Krefeld-based textile machinery and component manufacturer Saurer Technologies was looking for a solution to automate the assembly of cabling machines for an American customer. The aim of the project was to protect the health of the employees - until then, the physically very strenuous task had been carried out manually. At the same time, the aim was to increase quality and productivity.

Flexibility and user-friendliness

The robotics solution consists of a 7-axis cobot from Kassow Robots, which was installed on an AGV. A cobot is a "collaborative robot", i.e. a lightweight robot that is ideal for working with or in the vicinity of employees. The use of this type of solution is particularly suitable in environments where people have to move around machines and a fence is therefore not desirable. The AGV from the Lower Rhine used in the USA is a new development: it can handle a payload of up to 1,000 kilograms and reaches a speed of up to 1.7 meters per second. In addition, the controls of an additional vertical linear axis are integrated into the overall control system of the AGV. According to the supplier, this results in an even greater range.

The very first contact between the two companies came about in 2019. Following the engineering project, the order for which was received by Project Automation & Consulting in November 2020, the first prototype was delivered to Sauer Technologies in June 2021. After an extensive test phase, two AGVs were delivered to the end customer in the USA in December 2021, with the first series of machines arriving in the USA in early 2023. The end customer now operates a total of 68 vehicles in three plants in the USA. Further plants are to be equipped in the future. Several AGV cobot machines take care of more than 60 spinning machines of up to 40 meters in a single plant alone. Each AGV solution has a travel distance of around 80 to 120 meters per "job". The aim is to keep the travel distances as short as possible. The AGV therefore only ever has the next position, the master computer specifies the position to be approached.

How it works: The AGV cobot solution receives an order from the customer's software to load the next cabling machine with new bobbins. This process is controlled and monitored by Project's fleet management software. The AGV then drives to a trolley in which the spools are ready. Alternatively, they can also be placed on a pallet or a trolley, for example. After detecting the exact position using the camera system, the cobot picks up the bobbins and places them on the magazine mounted on the AGV. After transportation to the machine, the cobot removes the bobbins from the magazine. The camera installed on the cobot is again used to detect the exact positioning of the deposit location - it enables the correct loading of the cabling machine. A linear axis extends the operating radius so that the machines can be loaded at different heights.

Focus on safety

The AGV is equipped with two safety laser scanners that cover a 360-degree area around the AGV and are mounted at a height of around 165 millimetres. If a person or a machine enters the so-called "warning field", the AGV brakes and continues at a lower speed. If someone violates the so-called "protective field", the AGV stops immediately. 3D vision sensors also increase the operational safety of the system: these monitor the area in front of the AGV up to a height of around 1.80 meters and stop the vehicle if there is an obstacle in the path of travel.

Such automation solutions help companies to counteract the labor shortage. In addition, employees can perform tasks that are less harmful to their health. The use of such an automation solution can also have a positive effect on quality - human errors, such as material mix-ups, are reduced.