Assembly of a winding mechanism
Initial situation
The assembly of the winding wheel assembly consists of four components: a pinion, a wolf-tooth wheel, and two flanges, integrating press-fit and riveting operations. The entire process requires perfect geometric and functional control from the very first part.
The most critical aspect concerns the wheel orientation, which must be guaranteed top/bottom at 100%. Orientation detection is ensured by a vision system equipped with a high-precision camera, guaranteeing conformity before assembly.
Dimensional requirements impose a flatness of 25 µm and a maximum runout of 30 µm, ensuring the kinematic quality of the assembly.
All components are fed directly from bulk, and the assembled product is unloaded onto pallets.
Objective: achieving a 14-second cycle time while meeting high-end watchmaking quality standards.
Challenge
The main challenge concerned the wolf-tooth wheel, whose orientation and handling require absolute precision. 100% conformity was imperative, with zero tolerance for orientation errors.
Integrating a dual press-fit and riveting process within the same cycle also represented a major challenge. The machine had to guarantee force stability, geometric repeatability, and strict compliance with micrometric tolerances.
The objective was to ensure consistent and secure quality, despite the component’s complexity and the combination of assembly operations.
Why the Axol+ Platform ?
Optimization
The Axol+ platform integrates four gripping heads dedicated to assembly and one specific head for unloading, enabling optimized task distribution and perfect cycle control.
Precision
Its precision ensures compliance with micrometric tolerances in flatness and runout, essential to the functional quality of the winding wheel assembly.
Flexibility
The flexibility of the architecture allows the integration of a dual press-fit and riveting process within the same flow, while maintaining high production stability.
Efficiency
Designed for industrial efficiency, the platform ensures controlled cycle times, optimized use of hidden time, and consistent long-term performance.
Proposed solution
Component feeding is ensured by Modufeed HD, integrating artificial intelligence assistance for top/bottom recognition of the wolf-tooth wheels, guaranteeing 100% orientation conformity.
The machine cycle is structured around the following steps:
- Pick-up of the pre-assembled sub-assembly,
- Placement of the pinion,
- Placement of the first flange,
- Placement of the wolf-tooth wheel,
- Placement of the second flange with press-fitting through the gripping head,
- The riveting operation is performed by the press in hidden time, while the robot unloads the assembled sub-assembly via a mini-gantry, thus optimizing overall throughput.
This architecture guarantees total conformity, controlled geometric stability, and consistent industrial performance, while securing the entire dual press-fit and riveting process..
Contact us today to learn more about the AXOL+ and discover how it can transform your assembly processes.
