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Sensors to Revolutionize Manufacturing
DOE Sensors & Automation
2007 Annual Portfolio Review
ROBOTICALLY ENHANCED ADVANCED MANUFACTURING CONCEPTS TO OPTIMIZE
ENERGY,
PRODUCTIVITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
Joseph M. Pack The Timken Company, Canton Ohio
DOE Sensors & Automation 2007 Annual Portfolio Review Joseph
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Project Description
Need
Early in 2004, the Robotically Enhanced Manufacturing Line
(REML) was conceived for the production of small lots of tapered
roller bearing races. REML was seen as an opportunity to utilize
Timken steel tubing with microstructures optimized for REML
processes, to reduce energy consumption, improve productivity,
reduce health and safety risks, and reduce environmental impact
when compared to conventional, low volume industrial bearing
manufacturing lines.
Project Description / Goal(s) Construct an advanced, low-volume
manufacturing line for the production of
industrial bearing races.
The line consists of processes for cold working and green
machining, for thermal treatment, and for finishing and inspection
of the bearing races.
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Project Description – REML green cell
sawn slug, rolled blank,
green machined race
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Project Description – REML thermal treatment cell
green machined race, hardened race,
tempered race
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Project Description – REML thermal treatment cell
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Project Description- REML finishing cell
heat treated race, finish machined race
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Project Description- REML finishing cell
The operating power consumption of the light weight, high
speed
gantry robot is about one-half that of the conventional gantry
robot
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1
2
3
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ion ional
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1.5
2.5
3.5
10 12 14 16
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Pow
erkV
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CAMotConvent
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Project Description
Core Technology & Transformational Elements
Energy-efficient induction heating processes, which operate on
demand, replace continuously heated, energy over-sized furnaces.
Robotics which tend the processes thereby reducing manual labor and
repetitive labor. CAMotion Inc. low-mass, high-speed gantry robot
in the finishing cell which relies on sensors not structural
rigidity for positioning accuracy “brains not brawn”.
Key Project Deliverable(s)
Analysis of potential 1. for energy savings for bearing races
and other heat treated, metal products 2. for productivity
increases 3. for reduction of environmental impact, health and
safety risks as compared to a conventional, low-volume bearing race
manufacturing line (low-volume manufacturing line or cells for
other heat treated, metal products)
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Project Description
Industries for Application The REML technologies will in general
be extendible beyond bearings to the manufacture of many types and
forms of heat treated and finished machined metal parts.
Crosscutting Applicability Industrial Heating Equipment
Heat Treating
Industrial Materials
Robotics
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Energy Savings
How energy is saved Use of energy-efficient induction heating
processes, which operate on demand,
replace continuously heated, energy over-sized furnaces. Use of
multi-function finishing assets which replace multiple,
single-function finishing
assets.
Measuring line annual energy savings 1) The energy consumption
of all energy consumers within REML was measured while
processing the baseline part and while at idle. Energy forms
included electricity, natural gas, process gases, compressed air,
and water (chilled, tower, city). Human energy was not
included.
2) The energy consumption of all energy consumers of the
conventional baseline, low volume line while processing
reference-sized parts and while at idle. These measurements were
made at a Timken industrial bearing plant in Canton, Ohio.
3) Duty cycles (processing versus idle times) were measured for
all producing assets of the REML line and the conventional line
while producing the baseline part.
4) Line annual energy consumptions were computed and comparisons
were made assuming equivalent annual line production of
approximately 51,000 races per year.
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Energy Savings
The REML line in its Annual Energy Consumption current state
of
(51,000 Races Annual production) development has been measured
to be about
1,594,342 22% (338,000 kVA-hrs 1,600,000 per year) less energy
1,400,000 intensive than the 1,200,000 1,256,388 baseline
conventional 1,000,000 low volume line
kVA-hrs 800,000 assuming equivalent 600,000 annual production
400,000
GREEN HEAT
FINISH
17,840
1,322,533
253,969175,181
999,860
81,348 volume of bearing races.
BASELINE Additional savings are 0
200,000 REML possible if flow through
green cell is batch rather TREAT TOTAL than single piece
flow.
