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Issue link: https://pm.epubxp.com/i/196884
CASE IN POINT the system is programmed through MODUS software. Te Equator can be used manually with push-button ease, but its software for automation also makes it especially useful for integration into cells such as Conroe's. "We attended an open house at Hartwig in early 2012 and saw the Equator in action, along with Okuma's twin-spindle, dual-gantry lathe," Mr. Wardell says. "Apart from being automation ready for parts of our type, the lathe's Windowsbased OSP dual-path control has an open-architecture, PC-based operating platform, which was important in our plan for developing our own auto-compensation software." Gaging as Part of the Automated Cell Mr. Wardell and Mr. Buck went on to install a cell consisting of a lathe, a single Equator, an engraving machine, and a robot. In practice, the lathe's two-part carousels are loaded with raw workpieces—approximately 300 parts. Te lathe's dual gantry loaders feed the spindles and place fnished parts on a chute leading to a conveyor for pickup by the robot. Te robot places the part on the Equator for measurement, and if acceptable, transfers it to the engraving machine and fnally boxes/palletizes the fnished parts. "We developed our own tool compensation software to run on the OSP control," Mr. Wardell says. "Tis software uses measuring results from the Equator, transmitted in the form of a CSV fle, to ofset the tools when the part deviates from tolerance." Machining removes about 0.015 inch from each side of the part, with the tightest tolerance at ±0.001 inch and an 8 micro-inch surface fnish. Parts range in size from about 3 to 6 inches OD. "Te Equator is easily able to measure within our tolerances with a high margin," Mr. Wardell says. "Our OD/ID stays spot on, with perhaps a couple of tenths variation on radius. We batch-process parts by size, so change-overs of chuck jaws and other tooling are minimized. Te Equator's speed allows it to easily keep pace with the process. We re-master only once a day, because our shop is climate controlled to 72°F." Inspection Principles and Automated Flexibility Te measuring methodology for the parts is simple, according to Mr. Wardell. "We made an aluminum block with a hole in the center, which is placed in the center of the Equator fxture plate," he says. "We use this to determine our center and set our coordinate system. Each part is placed in the center of that block. We touch to get a center on the part, then surface scan for everything else. We planned the measurement process to work without a part fxture or stylus changing. Te robot chooses, through the gage's software, which measuring program to run for each type of part. We know the critical features we must measure to ensure the part is within tolerance." For Conroe's machining cell, there was no other cost-efective, shopfoor measuring tool comparable with the Equator, according to Mr. Wardell. "We hope that our venture into cell integration for a customer opens a new business avenue in this area for our entire company." Video: Robots Automate Roughing Operation To view a video showing Conroe Machining's "Johnny 5" robot automating its early roughing operation, go to "Programmable Gages Help Create Automation Cell" on PM's website. LINK :: short.productionmachining.com/progrgages For more information: Renishaw Inc. :: 847-286-9953 renishaw.com Conroe Machine :: 936-494-2566 conroemachine.com 48 PRODUCTION MACHINING :: NOVEMBER 2013