Automation of the cylinder washing and inspection process

Year of realisation

2020

Number of pieces delivered

Industry

Metal fabrication, Consumer industry

Implementation time

35 - 45 CW

Cycle time

12s/pc

Framework budget

Cat. 250 - 350k EUR

Automated operations

Handling, Measuring, Pressure test, Washing, Drying, Output inspection, Palletizing

Technical standard

Fanuc, Fibro, Siemens, Festo, Maximator

Motivation for automation

The customer produces metal cylinders in high quantities. Each cylinder must be pressure leak tested according to the applicable standard. This is a physically demanding job, which is preceded by the equally demanding washing and drying of the cylinders. For this job, it is very challenging to find workers willing to work in shifts at the customer's location.

Project description.

The subject of the implementation was the development and supply of equipment for washing and 100% output control of cylinders. The equipment was conceived into a combination of a single-purpose machine capable of accommodating a wide range of cylinder production programme and a robot ensuring the handling of parts from the transport boxes to the line and from the line to the transport box.

Process Description:

The parts are weighed into the infeed of the line in transport boxes
A laser-guided handling robot removes the parts from the boxes and places them on the infeed of single-purpose carousel device
At the inlet, the bottles are separated, measured and descaled
A pneumatic manipulator inserts the bottle into the carousel
Within the first 3 positions the bottle is washed (inner and outer part)
The washed bottle is placed in the pressure bench where the pressure test takes place
The checked bottle is dried with hot air
A handling robot removes the bottle and places it in a transport box
The device collects data and communicates with the higher-level ERP system