Feed System Components for Robotic Cells Destined for Navistar Engines

Action Feed Systems has successfully completed three part feeding and escapement systems to be integrated into major advancements on engines produced for the trucking and heavy industry segments by International (Navistar), Warren, IL. An Elgin based robotics integrator issued the feed system order as part of a larger crank shaft assembly cell. Each system consisted of a robust, adjustable base, storage hopper, vibratory bowl, gravity track or tube and escapement, for singulated part presentation to the robot gripper tooling.

Noteworthy features of the part feeding aspect of the project included a precisely machined profile selector for the Adjustment Screw, which has a round head and a vibratory bowl that feeds out two lanes of Freeze Plugs in opposite orientations for escapement and presentation at either end of the crank shaft assembly. Action Feed Systems worked closely with the engineers performing the integration of the equipment to complete the assembly cell, carefully meeting dimensional requirements and following through with technical support on the assembly floor prior to customer run-off and approval.