EMH Crane Lifts Animal Care
Prior to the EMH Crane installation at Zoo Atlanta, when large animals such as an elephant needed emergency care, the Zoo had few options. One option was using a fixed hoist. Unfortunately, that only worked when the elephant was situated close to an exact spot under the hoist where the elephant could be easily accessed.
During construction of Zoo Atlanta’s Zambezi Elephant Center, the decision was made to install an overhead EMH 7.5-ton overhead crane system with the new EG Series Hoist. The EMH crane covers the entire facility with a span of 70 ft. and a runway length of 128 ft. A hoist hook height of 25 ft. was considered perfect for emergency elephant lifting. The EMH Crane was also provided with NEMA 4 enclosures for water spray considerations, and a radio remote control that allows zoo personnel to operate inside or outside the elephant enclosures. According to Zoo Atlanta’s Lead Elephant Keeper, “Since African Elephants are tree-top grazers in their natural habitat, the EMH Crane installation also provides an important side benefit. With push-button and radio control, we can move the food around, engaging the elephants to enjoy a better experience while providing them with a little exercise.”
Wire Harness Benches Increase Production.
Tolerances have to be consistently tight when you’re assembling wire harnesses for a jet fighter – 1/8 of an inch over 32 feet to be exact. Workbenches that can’t accommodate such tolerances would be, well, intolerable.
That’s the problem that a jet manufacturer faced when they determined that they needed to upgrade their facility. They were using pieces of plywood on A-frames for the assembly. This not only affected tolerance levels but also led to stress, strain and fatigue.
The jet fighter manufacturer found a company that could deliver what they were looking for in Proline. A leader in ergonomic workbenches. A company renowned not just for its rugged, technologically advanced workbenches, but also for its ability to “think on the fly” and produce, application-specific solutions, Proline met all of the jet manufacturer’s specs.
Thanks to the range of easy vertical movement provided by the Pro-Line benches, along with tilt, all sections of the wire harness are always within easy reach. Since this initial installation, this jet plane manufacturer is currently in the process of expanding its operation with additional Pro-Line workbenches. Clearly they are more than satisfied that they have harnessed such precise, ergonomically sound and productivity-enhancing workbench solutions.
Precision Conveyor for Electronic Component Production
Engineered to elevate the efficiency of electronic component production, the LFA100 precision indexing conveyor integrates advanced mechanical engineering to meet demanding performance standards. This precision conveyor system delivers an impressive sub-500 ms index time for a 100 mm transfer, optimized for high-speed applications. Chosen for its straightforward integration, the fixed cam rotary indexer ensures both precision and ease of control, significantly cutting down commissioning times without compromising on accuracy.
With an exceptional system-wide accuracy of +/- 0.07 mm across a substantial 2200 mm length, the LFA100 stands out in delivering meticulous precision and repeatability. Accuracy assessments post-assembly encompass measurements in the X, Y, and Z axes, ensuring flawless operation from all dimensions. Additionally, Motion Index Drives has expertly crafted both the machine base and the table top, the latter being pre-machined to facilitate seamless integration of auxiliary equipment. This design consideration allows for a highly customizable setup, tailored to support a variety of operational configurations alongside the LFA100 conveyor system.
Promess Inc.
810-229-9334
promess@promessinc.com
Tailored Electric Press Work Stations
The Promess Electric Press Work Station is a stand-alone unit with an integrated Promess Electro Mechanical Assembly Press (EMAP). The EMAP is a programmable motion-controlled ball screw press with integrated motion control and monitoring. Promess offers 33 press sizes with capacities ranging from less than an ounce to over 200,000 pounds. The Work Station is designed to meet your specific application needs, and Promess offers various standard floor and table top stations to fit your needs.
The Work Station provides a mobile and readily accessible foundation for assembly, test, and lab applications. Being fully electric and energy-efficient, it also contributes to a cleaner work environment, which is not possible with traditional workstations.
To find the perfect Work Station configuration for your application, schedule a visit to the Promess facility or send in your parts for assessment. There is a range of Work Station configurations available on-site for viewing, and the Promess Process Development Center can help validate your process. Contact Promess today for more information on the Electric Press Work Station.
Servo Presses Improve Munitions Consolidation
Challenge: A top defense contractor was looking to upgrade their existing ordinance/tracker consolidation process from hydraulic to servo for their medium caliber munitions. This change was due to their current method being inconsistent and retrieving little to no data which is needed to verify their consolidation process.
