Automation highly flexible loading systems

GROB automation systems –
highly flexible, customized solutions

GROB automation systems are able to convey medium and large quantities of car aggregates (engines and transmission units) as well as components (cylinder heads, pump housing, crank shafts).

The new GROB loading concept

The new loading concept from GROB is characterized by impressive simplicity. It enables single and twin-spindle machines to be loaded. This development from GROB gives new meaning to the term “optimized flexibility”. The new GROB loading concept consigns complex systems with their stringent requirements for operators and maintenance to the past.

Automatic shift part changer
Loading processes which are decoupled from transport are achieved with shift part changers. The machine is loaded in two stages: The finished workpieces are removed from the machine with the free loading fork; the unmachined parts are fed into the machine. This system supports loading from single and twin-spindle machines.

Agile gantry
The newly developed gantry is characterized by very high acceleration rates and velocities as well as by very high positioning accuracy and is suitable for loading workpieces of average dimensions. A further advantage of the system is the ease with which it can be adapted to new types of workpieces. The low number of components guarantees the best possible availability.

Automation conventional loading systems

Manual loading with a shift part changer

Workpieces are placed on the shift part changer by the operator and are then pushed into the clamping device. Both, single and twin-spindle types can be loaded very quickly. Manually guided suspension tracks are used as standard for transport between the machines; they also enable loading to be performed smoothly whenever a machine has to be skipped. Alternatively, the transport can also be conducted with non-driven roller belts in the case of manual loading.

Swivel changer
The swivel changer decouples the transport from the loading process, which can be conducted manually as well as through a gantry. It is suitable both for partial and fully automatic loading. A swivel changer can load two machines, one immediately after the other. They can be set up facing one another, which is a space-efficient solution.

Loader robot arm
The workpiece change time is reduced by using a loader robot arm as a workpiece-changer. Loading onto and unloading from the loading fork may also be conducted both manually and with a portal.

Gantry

The Cartesian gantry is the cost-efficient standard for fully automatic loading from above and is also suitable for very large workpiece dimensions. Designed as an I or H loader, it possesses one or two vertical axes per trolley. The gantry with parallel kinematics in the vertical axis performs as well as the Cartesian gantry and can also be used in very low halls thanks to its extremely low design height. GROB gantries are characterized by their very high levels of positioning accuracy.