Flexible Robotic Automation System for High-Volume / High-Mix Production

Higher Productivity through Automation 

TSUZUKI MANUFACTURING has been proactively enhancing its production through automation, including the use of an autonomous system with specialized machines for manufacturing automotive parts. In 2018, the company introduced an automation line for the mass production of stator shafts with 3× NRX 2000 and 5× i 30 V machines from DMG MORI – a combination of turning centers with 2 front-loaded spindles and 2 turrets and vertical machining centers with automatic tool change at two locations on the magazine wheel. In this way, the company was able to improve on its old production line both in terms of throughput and machining accuracy.

To further increase productivity, TSUZUKI MANUFACTURING was also searching for an efficient solution to automate high-mix production for construction machinery parts. It is more difficult to automate variable-mix and variable-volume production, but the company found that the highly flexible and precise solutions from DMG MORI meet all requirements. It eventually introduced an automation system that consists of the self-driving robot WH-AMR 5 and 2× NTX 1000 2nd Generation turn-mill centers.
 

Variable-mix / Variable-Volume Production with the Self-driving Robot WH-AMR 5 

“We were looking for an automation system that would allow robots and operators to coexist and work together. The automation system from DMG MORI has enabled flexible workpiece transfer between processes and made our production safer and more efficient”, says Mr. Kazuhumi Miyashita, the Director and General Manager of the Engineering Headquarters at TSUZUKI MANUFACTURING. In this system, the NTX 1000 integrates all required machining processes into one machine, while the WH-AMR 5 automates all operations in the process chain, including workpiece transfer, workpiece loading onto the machine, unloading of finished workpieces and transfer to the washing station, reducing setup and maintenance time. As a collaborative robot system, WH-AMR 5 is cost effective since it enables long periods of unmanned operation and 24-hour production without requiring a safety fence or additional safety devices. Furthermore, WH-AMR 5 can take care of multiple machines in one area and perform various tasks that go beyond workpiece handling, including tool and fixture transfer, measurement and more.

Pursuing Technological Innovation and Quality Excellence 

While handling large-scale orders from the automotive industry for tens of thousands of pieces a month and providing hundreds of different workpiece types to the construction machinery industry, the company successfully established an efficient quality management system that covers the complete process chain from prototyping to mass production.

“DMG MORI has an extensive lineup of millturn, turning and machining centers and makes excellent automation proposals that include optimal peripherals and machining solutions. I believe that their robot automation systems are one step ahead of other companies”, says Mr. Miyashita about his experience with DMG MORI. Furthermore, he shares his vision for the future: “We will continue to evolve our automation systems for high-mix variable-volume production to flexibly respond to customers’ demands. We will also strive for higher quality, such as by taking measurements during workpiece transfer.” With their accumulated know-how, TSUZUKI MANUFACTURING will continue to pursue technological innovation and quality excellence to achieve further growth in a fast-changing world.

TSUZUKI MANUFACTURING FACTS

• Established in 1944
• 504 employees
• Manufacturing of automotive and construction machinery parts, hydraulic equipment, and parts for the aerospace industry
• Manufactures very lightweight, hollow shafts with the in-house developed sequential forging method “Radial Forging”