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Automotive Inspection & Marking
Automotive | Leak Testing
Used to perform multiple tests on newly manufactured automotive components, this automated inspection and marking system was designed and built by TCA from the ground up: it went from concept to completion in only 18 weeks.
Measuring 10 ft x 30 ft with a powder coated structural steel support frame, this complex inspection system features SCARA robotics and Allen Bradley operator interface, PLC, and safety controller. With a cycle time of only 9 seconds, manually loaded fixtures containing numerous parts are fed through safety-interlocked access doors to the part loader, where they are robotically transferred for leak and flow testing.
Parts that pass inspection are marked with an inkjet dot, while failed ones are stacked in a separate nest. A TCA-designed and manufactured hot laminating system applies a PET film to each part prior to hipot testing, after which the pass-fail process is repeated. Accepted parts are then discharged through a flatbed conveyor.
TCA designed this turn-key system using SolidWorks and manufactured it completely in-house in our modern machining and assembly facility. We also developed the HMI and programmed the PLC. The system was run at full production rate prior to installation, and we provided full commissioning, operator training, and documentation, including manuals, AutoCad assembly drawings, and schematics.
Highlights
Project Description
This automated system is used to test and mark newly manufactured automotive components.
Capabilities Applied / Processes
Design
- Fully Designed by TCA
- 3D Design in SolidWorks
Manufactured in-house using our CAD/CAM equipment and capabilities
PLC Programming
HMI Design & Programming Integration
Supervision of Site Installation
System Commissioning
Operator Training
Documentation
- Hard-Copy & CD-ROM Copies of Manuals
- AutoCAD Assembly Drawings & Schematics Warranty
- 2 Years up to 6,000 Hours Running Time
System Capabilities
Accepts manually loaded braze fixtures containing numerous parts that will then be:
- Leak Tested
- Flow Tested
- Marked w/ Ink Jet System
- Rejected If They Fail
- Hot Laminated Both Sides W/ PET Film
- Hipot Tested
- Marked W/ Black Ink Dot
- Rejected If They Fail
- Indexed to an Unload Station for Operator Removal
- Cycle Time of 9 Seconds
Overall System Dimensions
10 ft X 30 ft
System Components
Powder-Coated, Welded Structural Steel Support Frames
- Blanchard Ground and Plated Table Tops
Tabletop Perimeter Guarding
- Constructed from Lexan in Extruded Aluminum Frames
- Safety-Interlocked Access Doors
Part Load Station
- 180° Rotary Reciprocating Table
- 4 Pallets for Braze Fixtures
- Start Button
Leak Test Station
- SCARA Robot
- 650mm Reach Transfers Parts using Vacuum End Effector
- Intertech Dual Channel Instrument CalMaster for Leak Test
- Calibrated Orifice for Flow Test
Ink Jet Marker for Leak test Pass Marking
Leak test Reject part Stacking Fixture
- High Level Sensor
TCA-Designed and Manufactured Hot Laminating System
Hipot Test Station Hipot Test Reject Part Stacking Fixture
- High Level Sensor
SCARA Robot
- 650mm Reach Transfers Parts Using Vacuum End Effector
- Flatbelt Discharge Conveyor
- Allen Bradley CompactLogix PLC
- Allen Bradley Panelview Plus 1000 Operator Interface
- Allen Bradley SmartGuard 600 Safety Controller
Overall Lead Time
18 weeks