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The screw feeder is pretty cool. There are a lot of these but this is the closest I could find to the model shown: https://www.kilews.jp/products/bsf-1450/ htt

The screw feeder is pretty cool. There are a lot of these but this is the closest I could find to the model shown: https://www.kilews.jp/products/bsf-1450/ https://www.kilews.jp/products/bsf-1450/

bandyaboot 3y ago
I take an abnormal amount of appreciation for the simple metal funnel guide that allows the operator to quickly get the screw loaded onto the driver.
- bredren 3y ago
  Ya, I immediately saw the scratches on the one early in the video. I wondered how the bit orientation and screw head were getting lined up. Is it the force and shape of the bit is enough for the screw to spin as needed and receive it? Also, it seemed like the driver almost had force feedback over the screw points. Because the worker’s arm seemed to slow just a bit out of what I’d expect. Could be just great precision though, if possible, why not try to keep the lateral motion confined or even on a particular track. At that point it seems like robotics could be doing all this better.
  - mschuster91 3y ago
    > At that point it seems like robotics could be doing all this better. Robots still aren't at the same amount of dexterity that humans can achieve, at least not in a price-competitive way. Also, robots don't have the "automated QA" built-in that a human has - a robot will keep on placing screws and not notice something like a scratch or other imperfection, while a human can recognize this and yeet the partial assembly towards rework or recycling.
  - jccalhoun 3y ago
    Way back in the mid-90s I worked a couple summers at a factory and one of the jobs there was using a machine like this. Now things may have changed in the 30 years since then but it basically just vibrated to get the screws to go down the V. Sometimes one would get through misaligned and you just threw it back in the hopper. Sometimes it would get jammed and you had to spend a couple minutes unclogging it. The screwdriver just had a trigger on it to make it spin. The bit was magnetized so if you got it close to lined up with the screw then it would put the screw in the slot correctly.
bemmu 3y ago
Nice, but I wonder if there are screwdrivers which could also automatically spawn screws (like a mechanical pencil) so you wouldn't even have to move back and forth from the feeder?
potamic 3y ago
Why do only some stages use the feeder while others get a box of screws from which they have to pick up by hand?
- smiley1437 3y ago
  I suspect that some screws, depending on location in the device, need to be stainless due to moisture exposure Some types of stainless are non-magnetic and thus can't be picked up with a magnetic screwdriver, thus the need to hand-feed the screw
  - bredren 3y ago
    Another possibility is Some stages lack the time pressures needed for that assistance. Also, it could be in some stages if a single screw is not placed, it will lead to catastrophic failure of the product. (Hence the screw counter in that first stage shown)

The screw feeder is pretty cool. There are a lot of these but this is the closest I could find to the model shown: https://www.kilews.jp/products/bsf-1450/ https://www.kilews.jp/products/bsf-1450/

bandyaboot 3y ago

I take an abnormal amount of appreciation for the simple metal funnel guide that allows the operator to quickly get the screw loaded onto the driver.

bredren 3y ago
Ya, I immediately saw the scratches on the one early in the video. I wondered how the bit orientation and screw head were getting lined up. Is it the force and shape of the bit is enough for the screw to spin as needed and receive it? Also, it seemed like the driver almost had force feedback over the screw points. Because the worker’s arm seemed to slow just a bit out of what I’d expect. Could be just great precision though, if possible, why not try to keep the lateral motion confined or even on a particular track. At that point it seems like robotics could be doing all this better.
- mschuster91 3y ago
  > At that point it seems like robotics could be doing all this better. Robots still aren't at the same amount of dexterity that humans can achieve, at least not in a price-competitive way. Also, robots don't have the "automated QA" built-in that a human has - a robot will keep on placing screws and not notice something like a scratch or other imperfection, while a human can recognize this and yeet the partial assembly towards rework or recycling.
- jccalhoun 3y ago
  Way back in the mid-90s I worked a couple summers at a factory and one of the jobs there was using a machine like this. Now things may have changed in the 30 years since then but it basically just vibrated to get the screws to go down the V. Sometimes one would get through misaligned and you just threw it back in the hopper. Sometimes it would get jammed and you had to spend a couple minutes unclogging it. The screwdriver just had a trigger on it to make it spin. The bit was magnetized so if you got it close to lined up with the screw then it would put the screw in the slot correctly.

bemmu 3y ago

Nice, but I wonder if there are screwdrivers which could also automatically spawn screws (like a mechanical pencil) so you wouldn't even have to move back and forth from the feeder?

potamic 3y ago

Why do only some stages use the feeder while others get a box of screws from which they have to pick up by hand?

smiley1437 3y ago
I suspect that some screws, depending on location in the device, need to be stainless due to moisture exposure Some types of stainless are non-magnetic and thus can't be picked up with a magnetic screwdriver, thus the need to hand-feed the screw
- bredren 3y ago
  Another possibility is Some stages lack the time pressures needed for that assistance. Also, it could be in some stages if a single screw is not placed, it will lead to catastrophic failure of the product. (Hence the screw counter in that first stage shown)