BMW uses Tricept machine tool robots in the manufacturing of components for its new 5 and 6 series model cars.
Several manufacturing companies in the automotive and aerospace industries have gained flexibility in machining aluminum and carbon-fiber parts using Tricept machine tool robots. These companies include BMW, Peugeot, and Airbus.
In the auto sector, Tricepts machine structural parts and frames as well as "cube" aluminum blocks for cylinder heads and engine blocks. BMW's Tricepts cut the front and rear axle carriers of the new 5 and 6 series. BMW installed the technology specifically for handling more than one model generation and to minimize capital expenditures. With the Tricepts, BMW has the flexibility to install production equipment prior to fully developing a car's specifications, make changes to existing models, and handle future manufacturing volumes.
At automaker Peugeot, Tricepts are part of a 60-m production line for finishing engine blocks. Typical operations include milling the top and bottom surfaces of the blocks, cutting the oil-pump surface, and drilling drainage channels.
Aerospace companies use Tricepts mainly for drilling large parts such as wings, horizontal stabilizers, and floor beams. Because of their flexibility, the machines replace a considerable amount of manual labor as well as large dedicated equipment. This allows companies to boost productivity and save floorspace.
Airbus in Puerto Real, for instance, no longer manually or semiautomatically drills horizontal stabilizers. Instead the company uses Tricepts, which it evaluated in competition with other kinds of machines and robots.
SMT Tricept AG
Västerås, Sweden
smttricept.com
