Feeder system with X-Y table loads tiny parts into matrix tray

Problem: The customer was hand loading very small pins into a tray, with a matrix of pockets, for robotic pick up. Each tray held 1,380 pins. This was a tedious and time consuming process. The customer was seeking an automation solution to present the pins for pick up.

Solution: Fortville designed a vibratory feeder bowl system that would singulate and place each part in a tray. The operator loaded the bulk parts in a vibratory feeder bowl. The parts were oriented and fed down an inline track. Each part was then singulated and air driven to the customer’s tray. The tray was moved to receive each pin via a programmable X-Y table. Once filled, the tray was moved to an unload area where an operator removed the populated tray, replaced it with an empty tray and started the cycle again. The feeder system was designed with a complete controls package with PLC. It had a 6 month ROI for the customer.