| Rear strut assemblies for a new European sport utility vehicle will be assembled on a new machine built by Peak Industries, Inc., Dearborn, Mich. The single-station machine features automatic control of spring compression and can be reprogrammed to handle other strut sizes to meet future production needs.
Each strut assembly includes a coil spring, strut shaft, lower spring seat, upper spring seat, mounting hardware, and a nut. The parts are manually loaded into the machine. After loading, the operator initiates the assembly cycled and pneumatically actuated fingers that move laterally into the spring at its approximate mid-point. The fingers them move down to compress the spring to a preset position.
When the spring is compressed and locked in place, the operator reaches in through a safety light screen to start the nut on the shaft. He then withdraws and hits the button a second time to activate an electric torque wrench to tighten the assembly nut. A torque monitor signals completion of the cycle.
This control also monitors applied nut torque to detect any problem with proper nut tightening, such as cross-threading or stripped threads. The machine can be adjusted and reprogrammed to accommodate different spring sizes and compressed heights.
Peak Industries has been a supplier of custom automation, assembly tooling, special assembly machines and systems for the automotive and other manufacturing industries since 1966.
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