Track-Motion is an automation solution that combines the traditional setup of conveyor belts, pick-and-place units and turn-overs into a single system.
The Trans-Lift, a lifting and rotating carriage with programmable electric gripper, races back and forth on a rail (track). The Trans-Lift covers 150 meters per minute, rapidly conveying the parts between the machines and the part-storage unit.
A complete manufacturing system with Track-Motion consists of three perfectly coordinated units: the modular machine tools (e.g. the VL 4 for chucked parts up to 200 mm in diameter), the Track-Motion automation system, and the infeeding and outfeeding conveyors. These conveyors, which act as storage units for the parts, can be laid out flat (for large workpieces) or in a three-dimensional structure as “stackers” for smaller workpieces. The latter option in particular offers huge performance in a very small space, allowing several hundred workpieces to be stored ready for processing. For this purpose, the TransLift is equipped with a Z-axis that permits lifting up to 650 mm. In addition, the gripper can turn over the workpiece, and thus replaces traditional conveyor belts, pick-and-place units, and flip-over units.
This allows the setting up of extremely "lean" assembly lines, since both the modular machines and the Track-Motion system have a very small footprint.
