Automated Industrial Aluminium Bar Cutting Workstation
A high-precision industrial automation workstation designed and commissioned to process raw 3600 mm long aluminium bar extrusions into cut pieces from 30 mm to 600 mm length with tight dimensional tolerance and automated safety interlocks.
1. Operational Problem & Requirements
Manual cut-off saws required continuous operator handling, generated excessive scrap from inconsistent measurements, and presented high ergonomic and safety risks. The target was an automated machine capable of unattended indexing, pneumatic secure clamping, high-torque abrasive/carbide saw down-feed, automatic part ejection, and emergency perimeter safety stop mechanisms.
2. Mechanical & Pneumatic Design
- SolidWorks 3D Modeling: Designed rigid welded steel chassis, linear guideways, lead-screw carriage, and adjustable material support rollers.
- Pneumatic Actuation: Double-acting ISO cylinders with 5/2-way solenoid valves for top and side bar clamping before saw entry.
- Chip & Coolant Management: Enclosed swarf collection chute and pneumatic mist lubrication nozzle at the cutting point.
3. Control System & PLC Programming
The control logic was implemented on a Mitsubishi FX PLC utilizing GX Works2:
- Sequential State Machine: Ladder logic routine handling Auto/Manual/Inching modes, material presence checks, clamp confirmation, saw descent, and indexer homing.
- Stepper Position Control: High-speed pulse output instruction (PLSR/PLSV) driving a microstepping feed axis for sub-millimeter positioning accuracy.
- Safety System: Hardwired Category-3 safety relays tied to light curtains and e-stop buttons, safely de-energizing saw motor and pneumatic dumps.