Overview
When it comes to custom automation with high speeds and large throughputs, there are two tricks to producing big numbers: continuous motion and unrestricted growth. Dynamic Automation and Robotics High Speed Emitter Insertion Line has both.
Developed to fill the need of a fast-growing market, Dynamic’s High Speed Emitter Inserter Manufacturing Line was carefully designed to not only keep up with new industry standards, but to also be able to grow and expand as demands increase.
The goal — To automatically insert parts into extruded tubing at a precise rate relative to the speed of the extrusion line.
Anyone who has ever worked with extrusion molding will probably tell you that this is not an easy task for automation. In fact, it is rarely done. Extrusion molding is usually a standalone process and its speed is restricted mainly by two things: How fast can you melt plastic, and how fast can you turn a screw. The answer to both of those questions is: very quickly; hundreds of feet per minute in most cases.
Pneumatics, and even servos, generally link to mechanical components, which slow down processes. In order to regain that speed, Dynamic’s High Speed Emitter Insertion Machine was designed around a continuous motion conveyor belt which feeds parts directly into a tubing as it comes out of an extruder head. But not only that, Dynamic’s High Speed Insertion Line can also precisely adjust and control the spacing of these parts in direct relation to the speed of the extrusion line.
The challenges
The success of this line was based on its ability to overcome several difficulties, one of which was feeding the machine with a constant stream of fresh parts. We did this by utilizing twin vibratory bowl feeders to provide a 2-up vacuum pick with a Fanuc M1-Series Delta Robot. This Fanuc Delta Robot is specifically intended for high-speed small part handling with .02mm repeatability. In this application it also uses precision line tracking to load the parts onto a continuous motion nested belt conveyor.
Another challenge presented in this application is heat. Extrusion lines run at very high temperatures, which can have a direct effect on the life and performance of nearby equipment. In this High Speed Insertion Line, great care was given to materials and proximities, allowing for not only a robust system but one that can also exceed its speed expectations and outperform its environment, all while keeping the operators safety a top priority.
The growth
A linear approach allows this high-speed production line to grow almost indefinitely. Simply by changing the length of the conveyor belt, we are able to add additional robot cells in series which can then be programmed to populate the shared conveyor at only specific locations. This reduces the number of parts that each robot cell needs to load in order to always ensure that the production line stays fully populated. This also means that the conveyor can be run at the absolute maximum speed of the robots.
If a solution to handling and inserting small parts at fast speeds is what you need, Dynamic Automation and Robotics High Speed Robotic Emitter Insertion Line is your place to start.
