Automated Part Handling
The picture to the right shows an example of automatic sorting. Parts
are oriented and fed from a vibratory feeder bowl into an escapement.
At the escapement, parts are physically measured for thickness. Based
on operator selected presets, the machine diverts the disks to separate
bins. Parts with variations of as little as .0005" can be sorted with
this system. The machine was tooled to run 6 different parts, and
change over was less than 5 minutes each.
This is another example of a parts handling application. This machine
takes powdered metal blanks directly from the cold press and stacks
them into wooden trays for further processing. This eliminates the
need for an operator at the cold press. The machine utilizes a custom
built 2 axis servo slide system and is controlled by a PLC that
interfaces with the press control system. It is mounted on heavy duty
casters so it can be easily moved for press tooling changes.