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Examples of Cost Savings with
ROBO Cylinder Electric Actuator Applications

Electric Actuators for Automobile Automation

ROBO Cylinder Linear Electric Actuator Cost Savings in the Automobile Industry

ROBO Cylinder Engine Block Electric Actuator Judgment
ROBO Cyliner Linear Electric Actuator Benefits

Reduction of Initial Cost From $1,108.47 to $750.91*

Application - A ROBO Cylinder system that transfers electrical control parts in an assembly line having five stop points.

ROBO Cyliner Electric Actuator Transfer control

Air Cylinder
ROBO Cylinder
The air cylinder system required five cylinders, because a cylinder with a different stroke must be used to implement each stop.

    Cost of air cylinder parts

  • Rod-less air cylinder
  • Linear guide
  • Positioning cylinder x 5
  • Valve, etc.

Initial Cost of air cylinder system: $1,108.47

The ROBO Cylinder system requires only one cylinder, because it can perform multi-point positioning to respective stop points.

    Cost of ROBO Cylinder parts

  • ROBO Cylinder x 1 - $493.27
  • Controller - $203.22
  • Cables - $54.42

Initial Cost of ROBO Cylinder system: $750.91

* At the exchange rate of 108.26 JPY (Nov. 2007)

Explanation - Compared to the cost of air cylinder parts amounting to $1,108.47, the ROBO Cylinder system only costs $750.91 for parts. The cost savings of this system is $357.56. In addition to costing more on parts, the air cylinder system also requires higher costs associated with assembly jigs, air piping man-hours, and so on. When all savings are considered, the initial cost of the ROBO Cylinder system becomes much lower.

ROBO Cylinder Electric Actuator Press Fitting
ROBO Cyliner Linear Electric Actuator Benefits

Reduction of Initial Cost From $2,400 to $931.04*

Application - System removes dust from inside rollers used in office equipment. An air nozzle is installed at the tip of a ROBO Cylinder. This nozzle is inserted into a roller, and then the nozzle is moved to blow dust out of the roller. Different types of rollers are involved in the process, all varying in length and other dimensions.

ROBO Cyliner Electric Actuator air dusting

Air Cylinder
ROBO Cylinder
Four types of air cylinders had to be used to accommodate rollers of different strokes.

Air cylinder cost:
$600 per set

Total purchase cost of air cylinders:

$600 x 4 types = $2,400

Since the ROBO Cylinder is capable of multi-point positioning, one unit can accommodate all rollers.

Total purchase cost of ROBO Cylinder

ROBO Cylinder - $702.62
Controller - $154.42

Cables - $74


Purchase cost of ROBO Cylinder - $931.04

* At the exchange rate of 108.26 JPY (Nov. 2007)

Explanation - The air cylinder system had an initial cost of $2,400, whereas the ROBO Cylinder system costs only $931.04 initially. This is a cost reduction of $1468.96.

With the air cylinder system, the setup had to be changed for each roller type. This is no longer necessary on the ROBO Cylinder system. The ROBO Cylinder system also eliminated the need for stopper adjustment and speed control adjustment.

ROBO Cylinder Electric Actuator Metal Clamping
ROBO Cyliner Linear Electric Actuator Benefits

Reduction of running costs by $20,000 a year*

Application - System cuts printed circuit boards. ROBO Cylinders are used to move an end-mill up and down to cut circuit boards. Since the blade becomes dull after 1,000 boards, the end mill is lowered after 1,000 boards so as to cut boards using an unused, sharp blade face.

ROBO Cyliner Electric Actuator milling circuit boards

Air Cylinder
ROBO Cylinder
Since the position of the cutting blade cannot be changed, the blade had to be changed after 1,000 boards.

Unit price of end mill - $11.10

End mill life: 1,000 boards

Machining quantity per day - 1,000 boards

End mill cost - $11.10 per day = $222.00 per month (20 days) = $2,664 per year


Annual cost of air cylinder system - $2,664.00

Since the position of the cutting blade can be changed to four locations, 4,000 boards can be cut with each blade.

Unit price of end mill - $11.10

End mill life - 4,000 boards

Machining quantity per day - 1,000 boards

End mill cost - $2.77 per day = $55.40 per month = $664.80 per year


Annual cost of ROBO Cylinder system $664.80

* At the exchange rate of 108.26 JPY (Nov. 2007)

Explanation - The running cost of the air cylinder is $2,664.00 a year, while that of the ROBO Cylinder system is $664.80 per year. The associated cost savings is $2,000.

This factory uses 10 of these systems. The total cost reduction thus amounted to $2,000 x 10 units = $20,000 a year.

ROBO Cylinder Electric Actuator Positioning and Joining
ROBO Cyliner Linear Electric Actuator Benefits

8% Increase in Production Efficiency*

Application - A system that assembles auto-focus parts for cameras. A ROBO CYlinder is used in the press-fitting of parts on an index table.

ROBO Cyliner Electric Actuator press fitting small parts

Air Cylinder
ROBO Cylinder
Since the press-fit part is very small, adjustment of press-fit height is very difficult. Approximately one-half day was wasted three times a month for adjustment.

Adjustment Time - Half-day = 4 hours

Adjustment Interval - 3 times/month

Monthly Adjustment Time - 4 hours x 3 times = 12 hours

Monthly Operation Time = 8 hours x 20 days - 12 hours = 148 hours

Since the ROBO Cylinder allows for numerical control, adjustment and setup change require little time.

Monthly Adjustment Time = 0 hours

Monthly Operation Time = 8 hours x 20 days = 160 hours

Explanation - (160 hours - 148 hours) / 148 hours = 0.08 Approximately 8% increase in production efficiency.

The ROBO Cylinder system also provides the following benefits:

Shorter Assembly Time - The actuator can be moved at high speed until immediately before press-fitting and during the subsequent retreat, with the speed reduced only when the part is press-fit. This reduced the assembly time.

Improved Quality - Auto-focus parts are becoming increasingly smaller. With the air cylinder system, the parts may be damaged due to impact.

ROBO Cylinder Electric Actuator Horizontal Transfer
ROBO Cyliner Linear Electric Actuator Benefits

Reduction of Loss by $6,700 a Year*

Application - System assembles electronic parts. A ROBO Cylinder is used in the mechanism for moving up and down a motorized screwdriver that tightens fine-pitch screws. Stable up/down movement at a low speed of 0.1 mm/s is required.

ROBO Cyliner Electric Actuator fine pitch screw

Air Cylinder
ROBO Cylinder
Since the speed cannot be finely adjusted, screw tightening problems occurred.

Defect rate - 1 to 2%

1 or 2 out of 100 products were defective.
1 or 2 out of 400 screws had tightening problems (each part has 4 screws).

Scrapping and rework of defective products cost approximately $558.80 a month

Stable movement is possible at a low speed of 0.1 mm/s

Defect rate dropped to nearly zero

Scrapping/rework cost of defective products was virtually eliminated.

Explanation - While the air cylinder system incurred a loss of $558.80 a month, the ROBO Cylinder system generates virtually no loss

With the ROBO Cylinder system, it also takes less time to change the setup upon switchover of works, which contributed to productivity increase.

(Note) The minimum speed of the ROBO Cylinder is normally 1 mm/s. If you must operate your ROBO Cylinder at 0.1 mm/s, we provide PC software that supports the lower speed. Please contact IAI for details.

See the energy efficient ROBO Cylinder Electric Actuator Lineup

ROBO Cylinder Electric Actuator Visual Index

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