At LIGNA / HANNOVER - from the 18th to the 22nd May 2009- we exhibited a brand new patented automation, 'PIERO', named after the best of our skilled engineers.
It is a flexible loading/parking/unloading warehouse which dispenses with the need of a costly forklift operator in the area where the panel working machine is, or parts of panels to be recycled are.
This robust platform ( 3.500 kg ) will load 5.000 kilos in several, flexible stations and has been designed and patented to solve the real 'bottleneck' of any monoblade machine ( and of all the panel machines inserted in small batches flexible working islands ) where complex handling of loading/parking parts/rejects to be recycled or manual unloading must be carried out by several operators working in close proximity to the machines with the need of a forklift and its driver.
Nowadays the small batches- and just in time orders depend entirely on the efficiency of machine and forklift operators moving from the panels stockage to the working islands. In practice the high performance of the most efficent and modern machines are impeded by handling problems with small orders. Moreover the handling of expensive rejects to be recycled makes the process more complex. Often rejects are stockpiled close to the machines, possibly for future recycling, but commonly they become expensive rejects which by the year end occupy valuable industrial space. Consequently customers are no longer investing in high performance machines!
The expensive, total automation of the ' batch one ' cannot be the right solution for companies needing production in their flexible working islands which could be equipped at low cost, easily offset.
The forklift operator coming from the main panels warehouse or from the supplier can organize the supply in advance, by loading the 'PIERO' flexible stations in masked time (when the operator is working on the machine). It also can remove the rejects from some stations which are not immediately recyclable and leave - close to the operator - panels with different colour, thickness, size and material required to complete the most urgent flexible orders. It also allows the operator to change sequences according to demand (for example just in time orders networked to the machine PC ) by selecting one picking station and taking it to the machine loading/unloading height at the right time in a completely independent way.
Macmazza beam saws are also equipped with software for the stockpiling and handling of rejects which can be left in one or more of the stations on the 'PIERO' machine, used in the software programme, so they can be easily identified during the recycling operations.
Macmazza has turned the present economic climate to its advantage by investing in ' out of wood' solutions such as the cutting of 130 mm thick panels in heavy duty plastic, aluminum, fibrecement etc, and also by developing projects and patents for this 'AUTOMATION FOR PANELS ' which can efficiently feed small batches flexible working islands and /or outsize shops with all the machines working 'in' or ' out of wood' panels. In addition the dimensions of 'PIERO' can be customized and with its shelves fitted with wheels, it facilitates handling even of the delicate panels.
'PIERO' was designed to be built, tested and preassembled in the Macmazza workshop and then easily reassembled and used by personnel not necessarily skilled either in mechanics or in electronics.
As you can see in the enclosed picture, 'PIERO' perfectly matches the rotating air flotation table- with Macmazza’s international patent - providing an alternative and intermediate solution between a front loading machine and a machine with rear loading platform. In fact the real gap between the two applications can be filled by removing the only 'bottleneck' that is the front handling, and using 'PIERO', a loading/parking/unloading station makes it extremely flexible for companies dealing in 'just-in-time' small batches rather than in large production lots.
The real needs of these companies are addressed with the investment in an automation which maximizes the efficiency working with reduced labour, optimum recycling of rejects reduced to a minimum with minimum effort.
Some customers are already in favour of using 'PIERO' close to machines with platform or rear automatic loading, where it can improve organisation and flexibility alongside existing production lines. Flexibility being more and more the key to the competitive edge of a modern company today both in the market place and in the workplace. This solution simplifies the necessary 'out of line' operations for the personnel involved which lies at the core of efficiency.
Together with the above automation Macmazza will be also exhibiting a TS 100 monoblade beam saw with pincers, having resolved the 'bottleneck' of the front handling, consequently all the performance has been improved among the upgrades we would like to highlight the following:
-better optimization of all the axes movements according to panel dimension and thickness
-increase of the axes speeds, can be varied by adjustable speed motors, according to the material to be cut or to the cutting quality required.
-lengthening of the side aligner stroke to combine the simultaneous rotation and the transverse cutting of several strips on a patented whole table, the strips being parallel aligned without any effort of the operator, also thanks to the whole supporting table when unloading