Liberty Pumps Improves Pump Manufacturing Process with Three FANUC Machine Tending Robotic Integrations

Who is Liberty Pumps?

For over 50 years, Liberty Pumps of Bergen, NY has been a leading U.S. manufacturer of pumping products and technology. A family and employee-owned company, their mission is to develop long-term customer relationships by providing high-quality, innovative products and total value through exceptional customer service. The company has grown into a respected pillar of the rural Bergen community as they stay committed to building customer enthusiasm through ongoing advancements in design, manufacturing, marketing, delivery, and support of their products. 

Adaptec Automation Partnership & Solutions

As operators continuously faced challenges handling heavy castings, the team at Liberty Pumps strategically made the decision to automate their pump manufacturing processes. Integrating automation presented a solution to further enhance workplace safety and ergonomics, which are top priorities for the company to ensure operator well-being. 

A collaborative partnership between the Adaptec and Liberty Pumps teams was essential to ensure the successful integration of each machine tending system. From design reviews to part handling challenges, each team contributed to find a solution. Having a quick problem-solving approach ensured project deadlines were met and demonstrated the strength of the partnership. 

As of 2024, Liberty Pumps has partnered with Adaptec to successfully integrate three robotic machine tending systems to address pain points around labor, ergonomics and safety, reliability, repeatability, and production. The partnership has been defined by trust and teamwork as consistent collaboration and communication have led to the success of three major projects. Mike Augello, Machine Shop and Finishing Supervisor at Liberty Pumps, says, “Being able to rely on experts outside our own walls was important as automation isn’t our area of expertise. It set my mind at ease.” Over the past several years, the partnership between Adaptec and Liberty Pumps has grown stronger, enabling the successful integration of the advanced automation technologies illustrated below. 

Robotic Machine Tending Integrations

The machine tending systems showcase Adaptec’s expertise in integrating custom automation systems that improve safety and efficiency, reduce manual intervention, and enhance production capabilities. Operators faced various challenges in their pump manufacturing process, primarily around the manual handling required for machine tending. The labor-intensive approach led to inconsistencies in machine utilization, higher operational costs, and bottleneck in meeting rising production demands. 

1. Robotic Machine Tending System

Integrated in 2017, the first robotic machine tending system tends an Okuma horizontal mill, replacing the manual loading/unloading operation. A FANUC M-710iC/50 robot handles pump castings that are presented on a pair of flat top steel chain conveyors. Each conveyor is fitted with a camera as FANUC 2D iRVision software triggers to image parts as they arrive on the end of the conveyors. The robot is equipped with a dual air powered end-of-arm tool for part handling. A regrip stand allows the robot to precisely orient the casting for machine tending. The robot waits for a service request from the Okuma mill. The robot unloads with gripper two and loads with gripper one. The finished castings on gripper two are placed onto one of two outfeed conveyors to complete the process. 

2. Robotic Machine Tending System

Two years after the first automation system was integrated, Adaptec proposed a second robotic machine tending system for Liberty Pumps to tend a new Okuma horizontal mill. The second system is almost identical to the first, providing Liberty Pumps with the ability to reach its production goals with increased capacity and redundancy. 

New changes proposed for the second system included:

• The new mill has an automatic door, eliminating the need for special safety switches and logic.
  • Extra switches are installed to verify the doors are open before the robot enters the mill. 
• A reject conveyor is included.

Project goals included:

• A flexible automation package that can handle a variety of castings.
• A queue of raw and finished parts so the operator can walk away.
• Successful unload and load of parts to and from the mill fixtures.

3. Robotic Machine Tending System

Liberty Pumps purchased a new Okuma CNC machine and subsequently partnered with Adaptec to integrate a third robotic machine tending system for the mill. A FANUC M-710iC/70 robot picks castings from the incoming cart using FANUC 3D iRVision to acquire part locations/orientations. The part is then qualified after picking at a regrip station. After part qualification, the casting is loaded by the robot into one of three positions on the machine tool fixture. Finished castings are robotically unloaded and placed onto an outgoing cart. Reject parts are placed onto a three-position stand for review by an operator. 

The latest generation of the cell incorporates all the improvements that had been previously implemented or requested. This cell significantly reduces operator interaction during a shift by utilizing a large raw/finished part queue, presented via cart. Through the use of vision and regrip stands, small irregularities in part presentation are easily adapted, greatly improving OEE. Additionally, the robotic automation system offers significant process repeatability, allowing for further development. This most recent configuration enables "lights-out" production during off-shifts, where equipment was previously not utilized.

Scalability & Results

As a custom automation integrator, Adaptec designed each system with scalability in mind. Allowing for scalability offers Liberty Pumps the option to adapt to increased production demands or integrate new products in the future. In 2023, Adaptec executed retrofit of the second machine tending system to incorporate an automated anti-air lock drilling operation. Adaptec engineered the system reconfiguration, and wired and plumbed the new hardware to the existing robot controller. Robotic engineers reprogrammed the FANUC robot to perform the drill operation as part of the existing cycle.