Automated dispensing system delivers fourfold productivity increase
Adhesives specialist Intertronics has worked with automotive and marine lighting product manufacturer Venta Global to develop a form-in-place gasketing process. The technology supplied by Intertronics increased throughput fourfold, while being highly accurate and repeatable.
Venta Global is a manufacturer of automotive and marine lighting products, producing thousands of assemblies each year. With a new production facility recently fitted out, Venta Global have taken steps to streamline and automate processes where possible.
The lighting assemblies Venta Global manufactures often require water and environmentally resistant gaskets to protect them throughout their lifetime. To help achieve this requirement, Venta Global contacted Intertronics for help in specifying a suitable gasketing material, as well as an appropriate method of dispensing which could de-skill the process, to enable consistent, reliable results.
After discussing the requirements for their form-in-place gasketing application, Intertronics put forward a select number of materials for testing. The gaskets were to be dispensed into 3 mm grooves of the lamp assembly, after which point the lamp lid is placed on top while the material is wet to create a cured gasket with a reliable seal. Ultimately, Venta Global chose Wacker Elastosil N2199 for its environmental resistance qualities, non-corrosive, neutral cure, and compatibility with its parts.
“Venta Global was previously applying gasket material by dispensing from hand-held syringes — a time-consuming process,” said Matthew Baseley, Senior Technical Product Specialist at Intertronics. “The team came to us for help improving the quality of dispense and overall repeatability. The Fisnar ADVANCE robot we recommended, along with a CR300 cartridge retainer and HP790 dispensing valve, allows them to de-skill the process and semi-automate it. The result is a more accurate dispensing method that produces reliable, high-quality products.”
“The robot has sped up our production significantly,” said Roderick Dible, Production Manager at Venta Global. “With one skilled operative, our old process would take up to 20 minutes to fully gasket nine lamps, whereas the new set up can do this in less than five.
“During our initial supplier search, it was important for us to work with a company that could not only provide a dispensing robot for our application, but also an adhesive to be dispensed by it — we found exactly that with Intertronics.” concluded Dible.
Intertronics installed the equipment on-site and provided full training to the team at Venta Global, allowing them to get up and running quickly.
Read the full case study by visiting www.intertronics.co.uk. To speak to our specialist team about your dispensing application, call 01865 842842.
Contact details:
e: info@intertronics.co.uk
t: +44 (0)1865 842842
w: www.intertronics.co.uk
