Case Study: Saginaw Control & Engineering

Business Challange

SCE needed to supply steel blanks to a robotically operated press brake forming both standard and special size electrical enclosures, as well astake away loads of finished goods for fork truck pick up. Available floor space was a long and narrow area , in which fork truck traffic is constantly present.

Project Challanges

• Part sizes varied from very small that were contained within the pallets, to parts that would overhang the pallet on 2 sides, up to 12” per side.
• Finished goods pallets are very unstable when stacked.
• The robot must pick blanks from floor level only.

The Results

• Chain guards, Photo-eye brackets, etc. all had to be located in such a way as they could not interfere with, or be damaged by product flow.
• Soft starts, and smooth transition points were used extensively to avoid excessive rocking and/or swaying of finished goods on the pallets.
• (3) Lift tables were placed in a large pit to allow the Robot to pick from the floor level.
• BMH provided equipment that allows the client to efficiently handle the current workload, as well as allow for easily expanding the system for an additional robot which is planned in the future.