Robot performance optimised
Keywords: Robots, Surface coatings, Painting
ABB, a technology company in robot-based automation, has invested over£250,000 in a purpose-built Surface Coating development plant at its Milton Keynes Business Centre.
The plant, thought to be the only one of its kind in the United Kingdom, will be used primarily to optimise paint spraying systems before delivery to customers, while complementing the existing ABB Milton Keynes customer training centre by integrating practical training on coating and painting processes.
The facility incorporates a 4.5m wide spray booth enclosure with temperature controlled air supply, air exhaust system and "dry" extract filters. Built to stringent industrial safety standards, it can accommodate up to two ABB six-axis paint robots, such as the ground-breaking IRB 540, IRB 580 and IRB 5400 S4P robots.
The spray booth incorporates a 10m long floor-mounted, twin-chain conveyor with platen, rated at 500kg; air replacement system with direct-fired gas burner and class F5 and F7 filters; paint mix room; personnel entry vestibule; box oven to cure painted parts, and fully-equipped lecture room.
The incorporation of a lecture room allows robot theory to be instantly reinforced with practical demonstrations.
New customer systems can be installed in the paint booth and the specific application environment created. Under realistic working conditions, paint spray robots can be fine- tuned by adjusting parameters such as brush settings, paint flow, atomizing air and fan air – without the economic pressures of the production line.
ABB asserts that by using its Industrially Software package, ShopFloor Editor, an advanced program editor designed for process optimisation and improving product finish quality without interrupting production, events can be adjusted directly by "dragging" them on the Editor's screen. Robot path, speed and acceleration can therefore reportedly be adjusted so that when installation and commissioning is finally complete at customer premises, robots can be immediately productive.
By optimising robot and paint parameters to meet customer application requirements before installation, significant benefits are said to be accrued for the customer - such as a shorter time to production, reduced costs in both time, labour and paint materials, improved process parameter control and a much higher level of product training.
About the facility, senior applications engineer and manager of the project,Marcus Rock said: "ABB's investment in the new paint plant ensures that our customers receive a surface coating system already tuned to the precise requirements of the application and which is productive from day one. By delivering an optimum performing system, backed by unrivalled service, process and technical back-up, ABB is securing maximum competitive advantage for its customers in a very demanding market sector" (Plate 1).
Plate 1 Surface coating development plant
Details available from: ABB. Tel. +44 (0) 1908 350300; Fax. +44 (0) 1908 350301; E-mail: david.marshall@gb.abb.com;Website: http:\\www.abb.com
