Get Small!

AssemblyBlog is intended to be a forum for commentary on manufacturing issues, as well as a venue for letting you know about cool, er, interesting and innovative technology. This posting falls into the latter category.

The Swiss Centre for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM) has introduced a microfactory for automated assembly of watches, sensors, medical devices and other small, complex products.

The microfactory consists of a series of miniature robotic modules. Each module is a cube with 100-millimeter sides. The module consists of a ultrasmall delta robot, a transfer system, a feeder mechanism, and any tools, such as a dispensing valve, that are specific to the application. When connected in a series, the modules form a complete miniature factory.

The robot, PocketDelta, is a pint-sized version of such robots as theQuattrofrom Adept Technology and theIRB 340 FlexPickerfrom ABB. The work envelope of the PocketDelta is 60 millimeters wide, 60 millimeters long, and 30 millimeters high. The robot can move with three or four degrees of freedom. It has a maximum acceleration of 10 g, and it has a repeatability of less than 2 microns.

For more information on the microfactory, click

here. You can see nifty videos of the robot at workhere.

John has been with ASSEMBLY magazine since February 1997. John was formerly with a national medical news magazine, and has written for Pathology Today and the Green Bay Press-Gazette. John holds a B.A. in journalism from Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism.

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.

Sponsored by: