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Batch size 1 –
setup time 0
Highly flexible mill-turn centres
Many users of mill-turn centres from Stama
are reporting time savings of up to
70% and unit cost reductions of 50%. This is all thanks to the high flexibility of
the machines and their virtually negligible setup times. The integrated automation
solution from Festo for loading and unloading the workpieces as well as the tool
changer in the additional magazine contribute to this success.
T
he big advantage of machine
tools from Stama is that small
batch sizes and high-volume
series can be processed one after
the other in almost any combination.
“What makes our mill-turn centres stand
out is the fact that workpieces can be fully
milled, turned, drilled, reamed, ground,
deburred and polished on all six sides
in one operating cycle,” explains Gerhard
Schweicker, Sales Engineer at Stama.
“With our 5-axis processing unit, the work
piece and tool are freely positioned and
swivelled in the working space,” adds the
machine expert.
Vertical part loading
“The machines from the MT series MT726-
2C and MT734-2C use two tools independ
ently in parallel. The rotating spindles
enable parts to be loaded vertically,”
according to Schweicker. “The parts are
loaded by the integrated automation
solution, a linear gantry from Festo with
suitable grippers,” says Jochen Boscher
from the project management team at
Stama. The loader and unloader places
the workpiece at the processing station
where it is automatically clamped. This
enables optimum use of the operating
cycles: while one workpiece is still being
processed, the integrated automation so
lution can move into the processing area,
unload parts and remove them once they
have been processed, all independently
of the other workpiece. The result is short
er unit times and lower unit costs, since
loading no longer needs to be done manu
ally. Instead, the ready-to-install linear
gantry is opening up new perspectives.
A 4.5-metre long horizontally placed axis
DGE as well as two independently work
ing vertical axes EGC with grippers HGPL
from Festo enable the workpieces to be
transported directly to the working space
for processing, and to be simultaneously
loaded and unloaded. Festo delivers the
loader and unloader to the machine com
plete and ready-to-install.
Tool changer reduces setup times
Stama mill-turn centres from the MT726
and MT734 series are also available with
an additional magazine for holding further
tools in order to significantly reduce setup
times when frequent component changes
are required. Here too, fully automated
tool changes are carried out by a complete
and ready-to-install handling solution
from Festo. This tandem gripper/rotary unit
comprises axes EGC, the pneumatic semi-
rotary drive DRRD and the heavy-duty tool
gripper HGPT. “It’s a big advantage to be
able to get all the solutions we need for
workpiece and tool handling from a single
source during the project planning
process,” emphasises Boscher.
1.2017
trends in automation
Synergies
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