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Automated clamp bonding cells
Tier-1 automotive supplier · Upstate SC · customer name withheld
The problem
Hose clamps were bonded by hand, leaving orientation and glue volume to the operator. A misaligned tab wasn't caught on this line — it surfaced downstream at the OEM, where assembly operators couldn't reach it to make the connection. Wasted adhesive on every unit compounded the cost.
What we built
The operator loads hose and clamp into a dedicated fixture and starts the cycle with two-hand safety sensors. The machine indexes the clamp to the specified orientation, dispenses a metered bead from a Loctite Bond-A-Matic system, and holds compression through the full cure window. A barcode scan at startup loads the correct recipe, so the wrong part cannot run the wrong program.
The result
72-second cycle. Zero misorientation defects since installation. The customer returned for two more machines covering different parts.
Scope of work
- Mechanical design, fixture and tooling design
- Pneumatics and safety guarding
- Control enclosure and HMI
- Build, installation and run-off
- Electrical design and PLC programming by specialist subcontractor under ENQUIPA direction
