When manufacturers assemble a variety of parts, return on investment plays a large role in equipment selection. A common practice is to use one machine to run multiple assemblies, often with tooling changeover. This requires special considerations to ensure accurate adjustments are made and each part is assembled correctly.
In order to assemble parts with forming locations at varying heights on the same machine, the stroke position of the powerhead must be adjusted during the changeover process. Orbitform’s standard powerheads are equipped with manual stroke adjusters, but the accuracy of the adjustment is dependent on the operator. To support a higher degree of accuracy, our assembly experts designed a new product, which was released earlier this week at The 2019 Assembly Show – a Digital Stroke Counter.
The Digital Stroke Counter is tied to the processor and monitors the stroke hard-stop position of the powerhead. There is a digital readout of the stroke setting on the device as well as the HMI. Using the PLC, manufacturers can set guiding parameters for the required stroke to properly form the rivet on a given part. The device then monitors the stroke setting to ensure it is within those parameters and that the powerhead stop position is accurate. If the stroke setting isn’t within parameters, the machine will fault, and the part will not be formed.
For manufacturers that assemble multiple parts with height variations, utilizing one piece of assembly equipment is often the most cost-effective solution. Options such as our new digital stroke counter or our servo-z programmable hard stop mechanism can be added to our powerheads to ensure accuracy of changeover and result in less scrap parts. Contact our experts today to discuss the most cost-effective equipment solution for your next application.
