Give the average person an electric screw gun, torque gun, or other power fastening tool and their first impulse will be to tighten a fastener as much as they possibly can. Often to the point that electric motors groan, sparks are struck, and fasteners break or twist apart. Experienced workers may do the same in a moment’s distraction. Tight does not always make right, and manufacturing and assembly is becoming more sophisticated with increasingly stringent requirements. The tendency to default to over tightening when is a serious issue on assembly lines that can affect the quality and reliability of the finished product.
The solution for many assembly lines is what is colloquially called a programmable torque gun, or more accurately a pistol grip electric screwdriver with a controller unit. It is a type of precision power assembly screwdriver. The electric drive provides superb torque control when tightening a fastener, and the electric power supply allows for flexible arrangement of assembly stations in a manufacturing center. The control unit allows the torque gun and other compatible electric screwdrivers to be programmed with the speed, angle, and start/stop options that meet your component’s tolerance for a quality final product that your customers can rely on.
The Power of Programmable Torque Controllers
Torque controllers are programmable modules that are external to the torque gun or a compatible electric torque screwdriver that control the parameters of the torque tool as it operates. A tools torque setting, variable torque, and speed control can be adjusted digitally allowing them to be tailored to each position on the assembly line. The controller can also be programmed to adjust these factors sequentially as part of a fixed series of steps allowing a single torque gun or torque screwdriver to take the place of multiple preset torque tools.
These torque controllers are also compatible with multiple input output options. They can be integrated with Programmable Logic Circuits (PLC) and other assembly line controls. Programming them is simple, as each is equipped with tightening and paramet presets. And since the torque controller is Windows-based, setup is simple as long as you have a PC or a laptop. The torque controllers also came with free software for setting up custom parameters as well as monitoring and analyzing the data produced by the torque tool.
Torque controller makes it easy to optimize the torque gun or tools performance on the assembly, and to optimize the assembly line as a whole. Error proofing functions like screw counting and torque angle measurements are also part of a torque controllers suite of functions offering quality control that occurs simultaneously with assembly.
Electric torque guns with a programmable torque controller can replace several tools at an assembly station, at several points up and down an assembly line. This combo offers the promise of increased productivity, and improved quality control. Although of course it needs to be coupled with the proper torque gun or other torque tools to do so.
Choosing Programmable Electric Torque Guns and Screwdrivers
Torque guns and torque tools with pistol grips are adapted to a specific purpose. A handle that is perpendicular to the drive shaft allows the user more leverage to resist the motion of tool as the bit turns and encounters resistance. This makes torque guns of all stripes the go to torque tool for heavy duty applications and when fasteners need to be driven into a vertical surface that is perpendicular to the floor. However, electric torque screwdrivers with a pistol grip are also a type of torque gun and with torque controller they offer far more control over fastening strategies than an impact wrench or nutrunner.
The electric power source allows for line designer to delegate precise control over how the torque is applied to the torque controller module and programming. An example of this would be a programmer placing a soft start into the torque controller’s parameters that keeps the initial speed low when the operator pulls the torque gun’s trigger. This helps to prevents cross threading of the fastener and rounding or stripping of the head.
Torque angle parameters ensure that the fastener doesn’t suffer any deformation when the torque gun reaches its full driving speed, and a soft stop helps ensure that it is exactly at the preset torque specifications when the fastening operation is done. Pistol grip electric torque guns are also not the only type of programmable electric screwdriver that are available for deployment on assembly lines. In-line electric screwdrivers are easily used to tighten fasteners in assemblies that are lying flat on a worktop. Right angle electric screwdrivers provide the use with more leverage when working in the flat, and can tighten fasteners in assemblies where there is little room for access.
A variety of both manually operated DC torque electric screwdrivers and automation torque electric screwdrivers along with automated screwdriver torque controllers. These have the same power source and programmable torque control as DC electric torque guns, but they are adapted for use by robotic systems. They allow for every aspect of your fastening strategy to be planned and calculated in advance optimizing assembly, reducing labor costs, and increasing productivity.
A pistol grip electric screwdriver is a torque gun that offers superior torque control on the assembly line compared to even the best pneumatic torque wrenches. Combined with a control unit the torque guns and electric screwdriver with different form factors allow manufacturers a finer degree of control over their fastening strategies improving product reliability, while simultaneously increasing productivity. A programmable electric torque gun along with other programmable torque tools is ideal for streamlining production without sacrificing quality.
Mountz, Inc. knows how to provide torque control and speed on the assembly line with torque guns and electric screwdrivers with control modules that can be tailored for your manufacturing process. To see our full range of products, shop our store. Contact us anytime to ask a question. To inquire about price, request a quote. If you’d like to see our equipment in person, schedule an appointment.Progra
