Originally Published MPMN April 2003

EQUIPMENT NEWS:Automation and Assembly Equipment

Gripper Is Specialized for Picking and Placing O-Rings

Available from AGI--American Grippers, an automated assembly system is specialized for picking and placing O-rings on device parts. The 12-jaw O-ring gripper has two independent pistons that activate six double-action spreading jaws and six single-action ejector jaws. When air pressure is applied to the first piston, six parallel jaws spread the O-ring, stretching it evenly in a hexagonal shape that minimizes the deformation caused by expansion. The operator of the gripper can adjust the stroke precisely by means of a setscrew.

Once the O-ring is expanded and stretched over the part being assembled, air pressure is applied to the second piston. This causes the ejector jaws to push forward and press the O-ring from the spreading jaws onto 
the part.

The O-ring gripper can be tooled to accommodate all types of O-rings. Depending on the cross section, the largest acceptable ring would be about 4 in. in diameter. The smallest would be determined by how small the toolmaker could form jaws to fit within the inner diameter. The gripper itself measures 2.5 in. diam by 2.7 in. tall. End-of-stroke sensing is available for both the spreading and ejector jaws. 

AGI-American Grippers Inc., 171 Spring Hill Rd., Trumbull, CT 06611.

Assembly Cell Suited for Aseptic Production

Suitable for the production and handling of medical devices under special conditions, an aseptic assembly cell from Ismeca Automation makes use of servomotors for motion control. All drive systems and electronics are located below the tabletop. The drive elements enable both linear and rotational motion through fully sealed linkages. The use of pneumatics is kept toa minimum, and the cell hood provides a laminar flow of filtered air over the working area. 

Ismeca Automation, 2365 Oak Ridge Way, Vista, CA 92083.

High-Power UV Spot-Curing Light Sources Have Long Lifetime

A series of compact sources for the UV spot light curing of medical components, optical parts, and fiber-optic connectors and for use in surface-mount bonding, high-speed graphics assembly, and electronic component sealing are offered by Hamamatsu Corp. The high-power, low-maintenance Lightningcure LC5/LC6 sources use a 200-W mercury-xenon lamp to deliver high-intensity 3.5-W/cm2 UV light at 365 nm. The cassette-type lamp, which requires no optical alignment, can be expected to operate for 3000 hours on average, and when necessary can be replaced from the operator side of the light source in about 30 seconds.

The light sources feature a highly durable, long-life shutter with a silent mechanism. Its power-driven aperture allows light output to be controlled externally. The optical guide path to the object is very short. A digital liquid-crystal display makes system operation easy. Having a small 160 ¥ 311-mm footprint and weighing just 6.5 kg, the Lightningcure series includes two models, one allowing front-panel and the other rear-panel lamp replacement. Four versions of each model are available for use with different adhesives in a variety of applications.
The light sources also can be used as UV excitation sources in imaging and in experiments involving intense UV radiation.

Hamamatsu Corp., 360 Foothill Rd., P.O. Box 6910, Bridgewater, NJ 08807.

Torque Screwdrivers Are Designed for User Comfort

Ergonomically designed in both push-to-start and lever-start styles, power-driven torque screwdrivers offered by HMC Electronics have lightweight, compact housings to ensure operator comfort. 

The Electra-series screwdrivers have an automatic shutoff clutch for accurate fastening, and their low-rotation motor both keeps the grip temperature low and extends motor life. Torque can be increased or reduced as desired quickly and easily through a turn of the external adjustment ring.

Plugging directly into a 120-V-ac outlet, push-to-start models are well suited for applications in which fastener head damage can be a problem. The low-voltage lever-start models come with an external power supply as standard. Both types feature external brushes that are easy to replace, and they have a 1¼4-in.hex bit shank. The screwdrivers are UL listed and CE certified to meet both U.S. and European electrical safety standards.

HMC Electronics, 33 Springdale Ave., Canton, MA 02021.


Gantry Uses Air Bearing Technology for Frictionless Motion

The latest addition to a family of precision gantries from Anorad Corp. incorporates air bearing technology to allow nearly frictionless motion and high dynamic performance in flat-panel-display and other manufacturing applications. 

The large yet responsive Ultra Precision gantry has a massive granite base and rigid steel risers, creating a very stable platform. Attached to this platform structure is a magnetically preloaded x-y system of air bearing guideways featuring more than 1 m of travel in each axis. The system provides extremely smooth constant-velocity scans.

The lightweight x-axis crossbeam uses specially engineered supports to generate dynamic yaw control, which enables the moving carriage to maintain optical alignment with a workpiece situated on the system's large granite reference surface. Such control is achieved on the y-axis by means of dual-linear-encoder feedback and servo control algorithms that detect and compensate for small workpiece misalignments. The system delivers micron-level repeatability and accuracy and submicron positional stability over the full range of travel.

Featuring zero-cogging brushless linear servomotors driven by sinusoidally commutating servo amplifiers, the low-maintenance Ultra Precision gantry is cleanroom compatible owing to the noncontact design of those motors and of its optical encoders and air bearing guides. It can be supplied with a vibration-isolation system, a complete servo drive and motion control package, or other optional value-added equipment.

Anorad Corp., 100 Precision Dr., Shirley, NY 11967.

Copyright ©2003 Medical Product Manufacturing News