South Australian manufacturer automates electronics assembly

To be globally competitive, South Australian manufacturer REDARC looked to automate manual processes for improved productivity and quality. As one of the largest employers in South Australia’s manufacturing sector, the company wanted to move some of its line staff to more fulfilling roles that would add value to the company’s bottom line.

“We decided to automate the assembly and labelling of our Tow-Pro V3 Electric Brake controller, to remove the menial tasks in production, while allowing our operators and technicians to transition into higher value roles in the company,” said Mitchell Adams, Manufacturing Engineering Team Leader.

One of the core requirements for this project was safety, and fitting ergonomically into the current operating environment. The technology deployed needed to be safe, energy efficient and quiet.

Adams said that they engaged SMC Corporation ANZ to come up with a suitable solution for the pneumatic automation, in a way that would stand the test of time and offer a blueprint for future automation cells.

“It was our first major automation project — it needed to be robust, flexible and of high quality,” he said. “At the same time, it had to be easy to use and low maintenance. There were a number of processes to automate and this took a lot of time and design study.

“As it turns out, the automation project could not have come at a better time. By automating the process, we have been able to continue manufacturing around the clock, even during COVID-19.”

In an installation first for SMC on local shores, the company made use of the latest technology from its head office in Japan by implementing the first ZH10 air multiplier in Australia. It was run on a trial and found to be a good fit for the automation project.

According to Jason Sutton, SMC Area Sales Manager in South Australia, SMC has been working on a range of solutions with robotic implementation in mind and this application enabled them to develop a range of end effectors which worked well in the robotic arm.

“The major challenge of the project was the automatic handling of printed circuit boards,” he said. “Unlike a traditional suction cup and vacuum generator, we have used an SMC ZH10 vacuum multiplier coupled with a 3D-printed vacuum chuck to pick and place the PCB during automatic assembly.”

This solution provides a close gap between the chuck and PCB board but does not seal against it. The large flow rate of the air multiplier trying to draw air through the gap creates vacuum across the PCB board holding it against the chuck. With the PCB only in contact with the chuck at the outer edges, sensitive board components are protected. The pressure switch ensures constant feedback of vacuum in the system to the PLC and indicates correct engagement of the part in the chuck.

He adds that the correct product selection was integral to this project — especially as this would be a prototype of similar applications to follow.

“We needed to provide a solution that could meet all the customer’s requirements,” Sutton said. “We looked for a complete solution that would tick all the boxes and work collaboratively to deliver an energy-efficient, quiet and smart way of working — sustainable and scalable for the future. By doing this we were able to meet all of REDARC’s operational objectives.”

In terms of challenges on this project, Sutton said that PCB boards are delicate with a small surface area, so the 3D-printed vacuum chuck was custom-made to hold the outside edges of the part and to give the part more surface area to work with. It also provides freedom for REDARC to revise PCB components without affecting the existing automation. This gives them greater flexibility for future expansion.

“We supplied the air preparation solution, the SY3000 series manifold, ZK2 energy-saving vacuum ejectors and the ZH10 air multiplier as well as LEFS electric drives with a 4-axis controller (JXC series),” Sutton continued. “Two of the electric drives with 4-axis controllers were used for speed control of the pallet and the others were used for synchronous movement to allow the palettes to be picked up from a stack to the cobot’s picking height. We use the CQM Compact Cylinder to ensure the trays are in the correct position.”

The special air multiplier used in this project is quiet. It was a key requirement not disrupt the quiet work environment in the rest of the factory.

“This ZH10-B-X249 multiplier is a special made by our head office and was a first of its kind for Australia. Initially, it made a bit of noise, but we installed a noise silencer to assist with this. We are pleased to say that the end result is as quiet as working in a lab or office,” Sutton said.

“The beauty of this project is that it showcases so many standard products working in just the right combination to deliver an elegant solution,” he continued. “Working with Mitch on the design and problem solving throughout the process was a very interesting journey. It really helped me challenge my product and engineering knowledge to find just the right fit for each part of the automation process.”

Adams believes collaboration between all parties was critical and says that this once-off project has now been selected as best practice going forward.

“We were able to successfully automate the assembly of the Tow-Pro thereby increasing the efficiency and the reliability of the process. The solution is easy to work with and ensures both longevity and flexibility,” he said.

The result is a complete automation cell that now forms part of REDARC’s modern assembly facilities where world-class products are produced, further cementing their vision to be a smart factory by 2025.

“SMC is a keen supporter of local manufacturing and partnering with a company such as REDARC is a real privilege for us. We are happy to be part of their automation solution and support their overall business objectives,” Sutton concluded.

The result is a complete automation cell that now forms part of REDARC’s modern assembly facilities where world-class products are produced, further cementing their vision to be a smart factory by 2025.