ProFlexa

Funder: ProViking, SFF

Period: 2009-2012

Abstract:
The Swedish casting and foundry industry is under a high pressure to reduce it's production cost in order to maintain it's competitiveness and avoid moving it's activities to low cost countries. This means that there is dire need to improve efficiency, product quality and consistency and to reduce costs and lead-time. The project focuses on achieving productive and profitable robotized automation of the fettling for small and medium sized volumes.

The project has the following Work Packages that also reflects on the expected results and deliverables.

1. Development of components and methods for handling of castings, including development of modular, configurable and simple inexpensive grippers.
2. Development of technology and configurators for flexibility and quick start-up of new products or product changes.
3. Development of methods for measurement of excess material and compensation of gripper errors.
4. Build-up of database of process parameters for optimal material removal rate.
5. Development of a Lead-through Programming Concept.
6. Development of Off-Line Programming Concept.
7. Development of physical demonstrator
8. Exploration of the technology’s potential for the developed technology in other industry branches

All of these benefits strengthens Swedish foundry industry and delivers important knowledge to other adjoining industry sectors.

Url: http://www.iei.liu.se/mt/forskning_mont/proflexa?l=en

Contact: Klas Nilsson