A modern automation on the bending press TRUMPF's Trubend 3100 has just been installed in the company. This is the APR robot, a machine at the service of the new bending machine, purchased to expand the operational capacity of the bending department of the Ramo srl and allow a greater amount of work independently thanks to the robotic arm that is only programmed by the operator.
The APR robot satisfies the need to realize automatic bending operations.
The fundamental characteristic, born from the needs of the customers, is the possibility to operate with the press either automatically with the robot or manually, moving the arm aside, if not used.
The robot follows the linear structure of the hydraulic press, with 5 axes positioned in space to perform all the bending operations, as well as they are followed manually by the operator, including overturning and tilting of the piece. To simplify the programming of the mechanical arm, the press has been sensorized with appropriate transducers connected directly to the robot that allow the operator not having to make any adjustments to define the correctness of the bending edge and the sheet metal tracking phase: the transducers allow also to constantly monitor the effectiveness of the bending process, signaling any anomalies and preventing the production of defective parts due to automation. These particular devices and the related method have been patented and covered internationally. The structure consists of five axes, three linear and two polar: of the three linear axes, one is horizontal and parallel to the table to ensure maximum versatility of positioning in front of the bending stations and the positioning out of the working space during use in manual mode, the second is vertical to reach the maximum palletizing height in the entire working area and the third is perpendicular to the press and allows maximum positioning flexibility during the execution of the bending cycle. The two polar axes of the wrist allow the handling and gripping of any piece in any position and in an elementary way, because they are oriented according to the two operations that the operator manually performs in front of the press, the overturning and tilting of the piece.
The other technical features are the hollow shaft wrist, which allows to bring to the gripping hand, compressed air, vacuum and electrical signals without the risk of shearing of the same from the piece in moved sheet metal.. The last arm of the robot, moreover, always remains horizontal, allowing the piece to be placed in the matrix supporting it both from above and from below, without ever interfering with the piece itself. The linear axes make it possible to position the APR arm in the same way in front of any bending station, greatly simplifying the programming. The horizontal sliding beam is raised allowing the passage in the entire working area of the robot also to forklifts of medium-load: the beam is in such a "transparent" way compared to the overall dimensions, and does not limit in any way the manual use.
Another key feature is the management software (next to the machine) that has an incredible programming facility, allowing easy learning and use.
With the arrival of this automation, Ramo srl aims to improve the quality and efficiency of production.