Assembly in Action: Automation Speeds Wire Processing

Peterson Manufacturing Co. (Grandview, MO) supplies lighting systems to a variety of OEMs, including Caterpillar, John Deere and Harley-Davidson.

Peterson Manufacturing Co. has dramatically increased the efficiency of its wire-processing operations through the use of automation.

Peterson Manufacturing Co. (Grandview, MO) supplies lighting systems to a variety of OEMs, including Caterpillar, John Deere and Harley-Davidson. The company puts a premium on the quality and reliability of its products, which include brake lights, turn signals, rear-view mirrors and portable emergency lights. Its Maxi-Seal line is a leading brand in the area of custom wire harness systems and aftermarket electrical accessories.

Recently, responding to growing demand, the company decided to automate its cable assembly process, with an eye toward keeping a lid on labor costs. High repeatability, accuracy, reliability, integrated quality assurance, flexibility and short changeover times were among the many requirements Peterson engineers placed on the system.

Ultimately, the company installed a TransferModule 6000 (TM6000) automated wire processing system from Schleuniger Inc. (Manchester, NH). The company is now using the system to process flat, multi-core cable with and without jackets, as well as for printing, separating and terminating different types of seal and terminal combinations.

Each TM6000 includes a base module onto which a variety of different modules can be installed to process cable up to 8 millimeters, stranded wire up to 4 AWG and solid conductors up to 10 AWG. The basic TM6000 includes a cable inlay station, transfer shuttles mounted on a transfer chain and a cable unloading station. Cable lengths from 6 inches to 12 feet can be processed.

The length of the system can be increased in standard increments and is selected based on how many processing stations are required and the space needed for each. Standard and customized processing stations can be accommodated. In addition to those tasks being performed in the Peterson Manufacturing application, the TM6000 can also be used for cable coiling and binding, terminal crimping, fluxing and tinning.

“Schleuniger provided a tailor-made solution with the TransferModule 6000,” says Steve Ham, vice president of manufacturing at Peterson. Ham adds that in some cases productivity has increased 250 percent. “[The company] ensured that we take full benefit of our system and has showed professional assistance in all project stages,” he says.

For more on automatic wire processing, call 603-668-8117 or visitwww.schleuniger-na.com.

The ASSEMBLY Show South

ASSEMBLY is thrilled to return to the Music City Center in Nashville, TN for The ASSEMBLY Show SOUTH on May 1-2, 2024. This is a booming time for manufacturing and the U.S. South is right in the heart of the action. According to ASSEMBLY’s most recent annual capital spending survey, the South is projected to account for 31 percent of total spending this year, marking the fifth straight year this region has accounted for at least 30 percent of capital spending in the U.S.

In this session, manufacturers will learn how Quality function deployment (QFD) can transform consumers’ qualitative demands into quantitative parameters that will shape the design of their product and, ultimately, their manufacturing process.

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