stations, reducing both space and investment requirements, enhancing its utilisation, and supporting efficient, fully-automated operation within a compact space.
The KASTOsort robot handling system adds material removal and automated pre-processing to sawing operations
With KASTOsort, automation does not stop at the cutting process. The robot takes the cut parts directly from the saw, sorts them, and groups them according to the respective order. The sorted parts can then be returned to a tower storage system, placed on pallets, stored in boxes, organised on a pallet carousel, or moved to a separate tower storage system designated for finished parts.
Material supplied as needed: the integrated tower storage system reduces travel distances and the need for manual operator intervention.
Furthermore, additional process operations can be integrated and automated. A variety of function packages is available, including KASTOsort pre-processing options such as sorting, processing, marking, quality control, and vision options. Depending on the specific requirements, workpieces can be deburred, cleaned, cleared of chips, marked, or checked for length and weight directly within the material flow. It is also possible to implement camera-based functions for part detection, orientation and position detection, as well as transfer to downstream processing machines.
KASTOsort seamlessly combines sawing, pre-processing, quality assurance, and sorting. Instead of being removed, transported, and repositioned for each operation, the workpieces remain within the automated material flow. This approach minimises nonproductive times, reduces the need for manual operator intervention, and lowers the risk of errors, while easing the workload on employees. Additionally, KASTOsort functions can be added to existing systems after undergoing a technical inspection.
“ The importance of pre-processing is inreasing significantly in our
customer projects. Nowadays, many customers expect more than just the cut part; they want parts that are already deburred, cleaned, marked, or inspected,” explains Jonathan Riegel.“ Since these tasks are performed regularly, the investment can pay for itself relatively quickly.”
Conclusion: scalable across a wide range of applications
One robot, multiple tasks: the linear track extends the working area and provides automated integration of all stations.
The KASTOcenter compact integrates automated material supply with the sawing process, part removal, and additional processing operations. This minimises the need for manual intervention by operators and reduces the time spent on search and transport tasks. The warehouse management system offers transparency of stock levels and material movements. Jonathan Riegel explains,“ With the KASTOcenter compact, we have created an automated sawing centre that spans from tower storage to preprocessing, all within a limited space. The key advantage of this system is its compact design and the capability to configure it to accommodate various items, quantities, and process operations.”
For further information, please visit www. kasto. com
Issue 83 PECM 41