The added presses need to be suited to fit the highly explosive environment they would be used in as well as be able to handle the various ordinance sizes. This would require the presses to operate with 3,250 to 29,750lbs while holding a tight and specific tolerance.
Solution: MC Fastening Solutions provided nine of their “sealed” versions of Slimline servo presses to limit explosive dust intrusion. Vigorous testing was performed to develop parameters to verify the presses could hold specific tolerances at all required ranges. Their software allowed easy “picture based” programming of the entire process and closed-loop monitoring and data output of consolidation movement. In-process checks were programmed to abort the process when interferences and part/material anomalies were detected to eliminate/limit catastrophic explosive material ignition.
MC Fastening Solutions has the products and experience to support all of the challenges you may face. Visit www.mcmachinery.com or contact fastening.sales@mcmachinery.com to contact an expert.
WEISS North America, Inc.
888-WEISSNA (888-934-7762)
info.us@weiss-world.com
Multipurpose Flexibility from WEISS
A consumer goods manufacturer recently decided to standardize on multipurpose assembly chassis with a flexible tool plate. Twenty chassis will be purchased as this customer standardizes and updates their assembly cells. Together with the customer’s in-house build team, WEISS provided custom-designed chassis with two tool plate variations.
Each chassis features a two-station TC120 indexer, a welded base, aluminum base plate, and aluminum tool plate with clear anodized finish, leveling plates with casters, aluminum side panels and lockable, hinged door, an aluminum indexer mount plate and extruded aluminum guarding with hinges and latches from Industrial Profile Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of WEISS North America.
Initially contacted to provide the 2-station TC120 rotary indexers while the customer sourced other suppliers for the chassis, guarding, hardware, and other components of the design, WEISS proposed a single-source solution designed around proven and reliable WEISS automation components and value-added services. This provided the customer a simplified vendor sourcing/vetting process, proven platforms and components, faster time to completion, reduced lead time and overall cost savings due to economies of scale.
To learn more about WEISS, please visit www.weiss-world.com or call one of our automation pros today at 888-934-7762.
Buckeye Electrical Streamlines Production with Schleuniger
Buckeye Electrical is a family-owned custom wire harness and cable assembly manufacturer located in Botkins, OH. The company strives to offer its customers high-quality products and recognizes the value of efficient, reliable equipment.
After President Kevin Platfoot noticed that outdated machinery and manual processes were hindering precision, efficiency, and turnaround, he took decisive action to research and invest in new equipment.
With assistance from Schleuniger Sales Representative Bruce Moore, Platfoot determined the MultiStrip 9480 and PowerStrip 9580 would help streamline the processing of Buckeye's primary range of cables, including 8–18 gauge hook-up wire and coax multiconductor, and battery cable.
Since modernizing, Platfoot reported, "We [now] process around 12,000,000 feet of wire per year using three cut and strip machines, which would have been unfathomable before.” He also commended Cayman, Schleuniger's cut and strip software, for its seamless usability and file sharing.
Another noted improvement is the Multistrip 9480 and Inket printer integration, which increased marked wire output by 50%.
Overall, restructuring has been game-changing, and Platfoot shared he is looking to purchase additional Schleuniger machines to help with company expansion. For small manufacturers considering equipment upgrades, he shared, “it will be crucial to continue to pursue automation to remain competitive.”
Schleuniger, Inc.
603-668-8117
Toll Free Technical Support: 877-902-1470
Your customers want their product fast
To meet the heavy demands of one of their most significant customers, the General Motors EV Plant in Detroit, Android Industries turned to Rhino Tool House to get the right tool solutions quickly—in other words, fast.
In record time, Rhino tapped into their partner network to find a unique fix for Android, helping them solve their immediate need while improving their operations for the future.
The Rhino solution included three state-of-the-art mobile assembly carts equipped with advanced worker guidance software, high-precision DC assembly tools, and intelligent torque wrenches. After integrating the carts into Android's MES system, they produced the parts quickly and shipped them to GM with full certification.
Android was able to deliver for GM on time while establishing a new efficiency and quality standard for their future manufacturing.
Don’t let frustrating delays and limited solutions hold you back. Call Rhino Tool House today and get more from your manufacturing
