Newcor's seat frame system automates the welding and ejection portions of the process by using welding robots and a modular palletized design. Newcor supplied two systems. One has six welding robots to manufacture seat backs, and the other produces bottom cushion wire seat frames using four welding robots. The overall machine footprint is 12 feet wide and 35 feet long. Nine pallets are used for each system.
Pallets move through the machine by a gear and rack conveyor.
Each fixture pallet is moved six feet from one station to the next. Pallets can roll off the machine easily for fixture change or maintenance. Two part loading stations, each with one pallet, are located near the front of the machine. Three people load the seat components manually at these stations. Once the components are fixtured, the pallet is moved to the next station, where hold-down clamps are automatically set and probes check the fixture to make sure each seat component is in place.