Design of an automated punching system for refrigerator door manufacturing process

Abstract

Regnis Lanka (PLC) is a leading manufacturer in Refrigerators, has identified a bottle neck in its manufacturing process of Refrigerator doors. There is a semi automated Hydraulic punching machine which consumes one operator for metal sheet feed in, positioning and feed out after been punched. This consumes about 40 seconds to complete a single punched sheet and it has reduced the total capacity of the whole manufacturing line to 500 Refrigerators per a shift. Factory is in the position of automating the door manufacturing system nearly to double the capacity by reducing the punching cycle time.

As a part of the project to fulfill the requirements of an automated punching system, A 3- DOF magnetic gripper mechanism for metal sheet feed in, positioning & feed out of the sheet from punching machine along with a sheet input bay to support all the 3 degree of movements of the sheet is designed. A controller with Control logic is designed for all mechanical movements. The verification of controller was done by MATLAB for analysis and physical model been created by SOLID WORKS.