Industrial Automation Solutions

Industrial Automation Engineers

Industrial automation can significantly improve your manufacturing processes not only through increased productivity, but also by reducing costs, improving safety and adding flexibility to your production.

Using a range of control systems (including robots and PLC based systems) to add computer control, processes can be fully automated to remove costs associated with human operators, or partially automated to assist human operation.

The engineers at Applied Automation have worked on a diverse range of custom automation projects.  This experience allows us to improve almost any manufacturing process in any industry via automation.

Benefits

Some key benefits of Automation at the industrial level include:

Higher productivity
increasing output and lowering cost
Improved safety
by handling or assisting with dangerous tasks/materials
Better products
lower error rates in manufacturing mean higher quality products
Accurate data analysis
through automated data collection for production

Custom Industrial Automation

All of our automation projects are custom designed to suit your requirements and can include assembly lines, testing stations, sorting/packaging and more.  

At Applied Automation our experienced team of engineers allows us to offer complete in-house capabilities for design, manufacture, assembly and commissioning.  Projects can include complete turnkey solutions and retrofitted automation.

Projects

Vacuum Extraction System

This industrial extraction system was designed to extract particulates for a yoghurt filling machine and was integrated into an existing machine being used for production.  

The tubs are indexed through the machine where the extraction system uses a series of custom designed nozzles that lower into the tub, removing particulates via vacuum into a filtered chamber above the machine.  The process was able to perform this task on six tubs every 2 second cycle (supporting a 1.7 - 2.0 second cycle).

The systems were manufactured in accordance with food manufacturing standards for a total wash down scenario, and utilised a Rockwell MPAI Axis with 300mm stroke for the vertical movement, and Simco equipment for deionizing of tubs prior to cleaning.

Features:

  • Automated food manufacturing
  • Automated cleaning
  • Food manufacturing standards

Benefits:

  • Improved manufacturing efficiency
  • Improved food quality
  • Added to existing process

servo controlled precision indexing

automated tray packing

plc for automated systems

Valve Assembly Machine

This custom automated assembly machine was designed for stopcock water valve assembly, testing & packing.  The operator loads a pre-assembled stopcock valve into the location fixture and the machine slides the part into place for assembly and leak testing. 

Assembly includes screwing the screw on cap to a pre-defined torque (via Deprag Pneumatic screw driver), and leak testing by creating a silicon seal and using a ATEQ F420 series leak tester.  Parts that pass the test are removed and placed directly into shipping cartons.

This implementation combines the assembly and testing into one machine and improves the efficiency of assembling the product as well as increasing the quality & reliability of the product.

Features:

  • Automated valve assembly
  • Automated leak testing
  • Automated packing

Benefits:

  • Improved assembly efficiency
  • Improved part reliabilty
  • Assemble & testing in one machine

servo controlled precision indexing

automated tray packing

plc for automated systems

Automated Precision Conveyor

In order to meet the high throughput demands required by automotive industries, automated conveyor systems are often used with vision systems for quality control and electrical testing.

This conveyor system completed for Robert Bosch is part of an automated assembly line for measuring and testing of diodes used in automotive components.

Utilising standard motor gearbox combinations with encoder feedback, this assembly is constructed using precision CNC machined components for accurate movement & testing of delicate products.  Festo pneumatics are used in the design the singulation mechanism.

Features:

  • High thoroughput
  • Automated Electrical testing
  • Automated Vision testing
  • Automated Singulation

Benefits:

  • Improved test & pack efficiency
  • Imroved testing reliablity
  • Test & pack in one machine

automated vision testing

conveyor pulley

conveyor tensioner