Elscint recently completed a project where in the requirement was for feeding of two plastic parts (one male and one female) in separate bowl feeders. Both the parts were having a flange of dia 65 mm and stem of dia 10 mm (for male part) and dia 10 mm (for the female part). The male part was to be fed with the stem up while the female was required to be fed with the stem down. Ahead of the bowl feeder, each of these required linear vibrators with 500 mm long tracks to take the parts upto the assembly machine of the customer. The speed required was 30 parts per minute for each of these with the correct orientation.
As the parts were relating to medical devices, the bowls were made in stainless steel with GMP standards. Elscint used step design Model 400 bowls for this application. The linear vibrator used was Model LF I. In each of the male and female parts, there were two sizes. The bowl tooling was designed in such a way that both these parts could be fed without any necessity of changeover.
Ahead of the bowl feeders, a 60 mm stroke pneumatic singulator was provided. In case of one part, the layout of the machine entailed that it be placed at a 60 degree angle. This too was adhered too. Individual level controllers were provided for each of the two bowl feeders to provide feedback to the customer in case the level of parts in the bowl reduced. The equipment was completed within 6 weeks and delivered and installed at the customer’s factory in Bangalore. You can watch the video of the first bowl feeder, which feeds the mail part as well as the second bowl feeder, for the female part.