Proper Alignment Critical to Production Efficiency
Part and product orienting equipment are essential to adding efficiency to any manufacturing operation. This type of machinery helps to quickly and easily orientate (align) products and parts for subsequent stages of production, which is critical for a smooth flow of parts throughout the entire process, fewer errors, and better production output.
Automation improvements in manufacturing, from part feeders to robotic picking systems, are designed to increase production to meet the ever-upward trend of demand. But if automation increases the rate of parts and products working their way through the entire process, then orienting equipment acts as a lubricant for the process — expediting the rate and flow of the operation.
Both elements are critical for manufacturers today, which have rebounded strongly over the last couple of years in response to the turmoil wrought by the pandemic. One of the bigger trends in response has been the reshoring effort by many manufacturers — bringing overseas production facilities back online inside the United States. According to a report from the Reshoring Initiative, the total number of reshoring and foreign direct investment (FDI) jobs announced in 2021 reached 261,000 — a 46% increase over 2020 and up more than 4,000% from the 2010 rate. The COVID-19 pandemic raised awareness around the manufacturing industry’s dependence on offshoring facilities when critical supply shortages led to production issues.
Manufacturers clearly want more resiliency and raw throughput from their production facilities to meet demand. Labor shortages remain a persistent thorn to deal with as well. Through automation and production orienting equipment, businesses can efficiently tackle both challenges. Let’s examine some specific part orientation solutions and how they can help.
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Multiple Types of Part and Product Orienting Equipment
There are many different types of orienting mechanisms, but only your specific project needs will determine which will work best for your application. It’s important to consider the size and shape of your parts. How much do they way? Is a non-marring solution preferred? Are they ring-shaped, billets, or cylinders?
When you work with a trusted automation solutions provider like Feedall Automation, you’ll get to offer this important insight. We’ll design and choose the right equipment to present your part in the correct orientation. This allows you to realize a faster, more efficient production line, one that often comes with reduced costs.
Automated Orienting Conveyors
Conveyors are essential elements in any manufacturing process and part-orienting conveyors add additional functionality besides simply transporting parts from one station to the next. Automated orienting conveyors can receive parts in many different ways — from another conveyor, floor hoppers, or employee-handled totes, for example — and feed the properly oriented parts in a host of other applications, like extrusion presses and grinders. There’s little limit to the type of part or product such conveyors can handle and ensures each will move through according to your specifications.
Industrial Parts Feeders
Parts feeders introduce parts into the manufacturing process and, based on your production goals and the shape and style of your parts, come in many types. One popular style includes random-loaded feeders; these automatically feed sliding, rolling, or hanging parts, and come prepared to handle relatively small parts or in heavy-duty versions for larger, heavier parts. With random-loaded feeders, parts are typically first elevated and then gravity fed into chutes that feature metering devices to keep the flow of parts steady and consistent into the next step. With Feedall, each feeder has optional custom tooling to further improve cycle time and productivity such as tooling that includes part elevator cleats, exit tooling, and custom controls to gain full control of the part.
Hopper Part Feeders
These part feeders naturally orient parts with an elevator belt, eliminating the recirculation of parts that are misaligned. Specifically designed for higher feed rates and gentle handling of parts, these feeders are usually used for feeding cylindrical parts such as shafts, tubes, and cut bars with a similar range of diameters.
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Trust Feedall for Part and Product Orienting Equipment
As experts in industrial automation solutions with more than 70 years of delivering success in multiple markets, Feedall Automation partners with your business needs to provide the manufacturing assistance to gain a competitive advantage in today’s challenging world.
At Feedall, we customize every single piece of equipment we offer to your exact specifications and production goals. You can trust our equipment to stand up to the test of time as it’s all backed up with a best-in-class repair, support services, and parts availability program.
When you collaborate with Feedall, you’re not working with a partner who contributes one part or system to your manufacturing process. You’re working with a partner that delivers part feeding and orienting answers that can be integrated throughout your production line.