Automotive Interior Floor Products Cutting Robot System

Alliance Automation, LLC was asked by a customer to design and build a waterjet robot system that could cut a variety of automotive interior floor parts.  These parts included: carpets, floor insulators, inner dash, acoustic damping, wheelhouse insulators and trunk floor insulators.

After reviewing the part geometries and cycle times, it was determined that four (4) invert mount robots and a large turntable was needed to accomplish what the customer required.  Alliance Automation custom designed a large format waterjet cell. (pictured below during the final build process)

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This system utilized four (4) ABB IRB 2600 robots with IRC5 controllers in master-slave configuration.  Each robot was dressed with a custom designed waterjet plumbing (coil) kit and cutting nozzle.

RobotWare Cutting® robot software was used for easily programming different shapes such as Circles, Slots, Squares, Rectangles and more.  This software is similar to shape generation or Jetware for Fanuc.  

The turntable has two positions for operators to load and unload parts while the robots are cutting inside the cell.  This drastically reduces time between cycles.  The motor and gearbox for the turntable were integrated into the robot controllers and is programmed as an external axis on the robot teach pendant.

On the inside of the cutting cell, the table lines up with a vacuum collection tank.  The vacuum cyclone supplied has a 25HP motor, fan capable of 4,400 CFM with silencer and an airlock motor with collection hopper for water and debris.

This system was protected by Keyence light curtains and safety scanners.  Touch screen HMI and pushbuttons were provided on the outside guarding.

This is an example of another successful project by Alliance Automation.

Have a similar robotic waterjet application?  Contact us for more information.