June Newsletter
SICK's New 3D Smart Camera Integrated with a Robot is Unveiled at the
International Robots & Vision Show in Chicago
 Minneapolis, Minn. – June 12, 2007 – SICK and PRI Robotics Inc. today announced that they
unveiled an integrated solution utilizing SICK’s innovative 3D Smart Camera with a FANUC six axis
robot at the International Robots & Vision show. The SICK IVC-3D is the first Smart Camera in the
world that inspects all three dimensions providing unsurpassed inspection results and robustness. PRI
Robotics designed and built the robotic system showcased at SICK’s booth during the recent Robots &
Vision Show in Rosemont, Illinois. The FANUC M-16iB/20 robot utilized ATI’s quick-change
components to automatically change between four different SICK 3D vision cameras. SICK
demonstrated vision-guided robot bin picking of randomly located objects. This emerging application
enables a vision-guided robot arm to find and pick individual parts placed at random in a container or
bin. A unique vision inspection application was also demonstrated during the show.
“We are excited about working with PRI Robotics on this unique automation technology,” commented
Brian McMorris, Robotics Business Development Manager from SICK. McMorris continued, “PRI’s
experience in robotic integration, their engineering capabilities, and close location made it easy and
convenient to partner with them to create this custom-designed robot cell tooled to showcase our 3D
vision systems.”
“In the past, vision systems have been expensive, cumbersome and had limited capabilities,” noted
Lynn Swanson, President of PRI Robotics. “Working with SICK and integrating their market-leading
technology, enables us to offer a cost-effective solution for inspection that takes optical inspection to
the next level,” Swanson concluded. PRI Robotics is the leading robotic solution integrator in the Upper
Midwest with headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The robotic system, recently showcased at the International Robots & Vision Show in Rosemont,
Illinois, is currently part of the Application Demonstration Lab at SICK. It is planned to be the
centerpiece of an open house co-sponsored by PRI Robotics and SICK later this summer. To schedule
a demonstration of the new SICK 3D Smart Camera or any other vision offering, contact K-J
Fredriksson, SICK’s Vision Product Specialist at (952) 829-4750.
About PRI Robotics
PRI Robotics is a leading integrator of robotic systems providing a wide range of productive solutions in
manufacturing and specializing in Machine Load/Unload, Arc Welding, Dispensing, Pick & Place, Assembly and
Material Removal.Website: www.prirobotics.com/
About SICK
SICK is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of sensors, safety systems and automatic identification
products for industrial applications. With nearly 450 patents, SICK continues to lead the industry in new
product innovations. The diversity of its product line allows SICK to offer solutions at every phase of
production in the semiconductor, automotive, packaging, electronics, food and beverage, and material
handling markets. SICK was founded in 1946 and has operations and is represented in 65 countries worldwide.
Website: www.sickusa.com
Robotic Dispensing System Helps Refrigeration Unit Manufacturer with a Sticky Situation in Puerto Rico
A PRI Case Study:
PRI Robotics designed and integrated a robotic system to automate and control the application of adhesive glue which Thermo King utilizes in the assembly of the doors for its refrigeration trailer units. The solution eliminated costly inconsistencies of an expensive adhesive, allowing Thermo King to mass produce the highly customized doors efficiently with dramatic costs savings in both materials and labor.
Overview
Thermo King Corporation manufactures trailer refrigeration units at its plant site located in Puerto Rico. Each trailer unit has 6 unique doors. The design required the adherence of an interior insulated door piece to an exterior door piece. Further, the solution must be able to produce 720 doors per day matched to Thermo Kings exacting quality requirements.
Situation
Thermo King looked to automate the manufacturing of the six different doors that were part of its trailer refrigeration unit product line. The process requires up to 30 linear feet of a liquid epoxy to be applied to bond the two parts together. In manual builds, there were numerous inconsistencies, waste of a costly adhesive glue and a production bottleneck. Thermo King needed to automate their Puerto Rico production facility to be able to mass produce doors to meet production goals because of the ever increasing global demand for refrigeration units.
In manual production efforts, Thermo King experienced production bottlenecks and quality issues.
Thermo King’s engineers, Scott Pearce and John Miller, worked closely with PRI Robotics’ engineers on
various design concepts until the “best solution” was agreed upon by both companies. Thermo King and
PRI Robotics had already partnered on seven robotic automation welding projects in Puerto Rico with
great success.
