Robot Picker Robots separate steel semi-finished products of all kinds

Related Vendors

KASTO Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG

FAULHABER Drive Systems

Wuxi InfiMotion Technology Co., Ltd.

Kastopick bar is a robot separation system from Kasto that safely performs its craft with over nine million measuring points. It handles flat, square, and round steel profiles.

Sheets, which are neatly stacked on load carriers, have long been able to be separated by a manipulator such as the Kastopick sheet. However, one soon reaches the limits with a chaotic long-goods cassette, according to Kasto. This is because handling unoriented objects is not trivial, as their position and alignment are hard to predict. This requires complex detection and adjustment to be able to grab and place them correctly. Kastop therefore now offers a smart separation system for this task—the Kastopick bar. This robot optimizes the removal of magnetic blank and black material, which works just as well in the new warehouse as in existing warehouse systems.

This is how long goods handling works without a teaching process

This allows users to autonomously remove and manipulate different rods from storage cassettes in a 3-shift operation. In addition to flat, square and round bars, the system also recognizes and grasps round and profile tubes, as already mentioned above. This allows steel processors to conveniently carry out several production steps, as Kasto promises. The Kastopick bar solves two tasks! Firstly, it picks the long goods and prepares bundles for shipping. Secondly, it provides individual bars for further processing on the automatic saw. The special feature is that the system does not require the user to teach-in.

Initially, the Kastopick bar moves a 3D sensor measuring head over the storage cassette, which can be up to six meters long. This scan generates a 3D point cloud, which is processed by an algorithm developed by Kasto, according to further explanation. The software analyzes the data obtained in this way and locates the rods as well as possible gripping points for the robots. Only points that allow the machines to place the workpiece without collision would be considered. This means that the "intelligent" path calculation would prevent the robots from colliding and the component from hitting an obstacle on its path. For this, the software predicts the planned movement and optimizes the route to the target position, it is said. After that, the process starts again with the next scan.

Robot serves as a link from the warehouse to the saw

The gripping system separates and moves, as said, many different formats of steel. The flat, round, and profile materials can also be encased or labeled. Furthermore, the Kastopick bar communicates with the ERP system, as well as with the upstream and downstream machines, in order to provide the right workpiece at the right time at the right place, Kasto further explains. It thus connects the storage system, the saws, or the strapping units. In addition, the software optimizes the stack image by manipulating individual bars based on the dimensions and the scope of the order. For example, Kastopick bar can position square material in such a way that it can be ideally bundled. In the standard version, the system grasps bars weighing up to 500 kilograms, higher loads are possible on request. Many different grippers are available for individually tailored solutions—depending on the shape of the objects to be moved. The Kastopick bar automatically selects the most suitable gripper for the respective task in order to separate and transport the material gently and safely.

Robot pick system spares the employees

The fully automated removal of bars from storage cassettes not least relieves the employees. They no longer have to manually remove and transport heavy and unwieldy material, or use a crane to do so. This reduces the physical strain on their employees and prevents potential injuries and accidents. Through the intuitive user interface of the Kastopick bar, skilled workers can use the system simply and efficiently—without extensive training or special technical knowledge. After a short instruction, they work very efficiently and productively with the us—friendly separation system, as Kasto promises. Steel processors and traders also benefit from unmanned picking thanks to optimized material flows. This allows them to use resources such as labor efficiently, reduce operating costs, and accelerate production processes. The new Kasto system is also specially designed for high-mix-low-volume tasks, as it recognizes different materials and always chooses the right grasping strategy. The extremely precise control ensures safe movements with the highest repeat accuracy.

The full range of Kastopick systems

The Kastopick bar therefore complements the portfolio of Kastopick separation options very well, it is said. With Kastopick sheet, users pick different sheet formats, Kastopick select (previously known as Kasto ksg) supports handling as a manual picking crane. Kastopick split uses the excavation for the separation of long goods and is suitable for bars with larger diameters that are neatly stacked side by side and on top of each other. However, this system reaches its limits with an unsorted arrangement, because the bars dip over the length and can only be handled by a targeted grip. This gap has now been closed with the Kastopick bar, which also impresses with its small footprint, as the manufacturer notes.