A full system that works alongside 1 operator to automate processes to produces 1 complete drawer every 45 seconds (750 per completed shift).

Transportation and Positioning

A trolley/pallet is positioned up to a datum where the drawer wraps (side and back) and fronts and base boards can be offloaded.

A gantry is driven over to the pallet(s), then lowered while vacuum is applied to pick up components. Once lifted by vacuum suction, the product will be transported onto the beginning of Station 2 and dropped.

Gluing: Alignment and Glue Application

Once positioned onto the assembly station, the drawer wraps and fronts are aligned to their datum position, using a belt driven datum paddle, where a belt-driven glue gun activated and travels across the horizontal spine of the products where the bases will slot.

During the Indexing cycle, glue is applied along the vertical spines of the drawer wrap and in the dowel holes on the drawer fronts. The glue gun indexes across to accommodate for the alternating positions.

Assembly

Once the drawer wrap reaches the end of the indexing procedure, it is fixed in place, datum stops are then lowered.
Station 1 gantry is driven over to the pallet and lowered while vacuum is applied. Once picked up, the product is rotated to be parallel with the fixed datum on Station 2.

The drawer back board is then transported over to the drawer wrap and pressed up against the hard stop, which pneumatic cylinders activate and press the back board against to press the board into the spine of the drawer wrap.

Cylinders under Station 2 activate and a guided roller folds up the sides of the drawer wrap. Grippers then grip the product and the guided rollers retract. Simultaneously Cylinder 3 is activated to guide the queued drawer front.

The drawer is then rotated 180° so that the dowels are in the correct orientation. The drawer front and drawer wrap assembly is then transported over to the final datum position on Station 2.

A cylinder is then activated to push the drawer front inline with the drawer wrap assembly. Once pushed up to the datum position, cylinders are pulsed to allow small axial movements to align dowel pins to holes. This will account for any manufacturing inconstancies.

Cylinders press down on the drawer wrap and press the dowel pins into their respective holes which are still being pulsed. Once pressed into the wooden wrap, the grippers release & return to grab the next product.

Runner assembly

An operator loads drawer runners into the Clamping Station whist the final pressing operation from Stage 2 is completed.

The assembled drawer is then removed from end of Station 2 and placed into the drawer press to crimp runners onto the drawer and the base board slotted into the spine and stapled.

The fully assembled drawer then moves to the Auto Screw Station to activate the screw sequence.

The drawer is now complete and ready to be stored where applicable (onto a trolley or pallet).