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 Automation is fast becoming the way of continuous improvement for manufacturers. What is often referred to as Kaizen for continuous improvement, integrated automation for CNC turning is an area where automation is fast pooling in. Specialising in this field is Bangalore-based Meiban Engineering Technologies, an associate company of Muratec, Japan. Murata Machinery of Japan, whose brand name is Muratec, is a global leader in providing state-of-the-art technology for CNC turning process with fully integrated in-house and in-built automation for a wide range of applications. This is especially true for the medium and large volume production industries. Having accumulated a application know-how over the past two decades, Muratec covers a wide range of components. From simple to the most complicated and high precision ones. Fully servo-controlled 3-axis integrated gantry loaders are the key solution offered with every type of machine in the full range to handle workpieces upto 350 mm diameter, weighing upto 20 Kg.
With manufacturers striving for leaner setups and a faster turn-around time, it is interesting to find that Muratec’s automation solutions include not just loading and unloading of the workpieces from the machine chucks with the unique gantry loader chucks, but also full range of peripherals for workpiece feed-in, Poka-Yoke, turnaround from one operation to next, washing, post-process gaging, feed-out, transfer and line layouts. For each of these peripherals, Muratec has standardised modules to cover a range of product sizes or designs and builds customized solutions to match individual production volumes and variations. As mentioned above, the ultimate aim the solutions strive to achieve is high levels of efficiency of productivity on a 24x7 basis with stable quality-controlled production output.
Going into details, the main factors to decide the type of feed-in unit include ease of feeding the workpiece by semi-skilled labour, stock volume to let the full system operate unattended for certain minimum period such as lunch time break, ensure that every workpiece is picked up by the gantry loader in safe environment and stably loaded on to the machine chuck. The most standardised solution to cover a wide range of round or non-round, symmetrical or non-symmetrical workpieces to feed-in, is the pallet feeder. These are basically of two types—the stacking type and the flat non-stacking type. The pallet Jigs can be easily designed and manufactured locally if required to suit the input casting or forging or cut bars of varied shapes. For round workpieces, the simple 3-pole setting design adds to flexibility and reduction in set-up change time as well.
 Depending on the quality of the feed-in material, simple re-chucking station is provided which can be designed for Poka Yoke check as well. This eliminates wrong or improper workpiece loading and thus avoids accidents and damage to chucks. Almost every workpiece which has to be turned, needs two chucking operations (front and back). Muratec’s Twin-Spindle Chuckers with the gantry loader and turnaround unit satisfy this requirement for every kind of application. It is essential that the loader keeps pace with the actual machine turning cycle times of the two operations. For shorter cycle time operations with very high throughput requirements, twin gantry loaders and multiple-spindle line are offered.
For close tolerance control with high levels of Cpk, Muratec has standardised and customised solutions for post-process gaging which ensures unattended quality control without productivity loss. To further enhance the reliability of the gaging system itself, workpiece Washing Station is also offered. Completely finished, quality-controlled workpieces can be fed-out finally to a variety of standardised or customised systems similar to feed-in. Linking up with a succeeding process such as broaching, heat treatment, drill center, etc. is also achieved easily with the versatility of the gantry loader.
In majority of the applications, the integrated gantry loader is able to handle the workpiece through all the peripherals, without the necessity for any additional handling units or robots. Muratec’s Automation solutions are ultimately economical and help in reducing the cost per workpiece. Even in developing markets like India, China and Brazil where traditionally labour cost is considered cheap, Meiban Engineering Technologies, in India, is fully geared up to give the best application proposals for CNC turning machines with integrated automation.
(For further information contact: Meiban Engineering Technologies, Bangalore, Tel: 080-26491229, Fax: 91-80-26491239, Email: office@meibanengg.com)
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