Engineering
GREAT
Solutions
CS-04
For further information visit www.norgren.com or call 1.800.710.7823
Location: Michigan, USA
Customer: Automotive manufacturer
Key benefit: Reduced waste
Case study
Requirement
In car assemblies, an automatic system
welds nuts to sheet metal so auto body
parts can be bolted together later. If a nut is
missing or not aligned with the hole, the part
may have to be scrapped. But these nuts
are often hidden from view, making visual
inspection slow and costly. Existing hidden
part sensors could measure thickness,
(indicating whether a nut was present)
but they were expensive and difficult
to configure into a workable package.
Automotive manufacturers needed an
affordable sensor that was sensitive enough
detect the presence of a nut and easy to
calibrate to detect thread quality.
Solution
Using their expertise in inductive proximity
sensing, where a probe emits an oscillating
signal, automation experts at IMI Precision
Engineering developed the first-ever radial
probe sensor. The probe is inserted through
the hole in the sheet metal and sends a
signal back to a monitor. The operating
frequency of the signal indicates whether
the nut is present or absent. The sensor
can be calibrated to detect thread quality
using a simple hand adjustment and an LED
indicator. An optional spring mount allows
the probe to retract without damage if a hole
is missing. Radial sensor technology makes
the probe affordable, and manufacturers
realize significant savings by eliminating
manual inspections and avoiding scrap of
costly car assemblies.
Detector for nuts, threads
reduces scrap
Engineering
GREAT
Solutions
