The Challenge: Manual constraints
The customer manufactures motorized recreational and industrial carts. They faced a bottleneck in their work cell where they used steel tube frames and welding jigs. Finished frames measured about 108" x 70" and weighed 350 lbs. The welding jigs themselves weighed 1000 lbs. Before adding robots, workers hand welded these frames on permanent steel tables. Each table only handled one model. Moving these frames was a chore. Workers used an old I-beam style crane. It was difficult to push and pull. Safety and ergonomics were major concerns for the team.
The Solution: The Gorbel free standing work station crane
The customer chose a Gorbel Free Standing Work Station Crane. It included Demag hoists and lifting slings. The runway is 45 feet long. They used a conductor bar because it stops festooning problems. This crane setup lets one operator manage multiple models in the same cell.
The Execution: Multi-bridge integration
The cell is 40 feet long and 30 feet wide. Two welding robots sit side by side with 20 feet of space between them. To cover this area, Gorbel installed two runway systems and four bridges suspended by common headers. Two bridges move the 350 lb finished frames out of the jigs. Workers place these frames on carts to roll them to the next step. One center bridge handles the 1000 lb welding jigs for both robots. A fourth bridge sits at the back of the welding robots. It is 4 feet wide. This bridge loads wire welding material and allows multi-directional travel. This makes it easy to load wire drums on the centerline of the robot wire in-feed.
The Result: Production efficiency
The worker changes the jig in the robot to build a different cart model. This new station allows the customer to manufacture five different models in the same cell. Previously, the company would have needed five separate work cells. Employees find the design simple and functional. The facility now has less worker fatigue and safer work cells.