Bodine Europe introduces its walking beam (pallet) automatic assembly and test system to the European market

Citation

(2000), "Bodine Europe introduces its walking beam (pallet) automatic assembly and test system to the European market", Assembly Automation, Vol. 20 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/aa.2000.03320aaf.002

Bodine Europe introduces its walking beam (pallet) automatic assembly and test system to the European market

Bodine Europe introduces its walking beam (pallet) automatic assembly and test system to the European market

Keywords: Europe, Assembly, Automation

To meet the strong demand for more flexibility, practical and easy retooling and lower cost for lower batch assembly and test requirements, Bodine Europe SA is introducing its modular walking beam flexible assembly and test system, first designed in 1976, into the European market. The system allows use as a complete flexible automatic assembly and test system or as a simple modular cell concept (see Plate 2).

Based on the well-proven modular inline carousel assembly and test machine concept Bodine designed a modular walking beam based assembly and test machine where standard pallets ranging from 12mm to 150mm square or the actual component can be used as a pallet. This walking beam design has had wide acceptance in the North American market, with several hundred units installed.

Plate 2Bodine walking beam model No. 76

A unique combing system passes the pallet and/or actual component across the machine in the vertical or horizontal plane without releasing the actual pallet or component at any time, thus assuring maximum accuracy and reliability.

The machine concept is completely modular. Main machine frame is 1,000mm wide and can be increased by 1,000mm elements up to 5,000mm. Upper and lower camshafts allow assembly and test operations from above and below the pallets (parts). The machine shown is 2,000mm in length.

This walking beam concept uses identical standard tooling units as the Bodine linear carousel models, such as inspection units, light, medium and heavy duty presses, pick and place units with a wide variety of attachments such as oscillating motion, parallel motion, rollover motion etc. The system has proven capable of running hundreds of millions of cycles with very minimal maintenance and is designed to perform up to 70 cycles per minute.

Thanks to a highly standardized design field modifications and retooling for other assembly and test operations became practical. These modules are frequently used in conjunction with pallet/conveyor systems where manual and semi-automatic operations are mixed with fully automated processes.

The first batch of this unique concept machine has been integrated by OTS (Italy) and delivered to an end user manufacturing electrical components. OTS is one of the highly successful certified Bodine assembly and test machinery integrators. Bodine Europe SA and Bodine Corp. USA are assuring high level technical support to their certified integrators and end users across Europe.

For more information contact: Bodine Europe SA, Mr Joseph R. Farkas, President Dr Ing. Theo Leon, Managing Director, 24 rue E. Van Overstraeten, B-1082 Brussels. Tel. ++32 2 465 68 18; Fax: ++32 2465 41 46; E-mail: bodine.europe@skynet.be http://www.bodine-assembly.com