Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News - Displaying items by tag: Robotic automation

New Launches Ease Integration With Universal Robots’ Applications

Universal Robots (UR), the Danish company that manufactures flexible and safe industrial robots that advocate human-robot collaboration, has launched Universal Robots+, a series of plug and play application solutions to offer companies a fuss-free, simple integration process when installing the UR robot applications.

ABB Expands Robotics Portfolio With Gomtec

Germany’s Gomtec has innovative technology and engineering expertise to support ABB’s shift towards collaborative robotic automation.

Quick Box - Features

PLM Industry: Report Shows Growth

CIMdata, in its 2016 PLM Industry Analysis Report, showed growth in PLM spending in 2015 as all industries were affected by the trend towards smart, connected products, either directly or because of the effects of the Internet of Things (IoT).

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Voice Of The Industry: Is Now The Time To Try Direct Digital Manufacturing?

Scott Crump, chairman and chief innovation officer of Stratasys explains how direct digital manufacturing, otherwise known as 3D printing, is fast emerging as a disruptive technology that may make manufacturers rethink manufacturing.

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Machining Exotic Materials: How To Get It Right

APMEN spoke with two machining experts to see how they are handling the machining and fabrication of exotic materials. By Joson Ng

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Quick Box - Cutting Tools

Elements For Successful Face Milling

Boost productivity in face milling operations with pivotal technologies. By Sandvik Coromant.

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Turbine Blade Machining

High temperature alloys make machining turbine blades more complicated and expensive, giving rise to the need for more creativity in terms of tool selection and milling strategies. Contributed by Andreas Elenz & Thomas Schaarschmidt , Walter Tübingen.

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Longer Tool Life With Reliable Processes

New tools, coatings and geometries set standards in parting off operations. By Lim Gan Shu, Walter Singapore Marketing

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Quick Box - Metrology & Design

How To Decide Between Contact & Non-Contact Measurement?

Making a right choice between tactile and non-tactile measuring technology may be a challenging task. By Joson Ng

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Laser Trackers: Accuracy In Aircraft Assembly

These trackers make extremely appealing metrology instruments, especially the ability to capture large volumes of 3-dimensional coordinate data quickly and in real-time. By Minta Chen, marketing specialist, Faro.

The accuracy of an aircraft assembly jig directly affects the precision of a piece that it produces, which, in turn, affects an aircraft’s flight safety and the safety of its crew and property.

Typically, laser trackers are used to inspect the aircraft assembly jigs which form part of the production line. Once component parts of the jig are manufactured, they are put together to become the tool on which aircraft assembly takes place.

Inspection of aircraft tooling jigs with the laser tracker.

These trackers are extremely appealing metrology instruments due to their size, portability, repeatability and accuracy. In addition, the ability to capture large volumes of 3-dimensional coordinate data quickly and in real-time, appeal to the technicians involved.

Through accurate measurements taken, a technician can check to ensure that various component parts are in the right position and within tolerance, as stipulated by design. Without the tracker, these measurements would not be possible with common measurement methods such as fixed coordinate measuring machines or traditional tools.

Manufacturing Applications

Not too long ago, manufacturers had to perform tests on parts and components using stationary coordinate measurement machines (CMMs). This proved vexing and difficult if you were trying to measure large parts or parts still on the production machine. With the portability of laser trackers, 3D measurements can now be completed with unprecedented speed and minimum disruption.

The aerospace industry was one of the earlier adopters in the technology. Using one or more laser trackers, metrology engineers could rapidly and accurately deliver 3D measurements and process improvements.

Tianjin TQM Feiyue Aviation (a subsidiary of Tianjin Motor Dies) based in Tianjin, China, focuses on aviation equipment technology development, transfer and consultancy, as well as the manufacturing of aviation equipment such as spare parts and aircraft sheet metal parts.

Tooling for a Bombardier C-series hatch door.

The company purchased a Faro Laser Tracker back in 2008. Tianjin TQM Feiyue’s project manager, Yan Zhichao, said: “At that time, Airbus was using the Faro Laser Tracker on their shop floor. That prompted us to purchase from Faro, because we wanted to ensure consistency between us and our customer.”

Seven years later, the company purchased a Laser Tracker Vantage, the CAM2 Measure software, as well as the Prime from Faro. Two additional laser trackers and a FaroArm in were added in 2015.

Making Full Use

At TQM Feiyue, the team’s work revolves around different assembly jigs and transportation jigs. Despite the wide-ranging measurement needs of between 8 – 16 m, and accuracy requirements of 0.05 – 0.08 mm, the laser trackers were able to meet the company’s variety of needs. Separately, the FaroArm is used to verify smaller-sized tooling at time of delivery, or used to complement the Laser Trackers in measuring difficult-to-reach areas.

Inspecting a LE700 small aircraft assembly jig with a laser tracker.

In 2015, TQM Feiyue built and commissioned a complete set of aircraft assembly line for General Aviation International (Xi’an) Aircraft Technology (Gavin) line of private jets. The laser trackers were used to perform measurements and inspections, especially in the final stages of the project, before handover.

The company found that its usage of the laser trackers increased over time, with its team clocking as much as 12 hours on the devices each day. The increase in frequency is linked to the need for accuracy on the assembly jigs. The team would bring the laser tracker on-site to take pre-delivery measurements. In addition, as a post-sales service, TQM Feiyue would deploy the laser trackers at their customers’ premises 60 percent of the time, using the device on a variety of work environments.

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Best Selection Practices With Multi Tasking

The sophistication of multitasking machining systems has made it expensive and the selection of a system for the right application an important decision becomes all the more complex.

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Quick Box - Sheet Metalworking

Marked By Laser

Laser marking has significant advantages in terms of productivity and costs. It does not hurt when it produces good quality as well. Contributed by Petrina Heng, sales manager, Laser Division of Trumpf Asia Pacific

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Quick Draw With Automation

Automated control system can play an influential role in the cycle time of a deep drawing press. Contributed by David Chia, MD, Beckhoff Automation

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Fibre Laser Reaching Out To Medium Sheet Thicknesses

We see how fibre laser cutting technology is a meaningful extension to existing CO2 laser cutting systems. By Oliver Hergt, editor corporate communications, Bystronic Group

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Quick Box - Product Highlights

Iscar: The Perfect Thread

Product of the company’s R&D Department, Iscar’s new threading tools provide users with solutions that boost production, raise quality and provide substantial cost reduction benefits.

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CGTech: Vericut V7.3 Software

CGTech has released a latest version for their Vericut software, V7.3. The software can be operated independently or integrated with CAD/CAM systems and machine tools. With the machine simulation feature, collisions and near-misses between all machine tool components like axis slides, heads, turrets and more can be detected. Machine movements can also be simulated while stepping or playing backwards in the software’s review mode. Without requiring a license and even offering animations of CNC machining processes, this mode can play forward and backward while removing and replacing material.

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Hommel+Keller: Marking Tools

Hommel+Keller offers two marking procedures for efficient and cost-effective production processes, namely the revolving marking procedure and the spring return system. For the former, tool series 130 and 131 combined with marking rolls 40 and 40-A, or series 311 and 312 combined with marking roll 40-K can be used for conical applications and flat surface marking.

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Manufacturing Applications

Making Full Use