Machine Vision Automates Robotic Machine Loading at Linamar Metrology and Quality News [Video]

Hastech Manufacturing, a division of Linamar Corporation, was manually loading unmachined automotive parts for processing. Linamar is a Tier 1 automotive supplier headquartered in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. While dealing with labor shortages and wanting higher productivity, they turned to ABB Robotics and Apera AI across three robotic cells. They automated the process, improving efficiency, and focusing their operators on quality and productivity.

Across three machines, Linamar operators were responsible for loading unmachined transmission discs on to the machines’ feeder system. Due to labor shortages, Linamar wanted to automate this process. They chose a combination of ABB Robotics industrial robots and Apera AI’s Vue robotic vision software. After success with the initial cell, the same solution was implemented across the remaining two cells.

Random bin picking of the unmachined discs is challenging …