Colostomy Bag Locking Collar Addition
challenge
Our customer needed an upgraded version of an existing system that could make and weld together the body side portion of a colostomy bag. The new machine had to handle many more processes without a substantial increase in cycle rate. The processes that were added included orienting the pad, orienting the flange, and storing/feeding/picking/placing the lock-ring.
solution
The operator placed the pads into stacks on a dial. The first station grips the pad and rotates it with a registration sensor and servo to a specific orientation that varies by product. The next station assembles the flange, placing it over the pad. The dial tooling consists of a simple hex cross-section pin that fits in the holes of the pieces being assembled. At the next station a unique, tiny paddle tool orients the flange. The station descends, inserts the paddle into a groove, flips the paddle in, and then spins around to the appropriate orientation. Only the flange could move at this station, so the pad is held still. At the next station the flange is ultrasonically welded to the pad. Then, a large plastic C-clip is picked and placed over the flange. This was a very difficult operation to perform because the C-clip had to be expanded greatly then allowed to snap over the flange in just the right place.
outcomes and benefits
The result of the project was a machine that met very difficult requirements. These processes were much more complicated than the existing processes, yet there was only a minute increase in cycle rate. The resultant product made on this machine allowed patients to easily apply and remove the colostomy bag from the body side components.
Machine Integrates More Complicated Processes Without Increasing Cycle Rate