AUTOMATED ELECTRONIC PARTS PACKAGING AND HANDLING SYSTEM

ACCORDING TO A 1983 STUDY, DOD'S EXPENDITURE FOR ELECTRONIC COMMODITIES CONSTITUTES OVER ONE THIRD ($15 BILLION) OF THE TOTAL ANNUAL COST FOR ALL MILITARY SYSTEMS AND THE RATIO IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN THE YEARS AHEAD. SIGNIFICANT COST REDUCTION COULD BE REALIZED IF AUTOMATION FOR LOW VOLUME ASSEMBLY AND REPAIR OPERATIONS COULD BE ACHIEVED. THE FIRST STEP TOWARD AN AUTOMATION GOAL IS TO DEVELOP A STANDARD ELECTRONIC COMPONENT PACKAGE (SECP) THAT INCORPORATES FEASURES THAT FACILITATE RELIABLE MECHANICAL HANDING (SPROCKET HOLES IMILAR TO MOTION PICTURE FILM) AS WELL AS PART PROTECTION, ORIENTATION, AND IDENTIFICATION (BAR CODE). THESE FEATURES WOULD PROMOTE AN AUTOMATIC STORAGE, RETRIEVAL, AND DELIVERY SYSTEM (SRDS) AND SEMI-FLEXIBLE AUTOMATIC ASSEMBLY EQUIPMENT. THE BAR CODE ATTACHED TO EACH STANDARDIZED PACKAGE WOULD PROVIDE THE PHYSICAL LINK BETWEEN THE COMPONENT (PAKAGE), THE EQUIPMENT SYSTEM CONTROL SOFTWARE AND THE MANAGEMENT CONTROL AND INFORMATION SYSTEM SOFTWARE (WORK SCHEDULES, INVENTORY CONTROL, JOB LABOR AND MATERIAL COST, ETC.). THE SECP CONCEPT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SRDS OVERCOMES THE COMPLEXITIES OF MECHANICALLY GRASPING AND STORING A VAST ARRAY OF PARTS (EACH WITH A DIFFERENT GEOMETRY). THE TWO INVESTIGATORS HAVE A TOTAL OF 60(+) YEARS EXPERIENCE IN THE DESIGN OF AUTOMATIC MATERIAL HANDLING EQUIPMENT AND HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN ELECTRONIC ASSEMBLY FOR 15(+) YEARS.