Spring Seat Pull Tester Inspection System

This automated inspection system was developed and programmed for operator loaded inspections of a spring seat including a pull tester.

The system was installed between a series of rubber injection molding presses. After a shot of spring seats was molded, an operator would load them, one at a time, into a rotary dial table. In the first inspection station, a pneumatic pull tester would grip the loop on the spring seat and pull to a known pressure while a vision camera inspected for proper molding. Based on pass/fail results, the part was paint marked with a pen and picked/placed onto an outbound conveyor, or dropped into a reject bin for operator removal.

The system utilized a pair of Keyence IVS sensors for all vision inspections and a pneumatic pressure switch for the pull test. A Camco rotary table performed all part movements through the inspection areas and a pneumatic pick/place was used for passing and failing parts. A PLC and a color touch screen HMI were used to control this machine and display run data. All electrical components were housed inside a Nema-12 enclosure on the rear of the system.