Flexible Parts Feeding Technology
December 1, 2013
Graco Inc. recently launched the G-Flex Feeder Flexible Parts Feeding Solution. According to the company, the G-Flex Feeder is an automation innovation that accommodates a wide range of part sizes and shapes with seamless part changeover.
"The G-Flex Feeder is an innovation born of necessity," said a company spokesperson. "Graco could not find a suitable commercially available parts feeding solution that offered flexibility and easy integration with vision guided robots. To solve the problem, Graco engineers designed the G-Flex Flexible Parts Feeding Solution. Today, G-Flex Feeder Solutions are integrated into several Graco facilities."
"We used to invest in dedicated feeders for each part, which caused costly interruptions and downtime when product build schedules changed," said Jon Knutson, a Graco business development director. "With the G-Flex Flexible Parts Feeder you can simply change from one part to the next with no complicated set-up steps. Simply load the hopper with the new parts and let the G-Flex Feeder do the rest."
The G-Flex Feeder offers flexibility and can be deployed to handle new parts and process changes with no added investment. Features include a large capacity hopper that can be refilled on the fly and a feeder table that recirculates parts, preventing over-accumulation and part bunch ups. "And, unlike traditional feeder bowls, the G-Flex Feeder is highly tolerant of process contamination - oily parts and chips no longer shut down the parts feeding process," said the spokesperson. "In addition, the G-Flex Feeder offers a great value when compared to complicated bowl feeders. This one stand-alone, easy-to-integrate solution fits most applications and requires minimal interface: just connect it to a power supply and one PLC input and the G-Flex Feeder is ready to go."
For more information contact:
Graco Inc.
Russell J. Gray Technical Center
88 - 11th Avenue Northeast
Minneapolis, MN 55413
855-312-5349 / 612-623-6000
gflex@graco.com
www.graco.com/g-flex
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