DOE Sensors & Automation 2007 Annual Portfolio Review Joseph
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Anticipated Economic Impact and Value Proposition
Annual energy cost savings per REML line (338,000 kVA-hrs/yr) *
($0.06 / kVA-hrs) = $20,300 / yr Additional savings are possible if
flow through green cell is batch rather than single
piece flow. Generally extendible to manufacture of metal parts
in the US (gears, sleeves, rods,
any ring geometry)
Productivity improvement
Reduced labor content Reduced flow time Reduced unit cost Make
to order with low run volumes
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Other Important Metrics
Productivity (lower energy cost, dramatically reduced flow time,
reduced labor content, lower unit cost for small run volumes)
UNIT COST COMPARISON
Log Units Per Run
Uni
t Cos
t CONVENTIONAL LINE
REML LINE
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Other Important Metrics
Environmental Impact Reduction
REML would result in an estimated annual reduction of emission
of approximately 43,780 lbs CO2 of and approximately 220 lbs of
un-combusted methanol vapors into the air. Eliminates hazards and
wastes associated with periodic removal and replacement of
insulating bricks in conventional furnaces.
Health and Safety Risk Reduction, Ergonomics Improvement Health
and Safety Risk Assessments were completed for each asset by a
Timken Health and Safety and Environmental Compliance Analyst.
Compared to the conventional line, the REML line substantially
reduces the risk of ergonomic injuries (musculoskeletal disorders)
as a result of the robotic machine tending and other forms of
automation which eliminate or reduce the need for human /machine
manual interaction, repetitive motion and frequent material
handling.
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Project Status Timeline
2 0 0 6 2 0 0 7
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f i n i w i t i u i
i i
I
l l i n
lc e l l . n
f i n i s hi o l l S
i f y
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i
l i t o i
2 0 0 8 2 0 0 4 2 0 0 5 I n t e g r a t e t h e r m a
t r e a t m e n t a n d s h c e l l s t h r o b o c s . A c q r
e
s e c o n d a r y a s s e t s .
A s s e t o p t i m z a t i o n .
T r ia l p r o d u c t o n r u n s .
m p r o v e m e n t e s t i m a t e s .
P r o c e s s a d d i t io n a s t e e g r a d e s
t h e r m a t r e a t m e n t D e p l o y g r e e
a n d s s e t s t o p r o d u c t n . C e a n d l in e C A D A
.
S p e c a n d
p u r c h a s e o r
a s s e t s
R E M L
D e p t h e r m a t r e a t m e n t
a s s e t s t o p r o d u c t o n .
L i c e n s e t e c h n o o g e s
n o n - c o m p e t t o r s
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Next Steps & Commercialization
All current contract milestones are completed. Ongoing effort to
optimize and qualify inductive heating and
tempering efficiency and post-heat treat metallurgical
properties of new steel grades, new (larger) part sizes and new
part geometries and features (flanges, holes, slots, grooves).
Complete an associated investigation of opportunities for
deployment of the thermal treatment cell into Timken’s Industrial
Bearing Business.
The Timken Company and its supplier of induction heating
equipment will investigate licensing of induction heating
technology to non-competitors of The Timken Company. The Timken
Company will be the point of contact.
CAMotion Inc. will promote and offer low-mass, high-speed gantry
robotics, similar to that featured in the REML finish cell, to
industry.
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Commercial/Technical Risks Remaining
Achieving induction heating processes which achieve the required
control over temperature uniformity across fullrange of part
diameters, widths, and cross sections.
Marketplace acceptance of non-conventional materials
and manufacturing processes. (Employ existing
customer notification, acceptance, and approval
practices).
Production service reliability especially of machine
tending robotics. High technical sophistication of line
assets, robotics and systems. (Development of Total
Productive Maintenance TPM programs, Condition
Monitoring).
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Summary
10 REML Lines per Year Beginning 2007
240 Conventional to REML Conversions by 2030
1% Cost of Energy Increase per Year
0
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
1,200,000
2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 $0
CUMULATIVE REML SAVINGS POTENTIAL IN US
Meg
a VA
-hrs
$10,000,000
$20,000,000
$30,000,000
$40,000,000
$50,000,000
$60,000,000
$70,000,000
$80,000,000
Year’s energy output of
100 Mega Watt Power Plant
10 Lines 240 Lines
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Sensors to Revolutionize ManufacturingProject DescriptionREML
green cellREML thermal treatment cellREML finishing cell
Energy SavingsAnticipated Economic Impact and Value
PropositionOther Important MetricsProject Status TimelineNext Steps
& CommercializationCommercial/Technical Risks
RemainingSummary