38 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk February/March 2026 Special Focus Automation A pick-and-place installation based on a standard ABB robot is enabling bearing manufacturer NSK to select and process matched pairs of bearings automatically, speeding up throughput and eliminating human error from the matching process. ABB Value Provider and system integrator, Cyan Tec, designed the system around an IRB 6620, six-axis industrial robot. PWE reports. Mechanical systems in the machine tool sector and elsewhere are finely balanced, so bearings often need to be installed in perfectly matched pairs. Manual picking and matching is open to human error, so NSK wanted to automate the process. Because the bearings come in a wide range of sizes, designing an automated system with the flexibility to handle different components was a challenge. The company also wanted a solution that could adapt to handle an evolving product range in future. The company initially thought it might need a bespoke system designed from scratch. However, after a number of brainstorming sessions to understand exactly what NSK needed, Cyan Tec engineers proposed a solution based on ABB’s IRB 6620, which is a compact and agile robot with a large working envelope, making it ideal for pick-and-place applications. This versatile, compact, and light-weight robot can be floor-mounted, tilted, inverted or even shelf-mounted, so it is extremely flexible. In this case, floor-mounting the IRB 6620 provided a well-proven, cost-effective, and reliable solution for picking and grouping the matched bearings. “We have an ever-growing relationship with ABB, which means that our engineers have a deep knowledge of the programming and integration requirements for the range of robots on offer by ABB,” says Grant Copson, Sales Engineer for Cyan Tec. “The robot specified met the customer’s requirements in terms of payload and reach, therefore lending itself perfectly to this solution.” The system currently handles bearings between 26 and 450mm diameter. The ABB robot retrieves the bearings from a system of smart storage racks that include integrated sensors to detect when and where the parts are placed. Dimensional information from NSK’s QADB database enables the system’s software to match the bearing correctly with one that has already been processed. Key design challenges One of the key design challenges was to devise an adaptable gripper for the end of the robot arm that could handle such a wide range of high-precision components without damaging them and without needing any changeovers. Cyan Tec designed and manufactured a gripper using a combination of electric drives and pneumatics to offer not only the necessary flexibility but also the precise control to ensure that the robot does not damage the bearings. The robot places the bearings on a bespoke conveyor system, which includes servo-driven side guides that automatically adjust to suit the size of the components. The matched bearings are then laser marked in two ways: Alignment patterns help end users fit the bearings correctly, while product information from NSK’s QADB database helps with traceability and stock control. The marking is carried out by two Keyence laser marking heads. Once a matched pair of bearings has been successfully marked, they transfer to the station’s outfeed conveyor. Like the infeed, this conveyor also features adjustable side guides to handle the different bearing sizes. Since its installation, the new system has successfully speeded up the matching process and improved quality by eliminating human error. “From our first contact to machine delivery, the project has surpassed our expectations. It has been a pleasure to work with people that take a pride in the product and solution they are offering,” says Tim Collin, Principal Engineer. For further information please visit: https://www.abb.com/global/en/areas/rob Automated pick-and-place system improves bearing matching An automated pick-and-place system using an ABB robot, designed by Cyan Tec, is helping NSK improve bearing matching accuracy and increase production throughput. PWE reports.
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