Having a machine prepare plates will cut down on error prone labor of counting and organizing the truss plates. The organized plates will be in a more consistent order for the assemblers.
Many plants have the assembly crew pick their own plates. This often leads to the plate inventory being disorganized because the responsibility is spread all over. Having one operator in charge will prevent this.
The pneumatic oil should be kept filled and grease added to the z-axis once per week.
Long term the polymer linear bearings will need to be replaced. Expected lifetime is 3 years.
Our robot design lets us rotate and pack each plate tightly into the bin. They are packed so they can be retrieved from the top working down to the bottom layer. For most trusses this starts at a heel and works around the truss.
You can see a basic example in the picture below for building two identical trusses. Each rectangle represents one layer of plates in the bin. This example has two layers, and each layer is two plate pairs tall. The numbers below the plate name show the build sequence. The first plate removed by the assembler is 12 in this case. Plates are then dealt out around the truss in a clockwise direction. After all the plates on the top layer are gone then the bottom layer will be fully exposed and plate distribution can continue until the bin is empty.
Another common scheme is used for jack trusses. In this mode all the plates are just packed as tightly as possible into the box regardless of use order. This prevents consuming 10 bins for 10 trusses with 3 plates each.
The scheme used can be selected by the operator and there are settings to customize for your plant.
The software detects this and prints any missing plate sizes on the bin label. The operator can add these to the bins as needed.
The software includes several different layouts that we recommend as best practice. If these aren’t sufficient for your plant, we will add one to meet your needs.
This depends on the number of modules in the machine and what sizes you put in them. Typically, 24-25 plates sizes will fit in each 7.5” module. Each module costs the same regardless of the number of racks installed so you are free to choose the sizes you want.
TLDR. We offer a free analysis of your usage based on your TPS files to customize your machine just for you.
Plate usage follows the 80-20 rule. This means that only a few sizes account for most of the usage. The result is the optimal size machine is one or two modules (25-50 plate racks) and can cover 95-98% of usage. To even out the run time between refills, the smallest plate racks in the machine should be duplicated.
The very smallest sizes (1.5×4 or 2×3) typically account for 30% of plates used by count. We recommend this size not be placed in the machine and just be stocked at the table.
We have racks for 1.5”x4” up to 12”x20”, 16ga,18ga and 20ga.
50 racks (two modules) * 70 plates per rack = 3500 plate pairs or 7000 plates.
65 bins can be loaded into the machine on the lower conveyor.
The machine has a sensor for each plate rack that detects low quantity. When this occurs if another redundant size is available the software automatically switches to that rack. If no more sizes are available, the machine stops with a warning light.
The full sheet metal back and size of the plate rack make it easy to put plates in. You can put plates in at the top of the rack and let them down onto the stack. This is a one-handed operation for all but the biggest sizes. Alternatively, up to about 5 plates can be inserted directly on the stack by twisting them in diagonally.
Banded packs are available from many plate manufactures and we recommend those be stocked. The entire banded pack can be dropped in the machine at one and then the plastic band cut off afterwards, but operators prefer to open the banded pack directly on the table in front of the rack.
All plates are loaded tooth to tooth in pairs.
Yes, but not for a whole shift. The machine has several self-checks to ensure that everything is operating properly. If it needs attention or runs out of plates the software will pause operation safely. This means you can walk away during break or lunch while it is running with no problem. For a small plant the machine should only be run as needed as it will be too fast to run all the time. Larger plants can have the operator also deliver the plates to the assembly tables and retrieve empty baskets.
Every machine comes with an industry standard one year warranty.
All of the Teknic servos and electronics come with a three-year warranty from the manufacturer. See the individual part warranty date on each of their parts.
The e-stop system includes dual channel buttons and safety switches on the access doors run through a safety relay. During e-stop all high voltage is removed to prevent motor movement, and all pneumatic pressure is automatically drained out to prevent any movement hazards.
Opening any robot access doors immediately stops motion. It should be one of the safest machines in a truss plant.
The machine runs on standard 110V outlet and uses 5 amps max.
The Plate Picker is designed to be high density and use minimal space. Click the link below to view the PDF and download it.