ROBCAD simulation speeds bridge manufacturing

Citation

(1998), "ROBCAD simulation speeds bridge manufacturing", Industrial Robot, Vol. 25 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.1998.04925daf.002

ROBCAD simulation speeds bridge manufacturing

ROBCAD simulation speeds bridge manufacturing

Keywords Bridge, Robots, Tecnomatix

ROBCAD Simulation, a leading computer-aided production engineering (CAPE) software tool from Tecnomatix, is helping Mabey & Johnson to re-engineer and automate manufacturing operations at its plant in Lydney, Gloucester.

Mabey & Johnson's policy of continuous investment in manufacturing and design technology is paying dividends and the company has a healthy order book with growing demand for its fast erection modular steel bridge systems.

"So far the focus in manufacturing has been on metal joining with the installation of sophisticated track-mounted robotic arc welding facilities. This is being carried forward with additional cells for cutting and drilling operations, all incorporating material handling and manipulation devices to reduce the need for operators handling heavy materials," explains production engineer Wesley Cassells.

Mabey & Johnson installed its first ROBCAD application in 1992 to support its welding process fixturing and off-line programming for the robots. The workstation has since been upgraded and ROBCAD is now being used more extensively in developing and validating manufacturing strategies for the entire plant.

Of particular interest is the ROBCAD simulation capability which enables engineers to create a three-dimensional model of a manufacturing cell (see Plate 2). This provides the basis for planning the layout and flow of material through the process. And it can be used with ROBCAD man ­ a graphical representation of a typical factory worker, to evaluate manual operations.

"As a world leader in structural steelwork our record for safety at work is an important element of our reputation for quality and best practice," says Wesley Cassells.

In addition to validating new ideas for automation, ROBCAD has been used by Mabey & Johnson to verify production cycle times and ultimately, to prove the justification for a particular improvement project. Since the simulation faithfully represents all of the performance attributes of the real cell, ROBCAD can also be used to create the control sequences required for programming the process controllers.

The first example, a new manufacturing cell incorporating drilling, deburring and computer inspection using optical image processing, has been developed in conjunction with Acimex, a French company specialising in automated handling facilities.

Plate 2 A typical ROBCAD screen depicting the layout of the manufacturing cell

By automating the drilling and inspection operations, the new cell, has eliminated a former production bottleneck by virtually doubling production throughput. Manual involvement has been reduced to a single operator to reset the controller datums and supervise the inspection process.

For further information contact Doug Campbell, UK General Manager, Tecnomatix Technologies, 5 The Priory, Old London Road, Canwell, Sutton Coldfield B75 5SH, West Midlands, UK. Tel: +44 (0)121 323 1300; Fax: +44 (0) 121 323 1333.