20 Hewitts Road
Carnegie 3163
Victoria
Australia
Tel 0412 426 096 Fax 03 9569 6164 Email Us
MAHLE Piston Casting Parts Shuttle
Transfer
Shuttles for Piston Die Casting Automation Upgrade
Mahle Engine Components
Australia were increasing production by automating two of their
casting cells at their North Laverton (Victoria)
facility
Once the aluminum pistons
have been cast, the runners (excess) are snipped off. From this
point they need to be quenched; however, the size of the snipper,
and distances involved mean the robot could not pick up the
pistons.
John Mills
& Associates successfully tendered to design and build two
part shuttles that would transfer the pistons from the snippers to
a point were the robot could pick them up for quenching, followed
by machining in a CNC lathe.
The shuttles had to fit into
a small footprint, the pistons had to be lowered to clear the
snippers before the carriage could retract.
The carriage is moved by
a FESTO DPG pneumatic rail with air cushioning, and is raised
and lowered by a standard pneumatic cylinder. All working parts a
protected from falling aluminum.
The pistons locate on
dolleys, and are self-centering to ensure the robot will pick them
up in the same orientation every time. The dolleys are
interchangeable for the different pistons that are cast in the
cells.
The shuttles are adjustable
in all axis' and can be unbolted from the casting frame and
removed, and put back in exactly the same place. They were designed
and built over a six week period.
