A Second Challenge: Automating Nickel Strip Production
In another application, the goal was different: develop an economical automated solution for a relatively low-volume nickel strip operation.
The system needed to feed and straighten .187-inch-wide by .010-inch-thick nickel strip, roll form a crown-shaped section, cut the material into 3-inch lengths, stack 16 finished pieces into a cassette, and automatically position an empty cassette for the next production cycle.
Novo again utilized the #2 Servo Feed System, this time pulling material from a motorized payoff through a single-plane #1 PWS Precision Straightener.
Special contour-ground feed wheels formed the required crown into the strip. Because the forming process could affect material straightness, a custom post-feed straightening station was incorporated to recalibrate the material and provide consistent flatness for stacking.
A standard #3 pneumatic cutter head cut each piece to the required length. The following feed cycle then transferred the finished blank into a positioned cassette.
Once 16 blanks had been loaded, an automatic cassette indexing station moved the completed cassette onto an exit track and positioned the next empty cassette from a preloaded stack.
One System, Customized Around the Application
These applications demonstrate the versatility of Novo Precision's servo feed technology. Although the production requirements were very different, both solutions combined standard equipment with application-specific engineering to automate multiple manufacturing steps within a single process.
From long medical guide wires requiring precise cutting and automatic segregation to formed nickel strips requiring straightening, cutting, stacking, and cassette indexing, the equipment was configured around the needs of the application.
Have a production challenge that could benefit from automated feeding, straightening, cutting, or material handling? Novo Precision can help determine whether a customized servo feed system is the right solution for your application.
