Automated dispensing system delivers fourfold productivity increase

Intertronics supports Venta Global with automated gasketing process

Adhesives specialist Intertronics has worked with automotive and marine lighting product manufacturer Venta Global to develop a form-in-place gasketing process. The technology supplied by Intertronics increased throughput fourfold, while being highly accurate and repeatable and reducing operator health and safety risks.

Venta Global is a manufacturer of automotive and marine lighting products based in Hampshire. It offers a complete service from custom design to delivery, manufacturing thousands of products each year. With a new production facility recently fitted out, it has been taking steps to streamline and automate processes where possible.

The lighting assemblies Venta Global manufactures often require water and environmentally resistant gaskets to protect them from the elements throughout their lifetime. To help achieve this requirement, Venta Global contacted Intertronics for help in specifying a suitable gasketing material. An appropriate method of dispensing was also required to enable Venta Global to reach its long-term goal of de-skilling processes to enable consistent, reliable results to be produced, removing inconsistencies due to operator variance, and allowing future scalability.

After discussing the requirements for their form-in-place gasketing application, Intertronics put forward a select number of materials for testing. The gaskets were to be dispensed into 3 mm grooves of the lamp assembly, after which point the lamp lid is placed on top while the material is wet to create a cured gasket with a reliable seal. Ultimately, Venta Global chose Wacker Elastosil N2199 for its environmental resistance qualities, non-corrosive, neutral cure, and compatibility with its parts.

“Venta Global was previously applying gasket material by dispensing from hand-held syringes backfilled in-house — a time-consuming process,” said Matthew Baseley, Senior Technical Product Specialist at Intertronics. “The team came to us for help improving the quality of dispense and overall repeatability. The Fisnar ADVANCE robot we recommended, along with a CR300 cartridge retainer and HP790 dispensing valve, allows them to de-skill the process and semi-automate it. The result is a more accurate dispensing method that produces reliable, high-quality products.”

“The robot has sped up our production significantly,” said Roderick Dible, Production Manager at Venta Global. “With one skilled operative, our old process would take up to 20 minutes to fully gasket nine lamps, whereas the new set up can do this in less than five. We have also been able to remove the health and safety risks associated with repetitive strain injury.

“During our initial supplier search, it was important for us to work with a company that could not only provide a dispensing robot for our application, but also an adhesive to be dispensed by it — we found exactly that with Intertronics. Intertronics will be our ‘go to’ company in the future for any dispensing equipment or materials that we may require,” concluded Dible.

With two different lamp designs being produced with this dispensing set-up, the robot’s program memory allows the team at Venta Global to seamlessly switch dispensing programs between configurations. Because up to 100 programs can be stored at any one time, Venta Global will be able to transition additional assemblies to this dispensing method when needed.

Intertronics installed the equipment on-site and provided full training to the team at Venta Global, allowing them to get up and running quickly. Follow-up assistance, such as support with program optimisation, was also provided when required.

For help developing an automated dispensing process, visit  https://www.intertronics.co.uk/. To speak to our specialist team directly, call 01865 842842.