Studer recently launched ‘roboLoad’ a new type of loading system for CNC radius internal cylindrical grinding machines at
EMO 2021 in Milan. The special characteristics of these grinding machines, such as the height of the workhead and the associated geometric restrictions, made the development of a handling solution a major challenge.
However, the company has successfully created an automatic loading system that not only meets the geometrical requirements but also has a comparatively small footprint as well as a keen price-performance ratio. For the user, the Studer roboLoad can be operated without any programming knowledge, enables greater flexibility in production and moreover, is very simple to operate.
In the Studer S121, S131, and S141 radius internal cylindrical grinding machines — which can be used in the packaging industry for the production of dies — the automatic B axis has a swivel range of -60deg to +91deg.
Daniel Schafroth, Studer systems division manager, said: “That is why the automation has to get out of the machine to give it the freedom to swivel. The roboLoad, a 1.5m wide external loader, is only half as wide as the machine itself. This is not insignificant as the floor space in modern production halls has to be used efficiently.”
In this comparatively small space, the roboLoad offers plenty of room for workpieces to be loaded manually on six trays, each measuring 1,080 x 320mm.
He continued: “We are not talking about large-scale production here, but about unmanned production during the night shift for example, or making good use of breaks in other production processes.”
It is worth noting that any grinding program can be called up for the workpieces. The Studer roboLoad processes these and places each component back in the same place after machining.
The decisive factor in the development of the Studer roboLoad was the simplicity of operation. The set-up wizard, developed in collaboration the Swiss automation specialist Wenger, does not require any programming knowledge from the setter or machine operator and instructions are displayed on a large 19in intuitive screen.
Mr Schafroth concluded: “With roboLoad, an operator to able to set up a new workpiece, including the changeover of the gripper jaws, within 15min.”