Assembly Dial achieves sub-second cycle times.
October 8, 2003 -
Configurable for 4-16 stations, Servochassis(TM) incorporates direct-drive servo motors driving 2 independent axes. Replicating coordinated motion of mechanical cam dial, tooling for all stations is mounted on dial top plate and is raised and lowered simultaneously along single z-axis. Individual tooling operations are driven by pneumatics at each station and controlled by PLC or PC-based controller. Servochassis can be reprogrammed to accommodate tooling changes.
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Original Press release
ATS Automation
730 Fountain St. North
Cambridge, ON, N3H4R7
Canada
The New ATS Servochassis(TM) Assembly Dial Delivers Sub-second Cycle Times
CAMBRIDGE, ON - ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. has applied their long proven experience in rotary dial systems to engineer an advanced assembly dial that sets a whole new benchmark for speed and flexibility. The new ATS Servochassis(TM) achieves cycle times of less than one second, while offering the flexibility you'd expect from servo drives. The result is unmatched throughput and easy configurability for applications such as the high-volume manufacture of medical and consumer products.
"Most manufacturers recognize the ability of dedicated cam dials to offer faster index times than conventional assembly dials, despite their limited flexibility." says Mike Cybulski, Vice President Systems Operations, Eastern USA and Canada. "A simple design based on the same operating principle as the cam dial, but using direct-drive servo technology, the Servochassis(TM) is much faster than a conventional dial and offers operational flexibility beyond either technology.
Configurable for four to sixteen stations, the ATS Servochassis incorporates high-precision, direct-drive servo motors driving two independent axes. Replicating the co-ordinated motion of a mechanical cam dial, the tooling for all stations is mounted on the dial top plate and is raised and lowered simultaneously along a single z-axis. This motion can be finely tuned to allow all tooling to clear the table in the shortest possible time prior to indexing. A second servo, mounted underneath the dial plate, indexes the table.
Individual tooling operations are driven separately by pneumatics at each station, controlled by PLC's or a PC-based machine controller such as the Modular ATS Control System (MACS). This is where the Servochassis outperforms even the fastest cam dials. The PC-based MACS machine controller offers true multi-tasking, allowing all motion to be programmed individually. As a result, tooling actuation can take place before the table has stopped indexing, reducing cycle times to sub-second levels.
All this, and there are further advantages to the Servochassis(TM) design. Because all vertical motion is now managed by a single servo on the top plate, robots, feeders and pneumatic pick & place devices require synchronized control along their respective x-axes only. As a result, the complexity of switches, cylinders, sensors and valves found on a conventional assembly dial is greatly simplified, reducing cost. Unlike mechanical cam dials which are machine specific, the Servochassis can be easily reprogrammed to accommodate tooling changes. Tools such as
pressing stations can even be mounted off-table.
Klaus Woemer, President of ATS, sums it up this way, "The purpose of technology innovation should be to make automation more accessible to manufacturers, from a cost perspective as well
as from a performance point of view. The Servochassis(TM) does exactly that. Not only is it the fastest and most versatile assembly dial on the market, but it costs significantly less than
conventional rotary dial costs, including tooling. For a modest investment, our customers can now take full advantage of this advanced 21st century technology."
About ATS
ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. (www.atsautomation.com) is the industry s leading designer and producer of turnkey automated manufacturing and test systems, which are used
primarily by multinational corporations operating in a variety of industries including: automotive, computer/electronics, healthcare and consumer products. The Company also makes precision components and subassemblies using its own custom-built manufacturing systems, process knowledge and automation technology. Through Photowatt International S.A. and Spheral Solar Power Inc., ATS is an emerging leader in the rapidly growing market for solar energy cells and modules. ATS employs approximately 3,500 people at 25 facilities in Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia-Pacific. The Company's shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ATA.
Jim Beretta
Marketing Manager
ATS Automation Tooling Systems, Inc.
Box 32100 Preston Center
Cambridge, ON
Canada N3H 5M2
Phone: 519-653-6500
Fax: 519-650-6677
e-mail: info@atsautomation.com
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