RÖSLER OBERFLÄCHENTECHNIK GmbH supplied a continuous-feed wire-mesh belt blast machine with largely automated workpiece handling to a manufacturer of various gear components for electric vehicle transmissions. It was the second Rösler installation for that customer, who selected the system based on its high productivity, a compact automation concept, easy maintenance, and sturdy equipment design.
At the start of the deburring operation the workpieces are manually placed on two storage units, which are part of the workpiece transport system. After an integrated camera system has confirmed the correct transport position, the components are precisely positioned on the wire-mesh belt in lots of three and continuously transported through the shot-blast machine.
Upon completion of the shot-blast process a powerful blow-off system removes any residual blast media from the workpieces.
In the next step the now deburred components are transferred onto a buffering station consisting of a conveyor belt. Here the workpieces are precisely repositioned so that a robot can pick up four pieces at a time and place them in layers into suitably staged workpieces bins.
Whenever a layer is complete, the robot picks up an intermediate cardboard sheet and places it in the bin. Completely filled or, in case of a workpiece change, partially filled bins are automatically removed from the robot working area. This allows the operator to safely remove them from the manufacturing cell with a lift cart.
Whenever the workpiece type changes, the operator selects the new type in the HMI. This causes the machine control to empty one of the two storage units of the workpiece transport system so that new parts can be immediately placed on the now empty storage unit. At the same the machine control selects the respective shot-blast parameters for the new workpiece type. This optimizes deburring results and prevents any input errors by the operator.
The shot- blasting machine was designed for three-shift operation, allowing cycle times of less than eight seconds per workpieces. Equipped with four high-performance blast turbines, each one with an installed power of 11 kW, the machine provides ample “fire power” to achieve the required deburring results. The precise placement of the turbines on the blast chamber was determined with a special software allowing the simulation of the blast pattern for the entire workpieces range. This ensures that all workpiece sections are reliably deburred within the required cycle time.
Carbide steel turbines guarantee long uptimes and minimal maintenance. The same material was used for those blast chamber sections exposed to a higher risk of wear. To facilitate maintenance and minimize non-productive idle times, these sections are lined with replaceable carbide steel plates. The turbine type and blast chamber design of both Rösler shot-blast machines are practically identical, simplifying maintenance and spare-parts management. Learn more at www.rosler.com