Clear Automation partners with PennEngineering® to introduce ROBOTIC PEMSERTER® Fastener Instalation System

Clear Automation partners with PennEngineering^® to introduce ROBOTIC PEMSERTER^® Fastener Instalation System

Article Type: News From: Assembly Automation, Volume 32, Issue 3

Clear Automation, a leading engineering integrator of robotic and machine vision systems, and PennEngineering^®, a leading innovator in fastening technology today announced they have joined forces to introduce robotic capabilities uniquely engineered for the PEMSERTER^®Series 3000™ press fastener installation press. The partnership between the two companies provides an unprecedented marketplace opportunity for completely hands-off installation of self-clinching fasteners using the newly developed ROBOTIC PEMSERTER Installation System (Figure 3).

The robotic system developed by Clear Automation for the PEMSERTER^®Series 3000™ press is equipped to pick up, move, and position a work piece for alignment with holes where fasteners will be installed automatically by the press. After fastener installation, the robot removes the finished work piece and advances to the next job.

The system is offered in two standard packages to accommodate various work piece sizes. The turnkey package integrates an input conveyor with locator,output conveyor, gripper, FANUC robot, and a basic sequence program to interface with the PEMSERTER^® Series 3000™ press. Among available robot options, a robot slide can be supplied to expand work cells for multiple PEMSERTER^® presses.

The PEMSERTER^® Series 3000™ automatic fastener installation press system reliably performs without hydraulics to install all types of self-clinching fasteners rapidly, accurately, and permanently in thin metal sheets. The press is designed with a 24 in./61 cm throat depth, runs at unprecedented cycle rates, can realize a ram force up to 16,000 lbs/71.2 kN, can be operated remotely through networking, and is CE certified to comply with applicable European standards.

The University of Salford has signed a memorandum of understanding to exchange robotics knowledge for entertainment and media skills with the US-based Carnegie Mellon University.

At a formal signing ceremony at MediaCityUK, the University of Salford’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Martin Hall agreed a deal which will see students from Salford exchanging with counterparts from Pittsburgh to complete study placements and learn from experts on both sides of the Pond (Figure 4).

At Salford, the expertise comes from the University’s Centre for Autonomous Systems & Advanced Robotics which specialises in the application of robotic technology for uses such as intelligent manufacturing, the nuclear sector and assisted technology for elderly people with neurological impairments.

This knowledge will be applied in new ways at Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center, which is a world leader in the creative and technical skills used in the media and creative industries such as computer games, film and music.

There will also be ongoing talks between academics at both centres with a view to creating new courses and collaborating on research initiatives.

The University of Salford already has strong links with Carnegie Mellon,which was ranked 21st in the most recent Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

Last year the University signed a similar agreement based at Salford’s MediaCityUK facility. This included student exchanges, course development, and research collaboration in acoustics, media asset management and “edutainment”,and Salford has already hosted five American students on an exchange.

At the same time as the signing of the robotics partnership, Rema Karen Nancy, Professor of Management Science & Healthcare Informatics at Carnegie Mellon, also visited the University to give a seminar at the College of Health& Social Care to discuss prescribing medicine.

Professor Samia Nefti-Meziani, Head of the Centre for Advanced Robotics,said: “This is an exciting opportunity for us to work with a world-leading Centre to extend our research portfolio into the area of entertainment technology.”

“We hope that this will give another dimension to the application of robotics in our Centre and allow us to build on the work we have already done in the health, nuclear and manufacturing industries.”