Elscint recently completed the design, manufacture, and successful commissioning of three high-precision vibratory bowl feeding systems for a prominent machine builder based in South India. This project involved the automated handling of three distinct, small brass components, each presenting unique geometrical challenges that required sophisticated mechanical tooling.

The Engineering Challenge

The primary objective was to achieve precise orientation of these parts before transferring them into a linear track for downstream processing. While the client’s baseline requirement was a modest 20 parts per minute, the physical characteristics of the components made orientation inherently difficult:

• Component A (Rubber-Dampened Part): This part featured a rubber dampener on one end and a slot on the other. Critically, the diameter was nearly equal to the height, a “square” geometry that typically makes stable orientation a significant hurdle in vibratory feeding.
• Component B (Asymmetrical Brass Disc): This disc required orientation based on a very subtle depth difference between its two surfaces. Identifying such minor dimensional variances at high speeds requires extreme precision in the bowl’s internal tooling.
• Component C (The Symmetrical Cup): Similar to the first part, this cup’s height-to-diameter ratio was 1:1. Differentiating the “open” end from the “closed” end when the dimensions are identical requires “intelligent tooling” to exploit the component’s center of gravity and internal features.

Innovative Tooling & Performance

Despite these complications, Elscint’s engineering team developed customized mechanical gates and orientation features that simplified the process. By leveraging the specific center of gravity and minute external features of each part, the “difficult” orientations were handled with seamless reliability.

The results far exceeded the initial project specifications:

• Throughput: While 20 PPM was requested, the systems achieved a consistent 60+ parts per minute for all three components—a 300% increase over the required speed.
• Turnaround Time: Demonstrating our commitment to lean manufacturing, the entire project—from design to final testing—was completed within just three weeks.
• Early Delivery: The systems were dispatched well ahead of the contractual deadline, allowing the machine builder to proceed with their assembly schedule without delay.

Key Highlights of this Project:

You can watch the video of the 3 bowl feeders here.