AUTOMATING BILLET PICKING IN A FORGE WITH 3D ROBOT VISION

By Richard Lindsey

In an industry where billet handling has long been one of the toughest automation challenges Milwaukee ForgeTech set out to rethink how steel billets are fed into its press line. This case study explores how this US-based forging company modernized its press line by introducing 3D robot vision to automate billet picking. In collaboration with system integrator CIM SYSTEMS and Pickit 3D’s vision-guided billet picking solution, the forge replaced a labor-intensive and noisy feeding process with a flexible, reliable robotic system. The result is a safer working environment, smoother furnace feeding, and improved operational consistency in a demanding forging setting.

Meeting Challenges of Conventional Billet Handling

Milwaukee ForgeTech is a long-established US-based forging company supplying high-quality steel forgings to a broad range of industries. Operating from its current location since 1918, the company has developed through product diversification, consistent quality, and dependable service. Like many forges, however, Milwaukee ForgeTech was facing a number of challenges around billet handling in its press line operations.

Billet feeding into the furnace was historically performed using a combination of a mechanical feeder bowl and manual labor. While functional, this setup had a number of disadvantages. Operators were performing physically demanding tasks, while the mechanical feeder often generated excessive noise levels. Moreover, the approach limited flexibility and frequently caused downtime in the press line.

These challenges are emblematic of a broader trend in the forging industry. Like other businesses, forges are confronted with labor shortages, rising safety expectations, and a growing need to handle a wider variety of billet sizes in often smaller production batches. Traditional billet feeding methods - manual or mechanically fixed - struggle to meet these evolving requirements.

A Different Approach to Billet Handling

Milwaukee ForgeTech started exploring automation alternatives to the existing set-up that could deliver flexibility without excessive complexity. Rather than sourcing individual components, the forge chose to work with a system integrator capable of delivering a complete, production-ready solution.

That partner was CIM SYSTEMS, a US-based automation specialist with decades of experience in robotic material handling, palletizing, and machine tending. Active since 1989, CIM SYSTEMS has worked with industrial vision technologies since the early 1990s. Despite this experience, CIM SYSTEMS had historically been cautious about 3D robot vision for bin picking applications. Previous generations of vision systems were not delivering the expected results in demanding industrial environments. The Milwaukee ForgeTech project marked a turning point - one that would require a new level of flexibility and robustness.

Selecting 3D Robot Vision by Pickit 3D

Milwaukee ForgeTech had already been in contact with Pickit 3D, a specialist in 3D robot vision solutions for industrial automation. Together with CIM SYSTEMS, Pickit 3D worked to evaluate whether a vision-guided robotic solution could reliably handle randomly positioned steel billets in a harsh forging environment.

The decision to pursue a 3D robot vision approach was driven by several factors. Unlike mechanical feeders, a vision-guided robot can adapt to variations in billet diameter, orientation, and position without complex mechanical changeovers. This flexibility is particularly valuable in forging operations with high-mix, low-volume production patterns.

For CIM SYSTEMS, reliability and ease of use were decisive. Once the Pickit 3D system was demonstrated, earlier skepticism quickly gave way to confidence. As the integrator noted, the solution proved straightforward to deploy and operate - an essential requirement for real-world forging applications.

From Concept to Production-Ready 3D Vision- Guided Billet Automation

The final solution combined CIM SYSTEMS’ integration expertise with Pickit 3D’s standardized vision and billet handling technology. At the heart of the cell was an ABB IRB 6640 industrial robot equipped with Pickit 3D’s billet picker end-of-arm tool. Guided by 3D vision, the robot was tasked with picking randomly placed steel billets from a bin and feeding them consistently into the furnace.

Two different billet picker tools - a small and a large version - were deployed to cover billet diameters ranging from 25 mm to 100 mm. The 3D vision system was installed in a protected, dust-free enclosure above the robot, ensuring reliable operation despite the harsh forging environment.

From a project execution standpoint, the collaboration was notably efficient. The total lead time was approximately six weeks, with only about one week required for CIM SYSTEMS engineers to familiarize themselves with the Pickit 3D vision platform once robot and vision were connected. Minor tweaks aside, the solution worked as delivered.

How the Billet Picker and 3D Vision Work in the Forge

Pickit 3D’s billet picking solution combines a 3D camera, dedicated vision software, and a purpose-designed end-of-arm tool. The camera captures a three-dimensional view of the bin, allowing the system to detect the exact position, orientation, and geometry of individual billets even when they are stacked or partially obstructed.

What differentiates the billet picker is its mechanically adaptable tooltip. Mounted on a rotational axis, the magnetic or suction fingers can rotate within a continuous angular range. This flexibility significantly increases the probability of finding a viable pick point compared to conventional straight or fixed-angle tools. It also allows the robot to extract billets that are blocked or located close to bin walls, without complex motion planning.

The billet picker is fully modeled within Pickit 3D’s software environment. As a result, the system automatically accounts for tool geometry, collision avoidance, and optimal approach angles. Teaching new billet dimensions is straightforward: operators simply enter the billet size, and the software determines appropriate pick points without requiring extensive reprogramming.

This combination of vision intelligence and mechanical dexterity is particularly well suited to forging environments, where bins will likely be worn, lighting conditions are challenging, and consistency cannot be assumed.

Results and Benefits for Milwaukee ForgeTech

The billet picking cell was installed in late 2023 and quickly became one of the most impactful upgrades on Milwaukee ForgeTech’s press line. According to the customer, after automation, the billet handling process ran reliably across all shifts, with a level of consistency that operators quickly learned to trust.

Manual intervention around the furnace was significantly reduced, improving both safety and ergonomics. At the same time, unplanned downtime on the line decreased, contributing to smoother material flow into the furnace and fewer production stoppages. Changeovers between billet sizes were reported as straightforward, supporting the forge’s need for operational flexibility.

From Milwaukee ForgeTech’s perspective, CIM SYSTEMS’ role extended well beyond equipment delivery. The integrator’s understanding of forging constraints, safety requirements, and commissioning challenges was repeatedly highlighted as a key success factor. Any issues encountered during ramp-up were addressed quickly, reinforcing confidence in both the solution and the partnership.

Proven Performance in Harsh Industrial Environments

For both CIM SYSTEMS and Pickit 3D, the project demonstrated that modern 3D robot vision can perform reliably in forging conditions - a setting traditionally considered difficult for vision-guided automation. Even with bins in less-than-ideal condition, the system proved robust and forgiving.

More broadly, the project illustrates how flexible automation can replace noisy, rigid mechanical feeders while addressing labor, safety, and productivity challenges. With over thirteen hundred Pickit systems deployed worldwide and growing adoption in forging applications, solutions like this are increasingly seen as a viable path toward future-proof press lines.

By combining CIM SYSTEMS’ integration expertise with Pickit 3D’s standardized vision and billet handling technology, Milwaukee ForgeTech successfully transformed a critical part of its press line. The result is a safer, more flexible, and more reliable billet feeding process aligning with the evolving realities of modern forging operations.

Richard Lindsey
VP of Sales Americas
Pickit 3D
Email: rick.lindsey@pickit3d.com