Work Handling’s Final Step
28. February 2013
Machine tool accessories supplier Royal Products manufactures centers, but the company was damaging some of these parts because of its approach to work handling. Like many CNC lathe uses, Royal used a bar feeder to precisely load the stock, but relied largely on gravity to transport the part after machining. Parts would drop into a bin. The damage from centers hitting centers demonstrated to the company that a complete work handling system has to address not only loading and unloading the part, but also carrying the part safely to its final stopping place.
The video above describes the solution that Royal invented and now sells. The Rota-Rack slowly indexes as workpieces are delivered to it, allowing parts to accumulate with no collisions as the lathe runs unattended.