XPlanar automation for today’s and tomorrow’s inline manufacturing
The floating product transport by means of the XPlanar from Beckhoff, which we have implemented in our E-ssembly concept, creates completely new possibilities for handling products inside and outside the machines as well as between the individual process steps. This means that we can look at inline production in a completely new way, and this has opened up possibilities that cannot be implemented with conventional belt transport systems.
We have entered new territory with this new concept of PCB transport. I am convinced that the future of inline production does not lie solely in conventional belt systems. We have successfully opened a door here.
Matthias Fehrenbach, EUTECT GmbH
THE E-SSEMBLY LINE – FIVE PROCESSES, ONE SYSTEM
The E-ssembly line, based on the XPlanar planar motor system from Beckoff, was developed by Eutect for soldering the bus contacts on the terminal assemblies, which are used in all common IP20 I/O and fieldbus systems of Beckhoff Automation GmbH & Co. KG. The soldering system consists of two loading systems including a palletizing unit, an optical position correction, a laser cell with three laser soldering heads and a final loading system with palletizer. The entire PCB transport is carried out via the integrated XPlanar planar motor system from Beckhoff.
Process 1
Precise loading of workpiece carriers
In the first step of this machine concept, a connector is removed from the pallet with a pick & place system, rotated into position and placed in the workpiece carrier mounted on the XPlanar.
Process 2
Force-displacement controlled pressing of connectors into the PCB
In the subsequent second Pick & Place system, the PCB is picked up, also removed from a pallet, and pressed into the connector, which is located in the workpiece carrier on the XPlanar, under force-displacement control.
Process 3
Reliable position correction
Afterwards, a camera checks the position of the connector and PCB in the workpiece carrier. If the positioning is incorrect, the XPlanar does not move into the subsequent soldering system with the loaded workpiece carrier.
Process 4
3-fold laser soldering
Three loaded movers enter the laser soldering system simultaneously, where the connectors and assemblies on all movers are soldered in one process step. XPlanar tiles were also integrated within the laser soldering system.
For the actual soldering process, the PCB remain on the XPlanar. The high-precision X-Y-Z positioning was generated the XPlanar-Mover. Once all PCBs have been soldered, they leave the system at the same time and the next PCBs move in.
Process 5
Unloading using the pick & place function
In the last step, the finished PCBs are removed from the workpiece carrier using a pick & place system and placed on a pallet. Both, the pallets with connector and PCBs, plus the full pallets are removed fully automatic.
