TESCO Engineering, the worldleader in automotive closure manu-
facturing tooling and technology, hasjust raised the bar another notch.
After two years of research anddevelopment, TESCO Engineering amember of Hirotec Worldwide, is set tounveil its next generation of hemmingand assembly equipment tools and tech-nologies: the E3 electric hemmingpress; the R3 robotic roller hemmingcell; and the I3 vision-based roboticdimensional measurement tool.
Their impact on the automotiveindustry will be nothing short of revolu-tionary.
“TESCO has chosen to invest in itsfuture by using its worldwide resourcesand knowledge base." said JimToeniskoetter, President of TESCOGroup Companies. "We have devel-oped a group of standard tools thatevery Automaker will need in order tobe more flexible and responsive tochanging market needs.”
TESCO has relationships with othergroup companies around the worldthrough HIROTEC Worldwide. TESCOleverages these relationships to applyglobal technologies and methodologieswith custom solutions to meet customerrequirements.
Its worldwide resources and its 50years of automotive production experi-ence are what have allowed TESCO tobring the E3, R3 and I3 to market.
Along with its partner companies,TESCO is recognized as a premier sup-plier to OEMs and the Tier One marketand has won numerous OEM honors,most notably the GM Supplier of theYear (several times). Hirotec World-wide has also recently won the 2005Ford Excellence Award and the 2005Mazda Chairman Award. TESCO hasbeen the exclusive single source suppli-er of hemming systems for GM NorthAmerica. Additionally, the majority ofChrysler’s vehicles are built usingTESCO hemming systems.
“We understand how to produce acar,” said Robert Davis, Vice PresidentGroup Sales for TESCO Group Compa-nies. “We not only know what worksand what doesn’t, but also why it worksand doesn’t. When we’re finished withthe R&D, it’s ready for production.”
E3The E3 – which stands for Efficient,
Environmentally-Advantageous, Elec-tric – is TESCO’s new electric hem-ming press. The E3 is more efficientthan a standard hydraulic press and,because it is a self-contained unit, is
also more environmentally friendly. Itstwo electric motors allow the press tofeature both speed – 180 net jobs perhour – and power – 150 metric tons ofhemming force.
Like its R3 and I3 counterparts, theE3 is both “drop-shippable” and “plug-and-playable.” What that means is theE3, R3 and I3 can be installed in a veryshort amount of time and, because asmuch as 80 percent of the setup can bedone prior to delivery, it can be installedand running very rapidly.
R3The R3 is TESCO’s ground-break-
ing robotic roller cell used for hem-ming, which is the precision folding ofthe edges of two pieces of sheet metal.The R3 – which stands for Robust, Reli-able, Roll Form – is designed for low tomedium production volumes. Tradition-ally, lower production volumes incurhigher costs for both parts production
and validation. The R3 can significant-ly reduce some of these costs.
Another benefit of the R3 is itspatent-pending compliance heads,which guarantees the robotic rollerswill apply even hemming pressurethroughout the application. Especiallyin a prototype environment, this level ofquality assurance is vital.
The R3 is modular and occupies arelatively small footprint. Being modu-lar, several robots can work in unisonfor even greater production capability.Each robot can be outfitted with a dif-ferent roller head, for example, andsimultaneously perform the differenthems on a particular part.
I3Using vision technology from
Israeli-based CogniTens, TESCO’s I3 isa tool that measures and ensures dimen-sional integrity and repeatability. TheI3, which stands for Industrialized,
Image, Information, replaces traditionalring gauge and CMM measurementtechniques and technology.
The I3 works like this: cameras withCogniTens technology are mounted onthe ends of robotic arms. The part beingmeasured is mounted to another robotarm that features a universal holdingapparatus, which itself is yet anotherTESCO-designed revolutionary cost-saving advancement. The two roboticarms then work in unison, almost as ifdancing, as the I3 takes its measure-ments and compiles its data. Then, theI3 compares the measurement data withthe original master product data to pro-duce a color-based, interactive three-dimensional rendering of the results.This exclusive application allows theoperator to easily assess the results andmake the necessary adjustments.
The I3 can be used anywhere alongthe production line to quickly and accu-rately measure a given part’s dimen-sional integrity.
Like the R3, the I3 is a modularrobotic tool that can be assembled andoutfitted in a variety of configurationswithin a relatively small footprint.These configurations, or cells, can han-dle the smallest part detail all the wayup to a full body-in-white.
“These three products all increasespeed-to-market without compromisingcost or quality,” said Scott Abbate, Gen-eral Manager Sales & Marketing, TescoGroup Companies. “With these prod-ucts you can produce new vehiclesfaster, for less money, and with betterquality.”
For additional information onTESCO Group Companies productsand services, please contact ScottAbbate, General Manager Sales &Marketing at (248) 836-5100 or [email protected]
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TESCO Engineering
Introducing the Next Generation ofHemming and Measurement Tools
