Efficient handling of components during dispensing sealing foam

Shuttle sliding tables offer maximum flexibility for application of PU gaskets

The automated application of PU gaskets offers numerous benefits: precise application, consistent quality, high reproducibility and little waste. However, production is only efficient if the handling of the components is optimally integrated into the production process. For an Eastern European manufacturer of electronic products, DOPAG adapted its dynamicLine product precisely to the company’s requirements.

Requirements
The customer needs to apply a PU gasket to control cabinet doors of different sizes. This is to prevent dirt or moisture from getting into the control cabinet and causing damage to the sensitive electronic components. The PU gasket must be applied precisely and with consistently high quality. Handling should be as ergonomic and convenient as possible for users, even in the case of large doors, and should also take as little time as possible.

Automated solution for dynamic mixing
To produce a PU gasket, two-component polymer reaction materials are processed with a dynamic mixing system. They then set at room temperature, creating a soft foam seal. To ensure efficient production processes, DOPAG designed an automated metering and mixing system consisting of a dynamic mixing head, a linear robot and a shutter sliding table with protective housing.

Smooth production processes
The control cabinet doors are manually placed on the shuttle sliding table. When the start button is pressed, the shuttle sliding table moves into the application area, and the linear robot with the dynamic mixing head moves into position and starts applying the PU gasket. In the meantime, the user can prepare and insert the second control cabinet door. The shuttle sliding table is a two-level table with one level above the other. The corresponding range of travel is specified in the programme. The software automatically identifies which level is ready for application of the gasket and brings the dynamic mixing head into the right starting position automatically. Shuttle sliding tables of this kind are suitable for larger components in particular, with a maximum load capacity of 100 kg per table. The user can respond flexibly thanks to the hole pattern grid and can even insert several smaller control cabinet doors. A corresponding programme can be stored for each application and then selected in just a few steps as required, ensuring maximum flexibility in production at all times. 

Gasketing with optimal coupling points
The materials for the subsequent PU gasket, the A-component and the B-component, are conveyed into the mixing head via pressure tanks. A material conditioning system is used here to temper the containers and the hoses. This compensates for fluctuations in the ambient temperature and ensures that the material is prepared reliably with a constant temperature and consistent level of quality.

The PU gasket is applied precisely and in a reproducible manner. Thanks to the precise coordination of metering volume and robot speed, the start and end points of the foam bead come together perfectly, so there are no coupling points. The shuttle sliding tables offer a further benefit. Their electrical drive ensures a safe speed. The software also enables gentle acceleration and slowing down of the shuttle sliding table, as programmed. This means that even small components do not lose the position they were placed in if they come to a sudden stop. The component therefore retains its position and the starting point of the foam bead can be placed with precision.

In addition, a protective housing in accordance with the standard for obtaining the CE declaration of conformity ensures maximum safety. When the user opens the safety door, the software immediately checks the access requirements. If the dynamic mixing head is in operation, the gasket application is finished and the component is not destroyed. Only then is the door unlocked, allowing the user to enter. The system also has a remote service. In case of any problems or software updates, the experts at DOPAG can access the system via remote maintenance and provide the customer with prompt support as and when they need it.

Benefits electrical shuttle sliding tables

  • Two electrical, servo-powered shuttle sliding table tops
  • Gentle acceleration and deceleration without jolting: the components to be processed remain in position throughout the handling and do not slip.
  • Milled aluminium plates for high accuracy
  • Hole pattern grid for installation of customer fixtures
  • Capacity of up to 80 kg per shuttle sliding table top
  • Three standardized sizes, adapted to the dimensions of our linear robots: - 450 x 1,000 mm - 950 x 1,000 mm - 1,200 x 1,000 mm (special dimensions for larger components also possible)
  • DOPAG can also optionally offer a shuttle table on which the table tops are arranged on top of one another. This is particularly suitable for processing large, flat components.