As part of a major
investment by Norgren at its
Lichfield manufacturing site,
Kawasaki Robotics has
replaced two ageing robots
with two Kawasaki RS06L
robots. The new additions
allow faster cell tool change
times and are able to work
more comfortably within
target cycle times.

Installed over 13 years ago
the original Kawasaki robots,
operate between 5 to 7 days a
week and three shifts a day in
Norgren’s automotive/truck
air-brake fittings section.

The new Kawasaki RS
robots load and unload brass
fittings to two rotary transfer
machines which have been
moved to new bays in the
plant. Cells are programmed
to produce up to 100 variants
of fitting in batches.

Brass stampings enter the
cell, randomly positioned, on
a conveyor belt. A vision
camera over the conveyor
belt pick up point,
illuminated by a structured
light source, provides the
robot with co-ordinates to
pick the component
correctly. The robot has a
double gripper and moves to
the transfer machine load
point, removes a finished
machined fitting and loads
the un-machined fitting. The
machine cycle takes 6sec.

Mark Clark, manufacturing
engineer at Norgren, says:
“The new robots are quicker;
they work well within the
machine cycle time and
present the part to the machine
before its cycle is finished.”
The old robots had shorter
reach so had to be moved, on
a slide fixture, away from the
transfer machine to facilitate
tool setup, which slowed tool
changes. This isn’t necessary
now as the new Kawasaki
RS06L has a longer reach.