Reduce CNC Portal Machine Assembly Time from Weeks to Hours

Hartford needed a faster, more efficient way to install energy supply systems on large CNC portal machining centers without increasing labor demands or assembly complexity.

• What was needed: reduced labor costs
• Requirements: Long travels, high dynamics, oil resistance, fast assembly
• Industry: Machine tool manufacturing
• Success for the customer: Ready-to-install readychain systems reduce assembly time, process costs and errors

Throughput times are crucial in the machine tool industry. Hartford is the largest manufacturer of CNC machining centers in Taiwan. Since 2017, the company has been developing CNC equipment of the AERO series – the largest robotic machining centers for very large aerospace components.

Precision and reliability are critical factors. This requires having a reliable energy supply from the control cabinet to the moving parts, which include lead screws and motors.

The information regarding axis position and dynamics must be passed back to the control system without any interruption. In the first model in this series, the AERO626, this happens at accelerations of up to 0.5g and a maximum travel speed of up to 60m/min.

readychain® systems are engineered to provide:

• Long service life
• Reliable cable protection
• High dynamic performance
• Consistent movement over long travel distances
• Reduced maintenance requirements

igus presented Hartford with a readychain solution for its AERO series systems. A pre-assembled complete solution populated with e-chain, chainflex cable, and connectors ready to plug-and-play chains enabled the engineers to significantly reduce the installation space.

All chainflex cables on the machine have an oil-resistant PUR outer jacket and tighter bend radius, reducing space and reducing maintenance cost by removing unnecessary protective hoses.

In a close collaboration between igus Taiwan and Hartford, a 3D drawing of the readychain assembly frame was created in order to simulate the assembly procedure before the installation of the system. The benefit was immediately evident: The first energy chain fitted with all electrical cables was installed on the machine in an hour. The second chain with hydraulic hoses was installed even faster, taking just 40 minutes.

• Reduced assembly effort
• Faster commissioning
• Consistent installation quality
• Simplified purchasing
• Global engineering and support

Normally, machine tool manufacturers try to avoid situations where too many different work steps have to be carried out on a system at the same time. A lot of manual work done by different employees does not automatically enhance efficiency; on the contrary, it increases the probability that errors can occur. By using igus readychains, all four e-chains from igus can be fully installed in half a day. Previously, two employees took one and half weeks for the work on the X-axis of an AERO system and a further week for the energy supply of the Y and Z-axes. In this way, Hartford is able to cut out some work steps, reduce process cost and, at the same time, greatly improve productivity. While rely on the tried-and-tested quality of the readychains from igus.