Thanks to new, pre-drilled bed castings in 11 models of the Lynx and Puma turning centers from Doosan Infracore, lead times for equipping the machines with gantry automation have been slashed by 50 percent. What would have taken up to seven months is done now in as little as three months.
Engineering the machines to accommodate gantry load-unload systems at the factory allows Doosan to install the systems at its domestic headquarters, while retaining the precision and rigidity previously achieved only with a factory installation.
“Most retrofit systems are simply gantry elements mounted on non-integrated posts. Accidents, such as being hit by a forklift, can be detrimental to the precise alignment of the system and result in hours of downtime while the alignment is restored. The Doosan system is a fully integrated, rigidly constructed package that withstands routine abuse and relocations without losing precision. Equally important, materialhandling components used in conjunction with the gantry system are all readily available from domestic sources, which saves valuable time when replacement parts are needed or retooling is required,” explained Bill Carr, director of applications and systems team for Doosan Infracore.
He added that gantries, as compared with robotic systems, are simple machines that are easy to operate and maintain. And they are faster than robots, typically require less space, allow for convenient access to a machine’s interior, and eliminate the guarding challenges involved with robots.
Doosan gantry models handle parts up to 20 lb and as large as 8 in. in diameter and 6-in. long. Large stockers require little floor space, but hold enough parts for hours of unattended operation. Also, fast-indexing grippers minimize out-of-cut time.
