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PADPRINT
NOTEBOOK Useful Tips & Information © ITW Trans Tech An Illinois Tool Works Company All Rights Reserved |
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 Application Summary: Medical Device Automated Pad Printing System Project #825567 Technical Data: Pad Printing Application: Printing two-color images on front and back of a medical device. Featured Machine: Sealcup 60 (2) with 60mm ink cups; fitted with automatic pad clean-off device; pad blowers (two per printer). Benefit: Enable two-color, two-sided pad printing of curved medical device with artwork in exact position at a continuous rate with minimal operator involvement. Sequence of Operation: Operator bulk loads parts into vibratory feeder bowl which feeds and orients parts, diameter-to-diameter, small end up, and delivers parts to twist track to force parts into horizontal position, with small diameter facing out, away from fixtures. Prior to loading, vision inspection unit verifies front or back position of blank part, then signals pneumatic slide to properly orient part, slide then transfers two parts from dead nest to mandrels on the Weiss ring dial plate. Fixtures (12) are two-up with 180-degree flip feature located between printer stations to allow for printing on back side. Fixture advances via dial ring to printer one to receive image of custom color (red) on each part; then advances to part-flip unit which rotates fixture 180-degrees; then advances to printer two which adds a second image to the reverse side of both parts. Dial ring advances fixture to pass under hot-air curing unit; then to vision inspection unit which verifies quality and location of image, deciding whether print passes or fails. Rake-off stripper units sort appropriate parts into either failed or passed chutes; passed chute has counter gate with dual outfeed. Components: Heavy-duty, welded machine base secures two machines in fixed position; full system lexan guarding including safety door interlocks;. vibratory feeder bowl includes sound enclosure and lexan hinged cover; pneumatic slide pick & place device; twelve-stop Weiss indexing ring dial; twelve two-up custom fixtures; part-flip unit; hot-air curing unit; vision inspection package including lenses, lighting, interface; unload units (2) with pneumatic stripper (rake-off) and dual chute w/ gate & counter for good parts; also chute for reject parts; part securement device; part present sensor; full interface of machines and electrical components with control display panel with programmable capabilities; electrical junction & circuit cabinet; pneumatic manifold and interface of air components. Production Rate: 40 parts per minute. Artwork: • Front side: single-color image of indicator art. • Reverse side: single-color image of indicator art. Position: centered on part side; surface contour: oval cylinder, curved. Cliché Plates: Plate material: steel; Sealcup 60: 70 x 140 (2) Substrate: Nylon; light color, smooth; surface. Ink Type Used: Type P; custom color. Curing: Forced hot air; with unit retraction feature. RELATED LINKS: Sealcup 60 Automation |
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Fully Automated Pad Printing:
Precision Ring At Core of High-Volume Production
OUR automation engineers have been impressed with the accuracy and flexibility
of the Weiss indexing dial ring, so they are designing and recommending it to selected customers. This concept features stationary components arranged on the inside and outside of a moving ring carrying multiple part fixtures. The benefit is a precision system with a compact footprint using several complex processes with a resulting high output. Also, it's easier to reach individual operating stations without stretching. Here is a recent example of a fully automatic application that fits like a ring.
Overview of the automated system shows the full safety guarding, heavy-duty welded tubular steel base frame and cast aluminum base plate, also seen are electrical circuit boxes, pneumatic components and control panel.
View from above of the printing area shows the arrangement of two Sealcup 60 printers, pad clean-off devices, fixture flip unit between printers, and several fixtures mounted to the moving Weiss ring dial.
System control panel enables complete monitoring of feeder, printers, curing and production output.
Overhead view of system shows how the ring dial advances printed parts clockwise to the hot-air curing unit, vision inspection station, failed part ejection chute, passed part chute, part-present sensor and load area at top of photo.
Detail view of first printing station, showing Sealcup 60 with dual pad assembly, two-up holding fixture, and pad blowers.
Part loading area shows (from right) dead nest, pneumatic pick-up-adjust-and-insertion unit, part securement device, and (at far left) monitors to verify proper location of parts prior to insertion onto fixture mandrels.
Dual vision inspection unit uses two cameras to check quality and position of printed image on both parts, then signals appropriate rake-off units to sort each as passed or failed.
View from the rear of the printing area shows rake-off units with passed and failed output chutes. At far left is part present sensor which checks that fixture is empty prior to loading next pair of blank parts.
Hot air curing unit moves forward to cure both sides of each pair of parts as they pass through its opening. As a safety precaution, it retracts out of the part path when the system is stopped to avoid excessive heating of printed parts.
For more details on our custom-engineered, automated pad printing systems, feel free to contact your local ITW Trans Tech rep at: www.itwtranstech.com
Precision Ring At Core of High-Volume Production
OUR automation engineers have been impressed with the accuracy and flexibility
of the Weiss indexing dial ring, so they are designing and recommending it to selected customers. This concept features stationary components arranged on the inside and outside of a moving ring carrying multiple part fixtures. The benefit is a precision system with a compact footprint using several complex processes with a resulting high output. Also, it's easier to reach individual operating stations without stretching. Here is a recent example of a fully automatic application that fits like a ring.
Overview of the automated system shows the full safety guarding, heavy-duty welded tubular steel base frame and cast aluminum base plate, also seen are electrical circuit boxes, pneumatic components and control panel.
View from above of the printing area shows the arrangement of two Sealcup 60 printers, pad clean-off devices, fixture flip unit between printers, and several fixtures mounted to the moving Weiss ring dial.
System control panel enables complete monitoring of feeder, printers, curing and production output.
Overhead view of system shows how the ring dial advances printed parts clockwise to the hot-air curing unit, vision inspection station, failed part ejection chute, passed part chute, part-present sensor and load area at top of photo.
Detail view of first printing station, showing Sealcup 60 with dual pad assembly, two-up holding fixture, and pad blowers.
Part loading area shows (from right) dead nest, pneumatic pick-up-adjust-and-insertion unit, part securement device, and (at far left) monitors to verify proper location of parts prior to insertion onto fixture mandrels.
Dual vision inspection unit uses two cameras to check quality and position of printed image on both parts, then signals appropriate rake-off units to sort each as passed or failed.
View from the rear of the printing area shows rake-off units with passed and failed output chutes. At far left is part present sensor which checks that fixture is empty prior to loading next pair of blank parts.
Hot air curing unit moves forward to cure both sides of each pair of parts as they pass through its opening. As a safety precaution, it retracts out of the part path when the system is stopped to avoid excessive heating of printed parts.
For more details on our custom-engineered, automated pad printing systems, feel free to contact your local ITW Trans Tech rep at: www.itwtranstech.com
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