Can one machine platform really handle a different assembly challenge every time, without a ground-up redesign? For SDC, the answer is the SDC Indexing Ring. This servo-driven rotary indexing assembly platform carries proven mechanics into new applications. Engineers do not start from a blank sheet each time.
SDC’s engineering team does not build a new machine base for every project. Instead, they build around this pre-engineered rotary platform. They tailor the tooling, feeding, and inspection stations to each part. SDC does not sell the Indexing Ring as a standalone product. It serves as the base for a fully custom automated machine, tailored to each customer’s parts and process.
This spotlight looks at a handful of completed projects. These span electrical, tooling, aerospace, and gas component manufacturing, among other industries. They show how the platform flexes without losing speed or precision. SDC’s capabilities are adaptable across nearly any industry, built on proven methods from hundreds of completed machines.
The SDC Indexing Ring, a rotary indexing assembly platform, uses an open-ring design. Workstation modules can sit inside or outside the ring. This differs from a fixed, single-file line. That flexible footprint lets the same core platform support very different assembly steps. One project might need screwdriving and hipot testing. Another might need coil stamping and curling. The underlying ring, gearbox, and PLC architecture stay the same either way.
Each project adds only the tooling and modules the part requires. Complex geometries might call for bin-picking robots and vision systems. Continuous part supply might call for vibratory or flex feeders. Formed metal parts might need custom presses and curling stations. The heavy steel frame and precision components are still built and tested to each application’s tolerances. Even so, the redesign work stays limited to tooling, not the base machine.
The projects below are a few real-world examples of the platform at work. SDC has also applied the Indexing Ring to automotive assembly, testing, and inspection. Visit the SDC Indexing Ring page to see more of what the platform can do.
For a returning customer in industrial energy management, SDC paired the ring with a Yaskawa Motoman 6-axis robot. A SCARA robot joined it on the line. Together, they handled bin-picking, flex feeding, grease dispensing, screwdriving, and hipot testing. The finished part is a safety switch built for a smart-factory, IIoT-connected line. Read the switch assembly case study.
For a continuing customer in cutting tool manufacturing, two 6-axis FANUC robots work around the ring. Two FANUC SCARA robots join them. Together, they handle bin-picking, foam insertion, ultrasonic welding, and label wrapping. The result is finished stone drilling tools ready for shipment. Read the drill bit case study.
This customer supplies aftermarket clamps and connectors for aerospace, military, and marine industries. The ring carried 36 product nests and 72 assembly fixtures. It combined coil feeding, stamping, curling, and screwdriving on a single platform built to run more than 20 product sizes. Read the hose clamp case study.
For a continuing customer in gas component manufacturing, three SDC Flex Feeders supply the ring. Four FANUC SCARA robots handle assembly. A fiber laser adds precision welding. Simple tooling changes let the same machine run multiple burner sizes. Read the gas burner case study.
Machine rate and efficiency naturally vary by part and process. Even so, the pattern across these four deployments is clear: high-speed, high-accuracy output built on the same standard ring.
| Application | Industry | Machine Rate | Key Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical switch assembly | Industrial energy management | 3,000 parts/day | 94% efficiency; IIoT-connected |
| Drill bit packaging | Cutting tool manufacturing | 3.5 parts/second | 30% reduction in service-safety concerns |
| Hose clamp assembly | Aerospace, military, marine | 52 parts/minute | 98% minimum efficiency across 20+ sizes |
| Gas burner assembly | Gas component manufacturing | 30 parts/minute | Tooling change-over for multiple burner sizes |
The ring, gearbox, and PLC architecture carry over between projects. This means engineering risk and time-to-deployment drop on every new application. The design work concentrates on tooling, not the machine’s core structure.
As a rotary indexing assembly platform, the SDC Indexing Ring carries very different assembly sequences on the same core platform. Published examples include electrical switches, drill bit packaging, hose clamps, and gas burners. Each project added its own robots, feeders, and inspection stations. None required rebuilding the ring, gearbox, or control architecture from scratch. That reuse lets SDC move from concept to a running, high-speed machine faster than a fully custom build would allow.
For manufacturers evaluating a new assembly line, this platform approach offers a lower-risk path to the same result. The machine is tailored to their part, built on mechanics already proven in production. The ring itself is not a stand-alone purchase. SDC builds it into every custom machine, which helps lower mechanical engineering costs based on each customer’s needs and application. As SDC completes new projects across new industries, this list of examples will keep growing.
A: It’s a pre-engineered, servo-driven rotary assembly platform. SDC uses it to build custom automation for assembly, fastening, dispensing, welding, pressing, and inspection. Industries include automotive, electronics, aerospace, and consumer goods, among others.
A: SDC has experience across nearly every industry, including automotive, energy, life sciences, consumer products, electronics, and aerospace. Each project gets its own tailored tooling, so the ring adapts easily to new sectors.
A: Yes. The ring, gearbox, and PLC architecture stay the same between projects. Engineering work concentrates on the tooling and feeding modules each part needs.
A: The standard ring is 5 ft (1.5 m) in diameter. Overall footprint grows from there, depending on how many stations and how much tooling a project needs.
A: Machine rate depends on the part and process. Completed projects have run from 30 parts per minute up to roughly 3.5 parts per second. Actual speed depends on station count and complexity.
A: Common integrations include FANUC and Yaskawa robots, Keyence vision systems, and SDC Flex Feeders. Other options include vibratory bowl feeders, servo-driven presses, and PLC/HMI platforms like Allen-Bradley or Modicon.
