Time and cost savings in the manufacturing of complex components for automation – Inser Robótica
Discover two examples of 3D printed final part as a solution to specific problems in the automation of robotic lines for the food and consumer non-durable goods sector.
Inser Robótica was born in 1986 from another company in operation since 1973, which integrated the first industrial robot in Spain. Its genesis was linked to the metal and automotive auxiliary industry, integrating welding or machinery loading and unloading applications, among others.
Today they are focused on end-of-line automation in the food and non-durable consumer goods sectors.
THE GENERAL NEED
Save time and money by manufacturing highly complex components
Inser Robótica designs and implements automated processes for the packaging of products that lead to the warehouse or loading dock. This route includes proprietary and third-party technologies that are used to perform quality inspections, form boxes, fill them with product, close them, palletize them, stretch wrap them, strap them and label them. When the pallet is ready, they also automatically perform the internal transfer using guided vehicles and autonomous mobile robots.
All of this requires the machines to be carefully matched, coordinated, with precise articulated movements, which forces Inser Robótica´s engineers to investigate component designs of complex shapes. With traditional machine tools and machining centers, these geometries are not easily achievable, as they involve multiple steps to produce a finished part. They are usually composed of several elements and assembly is sometimes a problem, which lengthens production lead times and significantly increases costs.
The main needs were:
1
Reduce time
The challenge is to reduce the design and production time of both prototypes and finished individual elements used directly in the operation of their machines.
2
Improve efficiency and fluidity
To guarantee the correct operation of the processes, without stoppages or dependence on third parties, forgetting the long lead times, reducing the number of stored components to a minimum. A fundamental need, shared by many manufacturing or automated machinery companies.
3
Gain operational versatility
Find ways to eliminate the limitations of mechanical design to provide parts with complex geometries and/or reduced weights. Inser Robotics machines are subjected to long working cycles and this dynamic forces designers to manufacture parts that solve and improve the functionality of the systems.
Examples of final 3D printed part
Guide for towline and claw for loading system
From 3DZ, we want to share two examples of application cases in which 3D printing has meant significant time and cost savings for Inser Robotics, both in the prototyping phase and in the 3D printing of the final part.
Automated welding system for a manufacturer of industrial warehouses
PROJECT 1 - Towline Guide
The project proposes an automated welding system for manufacturing racking beams.
In this system, the profiles arrive at the cell on pallets, which requires equipment capable of feeding the line with these profiles.
Once inside the cell, a high-capacity, long-reach robot handles the profiles individually, loading each one onto one of the two existing welding tables. Thanks to its dual tooling, the robot can unload the welded rack beam and load an unwelded profile without wasting time.
PROJECT 1 - Towline Guide
The challenge
At one end is the spool with the welding material, and at the other end is the welding machine. The purpose of the towline is to support the chamber through which the welding wire passes to the robot.
The risk of possible obstructions due to excessive friction or excessive bending could lead to a non-fluid flow of the wire, exposing the welding cell to possible stoppages and, consequently, to production stoppages.
PROJECT 1 - Towline Guide
The solution
To guide the wire rope from the welding machine to the robot, a part was designed to avoid interference with the fence. The part had to secure the tube/camera at a specific angle to prevent it from bending, with the aim of improving accuracy. It also had to be easy to assemble.
To find the correct angle of the tow and avoid possible obstructions of the filament passing through it, the design of the part started with Eiger, Markforged’s software solution for creating and managing parts.
With the Markforged 3D printer Mark Two different prototypes were tested quickly and economically, ending with the printing of the final part once the correct geometry had been found.
“This choice led to very significant time and cost savings, given the complexity of producing such a component. With Markforged’s 3D printer, the engineering team has been able to test different prototypes quickly and economically, which has allowed us to find the right geometry without spending a lot of money” says Unai Iriarte, Mechanical Designer at Inser Robótica.
Final 3D printed part
The guide is printed on Onyx™, a nylon reinforced with carbon microfibers that creates parts with a virtually flawless finish. Few materials are so versatile, as it has high strength, toughness and resistance to chemicals, for example. The part secures the chamber through which the welding wire runs with a very simple assembly system.
“The initial proposal presented the risk of generating obstructions in the towline, as well as reducing its life time due to the rigidity of the tube, which led to excessive bending. In either case, 3DZ has accompanied us throughout the process; from the initial contact at a trade fair consulting 3D solutions for our daily casuistry, to the complete advice on 3D technologies for the subsequent purchase of equipment and after-sales service.”
Iñigo Jáuregui
Mechanical Design Manager en Inser Robótica
Improving the efficiency and fluidity of the cap packing process on the production line
PROJECT 2 - Claw for box loading system
The cell automates the unergonomic task of feeding a case erector with blank cartons. The cobot locates the position of the stack of carton blanks on the pallet by itself, picks up groups of five cartons, and places them in the case erector’s magazine or tray.
PROJECT 2 - Claw for box loading system
The challenge
The project deals with the integration of an automated case erector with a case loading system.
The solution initially proposed for the gripper of the loading system entailed a potential unbalance when the base cylinder was extended. This posed a risk directly linked to the durability of the cylinder and, therefore, to the functionality of the gripper.
PROJECT 2 - Claw for box loading system
The solution
To solve the strength issues in the lower lip of the gripper, the Inser Robótica engineering team designed a part that improved the overall system by eliminating durability concerns.
This part, printed in Onyx™ with Markforged’s Mark Two 3D printer, is intended to wrap around the main structure of the gripper when the cylinder is extended, thus eliminating the “play” detected in the system.
The engineering team was able to test different prototypes quickly and cost-effectively, which allowed them to find the correct geometry without incurring large costs.
The decision to use Markforged’s Eiger software and Mark Two to design and print the final part “resulted in significant savings in time and money due to the complexity of manufacturing the component” concludes Iriarte.
3DZ support
3DZ’s support enabled Inser Robotica´s managers to choose which type of 3D printers were best suited to meet their needs.
After a detailed understanding of their processes and the performance of various benchmarks, the team was able to make an informed decision. In this case, they opted for a 3D printer that stands out for being the only industrial desktop printer that, in a matter of hours, allows you to directly convert your CAD designs into parts stronger than the Al6061: the Mark Two model from Markforged.
PROJECT 1 - Towline Guide
