Products &
Components
We Create Advanced Automation Solutions.
Creative Automation uses a variety of products and components to make the greater whole. Some of these items are generally available on the market, while others are more specialized.
While our expertise is in advanced systems, sometimes a simpler solution is all that is required. Creative Automation has no issue providing customers with simpler systems or basic products and components where appropriate.
Robots
Robots are an increasingly inexpensive and flexible automation solution. Creative Automation is experienced at integrating robots for a variety of material handling functions, from palletizing to machine loading. Robots can also be integrated with other systems such as vision or gauging to increase the flexibility and efficiency of your manufacturing cells.
Robots can be either floor-mounted, track-mounted or mounted to an overhead rail. Track-mounted robots can be used to serve multiple machines and operations. Overhead rail-mounted robots (top loaders) allow for the design of flexible machine cells, or for large palletizing/depalletizing cells.
As an authorized integrator of FANUC robots, we can provide you with a wide variety of stand-alone robot designs and integrate them into your application needs to provide flexible solutions. Creative Automation also uses robots from many other manufacturers—let us know your preference.
Gantries
Gantry robots offer efficient and flexible solutions for a wide range of automation needs. Gantries can be used with a single machine or many, and can range from a few feet in length to well over a hundred, with payloads from a few ounces to one-and-a-half tons. In addition to these capabilities, gantries come in single- and multiple-axis configurations. One can easily see why a gantry robot can be configured for a variety of different tasks.
Gantries can be mounted or positioned in a variety of ways. The traditional overhead style offers considerable advantages because of the minimal floor space needed for supports, while allowing access to the equipment below. Floor or table mounts are also available, depending on the application.
Pick & Place
Sophisticated robots and gantries aren’t always necessary when a job is relatively simple. Creative Automation recognizes that the best machine for a straightforward job is often a pick-and-place machine—a simple 2-3 linear axis machine with a basic repetitive motion requiring a basic control. With a variety of sizes and configurations, Creative Automation is ready and able to fulfill your unique requirements.
Conveyors
Controlling part flow is a challenge in any factory environment. Often, part handling in manufacturing cells requires special conveyors, and Creative Automation can custom design a conveyor for individual work cells or for an entire manufacturing line. In order to maximize your productivity, we use a variety of off-the-shelf components and conveyors to provide reliability and maintainability, then combine them with the custom parts required for your application. Altratec Montagesysteme GmbH (www.altratec.de) is our primary supplier of conveyor systems. They use their own aluminum profile system as the modular basis for a variety of highly configurable conveyor designs. Conveyor options include:
Altratec’s basic design, this conveyor is highly configurable with a variety of available accessories:
Pallet Transfer
Pallets are effective in many handling solutions, such as machine tool loading or assembly operations. The pallet can be made with the appropriate fixtures to hold parts in alignment or to otherwise facilitate your manufacturing process.
Part Transfer
The dual roller chain conveyors do not need to be used with pallets. In some cases it makes more sense to place the part directly on the chain. This is particularly useful in some harsher environments where a pallet would just get in the way and collect dirt. Dual-roller chain conveyors can also be used as your basic gravity conveyor.
Parts Cleaning
Vacuum Cleaning System (Patent Number on File)
The Vacuum Cleaning System is a new means of efficiently cleaning your parts. It consists of two opposing plastic mold halves that close around the part, and a high-powered vacuum that sucks chips and coolant off the part, leaving it clean and dry. Coolant and chips can then be recovered and dispensed into their proper handling systems, allowing the coolant to be recycled.
Due to the unit’s compact design, it can be easily adapted to existing or new manufacturing systems. When you compare the Vacuum Cleaning System with more traditional cleaning systems, it is easy to see the new system’s potential.
Features:
- Loads from top (by gantry) or bottom (lifted from conveyor)
- For special applications, compressed air may also be used
Technical Specifications:
- Cycle time: 60 Sec.
- Net cleaning time: 45 Sec.
- Maximum noise level: ca. 74 dB (A)
- Suction station dimensions: L x W x H = 840 x 940 x 1350 mm
- Suction station weight: approx. 120 kg
- Extraction unit dimensions: L x W x H = 800 x 1000 x 2000 mm
- Extraction unit weight: approx. 350 kg
- Three phase: 480V 60HZ, 5 kW
- Air connection: 6mm tube
- Operating pressure: 90psi
Dry Cleaning Unit
- Retain oil or emulsion with a simple vacuum process
- Small footprint: fits into almost every production line
- Low investment
- Very small operating costs
- Environmentally friendly
- Low energy consumption
Existing Applications
- Crankshafts
- Valve Bodies
- Clutch Housings
- Differential Housings
- Camshafts
- Gear Wheels
- Fuel Pumps
- Differential Carriers
- Gearshafts
- Knuckles
- Connecting Rods
- Hydraulic Control Box
Suction Unit
Over 400 suction units have been installed in over 20 plants including:
- Affina
- Macimex
- Audi
- Mahle
- BMW
- Opel
- Bosch
- Skoda
- DaimlerChrysler
- Saturn
- Dana
- Thyssen-Krupp
- Deutz
- Visteon
- Ford
- Volkswagen
- GM
Air Spindles for Holding Deburring Tools
Mannesmann-Demag is a manufacturer of the air spindles used to hold deburring tools, allowing for more custom applications than WMS normally handles. These spindles can be mounted in fixtures on robots, linear positioning systems and so on, allowing for a wide variety of configurations for whatever best suits your application. You can be sure that state-of-the-art technology, maximum reliability and top-rate quality will be key components in your automation system, due to:
High precision: Our spindles have extremely high true running values of 0.02 mm or less.
Durability: Spindles and housings are made of extra-robust stainless steel combined with either floating bearings for turbine spindles or paired bearings for all other types, giving the spindles a long service life.
Process: The spindle will give you a high quality finish when deburring, cutting, milling or drilling.
Additional Components
In order to improve the overall effectiveness of the line, it is often worth considering the addition of more functions to an automation system other than the materials-handling function.
Vision
Vision systems are an effective way to perform a variety of tasks, from part identification to gauging to robot guidance. Creative Automation is experienced in using vision for multiple applications.
Gauging
Gauging parts is often a necessary requirement; in some cases the gauging system can be incorporated into the automation to improve throughput.
Guarding
Using the Altratec profile system we can provide the full guarding for your manufacturing cells.
Marking
These days parts need to be tracked, and that usually requires that they be marked. Such systems can often be integrated within automation cells for smooth, efficient operation.
RFID
Radio Frequency Identification of parts is a new but highly effective method of tracking parts, especially as they go through numerous operations. It allows for effective linking of the part with all the manufacturing data related to it.
Other
Besides the ones mentioned above, other systems or components can often be integrated into an automated system, so if you have specific requirements, please let us know.