State-of-the-art technologies from Festo unlock huge potential for anyone interested in replacing manual steps with an automated process in electronic device manufacturing. Machine builders, too, benefit from our extensive automation expertise.
Pick and place
Picking up the smartphone housing from the manual assembly line and transporting it to the automated assembly line.
Find out more about pick and place
Screwing in
Inserting the circuit board into the smartphone housing and securing it using an automatic screwdriver.
Find out more about automated screwing in
Press-fitting
Automatically pressing the display into the smartphone casing after carefully placing it there manually.
Find out more about press-fitting
Stacking and packaging
Removing smartphones from the assembly line and placing them in a workpiece carrier.
Find out more about stacking and packaging
Testing
Removing smartphones from the workpiece carrier to test them on the test device.
Pick and place: cut costs and save space
In pick and place applications, the smartphone housing is reliably removed from the conveyor or placed back down again.
As an ideal basis for such applications, we offer a cost-effective and space-saving handling system consisting of tried-and-tested mechanical components: electric linear axes ELGC, mini slide EGSC, and rotary drive ERMO.
This kinematic system can also be used at a later stage for almost all handling operations required during the manufacturing process. Take advantage of all the options when selecting motors and drives, from solutions with basic functionality to high-performance versions.
We have also developed the servo motors EMMB-AS and the servo drive CMMB-AS especially for manufacturers in Asia, including connection options based on pulse train technology and with connectors in protection class IP20.
The front unit consists of the mini slide EGSC as the Z-axis, the rotary drive ERMO, the compact and lightweight vacuum generator OVEL, the suction gripper ESG and the vision sensor SBSI for workpiece detection.
Screwing in: everything precisely placed and fastened
To assemble the printed circuit board in the smartphone housing, it must first be removed from the workpiece carrier.
To do this, the workpiece carrier is lifted and moved using a linear drive ELGA. The printed circuit board (PCB) is then placed precisely in the housing and secured with an automatic screwdriver, while being monitored by our image processing system. Instead of time-consuming manual work, the incoming housings are aligned and secured by guided drives DFM. The pressure sensors SPAN indicate the pressure level of the clamping cylinders.
The pneumatic system is controlled by the new modular controller CPX-E in conjunction with the attractively priced valve terminal VTUG from the Festo Core Range. In line with our modular automation concept, this electric handling unit in this case also consists of linear drives ELGC and mini slides EGSC. What makes this system so special is that the drives are all connected directly without adapter plates.
Dispensing: simply faster and to the point
To apply adhesive to the smartphone housing automatically, quickly and precisely, we offer the extremely compact planar surface gantry EXCM-40 with stepper motor EMMS-ST and controller CPX-E as a solution. For higher performance requirements, a planar surface gantry EXCM-40 with servo motors EMMS-AS and servo drive CMMT-AS is also an excellent option.
In both cases, guided drives DFM align the incoming workpieces and then clamp them. Pressure sensors SPAN indicate the pressure level of the clamping cylinders. Finally, the proportional pressure regulator VEAB precisely controls the amount of adhesive to be applied. Additional benefits of automation include no protruding adhesive, no rework and less adhesive consumption.
Press-fitting: evenly and controlled
After the display has been manually and carefully placed in the smartphone housing, a fully automated press-fitting station takes over further processing.
In this step, both parts are pressed together using a defined and controlled amount of force.
This is a perfect job for the servo press kit YJKP. This consists of modular operating software and matching standard components from Festo: an electric spindle drive, a motor, a servo drive, a force sensor and a controller – everything you need for electric press-fitting applications up to 17 kN.
The workpiece is moved pneumatically within the application by a system consisting of rodless linear drive DLGF, guided compact drive ADNGF, vacuum generator OVEL and vacuum gripper ESG.
The servo press kit YJKP is considerably less expensive than conventional press systems, giving you a significant competitive edge when it comes to productivity.
Stacking and packing at high speed right from the start
At this stage of the production process, the smartphones are removed from the assembly line, placed in workpiece carriers, and stacked in magazines so that they can be fed to the next processing steps.
The leading role in this process is taken on by high-speed pick and place system with planar surface gantry EXCH and mini slide EGSC.
Our image processing system for detecting and aligning the smartphones ensures that this is done with the required precision. The smartphones are then placed in the magazines using a cantilever system consisting of standard electric linear drives EGC and ELGC with rotary drive ERMO and gripper HGPT. The magazines are also moved up and down using the standard linear drives EGC.
Testing: safe, secure and fully automated
The smartphones arrive at the test station stacked in magazines. They are reliably transported from the stacking magazine to the testing device by the high-speed pick and place solution EXCH in combination with the space- and cost-saving handling system consisting of ELGC, EGSC, ERMO and HGPT.
The individual workpiece carriers are secured in the testing device by several compact cylinders DPDM. Our compact handling system EXCM and the new and very short mini slide DGST support the testing of the touch display, while the electric mini slide EGSC precisely connects the plug for the electric function test to the smartphone.
Labelling: precise and reliable
One of the final production steps in the assembly of the smartphones is the application of a protective film to the display. Automation ensures that this process is safe and reliable.
The roll with the protective film (labels) is moved and clamped in the system with a standards-based cylinder DSBC. The protective film is drawn in using vacuum and then precisely applied to the smartphone. As in previous stations, the vacuum is generated by the vacuum generator OVEL and the film is applied by a pick and place solution consisting of linear drive ELGC and rotary drive ERMO mounted directly on it.