Building with Performance in Mind

In this example, the application needed a high-speed system to bring two parts (one from a conveyor shuttle and the other from a vibratory feeder) into an Ultrasonic Welder to be processed, within a very tight space. 

The WEISS Dual Head Pick & Place Handling Gantry system that was designed for this application utilized (2) two independently controlled pick heads, operating on a shared Y axis.  Pick Head #2 collects the base assembly from the conveyor pallet, at the same time as Pick Head #1 collects the top part from a vibratory feeder escapement.  They orient the parts on top of each other under the welder, clear for the process, and Pick Head #2 moves the assembly back over to the conveyor pallet for additional downstream processing. 

With regard to achieving the performance required for this application, the YZ+YZ handling system achieved the critical requirements of speeds up to 4 m/s, acceleration up to 40 m/s², all within a 1,000mm long x 200mm wide form factor.  This type of configuration is commonly used when part orientation, intermediate assembly/processing, or inspection require a step in between the pick and the place positions.

Prioritizing the critical elements of your motion sequence allows for a focused approach that can often lead to some innovative solutions. 

Automated manufacturing systems are typically built around a core part or material transfer system. These could include a dial indexer, track based linear motion system, or palletized conveyor.  These platforms fundamentally impact both the system’s output capabilities, as well as the overall layout or footprint of the machine.  Your decision to use one or another could be driven by internal needs like meeting specific performance criteria, utilizing modularity or scalable solutions that can grow with you, adapting to facility space constraints, the overall experience and ease of use, or a mix of several of these.

Once you have your base transfer system selected – it’s time to move parts on and off of nests or pallets and perform various handling operations within your stations.  How you handle the parts coming from the feed systems or trays to a pallet, present the parts for inspection, and approach offline part processing can dramatically impact some of those important initial key factors.

In this short article, we review a real-world system that was designed and built based around the goal of performance and provide you with some considerations to help find the right fit for your performance-based application.

When selecting any handling system based upon performance goals, understanding the performance criteria you need to achieve is essential. You may end up prioritizing some of the functions from the list below to position the best fit for your application: