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Cap Assembly & Fluid Fill

Cap Assembly & Fluid Fill

Capsule Assembly Fluid Fill

SITUATION

The customer wanted to expand its COVID test kit assembly operations by automating cap filling and assembly, replacing a slower and less consistent manual process. The machine needed to run autonomously, aside from operators loading feed systems and clearing completed and rejected parts bins, at an output of 80 parts per minute (PPM) with minimal rejects.

SOLUTION

Cap Feed Index Dial- A feeder bowl supplies caps to the coin-change mechanism. The end-of-arm tool (EOAT) picks and places caps into the rotating index dial.
Filling Station- Individual servo-driven metering pumps fill each cap with 1.5 mL of fluid.
Flare Feed & Pick and Place- Flare parts feed through a single track using high-pressure air jets to the flange coin-change mechanism. The EOAT picks and places the flare part into the cap on the index dial.
Flare Press- Seats the flare part into the cap.
Plunger Feed & Pick and Place- Plunger parts feed the same way to the plunger coin-change mechanism. The EOAT places the plunger on top of the cap.
Plunger Press- Seats the plunger into the cap.
Unload/Reject- An EOAT places good parts into the good-parts chute, while a second EOAT places rejected parts into the reject chute.

DESIGN FEATURES & SPECIFICATIONS

  • 3 feeder bowl systems (cap, flange, and plunger parts)
  • Servo-controlled metering pump for the fill station
  • Pneumatic cylinders control the part press tooling
  • Unload and reject stations with bins under the machine table
  • Class 3 guard enclosure
  • Output: 82.5 PPM
  • Stack light indicators show current machine state
  • Allen-Bradley 10″ PanelView HMI
  • HMI with icon-based controls, manual override mode, and live cycle time display

Approximate Machine Dimensions: 130”L x 152”W x 119”H

Power Requirements: 480 VAC, 3-Phase, 60A

Pneumatic Requirements: 80 PSI, 25 SCFM