DavidScott
Diamond
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2012
- Location
- Washington
I have a 1996 Enshu S300 drill/tap mill that I don't use much now, no 4th which is very limiting for me. It is quite old and fairly loose but still holds tenths, is dead reliable, and fully supported by the MTB. I "registered" it so I have unlimited phone support and 3 full sets of all documentation. I have about 3-4 months a year of 2-1/2 axis work I could put on this mill if I could add a robot to it. They are all aluminum widgets in 5 sizes but out of 3 bar sizes, 1/4"x1" 4" and 6-1/4" long, 1/2"x2" 6" and 8" long, and 1/2"x3" 8" long, all real simple parts machined in 2 ops. The mill had a rotating table option, not on mine, so I have a great mounting surface with threaded bolt holes to attach the robot mount to. Anyway, I have been working towards a robotically loaded VMC for a few years now and think this may be the start. I have no experience with robots and figure I would start here with my questions, I also figure I am not the only one here wondering about this. I really am most interested in the robot to old VMC integration right now. I would like to save the automatic vises and EOT for later, not that I haven't been thinking of it. The mill is in one end of my shop and there is only one path to access it that I could control with a light curtain, or such. Please keep in mind I am a one-man shop working from home with your solutions/suggestions. I would like to keep this as simple and cheap as possible. Budget depends on what is needed. If I need to buy new to get support then so be it. I am thinking of a 1ish meter reach 5-7 kg payload robot. My heaviest part weighs 1.2 lbs, so 3 weigh 3.6 lbs, which it will have to hold at one time to swap out op1 and op2 parts in one cycle.
Time for lunch so let's start here. Yeah, I figure this thread could cover a lot of territory. No secrets about the parts so I can fully document any of this process if I end up doing it.
Initial questions are:
1) Robot to VMC integration, what is involved?
2) Where and what to buy robot wise? New? Used? I remember, I think, Tony said they like Kawasaki best.
3) How much support from the robot MTB? Whether new or used?
Time for lunch so let's start here. Yeah, I figure this thread could cover a lot of territory. No secrets about the parts so I can fully document any of this process if I end up doing it.
Initial questions are:
1) Robot to VMC integration, what is involved?
2) Where and what to buy robot wise? New? Used? I remember, I think, Tony said they like Kawasaki best.
3) How much support from the robot MTB? Whether new or used?
Last edited: