First results on vibration feeding of small parts in the presence of adhesive forces

Abstract

In this paper, a flexible solution for part feeding in assembly is analysed for its suitability to feed small parts with typical dimensions between 0.5 and 5.0 mm. The feeding concept is based on a tooling plate, which vibrates to separate and reorient the parts. A vision system is used to determine the position of parts in a correct orientation. A robot picks these parts and assembles them. The conditions for a successful reorientation of parts are studied. The influence of adhesive forces on the ability to re‐orientate is investigated. A prototype is built to determine empirically the magnitude of the adhesive forces and the influence of these forces on the feeding process.

Citation

Vorstenbosch, J., Bourgeois, F., Koelemeijer Chollet, S. and Tichem, M. (2004), "First results on vibration feeding of small parts in the presence of adhesive forces", Assembly Automation, Vol. 24 No. 2, pp. 177-183. https://doi.org/10.1108/01445150410529964