The Burke E. Porter Patented Robotic Valve Stem Insertion System comes complete with a transfer conveyor, product identification (vision), robot, end effector tooling, single or dual insertion guns, vibratory stem hopper/bowls (for long and short stem), two stem feeders, station metering and positioning pins, control panels, robot controller, setup gauge and complete interlocked safety guarding. The robot supplied is typically a Kuka model KR125. At the station entrance, rims are positioned under the vision color camera for image capture, profile comparison, and stem hole location. This information is compared to the database of rim information, previously taught and stored, and is correlated to a specific rim type This same vision station could be used as an option for production error proofing. The identified rim is then transferred to the pre-stagepick-up area where it is secured. The robot end effector with its (4) non-marring fingers, secures the rim on the outer diameter. A camera located on the robot end effecter confirms the rim hole location to the insertion gun and the robot makes any necessary location adjustments prior to the stem insertion.

This system features full diagnostics down to device level, setup for each specific rim, fault listing, history, and ease of new product additions.

The vibratory bowl orients the stems into the feeding mechanism, metering one stem at a time into the insertion gun. Approximate hopper/bowl capacity is 4500 pre-lubricated snap-in stems. Blow off of loose stem dust caps is provided as well as bowl and hopper low level indication.