Pin insertion technology provides surgical tool solution
1 min read
A surgical tools manufacturer was looking for an automatic method of a miniature pin, less than 2 mm outside diameter and 10 mm long. Spirol Industries was able to satisfy this tricky application by specifying one of its insertion machines.
The small pins were proving very difficult to manipulate by hand while meeting strict clean room requirements. Instead the using a standard pin insertion machine, Spirol recommended customised to meet the specific application needs of the customer.
The pin to be inserted would eventually be used in surgery so there were strict cleanliness requirements to prevent any risk of contamination. The pin could not come into contact with epoxy paint or steel during the installation process. This meant that all the parts of the insertion machine which would be in direct contact with the pin had to be manufactured from a specific list of materials and finishes.
Inert stainless steel, and Delrin polymer was used for machine components that would be in direct contact with the pin. Electroless nickel plating and white epoxy paint were employed in all other non-contact areas. The machine also provided an operator interface for a functional work station in the assembly environment. A touch screen HMI from Allen-Bradley was integrated to replace conventional buttons and switches, and an ergonomic adjustable table was provided to mount all machine components and provide operator comfort.
Additional machine features included pin installation force monitoring, installed depth sensing, a soft start pneumatic system, external control system access port for data acquisition and an infra-red safety light curtain with full perimeter guarding.
