reading systems. Upon receiving a second order for a sophisticated marking machine from an existing high-profile customer manufacturing automotive drivetrains, Telesis Eagle looked for a business partner to develop a handling system to address the complex series of motion profiles required to mark CV joints during production.

Project Manager and Senior Design Engineer at Telesis, Neal Jones, explained that experience with the first machine had highlighted issues with holding the parts securely for marking on a moving production line conveyor.

Wise to these issues, Jones decided to enlist help for the design of the second machine.

In assessing potential partners, he regarded overall value of the service he sought as more than the simplistic judgement of component costs.

‘Attributes such as knowledge; industry track record; ability to deliver to timescale; ability to deliver within budget; quality of the design function; and the quality, robustness and longevity of the proposed solution were key to our decision,’ he confirms.

In developing the first machine for the customer, Jones had dealt with automation specialist Festo to discuss the merits of Pick and Place systems.

With the second order, Jones investigated the Festo concept further and ultimately selected Festo as the design partner able to deliver the best value for the handling function.

‘We accepted a premium price but got not only a premium product that was essentially future proof, but an equally premium design and support service,’ Jones adds, pointing out that he measures the value by the flawless performance to the design brief and minimal life cycle costs.

In collaboration with the Festo consultant, Telesis Eagle developed a unique handling solution that would lift the CV joint off the line, thereby overcoming the movement issues encountered during the development of the first machine.

The specification allows 10 seconds for the entire marking process; the Telesis TMP1700 PINSTAMPs marking system requires only three seconds to engrave the readable text string, which left seven seconds for the handling process.

Festo delivered a solution that lifts parts from the conveyor, tracks in the Y-axis to a marking station, holds the part firmly kinematically (in all directions) then returns the part to the line within the seven-second time frame.

The turnkey Festo package comprised all the actuation and positional sensing along with full documentation and life-cycle costs, plus statistical analyses and maintenance schedules.

Installation and commissioning at the customer’s premises in Germany was easy and straightforward.

Jones estimates the resultant cost saving to be between 15% and 20% in real terms.

‘The cycle time and the handling process was fast and simple, but best of all it halved the design aspect of the project,’ he claims, adding: ‘And as I headed up the first project, I know full well the benefit of that saving.

The remaining allowable design time was spent more efficiently on the supporting framework and the metering system.’ The effective marking of products is a vital part of the production process in thousands of manufacturing environments every day for identification and traceability.

Telesis Eagle enjoys an industry-leading reputation and boasts an enviable list of big-name industrial customers.

Festo is now the preferred automation supplier to the company

NYCe3000 Software Release 3.1 provides machine designers and motion control engineers with the latest means to design and develop machine control systems and motion control systems.
Nyquist Industrial Control has announced the NYCe3000 Software Release 3.1 (NYCe3000 SR 3.1), which provides machine designers and motion control engineers with the latest means to design and develop machine control systems and motion control systems. Combining a complete set of motion control tools with a machine control environment, it is a powerful, ready to use package that builds upon many years of experience in the OEM machine building market. As part of its ongoing software development program, Nyquist Industrial Control has extended its software package for the NYCe3000 motion controller series and the FirePoint motion and input/output controllers.

As a result, NYCe3000 motion controllers for high-end coordinated motion and the FirePoint product family for input/output and non-coordinated motion control can now easily be integrated into a single system.

This means that both platforms are now programmable via one universal interface.

In addition to the usual quality improvements based on extensive field experience, the new software release 3.1 also includes a large number of functional improvements, as illustrated by the following few examples, which are not exhaustive.

Remote procedure calls (RPC) RPC allows motion control applications to run on any PC in a network, connected to an embedded motion controller with integrated PC.

Using this feature, engineers at the technical headquarter can run any (test) application controlling a machine at a totally different location.

This makes testing more effective because the engineer can use his own PC with his own tools on it and it saves travelling time.

Faster spline handling This functionality enables smaller spline (PVT) segments, which in turn means higher accuracy movement along multi-axes paths.

This enables machines to produce and handle products with smaller tolerances.

This gives engineers the ability to define paths and contours more precise with an increase of accuracy of production and handling of products up to 30%.

Improved CT3000 support for M’Ax and MultiAx drives This gives additional encoder input, improved safety handling, absolute homing and homing persistency functions for these Control Techniques drives.

This has already led to substantial benefits in controlling packaging equipment.

Further tools The installation CD of this new software release also includes a number of sophisticated tools developed and used by Nyquist’s own motion engineers.

These tools are valuable to users capable of interpreting detailed information derived from the system.

One example of these tools is NYCeFreq, a frequency analysis tool that can be used to optimize motion control behaviour.