Robotic Capacitor Dipping & Drying
An automated robotic system developed for Vishay Dimona to handle the dipping, drying, inspection, and sorting of capacitor trays.
Customer
Vishay
Year
2024
Project Duration
To be confirmed
Industry
Electronic Components Manufacturing
Solution Type
Inspection and Testing Systems, Robotic Automation Systems
Scope
• Turnkey project
, • Manufacturing
, • Assembly
, • PLC and HMI programming
, • Database integration
, • On-site installation and commissioning
Technologies
KUKA industrial robot, linear 7th axis, Siemens PLC, HMI, barcode identification, vision inspection, database integration, automated tray handling
Location
Dimona, Israel
Project Status
Completed and operational
Project Specifications
Customer
Vishay
Location
Dimona, Israel
Year
2024
Duration
To be confirmed
Project Status
Completed and operational
Industry
Electronic Components Manufacturing
Solution Type
Inspection and Testing Systems, Robotic Automation Systems
Scope
• Turnkey project
, • Manufacturing
, • Assembly
, • PLC and HMI programming
, • Database integration
, • On-site installation and commissioning
Technologies
KUKA industrial robot, linear 7th axis, Siemens PLC, HMI, barcode identification, vision inspection, database integration, automated tray handling
Automated Capacitor Dipping & Vision Inspection System
Vishay Dimona manufactures a wide range of capacitors and electronic components. PILCO developed the AQUADAQ system to automate a previously manual dipping, drying, inspection, and tray-handling process. The system uses a KUKA industrial robot mounted on a linear 7th axis to handle trays from six loading stations, identify each tray by barcode, and retrieve the required process parameters from Vishay's database. Based on this data, the robot performs the dipping process at the required depth, followed by automatic drying and vision inspection. Approved trays are routed to six independent output stations, while rejected trays are automatically transferred to a dedicated reject station.
Challanges
- Automating a process that was previously performed manually by an operator.
- Supporting different capacitor types with different dipping depths and process parameters.
- Automatically identifying each tray and retrieving its corresponding production data.
- Providing controlled dipping and drying without leaving excessive liquid on the components.
- Verifying that all capacitors on each tray were successfully processed.
- Managing six high-capacity loading stations and six independent output stations while allowing operator access during machine operation.
Solutions
- KUKA industrial robot mounted on a linear 7th axis for extended machine coverage.
- Six loading stations, each holding up to 15 stacked trays, providing capacity for up to 90 loaded trays.
- Automatic barcode identification and integration with Vishay's production database.
- Automatic adjustment of the dipping depth according to tray-specific process data.
- Automated drying station with automatic absorbent-paper advancement.
- Vision-based inspection of wet contact marks to verify successful dipping.
- Siemens PLC control with PILCO-developed PLC and HMI software according to customer requirements.
- Six independent output stations that can be accessed individually during machine operation, allowing processed trays to be removed without stopping the complete system, plus a dedicated reject station.
Results
- Automated the complete tray handling, dipping, drying, inspection and sorting process.
- Replaced a manual process with a controlled and repeatable automated production sequence.
- Enabled automatic processing of multiple capacitor types using tray-specific parameters.
- Reduced operator involvement during normal machine operation.
- Added automatic quality verification before each tray is released from the process.
- Enabled operators to replenish individual loading stations and remove processed trays from individual output stations while the system continues operating, reducing the need to stop the machine for tray handling.
Challanges
- Automating a process that was previously performed manually by an operator.
- Supporting different capacitor types with different dipping depths and process parameters.
- Automatically identifying each tray and retrieving its corresponding production data.
- Providing controlled dipping and drying without leaving excessive liquid on the components.
- Verifying that all capacitors on each tray were successfully processed.
- Managing six high-capacity loading stations and six independent output stations while allowing operator access during machine operation.
Solutions
- KUKA industrial robot mounted on a linear 7th axis for extended machine coverage.
- Six loading stations, each holding up to 15 stacked trays, providing capacity for up to 90 loaded trays.
- Automatic barcode identification and integration with Vishay's production database.
- Automatic adjustment of the dipping depth according to tray-specific process data.
- Automated drying station with automatic absorbent-paper advancement.
- Vision-based inspection of wet contact marks to verify successful dipping.
- Siemens PLC control with PILCO-developed PLC and HMI software according to customer requirements.
- Six independent output stations that can be accessed individually during machine operation, allowing processed trays to be removed without stopping the complete system, plus a dedicated reject station.
Results
- Automated the complete tray handling, dipping, drying, inspection and sorting process.
- Replaced a manual process with a controlled and repeatable automated production sequence.
- Enabled automatic processing of multiple capacitor types using tray-specific parameters.
- Reduced operator involvement during normal machine operation.
- Added automatic quality verification before each tray is released from the process.
- Enabled operators to replenish individual loading stations and remove processed trays from individual output stations while the system continues operating, reducing the need to stop the machine for tray handling.
Turnkey Solutions Built for Precision & Performance
Mechanical Design
Complete mechanical design of the automated machine and process stations.
Custom Machine Engineering
A purpose-built automation solution developed around Vishay's production process.
Robotics Integration
Robotics Integration
PLC & HMI Programming
Siemens PLC programming and custom HMI development according to customer requirements.
Vision & Database Integration
Barcode identification, vision-based quality inspection, and integration with Vishay's production database.
Manufacturing, Assembly & Commissioning
Manufacturing, machine assembly, on-site installation, integration, and commissioning.
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