O-Ring Installation Devices Benefits Manufacturing Plants and Employee’s

O-Rings are integral to the functioning of many products, including medical devices, tractors, valves, and home appliances. AGI’s O-Ring Installation technology can be implemented in innumerable manufacturing industries. Two different advanced dual motion gripper instruments offer capabilities to place and seal O-rings for fully-automated assembly lines and semi-automated single-station hand assists.

The most obvious advantages to automating traditional manual jobs are time and cost reduction. Typically, a partially automated hand-assist station can speed O-Ring application by three times. But according to AGI President, Peter Farkas, that is just one of the many advantages of using advanced robotics in this unique function. O-rings are easily damaged when applied manually or with a three-prong device. But, there is generally far less damage done to the O-Ring itself when installed by a 6 or 8 jaw gripper, says Mr. Farkas.

An incorrectly mounted O-ring can result in faulty seals and a defective product. For the first time, even small manufacturing plants can benefit from automation technologies and safeguard against human-error.

Small manufacturing plants can benefit from advances in robotics in other ways only large plants have been able to up until now. Manufacturing firms suffer soaring medical costs and production losses as a result of repeated-stress injuries incurred by assembly line workers. AGI’s O-ring installation tools help to curb worker injuries and boost the bottom line for large and small manufacturing firms alike.

AGI’s O-Ring-Assembly Tools come in two sizes: the AGP-6-OR (which has six jaws) and the AGP-8-OR (which has eight). Both pneumatic grippers can accommodate placement applications from 3 to 12 inch I.D. and are designed to facilitate part ejection and part seating. Both devices accommodate installations which require an ejector after the part is positioned, or when a seal needs to be placed down a long shaft.

Independent piston technology and double-acting spreading jaws enable the pneumatic devices to place minimal stress on the O-Rings. The O-Rings, as a result of the octagon–shape they take on, undergo significantly less deformation than they would if applied through traditional means of assembly. Additionally, because the strokes can be adjusted to exact measurements, there is decreased risk of over-expansion.