Assembly - December 2008 - (Page 58) Advertisement Advertisement VIEW FROM THE TOP Industry Leader in Automatic Screwfeeder Technology D D ue to the global slowdown in manufacturing and the economy, DEPRAG anticipates a variety of developments. Manufacturers are less willing to make large investments in capital equipment, which has resulted in less demand for fully automated assembly systems. Instead, the industry is concentrating on manually loaded single-cell solutions, like the DEPRAG Compact Assembly Cell (DCAM), or “smart workbenches.” The DCAM is a stand-alone assembly cell. It can be manually loaded, or it can interface with a palletized conveyor for automatic loading. Lately, DEPRAG has noticed a rather large demand for these types of systems. Currently, hundreds of DCAMs assemble more than a 100,000 cell phones each day all around the world. For example, a four-spindle DCAM with a two-position rotary-indexing table has a cycle time of 1.6 seconds for four screws. In a three-shift operation, that’s 36,000 phones for a cell phone needing six screws! A “smart workbench” is for manual assembly, but sophisticated electronics ensure that assembly standards are met. Manual assembly can be accomplished with process control—if the solution is well thought-out. A smart workbench is equipped with MINIMAT-E screwdrivers, which indicate and document torque and angle values. When combined with an X-Y positioning device, the screwdriver can help the operator locate the screwdriver at the correct fastening locations and follow a predetermined assembly sequence. esign Tool, Inc. is a worldwide leader in automatic screwdriving technology. Our DTI team has a combined 85 years of experience in the design and manufacturing of automatic assembly equipment. Design Tool Inc. is a North Carolina-based company that provides automatic screwdriving solutions to a wide scope of industries such as automotive, electronics, metal, plastics, telecommunications, wood, and many others. DTI has over 6,000 machines that operate in over 15 countries around the world. Our network includes 50 distributors and reps that sell and service our equipment and to ensure the customers satisfaction. Design Tool is a leader in the industry because of its five patents on its feed mechanism. Our patented feed mechanism has only one moving part. The twist-lock cover permits fast access to the feed mechanism allowing it to be disassembled and reassemble in seconds without the use of tools. Our patented multi-feed system allows us to feed up to 20 multi-spindle screwdrivers from one hopper. The DTI 5000 is the world’s simplest automatic screwfeeder on the market that is built for durability and reliability of performance during production. You can never afford to be down during manufacturing time. Design Tool prides itself for keeping replacement parts in inventory at the factory or at distributor locations. Many parts are standard commercial parts and are available at your local maintenance supply house. Design Tool also builds custom designed multi-spindle screwdriving systems that are custom designed as a turnkey system or supplied as componetry. We also design XYZ, computerized, and PLC controlled units. Our accessories include shrouds, supply hoppers, and workarms. So just remember our slogan “Just Add Screws” and our name. Design Tool, Inc. 1607 Norfolk Place SW Conover, NC 28613 Phone: 800-948-1038 Fax: 800-328-4127 www.designtoolinc.com 58 ASSEMBLY / December 2008 www.assemblymag.com http://www.designtoolinc.com http://www.assemblymag.com
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