Applying “Zero Defect” Electronic Assembly Actuators to the Packaging Industry

Technology transfer from Electronic Manufacturing brings Precision Packaging Solutions incorporating

real time 100% quality check.

Edward Neff & Steve Curtiss

President & U.S. East Sales Manager

SMAC Moving Coil Actuators | Booth # C-1560

Trends in automation technologyIn the 1990’s, electronic assembly required the development of new automation technology. Why? The change from through hole to surface mount.

Very high volume assembly of a variety of fragile part types each having its own specific requirements. (Orientation in theta – very low surface contact force with feedback verification of the surface location - programmable, precise press force - verification of a successful process).

This forced the development, in the late 1990s, of unique actuators that could accomplish the above. These replaced in-house assemblies combining many components. The capabilities were…

SMAC Mechatronic SolutionsIndependent Z and Theta Axis, i.e., a product that could pick and place but also adjust the position of the part.

(Electronic parts have contacts that are invariably bent to some degree. A camera and a laser are added to the actuator - these inspect the part - determine where the contacts are - the actuator then rotates the part using a direct drive rotary motor with 40,000 count encoder).

Doing work…Ability to softly bump into a surface that is

somewhere in a +/- 1 mm range without damaging the part. (Impact was at 100 grams but is now

moving to 10 grams).

Doing work…

• Ability to programmably push each part with a specific force.

• The ability to rotate the actuator shaft independently and hence provide independent linear and rotary movement. (Over 75K units produced and sold since 2000).

• Ability to run 250 million cycles MTBF. ( 5 years cycle life).

• Accelerations above 50g.

Verifying its work quality…

• Ability to verify that the operation was done successfully - i.e. 100% verification of the process.

• The controller has the ability to set up tolerance windows dependent on such variables as:

Position

Force (monitor current)

Velocity (for Soft-Land)

SMAC Mechatronic Solutions

This technology is spreading to other industries:

• Automotive thread check and switch test.

• Consumer electronics assembly.

And now packaging… Capping

SMAC Moving Coil Actuators bring significant technical benefits to Companies both making and using Capping systems. These are:

• The ability to gently find the top of the container by using SMAC’s patented “Soft-Land” on it with the cap. This event can be reported in real time if required.

• The ability to prevent cross threading by rotating the cap counter-clockwise. The cap will rise and then drop a measurable distance.

• This is part of SMAC’s patent-pending Smart Capping Solution. This event can also be reported. Interrupts can also be included that stop the process if the threads do not match.

And now packaging… Capping

• The cap is then rotated clockwise and a number of checks can be made: Number of rotations to close, linear distance travelled, torque required. All can be set up with tolerance windows and good/bad decisions can be made in real time.

• When the cap reaches close position a programmable torque can be applied - the partial turn resulting from the applied torque can also be checked.

• Patent-pending ability to “snug” before applying final torque.

SMAC Mechatronic Solutions

This “Capping Solution” has been successfully applied in over 30+ applications in the past year - and there are another 15+/- in process. It is an example of the technology change that is taking place in the Packaging and Food Processing Industry.

The adoption of programmable robotic devices that do work and verify the quality at the same time, combined with the ability to report back in real-time, has happened.

CCR Series Electric Cylinder

SMAC is introducing the new CR actuators expressly designed for Capping. These products are inherently IP rated due to their Stainless Steel (316) outer housings and spring loaded Teflon shaft seals.

They also utilize SMAC’s HT (High Torque) rotary servo motors that have >2 X the torque (same size same current) of any other DC servo motor on the market today.

CCR Series Electric Cylinder

Tech Niche:Filling and Dispensing (PK4)

SMAC Moving Coil Actuators bring significant technical benefits to Companies both making and using Dispensing and Filling systems. These are:

• The ability to repeat motions within a +/- 1 msec window. This is 10 X better than pneumatic devices. This means Fill or Dispense volume is much more accurate and virtually eliminate the need to over Fill or Dispense.

• The ability to achieve cycle rates up to 2000 CPM and more. This is 2 X the maximum achievable using Pneumatic or ball screw solutions.

• Cycle life well over 100 M cycles - again > 10 X that of pneumatic or ball screw solutions.

• The ability to feed back - on every cycle - what occurred in terms of cycle motion.

Tech Niche:Filling and Dispensing

Often, a bottle must be slightly over-filled to avoid under-filling. SMAC Actuators can open/close a valve precisely. The SMAC filler always dispenses the exact amount.

Over thousands (or millions) of bottles, this small amount adds up.

Air = +/- 15 msec response time so it must always overfill to ensure there is no underfill.

SMAC = +/- 1 msec response time, so it will not overfill.

With these savings, an SMAC actuator can pay for itself in less than one week.

CCL Series Electric CylinderNew 3rd generation round Moving Coil Actuator. It is aimed at pneumatic cylinders in packaging. SMAC is introducing the new CCL actuators expressly designed for Filling applications. These products have certain technical edges for Packaging:

CCL Series Electric Cylinder

CCL Series Electric Cylinder

5. Most bottles are necked down at the top. So volume to fill in this area is lower. But when filler valves are operated by pneumatic cylinders, the fill rate remains the same. Filler valve makers want to reduce the fill rate programmably at this point. The CC can do this.

CCL Series Electric Cylinder

ModelCCL80-025-71-4-F

Tech Niche: Eject/Divert (PK1)

SMAC Moving Coil Actuators bring significant technical benefits to Companies both making and using Eject/Divert systems. These are:

• The patented ability to “Soft-Land” on a object to be worked on.

• The ability to then push with a programmed force that achieves the necessary movement for that particularly object - i.e., size and weight.

• The ability to do the above a programmable rates - up to 2500 CPM.

• The ability to do the work over a long cycle life - well beyond 100M cycles.

Tech Niche: Eject/Divert

Tech Niche: Leak Testing (PK2)

SMAC Moving Coil Actuators bring significant technical benefits to Companies both making and using Leak Test systems. These are:

• The ability to “Soft-Land” on the object to be tested.

• The ability to apply a programmable force into that object.

• The ability to track how far the actuator shaft has moved into the object and then compare that to what distance means the object is not leaking vs leaking.

• The ability to feed back the decision in real time.

Tech Niche: Leak Testing

About SMAC Moving Coil Actuators

SMAC was established in 1990 with 2 goals:

1. To replace pneumatic devices with smart Electric ones.

2. To develop robotics that could do what human hands do.

SMAC Mechatronic SolutionsBoth goals are being achieved - the first due to the development of Moving Coil linear motor technology and a company cost down policy that has cut the price of our devices by 65% since 1995.

Doing work…The second is now kicked off with the introduction of the SMAC Robotic Finger - the first commercial finger able to duplicate a human’s.

Conclusion

Modern robotic technology – flexible, able to do work and verify its success - is rapidly replacing old, dumb technology.

The replacement is complete in electronics.

The same is now occurring in packaging.

Thank you for listening.Any Questions?

Edward NeffSMAC U.S. East Sales Manager

Steve CurtissSMAC U.S. East Sales Manager

Booth # C-1560SMAC Moving Coil Actuators5807 Van Allen Way

Carlsbad, Ca

USA

Phone: 760-929-7575

Email: info@smac-mca.com

www.smac-mca.com