The open house event of one of the world leaders in the field of secondary woodworking technologies will be held in Rimini from 31st January to 2nd February 2019. The spotlight will be on highly flexible and modular automation systems and man-robot interaction systems
A cutting-edge production model, with digital and automation systems capable of ensuring advanced man-machine interaction and full control over the entire production flow.
Automation through integrated robotics will be the focus of the Smart&Human Factory event to be held from 31st January to 2nd February 2019 at the Technology Centre of the SCM headquarters, in Rimini.
A leading producer of secondary woodworking machinery, SCM will host an exclusive presentation of its new systems – flexible, modular and easily reconfigurable, designed to provide an increasingly effective, quick response to the challenges of mass customisation.
Humans and robots, together
The open house summarises the goal of the new SCM product range: to supply the most user-friendly automation technology which, as well as considerably streamlining the factory layout, making it more efficient, also creates a new model of interaction among humans, robots and machines, according to an open, safe cells design. All this with the option to reconfigure the production process whenever this is necessary, to quickly process increasingly smaller order to production batches.
A new smart and human factory –also makes progress in terms of work flow: risky and repetitive human tasks are minimised and operators are able to focus on higher added value tasks.
SCM offers its customers a wide range of solutions.
• Flexible cells served by industrial anthropomorphic robots for repetitive and low added value tasks. An ideal solution for sawblade cutting or sawing, milling, drilling and edgebanding or for workpiece sequence rearranging between one process phase and the next;
• Collaborative Islands, in which humans and collaborative robots (cobots) work side by side, sharing the available work space safely, without the need for enclosures or similar systems. The cobots are used in the final process stages, such as assembly, hardware insertion, glue dispensing and surface finishing;
• Flexible interconnections of machining cells and assembly islands through AMR – Autonomous Mobile Robots – for just-in-time and just-in-sequence management and optimisation of all process logistics flows.
This is a leap forward compared to the traditional self-driving vehicles of the past: in this case, no artificial references such as tapes or reflectors are needed, because the AMRs are able to autonomously orient themselves in space – identifying the surrounding environment and selecting the most efficient route to their destination while safely avoiding obstacles, including human ones.
This enhances returns on investment and route reconfiguration flexibility, in line with process modularity requirements – in addition to streamlining maintenance tasks;
• Master Watch Supervision software to manage and monitor the state of each product being machined throughout the process. Panel cutting, edgebanding and drilling phases are thus optimised to obtain the same results as in standard production processes.
Orders are then put back together at the end of the process, delaying customisation until this stage. This avoids huge quantities of logistically scattered items and helps minimise waste and rejects;
• IoT: the innovative Maestro connect platform makes the most of the Internet of Things concept potential. A data collection and analysis system based on SCM technologies, it ensures, on the one hand, full control over the production flow and, on the other, the implementation of smart and predictive maintenance models.
Among the advantages granted by the system are: increased productivity and decreased downtime, improved and continuous operating cost control, lower maintenance costs and the ability to monitor machine parameters and performance in real time, anywhere and at any time, so as to be able to always correct any malfunction in an increasingly timely manner (smart maintenance).
“Our SCM open house,” explains the SCM division director, Luigi De Vito, “will be a chance to experience a new model of interaction between machines and industrial and collaborative robotics, ground-level logistic handling and software. Ours is a cutting-edge proposal, designed to solve all the critical issues arising from mass customisation as well as to effectively ensure operator workflow progress.
“SCM will showcase the achievement of new frontiers in automation, without forgetting the human factor, as indicated by the title Smart & Human Factory. Our strength is being not just a supplier, but a partner – ready to support our customers in their business.
“Our flexible and reconfigurable systems and Supervision Software are designed to revolutionise the entire production system, optimising the resources used and reducing waste, rejects and retooling requirements during product changeovers.
“Moreover, plant shuttles allow for the most efficient management of all the process-related logistic flows, eliminating low added value tasks required from the human staff, such as the need to recover all the pieces scattered throughout the factory.
“The introduction of robotic automation also reduces human personnel requirements, in addition to greatly simplifying the work required from operators and relieving them of dangerous activities.”
This SCM event will also be an opportunity to present the new nesting CNC machining centres – designed to combine high productivity and maximum versatility in shaped panel cutting.
With a turnover of €700m, and with a double-digit growth rate in the last year, SCM Group is a world leader in technologies for the processing of a wide range of materials: wood, plastic, glass, stone, metal, and composite materials, as well as industrial components.
The group companies, operating throughout the world, are reliable partners of leading companies in various market sectors, including the furniture, construction, automotive, aerospace, ship-building and plastic processing industries. SCM Group co-ordinates, supports and develops a system of industrial excellence in three large, highly specialised production centres employing more than 3600 workers and operating in all five continents.
