Quality inspection plays an important part during the manufacturing of card readers for memory cards, e.g. for video cameras, mobile phones or similar. Each component must be completely identical to the other so as to ensure the corresponding cards can be read. If only one contact is not correctly positioned, or if one interval is incorrect, the device cannot function properly. The company itus-Industrietechnik und Sondereinrichtungen developed a machine assuming the quality inspection for a supplier.
The testing process: The individual card readers are placed on a discontinuous belt conveying them into the machine housing towards the testing station. A pivoting-arm robot removes the card reader from the belt by means of a special suction gripper and deposits it on the testing area which is surrounded by fixed electronic cameras. Testing station for the inspection of card readers. On the left: Pivoting-arm robot. Then, the gripper disappears from the camera's field of view. Parameters such as dimensions, position of the individual contacts, existing height or bending are tested during this step.
Once the quality inspection has been performed successfully, the robot deposits the card reader on a second belt into a blister package which is covered with a sealing foil by a coil outside the machine housing. In front of the packaging belt are four depositing points for different criteria for the rejected parts. According to the type of error, the pivoting-arm robot throws the card reader in one of the defined throw-off possibilities.
The whole testing process is performed within a cycle time of 1.2 seconds. In the case of mobile phone card readers, the cycle can even by reduced to 0.6 seconds by equipping the robot arm with a 5-fold gripper. The machine can test various types of card readers as well as adjust the testing speed and the feed to the size of the card reader. To fulfil the high safety requirements, the basic frame and the protective enclosure were exclusively made of Line 8 and 6 components with panel elements from the MB Building Kit System developed by item Industrietechnik.
