Robotic Paint Line Tending Cell

MWES designed and built that firm six robot machine-tending cells that are fully automated and require minimal human intervention and labor to operate. Three of the robot cells would be dedicated to loading the unpainted steel beams onto the hanging carriage hooks. While the other three robot cells would unload and palletize the painted beams onto an outfeed conveyor. Each automation cell is equipped with a Fanuc R-2000iB/185L robot with a vacuum/magnetic gripper EOAT. Specifically for the three unload cells, an outfeed Titan Chain Conveyor System made up of three sections to handle the loading, buffering and unloading of the stacks of beams is used. Lastly, a wood stick feeder system is utilized to provide the robot with the sticks necessary to separate the layers of the stacks.

The operation begins when the empty paint line carrier moves into the robot cell and signals to the robot that it is ready to be loaded with the unpainted beams.  The unpainted beams arrive in the cell via an infeed chain conveyor.  The robot’s EOAT picks one beam at a time and hooks it onto the paint line carrier.  Once the beam is attached, the carrier indexes so that the next available hook is in the same position as the last hook.  This cycle repeats until all the carriage hooks on the paint line carrier have been affixed with a steel beam.  The paint line carrier then transfers out of the robot cell and proceeds to travel to the powder coat spray booth.

After the completion of the powder coating process, the painted parts carrier transfers into the unload robot cell.  When the carrier is in its final position, it will signal the robot that the painted steel beams are ready to be unloaded.  The robot’s EOAT picks each beam off of the carrier one at a time and places the beams on the outfeed conveyor.  This cycle will repeat several times until a complete layer is formed.  With each completed layer, the robot will pick and place three 44-inch long wood sticks on top of the layer of beams to protect them during transport.  Once the full stack is complete, the outfeed conveyor indexes to either the buffer zone or the operator unload zone.  At the unloading zone, the operator manually bands the stack of beams together and then transfers the stack to the wrapper system.