Automating High-Mix, Low-Volume Machine Tending

Founded in 2013 and based in Kecskemét, Hungary, family-owned BS CNC Workshop Kft produces precision metal components in its 900-sq.-m (9,688 sq. ft.) high-mix, low-volume production facility. The manufacturer operates three CNC lathes, four CNC milling machines and a conventional slab grinder. The company has grown steadily to become a supplier to several large multinational companies.

In 2020, BS CNC upgraded its quality assurance department by installing a measuring room that adheres to current standards. The temperature-controlled environment houses a coordinate measuring machine, a linear height gauge, a surface roughness gauge and an optical measuring machine.

BS CNC reports that it employs highly experienced personnel who specialize in CNC machining, locksmithing, programming and quality assurance. Machine tending is a time-consuming task for those valued employees, however, and the repetitive and monotonous nature of the task makes it difficult to hire and keep skilled operators.

Barabás Sándor, managing director and owner of BS CNC, said, “We knew that robotic automation could solve our challenges, but we were unsure if it was feasible to invest in automation due to the nature of our production.”

BS CNC turned to Wamatec Hungary Kft, a system integrator that works closely with OnRobot to automate CNC machine tending. OnRobot provides tools and software for collaborative robot applications. (OnRobot Americas is in Irving, Texas.) Key to the solution was OnRobot’s broad portfolio of flexible and intelligent electric grippers that can easily adapt to handle a range of different parts.

“After a proof of concept, we realized automating our high-mix, low-volume production was not a problem and that it would make financial sense,” Sándor said.