A plastic based power distribution and fuse holder unit for electric and hybrid vehicles was the request behind this specific fuse box. A complex set of 19 bolts (3 variants) to be overmoulded into one shape with several cable features around. This in a volume that did not rectify an automated insertion process but still with the request to optimize the costs and parts that contain all and the right bolts at the right position.
As first step the mould was designed, considering as minimum warpage as possible resulting from the design, right capture of the bolts and the right heat balance as result of the metal in the different positions. After the start of the production by manual insertion of the bolts, an intermediate solution between manual insertion and full automated insertion was created. This to shorten the mould open time as much as possible and to perform the preparations during the cycle time.
For this a setup was created where the bolts are placed in a jig during the cycle time. After evacuation of the finished part, with a jig the bolts are picked up, checked for presence and put into the mould with one single hand movement. This resulted in the best optimum for the total cost of ownership for the project lifetime.
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