It doesn't always have to be a gantry solution where CNC lathe automation flexibility is concerned, here isa fully automated piece handling station in an extremely small space.
It doesn't always have to be a gantry solution where automation flexibility is concerned. Increasingly demanding requirements with regard to installation areas and loading times are a good reason to look for other, new solution approaches. With its newly developed swivel loader, Emco, for the first time, has a fully automated piece handling station in an extremely small space.

The name can be traced back to the type of movement sequence.

A longitudinal axis Q1, which is NC-controlled and can therefore be influenced 100 % from the handling program, assumes the loading stroke in the Z-direction and the Q-axis (swivel axis) assumes the X-movement.

Extremely short traverse distances automatically result in short loading and unloading times.

Flexible gripper systems open up a broad application range for the solution.

As a result, a large number of extremely different systems have been installed and commissioned for customers over the past several months.

Examples are : * Case 1: Emcoturn 332Mcplus - pre-moulded injection moulded parts needed to be re-machined.

Machining required is only one chucking fixture.

This was accomplished with a vibration conveyor, a swivel loader and an Emcoturn 332MC plus.

The double gripping head on the loader picks up two parts from the feed and transports them to the main and counter spindle.

At the same time, a part is machined on each spindle.

The finished parts are then pushed into a discharge system.

Loading and unloading time per part: 5 sec., cycle time per part: 10 sec.

* Case 2: Emcoturn 332MC plus - pre-moulded copper parts needed to be automatically fed and machined.

Feeding was carried out with a cycle chain conveyor (approx.

500 parts).The swivel loader provides for part handling.

Machining is carried out simultaneously on the main and counter spindle.

The finished parts are ejected onto a collection conveyor and fed to the subsequent process.

It was possible to produce 9 different parts without loading and unloading including part transfer: 9 sec.

* Case 3: Emcoturn 345-II - pre-moulded steel parts turned on a lathe.

The goal was a short run-through time with simultaneous flexibility for future parts.

The raw parts are stored in 8 feed chutes, grasped with the gripper and loaded into the machine.

Cutting is carried out in just a few seconds.

Due to the simple ejection of the part into a discharge slide below the spindle, it is possible to load the next part while the turret is being emptied.

Total cycle time including loading and unloading: 11 sec.

* Case 4: Emcoturn 345-II - this time a shaft part had to be machined and handled.

Here as well, the swivel loader was the optimum solution.

The parts are stored in a 3-lane feed chute (approx.

150 parts).

The shaft gripper on the swivel loader transports the raw part into the working area.

There the parts are clamped on both sides and the recesses produced.

Following machining, the shaft is placed on a finished part conveyor with the catch device and transported away.

Loading and unloading time: 5 sec., total cycle time: 19 sec.

The above examples are only intended to show a selection of what is possible with the swivel loader.