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Better handling from the inside
Kevin Russelburg -- Design News, July 10, 2001
Friday, September 29, 2000
Rosemont, IL--This Wednesday at the Assembly Technology Expo, Vertex Development Corp. introduced a product that will address the frustrating parts-handling element of manufacturing and systems integration--Feedscape.
In material handling applications, parts are typically fed through tubes, chutes, rails, tracks, and guides. One characteristic common to all of these methods is that they rely on contact with the outside of the part. Often, a geometric feature, such as a notch or flat, is used for guidance or orientation.
When parts are contained on their outer surface, the tooling necessary for guidance requires a female feature, such as a square tube or T-slot. This female tooling must conform to the parts' outside dimensions and is sensitive to part variations.
The Feedscape system is fundamentally different, according to Vertex, because it handles parts from the inside. The patent-pending technology takes advantage of the internal features of parts, rather than handling parts from the outside. This change allows the use of male tooling, offering previously unavailable design opportunities.
For more information, e-mail Vertex President Rick Amendolea at ramendolea@centricity.net.
