The Need for Speed
“Time is money” as the saying goes. The per unit cost to manufacture a product drops as fixed overhead costs are spread across higher volumes. Additionally, beating the competition to market with new innovations leads to first-mover advantage. Customers get impatient for delayed orders. And leaving sales on the table for products that could have been built faster is unacceptable.
But attempting to speed up assembly using outdated approaches like chaotic bins of loose hardware or exhausting hand tightening of screws risks quality issues. Defective products result in scrap costs plus delays to remake and replace mistakes. There must be a better way to balance rate and quality when fastening components together.
Chaos Costs: Why Random Screws Spell Trouble
You likely grabbed a loose screw once and it tumbled from your fingers onto the floor. Multiply that frantic search across thousands of fasteners during hectic production. Without a disciplined system, hardware easily gets contaminated, damaged or lost.
Time wasted sorting through piles for the right sizes/types clamps throughput. Where are the M5 bolts? Who used up the last 1⁄4 inches without refilling? Did that small black screw roll under the equipment? Ugh, this bag of widgets is corroded – fetch replacements! The list goes on but every delay to locate components while grumbling workers halt assembly represents lost efficiency.
Uncontrolled screw bins also lead to errors. Grabbing incorrect fasteners by mistake leads to rework once ill-fitting hardware is spotted. And good luck tracing where that one oddball piece came from when it doesn’t match anything on the Bill of Materials!
Clearly, relying on a disorganized free-for-all hardware access system bogs down production pace. Not to mention the safety risks. Let’s explore a smarter approach…
Screw Feeders Organize Assemble for Speed
Modern screw feeder machines dispense uniform, clean and damage-free fasteners oriented for rapid installation. These automated systems organize bulk screws, bolts, and other small parts into orderly queues accessible right at assembly stations.
Integrated with production, feeder equipment reliably selects the proper component specified for each manufacturing step and presents it to workers via a vibratory dish. This prevents using the wrong widget at the wrong step. Workers simply grab fasteners as needed from the dispenser each cycle with no fussing through piles, no debris contamination and no misplaced components.
Configurable for horizontal or vertical orienting, fugal force bowl feeders sort loose hardware based on size, shape, and weight as they circulate. Internal tooling guides ensure fasteners align correctly on exit chutes for easy hand retrieval.
Changeover to different screw types takes just seconds by quickly swapping bowls and tracks. With inspection cameras, vision sensors, or scales, feed systems quality check each piece dispensed meets specifications. No more wondering if hardware is within size/weight tolerances or fretting over defect escapement!
Integrating intelligent feeders into workflow ensures each operator has reliable access to the required components every time. This prevents downtime from supply shortages, confusion, or defects before installation. Precision organization is the key to racing through demanding production schedules without chaos.
Impact Wrenches: Power Assembly Acceleration
Now let’s shift gears from dispatching hardware to actually securing parts together…
Driving various fastener types into materials quickly by hand takes muscle. Tiny machine screws require one tool while giant lug nuts demand another. sans power assist. As product complexity increases, so do joint stacks and necessary torque levels. Good luck reaching that buried target at the bottom with a stubby ratchet or wrench without marring the finish!
Power tools streamline installations by multiplying force. Specifically electric impact wrenches make light work of tedious fastening tasks. With nut busting torque up to 3000+ foot-pounds, motorized impacts blast through tough jobs in seconds.
Variable speed triggers allow precision control over power. Bits easily interchange to access awkward spaces. Without backstraining effort or lingering fatigue, workers apply uniform securement while components stay unmarred.
Now multiply those ergonomic advantages across a dozen stations or more. Whereas hand assembly may cap out around 600 pieces per shift, electric tools boost outputs dramatically. Plant investments in battery-powered impacts, chargers, and backups pay dividends through increased productivity and worker satisfaction.
Impact wrenches eliminate contamination too versus noisy air ratchets. Clean precision electric tightening prevents problems like overtorquing or under-tightening if not carefully monitored. Bluetooth data logging provides instant records for traceability.
Smart electric tools monitor torque digitally and stop automatically at target values without guesswork. This prevents common defects like shearing bolts, stripping threads, or backing components out by mistake – and the rework headaches that follow!
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Flexible Assembly Delivers Speed
As experts in precision component feeders and assembly automation equipment, Flexible Assembly helps clients configure ergonomic fastening cells optimized for rate, accuracy, quality and reduced fatigue. Our solutions integrate:
- Vibratory Screw Feeders – with vision inspection and rapid changeovers
- Digital Torque Wrenches – preventing under/over tightening
- Motorized Electric Impacts – access awkward angles easily
- Gravity Track Rail Systems – rapid hardware replenishment
- Electro-Permanent Magnets – secure layers safely
- Automated Production Monitoring – traceability without paperwork
Get your rapid assembly project on the fast track to success through our innovative technologies. Experience surging throughput using the latest industrial engineering advancements tailored to your needs by contacting Flexible Assembly today. Our strategic solutions tap smart tools to accelerate manufacturing agility, not anarchy.
