Robotic workcell for tending of die-casting machine

The scope of supply involves the design and creation of the electrical system for a robotic workcell for aluminium die-casting of water heating elements contained in commonly available coffee machines.

The challenge was to create an integrated production and logistics system that allowed for the automatic operation of the machinery in order to feed the finished product production lines designed in a Lean approach with limited human intervention.

The starting point was to come up with a design for the electrical system that could be adapted to meet the customer’s production requirements. This led to the idea of fully integrating all components: robot unit, die-casting machine, cooling tower, slicer, unloading system, guards and sensors for correctly controlling forming, by integrating commands and controls in a single electrical cabinet.

Secondly, SW management and human/machine interface systems were developed to meet the design specifications for selecting the types of heating elements and grippers required for the various finished product sizes.

As with all robotic workcells, regardless of their specific use, this was a
case of a few highly customised parts designed for that single function.

The technical production system created and implemented was refined
with the assembly of the necessary parts, designing them in-house
where necessary or purchasing various commercially available modules,
taking advantage of the expertise of the manufacturers of the various
machines that make up the system as a whole.