Offering customized products are a great way to meet the individual needs of your customers. However, this can present challenges when it comes to assembly due to the differences in each individual product. Depending on the range of options and production volumes, it is rarely feasible to have a piece of equipment for every possible product configuration. To increase the return-on-investment, manufacturers need assembly equipment that can adjust to the differences in each order.
Challenges
A manufacturer in the construction industry needed equipment for their rail assemblies. The challenge was that their product could be ordered at custom lengths varying from 7 to 24 feet long. Each part also required two different assembly processes to be performed in a specified sequence before packaging. They needed an equipment solution that could account for the various lengths in product and efficiently move the large parts between workstations and onto the packaging station.
5-Headed Riveting Machine
To account for the various lengths of parts, Orbitform’s Engineers designed a custom 5-headed Impact Riveting machine to install anywhere from one to five rivets into the assembly at a time. The riveting machine utilized our Model 58 Pneumatic Impact Riveting heads that could be actuated individually or simultaneously. Four of the heads were in a fixed position while one had adjustability to account for varying distances between riveting locations on the different length parts.
Conveyor Solution
Next, the manufacturer needed a way to move the long parts between stations and on to packaging. Orbitform partnered with our sister company, Wardcraft Conveyors to design a conveyor system to efficiently move the parts. The system consisted of four zones that could be independently controlled by the operators. Movement could be initiated by an operator or by the part activating a sensor. The conveyor could also be adjusted to run the full length of the part at once or only a few feet to allow for part buffering. These options allowed for the operators to efficiently move the parts around as necessary.
There are many benefits to offering customizable products to your customers, but this also presents challenges for assembly. Orbitform’s Engineers can review every aspect of your product, including various options and configurations, to design a custom assembly solution to meet customer demand more efficiently and obtain a higher ROI. Contact us today to discuss your assembly challenges.