Product category:
Manufacturing Machinery and Plant Equipment
News Release from: Montech | Subject: Assembly cell for Schunk
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 26 July 2000
Motor assembly cell based around
indexing table
When Schunk decided to automate the assembly of the brush holders for its electric motors, the company wanted to build itself a machine quickly.
When Schunk decided to automate the assembly of the brush holders for its electric motors, the company wanted to build itself a machine quickly Furthermore, the equipment had to be reliable, with long-term support available
Montech, a major supplier to the project, was able to match all of these requirements.
Based around a 12-station indexing table, the assembly cell makes use of two electrical servo positioning units, together with numerous pneumatic grippers, linear axes and rotary actuators.
The machine frame is constructed using Quick-Set aluminium framework elements which, thanks to the unique dovetail features, made installation of the automation components extremely quick, but with the ability to make fine adjustments.
Schunk was especially keen to build a machine as quickly as possible in order that increased production targets could be met and reject rates minimised.
A major contributory factor to the shortened construction and commissioning times was the use of Montech's recently introduced Servoline horizontal linear positioning axes.
These are supplied as kits - including the axis itself, servo motor, resolver, servo controller, cabling and programming software - and are designed to be 'plug-and-drive' devices that can be installed and programmed very quickly.
One Servoline SHA-130 with a stroke of 800mm maintains a buffer of the basic brush holders.
A second Servoline takes the brush holders and positions them on the indexing table to within ñ0.02mm.
After a brush holder has been removed from the buffer, the first Servoline indexes the line of components so that the next one is presented ready to be transferred.
Programming the Servolines was extremely quick and simple, allowing the machine to be made operational very rapidly.
Moreover, because the Servolines traverse at speeds of up to 1.5m/s, the machine cycle time could be minimised so that the required production rates could be achieved readily.
An HE-series lift unit provides the vertical movement of the second Servoline.
Compact and rigid, this precision device can easily handle the direct and moment loads exerted by the Servoline unit that it carries.
Other Montech automation components installed on the machine include six LEP-1 pneumatically-operated horizontal axes, positioned around the indexing table to assemble other brush holder parts.
The six horizontal axes are equipped with KSD-3 compact slides to give a vertical movement, and these, in turn, carry pneumatic rotary actuators.
Single-acting parallel-action grippers are mounted on the rotary actuators to manipulate the components as required.
Schunk's requirement for a highly reliable machine has been met, with all of the Montech components carrying a two-year warranty.
In addition, Montech also undertakes to repair and supply spares for all automation components for up to ten years.
Further details about Montech's range of automation components are available on the Automation 2000 CD-Rom which is available free of charge.
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