AFRA - Automatic Fuse and Relay Assembly
The Automatic Fuse and Relay Assembly (AFRA), is a complete and fully automatic assembly line designed to assembly screws, fuses and relays into fuse boxes that are already mounted into the wire harnesses.
The number and disposition of the stations are solely dependent on the output desired, since the stations are completely modular and can be arranged in any given order or topology, even being able to work in standalone mode, if desired.
The complete wire harnesses, already packed, are carried out through the conveyor line using trolleys.
Before entering the line, the operator scans a barcode that tags the harness and communicates with the central server in order to acquire the insertion pattern. This associates the trolley to the harness and to the desired insertion pattern.
This allows that each harness moving along the line can have distinct insertion patterns.
After entering the line, the process of assembly and final test is fully automatic and without human intervention.
AFRA - Screw Station
The AFRA – Screw Station, is a fully automatic system designed to screw nuts into fuse boxes which are already mounted into wire harnesses.
The screw station is one of the modular stations of the AFRA assembly line, but it can also work as a standalone station.
It has a SCARA robot, with an electric screwdriver, that screws a nut in a specific location of the fuse box.
It has a bowl feeder that automatically feeds and delivers the nuts into the head of the electric screwdriver.
The nut is supplied by a bowl feeder that shoots the nut into the head of the robot.
Before the screwing process, the machine detects if the cable shoe is present or not.
The screw process is fully compliant with the VDI2862 Category A norm, with double redundant check systems to monitor and verify the torque and angle of the screw spindle.
For each screw cycle, the tightening curve is recorded and stored for traceability.
AFRA - Fuse Insertion Station
The AFRA – Fuse Station, is a fully automatic system designed to insert fuses into fuse boxes that are already mounted into wire harnesses.
The fuse station is one of the modular stations of the AFRA assembly line, but it can also work as a standalone station.
The fuses are inserted by a SCARA robot, at a rate of one fuse each 2 seconds, using a clamp with a load cell.
The fuses are picked up in a fixed position at the end of a linear guide, delivered through several different bowl feeders, one per each fuse type.
The load cell monitors continuously the insertion process and is also used to detect any problem that might occur during insertion, namely: no insertion force, closed contacts or rear plugging.
For all positions, the insertion force is recorded and stored. The positions that originate an error are automatically marked and signaled to the central station, to mark the harness for rework.
AFRA - Relay Insertion Station
The AFRA – Relay Station, is a fully automatic system designed to insert relays into fuse boxes that are already mounted into wire harnesses.
The relay station is one of the modular stations of the AFRA assembly line, but it can also work as a standalone station.
The relays can be supplied in trays or tubes, depending on how they are delivered by the manufacturer.
A SCARA robot will pick up the relays one by one and insert them into the desired position, at a rate of one relay each 2 seconds.
The robot has a clamp, equipped with a load cell that monitors continuously the insertion process and is used to detect any problem that might occur during insertion, like: no insertion force, closed contacts or rear plugging.
For all positions, the insertion force is recorded and stored and any position that originates an error is automatically marked and signaled to the central station, to mark the harness for rework.
AFRA - Vision Inspection Station
The AFRA – Vision Station, is a vision inspection system designed to verify if the fuses and relays assembled into fuse boxes are in accordance with the desired.
The vision station is one of the modular stations of the AFRA assembly line, but it can also work as a standalone station.
The fuse boxes are already mounted into the wire harnesses. So, the full harness is brought to the vision station through trolleys by an operator (in standalone mode) or by the AFRA conveyor (in production line mode).
The vision station not only verifies if the components are present or missing, but it also verifies if they are on the right position, if they are the correct ones and also their orientation and height.
After the test, the vision station will inform if all components are well assembled or, in case of an error, identify which positions are incorrect.