Our businesses are always moving forward into the future. Over and over again, it’s time to sit down and design a new prototype, update older designs, or reconfigure an assembly plant for a new project. But while projects and prototypes constantly change, one thing stays the same: it’s important to design your processes as efficiently as possible. In the world of automated assembly, this often entails updating and streamlining your assembly process, working to shave seconds off each movement. A common way to achieve these efficiency gains, conserving time and energy on the assembly floor, is through the use of automatic screw feeder machines.
Automatic screw presenter machines are extremely useful components of modern manufacturing systems. Capable of supplying high volumes of screws to human or robotic assemblers, automatic screw presenters significantly increase the speed and efficiency at which an assembly line can operate. In applications which require rapid delivery of large volumes of screws safely, efficiently, and repeatedly, automatic screw presenters can cover their installation cost and generate a return on the investment. Depending on your application, installing an automatic screw dispenser system may be the next step in the growth of your assembly process, particularly when meeting the stringent requirements in the medical, aerospace, and consumer electronics industries.
Automatic Screw Presenters for Medical Device Assembly
Automatic presenters are common in the medical device assembly industry. Simply put, assembling a life-saving instrument may require a lot of screws. Automatic screw presenters are capable of delivering screws at a rate of two per second to a fixed point, where they can be picked up by a human laborer or robotic assembly arm. This method can increase efficiency compared to using bins of screws or shaker trays by nearly 50%. In order to maintain the rapid pace of production that is required in the competitive automotive industry, it’s essential to take advantage of the benefits of automation.
By installing automatic screw dispensers in their assembly plants, medical device manufacturers are not only increasing efficiency but also accountability. Automatic screw dispensers will only present the correct screws to workers or assembly robots, eliminating the possibility of accidentally using the wrong screw. This extra level of quality control can help prevent rework and increase a company’s certainty in the quality of their product.
Automatic Screw Presenters for Aerospace Assembly
As the saying goes, “gravity doesn’t turn off.” This goes to say that in the aerospace assembly industry, creating planes, helicopters, and other mechanisms to defy gravity, quality, and repeatability are absolutely essential. Should any part of an aircraft or spacecraft fail while in flight, the results will be catastrophic. Yet at the same time, the pace of production and level of competition in the aerospace industry are similar to that of the automotive industry. In order to keep up, aerospace assembly plants must not only have extremely high levels of quality control, but they must also be extremely efficient.
For these reasons, robotic assembly is often used in the aerospace industry. Robotic assembly arms, equipped with robotic screwdriving systems, rapidly pick up screws from automated screw presenters and deliver precise torque control. The rapidity and precision of screw presenter machines ensure that robotic assembly arms can work to capacity. When combined with screw counters, these systems create a high level of accountability over your product. This accountability is essential when assembling both commercial and military aircrafts, as Federal Aviation Administration requirements for party accountability are the strictest they have ever been.
Automatic Screw Presenters for Consumer Electronics Assembly
Even when the only thing on the line is the bottom line, automatic screw presenters can increase efficiency and generate a return on their cost. In the consumer electronics industry, for instance, assembly workers or robots must fasten large numbers of screws quickly and accurately. Many plastic parts are used in consumer electronics, and using the wrong screw can lead to failed quality checks and rework. Automatic screw presenters prevent this by eliminating the need for operators to fumble in a tray to find the right screw.
As screw dispensers can be adjusted to supply different screws, they can also be reconfigured as needed to meet the needs of new projects. So, when it’s time to reconfigure the shop to handle a new contract or create an updated product, screw feeders can be adjusted accordingly. This is particularly useful in the consumer electronics industry, in which products and their manufacturing processes are continuously changing and upgrading to stay ahead of the current trends.
The Benefits of Automatic Screw Feeder Machines
Automatic screw presenters are important tools for any assembly process that requires large numbers of screws. By automating the screw dispensing process, manufacturers reduce inefficiency, save time, and increase repeatability. Automatic screw feeder machines can easily cover their cost by increasing an assembly plant’s capacity and decreasing the need for rework.
Even in the most rapidly evolving industries, some things never change, and that includes the need for efficient, streamlined processes. Fortunately, investing in an automatic screw presenter system can be the next step for assembly plants seeking to increase the limits of their capacity.
