Follow on Google News News By Tag Industry News News By Location Country(s) Industry News
Follow on Google News | ABB robots propel Finish manufacturer to successManufacturing customized propellers requires a unique solution with uncompromised precision - which can be best solved by an industrial robot
By: ABB Robotics ABB IRB 6600 robot milling and grinding propeller blades for Wartsila . The manufacturing process is very demanding. It starts in the foundry where a block of high-density Extruded Polystyrene (EPS) is milled using a large ABB industrial robot (IRB 6400). This profile is then used to produce a sand copy of one half of the propeller blade. The two halves are then clamped in a metal frame, into which “cunial” — a copper-nickel- The individual blades are then transported to another part of the factory where they are ground and polished using two ABB robots on linear tracks. The previous manual grinding was tedious and it was difficult to ensure that the requisite amount of material was consistently removed. Robotic automation is ideal for customized design. The blades are curved, so a 5-7 axes robot has to be employed. Robots are ideal for these types of application since no two solutions are the same. The grinding process automatically accommodates progressive reductions in the depth of the grinding material. The pressure is controlled, together with the robot feed or speed. This process is complex because of the different angles and material stock. The milling process will typically take six hours. Grinding cycles depend on size, but eight hours is a typical figure. In addition some manual work is needed. The grinding process is done two-up so the robot line will typically produce four blades a day. Robots crucial to keep production capacity. The IRB 6400 robot has been operational since 1999 and the second robot (IRB 6600) was added in 2008. André Janssen, Manager Manufacturing Technology & Tools at Wärtsilä: says “We gained a lot of automation experience with the first robot and the second was needed to increase our production capacity. The new model employs an electric high-frequency motor instead of hydraulics and this allows tools to be changed using a standard HSK tool adaption system, as in a CNC (computer numerical control) system. An additional robot (IRB 6640) was installed for manufacturing EPS patterns. Blade profiles are generated automatically and translated into instructions for the robots. A computer system is used to take inputs from the CAD/CAM system and translate them into robot instructions. The robots can be programmed to grind and polish the same blades or those of different propulsion solutions. The process complies with ISO-484 manufacturing tolerances. “Because of the complexity of the blade shape robots are the only way we can meet our production schedules,” says André Janssen. “Our order book is full and to meet the demands of our worldwide customers we run the production line 24 x 7 with minimal downtime.” About Wärtsilä Wärtsilä is a Finnish company whose roots date back to 1903. The company offers reliable, cost-effective solutions for all marine power and propulsion needs. The company markets power plants and ship power systems with propulsion solutions having controllable and fixed pitch propellers. Wärtsilä has 130 locations in 75 countries around the world. There are 900 employees at the Delivery Center Propulsion factory in Drunen and a total of 17,500 worldwide They have delivered more than 10,000 propulsion solutions and are the market leader in this sector. Wärtsilä works closely with the owner of the ship and the yard in order to ensure that the propeller delivers the optimum performance in all operating conditions. # # # About ABB ABB (www.abb.com) About ABB Robotics ABB Robotics (www.abb.com/ End
Account Email Address Account Phone Number Disclaimer Report Abuse
|
|