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Automation Required<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
In early 2021, Morristown won a contract to produce 10 million cartridge seals per year for a global automotive customer. There was little time for celebration as the plant\u2019s focus quickly shifted to prepping for production launch to meet the customer\u2019s timeline. During prototype production, engineers realized that the plant\u2019s existing inspection technology couldn\u2019t handle the complex seal geometry, or the speed of the injection-molding process required to produce the cartridge seals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThese parts are incredibly challenging,\u201d said Mike Vieth, FST\u2019s Manufacturing Engineering Manager in Morristown. In addition to being extremely small, he noted, the cartridges are asymmetrical and have six sealing surfaces instead of the typical two surfaces. The production equipment, itself, presented its own challenges, with high cavitation and five-
minute mold cycles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was clear that we needed a more advanced inspection system than we had been using,\u201d Vieth concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Morristown first began using automated inspection systems about 20 years ago. These off-the-shelf systems could detect a few simple defects, such as flash, underfills and material splits or tears, explained Advanced Manufacturing Specialist Jeff \u00adEllenberger, who has worked at Morristown for 22 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When it came time to replace these machines in 2017, Freudenberg worked with a different equipment manufacturer to provide an improved system that included specialized software and lenses that could detect material leakage and other flaws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis was a huge step forward in technology,\u201d Ellenberger recalled. Still, the plant realized that further development would be needed to meet increasingly stringent customer requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Team Approach<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
At the same time that Morristown was tooling up for the new sealing program, AMT was developing its next-generation machine vision technology. The highly customized FST system promised to be more efficient, significantly smaller, and less expensive than previous inspection units.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The development process was led by Dr. Helmut Hamfeld, Senior Engineering \u00adSpecialist, AMT, who works in Weinheim. He was joined on the project by Scott Sulhan, a Plymouth-based senior engineer who \u00adspecializes in robotics and mechanical engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pair worked closely with Ellenberger to tailor the new inspection system for the Morristown application. In addition to comprehensive product specs, they documented all the potential cartridge seal defects the system could encounter and would need to identify. This allowed them to teach the system the difference between good and bad parts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once the unit was programmed, Morristown began sending prototype parts to Germany for testing. The result? \u201cThe system caught every defect as intended,\u201d Vieth said. \u201cIt was amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perfect Timing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHelmut and Scott were developing and building a more precise and flexible inspection system just when we needed it,\u201d Ellenberger noted. \u201cNot only could we easily adapt it for our application, it also was significantly smaller and much more affordable.\u201d
Sulhan built the inspection unit in a month using about 40 machined parts. It was shipped to Germany for final testing and passed with flying colors. The unit was then shipped back to the U.S. and sent to Morristown in early January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next-generation machine, dubbed FVision GP 50, combines proprietary vision control technology with advanced automation. Measuring just 30-by-30 inches (76-by-76 centimeters), (not including feeder and packaging components), the unit is a third the size and cost of currently available automated inspection machines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Freudenberg plans to use FVision GP 50 to inspect a wide variety of small parts (up to a 50 millimeter diameter), including small automotive seals, springs and O-rings that are made of different types of materials and use different production processes. It features new image processing technology \u2013 including the ability to self-adapt to process variations \u2013 and can support as many as four cameras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
FVision GP 50\u2019s glass-plate design allows cameras to simultaneously photograph seals from multiple angles \u2013 including from the bottom up \u2013 to avoid unnecessary handling. The Morristown unit will conduct more than 20 different surface inspections at a rate of up to 10 parts per second, depending on feeding rates and other variables. The unit also distinguishes between actual defects and random process variations such as those caused by dirt or dust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Nod To Industry 4.0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Most FST vision control machines are connected to a database that produces live status information about process and machine conditions, Scavuzzo explained. In a nod to Industry 4.0, FVision GP 50 is the starting point for a closed-loop production system where injection machines continuously monitor and adjust themselves during operation to maintain product integrity and eliminate defects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
FVision GP 50 will also play an important role in FST\u2019s efforts to standardize equipment and processes throughout its production facilities. To this end, Scavuzzo estimates that the new inspection unit could eventually be used in about 80 percent of the company\u2019s plants with minimal design changes, and customized camera, illumination and software capabilities that support specific applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEquipment suppliers don\u2019t understand our products, production processes and challenges as well as we do,\u201d Scavuzzo noted. \u201cUsing our own engineers and scientists is a key competitive advantage that enables a deeper commitment and understanding of our own systems, and FVision GP 50 is a huge step in that direction.\u201d<\/p>\n