For over three decades, Norjon Precision Engineering has built and upheld its enviable reputation for superior service and unrivalled quality of specialist, bespoke and tailored precision engineered components for the food, marine, aerospace and power industries to name just a few. Here, a number of EROWA robotic automation systems are helping the company maintain this reputation.
At its impressive facilities in Gosport, Hampshire, Norjon Precision Engineering operates its extensive list of high quality machine tools around-the-clock to meet the demands for its “˜blue chip’ customers. With an array of 3- to 5-axis machining centres from Hermle, Makino and Mazak, and turning centres from Okuma and Mazak, the shopfloor is also populated by three EROWA Robot Compact 80 automation systems supplied by exclusive UK and Eire agent REM Systems.
Two of the automation systems are fitted to Hermle 5-axis CNC machining centres. Managing Director, Kevin Fox, explains why the company chose to make the investment. “Simply put,” he says, “we needed the hours to meet the customer delivery demands for the projects we support. I identified that we could avail ourselves of another 60 hours per week if we run over the weekend around-the-clock. Just a few weeks after installation the EROWA systems consistently achieved the 60 hour target set.”
Floorspace was a further consideration for Norjon. “We are at capacity in terms of machine tool installations, and the Robot Compact 80 with its small footprint offered a pallet size that suits the components being machined. The EROWA system provides a 32-pallet capacity and the parts we are loading it with typically run for a 2 hour cycle. So, running it all weekend allows us to come in Monday morning with 30 parts finished,” states Kevin Fox.
The third system came with a turnkey package from NCMT when the machine tool supplier specified a Makino DA300 5-axis machining centre equipped with the EROWA Robot Compact 80. This system was installed to produce highly detailed aluminium components with typical machining cycle times of around 4 hours.
Within a storage rack that is just 1 m long the maximum capacity of Robot Compact 80 is 32 pallet locations. However, for this application the rack has been configured with 16 smaller pallets and 8 larger ones to accommodate the variety of components being worked on.
The EROWA Robot Compact 80 is able accommodate up to 11 different EROWA pallet sizes for varying workpiece sizes. And, the magazine levels can be set up precisely to meet requirements. Although Norjon Engineering’s parts are relatively light the robot is designed to accurately and reliably manipulate pallets weighing up to 80 kg each, and can even feed two machine tools. It provides the optimal ratio between a large number of magazine positions and a small amount of floor space. The tall and lean design of the robot means just 2 m2 of floorspace is required.
The choice of automation provider followed an extensive 12 month investigation of the different robotic systems available and a trip to see EROWA’s facility in Switzerland. “I was impressed with the company and my research revealed that EROWA has an exceptional reputation in the market for its robotic systems. The control system for the robot also interfaces very well with the machine’s CNC controller,” explains Kevin Fox.
“To achieve the output levels that our robot systems give us we would need two or three more machine tools, and we don’t have the space or the manpower to do that. Of course, these gains can only be accessed if reliable backup is available, and our working relationship with REM Systems has proven to be very beneficial to us. Their knowledge of the range of solutions on offer means we are always pointed in the right direction when making an investment and the service and support has been exceptional,” concludes Kevin Fox.