Tabletop Screwdriving Machine Instantly Doubles Production

Application Spotlight

A fluid control manufacturer was faced with the challenge of increasing throughput without adding labor. The valve body had two screws per part, with a multi-component stack up that included a spring. This made consistent fastening very challenging for an operator doing manual assembly.

Visumatic built a tabletop screwdriving system that included a single drive spindle. A clamping fixture indexed left and right along the X-axis to present the part to the first and then second install location to the auto feed and screwdriving system.

The sensorized smart fixture checked to be certain the operator loaded the correct assembly prior to initiating the drive sequence. The machine then took over handling the spring compression and full screw drive process sequencing.

The customized PLC monitored screw rundown variables ensuring highly qualified joint control for each fastener as it was driven to the target torque. By eliminating manual screw handling and driving, Visumatic was able to double production for this product without the addition of labor. Quality assurance was also enhanced due to component sensor verification and specialized fastening sequencing.

This plug-and-work tabletop screwdriving system provided a high degree of assembly process flexibility allowing the customer to make changes to their workflow without a major investment in time and tooling support.