Robot helps to streamline tricky foundry task

A Black Country foundry has boosted the efficiency of a key production process by investing in a KUKA robot to help transform a time-consuming, labour-intensive operation. Newby Foundries has installed an automated production cell at its facility in Wednesbury for drilling holes in a variety of sand cores used to make castings for customers in the automotive and construction machine industries.

Lowering manufacturing costs by reducing scrap was an important objective for Newby who turned to Halesowen-based robot supplier KUKA and system integrator Geku to develop a compact automated solution for the challenging application.

Previously, the task was performed manually using pedestal drills but it was often a laborious method as many of the cores are not only complex shapes, but also require accurate venting so that gases produced in the 1500°C casting operation are expelled outside of the moulds. Under the new system, an operator loads a core into a jig, which is then fed into the cell on a shuttle table where it is picked up by the 16Kg payload KUKA robot. The robot then manoeuvres the jig in a series of positions over a bespoke drilling station depending on the number of holes to be drilled. When the operation is complete, the robot returns the jig to the shuttle table for unloading.

Since the cell has been installed, Newby has achieved a 40 per cent improvement in efficiency and expanded its capabilities by using the robotic solution to drill holes in a range of very small diameter cores, which was not possible under the previous method. “We’re very impressed with the results achieved by the robot which performs effectively and quickly. KUKA gave us all the help we needed and provided the right robot at the right price,” commented Steve Smith, Newby’s technical director.

Technical management trainee Adam Talbot, 21, who undertook a KUKA training course to learn how to program and operate the robot, praised the flexibility of the system as it “can handle a large number of jobs one after the other.”

As well as planning to invest in more automation in the future, Newby is also committed to providing high levels of training for its staff. Adam is being sponsored to study for a foundation degree in casting technology as part of a flexible learning scheme run by Bradford University and the Institute of Cast Metals Engineers. He joined the company in 2004 as an apprentice patternmaker and holds NVQ and BTEC qualifications in engineering.

“We want to plan for the future not only in terms of investment in equipment, but also in our management structure. We want to encourage a new generation to work in the industry,” said Steve Smith.

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