NORTH AMERICA / FELXIBLE MANUFACTURING: Comau Inc. of Southfield, MI has developed an assembly machine architecture called SmartCell that offers flexibility not only in terms of the products manufactured but also in production volumes and investment capital. Based on tried and tested PROFIBUS networks, SmartCell also employs IO-Link to ensure transparent and rapid connections between PROFIBUS and the multiple sensors deployed on an innovative automated tool change system.

At the heart of the SmartCell are two tooling arms and a pallet positioning system to allow assembly operations in all axes. The dedicated tooling is in the form of compact "shoeboxes" that reside inside the cell. SmartCell is capable of holding eight shoebox tools. Tool changes take place continuously. By using two tooling arms, one working while the next is reconfiguring, production is continuous and uninterrupted.

A key engineering challenge was how to achieve good production rates and high reliability. The shoebox tools have up to 16 sensors and pneumatic clamps. According to Gary Beebe, Controls Engineer, it was important to "keep our tool change time down to a minimum and remove as many points of potential failure as possible."

Balluff Inc. (Florence, KY) recommended using IO-Link, which acts as a transparent extension of PROFIBUS through standard cabling to small machine-mounted I/O blocks located on the shoebox tooling.

Balluff provided a solid-state, non-contact connection interface for IO-Link using the inductive coupling principle, which passes power for the sensors and the IO-Link communications signals through an air gap down to the shoebox tool. Balluff Inc. also provided an RFID system so the tool mounted tags could be seamlessly read to ensure uninterrupted machine operations in the event of misplaced tools. New pneumatic cylinder position sensors from Balluff were employed, combining two sensors into one connection to provide both open and close position feedback.

The SmartCell with Balluff's IO-Link technology has significant customer payback in the areas of scalability and cost. At the start of production, investments can be scaled by utilizing a single SmartCell. As product demand increases and capital becomes available, more SmartCells can be added in a parallel process flow to increase production. During the end of a product's life cycle, existing SmartCells can be easily repurposed to other products by simple shoebox tool changes.

By implementing a manufacturing strategy using SmartCells, costs are dramatically reduced in multiple areas claims Comau. "Fixed and variable costs are reduced by 40%, floor space is reduced by 60%, and the number of automation components is reduced by 75%."

The scalable nature of the parallel process gives assemblers the flexibility in investment, production, and product, meeting today's call for cost control, flexibility, and scalability says Comau. BALLUFF