The perfect combination: software, robots, machines

Hanza Mechanics Årjäng is a production facility belonging to the HANZA Group. The group has six production clusters, which are spread across 15 factories in Sweden, Finland, Germany, the Baltic States, Central Europe, and China. HANZA's customers include leading companies such as 3M, ABB, GE, John Deere, SAAB, and Siemens. Within just a few years, the company has grown into a global enterprise with almost 2,000 employees today.

Production cluster
In Årjäng itself, complex turbine parts and other components are manufactured from particularly tough materials, such as heat shields. HANZA Mechanics Årjäng is the most modern machining and precision engineering plant in the group and has AS 9100 aerospace certification. The factory is part of a so-called production cluster. The cluster concept is one of HANZA's great strengths. It combines various manufacturing technologies in one place, such as metalworking, electronics, sheet metal working, cable harnesses, and sophisticated assembly. By eliminating complex supply chains, HANZA can offer its customers a sustainable solution in terms of throughput times, efficiency, and competitiveness. At the same time, the environmental impact is reduced thanks to shorter transport routes and less logistics. Carefully planned investment programs also ensure that the production units are always equipped with the latest technologies and machines.

EROWA in Årjäng
HANZA Mechanics Årjäng's customers come from a wide range of industries, but most are in the energy sector. Workpieces ranging from 20 × 20 × 20 mm to 300 × 300 × 300 mm are processed. This typically involves batch sizes of up to 100 pieces with demanding geometries, strict quality specifications, and machining tolerances in the range of a few thousandths of a millimeter. And this is precisely why automation is particularly valuable here. “In 2004, we made the groundbreaking decision to use the EROWA UPC 320 × 320 mm workpiece clamping system on all our machines,” says Ola Svensson, Site Manager at HANZA Sweden. “In 2006, we began automating our die-sinking EDM machines with EROWA robots.” Different models are used depending on requirements. “Our latest investment is an EROWA Robot Dynamic 150L. It serves two SODICK AG60L die-sinking EDM machines and a MITUTOYO coordinate measuring machine,” Ola Svensson continues. Thanks to the previously introduced continuous clamping system, the workpiece carriers are changed precisely from machine to machine. The new production cell has a magazine capacity for 300 × ITS electrode holders and 50 × UPC 320 × 320 mm pallets.

Significant time savings
To minimize the risk of errors during manual electrode changes, the measuring machine was also integrated into the process after the cell was installed. Ola Svensson is satisfied: “This cell serves not least to introduce new technologies, as our other EDM machines are reaching a certain age,” he explains. “Our goal is for the new production cell to operate around the clock with maximum reliability and a single shift of operators.”
The integrated EROWA process control system also provides valuable support and makes it easier for our operators to execute orders and keep track of the cell; and last but not least, the time required to program parts has been significantly reduced. It is also very pleasing that the zero points can be planned for at the design stage. Accordingly, an expansion to include another SODICK machine is already being planned. We also benefit from the long-standing cooperation between SODICK and EROWA. If the success of this cell continues to be confirmed, HANZA intends to continue with automation: “A similar step is planned in the milling department, where we want to upgrade the existing cell with a milling machine for electrodes, a washing station, and another EDM machine.”