Geiger Fertigungstechnologie GmbH, which produces sophisticated turned and milled parts for drive technology and sensors, relies on highly automated robots in its workshops. However, the demands on interfaces that enable efficient cooperation between people and systems are increasing. When designing a new robot cell on a machine tool of a milling center in spring 2022, the company from Pretzfeld therefore relied on functional handles from Kraus & Naimer GmbH, specialists for switches, functional handles and enclosures as well as touch panels. The three-color illuminated handle bars use the traffic light system to indicate the loading status of the drawers for the workpiece feed and removal. The integrated pushbutton enables direct, secure access to the components without the machine operator having to switch to an additional control panel.

It’s hard to miss when one of the functional handles on the 5 m long, automated robotic cell changes colour. The traffic light system clearly shows the loading status of the nine drawers for workpiece loading and unloading. The time has come: one compartment is finished. With just one movement, an employee unlocks and opens the drawer, removes the blister with the finished parts and inserts a new one with raw parts. The compartment is closed and immediately released again via the integrated push button on the handle. When developing the new system at Geiger Fertigungstechnologie GmbH in Pretzfeld, it was clear that this workflow had to be designed to be as simple, efficient and safe as possible. No external warning light that requires the machine operator’s attention, no additional button that needs to be pressed and no time-consuming trip to a separate control panel should be necessary. Thanks to this smooth cooperation between humans and robots, the associated milling machine is reliably loaded in order to produce sophisticated components for air condi…

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