Mobile robotic cell provides support for the loading and unloading of CNC machining centers

Using its own docking station with integrated machine interface, the MRC flextray is positioned safely and precisely at the machining center. “Thanks to the low-friction rollers, the mobile cell can be easily moved manually to the next application area, docked and started,” explains Joachim Burkert, Managing Director of wbt. The pallets are then loaded with the blanks or semi-finished parts and fed into the robotic cell. The small KUKA robot opens the relevant drawer, removes the parts and places them in the clamping fixture. Once they have been machined, the robot places the parts back on the pallet. “The parts are accessible for inspection and various parameters can be monitored to ensure process reliability without having to interrupt the automation,” explains Production Manager Julian Dannoritzer.

The robotic cell can process up to four drawers, each with two component-specific pallets. It is thus also highly suitable for small and medium batch sizes. Individual expansions can be easily tailored to specific customer requirements.