Litmus paper strips fed on a FlexiBowl® disk for assembly operations

Automated Cell for Delicate Litmus Strip Assembly with Integrated Quality Control

Case Study: Compact and Fully Automated Cell for Reliable Litmus Strip Production

Our Partners

Cim-Tech builds custom automated assembly and test equipment. The company delivers turnkey systems for a variety of industries, including medical, automotive, cosmetic, consumer goods, industrial, and pharmaceutical. They build benchtop fixtures to fully automated lines.​​

The Challenge

Challenge - Precise Component Handling
Microchip Handling
  1. Consistent quality: gentle handling of components prevents damage, even to thin and delicate parts; in-line inspection and automatic sorting ensure that only compliant parts continue through the production cycle.
  2. Flexibility: the cell can handle components with different shapes and sizes without requiring mechanical adjustments, reducing changeover time.
  3. Compact layout: a single structure integrates feeding, assembly, inspection, and sorting, optimizing space and simplifying in-line integration.
  4. Reduced operating costs: by automating repetitive tasks and integrating quality control, labor costs, waste, and rework are minimized—leading to a faster return on investment.

The Solution

  1. 3 FlexiBowl® 500 units: flexible feeders designed for the gentle handling of the various components of the paper strips. The controlled impulse combined with rotary motion ensures uniform and stable part distribution for robotic picking, preventing overlaps and potential damage.
  2. 3 Epson SCARA robots: vision-guided for high-precision pick & place operations. The system adapts seamlessly to component geometry variations without requiring hardware adjustments.
  3. 3 industrial cameras: one dedicated to inspecting the sensitive film, and two for final quality control. The multi-level vision architecture enables immediate detection of defects throughout the process.
  4. Indexed linear conveyor with dual nests: enables the parallel transfer of components between assembly and inspection stations, maximizing production throughput.
  5. Automated sorting system: at the end of the cycle, non-compliant parts are automatically rejected, ensuring a 100% verified output.

The Benefit

FlexiBowl Benefits
  1. Quality: the system enables gentle handling of fragile components, minimizing damage, while integrated inspection steps ensure compliance with quality standards.
  2. Compact layout: all key functions – feeding, assembly, and sorting – are integrated into a space-saving cell, ideal for production lines with limited floor space.
  3. Cost reduction: full process automation minimizes the need for manual inspection and rework, significantly lowering operating costs and material waste.
  4. Continuous efficiency: parallel handling with a dual-nest conveyor allows simultaneous assembly, inspection, and loading, reducing cycle times and maximizing throughput.
Download the full text