Robotic Bending System

Manufacturing Engineering, Mar 2007

The Astro 100NT robotic bending system from Amada America Inc. (Buena Park, CA) is capable of totally unmanned operation and is said to be designed for almost any bending task, in lots of 10-10,000.

The cell configuration includes the bending robot, a loading robot and an unloading robot, plus the company's latest HDS NT press brake, which is integrated with two CNC-controlled robots. One robot replaces the human operator by automatically handling part bending at the brake. The second robot loads material in and out of the cell from a storage or transport device, and hands off material and parts to and from the bending robot.

The HDS NT press brake employs a hybrid drive system that achieves high speeds by the combined response of a hydraulic pressure unit and a servomotor drive system. To reduce electrical consumption and heat, hydraulic operation is suspended when the ram reaches the top of its stroke. Ram positioning to one micron makes it possible to maintain high accuracy levels, even over a continuous working period.

A robust automation-software package, Astro CAMII, makes it possible for programs to be generated automatically, including tool selection and layout, robot gripper selection, bending sequence, and data for robot motion and bending. In addition, network functions within the AMNCPC control have been upgraded, so that operators can call up complete sets of data from the network server.

For precise bending control at any position, a five-axis backgage provides continuously updated feedback to the CNC. The backgages follow the robot's movement along the X axis to maintain accurate sensing feedback for multistaged bending. To provide maximum flexibility, the robotic bending system can operate in a fully robotic mode as a bending cell, or as a conventional press brake, using offline programming. A single operator can tend up to two cells and a stand-alone press brake.

The Automatic Tool Changer (ATC) can automatically load and unload tools based on the program specification, eliminating operator intervention. Scheduling capabilities and all operations are fully automated under PC and CNC control. The Automatic workpiece Gripper Changer (AGC) and Automatic Hand Changer (AHC) can be exchanged automatically, depending on the needs of a product run, and both features simplify work scheduling, even on jobs with small lot sizes. Circle 451