BMW Automates With Kuka Robots
BMW has chosen to
automate parts of vehicle production decrease downtime. The company required an adaptable system due to variable parts. The company chose
Kuka to install multiple robots including the modle
KR 500, 360 and 150.
- Long committed to automated assembly, the company recently decided to automate the handling of its front and rear axles, as well as the doors for both types of automobiles. Among other goals, BMW wanted a system that would be flexible enough to adapt to changing product requirements.
- For handling the front and rear axles, BMW installed three heavy-duty, six-axis robots from Kuka Robots: a KR 500 model and two KR 360s. The KR 500, which has a payload of 500 kilograms, takes the assembled front axles from the production line and sets them down on an assembly aggregate carrier.
- The KR 360 robots, which each have a payload of 360 kilograms, are responsible for handling the rear axles. The first KR 360 places the axles in a magazine on a combination workpiece-carrier.
- Each robot’s sequence begins when an electric overhead conveyor arrives at the station with an empty hanger. One of the KR 150s then lifts the hanger out of the conveyor vehicle and moves it down a level, ready for loading.
- During typical operation, neither of the two pairs of robots is required to run at its maximum capacity. That way, if any of the robots break down or need to be stopped for maintenance, the remaining machines can take up the slack, avoiding any interruptions in production.
