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Automotive and Process Applications
- Paint Systems including automotive, wood, plastic, other metal products can be supplied with some basic information. Know the throughput of a finished product, and define what pieces finished, and unfinished need to be completed with the final assembly. Define flow, groups of parts that must travel together or reach a final position together. When painting metal parts perform a salt spray test to determine the coatings necessary. This will be a major factor in your system design. Number of colors and types of finishes. Size paint booths and ovens based and whear package size and rates timed for curing product correctly.
- Ovens need to be sized by rate. Be very careful to size your oven correctly based on throughput and product size. Pay close attention to time required for heating up the part and cooling down. Overhead or floor conveyor designs are determined from product size and rate. Bottom entry ovens with a power and free system are ideal for smaller whear packages.
- Kilns are unique to many industries. Ceramics to ferrites for magnets all use kilns to cure product. Both applications can use gas or electric heat based on design parameters and cost. Always be careful to shield motors close to product when running ferrites through a kiln so as not to magnetize.
- From brake assemblies to car bodies all hangers or pallets require specific fixturing. Again know part sizes, quantities and rates. How will these parts be transferred at each handling interface? Mechanical slaved devices and pick and place gantries can perform basic functions.
- Robotic devices are used in precision location for machining, assembly and packaging, but complex and expensive in paint applications, be careful. I have run into many instances where a gantry can be installed instead of a robot saving $50,000 to $100,000.
- Computer and Electronic applications are unique because of their need for both manual and automated assembly, this includes packaging.
- Talk to as many suppliers as possible to explore all options. No need to over automate!
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