Thread control robot at Hittech Bihca
At Hittech Bihca we have been producing carriers for the semicon industry for a long time. These parts are very critical: dimensions and finish are very accurate. For these reasons, the hundreds of different threaded holes are not tapped but milled, and because they are milled they must be 100% checked. This was done by hand up to a few weeks ago. This is possible, but is of course very dependent on people and therefore prone to errors, and it is also very expensive (count on a few hours of audit work per part). About a year ago, Hittech Multin therefore started to develop a thread control robot. Objective: to reduce dependence on people by using maximum automated control and to reduce the risk of errors by applying a standardized control method. The robot has been in use at Hittech Bihca for several weeks now and has been well received there. At this time, 60% of the threaded holes are checked with the robot (target is to get to 80%). The robot is now fully involved in the department.
Photo: the robot is shielded on three sides by plexiglass, and secured with light curtains on the front. A good example of continuous improvement and Masters in Improvement!
