We have just completed and handed over an automatic machine for checking the length of products – specifically cannulas. This is a full automatic machine, which replaces the existing three control machines, which the customer has used so far. The speed of product inspection is 6.5 pieces per second!
The machine works on the principle of camera control of both ends of the cannula with evaluation of the longitudinal accuracy of each manufactured piece. The cannulas are inserted into the bin by the operator and from this they are removed by a rotating revolver and transported for inspection in front of two high-resolution cameras installed in parallel. Since the customer’s request was for a universal machine for different diameters and lengths of cannulas, one camera is fixed and the other can be fixed to a different required position according to type of product.
From the very beginning, great emphasis was also placed on the easy adjustability of the device to minimize downtime. The result: the rotating revolver change itself and the settings for the new type take only a few minutes for a trained adjuster. The cannula check is continuous, the cycle does not stop because the cannulas that have been checked and evaluated as OK from the revolver immediately fall into the meander, where in the case of replacing the full box with an empty checked OK, the cannulas temporarily accumulate. Box replacement is also performed fully automatically using a FANUC robot.
It is unbelievably fast and precise! The device has capacity of checking 185,000 cannulas per shift! And as a bonus, we gave the customer a program to evaluate the quality of the cannula tip. As a custom made solution, we designed the device from a first concept until the final installation and all of it in 6 months. Excellent cooperation with the customer, everyone worked as a team.
