We know of a company with an aero and precision division that machines aircraft parts that recently installed a work-holding pallet system. Let’s take a look at their system.

The system they installed consists of two a61-5XR 5-axis horizontal machining centers, one self-propelled transfer robot, two work-setting stations, and a 45-piece pallet stocker.

Let’s look at the flow of work operations. The workpiece is set up at the work-setting station. The workpiece is set up horizontally, which reduces the operator’s work load.

Once the workpiece is set up, the machining schedule is created using Makino’s MOS A3 system control software. Scheduling, program editing, tool data management, machining results tabulation, and other tasks are all performed on the host computer.

The input workpieces are transferred from the work-setting station to the pallet stocker and wait their turn to be machined. The self-propelled robot places a pallet on the stand and moves to the next position.

The stocker can hold 45 work-holding pallets positioned at a slant. Slanting the pallets makes it easier to collect the coolant and also saves space.

The robot’s hand is fitted with a sensor for detecting the presence of a pallet before the robot moves.

After machining is finished, the workpiece and pallet are air-cleaned with a cleaning tool; this prevents problems in advance by minimizing the amount of chips and coolant taken out of the machine.

The machined workpiece is then unloaded from the machine. The pallet is first moved to the stack, and the next pallet is then loaded on the machining center.

Before being loaded on the machine, the pull-stud bolts on the underside of the pallet and the seating surface are air-cleaned to prevent chip incursion.

The work-holding pallet system can accommodate from one to four machining centers, by combining the system with a robot-end hand, a modularized pallet stocker, and a work-setting station. The optimum cell can be configured to meet various production needs.

The work-holding pallet system is the optimum pallet technology for efficient operation of a 5-axis machining center. Combining the system with a robot facilitates continuous unmanned operation at night and on weekends.