Originally Published MPMN April 2008

FOCUS ON EQUIPMENT

Assembly

Welding Machinery Is Suitable for Disposable Products

Fully automatic in-line thermocontact welding machinery is designed for high-volume medical disposable applications. Products suitable for the machinery include tubes, valves, filters, and multichamber solution bags. In the latter case, individual chambers can be filled with solutions of various compositions after assembly. Combining the machinery with the company's radio-frequency and thermocontact welding equipment increases the number of materials that can be handled. A variety of PVC and PVC-free films are among the types that can be processed. If the manufacturing scale does not necessitate fully automatic machinery, rotary turntable and shuttle machines are available and can be operated manually or with various levels of automation.
Geaf, Brighton, MI
www.geaf.it

Dual-Servo Spin Welder Joins Circular Parts

A dual-servo spin welder is designed for welding circular parts that require tight tolerances for both the orientation between parts and the final welded assembly. The design builds on the company's existing single-servo spin welder, replacing the z-axis drive with a second servomotor. Orientation tolerances of ±0.1 degree of rotation and z-axis tolerances of 10 µm are provided by the unit's control system. The control system also coordinates the performance of both servomotors, thereby enabling a constant-torque welding mode that allows the user to specify a torque value that most closely matches the melt-flow rate of a given material. Z-axis velocity and rpm are coordinated to provide this torque value throughout the weld cycle. Programmable preweld parameters include part pickup and trigger by position, and programmable welding methods include weld by time, number of turns, collapse distance with orientation, absolute distance with orientation, and energy. Postweld control features include hold by time, hold by collapse distance, hold to a fixed position, and hold to constant thrust.
Dukane Corp., St. Charles, IL
www.dukcorp.com

SCARA Robots Facilitate Vertical-Motion Mechanical Assembly

A family of robots is suitable for vertical-motion mechanical assembly of medical devices and components. YS-series four-axis SCARA robots share the same programming language and controller as other robots with six or more axes offered by the company. Providing t-axis repeatability of ±0.015 or ±0.025 mm, depending on the model, the robots are available with a range of payloads, reaches, and z-axis strokes, as well as with a variety of hardware and software options, external axis capabilities, and vision system integration.
Motoman Inc., West Carrollton, OH
www.motoman.com

Indexing System Adopts Modular Design for High-Volume Production

Featuring standardized modules and offering fully automatic or hand-loading assembly, a linear indexing system is suitable for high-volume assembly of multiple-part products. The QuickLink system is designed for use with a variety of medical products and is suited for the assembly of parts up to 7 in. long combined. Up to 26 stations can be integrated into the system, performing operations such as small-part feeding and ultrasonic welding.
Quickpouch, Ronkonkoma, NY
www.quickpouch.com

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