CORFIN AUTOMATION

The CTS-1000 is designed as a flexible platform used to integrate a variety of different process modules and handling equipment. Although designed primarily for electronic components, this versatile system can be configured for a wide range of applications that require the automated manipulation of parts.

The CTS-1000 can be equipped with load and/or unload handlers.

CORFIN Model CTS-1000 (click on drawing to enlarge)

In the typical application described here, the system is configured for component trim and form and vision inspection operations. This system has two handlers, a trim and form press, a vision alignment and inspection system, positioning shuttle slides, a transfer robot and a part inverter. 

A cassette of full Auer boats is loaded into the Auer Cassette Handler. Boats are unloaded from the cassette (top to bottom or bottom to top - sequence is customer selectable, depending on process requirements).
The shuttle picks a boat from the cassette and moves it to the wait position sensor. If the sensor detects a boat, the shuttle will proceed to position the boat at the pickup point; if not, the shuttle returns to pick the boat from the next slot in the cassette.

The transfer arm robot picks the component from the Auer boat, and transports it to the Vision Alignment station. The part orientation is corrected before it is placed in the Trim and Form press. After the trim and form operation, the transfer arm robot transfers the component from the press to the Lead Scanner for full inspection.

Good components are then transferred to the Tray Cassette Handler. Rejected components can be reprocessed through trim, form and inspection or transferred to a reject tray. When the Auer boat is empty, the shuttle returns the empty boat to the cassette. The handler then indexes the next boat into position, and the process is repeated until all the components have been processed through Vision alignment, Trim and Form and Lead Scanning operations and have been transferred to trays in the Tray Cassette Handler.

A cassette of empty trays is loaded in the Tray Cassette Handler. The shuttle moves the top or bottom (customer selectable) tray to the loading position on the shuttle slide rails. A hard stop ensures precise location of the tray.

The transfer arm robot places the processed parts into the trays. When each tray is full, it is reloaded into the tray cassette by the shuttle. When all trays in the cassette have been filled, the cassette is easily and quickly removed from the handler.

In some cases, it is necessary to invert the components prior to or after Trim and Form. In this case, the transfer arm robot places the part on the inverter, and the inverter flips the part through 180°. The transfer arm then re-picks the part and continues its sequence.
The transfer arm can also rotate the part through 360°, if it is necessary to change part orientation, e.g. when placing into output trays.