Vertical automation

Humans love to automate things. Since the day some prehistoric farmer slipped a harness around the neck of an unsuspecting animal, people have striven to reduce their manual efforts and improve the efficiency of their work. In manufacturing, starting with the 19th century’s first steam-powered lathes, automation technology has evolved to the point where lights-out machining is common, and labor costs are less of an issue.

Affordably Automated

One machine tool historically passed over for parts-handling and probing automation has been the vertical machining center. Unlike their horizontal cousins—most of which are equipped with built-in pallet changers, rotary tables and large tool magazines that make them ideal for automated machining—VMCs, as a rule, are basic affairs, suitable for low-volume work and a limited range of workpiece sizes. Walk into most shops and the sexiest thing you’ll see on a VMC is an indexing table or a pair of vises.

VMCs have one big advantage over horizontals, however—they’re inexpensive. Consider that a typical horizontal costs $200,000, perhaps far more. A decent vertical is half that price. Bolt on an aftermarket pallet changer and even a basic VMC gains much of the automation capability seen in its more expensive counterpart.

Courtesy of FANUC America

A gantry-mounted robot can service several VMCs from a single platform.

Mike Cayley Jr., vice president of manufacturing for Midaco Corp., Elk Grove Village, Ill., said the number of shops taking this route is on the rise. “We’re selling pallet changers to just about everybody.”

The biggest advantage to pallet changers, Cayley explained, is increased uptime. The machine is not sitting idle while the operator wrangles with a vise handle or blows chips off a fixture prior to loading a workpiece. For $40,000 and a day or so for installation, Midaco will be happy to fly a technician to your site, cut a big hole in the end of a VMC and bolt on a shiny new pallet changer.

The result is a device that can automatically swap an entire machine table’s worth of parts in a few seconds via an M code sent by the control. This frees the operator to tend other equipment, check parts, prepare the next job or load the next pallet. And increasing spindle time by just 1 hour per day at a $75 hourly shop rate means a 2-year return on investment. But, as Cayley pointed out, many shops see ROI much faster than that by eliminating several hours of daily downtime, depending on the application.

Myriad Mechanizations

Paul Robinson, automation manager at Florence, Ky.-based Mazak Corp., probably can’t help you retrofit a pallet changer for a VMC from another builder, but he’s more than willing to outfit a new Mazak with one from the factory, an increasingly popular option. “At least 50 percent of all machines we sell have some form of automation. For a vertical, that could be a simple two-position pallet changer, an articulated robot or a Palletech suitable for multiple machines,” he said.

Courtesy of Midaco

A Midaco automatic pallet changer with safety guards in place.

Robinson added that in the past, only large job shops and automotive OEMs bought automated systems, while today even small shops are considering automation to improve their capabilities and productivity in the face of smaller lot sizes. “They need the flexibility to change setups quickly, and, in some cases, do so automatically,” he said. “If the machine and automation has all the necessary tooling and programs preloaded, then all that’s required is a schedule of what job to run next. Shops can change over on the fly.”

Taking automation to the next level takes more than a pallet changer, however, and additional capabilities are needed to have your machine tools dance solo. “One of the first things you should consider is the number of tools you’ll need,” Robinson said. “Many 20 “×40 ” VMCs have 20 to 30 tools. This is frequently not enough for multiple pallets, especially if you want to accommodate additional setups and redundant tooling.”

Another consideration is coolant. Robinson recommends beefing up the coolant pump and filtration systems to handle an automated system’s increased productivity. Systems of 1,000 psi or more are readily available, providing an effective way to flush chips out of holes and pockets, particularly for lights-out machining. And increased coolant pressure reduces heat at the cutting edge and evacuates chips, helping to assure predictable tool life for those long, lonely nights. Finally, both of these goals are best served by clean cutting fluid—manufacturers of high-pressure coolant systems typically recommend filtration levels of better than 25µm to remove fine swarf and prevent catastrophic coolant interruption.

Robust Robotics

Methods Machine Tools Inc. is another company offering automated machines. John Lucier, automation manager for the Sudbury, Mass.-based machine supplier, explained that a large percentage of its automation projects are on verticals. “For many applications, we see auto-loaded VMCs as a great alternative to horizontals. They’re especially well-suited for smaller shops, where floor space is at a premium.”

Some of this automation comes in the form of gantry loaders. Often used for high-volume production, these stork-like devices straddle the top of a machine tool. The gantry arm, equipped with a gripper, plucks a casting or cut blank off a carousel. The blank is carried to the VMC’s work area and delivered to the workholding device, where it is swapped with the finished workpiece.

Courtesy of Methods Machine Tools

A Methods RoboDrill Twin Cell with two FANUC RoboDrills is serviced by a robot.

Lucier said gantry loaders are an effective solution for many applications, but while articulating robots usually cost more, they do offer enhanced flexibility. “Gantry loaders require more planning up front. The rail length is fixed when you buy one, so you can’t just decide one day to incorporate a wash station into your automated process or add a second machine to the cell. There’s not a lot of extra room with a gantry, so they don’t handle a variety of workpiece sizes very well, and, since most utilize a PLC rather than a CNC, programming for different jobs can be a bit more challenging.”

With an articulating robot, juggling the work typical for most job shops is straightforward, Lucier explained. As long as the workpiece, other mach-ine tools or ancillary equipment is with-in reach of the robot’s arm, modifying the process flow involves reprogram- ming its CNC and possibly changing the grippers.

Courtesy of Mazak

Choice Precision Inc., Whitehall, Pa., uses a double-level, 12-pallet stocker station Palletech manufacturing system paired with a Mazak Variaxis 730-5X II 5-axis VMC.

Adding a robot to a VMC can cost as much as the machine itself—Methods’ JobShop Cell, for example, starts at around $85,000. Designed for use with a FANUC RoboDrill VMC, the JobShop cell comes with a FANUC 200iC 6-axis robot, integrated parts conveyors and double-gripper end-of-arm tooling. Add to that engineering, tooling and integration costs, and the final price tag is in the low six figures.