Micro Part Handling

Micro part handling is a fast-growing application area for automation and an area of specialization for Arimation. Product miniaturization is driving this growth and it comes with unique challenges for automation. 

For example, feeding very small parts from bulk is difficult. Traditional vibratory or centrifugal feeder bowls are not suitable for handling parts that are small, static, or magnetized. High-end vision solutions and high-precision automation are required to mitigate these issues. The parts are fragile and require clever proprietary solutions for assembly. Additionally, the end-of-arm and other tooling need to be tiny yet functional. 

---

CASE STUDY EXAMPLE: Advanced custom automation for medical device micro part handling

PROBLEM

Responsible for manufacturing a critical component for intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) catheter devices, Cretex Medical needed to improve the daily work experience of their assembly team and scale up production at the same time.  

SOLUTION

Arimation provided an automation system to streamline the process of cutting wire, inserting in sleeves, crimping the parts together and inspecting the final component – all at micron level resolution. Arimation worked with Mechatronics to source the components needed for this solution including: 

• Six-axis robotic arm from Mecademic for its small footprint and high precision   

• Flexible feeding and vision system from Asyril with advanced controls for integrators 

• Custom wire feeding and cutting solution to accurately and consistently manipulate 0.1 mm thick wires require machine vision and vision guided motion. Zebra (Matrox) vision hardware and software were a great fit for this application along with LinMot that manufactured the servo axis that provided the precision needed.

VALUE

By automating this challenging manual process, the company will be able to increase throughput and yield, reduce the footprint of the assembly line and improve the work environment for their operators.