20206 - Robotic loading of a steel tube washing machine

This machine assembly is used for the automatic washing of stainless steel tubes. The robot and feeder enable the automation of this process.

Description of operation

Once the feeder has been fully loaded by the operator, the robot transfers the tubes to the washing machine. After the washing process, the clean tubes are transferred back to the feeder, where they are blown dry. Once dry, they roll down to the collection point on the feeder. The robot’s working area is isolated by a partition with a service door. The operation of the feeder, robot and washer is synchronised and controlled externally via an electrical cabinet and a pneumatic cabinet.

Station design

TUBE FEEDER

The tube feeder is the device responsible for transferring the tubes into the robot’s working area, followed by blowing them out and removing them from the robotised cell.

The operator places the tubes on a tray and moves them onto the guide elements. This allows for the loading of tubes in bundles of: 81 x 12 mm diameter tubes, 100 x 10 mm diameter tubes or 122 x 8 mm diameter tubes. As the tubes roll down into the separation modules, oil drains from them into the sump tanks located beneath the machine. The machine is equipped with a separation module that directs individual tubes to the robot for collection.

After washing, the robot returns the clean tube to the feeder. It rolls down guide rails into the blow-off zone and then into the clean tube storage bin.

WASHING MACHINE

The device responsible for cleaning the tubes is the Lantz automatic washing machine. The robot places the contaminated tubes one by one into the washing machine’s slot, and the clean ones exit the washing machine onto a conveyor belt.

TUBE CONVEYOR

The tube conveyor is designed to transport clean tubes from the automatic washer to the Fanuc robot’s working area, from where they are transferred back to the feeder for drying and to exit the robotic cell.

SAFETY LEVEL

In accordance with the customer’s guidelines and in compliance with the requirements of the PN-EN ISO 12100 standard, the machine is equipped with a range of technical safety measures such as: an emergency stop switch, safety interlocks, guards and pictograms.