Product category:
Electric Linear Actuators
News Release from: Festo | Subject: Electromechanical actuators
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 26 August 2004
Cutting machine upgrade boosts kitchen
throughput
A touch-screen-operated motion control system, linked to a servo-driven actuator, is enhancing the performance of a cutting machine employed by one of the country's major fitted kitchen makers.
A touch-screen-operated motion control system, linked to a servo-driven actuator, is enhancing the performance of a cutting machine employed by one of the country's major fitted kitchen makers The Symphony Group is the UK's second largest fitted furniture manufacturer, employing around 1400 people manufacturing kitchen, bathroom and bedroom furniture in Leeds, Rotherham and Nottingham
A major part of its business is the manufacture of fitted kitchen units, and within that process is the production of kitchen unit worktops.
The company's customers include the myriad of contract kitchen fitters and builders who need worktops manufactured to precise measurements.
The plant in Leeds produces some 600 worktops cut to size each day, a total of around 150,000 per year.
This workload had taken its toll on the company's cutting machine which had functioned for 10 years - operating at least two shifts per day for five days per week during this period.
"Quite simply, it had worn out", explains Ron Nolan, Works Engineer at Symphony in Leeds.
The original machine used a lead screw and stepper motor for its drive system, and maintained a positional accuracy of +/-0.1mm.
Symphony's objective was to replace the system with a faster machine that would match or exceed the reliability and accuracy of the original.
Steve Bell, Internal Development Engineer at Symphony who would be generating the software for the new system turned to Mitsubishi Electric, whose PLCs are widely used across the company's manufacturing sites.
As the new cutting machine required a long-stroke guided electromechanical axis, in turn Mitsubishi enlisted the assistance of Festo.
The collaborators recommended a 5m-long electromechanical belt drive from the Festo DGEL family, coupled to a Mitsubishi servomotor and gearbox.
This combination provides the positioning axis with a considerably improved dynamic capability - stemming from the servomotor's higher torque and the linear actuator's low-friction roller-guide - speeding cutting cycles compared with the previous drive arrangement.
These axis components were assembled by Festo Engineering Services, with CR Solutions - the Mitsubishi systems integrator - providing the control equipment and expertise.
With Symphony's engineers requiring a detailed appraisal and understanding of the system before installation, the collaborating vendors took advantage of the Festo Applied Automation Centre in Northampton, and CR Solutions used it to present a working demonstration.
Impressed by the performance, and recognising the productivity benefits that the new machine would deliver, Symphony's Ron Nolan accepted the proposed integrated system solution.
The new machine features a Mitsubishi touch-screen human-machine-interface (HMI) that allows the operator to enter cross cut length information directly.
The system then automatically positions the workpiece and cuts to length.
Via Ethernet, the HMI links directly into Symphony's factory-wide IT network, delivering real-time manufacturing data for production planning as well as week-long trend monitoring, analysis and throughput efficiency statistics.
"The new machine meets our specifications and does indeed improve on the speed of the old system, while maintaining the 0.1mm accuracy we demand", says Nolan.
"Efficiency is everything to us".
"We don't like to waste time or material resources; we even crush the sawn offcuts to fuel the factory heater".
"Now the new cutting process makes better use of time, and we are delighted with the results", he adds.
A further development phase is already underway at Symphony to incorporate PLC units to control the infeed area.
This will, essentially, provide a closed loop manufacturing cycle for the worktop cutting, thereby improving the efficiency and throughput of the entire process. Request a free brochure from Festo ...
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