Battery equipment maker Sovema has launched a redesigned enveloping and stacking machine that makes it easier to ensure the quality assembly of lead-acid batteries.
The E125 Enveloping and Stacking Machine, first displayed at 17ELBC, can produce 125 enveloped plates/minute and features a design with special attention to the quality of the produced groups of plates as well as the operator’s workflow.
Sovema developed an original plate pick-up system that works using two Venturi vacuum grippers on each of the two plate loading stations. Uninterrupted movement from the pick-up area to the main chain ensures the preservation of the plate integrity as there is no contact of mechanical parts with the plate surface during the loading stage.
The machine also cleans paste residues using a rotary lug brushing system for a perfect preparation to Cast-on Strap.
A pre-folding shuttle, specifically designed by Sovema, helps the correct folding of the separator just before the plate insertion to ensure all alignments are guaranteed and the plate is properly insulated.
In terms of operator’s workflow, the machine allows the operator to set-up unlimited stacking programs (within a range of 3 to 30 negative+positive groups of plates).
Also plate format changeover can be done easily, with a servo allowing the automatic adjustment of the most delicate part of the machine (the enveloping and crimping unit) and the company has ensured ease of maintenance and adjustments so the most frequent maintenance operations can be done intuitively.
A Sovema spokesman said: “We have designed a piece of equipment that can guarantee high quality enveloping stacking process also for those manufacturers that do not need high-speed lines but prefer to focus on format flexibility and gradual investment. The machine is conceived as a modular element of the assembly line, which can be fully supplied by us.”