When you need to LOCK and LOAD

Image courtesy of Demco AutomationRotary dial assembly machines rely on precision positioning of the tooling stations to accurately place parts and complete the assembly process.

What’s often taken for granted is the LOCKING of the tooling in position before any parts placement or work station processes such as staking, forming, gluing or welding.

Camco-Ferguson cam-actuated indexers LOCK into position during the dwell portion of the indexing cycle, guaranteeing the station will not vibrate or drift out of position. By the nature of the cam mechanism and the preloaded contact between the cam follower and cam track, the dial cannot be back-driven in dwell and the preloaded contact between cam and cam follower eliminates any backlash or lost motion in the system.

When designing rotary assembly machines, remember that cam-driven indexers provide this important locking feature that other mechanisms (gearboxes and direct-drive servomotors) simply cannot deliver.

Contact your local IMC-Camco-Ferguson sales representative today for assistance in selecting the optimum indexing solution for your rotary dial assembly machine.

A message from our new president:

When “good enough” isn’t good enough

Recent trends in value engineering postulate the concept of designing a product or system that is just good enough to suit customer requirements. The main message is: Don’t add unnecessary costs. The secondary message is: More products are becoming commodities, and brands are not as important as cost. In the ideal scenario, the customer purchases a product at the lowest cost that just meets his requirements.

I believe this philosophy has contributed to our expanding landfills. Consumer products that were once perceived to be long-lasting are now “throwaways” and often not repairable. The problem becomes more serious when considering industrial machinery or other complicated equipment. We would all think twice before stepping on a passenger jet that was “just good enough.”

The average special-purpose production machine costs more than $1 million. The sales value of products produced from these machines in a year often exceeds their initial purchase price. Successful machinery actually mints money. Consider some of these examples:

• Decorated yogurt containers streaming out at more than 600 pieces per minute.
• Automotive door panels, trunk lids and body frames robotically welded with surgical precision at rates considered unachievable just a few years ago.
• Diabetic test kits produced at thousands per hour.

Exceptional machines require exceptional components. Commodities compromise performance.

All of this leads me to our November customer survey, undertaken to find out if our company is doing “good enough.” We started these surveys in 1992 and have conducted them on a regular basis, usually every two to three years, to learn more from our customers and understand their needs. In the November survey, some respondents requested easier access to the CAD drawings on our Web site. Others wanted to know how we can improve the turnaround time for in-house repairs and refurbishing. We received several great suggestions. All of this input was heard and we will respond.

We will continue to improve our products and services and to reach beyond the “just-good-enough” threshold. Many customers who responded to our survey acknowledged that numerous facets of our products and organization separate us from the commodity crowd.

Our assets include some of the best sales engineers in the industry, who help size and select products. We have factory-direct sales and field support staff in North America, Europe and Asia. They are backed by our team of application engineers, which averages more than 20 years of application experience in both mechanical and electronic solutions. Beyond the selection and delivery, our international-based team of field service technicians are available 364/24/7 to help customers get their machines up and running and keep them running.

Again, all of us at IMC thank you for the important input you gave us. The response was overwhelmingly positive and the feedback will help us ensure the company’s future strategic direction is tailored to customers’ needs.

We remain dedicated to providing the best value in product, service and performance in the industry. We believe that improvement never ends and “good enough” is never good enough.

Jeff Peterson
President, IMC-Camco-Ferguson