Unique Dispensing System
Fluid Research Corporation announces that it has supplied the world's largest and most diversified supplier of automotive components with a new dispensing system to precisely meter, mix and dispense a urethane potting compound to help protect airbag controller/circuit board modules.
Delphi Delco Electronic Systems in Kokomo, IN is using the new equipment on production lines that manufacture thousands of airbag controller units per day for a wide array of OEM customers. The new dispensing equipment features a progressive cavity pump design, thereby eliminating dynamic shaft seals, valve wear, leakage and potential phasing errors common to piston pump systems.
Delphi is using the Fluid Research Signature™ model to dispense a two-part urethane potting compound to coat all exposed parts of the circuit board module, as well as sealing an aluminium case to the top of the board. The airbag controller is mounted in the passenger compartment and must be able to withstand significant ambient temperature variation and vibration, while resisting moisture, dust and other contaminants.
Manufacturing process
In manufacturing the airbag module, Delphi has the robotically controlled dispense head programmed in a specific pattern across the device. Current production runs require the dispensing machines to deliver 32 grams of material in a 3-½ second shot window, while future designs will necessitate different shot sizes
The component then proceeds on a conveyor system through a curing oven for a period of several minutes, after which it undergoes a hot functional test. This phase consists of connecting the circuit board to test equipment and elevating the temperature. The airbag module is basically a computer that requires verification that the unit is functional and all circuitry has been installed correctly.
The airbag module is a micro-processor based controller that electronically and mechanically senses a crash event. The unit has sensors that monitor the electrical inputs to determine when the airbag should deploy. The airbag module is calibrated according to the type of vehicle in which it is installed.
Delco Electronic Systems is a division of Delphi Automotive Systems, a world leader in transportation and mobile electronics headquartered in Troy, MI. Delphi has approximately 214,200 employees and operates 178 wholly owned manufacturing sites, 41 joint ventures, 53 customer centres and sales offices, and 27 technical centres in 39 different countries. Regional headquarters are located in Paris, Tokyo and Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Fluid Research Corp. designs and builds positive displacement dispensing systems utilizing progressive cavity pumps and micro-controlled servo drives to deliver unprecedented accuracy and repeatability. With its broad range of shot sizes and virtually unlimited mix ratios, this state-of-the-art equipment is precise, leak-free and extremely cost-effective.
Source: Fluid Research
