MASPRO Engineering Pty Ltd has a strong reputation in the industry for delivering operational efficiencies to some of the world’s best-known mining companies.
Recently the Australian engineering business has turned this skill inward, investing in not just one, but two Agile Flex 35D robotic loading systems for CNC machine tools.
The two Agile Flex 35D systems at MASPRO are 4-drawer models with the top pallet option, both tending DMG NLX 2500/700 dual spindle turning centers. One of the systems was installed at MASPRO’s Condobolin manufacturing facility and the other at their Wetherill Park facility, in New South Wales, Australia.
The Agile Flex 35D systems are being used in the manufacture of hydraulic cylinder pistons but will ultimately handle a wide variety of machined parts for the mining equipment sector.
The Agile Flex 35D robotic loading systems have allowed MASPRO’s machinists to focus on more complex roles such as programming rather than the time-consuming and difficult manual loading and unloading of parts. Removing the need for manual handling has also eliminated the risk of repetitive stress injury.
Established in Condobolin in 2006, MASPRO is a family-owned and operated mining technology business with a history spanning three generations.
MASPRO is a leader in manufacturing quality spare parts for OEM equipment and has leveraged reverse engineering to understand how to manufacture high-quality products, delivering precision-engineered mining parts to the world.
With a culture of innovation, MASPRO has continually tested and trailed different means of manufacturing to meet demand, ultimately investing in cutting-edge technology, highly skilled people and rigorous quality processes.
This culture of innovation was the motivation behind MASPRO’s decision to employ CNC automation.
Whilst some industry sectors may be concerned about robots replacing humans and a decrease in work opportunities, MASPRO Managing Director Greg Kennard is optimistic about the benefits of automation that are often missed amongst scaremongering headlines.
“Automation offers faster, safer, more precise production, and can give us economies of scale, however, skilled employees will always be in demand,” says Greg.
“Innovation via robotic equipment, programming and automation will help manufacturing free up time for their skilled engineers and operators by removing monotonous manual tasks, and will clear the decks for creative thinking and design. This is what the manufacturing industry desperately needs,” says Greg.
“We work in a high-risk industry. Any new technology that can reduce the risk of harm to employees – even by a fraction – is worth looking into. Safety is our primary focus from a manufacturing and production perspective, so removing high-risk tasks from our process is helping to drive our investment in automation,” explains Greg.
As a leader in mining drill parts, MASPRO is determined to keep pace with world trends and embrace the benefits of technology, machine learning and automation where there is a clear benefit to its employees and customers.
Agile Flex is a range of out-of-the-box robotic loading systems for CNC machine tools. Rapid to deploy, compact and easy to use, Agile Flex has been developed to add lights out machining at a very affordable price to any brand of CNC machine.
The Agile Flex 35D is a system suitable for heavy parts and large CNC machines, with a multi-layer drawer system that increases overall capacity and unmanned run time. With up to eight drawers and an optional top-mounted pallet, the Agile Flex 35D can process up to 9 unique part numbers unattended. Combined with the ability to process castings and uneven parts, the Agile Flex brings real agility to CNC automation.
The Agile Flex state-of-the-art user interface requires no robot programming knowledge and is specifically designed to be intuitive for the CNC machine tool user. It could not be simpler to configure complex robot motion and sequences in minutes on an Agile Flex CNC machine loading system.
Rapidly deployed on any CNC machine, compact and affordable, Agile Flex offers maximum productivity out of the box.
Agile Robotic Systems is part of the John Hart group of companies and has drawn upon a heritage of over 70 years in machine tools and over 40 years in automation and robotics to become a leading supplier of innovative machine loading systems.