Tool Holder Assembly: Automated Oiling System
Tool Holder Assembly: Automated Oiling System
Definition
The purpose of the Oiling System is to automate the currently manual oiling process in the Tool Holder Assembly area. The system consists of a continuous loop that holds the entering tools while they arecleaned and oiled one by one. This loop is a chain that holds the tools with special hooks that are built to carry different types of tools, with variable shape, weight and size.
No operators extra will be needed to run this system. The operator that works in the station previous to the oiling process, the laser station, will be placing the tools as they come out of the laser. The operator that works in the packaging station, the subsequent station after the oiling process, will remove the tools as they come out of the loop at the other end.
Features and Requirements
The tools will go through a path that consists of the two halves of the loop. The first half has five enclosed compartments that will process the tools; the second half is where the empty hooks return to the beginning of the loop. In the first half, the first compartment is a transition between the second compartment and the second half of the loop[Refer to Figure 1a]. The second compartment consists ofa number of air nozzles that will blow air onto the tool to remove any residue from it[Refer to Figure 1b]. A container will hold all the residues that are collected in from the process. The third compartment consists of an oiling tank[Refer to Figure 1c]. The tools will fully dipinto the tank and then move into the fourth compartment. The forth compartment consists of air nozzles that will blow air onto the tools to help drain the extra oil from the tools [Refer to Figure 1d]. This oil will be filtered and returned into the oil tank. The fifth compartment is a transition between the fourth and the second half of the loop [Refer to Figure 1e].
The first and fifth compartments are built for health reasons, to avoid any air blown in the second and fourth compartments to go to the outside of the loop’s first half. The compartments will be divided by plastic flaps, which will allow smooth passing of the tools while still protecting each compartment. The goal is to set the appropriate distance between the first and second plastic flaps (entering and leaving flaps of the first compartment) so that they are never open at the same time, so that nothing leaves the area [Refer to Figure 2]. Same for the fifth and sixth plastic flaps (entering and leaving flaps of the fifth compartment).
The dipping tank, third compartment, will have dimensions that will allow a proper dipping of the tool without having the tools touching each other to avoid damage or the product. Refer to proposed dimensions in Figure 3.
The chain that will hold the tools will consist of a motor to run the chain, exchangeable hooks to hold the tools, and a very sturdy structure to hold the chain that at a time could be holding approximately thirty hooks, half of these full of tools up to thirty or more pounds. The speed of the moving chain will vary and will be controlled by the operator that places the tools in the loop. The controls interface will allow the operator to set not only the speed but also to manual or automatic mode, forward and reverse direction, start and emergency stop and an On/Off switch [Refer to Figure 4]. The controls will be set on the laser operator’s side. An emergency Stop will also be set in the other end of the loop, for safety reasons.
The hooks in the chain that will hold the tools will be made of plastic to avoid harming the tools. They will be robust but easily exchangeable, if needed. The pin that will hold the tool will have a conic shape to allow any tool with variable inside diameter to fit the hook. The hooks will be held from the top and bottom to avoid tilting of the hook and therefore the tool [Refer to Figure 5].
The system will be enclosed in a nicefinished metal case that features the Parlec Inc. logo on it. This case will have openings in both ends for the placing and removing of the tools and also access to the residue container and the oil filter, in compartments two and four respectively. A “back door” should also feature in the case just in case any access is needed. For safety reasons, the operator will not have access to the first half of the loop, where compartments one through five are located, to avoid any injuries.
The dimensions in the figures are suggested dimensions. They can be changed if needed as long as they fulfill the previously mentioned requirements. These dimensions were obtained by estimating distances with the biggest tool that would fit in the system, which has an outside diameter close to 7 inches. Refer to Figure 6 for the dimensions of the entire system.
Time studies will be required to understand the relationship between the two processes, previous and subsequent to the oiling process. This way queuing will be avoided and a better flow of the tools in the three stations, laser, oiling and packaging, will be achieved.
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Tool Holder Assembly: Oiling system
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