LANG Technik products are the first choice workholding systems for many users involved in the global machining industry. Previously sold in the UK through a distributor, LANG Technik UK was established in 2019 to provide sales and application support for both existing and new customers.
In addition to achieving excellent levels of sales of the company’s famous workholding products, over the past 2 years LANG Technik UK has also had great success in installing a number of the company’s highly-efficient LANG RoboTrex automation systems.
The most recent LANG RoboTrex installation was at the premises of Ritchie Precision based in Livingston, Scotland. In addition to other machining capabilities, Ritchie Precision offers industry leading 5 axis CNC Milling and Turning services. The company serves a range of demanding global sectors including the Oil & Gas, Power generation, Ultra-sonic, Opto-electronic, Scientific instruments and not least the Laser and Medical industries.
Ritchie Precision recently had the opportunity to quote for a high-volume, long-term contract related to the manufacture of intricate, multi-feature medical components with extremely challenging dimensional tolerances. Mindful of the length of the potential contract and the fact that the company could amortise some of the costs involved in purchasing the necessary equipment, the most efficient methods of producing the complicated components and of achieving their demanding dimensional specifications were investigated.
Having decided that 3 x DMU eVo series universal machining centres from DMG Mori UK were the ideal machine tools for realising the required precision standards and production volumes, a cost-plan was created, a successful quote was tendered and the contract was secured. Owing to the components’ demanding accuracy specifications the 3 x DMU eVo series machine tools were specified with a range of advanced features, such as coolant-preheaters to help eliminate the manufacturing inaccuracies caused by coolant ‘shock’. So challenging were the precision specification of the components, Ritchie Precisions’ new machine tools were installed in a refurbished, temperature-controlled factory.
The final elements that are now enabling the contract to be undertaken in an effective and profitable way and that allow the new components to be produced in the required high volumes and within specification, are the highly efficient LANG Robo-Trex automation systems that now serve each of the company’s new universal machining centres.
Working unattended and fed by the Lang Robo-Trex systems, the company’s three DMU eVo series machines run throughout the day. Then, before the end of each day shift, the Robo-Trex trollies are restocked with batches of workpieces, enabling each machining centre to run unmanned throughout each night.
Each of Ritchie Precision’s three Lang Robo-Trex robot systems use two high capacity trollies that act as mobile storage mediums. The trollies are loaded with multiple vices that hold workpieces ready for machining. Unattended, the systems’ robots pick workpieces from the trollies, load them into the machine tools, and when fully machined, return them to the trollies. Once filled with fully machined parts, each trolley is removed, and a replacement loaded with ready to machine workpieces is added.
Two classes of Robo-Trex trollies are available, each with two size options. The smaller version, the Robo-Trex 52 trolly has a capacity of 30 vices (max. part size: 120 x 120 x 100 mm), whilst the larger model has a capacity of 42 vices (max. part size: 120 x 100 x 70 mm).
The smaller version of the Robo-Trex 96 trolly has a capacity of 15 vices (max. part size: 205 x 205 x 90 mm), whilst the larger model has a capacity of 16 vices (max. part size: 205 x 150 x 150 mm).
Each Robo-Trex system is able to accommodate 4 trolleys. Therefore, depending on part size, the available storage capacity increases to 120/168 vices or 60/64 vices.
A simple to operate touch panel enables easy control of the automated system and, as external access to the trolley is possible, production remains seamless as machining cycles do not need to be interrupted. Control of the system’s zero-point clamping system can be performed either pneumatically through the machine tool, or mechanically through the system’s robot.
Explaining the benefits gained through the use of the company’s advance LANG Robo-Trex systems, Ritchie Precision Senior Manufacturing Engineer, Taylor Barr said. “By enabling our 3 new universal machining centres to work around the clock without stopping our LANG Robo-Trex systems have allowed the maximum productive potential of the machine tools to be realised and impressive volumes of parts to be produced.
“Also, the use of our highly-efficient LANG automatic handling systems has provided an additional major benefit. Due to the challenging specification of the parts we are producing, when stopping and starting our machines certain features can drift out of tolerance. Therefore, as the use of our Robo-Trex systems enables our new machine tools to work continuously 24/7, our machining cycles do not need to be interrupted, this continuity of production means that we avoid the scrap and rework situations caused by disrupting production.”
LANG Technik UK Director Gareth Barnett added, “After liaising with the staff of Ritchie Precision and gaining a full understanding of the company’s needs, our engineers were confident that our LANG Robo-Trex systems would enable the company’s ambitious production volumes to be achieved and a cost-effective quotation was presented”.
“Richie Precision’s systems are now fully operational and helping to deliver the promised volumes. An added bonus of the company’s use of Robo-Trex is, the optimum machine tool conditions and stability enabled by non-interrupted, 24/7 production has minimised the amount of out of tolerance components being manufactured.”
