Press release 29.11.2001

INNOVATIVE PRESSING TECHNOLOGY WITH ARTICLE RIM FETTLING PERFECTED BY ROBOT

from

SAMA Maschinenbau GmbH (SACMI WHITEWARE)

In 1998 SAMA had already introduced to the porcelain tableware industry the freely programmable robot technology for article rim fettling and sponging. Medard de Noblat in Limoges was a forerunner of this technology. As a result of the high quality demands of the so-called culinary porcelain at Medard de Noblat, the high pressure casting method was not used. Despite marked quality improvements, which the pressure casting process offered, specific deformation of the article after firing could not be ruled out. Isostatically pressed articles are superior to high-pressure cast ones in this respect. Hermes de Paris is Medard de Noblat’s biggest customer for whiteware. In order to fulfil the high quality demands of this customer, it was decided to opt for the SAMA iso-pressing technology. The fettling of non-round, multi-sided, rectangular and irregular shaped articles is problematical. SAMA, for the first time, has gone along a completely new route, using a robot technique with 6 axes. In order to be able to utilize the robot technology for

this purpose, new software had to be developed to make the programming for fettling irregular shaped articles easier. This technique has become part and parcel of the production technology at Medard de Noblat. A second Universal Fettling Robot UPR 1 has recently been commissioned. At Medard de Noblat this technique is still “off-line”, i.e. the pressed articles are placed manually into the centring device and fed to the universal fettling robot. In the patented large flatware isostatic line LPP 1-45/UPR 3 with 3 universal fettling robots, which was installed at Rosenthal’s Rothbühl factory, this process is fully automatic. The horizontal pressing plant LPP 1-45/UPR 3 produces the demanding Rosenthal range up the square, rectangular and irregular shaped articles with dimensions up to 500mm measured horizontally and a height of 150mm (in the green state). The pressed items drop from the press onto a discharge belt and transported to a pre-centring device. Then, by means of a vacuum sucker, they are transferred to the subsequent “flash breaking” and “position recognition” stations. At this latter station there is a digital camera, installed with the relevant software and interface, which transfers the determined coordinates to the appropriate fettling robot. In total there are three robots in operation in order to achieve the nominal output of ca. 350-400 articles per hour. Each robot carries out its tasks quasi “autonomously”, i.e. each robot controls one dry and two wet processing stations. At the end of the cycle each robot places the finished article back onto the round table. Finally, the articles are transferred to a foot polishing station and then stacked. As a result of the high flexibility and exactness (+/- 0.1mm) of the robot fettling technology, further orders from Portugal, Italy and the States have been placed.

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6 axes ensure the necessary amount of free play in the movement in order to guarantee the optimal edge finishing depending on the shape of the article. For example no dust and no „slip“ gets onto the article during the vertical working stage.

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•Each robot carries out the complete job, without handing over to the next one •Therefore high performance and precision (+/- 0,1mm)

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•Install a new finishing program •While programming the plant can produce in automatic run with two robots

•Produce at the same time a different article in „offline“ mode with manual feeding

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Teaching by point to point at the „Offline“-Robot •

Optionally: By loading a CAD-file from an isostatic-pressing tool

EDGE FINISHING SYSTEM:

6 Axes Industrial

Robot

Dry grinding with grinding belt or

disc Sponging unit with

contra rotating sponge reels

Sponging unit with sponge belt or reel

Horizontal press for large tableware type LPP 1-45

Horizontal press for large tableware type

LPP 1-45

Side view with tool for square platter

6-Axes Industrial Robots with Turntable and Edge Trimming Units

Dry grinding with disc or belt Wet sponging and polishing

Layout from large tableware press type LPP 1-45/UPR 3