Pneumatic Linear Drives For Use On Automated Assembly Lines

OSP-P ORIGA series linear drives chosen to support safe, reliable and precise motion sequences on modular steering assembly lines for automotive industry applications

Kiener Maschinenbau GmbH has selected Parker Hannifin pneumatic linear drives for use in the automated assembly lines it develops and builds for modular steering construction sets for large volume car manufacturers. Parker‘s ORIGA OSP-P series, with frame sizes ranging from 10mm to 80mm, is used to move workpiece carrier pallets safely, reliably, and precisely in the supply and return cycles of an assembly line.

Cylinders in the OSP-P series are lubricated for their entire service life and designed to have a mileage of up to 8,000 km making them ideal for use on assembly lines where downtime due to failure or routine maintenance requirements can be extremely costly. The drives are suitable for use at ambient temperatures ranging from -40 to +120°C.

Kiener, is a German headquartered company with over 300 employees and is active in supporting sectors such as automotive, textiles and solar with innovative assembly lines and related technologies.

Solutions for the assembly of modular steering construction sets used in cars and commercial vehicles are usually based on a workpiece carrier system with free circulation, the contact strips for assembly are carried on a workpiece carrier pallet which lies on a belt transport system.

In order to remove assembly parts, the ORIGA OSP-P pneumatic linear drive moves the pallet vertically to the area of a pick-and-place unit, which retrieves the respective assembly parts with a workpiece specific handling system, lifts them, and then places them in the retainer of a rotary indexing table.

A second pick-and-place system is used to remove the parts from the rotary indexing table and transport them to the next assembly station.
If all assembly parts are removed from a pallet, it is moved from the supply and removal track horizontally to the return track by another ORIGA OSP-P pneumatic linear drive.

In order to safely support the weight and torques present, an external guide is used in conjunction with the linear drive. This is not fitted on the linear drive itself, but rather on its longitudinal side on the machine bed. A rigid connection between the guide and driver of the linear drive ensures safe power transmission.

Depending on the application environment and installation space specific to the environment, different guides can also be assembled directly on the aluminum profile of the ORIGA linear drives. The optional “Basic Guide” sliding guide, which is integrated in the profile, is a particularly cost-effective and space-saving solution for supporting medium forces and torques.

In order to move from several different positions, for instance in more complex, multi-level assembly processes, the ORIGA linear drives can be equipped with an incremental, magnetic position measuring sensor for moving towards different assembly stations. Loads are held in position, even with a drop in air pressure with the use of optional active or passive brake systems.