trends in automation

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.

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 workpiece 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

independently 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 solution 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 shorter unit times and lower unit

costs, since loading no longer needs to be

done manually. 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 working 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 complete 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.

Issue 32

trends in automation

Synergies

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