Machine Tending

Challenge

In 2019 The Gallagher Group decided to bring the manufacture of their Ring Top Fence Standards back to their Hamilton head office. This was to enable them to get better control of their quality as well as ensure their supply chain to various countries could be managed from New Zealand.

The ability of RML to engineer, manufacture, install and support a World Class Automation Solution made us the perfect fit for Gallagher’s requirements.

Gallaghers needed a Robotic solution to process a huge range of fence SKU’s from full Fence Standards to all of the supplementary parts that make up the Gallaghers Fence products.

Solution

We designed a Two Cell System, one to manufacture the Foot end of the Standard, the other Cell to complete the Standard by adding the Ring Top. RML worked closely with the engineering team at both Gallaghers and Engel to ensure seamless interfacing between the Injection Mould Machines, the Tooling and the complex RML Robot Heads.

Both Cells contain ABB IRB 4600 Robots which carry out all of the product handling in each Cell as well as passing products from Cell to Cell. The first Cell is fitted with a Rod Magazine which singulates the metal fence rods so the Robot can pick four and feed them into the Injection Moulding Machine. The Rod magazine is fed by the machine operator and holds 30 minutes worth of rods.

After the Rods have the foot moulded onto them, the Robot hands the parts over the second Cell to have the Ring Top added. The Ring Top Robot receives the parts and places them into the second Injection Mould Machine where the Ringtop is added to the Standard. Once completed the Fence Standards are placed on a conveyor and presented to the operator for packing.