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Problem Solving Approach
DB-Automation was recently tasked with building a high cavitation injection mould tool with 32 cavities, for a leading medical device manufacturer. It was imperative to the end user that no holes or faults in the moulding could result in leakage; this ensures no bacteria can enter this sterile medical plastic component.
This was a challenging task as 32 injection moulded parts must be thoroughly checked across a single plate simultaneously. Traditionally, flow and pressure decay tests would be investigated as a potential solution to this problem, however the cycle times and quantity of components undergoing testing simultaneously resulted in these methods being unsuitable.
With the challenge being a big ask for conventional leak tests to achieve, DB-Automation were determined to find a solution that could meet our customer’s requirements and would ultimately optimise their manufacturing process.
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The Ideal Solution
Thanks to the DB-Automation team’s experience within the field, Operations Director Nick Parker had an idea of what may provide an innovative and effective solution to this problem.
“During visits to clients over the years, I have seen many state of the art technologies with very interesting applications and this was one of those cases. Some time ago, I had come across a company using an electric current to perform a leakage test and with this in mind, I set out to find the perfect solution.”
State-of-the-art Leak Detection from Dyne Technology
Lichfield based Dyne Technology Ltd appeared to have the perfect solution for our customer’s needs, high technology leak detection. After contacting Dyne Technology with our initial enquiry, Chris Lines, Managing Director provided advice and support on how LeakTEC could help to solve our problem.
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“I don’t think I have ever met anybody as passionate about what they do as Chris. Chris clearly had passion but most importantly offered a truly confidential service, vital as Dyne Technology work with a large number of original equipment manufacturers. This mutual trust and understanding helped us deliver the perfect solution for our client.” – Nick Parker, Operations Director
DB-Automation project
The Dyne Technology team work with Danish manufacturer Tantec, experts in manufacturing industry leading surface modification, surface cleaning and leak detection solutions. LeakTEC, Tantec’s non-destructive method for inspecting plastic components proved the perfect solution for us.
Thorough trials were conducted at Dyne Technology’s high technology laboratory facilities in Lichfield and from this, LeakTEC was proven as the best method for our customer. LeakTEC has the ability to detect micron sized holes within our plastic components within fractions of a second and can do this across multiple products simultaneously.
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The Complete System
DB-Automation worked closely with both Dyne Technology and Tantec technical experts to ensure the best tooling possible for the high technology testing solution. The final build consisted of a dedicated high speed side entry beam robot to de-mould the product from the tool which takes less than a second. The beam robot then hands over to a take-off unit which re-orientates the product and places it onto a further high speed transfer axis to provide the movement from the put down position, to the testing station and onward to the unload and segregation area.
Each of the 32 components from every mould cycle is inspected for a leak and rejected if necessary. The system is capable of processing almost 16,500 parts per hour at a 100% inspection rate, with little or no operator intervention.
