STAUBLI
FIT FOR FORMING AND INSPECTING PRESSFITTINGS A Spanish manufacturer of high-quality stainless steel pressfittings has automated the forming and the in-line quality control of bent tubes made from stainless steel. Laser vision-based bin-picking, automated inspection and clever co-operation of two different types of Stäubli robots (six-axis and scara) are among the technologies used.
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o welding, easy installation, safe and leakage-free operation during many years: these are the three advantages of stainless steel pressfittings. These fittings find a broad range of use in, for instance, buildings (water and gas installation, heating), industry (compressed air, process gases) and heavy-duty applications like shipbuilding, mining and offshore technology. Three million pressfittings per year – used all over the world The Spanish company Isotubi, based in Castellbisbal near Barcelona, has a high reputation in manufacturing these safety-related fittings. Founded in 1976 and family-owned in second generation, Isotubi processes 5,000 tons of stainless steel tubes per year and manufactures three million pressfittings. More than two thirds of them are exported, and the list of
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export countries ranges from Angola and Australia to Ukraine and USA. Three million pieces in one year: this means that each day more than 11,000 fittings are produced by a total of 120 employees. So, automation is a must and it starts with automated cutting and bending machines. In the next step, the typical profiles are formed. They will ensure that the fittings are tight and safe for years after the pressing tool has connected them on-site. Finally the pieces are cleaned and degreased. Once all this is done, the pieces are heat treated in a vacuum oven to bring their mechanical properties back to their initial values. Scanner-based bin-picking with bent tubes As a pressfitting is necessary each time when there is a bend in the piping, bent
