Hecker & Koch choose Flexxbotics to enhance its robot-driven manufacturing with autonomous process control capabilities.
Flexxbotics has announced that it has been selected by Heckler & Koch USA (HKUSA) to enhance its robot-driven manufacturing with autonomous process control capabilities. The designer and manufacturer of small arms and light weapons for military forces and law enforcement worldwide hopes that with Flexxbotics’ help, it will be able to increase its capacity with precision quality ensuring it can meet global demands whilst also addressing labour shortages.
Additionally, by opting for Flexxbotics’ solutions, HKUSA receives a robot-enabled, multi-machine cellularised setup for machining complex geometry parts. The robot will be operating in a variety of applications involving:
- Okuma 5-Axis vertical machining centre.
- Okuma horizontal machining centre.
- Integrated water dunk & blow-off station.
- Hexagon Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM).
- Renishaw inspection probe.
- SICK safety scanner.
Operating within an individual workcell, by automating the complete machining and inspection process, HKUSA is expecting a capacity increase of 87% and a 24:1 machine-to-man ratio.
“Our main goals with robotic automation are increasing throughput, maximising machine utilisation, and creating flexibility to react quickly to production volume demands which Flexxbotics enables us to achieve,” said John Mitchell, VP of Operations at HKUSA. “Flexxbotics’ ability to use the robot to coordinate multiple machines and have in-line inspection results automatically correct the machining operations is totally unique and was key for us.”
Why HKUSA chose Flexxbotics:
- Ability to increase production capacity by over 80% per week and achieve a 24:1 machine-to-man ratio.
- Provides open connectivity and interoperability between the robots, inspection equipment, and CNC machines.
- Ensures in-line inspection with CMM for precision quality, 100%-part coverage, as well as closed-loop optimisation for uninterrupted production.
- Improved solution flexibility to scale out across the entire machining division.
- Greater integrated safety with robot+machine coordination, with scanners connected with the highest levels of human safety in mind.
- Better responsiveness in the process from the initial discovery workshop to deployment, as well as support afterwards.
“With Flexxbotics, we achieve full ROI in less time, without taking into account additional capacity, than alternative solutions which exceed our expectations,” continues Mitchell. “From a business perspective, we view Flexxbotics robot-driven manufacturing as an investment that enables autonomy in our factories.”
Flexxbotics’ solution works by connecting the robot to each piece of equipment and coordinates it to have full command and control of the workcell. Utilising closed-loop feedback from the CMM inspection results, Flexxbotics can write offset macro variable changes to the CNC machines’ programs. By providing real-time corrections, all parts will be built to spec with continuous, automatic process control operations now possible while reducing the possibility of errors occurring.
“We understand the need for greater coordination between robots and machines in production as manufacturers look to increase output while maintaining Six Sigma quality,” said Tyler Bouchard, CEO & Co-founder of Flexxbotics. “What we are doing with the Flexxbotics solution is enabling the world’s most advanced smart factories to adopt robot-driven manufacturing at scale.”