A returning SDC customer in the thermal heating industry needed a complete system to help automate a time-consuming manual process. The system was proposed to help optimize the manufacturing process and improve throughput for increasing demand. Due to its difficult and complex nature, the process had not been automated before.
SDC found an effective solution including multiple assembly stations utilizing heavy payload robots. Our team engineered, designed and built a fully automated assembly system to produce a thermal heating component, commonly known as a burner. The total machine footprint came to 40’ x 28’ and was built in an “L” shape to suit the space requirements of the customer’s facility.
Simple mechanical changeover of tooling was created to accommodate over 20 sizes of burners. An operator adjusts tooling size using a pin and hole method. With the pan size ranging from 7 ½” to 11 ½” and respective dimensions according to product series, product sizing is easily updated to meet demand.
Metal crimping, forming and staking were custom built for each subassembly cell. Each station required a version of metal manipulation of the material.
The overall machine consisted of two subassembly cells and a final assembly cell with a series of conveyors moving parts between cells. Using a three-system approach allows the machine to run in a fully automatic mode and is equipped with the necessary communication to manage a queue of parts between the cells. This also allows the system to run in a semi-automated mode, enabling each cell to operate individually to produce their respective subassemblies.
Average Machine Rate: 1 part per 18 seconds
