Scaling Production: 250 Meters of Laser-Cut Filter Tubing Per Day

Precision Microfab designs and builds custom micro-manufacturing systems that support high-volume production of components for a wide range of industries.

Working with Spectubular Technologies, Precision Microfab created a fully-automated robotic manufacturing cell that produces up to 250 meters of laser-cut filter tube per day. This reliable, efficient system:

  • Inspects incoming material using a high-speed, high-precision optical micrometer (accurate to within 2 microns)
  • Cuts slots into tubes using two 1080 nm fiber lasers
  • Cleans the tubes in three stages: an ultrasonic cleaning bath, a rinse tank, and a high output dryer that can reach a temperature of 1200° F
  • Performs a final inspection using a 200x microscopic zoom lens mounted on a high-resolution, high-speed camera integrated with Machine Vision software

 

The Epson C8XL robot fitted with tube grippers for use in the automated tube handling system.
The Epson C8XL 6-Axis robot control arm has a long reach, speed, great overall performance with an extreme slim-line design.
The inspection system featuring a Keyence LS-9000 series high-speed, high-precision optical micrometer micrometer measuring instrument.
Incoming tubes are inspected for roundness and straightness to ensure a successful cut. All laser processed tubes are inspected to be within the required cut specifications.
The system is fitted with two SPI 1000 watt 1080 nm fiber lasers and two cutting heads to process twice the workload,.
The outstanding beam quality provides fast and precise burr-free cutting along with high cutting speeds with integrated distance sensors.
.       This system utilizes an industrial quality control machine vision with a high-speed camera and a 200x microscopic zoom lens for final inspection.
The cutting heads are for high-precision applications at laser power of up to 1000W.
This system utilizes an industrial quality control machine vision with a high-speed camera and a 200x microscopic zoom lens for final inspection.
The machine vision processes multiple measurements and concludes with a pass or fail grade. This inspection is for quality control of the product to ensure that all tubes are within the specifications of the customer.
The Epson C8XL 6-Axis robot control arm has a long reach, speed, great overall performance with an extreme slim-line design.
The Epson C8XL robot fitted with tube grippers for use in the automated tube handling system.
Incoming tubes are inspected for roundness and straightness to ensure a successful cut. All laser processed tubes are inspected to be within the required cut specifications.
.       This system utilizes an industrial quality control machine vision with a high-speed camera and a 200x microscopic zoom lens for final inspection.
The cutting heads are for high-precision applications at laser power of up to 1000W.

A mid-sized 6-axis robot control arm selects incoming tubes from a feeder bin, moves them from stage to stage, and ultimately deposits the finished filter in either the rejected or passed tube bin.

All components are mounted on an 80/20 modular T-slotted aluminum frame, with a TempTek portable chiller providing precise temperature control.

 

Special thanks to Spectubular Technologies, a division of Synfuels Americas

Watch the video to see the “Magic Machine” in action!