One of the challenges the company faced was the need to produce small batches of precision parts, many of which are difficult, costly, and time consuming to make using traditional manufacturing methods. Though many of these parts are simple, the company didn’t want to tie up operators and equipment with their fabrication. They wanted to move to lights-out manufacturing for many of these high-mix, low-volume parts, according to Card Monroe mechanical engineer Reid Smith.
“Our goal is to set up the machine tending using these trays so that we can react quicker. When the time comes to make some keys or connecting links, our setup is already there. We have several trays for each part. The materials are ready to go, and we can run smaller batches of keys as we need them in a very efficient and cost-effective manner.”
- Reid Smith
In today's competitive manufacturing landscape, companies are seeking innovative solutions to optimize production.
Card-Monroe Corp., a manufacturer of tufting machines for the carpet and turf industries, is no exception. Tufting machines are highly complex pieces of equipment made up of more than 50,000 parts. In recent years, Card-Monroe has been looking for ways to automate its manufacturing processes in order to improve efficiency and productivity.
One of the challenges the company faced was the need to produce small batches of precision parts, many of which are difficult, costly, and time consuming to make using traditional manufacturing methods. Though many of these parts are simple, the company didn’t want to tie up operators and equipment with their fabrication. They wanted to move to lights-out manufacturing for many of these high-mix, low-volume parts, according to Card Monroe mechanical engineer Reid Smith.
“We faced several challenges in our manufacturing process including increasing labor costs due to manual material handling and CNC machine operation, downtime associated with material replenishment, and difficulty in scaling operations to meet growing demand during peak production periods,” says Smith.
To address these challenges, Card-Monroe adopted the Applied Cobotics Cobot Feeder from PBC Linear. The Cobot Feeder is a computerized numerical control (CNC) machine-feeding application kit that delivers and stages parts to be placed into a machining process. By reliably loading and unloading dunnage trays that a cobot can consistently access, this versatile CNC machine-tending cobot support tool provides a standardized platform for storing, staging, and delivering parts into a position that the cobot can reach for loading and unloading.
The PBC Linear Cobot Feeder is an advanced automation solution designed to optimize material handling in manufacturing environments. The system enables precise and reliable feeding of materials to cobot work cells and production lines. Its features include compatibility with a wide range of materials and component types, an intuitive programming interface for ease of integration, and safety mechanisms that ensure human-robot collaboration.
The Cobot Feeder and cobot helped Card-Monroe maintain their position as an industry leader by enhancing production efficiency for several tufting machine components including two different shaft keys and aluminum connecting links.
The Cobot Feeder is available as a package deal with an attached cobot, or as a single item to integrate with the cobot/robot of your choosing.
Card-Monroe - Manufacturer of Tufting Machines for Carpet, Rug, and Artificial Turf
Automation for Manufacturing Shaft Keys and Connecting Links
UR Cap Provides Control of both Cobot and Cobot Feeder
Configure 17 Trays for One Part or 17 Different Parts
"The Cobot Feeder has been a reliable and efficient solution for us. We have been very happy with it. It is easy to use and maintain. We were able to quickly train one of our operators on how to use it. It’s a reliable and efficient solution for the automation of high-mix, low-volume part production and would be a valuable tool for many manufacturers.”
- Reid Smith
Card-Monroe decided to automate the production of these shaft keys by first purchasing a Universal Robotics (UR) cobot to automatically load and unload parts into a CNC machine. The fact that cobots work safely alongside human operators was important for Card-Monroe because they wanted to automate the production of shaft keys without having to redesign their manufacturing facility.
Cobots are highly precise and can repeat their movements consistently. However, without a machine vision system, they cannot distinguish between a correctly oriented part and one that is out of alignment. Therefore, it was important to carefully plan and prepare the work area to keep an adequate supply of parts staged for the cobot to continuously place into the machining process.
“Like many other machine tending systems used in high-mix, low-volume manufacturing today, we were considering using a grid-plate system equipped with positioning pins that allow quick reconfiguration for different part geometries,” Smith explains. “However, this would have required an operator to constantly replenish the grid with new parts. Then a sales representative from PBC Linear, a company that manufactures linear motion components used in our tufting machines, mentioned a cobot feeder system that they recently developed for deployment in their own operations.”
The feeder system, named the Applied Cobotics Cobot Feeder, was a good fit for Card-Monroe because it was flexible and workers could set up several trays of parts in advance so the cobot could start picking and placing the parts when needed.
“Our goal is to set up the machine tending using these trays so that we can react quicker,” says Smith. “When the time comes to make some keys or connecting links, our setup is already there. We have several trays for each part. The materials are ready to go, and we can run smaller batches of keys as we need them in a very efficient and cost-effective manner.”
Card-Monroe collaborated closely with the engineering team from PBC Linear to seamlessly integrate the Cobot Feeder into their existing production line. The process involved a detailed assessment of Card-Monroe's specific requirements and production environment and customization of the Cobot Feeder to align with Card-Monroe's unique needs. This included thermoforming custom trays that store 63 keys or 50 connecting links each.
The Cobot Feeder includes a base storage-and-retrieval unit with a UR cobot pedestal and an enclosed steel rack dunnage tower with a 17-tray capacity that safely stores up to 50 pounds of material. Thermoforming allows consistent replication of several high-tolerance trays for each part, ensuring that the cobot can pick up parts accurately and reliably.
The system also includes an HMI touch-screen display for easy lift control, Ethernet IP, Modbus, and standard UR cobot communications. The Cobot Feeder recently received UR+ partner certification, which allows any UR cobot pendant to control the Cobot Feeder. This UR capability simplifies operation, minimizes the chance of operator error, and improves productivity, according to Smith.
Overall, the implementation of the PBC Linear Cobot Feeder has been a positive experience for Card-Monroe. The system has helped the company to produce shaft keys in low volumes without incurring high costs. By automating material handling, Card-Monroe achieved a 78% reduction in labor costs using the Cobot Feeder.
The modular design of the Cobot Feeder by PBC Linear allows for easy scalability, enabling Card-Monroe to expand their operations seamlessly in response to future market demands. The Cobot Feeder is versatile and can be used to load and unload a variety of parts. This makes it a cost-effective solution for Card-Monroe, as they can continue to expand its usefulness in producing an even greater variety of parts.
Since implementing the Cobot Feeder, Card-Monroe has significantly improved the production of two different types of shaft keys, along with aluminum connecting links that are used in the tufting machine drive system. The company plans to automate the production of more parts in the future.
The successful integration of the Cobot Feeder into the Card-Monroe manufacturing operations stands as a testament to the transformative power of advanced automation technology. By addressing production challenges and unlocking significant efficiency gains, Card-Monroe has solidified its position as the leader in tufting machines.
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