Engine Parts Handled with Care by Vision Guided Robots

The VGR systems include robots manufactured by ABB Inc.'s Robotic, Automotive and Manufacturing Group. The sale to the Romeo plant was arranged under the joint Braintech/ABB marketing agreement.

Owen Jones, Chief Executive Officer of Braintech, observed, "Working closely with ABB we are able to deliver VGR systems that meet the rigorous demands for near 100% reliability that the automakers require. In addition to our combined commitment to total systems quality, ABB has the global infrastructure to properly handle increasing customer demand".

At Ford's Windsor, Ontario plant, where V8 and V10 engines are produced for the Ford F150 pickup truck and other vehicles, six systems were installed during the plant's December 2003/January 2004 holiday break. Four systems are dedicated to robots handling cylinder heads that are destined for machining, an early stage in the manufacturing process. The Braintech cameras and software direct the robots to unload the 40-pound parts from pallets (called "dunnage") and place them on brackets fixed to a conveyor. They are then transported to work areas for precision machining.

The challenge is that the cylinder heads arrive four-to-a-pallet, in a variety of positions, having shifted in transit. Lacking vision guidance, a non-human controlled robotic or gantry arm can crash into the heads, damage them and cause the line to shut down -- costing an automaker up to thousands of dollars per minute in lost production. With VGR not only is this problem solved, additional savings can be realized by changing from expensive "exact fixturing" dunnage required by "blind" systems to less expensive plastic blow-molded dunnage, with potential savings per cell in the hundreds of thousands annually.

At another location in the Windsor facility, two new Braintech systems direct robots in unloading machined cylinder heads from dunnage and placing ("decking") them at an angle on engine blocks. "This task is particularly suited for robots," said James M. Dara, Braintech Vice President of Sales/General Manager of North American Operations. "Machined aluminum engine heads are being fitted to iron engine blocks, presenting a significant sealing challenge; contamination by human hair, perspiration, finger prints or other elements could lead to engine gasket leaks. While robots eliminate that risk, Ford still faced the considerable challenge of directing its robots to seize and maneuver these bulky, sensitive parts in a changing work environment. Braintech's patented system solved the problem."

Braintech also installed two systems, to automate the handling of intake manifolds as they arrive in non-precision dunnage. "This is the first time Braintech systems have been married to robots moving on overhead gantries," Dara noted. "Most robots are bolted to the floor; these mobile devices presented another level of complexity, which the Braintech system readily accommodated."

Purchase orders for three Braintech systems have been received from Ford's Romeo, Michigan, engine plant, where they will direct engine head unloading and decking, and intake manifold unloading and assembly. Installation is targeted for the second quarter.

"We had previous installations at the Windsor and Essex plants," Dara said, "but the acceleration of additional installations at those facilities, and the expansion to Ford's Romeo plant provide clear validation of the superiority of our technology and a hint of Braintech's sales potential in the massive global automotive manufacturing field."

Braintech's VGR technologies give industrial robots the "eyes" to handle and assemble parts with a high degree of consistent quality and productivity. To date, Braintech's VGR solutions have been installed at Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Delphi, TI Automotive Group and Toyota.

ABB's Robotic, Automotive and Manufacturing group is a leading supplier of robots, robotic systems and automation systems to the automotive, manufacturing and consumer industries, with more than 120,000 robots installed worldwide.