More than 180 exhibitors will display the latest products and services at the ASSEMBLY Show South, the Quality Show, and Adhesives in Action, which will be held April 6-7 at the Music City Center in Nashville, TN.

To highlight the cornucopia of new and innovative technologies on display at the three-in-one event, the editors of ASSEMBLY, Quality and Adhesives and Sealants Industry have nominated the following products as being particularly innovative.

During the event, manufacturing professionals will be able to vote for their favorite new product, and one will be crowned “Best in Show” on April 7.

 

Flexible Gripper Handles a Variety of Parts

The Flexible Smart Gripper (FSG) can pick and place parts in myriad shapes and sizes. This electric gripper has FDA-compliant silicone fingers. The soft, flexible fingers can rotate in the roll degree of freedom, while keeping rigid in the pitch and the yaw degrees of freedom, enabling the gripper to handle delicate objects. An “Enhanced Intelligence” version provides additional finger positions for grip precision and efficiency, as well as force control. Available with two or four fingers, the gripper can carry a maximum payload of 1.5 kilograms. It is programmed through a simple user interface that can be accessed with any Wi-Fi enabled device.

 

Nutrunners for Cobots

Estic has introduced two pulse tools designed specifically for collaborative robots. Model EH2-H0025-SC has a torque range of 5 to 25 newton-meters, while model EH2-H1045-SC has a torque range of 9 to 45 newton-meters. These compact nutrunners have a low center of gravity and short overall length, making them easy to mount to a cobot. Pulse tools were originally designed to reduce torque reaction experienced by workers during manual assembly. That same quality makes them ideal for cobots, enabling the machines to approach fastening locations from various directions without being limited by posture restrictions. The tools are approved for use with cobots from Universal Robots.

 

Machine Assembles Plastic Parts With Integrated Membranes

Many products, such as insulin pumps and headlights, have a pressure compensation element to equalize pressure differences within an enclosure. This membrane allows air to flow in and out while preventing the ingress of contaminants. The MS sonxTOP Membrane punches and seals the membrane to a plastic housing, in one step, in less than 2 seconds. The machine combines four steps: indexing the membrane material; punching out individual membranes; transporting them to the sealing position; and ultrasonically welding them to a plastic part. The machine’s torsional sonotrode gently punches and seals even the thinnest membrane materials.

 

Machine Tests Assemblies With Pivoting Joints

The Pivot Joint Testing Machine measures the quality of assemblies with pivoting joints. It provides precise, reliable and repeatable functional testing. Immediate torque feedback confirms the quality of each assembly. Each test is tailored to a specific assembly. The machine functions as a stand-alone testing station or integrates seamlessly with orbital or radial forming machines. Combining forming and functional testing into one machine reduces part handling and saves floor space. The combined system automatically corrects out-of-spec assemblies during testing, minimizing scrap and increasing throughput. An optional data collection package provides feedback for process optimization.

 

Software for Work Instructions, Error-Proofing, Data Collection

Pico MES is a no-code software platform for small and midsized manufacturers. Engineers can use the software to create digital work instructions. They can then link those instructions to fastening tools, bar code readers, scales, cameras and other devices to error-proof the assembly process. More than 200 devices can be integrated into digital instructions. As tasks are completed, the software collects data on the manufacturing process to improve quality and efficiency. The software integrates with MRP and business intelligence systems over a REST API for maximum flexibility and scalability. Pre-built integrations reduce or remove the need for any software development.

 

Handheld Scanner Measures Parts, Assemblies

The Leap ST is a handheld 3D metrology scanner. Applications including in-process parts inspection, final inspection and reverse engineering. Measurements are accurate to ±20 microns. This compact, portable scanner has five operating modes:

• Ultra-fast scanning for fast coverage to measure part features for small to medium parts.
• Hyper-fine scanning for capturing details of complex objects with maximum resolution.
• Photogrammetry to maintain best accuracy over large objects.
• Deep-hole scanning for maximum allowable depth with hard-to-reach areas and deep holes.
• Large-area scanning for capturing large features that need to be inspected, or when a first rough scan of a medium to large part is required.

 

High-Precision Bore Gauges

Until now, placing an internal bore gauge inside a machine was expensive, complicated and slow. In addition, the accuracy of such gauges was limited, typically providing a single size or an average based on a series of points. These new line automated gauges solve that problem. They mount right next to the rest of your tooling; no special setup is required. The system measures the bore with up to 0.00001 inch resolution and collects the information including size, run-out, minimum and maximum.

 

Statistical Analysis Software Includes Machine Learning

BlueSky Statistics statistical analysis software provides a comprehensive set of tools for data management, statistics, machine learning, visualizations, quality and process engineering, and Six Sigma capabilities. Its capabilities include descriptive and inferential statistics, advanced modeling, survival analysis, longitudinal data analysis, power analysis, gauge R&R, gauge bias, process capability analysis, SPC control charts and design of experiments. The functionality has been designed around the DMAIC methodology of Six Sigma: define, measure, analyze, improve and control. Engineers can create Pareto charts, fishbone cause-and-effect diagrams, process capability analysis, measure system analysis, Shewhart control charts, and other analyses.

 

AI-Driven Inspection Technology

PIQuE is a 360-degree, full-coverage, AI-driven, high-accuracy inspection system. Equipped with pre-trained models for rapid deployment, PIQuE is designed to flag all product defects with adaptive learning and intelligent customization, ensuring superior quality control across industries. Advanced AI capabilities enable the system to continuously improve by learning from past defects and adapting to surface variations, ensuring unmatched precision and reliability. With seamless integration and scalability, PIQuE generates customized new product recipes, with minimum downtime for changeovers. The system is equipped with an AI agent to suggest quality metrics and inspection criteria based on the industry and the inspection history of the part.

 

Software Tools Support 3D Measurement

The PolyWorks software suite supports the myriad 3D measurement tasks performed in manufacturing, from model-based definition for measurement planning in CAD software, to dimensional analysis, quality control and reverse engineering. The software interfaces with all 3D measurement devices.

PolyWorks Inspector is 3D dimensional analysis and quality control software. PolyWorks ReportLoop is digital interoperability software that integrates inspection data in Excel for reporting and analysis. PolyWorks Reviewer is 3D dimensional investigation software that puts 3D measurement results in the hands of engineering and manufacturing teams. PolyWorks AR is mixed-reality software that enhances engineers’ perceptions of 3D metrology. PolyWorks DataLoop is data management software that allows enterprise-wide sharing of 3D measurement data and results. PolyWorks Modeler is reverse-engineering software that enables true interoperability between digitized polygonal models and CAD/CAM applications. PolyWorks PMI Loop is model-based definition software for collaborative measurement planning between product engineering teams.