New Robots at Press and Stamping Plant

16 May 2017

New robots were installed at the shop of cabin welding and assembly of Press and Stamping Plant of KAMAZ (part of Rostec State Corporation).

Fanuc robots were installed at the line of high roof assembly where roofs for KAMAZ cabins of four models are assembled. It is noteworthy that seven robots were replaced for two months without suspension of production.

According to Almas Gilmanov, Project Manager, Head of the Industrial Electronics Department, the first generation of robots has been working at the automated line of high roof welding for the last 28 years. For this period of time the machines wore out and could greatly affect the welding quality. In order not to let down their colleagues from the automobile plant, the experts of the Press and Stamping Plant slowered the operation of the line, so that the robots could be more accurate implementing their duties. For the latest years, the line has been welding 15 roofs an hour, and automated lines welding other units are meant for the output of 40 pieces an hour. "To synchronize the flow the "roof" was welded without stops, but at this pace of work there were delays in deliveries of carcasses to the main assembly conveyor. The upgrading of the line could have improved the situation," Gilmanov explained. "But whereas five lower robots with one rregulated axle was renewed by us, there were questions how to improve the upper line of more complicated aggregates. Spare parts for them cost more than new machines. However, today's equipment of the Press and Stamping Plant jumped over three generations of robots at once, the first generation was replaced by the fourth one." 

Since robots by Japanese Fanuc hadn't been used at KAMAZ previously, operators had to study them thoroughly. An individual station was prepared for the first Japanese at the plant. In order to coordinate movements of the electronic helper, first it was given flags into its arms, and only then welding claws were attached to it. The program modules at the beginning of the project were prepared by only two experts, after the training their number grew till 20. The carrying capacity of the new aggregates is one and a half times higher and efficiency is five times higher than their predecessors have. Fanuc weld 30 roofs an hour, but can work even faster.       

As Gilfanov noted, now is the time to introduce robots at welding sites in the first run. There are few experts of the necessary qualification, the work is hazardous, but new technologies will bring a new level of product quality. One of the most probable options is a section for welding of attachment brackets for fuel tanks in the chassis shop. The production volume of the detail is very high, about 150 thousand units a year, and it is very difficult to cope with such a quantity without robots.  

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