Impact riveting offers manufacturers the advantage of a quick cycle time, with most impact riveting machines having a machine cycle time of less that one second. Manufacturers can further leverage this quick cycle time to meet volume requirements by installing multiple rivets simultaneously. One way to accomplish this is to integrate multiple riveting heads into a work cell.
Our Model 56, 57, and 58 Impact Riveting heads are pneumatically driven and engineered for integration. The wedge shape product design helps to save space and allows for groupings of two or more heads on a common base. When integrating pneumatic impact riveting heads into a work cell like this, there are a few options that Orbitform recommends to get the most benefits from the equipment.
- Vibratory feeder – Our standard Impact Riveting heads include a rotary hopper that turns and drops rivets into the track with each actuation of the machine. When integrating riveting heads, the rotary hopper can be swapped out for a vibratory hopper. A vibratory hopper will hold more rivets than a rotary hopper, allowing manufacturers to assemble more parts before having to refill rivets.
- Sensors – When using two or more riveting heads to install multiple rivets, it is important to ensure they all actuate correctly for each cycle. Adding sensors to each head along the rivet track can help detect problems sooner rather than later. These sensors can be used to detect low rivet levels and alert operators when there are no rivets in the track to avoid misfeeds. Sensors can also help detect if a rivet was not installed into the part because of a misfeed.
- Pneumatic track selector – In instances of rivet misfeeding or different rivet configurations, operators may want to isolate which heads actuate in a given cycle. A pneumatic selector can be used to isolate selection and allow only the specified riveting head or heads to actuate.
Integrating riveting heads into a work cell to install multiple rivets at once is one way to reduce overall cycle time and increase throughput volumes. Knowing the right options to include in each cell helps minimize potential problems and maximize the value the equipment adds to production. Orbitform’s assembly experts take the time to understand all aspects of an application to recommend the best machine options to meet the goals. Contact us to discuss your next assembly work cell and how to get the most value from your equipment.