Case Study

Morrison Cylinder Handling Inspection and Mating Solution – Custom Integrated Solution

Operating Speed: 60 CPM

Container: Gasoline Cylinders

Customer Container Handling Challenge 

A manufacturing company leveraged Morrison for assistance with their painting process of gasoline cylinders. Prior to this, the company lacked a way to automate the complex process of scanning the cylinders for flaws before painting, as well as attaching (mating) them to magnetic inserts. They already owned an overhead magnet chain, which was used alongside said inserts to move the cylinders downstream after inspection. Workers were required to physically inspect the cylinders prior to moving them downstream, and they also needed to manually place the magnetic inserts into each cylinder. This added significant downtime to the company’s operations, costing them on throughput and efficiency. The Morrison system offered precise control for rotating, camera inspecting, and rejecting the cylinders, as well as seamless integration with Pieper Automation’s camera inspection equipment and the overhead magnet chain for the painting process.

Morrison Solution 

Morrison developed a tailored container handling system to meet the customer’s unique requirements. The solution featured:

A servo-driven timing screw system.
Camera inspection to assess the steel surface and bronze alloy braze that held the cylinders together.
Photoeye sensors for jam prevention, reject management, and seamless integration with the downstream overhead magnet chain.
A continuous motion process to mate inspected cylinders with the overhead magnet chain in preparation for painting, ensuring a smooth downstream flow.

Construction 

The timing screw bracketry was built from black anodized aluminum, and the timing screw from ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW), making the servo-driven system durable and resistant to corrosion. The guarding was made with stainless steel, LEXAN polycarbonate resin, and UHMW, which give the system’s exterior low friction levels and resistance to impact and abrasion. Constructed using UHMW, both the guiderails and twist are built to last.

Results

The Morrison solution delivered transformative benefits, including:

Operational Efficiency: Precise container handling mechanisms automated a previously complex manual process, reducing wasted product and eliminating the need for risky manual handling along the production process.
Seamless Integration: Integration with existing inspection equipment from Pieper Automation minimized downtime for the customer.
Ease of Use: Operator-friendly screens monitored the rejection station, ensuring that the company could maintain control of functionality.
Solutions to Problems: Photoeye sensors addressed challenging conditions such as irregular cylinder feeds or “twins,” determining whether the system rejects a given container.
Factory Acceptance Test (FAT): Morrison hosted the company for a visit which directly displayed full system functionality.

By collaborating with the customer to measure, document, and review production needs, Morrison provided an accurate and valuable solution tailored to their application, improving overall efficiency, precision, and performance.