Spring Plate Assembly Automation
Problem statement
Think about how tedious it would be to manually assemble something, measure its setting, then readjust it and repeat this process multiple times until specifications are met. This is an issue that Parker Hannifin Sporlan Division faces in their spring plate assembly process of safety relief valves. Each type of valve requires different measurements of spring pressure, which is set by workers using hand tools. Manual assembly is time consuming, less precise, unergonomic for workers, inefficient, and more costly for both the fabricators and the consumers. To solve this problem, the client is exploring the use of automation in their facilities for the very first time. While automation can often be deemed as an “extremely complex, expensive, and time-consuming project” [1], previous attempts to automate relief valve assemblies in other locations have contributed to a 23% increase in output productivity and an increase in the quality of said product [2]. A prototype design of an automated spring plate assembly was created by a previous senior design team, SPA. Our goal is to create a working prototype by adjusting the previous team’s design, programming the automation software, and integrating the system into the assembly process. Our team is excited to represent UW-Madison in this learning experience by helping the client improve their assembly process. In doing so, our team is confident that we can provide the client with the necessary tools for them to take their first steps in automating elements in their facility.
Team members
Agustina Pedraza – leader
Ben Myers – communicator
Michael Elwing – accountant
Kaibiao Ruan – admin
Client
Steve Schuster, Parker