Versatility with quality built in

Citation

(2000), "Versatility with quality built in", Assembly Automation, Vol. 20 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/aa.2000.03320caf.004

Versatility with quality built in

Versatility with quality built in

Keywords: Automation, Sensors

Aylesbury Automation have designed and built for clients Guy Raymond Engineering a new production system, specially adapted for rapid assembly of chair casterpeg'components. The assembly system incorporates two of Aylesbury Automation's advanced bowl feed systems and has sensor technology built in to prevent any possible errors.

Peter Kemsley, Managing Director of Aylesbury Automation, explained:

Quality is a key issue for all our clients and our systems are designed specifically to save on time and cost by rejecting faulty components immediately. We worked with Guy Raymond to design a system which would meet their specific requirements for production of these components at a speed of 66 parts a minute, and we have included sensors in the system at every stage, so that incomplete assembly cannot occur.

The casterpegs consist of a two-part steel circlip stem with taper. The Aylesbury Automation system consists of a fully automatic 650mm diameter vibration parts feeder which feeds and orientates the stems to hang vertically between rails on a gravity feed track. A sensor checks the presence of the stem on the track and, if no stem is present, no further assembly will take place. The circlips are fed from a 535mm diameter vibratory parts feeder, tooled to discharge the circlips on to a track, with again a sensor to check that each one is present (see Plate 4).

A high level sensor on the track controls the feed on the track which twists through 90ú to present the clip open side facing the stem. On an accept signal, an escapement unit operates and places a single circlip into the circlip groove on the stem to the required depth. Unassembled components are detected and transferred into a reject shute.

Plate 4Casterpeg rapid assembly system designed and manufactured by Aylesbury Automation

The system is fitted with a programmable logic controller to meet the Guy Raymond requirement of 600,000 assemblies per month.

Aylesbury Automation are also supplying an elevating hopper loader tooled with a mechanically driven agitator to random feed the stems into the vibration parts feeder.

Ray Daniels of Guy Raymond Engineering explained:

Aylesbury Automation designed and built this assembly machine specifically to meet our requirements. We have worked with Aylesbury Automation for 20 years now and feel confident that they will continue to provide the systems we want.

For further information on the Aylesbury Automation range of products, systems and services, contact Sales Director, Colin Scutt. Tel: +44 (0)1296 314300 or Fax: +44 (0)1296 482424.