Automated contactors assembly

Citation

(1999), "Automated contactors assembly", Industrial Robot, Vol. 26 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.1999.04926aaf.006

Automated contactors assembly

Automated contactors assembly

Keywords Robots

The Klöckner-Moeller Company manufactures more than 280,000 contactors-reverse power relays per month. A rough estimate that easily explains the automation of a few production operations. At Bremer Werzeug and Maschinenbau (BWM), each of the four RX90 Stäubli robots assembles a contactor every 20 seconds.

For the final automated assembly, two types of parts are provided to four cells located side by side. In spite of the large number of parts, the automation of different parts was not easy due to 16 existing references. Great flexibility of the assembly cell was required, and this is precisely one of the main characteristics of the Stäubli robots.

Technological goals set by the end-user such as great reliability, speed and high precision in handling and assembly processes have contributed to the choice of Stäubli robots by the automation experts at BWM.

In the final assembly of low voltage contactors-reverse power relays, four parts are moved by special pallets that direct them in the proper position for the robot. The RX90 robot grabs the lower pre-mounted part and introduces a coil that has already been identified by a camera for identification. During this operation, coil control parameters are transmitted to the test station. All contactors manufactured by the Unna unit are controlled.

The same operation is repeated for the upper parts. According to the identified variation types, mechanical control parameters are automatically set in the integrated test system. A more complex process takes place by introducing a spring into the part, which must be inserted quickly and without forcing because spring parameters must not be modified during the automated assembly operation.

Finally, the upper part equipped with the spring is placed on the lower pre-mounted part which arrives on the screwing station, then the control station for various mechanical and electrical characteristics verifications. All these operations are done within 20 seconds.

For more information contact Stäubli Faverges, Place Robert Stäubli, BP70 74210 Faverges, France. Tel: +33 4 50 65 60 77; Fax: +33 4 50 65 61 30; E-mail: robot.mkg@ staubli.com; Internet: http://www.staubli.com