Automated removal of crown wheel from furnace for quenching
Crown wheels, which are critical components in automotive axles, are heated in a furnace to temperatures exceeding 960-degree C. The crown wheels are stacked together - typically 5 or 6 crown wheels - and each crown wheel is separated by a spacer (fixture). There are 25 types of crown wheels across 5 distinct families, each requiring precise thermal treatment. The crown wheels can weigh up to 45 Kg and have a diameter of 200-400 mm. The crown wheels need to be picked from the furnace and placed on the quenching fixture, before which the spacer needs to be removed. The takt time for one crown wheel is 1 minute.
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17 May 2026
Challenge details:
Crown wheels, which are critical components in automotive axles, are heated in a furnace to temperatures exceeding 960-degree C. The crown wheels are stacked together - typically 5 or 6 crown wheels - and each crown wheel is separated by a spacer (fixture). There are 25 types of crown wheels across 5 distinct families, each requiring precise thermal treatment.
The crown wheels can weigh up to 45 Kg and have a diameter of 200-400 mm.
The crown wheels need to be picked from the furnace and placed on the quenching fixture, before which the spacer needs to be removed. The takt time for one crown wheel is 1 minute.
Due to heat-induced growth variations, the mechanical stacker's position shifts, complicating accurate pickup: the exact position may vary by 60 mm (vertically) and 150 mm (horizontally).
Additionally, flames and furnace walls obstruct visibility, making it difficult to locate and extract the correct crown wheel from the stack.
Crown wheel variant details:
- ID/OD: ID:161.5 & OD:250 mm, ID:177.5 & OD:294, ID:189.5 & OD:325, ID:204 & OD:368, ID:224.5 & OD:400 mm.
- Weight of biggest crown wheel ~ 45 Kg & weight of spacer ~ 10 Kg.
The exact sequence of events is as follows:
- Remove the crown wheel at the top of the stack.
- Rotate and bring the crown wheel near the quenching fixture.
- Remove the spacer and place it in the designated area.
- Place the crown wheel in the quenching fixture.
- Remove the quenched crown wheel and place it in the washing conveyor.
- Repeat the process for subsequent parts.
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