Our client, who manufactures world class components for air source pumps and other similar devices, required a system to fill a large variety of products automatically. The machine required to be linked to the main line and ensure minimum downtime during installation. Due to the variety of product that were to be processed, flexibility in fill positions was a major consideration.
As with most bespoke solutions, simple looking projects are often not so simple. One of the main challenges was to develop the solution that allowed for an almost infinite number of fill port options. In addition, a system that could also automatically switch between products due to low volume batches, had to be established.
The infeed pallet system was designed around heavy-duty duplex chain, suitably constructed to accommodate the large weight of filled devices.
Devices entered the system on machines location pallets and were stopped and located at the first station. A barcode was read in the product using an Omron bar code reader which would then set the fill criteria at the next station. The pallet was then lowered onto the conveyor to enter the nest station.
The pallet was then raised, and A Fanuc M-10Id12 six-axis robot was then used to automatically couple to tool changers. The tool chargers were connected to a series of SP designed filling systems that were used to pump predetermined volumes of oil into the reservoirs. Precise flow and metering equipment were also used. To ensure machine and process cleanliness, drip trays were automatically advance to catch excess oil dripping and contaminations.
At the nest station, the pallets were again stopped and lifted, as before but in this position a Mettler Toledo MD1250 Load Cell was fitted to the lift. Another bar code reader was then used to validate the part and the fill weight recorded before the pallet was released.
