End Of Line Machine:

Opening, filling, closing, checking and approval/rejection, fully automatic
Automatic drum height adjustment
A video of the first test run is now available. (3.9 MB)

Details:

Roughly the End of Line Machine exists of a Product Shuttle which transfers the drums between the stations and a height adjustable beam on which all the operating stations are mounted. After the drums are measured and the paint-caps are positioned, the drums will be picked up by the Product Shuttle. The Shuttle, accurately displaces the drums over 700 mm at a time, to the next processing station. This will make the independend stations able to execute their tasks at five drums simultaneously.

Process:

Following, a short description of the process. The End of Line machine will be handling seven drums in serie:

Drum height measuring: The beam with the processing stations automatically adjusts to a serie of drums, powered by two axis spindles.
Drum rotation: The drum is positioned for all processing stations at the beginning of the line.
Paintcaps removal: During the removal of paint-caps by suction-pads, the mounting legs are checked of each cap. If one leg is not detected it is probably fallen in to the drum so the particular drum will be rejected at the end of the line.
Helium injection: In order to test the drums in the Helium Leak Tester, later on.
Screw top fastening: Two bungs, a 2inch bung and a 3/4 inch bung, are fastened at one time.
Sealing: A metal seal is crimped over the 3/4 inch bung.
Approval / rejection: Drums with the possibility of having paint cap parts in them will be separated from the others.

Applications:

This End Of Line assembly machines is used in high capacity drum production lines.