Manufacturing Machinery World June 2018

ROBOTICS
MAZAK HOSTS NEW AUTOMATION EVENT
AutomatiON, a new event designed to
encourage machine users to ‘switch on’ to the
benefits of automation, has been scheduled for
June at Mazak’s European headquarters in
Worcester.
The event, which will include automation
solutions from a range of providers, including
Mazak, FANUC, RoboJob, Indunorm,
Hydrafeed and Iemca, is designed to highlight
the wide range of automation options available
to machine users across Europe and has been
organised by Sadik Atay, European Strategic
Development Director, and Mike Sykes,
Automation Systems Manager at Mazak.
AutomatiON, runs from 19th to the 21st of
June 2018, and will feature eight different
automation solutions that can be easily utilised
to increase productivity and profitability.
Robot machine-tending solutions on display
will include the QUICK TURN 250MY TA-
12/200, a ‘plug and play’ turning centre and
Sawyer completes jobs quickly and accurately,
works safely alongside co-workers and is an
integral part of the workforce. However,
Sawyer is not your average employee — he is a
robot. Here, Jonathan Wilkins, marketing
director at obsolete industrial parts supplier, EU
Automation, explains how advances in
technology are changing the way that humans
interact with robots.
There are now technologies that allow
humans to work side by side with robots,
known as collaborative robots, or cobots for
short. But, what makes them collaborative?
Benefits
“Collaborative robot is a verb, not a noun. The
collaboration is dependent on what the robot is
doing, not the robot itself,” explained Pat
Davison, director of standards for the Robotic
Industry Association (RIA). A collaborative
robot is defined by the type of task it performs
and the space where it operates.
Cobots are becoming more popular in
factories as they are affordable, adaptable and
easy to install. Cobots also support human
workers by completing the heavy lifting and
repetitive jobs that can cause human strain. This
gives human workers more time to complete
creative and intricate work.
robot which has been
developed by Mazak and
RoboJob, using a FANUC M-
10iA robot controlled by
Mazak’s SmoothG CNC. In
addition, FANUC will also be
demonstrating its collaborative
robot capabilities, in
partnership with a QUICK
TURN 250MSY.
One of the highlights of the
show is likely to be the
VARIAXIS i-300 AWC, an
integrated 5-axis automation
cell developed for lights-out
machining of complex
workpieces in high mix, low volume
production. The machine has a compact
footprint and a field expandable magazine that
can hold up to 505 tools and is capable of
machining applications up to Ø350mm x
THE FUTURE OF COLLABORATION
Safety
A key consideration for manufacturers is how
to keep workers safe. Cobots have features that
prevent them from injuring humans when in
operation, such as rounded and soft surfaces to
reduce the risk of injury if a human gets too
close to the machine. They are also fitted with
sensors that stop the machine if a human gets
too close.
Manufactures must also comply with
regulations, such as ISO 10218-2:2011, that
control how facilities integrate robotics into the
assembly line to ensure all workers are kept
safe.
The future
Cobots have the potential to radically change
the manufacturing sector. However, there are
still some skills that a robot has not been able to
perfect. A robot may be able to complete a
repetitive task with complete accuracy, but it is
not as agile as a human. Cobots lack dexterity
and therefore cannot complete more intricate
tasks that humans can.
However, in comparison to traditional
industrial robots, cobots are more capable and
can adapt more easily to the requirements of the
facility. In future, advancements in machine
learning and artificial intelligence could further
increase their capabilities.
Unlike older, industrial robots, cobots have
design features to keep workers safe. Facilities
managers must combine the machine strength
and precision of robots like Sawyer, with
human ability to see, think and adapt for the
perfect factory. So, if you find out you’ll be
working next to a robot like Sawyer, you can
sleep well knowing that he will be a safe,
supportive and efficient colleague.
Tel: +44 (0) 845 521 3088
jonathan.wilkins@euautomation.com
www.euautomation.com
315mm with a maximum weight of 60kg.
Continuing with automation in the 5-axis
category, the event also features the VARIAXIS
j-600/5X with an ultra-compact Indumatik®
Toolchanger storing 250 tools. This combination
offers a high-performance yet cost-effective
solution to reduce set up time and unit cost for
complex workpieces.
Also on display will be Mazak’s MPP (Multi
Pallet Pool) which is being demonstrated with
an HCN 4000 horizontal machining centre. The
MPP, specifically designed for lights-out
running, offers high-speed pallet transfer and
an economic footprint – up to 40% smaller than
a comparable PALLETECH system – and is
controlled using the SmoothG CNC, which is
equipped with Mazak’s SMOOTH MPP
software application.
For automotive manufacturers and
subcontractors working with high-volume,
large lot production, the MULTIPLEX W-200Y
+ GL-100 combines a twin-spindle, two-turret
machine with a superfast gantry loader for
ultimate productivity. The GL robot features a
new rack and pinion drive system boasting
rapid rates of 75/160 m/min in the A/B axis,
yielding up to 25 per cent reduction in
load/unload time.
Barfeed solutions will be represented by the
Iemca BOSS, an automatic barfeeder capable of
loading bar lengths from one to six metres. The
BOSS bar feeder has bar change times as low as
18 seconds which reduces headstock idle times
and increases lathe productivity.
Richard Smith, European Group Managing
Director at Yamazaki Mazak, commented: “We
firmly believe that further automation is vital if
machine users are to continue to improve their
productivity and enhance their
competitiveness. This is a European event that
is designed to encourage machine users to
switch on to the potential of automation
solutions, because even the smallest machine
shop can benefit from a simple robot machinetending
solution. The automation solutions on
display from Mazak and our partner companies
offer best-in-class productivity solutions and I
would urge all machine users to put this date in
their calendar.”
Tel: 01905 755755
sales@mazak.co.uk
www.mazakeu.co.uk
14 Machinery World, June 2018