Rebuilding cells for improved cycle time with semi-automated tooling
Customer’s Scope of Work was to take two existing production cells and their reusable components and provide a new piece of production equipment to install an earth ground stud in the existing and future model inner wheel house. With the future model now requiring a second stud being install, x
Image of Production Cell 1 prior to shipment to BTI’s Lexington Facility.
Image of Production Cell 2 prior to shipment to BTI’s Lexington Facility.
Future models required a modification to existing lines to include additional part install.
Future models required a modification to existing lines to include additional part install.
Solution:
Customer challenged BTI’s Engineering team to develop semi-automated tooling to relocate the part for second installation to prevent operator manually relocating part, thus drastically improving cycle time. To accommodate, BTI had to reverse engineering the existing tooling and design tooling bed with motion in two axis. All electrical and pneumatic controls were replaced and brought up to customer’s current machine standard along with full machine safety assessment. New PLC programming developed to deloply quick tooling change over and operator HMI integrated with onboard diagnostics/ cycle timing for factory management system. Finally quality assurance achieved using cognex vision sensor to validate part presence prior to releasing part.