MACHINING & MACHINERY PRODUCTIVE WORK CELLS
UNISIG
Across every industry , manufacturers are working to meet growing customer demand in a globally competitive market
Originally published in Cutting Tool Engineering
Across every industry , manufacturers are working to meet growing customer demand in a globally competitive market .
Despite a widening skills gap , by organizing advanced technology into highly optimized work cells , manufacturers are maximizing productivity through automation .
Specialized equipment , like a deephole drilling system , often is challenging to integrate , which quickly can create production schedule bottlenecks . To eliminate the risk , shops that perform deephole drilling should seek out OEMs that understand the needs of high-production manufacturers and have the capabilities to bring technology into the factories and work cells of the future .
Deep-hole drilling systems , which can produce holes that exceed a 20-1 depthto-diameter ratio , are a unique class of manufacturing equipment because of the focused tasks they conduct . An increasing number of machining centers boast deep-hole drilling capabilities , but these machines simply cannot operate at needed speeds , particularly for parts that require exceptionally high accuracy . Manufacturers that must perform deep-hole drilling capable of rapid production and high throughput should instead select machines designed for the task .
AUTOMATING HOLEMAKING
These shops increasingly opt for deephole drilling systems that also work with automation . In a typical deep-hole drilling work cell configuration , such as one for producing rifle receivers or automotive shafts , the equipment can use automation to time its cycle completion to mesh with other production processes . For straightforward automation , conveyors and pick-and-place robots move and position parts for deep-hole drilling with exacting repeatability and accuracy while automatic toolchangers , doors and inspection stations keep parts moving swiftly into , out of and around the cell .
Because deep-hole drilling tends to apply to long , cylindrically shaped parts , workpiece configuration eases or complicates some aspects of automating load-in and load-out cycles tied to drilling operations . Workholding axes , for example , can provide automatic part gripping with pneumatic or hydraulic chucks operated through advanced controls for deep-hole drilling systems . In this configuration , machines can pick up a part , drill it and set it back down on a conveyor or part collection area . In deep-hole drilling systems themselves , specialized designs also offer automatic chucking , while robottending systems can add further flexibility with end-of-arm tooling , workholding and measuring systems .
As the automation configuration grows more complicated , however , manufacturers require an OEM that can act as a collaborative partner to find available solutions or engineer individualized products for unique applications or production lines . Shops that depend on deep-hole drilling as part of a highproduction environment should seek a partner that has a demonstrated record of working directly with manufacturers to modernize processes and create robust automated work cells .
GUNDRILLING APPLICATION
UNISIG , for instance , worked with a manufacturer of rifle barrel receivers to help it accommodate growing demand and relieve production bottlenecks . The manufacturer ’ s older gundrilling machines were replaced by a multiple-spindle machine , the UNI25HD . It had the power and controls necessary to apply indexable gundrilling tools , significantly improving feed rates .
To enable fast one-piece-flow manufacturing , UNISIG integrated the system via automation for in-feed , pickand-place , conveyor loading and automatic clamping , which fed two lathes that turned the parts . The result was an effective work cell that produced more than 100 parts an hour , a dramatic financial and process improvement .
The viability of automated deep-hole drilling production can depend on tool life and part length . At extreme depths , for example , some parts require more than one set of inserts to produce a completed hole , and the high level of hardness of some workpiece materials causes rapid tool wear . To overcome this challenge , UNISIG programs its machines to detect wear and predict when a tool will reach its breaking point , allowing operators to prevent a failure that could stop the line .
For further process efficiency , deep-hole drilling machines should have either a CNC or programmable logic controller . Both can integrate with other control systems and interface with a controller in the work cell . Systems such as a fully automated barrel cell are capable of unmanned , lights-out production with efficient programming .
Deep-hole drilling equipment ’ s applicationspecific configurations suit the production of parts that necessitate techniques and processes that go beyond the easy capabilities of general-purpose equipment . In years past , many manufacturers thought of this kind of specialized equipment as old-fashioned and a drag on production . But with the right equipment — and a partner with the right engineering and applications expertise — deep-hole drilling in work cells can keep up with the productive factory environment that manufacturers need to succeed .
Further information on all machines of the B series and the complete UNISIG machine program is available at : www . unisig . de or follow the company on LinkedIn and Twitter (@ UNISIG ).
For further information , please visit www . unisig . de
66 PECM Issue 40 49