MSP Ltd, the precision turned parts manufacturer, has increased its production by 15% on a single shift after taking delivery of a DENSO 4-axis machine-tending robot from AA Robotics.

The robot loads and unloads components from pallets and holds them while sensors, which measure height and diameter, check their quality.

The installation is part of a programme of investment which followed MSP's management buy-out earlier in the year. AA Robotics recommended the solution to assist in the manufacture of gas meter fittings and prepared a 3D simulation and mechanical and electrical design for the manufacturing proces, as well as proving the robot and grippers.

Pallets of components are carried on a conveyor from a Multi-Spidle Automatic lathe. The robot takes a component from the pallet and presents it in the correct orientation to an automated horizontal drilling and tapping machine. Completed components are then removed, inspected and placed back into the same pallet before passing to the washing process.

The DENSO robot has four seconds to unload, inspect, pack and reload the machine. A chuck clamp on the drilling and tapping machine has an opening with a tolerance of 0.5mm, which is well within the robot's capability of 0.02mm positioning repeatability. Parts are measured to 0.25mm as the component passes under the height sensor. The robot places suspect components into a reject bin. This removes the need to 'fixture' the component for inspection.

Beacuse of the flexibilty of the DENSO robot, MSP is now investigating similar tasks, which could benefit from automation. The company aims to make investment in flexible machine tending equipment which can be re-used for many different tasks and contracts.

Following the successful integration, Martin Smith, Quality Director of MSP says, "Being able to select the exact robot for the application - be it a 4-axis or a 6-axis requirement using the same pendant and control systems makes operation and maintenance very easy.

Having seen what is required on this first system, with help from AA Robotics, distributer of DENSO Robots in the UK and Ireland. The range is from 2.5kg up to 20kg payload in 4-axis or 6-axis arm configurations with a reach of 400mm to 1300mm. DENSO robots have a fast 0.3 second pick and place operation which is repeatable to ±0.015mm.

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