Palletizing dial plate manages multiple robots

WEISS completed two chassis systems featuring an octagon-shaped, 45.68-in. diameter dial plate for this application. The plate footprint was sized to match the WEISS’ eight station TC220 rotary index table for a medical parts subassembly operation by Jerit.

With over 18 years of experience manufacturing for the robotics and automated machinery industry, Jerit Automation, Inc. is considered a “one-stop” manufacturer. When their team came across a palletizing application chassis system involving two robots−requiring more space for the operators to work—Jerit went to WEISS to collaborate on designing an octagonal dial plate system.

WEISS completed two chassis systems featuring an octagon-shaped, 45.68-in. diameter dial plate for the application. The plate footprint was sized to match the eight station TC220 rotary index table, and was customized for ergonomic, inertia loading, and index speed requirements for a medical parts subassembly operation for Jerit.

The design incorporated two robots−one SCARA (Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm) robot for glue dispensing, and one 6-axis robot for part removal, reject, staging, and placement into preformed trays. This meant that more space would be needed to work within than most stations around the dial.
The semi-automated system involved gluing steel into a small diameter plastic part using UV glue, then into a subassembly− requiring a tight tolerance of +/- 0.005-in. The pallet-based production system held four-up nests designed to allow individual parts to be easily loaded by an operator, while keeping parts confined to hold the tight tolerance addressed above.

These nests were approximately 12-in. wide, so the goal was to get the pallets closer to the operators to optimize ergonomics and work space around the dial. Additionally, the pallets held clamps, pins, cylinders, and so on, that interact with both operators as parts are loaded and indexed to the next station.

The design incorporated two robots−one SCARA robot for glue dispensing, and one 6-axis robot for part removal, reject, staging, and placement into preformed trays.

The entire system involves a high-level operation sequence:

Operator 1 loads part A, then part A is clamped.
Dial indexes…Operator 2 loads part B.
Dial indexes…Parts A and B are adjusted to assembly position in pallet.
Dial Indexes…Glue applied by Scara robot.
Dial Indexes…Glue drying.
Dial Indexes…Camera inspection of assemblies for PASS/FAIL.
Dial Indexes…Parts pick and placed with 6 axis robot.
If “Fail assembly” is present, the robot moves to reject chutes and discards failed parts.
If “Less than 4 assemblies” are present, Robot moves to staging area and either places or picks parts as needed, to ensure it has four assemblies ready for placement into trays.
Once the robot has 4 “passed assemblies,” it moves parts to trays and places into the next position available.
Dial continues indexing back to Operator 1.

Now in its 3rd generation, the WEISS TC220 series heavy duty rotary indexing tables are robust and fast switching.

Using this rotary table as the heart of the system, Jerit could design the frame, oversized table plate, and its associated machining. The frame work and large top plates were designed by the Jerit team to support all their automation devices for their specific application. Weiss manufactured the units and shipped them completed.

WEISS
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