Simplimatic Automation, a global supplier of material handling and automation equipment, recently integrated a custom robotic cell for a customer in Denmark. The system includes three FANUC© robots, conveyor, and a completely customized 12-station indexing dial manufacturing system.
Simplimatic’s engineering team designed the rotating dial to perform 12 individual functions to fabricate an intricate medical device product. The system is designed to preheat and form a medical-grade plastic barrier and join a preformed 2-part seal, labeling the barrier with variable size options, and punching a mounting hole into the product. After mechanical assembly, a FANUC LR Mate 200iD robot removes the completed item from the dial and places it on a conveyor for final verification and packaging.
“The dial we created was a completely custom piece of equipment,” Waheed Chaudhry, VP of engineering, said. “Our customer identified a need within their facility and we designed the machine to create a solution to that problem, all while increasing their production speed.”
The system also incorporates vision, utilizing a SD Sony camera and an HD IP Basler camera positioned above a custom vacuum light table. Both cameras utilize FANUC© iRVision software which allows the cameras to locate the product, verify if the light table is clear, and ensure two barriers do not become stacked during production. The indexing dial, robots, conveyor, and vision systems work in tandem to satisfy exacting customer manufacturing requirements.
Simplimatic’s design was created to replace the customer’s manual processes and offers a wide range of production benefits. Using the autonomous system, the customer was able to double production throughput, increase consistent quality, and experience an expedient return on investment.
“It is very exciting to see these machines we’ve worked so hard to program come to life within a customer’s facility,” Klaus Wisskirchen, senior controls engineer, said. “The systems we create solve a complicated production line problem for our customers. It’s very rewarding.”
After shipment and integration, Simplimatic provides every customer across the globe with 24/7 emergency phone support and optional on-site service to ensure customer satisfaction for the life of the product.