BEARINGS, SEALS & GASKETS FEATURE HOW LASER MARKING HELPS ENSURE DEFECT-FREE BEARINGS ENTER THE MARKET A


n essential component on many items, bearings need to be manufactured correctly


at all stages and remain error free at the point of shipment. One of the last operations during bearing manufacture is the laser marking process, but if an incorrect or defective component is marked this adds to the manufacturing cost and runs the risk that the part may still be packed and dispatched. A single step solution for both bearing and laser mark inspection is, however, available. Laser marking on components is generally


performed in two ways. Manually, where an operator places the part into the laser marking system’s fixture before initiating the marking process – this relies on the operator performing both pre- and post-marking inspection to ensure that the correct part is being marked and that there are no defects. In an automated environment, in addition to the laser marking system, there may be both pre- and post- marking inspection operations carried out by a separate machine vision system. This traditional three stage process can,


however, be reduced to a single-step- procedure using FOBA’s fully integrated





Custom RF Connector and Cable Assembly Design


   


  





  


 


    


 +44 (0) 1245 347145 sales@intelliconnect.co.uk      


bearing marking solution. Taking up the story, Andy Toms, director at TLM


Laser, said: “Small defects in a ball bearing are often difficult to detect. For example, if single rollers are missing, incorrectly assembled, or if a component is of a different size to that expected. This technology takes care of roller inspection, checking for defects, missing or inverted rollers, and rejects items with bad or marked rollers. FOBA’s camera-based marking system offers a cost effective solution that integrates part detection, marking and validation of the marked characters in a single, safe, process.” The camera, integrated within the marking


head, enables timely error detection and prevents false marking. Of further benefit, the marking process is both significantly simpler and faster, as there is no need to relocate the part between separate inspection and marking stations. The part remains in the marking field throughout the initial inspection, marking and subsequent code reading operations. In addition, there is no need for component fixturing as the system automatically detects the position and orientation of the part and re-positions the marking field accordingly.


TLM Laser www.tlm-laser.com


A different kind of Interconnect Solutions Provider RF and Microwave Connectors, Adaptors and Cable Assemblies www.intelliconnect.co.uk  DESIGN SOLUTIONS | MAY 2020 33


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44