A large part of companies around the world are working on new technology developments to meet every challenge that industrial processes pose and to continue participating in the global market while maintaining their efficiency and competitiveness.
It’s important to invest in innovation in order to remain in the market, especially in the foundry process, which requires staff with a high level of previously-acquired skills with solid knowledge, something that makes a big difference when it comes to maintaining the company’s management and productive performance.
Professionals in the foundry sector are constantly looking to design increasingly lightweight composite castings with greater durability, which are the main features for connecting with Industry 4.0 in order to propose high quality and safe products.
According to a market study, the foundry industry is mostly dominated by foundry robots, presenting a high demand and reaching high production rates and optimum quality while retaining its characteristics, services and processes.
The forging and casting of metals is one of the biggest trends that currently exists in construction, energy, chemical, oil and gas processes, as well as in manufacturing sectors that are exponentially integrating robotic equipment to meet the high demands of the market in each region where they are present. Among the countries that dominate the forging and casting market are China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and India.
Some of the most important manufacturers that participate with their innovations in the foundry industry include: FANUC, KUKA, ABB, Omron Adept Technologies, Yaskawa Electric, iRobot, Yamaha Robotics, Staubli Robotics, TecnoMatic Robots, Wittman, Alfa Robot, Argel, Egel Robotics, Hans Hundegger, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Nachi-Fujikoshi and Sepro Robotique.
Automating foundry processes has allowed costs to be reduced and the efficiency of the application increased, obtaining quality products and generating greater economic benefits for the company. But what truly brings us closer to Industry 4.0 is to make use of new technologies by incorporating them in a competent manner, that is, applying them to processes and efficient resources both in energy and communication, adapting them to today’s factory, allowing the human factor to concentrate on quality and control tasks while industrial robots become responsible for the heavy processes.
Digitalization occupies a very important role in the foundry application, Kuka is one of the manufacturers that offers an OPC-UA interface that allows you to optimize the processes by gathering the data and evaluating it, while also allowing for an intelligent QR code design that can be used in the manufacturing process to scan and track processes by storing data for use when required, presenting viable traceability.
Steffen Günther, Director of Foundry and Business Development at KUKA, explains that for this automation process, there are applications for which new systems have been designed, however new systems are not always required. It is also possible to use a system that is already in your factory and adapt it to the factor unification requirements of the production line. That way it is possible to meet the individual needs of clients.
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