Lear uses new milling/waterjet system for Saab 9.5 dashboard

Citation

(1998), "Lear uses new milling/waterjet system for Saab 9.5 dashboard", Industrial Robot, Vol. 25 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.1998.04925eaf.007

Lear uses new milling/waterjet system for Saab 9.5 dashboard

Lear uses new milling/waterjet system for Saab 9.5 dashboard

Keywords Lear Corporation, Milling, Robots

Lear Corporation has developed a new finishing system for car dashboards at the company's plant at Tidaholm in Sweden, which combines waterjet cutting and milling in the same system for the first time (see Plate 4). Designed in collaboration with ABB I-R Waterjet Systems AB, the joint venture between ABB and Ingersoll-Rand, the new system is being used by Lear to produce the dashboard for the new 9.5 model car from Saab.

Plate 4 The new finishing system for car dashboards developed by Lear Corporation

The project to supply the dashboard for the Saab 9.5 model began about three years before the launch of the car in August 1997. Ingemar Zakrisson, who has responsibility for purchasing production equipment at Lear, said: "As a supplier, we received an initial design from the manufacturer, but after that much of the development work behind the new dashboard was carried out by us to produce a product that met Saab's requirements."

He continued: "We have three techniques to choose from to shape a dashboard ­ blank cutting, milling and waterjet cutting. The techniques you use, either singly or in combination, depend on the nature of the dashboard to be made. The panel for the Saab 9.5 model has a recess, which requires the greater precision of robotic waterjet cutting or milling."

To meet the requirements of this project and those of future dashboard designs, Lear therefore decided to combine waterjet cutting and milling in one system for the first time. The design of the new finishing system is based on several years' experience of using both milling and waterjet cutting at Lear. "Waterjet cutting has its advantages, but sometimes milling is preferable", said Ingemar Zakrisson.

"We already had both robots and high pressure pumping equipment from previous systems, which were in excellent condition. It was simpler and more cost-effective for us to use the existing equipment than to design and construct a new system from scratch. What was needed to complete the combination of techniques was a new enclosure", added Ingemar Zakrisson.

ABB I-R was therefore asked to design a new enclosure to bring together the different activities of waterjet cutting, milling and related functions into one automated system. The system now in place at Lear is based around a revolving table, which moves the dashboard mounted on a specially designed fixture, between different stages for milling, waterjet cutting, washing and final finishing. The enclosure supplied by ABB I-R separates the first three activities from the operator and other machines, while ensuring that the sound level stays within acceptable limits.

This is the second multifunction system that Lear and ABB I-R have developed. For producing the dashboard in the Volvo 960, ABB I-R supplied a system which was the first of its kind to cut, rough clean, wash and dry the component in a single automated process.

For more information contact Paul Etchells, ABB I-R Waterjet Systems AB, Marketing Services Unit, PO Box 2, Chorley New Road, Horwich, Bolton, Lancs BL6 6JN, UK.