FANUC Robotics' F-100 Flexible Positioner Named Finalist In Award
6 December 1999
FANUC Robotics' F-100 Flexible Positioner Named Finalist In the Automotive News Pace Awards FANUC ROBOTICS' F-100 FANUC Robotics’ F-100 provides automotive manufacturers production flexibility and convertability. The F-100 allows manufacturers to build multiple body styles on the same line and can be reprogrammed for future projects/body styles. The F-100 has six degrees of freedom, a 55-kg payload and repeatability of +/- 0.127 mm (+/- 0.005"). (PRNewsFoto)[KC] ROCHESTER HILLS, MI USA 12/06/1999
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich., Dec. 6 -- FANUC Robotics North
America, Inc. has been named a finalist for its F-100 flexible positioner in
the PACE (Premier Automotive suppliers; Contributions to Excellence) Awards.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991206/DEM043 )
The Automotive News PACE Award program honors automotive suppliers who
have embraced innovation or adapted and reinvented themselves to keep abreast
of the constantly rising performance bar of the OEM customer. This
prestigious program sets the standard for innovation and excellence and has
become a significant industry credential. The award is co-sponsored by
Automotive News and Ernst & Young LLP.
"The F-100 flexible positioner is one example of innovation at FANUC
Robotics that is driven by the needs of our customers. We saw a necessity for
a flexible and adaptive body shop so we conducted a needs analysis with our
customers to determine their priorities. Our investigation resulted in the
development of the F-100," said Rick Schneider, president and CEO of FANUC
Robotics. "Now, not only do OEMs have a way to build multiple styles in the
same fixture, they can reuse those same fixtures when the model changes. This
product also allows OEMs the ability to quickly change product models on the
same line without interruption."
The F-100 is a compact, 6-degrees of freedom parallel link positioner that
extends the flexibility and convertibility of robots to tooling. Its
excellent repeatability and robust design make the F-100 the perfect solution
for many applications, including flexible fixturing, tool/weldgun
manipulating, part loading, lifting/locating and part manipulating. It has a
55-kg payload and repeatability of +/- 0.127 mm (+/- 0.005").
The F-100 provides manufacturers the flexibility to build multiple
platforms and body styles in the same line in the same fixture.
This feature is provided while:
* minimizing capital and operating expense
* reducing floor space requirements
* reducing tool complexity
* reducing tool set-up, adjustment and debug time
* reducing maintenance requirements, and
* improving quality.
Manufacturers using the innovative F-100 reduce the time it takes to get a
product to market. Since only the fixturing atop the faceplate needs to be
developed, the tooling tends to be very simple. F-100 tooling requires less
time to process, design and build, requires less maintenance and is less
susceptible to down time. F-100 tooling is also quicker and easier to setup
and adjust due to the FlexTool software shim utility. Changes to accommodate
product revisions or improve dimensional quality can be made instantly with
the push of a button. With FlexTool software, manufacturers can also store
positional data for many models and styles. They can quickly and easily
adjust their model mix ratio in response to fluctuations in market demand with
little or no impact on production.
F-100 users benefit from quick, low-cost model changeovers. "When it is
time for a new model, the reusable F-100 makes quick, low-cost rolling model
changeovers and third shift pilot production attainable goals," said
Schneider. "No longer will manufacturers need to scrap entire lines. One of
our customers estimated a 92 percent savings in the costs associated with a
model changeover since the F-100 is reprogrammable and can be reused when the
model changeover occurs."
The same customer cut floorspace requirements in half and reduced labor
needed to set up the F-100 system significantly compared to the former
process.
In December, FANUC Robotics is introducing a new member to its family of
servo positioners, the F-200i. FANUC Robotics designed the F-200i to
accommodate customers who need a larger and faster unit. The F-200i is
capable of higher payloads and duty cycles and does so without sacrificing
rigidity or repeatability.
Winners of the 2000 PACE Award will be announced at an awards ceremony at
the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich., on Monday, March 6, 2000. This
coincides with the start of the SAE International Congress and Exposition.
FANUC Robotics North America, Inc. designs, engineers and manufactures
innovative robots and robotic systems that impact business performance for
global customers. FANUC Robotics, headquartered in Rochester Hills, Mich., is
the robotics industry leader. A subsidiary of FANUC Ltd. in Japan, the
company has facilities in Chicago; Los Angeles; Charlotte, N.C.; Cincinnati,
Ohio; and Toledo, Ohio; Toronto; Montreal; Mexico City; Aguascalientes,
Mexico; and Sao Paulo, Brazil. FANUC Robotics can be found on the Internet at
http://www.fanucrobotics.com