The breakthrough solution for automating two-machine grinding systems using gantry robots

In the field of industrial manufacturing, efficiency and precision are the eternal core pursuits. When faced with complex workpieces requiring the simultaneous machining of through-holes of varying sizes, traditional manual operation is not only inefficient but also difficult to guarantee stable production over extended periods. Recently, Lingchen Technology, leveraging its advanced PLC control technology, successfully provided an efficient solution for a two-machine grinding machine gantry automation project, achieving fully automated operation from vibratory feeder loading to collaborative processing on two grinding machines and precise unloading.

Project core: Two grinding machines working collaboratively with fully automated material handling

The core objective of this project is to build an efficient gantry system to achieve automatic transfer and precision machining of workpieces between two grinding machines:

Intelligent Loading and Unloading: Workers only need to place the workpieces into the vibratory feeder, and the gantry gripper automatically picks up the workpieces and precisely transports them to grinding machine 1 for processing.
Grinding Machine 1 Processes Large Holes: Once grinding machine 1 completes processing, the gantry gripper first removes the finished product, then loads a new workpiece, and starts the large hole grinding process.
Intelligent Reorientation and Grinding Machine 2 Processing: The workpiece with the large hole, which has been processed, is transferred by the gantry to a reorientation device to adjust its direction, and then sent to Grinding Machine 2 for further processing. The same process is followed for small hole processing (unloading, loading, and starting).
Automatic Unloading: The final finished product is transported by the gantry gripper to a designated unloading area and released.

The entire processing flow (loading → grinding large holes → reorientation → grinding small holes → unloading) is interconnected and centrally controlled by a Lingchen PLC, ensuring efficient and precise operation. The internal processing of each grinding machine is also subdivided into four steps: rough grinding, fine grinding, ultra-precision grinding, and rounding, guaranteeing the quality of hole machining.

Technical Challenges and Lingchen's Solutions

The project imposes stringent requirements on the motion control of the truss gripper, including a speed range of 0-1500 mm/s, multiple speed options, adjustable speed from 0-100%, support for 4-axis handwheel operation, and a dual-touchscreen foolproof design.

Precise Handwheel Control (Core Highlight):
Lingchen innovatively uses the LC1008 PLC in conjunction with the LC5002 pulse input module. By collecting handwheel gear position, magnification, and pulse signals, a free encoder axis is established in the program. Using the electronic gear function block, the free axis is precisely coupled to the X, Y, Z, and A axes of the truss.
Principle: Handwheel rotation generates pulses (e.g., 1000 pulses/revolution). The PLC uses the number of pulses (determining displacement, e.g., 0.001 mm/pulse) and frequency (determining motion speed), as well as the A/B phase difference (determining direction), to achieve high-precision, real-time synchronous control of the four axes, meeting the needs for fine-tuning and positioning.

Standardized Grinding Machine Processing Flow:
Lingchen engineers have encapsulated the complex grinding machine processing flow (rough grinding → fine grinding → ultra-fine grinding → rounding) into reusable function blocks. This function block can be called multiple times after the grinding machine starts, significantly simplifying program development for grinding machine 1 and grinding machine 2, improving efficiency and reducing errors.
Reliable Hardware Architecture:
Core Control: LC1008 PLC
Signal Processing: LC5002 pulse input module, LC1486 input module, LC2486 output module, LC1188 input/output module
Communication Network: EtherCAT high-speed bus connects each axis driver, RS485/RS232 connects to the grinding machine's dedicated control system and handwheel.

A double leap forward in efficiency and reliability

Increased Production Capacity:  Completely overcomes the physical and time limitations of manual operation, enabling 24/7 continuous production. Automated loading and unloading significantly shorten the processing cycle for each part.
Precision Guarantee: PLC precisely controls the gantry's movement trajectory and the grinding machine's processing procedures, ensuring consistency and high quality in the machining of both large and small holes.
Optimized Management: Reduces reliance on skilled workers, lowering labor costs and management complexity.

Summarize

Lingchen Technology's successful implementation of this two-in-one grinding machine gantry project not only validated the powerful control capabilities of its PLC products in complex automation scenarios but also highlighted its service philosophy guided by technological innovation and customer needs. This solution sets a new benchmark for efficient, precise, and automated processing of similar workpieces.