Machines, Service, and Support from Hartwig, Inc.

Industrial automation and robotics aren’t just for the largest and most well-funded manufacturers anymore. We work with customers of all sizes—large OEMs, tiered suppliers, and local job shops—who are seeing their efficiency and productivity soar with automation.

Our partners at Gosiger are making automation more accessible than ever with their Automation Within Reach line of products. Gosiger has been a market leader in application-driven automation for the past 40 years, with a team of over 70 specializing in machine tending automation. In our recent Game-Changing Technologies webcast, we caught up with Greg Feix and John Harman from Gosiger who showed off the capabilities of their Load & Go and VBX robotics add-ons. 

Load & Go Flexible Automation Systems for Lathes and HMC’s

Gosiger’s Load & Go systems come in two styles, rotary cell and drawer cell, and each come in three sizes. The rotary cell configuration is ideal for applications requiring taller parts, with the large rotary cell option able to accommodate parts up to 11 inches tall. 

The drawer cell style system uses an adjustable template to hold workpieces prior to and after machining. The template is integrated with the system, feeding information to the robotic arm so the operator doesn’t have to enter part height or diameter—the system intuitively grabs the part correctly every time.

VBX 160 With Load & Go Grip Holding for Mills and VMC’s

The VBX 160 system is equipped with patented multigrip workholding and can run OP 10 or OP 20 parts automatically. The robotic arm uses top jaws to move the workpieces back and forth—these machinable pieces are a relatively low cost consumable at around $79 per set, and the dovetail designs on the top jaws ensures a secure and repeatable grip. This design allows for the greatest possible contact area with the part when the device is closed. When switching from OP 10 to OP 20, the device mimics the way an operator would manually handle the parts. 

The VBX system also comes equipped with a wash/rinse bucket. After machining, the jaws are rinsed and excess coolant is dried using an air knife. Every VBX system also features a camera positioned at the top so you can watch your system running at all times, even during lights-out operation.

Engineered for Ease of Use

There’s no need for robot programming with Gosiger’s add on systems. The setup process for your operators is simple and conversational, with the HMI guiding them through each step. The operator will select whether the part is round or square, the spindle to use (or they can select “unload only” if your CNC uses a bar feeder), dual or single part handling, and more. Once all inputs are made, all the operator has to do is hit the play button. 

If you are using Okuma machine tools, your equipment may already have everything you need to implement a Gosiger system. For the Load & Go for lathes and HMC’s, all that’s needed is an auto door, robot interface, chuck air blow, and spindle orientation if your parts require it. For the VBX for mills and VMC’s, an auto door and the Okuma Think API (which comes standard with most newer machines) are all that’s required to get started.

To see the systems in action and learn more about them, check out the recording of this Game-Changing Technologies webcast. 

As always, if you have more questions about implementing automation in your operation, your Hartwig team is here to help!