HIROTEC uses FASTSUITE to build a digital factory twin for a car body production line

7-axis roller hemming system patented by HIROTEC

With HIROETC's original 7-axis new roller hemming system, a space-saving robot cell can be designed, and various parts loading & unloading is possible. It is applicable for small quantity and high variety as well as for mass production. Some key features are:

• High speed motions at the corners, and a greater robot working area are possible.
• The roller can be rotated around the pressure axis by means of an external servo axis
• The mounting is inclined by 45°.
• The pressure is adjusted by an integrated coil spring

Since FASTSUITE can be highly customized, HIROTEC was able to get a 7-axis automatic path generation for their Roller Hemming system, leading to a big reduction of man-hours for programming. These functions include:

• Easy selection of the hemming range and setting of the bending angle
• Automatic calculation of the value of the 7th axis
• Smooth interpolations of the tool orientation to avoid jerky motions

Reducing the number of try-outs and of project lead-time before delivery

The added value that HIROTEC is aiming for is to finish and validate the complete robot program and PLC program on the computer before the actual setup at the shopfloor.
The expected effects are:

• No more equipment crashes and no more problems
• Reduction of business trip cost at the start of production, especially in oversea installations
• Increase the number of debugging tests of the PLC ladder program
• Better collaboration between mechanical and electrical designers

Further benefits:

• Usually it is only possible to make changes to existing equipment only during the weekend or during longer holidays. By using offline programming and virtual try-out methods, HIROTEC is independent from the availability of the production equipment.
• No need to try out the actual machine before delivery, thus no need for dismantling and no need for temporary construction.