'SecureTouch' Safety Syringe Assembly Machine
The challenge was to design a fully automated machine to retro-fit standard syringes producing SecureTouch safety syringes. Testing and quality assurance methods were necessary to ensure product conformance and consistency and to gain approval from the relevant medical authorities.
Significant technical challenges required the use of technologies such as ultrasonic welding and machine vision. A highly developed ultrasonic welding technique integrated within the design provided a fast and consistent plastic bond. An innovative machine vision approach led to fast automatic part sorting and rejection, high accuracy quality assurance and high speed part alignment.
The result is a machine capable of producing upwards of 30 million syringes per year. The entire machine was designed from scratch, built and commissioned in-house at the Procontrol Systems premises - eliminating contractual headaches for the client!
Click here to see a video of the machine in operation
SecureTouch Assembly Machine showing bowl feeders and ultrasonic welders
- Dual Ultrasonic Welders: two welders were used to reduce the cycle time
- Camera Vision Quality Testing: a high-powered vision system was used to check the final product is within tolerance and acceptable for sale
- In-Situ Weld Testing: every syringe is tested to ensure a quality weld and rejected if not satisfactory
- Camera Vision Part Sorting: the odd-shaped parts require a camera to analyse them and only allow through correctly oriented parts
- Completed Part Line: the finished parts exit on a line to assist with easy packaging
SecureTouch Assembly Machine showing linear feeders and control panel
- Servo Controlled Rotary Table: an ultra-high accuracy servo motor and zero-backlash gearbox give perfect alignment every time
- More Vision Parts Sorting: the high speed flow and indistinguishable shape of this part was comprehensively solved using a vision system
- Complex Parts Feeding: difficult part shape was a signature of this project!
SecureTouch Assembly Machine showing SCADA touch screen
- SCADA touch screen control: the machine control is powered by a user friendly interface custom designed for the client
- Camera Vision Quality Checking: before parts are operated on they are verified for size, shape etc
- Robust Modular Construction: the structure is made from the modular Robotunits™ system providing for easy expansion and modification
- Concurrent Parts: four parts are manufactured at once to reduce the cycle time and increase output