ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-1
ABB in Foundry Automation
Key data 1998
• ABB Group
- Revenues: USD 35 billion
• ABB Flexible Automation
- Revenues: USD 1.6 billion
• Foundry Automation
Main focus downstream aluminium
From cast-houses to finished parts
- Revenues: USD 70 million
- 750 robots a year
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-2
Thirty Years in Foundry Automation
• First robot to an ABB foundry
already 1969
• 25 robots in operation in ABB´s
foundries by 1972
• 6,000 ABB robots installed in
foundries 1999
- 3500 High Pressure Die Casting
- 1500 Gravity Die Casting
- 1000 Sand Casting
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-3
ABB Foundry Business
Number of robots
300 425 500 675 750
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-4
Growing Aluminium in Automotive
Driving forces
• Lower fuel consumption
• Workable recycling
• Lower aluminium price
Indicators
• Global change from iron/steel to aluminium
• 50 new large plants per year
• 50-100 major foundry expansions
per year
• Robotized automation of foundries
established
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-5
Rapid Increase in Aluminium Castings
Yearly growth 300 000 tons
Million tons
10
1991 1996 1999 2013
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-6
Focused Casting Processes
Casting Lines
High Pressure Die Casting Gravity and Low Pressure
Die Casting
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-7
Focused Automotive Parts
• Cylinder Heads
• Engine Blocks
• Engine Parts
• Transmission Parts
• Subframes
• Security Parts
• Aluminium Wheels
• Body Parts
• Aluminium Ingots
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-8
Automotive Captive Customers
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-9
Automotive Subsupply Customers
• A-CMI, Norway • Meridian, Canada
• Ahresty, Japan • Montupet, France
• Alcoa, USA • Mössner, Germany
• Alusaf, South Africa • Reynolds, Canada, USA
• Enkei, Japan • Ryobi, Japan, USA
• Fuchs, Germany • Superior, USA
• Honsel, Germany • VAW, Germany, UK
• J L French, USA, UK
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-10
Comprehensive Foundry Robot Program
• IRB 140 Foundry
• IRB 2400 Foundry
• IRB 4400 Foundry
• IRB 4400 Shelf Foundry
• IRB 6400 R Foundry
• IRB 6400 Shelf Foundry
• Controller Foundry
• Track Motion Foundry
• Cleaning tools
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-11
Foundry Product Adaptions
• High tightness
• Special coating
• Resistant to aluminium spits and
flashes
• Heat resistant
• Steam washable
• Water cooled
controller
• Foundry adapted software,
FoundryWare
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-12
FoundryWare
• ExtractWare High Pressure Die Casting
• SprayWare High Pressure Die Casting
• FlashWare High Pressure Die Casting,
Gravity Die Casting
Sand Casting
• CastWare Gravity Die Casting
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-13
Foundry Market Approach
Products and Systems
provided by ABB
• High Pressure Die Casting
• Gravity Die Casting
Systems with ABB robots provided
by Partners
• High Pressure Die Casting
• Gravity Die Casting
• Sand Casting
• Brass Casting
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-14
ABB Foundry Application Centers
Die Casting
• Germany
RobExtract,
RoboSpray and RobInsert
• Switzerland
RoboFlash
• Sweden
RoboJet
• USA, Rimrock
RobExtract,
RoboSpray, RoboFlash
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-15
Application Packages for
High Pressure Die Casting
Large Die Casting Machines RoboFlash
RobExtract
RoboSpray
RoboJet
RobInsert
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-16
Application Packages for
High Pressure Die Casting
Small and Medium Sized Die Casting Machines
RoboSpray RoboFlash
RobExtract
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-17
Application Package for
Aluminium Casting
Casting
RoboCast
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-18
Application Packages for
High Pressure Die Casting
Skimming Stacking
RoboSkim RoboStack
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-19
ABB Partners
• Acheson • Idrapresse • Pomac
• Buehler • Italpresse • Prince
• Bula • Kurtz • Remetal
• GF DISA • KWC • Rimrock
• Ellison • Laempe • Toshiba
• Fata • Loramendi • Vulcan
• Fill • Mapos • Weco
• Frech • Mecana • Wollin
• Gautshi • Mueller • Yxlon
• Hottinger Weingarten • UBE
• Mössner
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-20
Application Packages
Supplied by Partners
RoboShell
Rob X-ray
RoboFoam
RoboGrind
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-21
Honsel, Germany
• Die Casting Machine GDK 2000
from Müller-Weingarten, Germany
• Four-cylinder in-line engine block
and transmission housings
• Workpiece weight 20-30 kg
(engine blocks)
• ABB robots on track motion
• Feed, insert, unload (RobInsert,
RobExtract), spraying, sawing and
handling devices
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-22
GM Brazil, São Paulo
• Transmission House Castings
• 3 Die Casting Machines from
Bühler
• 12 ABB robots
- 5 IRB 6400
- 4 IRB 4400
- 3 RoboSpray
• Requested output: 1480 deburred
castings in 40 hours
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-23
VAW, Cross Green, UK
• Aluminium Cylinder Heads
• Land Rover five-cylinder turbo-
diesel engine
• 19 ABB robots at the VAW Group
• First installed 1995
• Casting
• Handling
• Deflashing
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-24
A-CMI, Lista, Norway
• Strategic alliance between Alcoa
Aluminium and CMI-international
• Aluminium subframes for Volvo
S80 and V70 Cross Country
• Production time for one subframe,
6 minutes (capacity 1 subframe
per minute)
• 35 ABB robots
• Sand core handling, core knock-
out finishing, dimension control,
deburring waterjet cutting, x-ray
and shot blast unloading
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-25
Ford WAP, Windsor, Canada
• Castings for Ford engines
• 1 million cylinder blocks and heads
per year
• 94 IRB 6000 robots for assembly of
the moulds
• 9 IRB 8000 gantry robots for
handling of the fully assembled
moulds and castings
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-26
First Automotive Works / Daewoo,
Yangtai Peninsula, China
• Joint venture between Chinese
FAW and South Korean Daewoo
Group
• 1.4 l and 1.6 l GM engines
• Four Cold Box Core Shooting
Machines from Hottinger
• 3 ABB robots built for complete
core handling
• Capacity: 300 000 engine blocks
per year
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-27
Hillside Aluminium Smelter,
Richards Bay, South Africa
• Aluminium Ingot Production
• Largest robot installation in South
African Foundry Industry
• 15 ABB robots
• Dross-Skimming
• Stacking
• Bundle-Truck Loading
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-28
Benefits of Foundry Automation
• High quality and reduced scrap
rates
• Higher machine utilization and
higher up-time
• Increased manufacturing flexibility
and shorter set-up times
• Higher productivity and lower
manufacturing cost per part
• Improved working environment
• Labour cost reduction
ABB Flexible Automation
OH Foundry 2000 9910-29
