Project Description
How do you increase your profits? – The result
Thanks to the automation solution from Universal Robots, profits at Ferdinand Wagner Profile have increased. The automation solution must be able to deliver consistent and high quality welding. The chosen solution is perfectly suited for this. It sorts, welds and brazes all parts with great care and precision. This enables Ferdinand Wagner Profile to deliver products of high quality.
The challenge in the company
With a production of 500.000 between 600.000 hand soldered and hand welded parts per year the company reached its limits. Constantly changing conditions made production lines inefficient and the cost of end products was difficult to calculate.
Therefore a sophisticated solution had to be found. The division into several stages, each of which puts quality first, was a sensible solution. In the first stage, unprocessed parts were to be prepared and secured without intervention. Then they were to be taken to the welding station to be placed in the correct position.
Another important factor was the seasonal nature of the work. Depending on the season, the products change and production must also be adapted. Therefore the solution must be flexible and easy to program.
Difficult cost calculation
Sophisticated structure
Seasonal order situation
“This helps us to improve our productivity across the board. And has enabled us to achieve our cost stability goals.”
The solution from Universal Robots
Ferdinand Wagner relies on two UR5 robots They work closely together and with the other machines. One of the robots takes care of the first processes. It selects the parts to be welded, places them in a spot welding machine and places them in a liquid.
In the second process, the second collaborating robot transports the part to a high-frequency soldering station for assembly. After this work, the robot holds the parts in a camera system for automatic inspection.
Since Ferdinand Wagner Profiles works with sensitive parts and the surfaces must not be damaged, the robots and grippers are very finely adjusted. This avoids high costs caused by the unusability of damaged parts.
Both robots are designed for the joint processing of 160 parts. Machining takes place in two-shift intervals, followed by a free shift. Even after the end of the working day, the Cobots continue to work in an unnamed one until the material is used up.
Employees did not have to be released from work. They can now devote themselves to smaller series and thus have much more variety.
