ELEVATING FUNCTIONALITY: Assembly equipment Design
Tube Assembly and Torque Fixture
INDUSTRY: Diagnostics
HSD EXPERTISE: Industrial Design, Engineering, Prototyping
Faced with production scaling challenges, our design team was tasked with creating a fixture that would take a fully manual procedure of capping a diagnostic tube and create a controlled, semi automated process that reduced the burden on the operator and margin for error. Beginning from scratch, our engineers quickly developed a mechanically simple approach and collaborating with design, optimized usability into a package that would elevate the production floor environment.
Proof of Concept to Final Design
The effort kicked off by concepting various mechanical solutions and sourcing cost effective parts to quickly build a simple box style prototype. This model helped to prove functionality of capping the tubes with repeatable torque as well as test how to mitigate harm like carpal tunnel from repeated us over high volumes.
Once the components and usability were established the team refined the design to ensure minimal footprint on an assembly bench, optimal usability, and a high design appeal.
Finished Units for the Assembly Floor
Throughout the design process, our team was aware that only a handful of these instruments were needed and made material and manufacturing decisions appropriately. This ensured whatever design solution we landed upon would be cost-effective to manufacture at the low volume required and not create any unnecessary respins in an attempt to hit an unrealistic vision.
Once the design was finalized our team delivered on a small run of working prototypes currently being used on the assembly floor.
