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Magnetic Clutch Delivers Smooth Torque Control
High-volume accuracy achieved tube after tube
Design News Staff -- Design News, September 14, 2009
llied Automation, an innovative company from Ireland, has developed a new lipstick production machine. The formulations and production processes used in the manufacture of lipsticks play a key role in the strength of the final product. The new lipstick production line can produce up to 3,600 units per hour.
The critical part of this manufacturing process is the high-speed tube wind up. To accomplish this the base lipstick (in the primary tube) is held in place. A secondary tube, with an internal auger, sits on top of this tube of lipstick. A set of three jaws then clamp the base tubes and wind the auger into the lipstick. This winding process turns at approximately 200 rpm. The Ogura PHT 1.2D is set to approximately 1 lb inch of torque. As the base with the auger is wound into the lipstick, it bottoms out. At that point the Ogura PHT permanent magnet clutch slips and goes into its torque limiting mode. Too much torque and the lipstick auger would be stripped inside the lipstick. Too little torque and the lipstick would not sit all the way in the tube.
Since the Ogura PHT clutches transmits this slip torque magnetically, instead of via friction, high-volume accuracy is achieved tube after tube.
In the final process the tubes are picked up three at a time and go into an indexing table which rounds off the end of each lipstick.
Allied Automation has chosen the Ogura PHT 1.2D unit to guarantee a consistent and reproducible slip during the wind-up process. This is because the PHT clutch/brakes operate on a Hysteresis (magnetic) principle. This allows torque to be transmitted without frictional contact so the units are virtually wear free. No external electrical connection is required; therefore, units function independently from power fluctuation. Another major benefit is that each unit can be adjusted within its given torque range allowing users to fine-tune the torque to meet their requirements.
Since there is no frictional contact, no wear particles are produced, keeping the machine, lipstick, and more importantly, lips everywhere looking pure.
Ogura's PHT-D Series Clutch provides a constant slip torque that controls the exact amount of twist required to insert the lipstick into the tube.
