XM12 VMC update – designing a 20-pallet robot cell. What are we overlooking?

[u/ExternalOne6090]

Hi everyone,

Quick update on the XM12 VMC from my last post:

We've now ordered the mineral-cast frames for the first two test machines, as well as the cast-iron table, saddle and spindle head. Next we'll order the sheet metal, machined parts, linear rails, ballscrews, etc., basically starting with whatever has the longest lead time.

See the attached images for the internal construction of the mineral-cast frame with rebar reinforcement and embedded steel parts.

In parallel, we've designed a 20-pallet robot automation system. We're planning to order the robot this or next week for testing, but there are still a few things we're unsure about and I'd really appreciate feedback from people with automation experience before we order all the parts.

20 or 30 kg robot?
Our pallet + vise already weighs around 11 kg without the workpiece. Would you go straight for 30 kg to have more headroom?

Pallet/vise size?
The current vise has around 80 mm clamping range. Would you want something larger for a machine this size, even if that means heavier pallets? And in general, would you prefer more smaller pallets or fewer larger pallets with more workholding capacity?

Loading/unloading?
Currently all 20 pallets can simply be accessed from the front through the double doors. Is that practical, or would you prefer a dedicated loading station?

For control we're planning a Siemens S7-1200 + Riverdi HMI, showing every pallet position and whether it's empty, loaded, waiting, finished, etc., plus the job queue and machine/robot status.

The S7-1200 communicates via PROFINET with a central PROFINET/IO-Link master. From there, IO-Link connects to one decentralized I/O module on each individual pallet rack. Each rack therefore has its own local I/O module, which connects directly to the sensors for pallet presence, position monitoring, etc.

What else would you want from the HMI or automation system? And what would you change before we order all the parts?

Any feedback is appreciated!