The following are highlights of some of the projects we have successfully completed.
Due to the confidential nature of these projects, pictures cannot be shown. 

LidStick Bagging System

A medical client of ours provides consumables to Ophthalmologists. One of the products is the LidStick®, which is used to manipulate the eyelids for dry eye measurements, slit lamp examinations, cornea-scleral surface detection and more. The client contacted THH Consulting to perform an engineering analysis on how to unload LidSticks from an injection molding machine and individually package the LidSticks in a continuous web of bags. After the initial engineering study, THH Consulting was contracted to manage the project. THH Consulting provided engineering, manufacturing, assembly, installation of the fully automated bagging system, as well as integration support with the injection molding machine.

Application Engineering – Engineering – Project Management

Press-Loading Pick-and-Place System

Our customer assembles stamped components in a semi-automated die station. Manually loading of small parts into the die resulted in production yield fluctuations due to operator variance. The customer contracted with THH Consulting to perform a cycle time study, generate a concept for automation, and establish project cost and timeline for a pneumatic Pick-and-Place system. THH Consulting’s design used a vibratory feeding system to present parts to the pick-and-place system, which then orients parts and precisely locates them prior to install into the die. After the customer decided to implement the automation, THH Consulting managed the project and oversaw engineering, manufacturing, assembly, installation with the existing machine, and performed the production run-off. The installed system increased production yields up to 25%.

Application Engineering – Engineering – Project Management

Poka-Yoke - Laser/Vision Sensors

Our customer has a fully-automated assembly machine with a stacking operation to assemble multiple parts. Sensors validate that all parts are correctly oriented in the finished assembly. The complete assembly was scrapped if the parts were incorrectly assembled and the system had to be reset. Resetting required removing parts from multiple assembly stations. The customer asked THH Consulting to add a Poka-yoke to validate parts orientation prior to the stacking operation. THH Consulting tested multiple sensors solutions to determine the most reliable sensors for parts orientation validation. A combination of laser and vision sensors was proposed. THH Consulting managed the engineering, manufacturing, assembly, and installation with the existing machine, and completed the production run-off. All work was performed with the assistance of outside resources. The Poka-Yoke validation eliminated the scrap rate caused by misoriented parts, and increased Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) by reducing downtime.

Application Engineering – Engineering – Project Management

Automated Liquid Transfer System with Vial Capper/Decapper

Created design concept and proposal, and managed engineering team and development efforts for an automated high volume aliquoting system. The development included a patented vial opener and closer subsystem. Developed PC software for the user interface, machine control and interfacing with a third-party aliquoting instrument. The system has 15 servo motors and 12 stepper motors. The system can run three different product types with minimal tooling change, and uses recipes to control product specific motion profiles. Customer sold more than 20 systems. 

Sales Support - Application Engineering - Engineering - Software Development

Automated Chip Tester Loading/Unloading System

Created design concept and proposal, and managed engineering team and development efforts for a semi-conductor material handling equipment for automated chip loading and unloading of a testing system with up to 24 test sites. The unloaded chips are in different unload trays based on the test results.

Programmed the PC-based system for product scheduling, interface with test cells and automation control. The system can run two product lots independent and schedules everything via a hierarchy driven FIFO buffer. The system is running in a semi-conductor facility with a 24/7 operation and has a very high MTBF.

Sales Support - Application Engineering - Engineering - Software Development - Technical Training

Automated BIB Tester Loading/Unloading System

Created design concept and proposal, and managed engineering team and development efforts for a robot-based semi-conductor material handling equipment for automated chip loading and unloading of burn-in boards (BIB). BIBs are presented to the system via trolleys that can hold up to 28 BIBs with up to 32 sockets each. The socket loading mapping is send to the host computer. The unloaded chips are sorted in different unload trays based on an unload pattern from the host.

Programmed the PC-based system controller for interfacing with the host computer that provided the sorting maps, control the robot and sorting algorithms, and automation control. Capabilities: The system can process three different types of BIBs without any tooling changes. Easy tooling changes allow fast product changeover for chips and socket configuration in the BIBs. Customer has built two systems, and continuous to develop tooling sets for new chip/socket products. The systems are installed in semi-conductor facilities with 24/7 operation and exhibit very high MTBF.

Sales Support - Application Engineering - Engineering - Software Development - Technical Training

Compact Lens Coating and Curing System

Created design concept and proposal, and managed engineering team and development efforts for a compact and low cost lens coating system. System capabilities: coating with two different lens-coating materials and curing with a re-circulating oven with a class 100 clean room rating. After three prototype systems, manufacturing was transferred to customers Thailand operation. Customer has manufactured more than 40 systems.

Sales Support - Application Engineering - Engineering - Project Management - Software Development

Automated Lens Spin Coating and Curing System

Created design concept and proposal, and managed engineering team and development efforts for a modular robot controlled lens coating equipment with a class 100 clean room rating, including IR and UV curing. The system has three robot cells and one corona station. The Customer’s engineering team won two global engineering awards of their multi-billion company.

Sales Support - Application Engineering - Project Engineering - Software Development

LCD Panel Cutting and Grinding System

Created design concept and proposal, and managed engineering team and development efforts for a fully automated LCD panel cutting and grinding machine with vision control. The system had 17 cameras, four machining stations and a large gantry to transfer LCD panels from four buffer cassettes to and from the machining stations. Positioning capabilities +/-1µm. Machining capability +/-5µm accuracy over a 760mm cutting lengths. Development included castings, vision algorithms and motion controls.

Sales Support - Application Engineering - Engineering - Software Development

Serial Number Logging Database

Our customer was awarded a contract to assemble widgets that require serialization of many subsystems and components. The widgets have multilevel, indented BOMs that must be maintained for the serial number structure. The customer's MRP system could not provide a quick and easy way to track serial numbers. Customization of the MRP would have been very time consuming and expensive. The customer contracted THH Consulting to develop a database application for scanning of job, part and serial numbers. THH Consulting implemented the software in less than two weeks using MS Access’ RAD (Rapid Application Development) environment. The database application has user forms with intuitive dialogues for data entry via keyboard or barcode scanner, as well as various reports to show serial numbers of the intended BOMs during build and after shipment. The indented BOM structures of the widget can be imported. The customer quickly received a reliable way to serialize components of their widgets at a significantly less cost than customization of the MRP system.

Software Development

MRP Database Migration

Developed a database software program and plan to convert Customer’s Unix-based MRP system to a Windows-based system. Software run on a Saturday, transferring data from the current system to the new system. All shop routers and necessary forms for manufacturing where printed afterwards. Customer’s manufacturing and purchasing departments (approximately 250 people) seamlessly continued operation on Monday morning with the new MRP system.

Project Management - Software Development