Oxford Automotive (Canton, MS), a Tier 1 automotive supplier, employs a robotic cell containing a number of six-axis industrial robots. The robots use tool changers from ATI Industrial Automation (Apex, NC) and a DeviceNet network for tooling control. In the cell, the robots complete a variety of material handling and welding operations, performing multiple tool changes during each cycle. Each robotic end effector has multiple I/O devices and sensors.
After implementation, engineers found that throughput was falling short because standard DeviceNet modules on the tooling were taking too long to come online during tool changes. Specifically, the Oxford plant was experiencing delays of up to 8 seconds per tool change during a multichange cycle. Due to the cycle frequency, this series of delays added significant time to the process, to the point of being unacceptable.