Product category:
Fasteners, threaded and non-threaded
News Release from: Henrob Direct | Subject: Henrob robot-mounted riveting tools
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 02 July 2007
Self-piercing rivets chosen for truck
cabs
Freightliner decided to invest in sophisticated robotic riveting cells to assemble its all-aluminium cab structures.
Henrob was charged with designing riveting tools for Freightliner Trucks in the US Freightliner has long relied on Henrob to supply both the self-piercing rivets and tools used in the manufacture of its Century Class range of heavy truck cabs, with the process now adopted throughout all of Freightliner's manufacturing plants
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 13 Jul 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Rivets don protective and decorative coats
Henrob can supply steel self-pierce rivets with a variety of protective or decorative coatings.
Handheld riveting tool takes to the field
The RivLite is a handheld battery-powered tool for installing rivets where complete portability is required, such as field applications or on-site repair.
"Because the rivets are self-piercing, no skin drilling is required".
"Henrob rivets can be applied manually or robotically with consistent quality" says Hans Mussgnug, SVP Manufacturing at Freightliner.
For its latest project, Freightliner decided to invest in sophisticated robotic riveting cells to assemble the all-aluminium cab structures.
Henrob was required to design and manufacture a range of riveting tools suitable for such highly automated production, while giving access to all areas of the cab requiring joining.
Based on its experience implementing robotic riveting systems at Jaguar, Land Rover, Hyundai and other automotive manufacturing plants around the world, Henrob was able to design and supply sophisticated servo driven riveting tools, with all the accessories required to integrate seamlessly into Freightliner's assembly process.
However, the sheer size of the Freightliner cabs meant that Henrob had to design its largest robot-mounted riveting tools ever attempted, with a reach of over 1200mm.
Obviously, with a riveting tool of this size, weight becomes a serious issue when trying to mount the tool on a robot.
In order to constrain the tool weight to a level that the robots could handle, Henrob had to use advanced design algorithms combined with finite element optimisation and state of the art manufacturing processes to produce a tool that was lightweight, yet stiff enough to withstand the 5 tonnes force generated during rivet insertion.
The resulting lightweight tool was based on a skeletal framework, rather than the commonly used solid body, with stresses throughout the framework balanced to maintain optimum quality for the riveted joint.
Henrob also supplies self-pierce riveting systems for applications as diverse as wheelbarrows, steel framed buildings, point of sale displays and road signs.
• Henrob Direct: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Engineeringtalk email newsletter
• Engineeringtalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
