Simplimatic integrates custom robotic cell for Denmark customer

Jul. 4, 2016 – Global material handling and automation equipment supplier Simplimatic Automation recently integrated a custom robotic cell for a customer in Denmark, which includes three Fanuc robots, conveyor, and a customized 12-station indexing dial manufacturing system.

According to Simplimatic Automation, the system also comprises a SD Sony camera and an HD IP Basler camera positioned above a custom vacuum light table. Both cameras utilize Fanuc iRVision software to locate the product, verify if the light table is clear, and ensure two barriers do not become stacked during production.

Simplimatic said its engineering team designed the rotating dial to perform 12 individual functions to fabricate an intricate medical device product, designed to preheat and form a medical-grade plastic barrier and join a preformed 2-part seal, labelling the barrier with variable size options, and punching a mounting hole into the product. After mechanical assembly, a Fanuc LR Mate 200iD robot removes the completed item from the dial and places it on a conveyor for final verification and packaging.

“The dial we created was a completely custom piece of equipment,” said Waheed Chaudhry, vice-president of engineering at Simplimatic Automation. “Our customer identified a need within their facility and we designed the machine to create a solution to that problem, all while increasing their production speed.”

With the new system, the customer said it was able to “double production throughput, increase consistent quality, and experience an expedient return on investment.”

“It is very exciting to see these machines we’ve worked so hard to program come to life within a customer’s facility,” said Klaus Wisskirchen, Simplimatic Automation senior controls engineer. “The systems we create solve a complicated production line problem for our customers. It’s very rewarding.”

— With files from Simplimatic Automation