As a solution provider we are often faced with opportunities where customers see value in working with us on both the workholding and automation scopes of their projects. This is absolutely the case for this project. Our partnership with this customer involved designing and building both CNC fixtures and a bushing press automation cell.
The automation cell consisted of an inclined track feeder that presented bushings to be loaded into a servo press. A robot utilized dual grippers to handle a knuckle and the bushing simultaneously, picking the bushing out of the incline feeder, loading it into the bushing press, and holding the knuckle in place so the bushing can be pressed. The system requirement was to establish force curve and distance measurements with data collection, tied to a Julian date stamped into the part after all requirements were met.
The commissioning of this project has positioned us to win other project with similar applications.