Solution
After four months of cooperative efforts, Thermo King awarded PRI Robotics a purchase order to provide
a complete turnkey automated solution for the application. The system included a six-axis long reach
robot, a sophisticated two part epoxy dispensing system with automatic pail changeover, three large 180
degree positioning turntables with two different clam-shell style fixtures each, safety guarding and
complete integration. All six door assemblies were custom programmed at PRI’s facility in Minneapolis
and a rigorous run-off was conducted prior to shipment and installation in Puerto Rico. Thermo King’s
project engineer Scott Pearce states that “The automated project satisfies our production requirements,
generates nearly a $200,000 annual adhesive savings and greatly reduced direct labor.”
Horn Machine Tools and PRI Robotics announce an exclusive partnership to integrate tube bending and robotic technologies
 Minneapolis, MN – June 6, 2007 – Horn Machine Tools, Inc. (HMT) headquartered in Madera, California and PRI Robotics Inc. (PRI) located in Minneapolis, Minnesota announce a new
partnership to automate CNC tube benders with robotic automation. The partnership will combine
HMT’s tube bending expertise with PRI’s robotic integration offering. HMT plans to offer robotic
unmanned CNC tube bending solutions to their customers that want to maximize their tube bending
productivity, improve operator safety and perform secondary operations most efficiently.
“We see this as a huge step towards supporting our customers across the US”, says Kent Horn,
President of Horn Machine Tools, Inc. “PRI Robotics has a wealth of knowledge in robotic
integration that will enhance our tube bending and tube fabrication offerings.”
“Horn Machine Tools deep experience in tube bending and their relationships with the leading
bending manufactures presents a terrific opportunity.” noted Lynn Swanson, President of PRI
Robotics. “Their North American footprint will ensure that our leading edge solution will have
important impact on the market.”
HMT will have a CNC tube bender with an automated material handling robot integrated by PRI
on display at the FABTECH International & AWS Welding Show in Chicago. You can see this
system under power at HMT’s booth number 20081. This show is North America’s largest metal
forming, fabrication and welding event and it is held at McCormick Place on November 11-14, 2007.
About
PRI Robotics Inc.
PRI Robotics is a leading integrator of robotic systems providing a wide range of productive
solutions in manufacturing and specializing in Arc Welding, Material Removal, Machine
Load/Unload, Dispensing, Material Handling, and Assembly.
Website: www.prirobotics.com
About Horn Machine Tools, Inc.
Horn Machine Tools, Inc. specializes in Horizontal Rotary Draw Tube Benders and the process of
bending tubing. HMI provides new and used Tube Benders, Pipe Benders, CNC Tube Benders,
Booster Benders, Handrail Benders and Elbow Benders. Rebuilding or retrofitting services are also
available for your existing equipment.
HMT has a regional facility located in Oakdale, Minnesota. Paul Kuehlwein, HMT’s Regional Sales
Manger, along with a service engineer, have a number of tube benders on display and available for
demonstrations. Website: www.hornmachinetools.com
Horn Machine Tools opens New Location in Saint Paul, MN
Horn Machine Tools, Inc. located in Madera, California is pleased to announce the opening of a new facility in Minnesota. The new location is in Oakdale, MN, a suburb of St. Paul.
The new facility includes a showroom with new tube bending machines in stock and service facilities for the upper Midwest states.
HMT is also pleased to announce the hiring of Paul Kuehlwein as Regional Sales Manager to oversee the new Minnesota location.
Paul brings to HMT 28 years of tube bending experience. For the last 18 years he has been employed with one of the largest tube fabricators in the Midwest. As Manufacturing manager there, Paul focused his skills and knowledge in tube bending, tube fabricating, bender tooling and application engineering.
“We see this as a huge step towards supporting the growth in the upper Midwest states”, says Kent Horn, President of Horn Machine Tools, Inc. “Paul has a wealth of knowledge in production tube bending and tube fabrication.”
The addition of Paul, coupled with our new Twin Cities location in Minnesota will bring a new dimension in support and service to the HMT product line of HMTUSA Tube Benders, HORN Metric Series Tube Benders and Unison All Electric CNC Tube Bending machines.
Horn Machine Tools, Inc. now operates three facilities:
- Madera, California – Manufacturing, Service and Company Headquarters
- Indianapolis, Indiana – Tube Bender Rebuilding and Service
- St. Paul, Minnesota (Oakdale) – Tube Bender Showroom and Service
PRI Promotion of the Quarter: Attention Robotic Welding Users - Are you tired of touching up points?
If your robotic welding system constantly requires reteaching program points when you put a previously programmed part back on your system, then call PRI's specialist Mark Jarvis at 800-605-9282 or email him at (insert email here) to discuss some options to eliminate this process.
- Maintaining tool center point (TCP) is a critical element for robot welding.
- Can you verify that your welding torch has not been bent? We can help
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