Sensors are usually supplied by their manufacturers on reels or cardboard strips. Before they can be soldered onto electronic circuits, they must be prepared: their leads need to be cut and preformed so that they can be integrated into assemblies. MGA Technologies developed a lead cutting and forming machine for components and sensors, designed to prepare these parts before assembly.
Cutting and preforming are carried out on a machine specially designed to give the leads the shape required by the sensor’s function and application.
Different Applications of Sensors
Widely used in robotics, automotive, precision engineering, aerospace, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals as automation develops, Hall effect sensors can serve as speed sensors or position sensors. They can also determine the direction of rotation of a part.
Since they are delivered on strips, they are cut and preformed in-line on a special automated machine that delivers consistent, high-quality cutting and forming. This step is necessary before the sensors can be soldered onto assemblies, and they can take various shapes depending on their application.
For example, speed and position sensors are widely used by automotive suppliers and carmakers as autonomous driving develops. A level 5 vehicle needs several hundred sensors to move and find its way in its environment.
Industrial Use of Sensors as Position Detectors
Machines must detect positions reliably, hence the need for position detectors. Inductive, magnetic and capacitive detectors outperform mechanical switches: they offer contactless, wear-free operation, high protection against dust, moisture and vibration, and high, precise switching frequencies.
Optoelectronic detectors are the most widely used in automation. They are used wherever the position of objects must be detected accurately, safely and without contact, whatever the material. Their sensing range is wider than that of magnetic, capacitive and inductive detectors.
In industrial process applications using fluids, air and gases, where dosing and control are performed by valves, the position of slides, valves and flaps is detected reliably.
Mechanical position sensors, or position switches, are the most common devices in automated systems. Built around microswitches inside a protective casing, they are fitted with an actuator head.
They are most widely used in the food and chemical industries (packaging), in mechanical engineering and machine tools (machining, lifting, handling), and in applications such as detecting machine parts (cams, stops, gears), detecting wagons, carts and hangers, and detecting objects directly.
Sensors Are Tested Before Use
Before use, sensors are inspected and programmed in the laboratory on a test bench, such as our Hall effect sensor test and programming bench. On a high-speed rotation test bench, sensors are tested at rotation speeds from 100 to 10,000 rpm: a shaft line is driven by a motor controlled from a test PC, with a maximum target rotation speed of 10,000 rpm.
Before testing, the sensor components are cut and preformed, since manufacturers supply them on strips.
High-Precision Bending That Protects Component Integrity
When cutting and preforming strip components, bending accuracy is key to the quality of electronic assemblies and the reliability of finished products. Forming must therefore be tightly controlled to meet dimensional tolerances while preserving the structural integrity of the components. Poorly controlled deformation can cause microcracks, excessive mechanical stress or misalignment that may impair the performance of electronic components.
Modern preforming equipment therefore includes precise guidance and control systems that ensure highly repeatable bending. Forming parameters such as angles, bend radii and applied forces are adjusted precisely to the characteristics of the components and materials. This control produces consistent shapes while limiting stress on sensitive areas.
Protecting structural integrity is particularly important for miniaturized or high-density components. The process must preserve the mechanical and electrical properties of the parts to avoid any degradation during assembly or in final use. Optimized management of bending forces also helps reduce fatigue and improve component durability.
Automating cutting and preforming also stabilizes production quality and limits the variations caused by manual handling. Integrated control systems check component conformity in real time and quickly detect any anomaly. This combination of high precision and material preservation ensures more reliable, higher-performing production suited to the requirements of today’s electronics industry.
MGA Technologies Strip Component Cutting and Preforming Machine
The component cutting and preforming machine developed by MGA Technologies is specially designed to help companies improve their production processes. It performs in-line preforming and calibrated cutting of components supplied on cardboard strips or in blisters. Modular bending of components with 3 to 5 leads can cover up to 3 positions, for bends from 0° to 90°. Cutting accuracy is ±0.1 mm and bending accuracy is better than 2°. It can prepare 900 sensors per hour.
The machine is very compact, which makes it easy to integrate into a fully robotic or semi-automatic assembly line and saves companies considerable time. It can also be interconnected with several existing machines. Very easy to use, it has modular, scalable and interchangeable tooling. It also offers several configuration options (bins, a simple belt conveyor or a shuttle), and its multilingual interface allows it to be deployed on sites around the world. See the full specifications of our component lead cutting and forming machine.
About MGA Technologies
For more than 40 years, MGA Technologies has designed, manufactured and installed custom machines for the precision engineering, pharmaceutical, automotive and food industries. MGA Technologies supports more than two hundred customers, including well-known companies, before and after their projects to improve their industrial equipment. One of our projects is the integration of the component cutting and preforming machine into an automatic production line for electronic sensors.
If you would like to know more about our strip component cutting and preforming machine, you can request a brochure through our contact form. You can also reach our technical team by phone on +33 4 78 83 03 22 or by email.
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