Custom Feeding Machine
A special machine concept that orients rivets, screws and similar small parts and feeds them to assembly and machining stations. It runs with change parts for each part family.
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Problem
Feeding small parts by hand tied the assembly pace to the operator. Parts fed in the wrong orientation caused stoppages and tool damage at the stations.
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Engineering Approach
We chose the orientation method starting from the part geometry: a combination of vibratory bowl, linear track and escapement. Wrongly oriented parts are detected by a sensor and returned to the bowl.
For parts delivered on trays, an alternative Cartesian gantry system was designed. The machine talks to the screwdriving unit and the machine-tending cell through a standard signal interface.
Project images
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Applied System
The system was structured so that its mechanical, electrical and automation layers were designed by one team. Main components:
System components
- Vibratory bowl feeder and linear feed track
- Part escapement, orientation sensors and return chute
- Cartesian gantry axis system with a ball transfer table
- Integration with a robotic screwdriving / assembly unit
- Signal interface for the machine-tending cell
- PLC control, HMI and fault diagnostic screens
