Ergonomics Meets Dispense
Assembly solutions often require an array of different equipment to get the desired result. In this case study, Air Power was able to design a fully ergonomic dispense solution for this customer.
Customer
Manufacturer of HVAC Equipment
Challenge
This customer was planning an expansion that included adding 2 additional assembly lines for panel foaming. They wanted to have a more robust Gantry System, contrary to solutions discussed previously with other distributors. Air Power’s ability to integrate the Material Handling portion of this project along with the Dispense/Fluid Management system allowed us to be the sole solution provider the customer was able to find through the initial quoting phase. After digging into the project, the customer realized our potential and requested the Mix, Meter, and Dispense System to supply two separate assembly lines, thus adding more complexity to both portions of the MOVE project. Factors like pressure loss, high-pressure piping, distance, ergonomics were key when bringing this project from theory to paper to real life.
Air Power Solution
Our team was able to design a custom solution that utilizes a Unified Dual Cantilever Overhead Rail System, paired with a Hennecke High-Pressure Metering Machine designed to dispense the full range of rigid foams and flexible foams. This dispense system controls 2 mix heads to fill panels with a Polyurethane Foam on 2 assembly lines. This system pumps the foam through high-pressure hoses mounted overhead with an Ingersoll Rand Suspension Balancer and Z-Servo Balance Control.
Results
This system has the ability to have cross-lateral movement spanning the entire workstation, pump foam throughout the 1000+ feet of piping/hoses, ergonomically sufficient enough to navigate the 100lbs mix heads North, South, East, West with minimal effort, and produce foam with the touch of a button. We were able to deliver all of the key factors with a combination of our vendor support, customer communication/guidance, and our internal resources to deliver a unique one-of-a-kind turnkey solution!
