MJC Metal doubles productivity with robot cells
MJC Metal er en ambitiøs maskinfabrik med speciale i serieproduktion af alle typer af maskinbearbejdede emner.
Her er et særligt fokus på kvalitetssikring, og de dokumenterer både processor og produktkvalitet i henhold til deres kunders krav. Med dette fokus passer robotautomatisering utrolig godt ind, og det er i dag blevet til adskillige robotceller i produktionen.
It turns out that their robot cells not only ensure the quality of the products, but have also become an indispensable prerequisite for the company's competitiveness.
Production manager and co-owner, Thomas Juhl, says that it is quite clear to see in the productivity measurements of the machines which are equipped with a robot.
"On the good days, we have a productivity measurement on the machines with robots on that is + 90%. Of 24 hours a day. That's the time when the spindles run on the machines. On everything we have without a robot, we really work hard to get to something like 50%.
So it just shows the efficiency when a robot comes on. It makes a huge difference.
We have a goal that when we look at our entire production including all the manual machines, we would like there to be 2 hours of spindle time per 1 hour of input as a pay hour. In the department where 7 of our machines are with robot and 2 are without, we are all the way up and getting 2.6 machine hours out per pay hour we throw in.
If we compare with a department where we have no automation at all, we are down to the 44% in productivity measurement. So there is no doubt that robot automation significantly changes our entire competitiveness.
We have just received an order that used to be divided between productions in Denmark and China, but now exclusively ours, simply because we are also competitive on price as a direct consequence of our robot automation."
Robot cells from QRS
The first robot cell we delivered handles parts at a MAZAK Integrex 200 IV machining center. The robot makes sure to load the machine with raw parts, and is able to handle both spindles. When the part is finished, the robot will discharge the machine, place the finished items on a table and then re-load the machine. For easy access to the cell, it is equipped with a light grid that acts as an emergency stop if broken.
The subsequent 2 cells we delivered 3 years ago handle items at 2 MAZAK HQR 200 MESSAGEY machines. The robots scan the inputs for raw goods, then pick up the raw item with a raw objectgriber, and place it on a setting up station to make a grip. The machine is then loaded with the raw material and discharged again when the workpiece is finished. The finished items are placed on a cleavage, which an operator empties when it is full. Both cells, like the first, are equipped with a light grid for easy access to the cell. Watch the video of the cells here.
All cells are equipped with our user-friendly HMI control that makes it easy for anyone to operate the cell. You can watch a video about our HMI control by clicking here.
A good investment
MJC Metal is very satisfied with their robot cells from QRS, and Production Manager and co-owner, Thomas Juhl, excels at the reliability of the cells.
"They never stand still, but just work. And then they're easy to operate. By the way, we don't invest in robot cells unless the payback time is between 6-12 months, so I think it's a really good investment."
