Product category:
Robots and robotic systems
News Release from: AA Robotics | Subject: Robotic knife blade dispenser packaging
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 04 January 2007
Robotic knife blade dispenser packaging
A new robotic process at Stanley Tools has significantly reduced handling operations and improved productivity in knife blade dispenser packaging operations.
A new robotic process at Stanley Tools has significantly reduced handling operations and improved productivity in knife blade dispenser packaging operations AA Robotics, the robot division of Aylesbury Automation, has designed and installed automated packaging technology using Denso robots to maximise the benefits of 'lean manufacturing', reduce stock holding and shortening delivery lead times of blade dispensers for Stanley Tools at Rotherham
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 1 Jan 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Robot-based flexible machines ideal for short runs
Aylesbury Automation, has announced the formation of a new division, AA Robotics, to service the increasing demands of manufacturing industry.
Assembly robots take to the road in events
AA Robotics, Cognex Factory Vision, Safety Systems and Laidler Associates are to join with Igus for six one day events in Milton Keynes, Newport, Nottingham, County Durham and Cannock.
Stanley Tools manufactures and markets tools, hardware and speciality products worldwide for both the home improvement market and industrial and professional use.
Founded by Frederick Trent Stanley in 1843 in Connecticut USA to manufacture door bolts and other wrought iron products, Stanley Tools is a global brand.
Demand for replacement blades for the 'Stanley Knife' is growing and it was this increased demand which led to the requirements for improved automation.
Further reading
Parts feeding system is quickly adaptable
Parts feeding system uses a fast and precise robot, an integrated, high resolution machine vision system and an extremely innovative flexible feed system to cope with changing products.
Robotic inspection machines check phial boxes
Six robotic inspection machines are speeding up pharmaceutical production and improving quality control by ensuring that phial box compartments are empty for re-use.
Machine-tending robot makes quality checks
A 4-axis machine-tending robot, which handles multi-spindle lathe machined components for quality, height and measurement checks, has increased a subcobntractor's production by 15%.
The original machine cycle, plus machine loading time, has been reduced by 75% with the new automated technology.
This allows Stanley Tools to process and pack four times more products per hour with a 100% quality check of component parts.
Previously a semi automatic machine had been used for the assembly and packaging process which involved routine manual handling of components into the machine.
"The process we had was quite labour intensive," said Nick Vickers, Plant Manager of Stanley Tools.
"With demand for replacement blades increasing and bearing in mind the health and safety aspects of increased manual handling, robotic automation was the obvious route to follow.
AA Robotics was able to supply a solution which performs the task with the minimum of manual intervention.
What's more, we have the flexibility to change the assembly and packaging process easily as products and demands change." The new automated process uses robots to load and unload components.
A storage hopper trickle feeds plastic cases on demand into a vibratory bowl feeder.
After being sorted in the bowl into one of two orientations, the cases are delivered onto an infeed conveyor.
Here the first Denso robots picks up a case so that sensors can check its orientation and condition.
Components failing a specification check are rejected.
The robot then presents the case to the next stage of the assembly operation.
Dispensers are also fed from a vibratory storage hopper and bowl into correct orientation for insertion into the cases.
The blades from the blade-grinding machine are delivered in trays and automatically fed by conveyor into an upload station where they are prepared for loading into the cases.
At the same time a strip of steel feeds into a press where it is cut to form the spring which is inserted in the case behind the blades.
The case is then closed and checks are made to ensure the spring and blades are correctly inserted.
A final robot palletises the cases, six layers deep with 28 cases to a layer, in a tote bin which is orientated correctly for final packaging.
"AA Robotics designers brought a great deal of experience in automated assembly and robotic packaging to the job, and they have succeeded in providing a solution which is extremely efficient and cost-effective," said Howard Walker, Senior Engineer at Stanley Tools.
• AA Robotics: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Manufacturingtalk email newsletter
• Manufacturingtalk Home Page
