Automatic Cutting and Preforming of Components

Automatic cutting and preforming of components is essential, especially when the components are delivered on tape or in cardboard reels. They must be prepared before they can be assembled onto electronic circuits, and this operation is carried out with a special machine that gives the leads the shape required by the application and function of the sensor. MGA Technologies developed a lead cutting and forming machine for components and sensors, designed to prepare these parts before assembly.

The Different Uses of the Sensors

Widely used in precision mechanics, biotechnology, aeronautics, robotics and pharmaceuticals for the development of automation, Hall effect sensors serve as position sensors and speed sensors. They are also used to determine the direction of rotation of an element.

As they are supplied on tape, they must go through this machine before they can be mounted on circuit boards. In this way, their leads can take a variety of shapes.

With the development of autonomous vehicles, car manufacturers and automotive suppliers rely more and more on position and speed sensors. For example, hundreds of sensors are integrated into a level 5 vehicle so that it can locate itself and move around in its environment.

The MGA Technologies Automatic Cutting and Preforming Machine for Components

The MGA Technologies machine for automatic cutting and preforming of components is suitable for companies wishing to improve their production and make it more efficient. Components supplied in blisters or on cardboard tape are preformed with a calibrated cut, in series.

Thanks to its modular design, the machine bends components with 3 to 5 leads in up to three positions, with bend angles from 0 to 90°. Bending accuracy is better than 2° and cutting accuracy is ±0.1 mm. The machine prepares up to 900 sensors per hour, which saves you considerable time.

Very compact, this machine can easily be integrated into your semi-automatic or fully robotic assembly line. It can also be interconnected with one or more existing machines.

Its tooling is scalable, modular and fully interchangeable, which makes it easy to use. Several configurations are available: single belt conveyor, buckets or shuttle. To allow you to deploy it across your international sites, it has a multilingual interface. Full specifications are available on our lead cutting and forming machine page.

Which Parameters Define the Machine Configuration?

An automatic cutting and preforming project starts with a precise identification of the parts to be processed. We look at how they are originally packaged (cardboard tape, reel or blister), their dimensions and their number of leads. This information determines the feeding mode and the operations needed before assembly onto the circuit board.

The final geometry must then be described precisely. For components with three to five leads, the machine can bend in several positions, within a range of 0 to 90°. Cut length, bend angle and expected shape must each come with defined tolerances. The machine’s stated performance, ±0.1 mm cutting accuracy and bending accuracy better than 2°, must be compared with the requirements of your application.

Throughput is another configuration criterion. A capacity of up to 900 sensors per hour must be matched to the pace of the downstream assembly line. A high rate is only useful if feeding, unloading and the following operations can absorb it without interrupting the flow.

We also define how components leave the machine. Conveyor, shuttle or another configuration must match the chosen level of automation. Interconnection with one or more existing machines should be studied from the design stage, whether the line is semi-automatic or fully robotic.

Modular tooling makes it possible to plan for several formats or future product changes. These changes should nevertheless be identified in the specifications so that the interchangeable tools, their accessibility and the related settings can be anticipated. For deployment across several sites, the multilingual interface can also be configured for the users concerned.

Before production starts, formats, settings and the sequence with the other equipment are checked under the intended conditions. This is how we adapt our automatic cutting and preforming solution to the parts, tolerances, throughput and industrial organization of each project.

Boosting Throughput with Custom Preforming Automation

In industry, competitiveness depends largely on responsiveness and precision, which makes automating the cutting and preforming process a major performance lever. By replacing manual operations with custom automated solutions, manufacturers significantly increase their production rate while ensuring repeatable, consistent component quality.

Automated preforming standardizes technical operations, eliminates the risk of human error and shortens cycle times. With machines designed around the constraints of the parts to be formed (dimensions, materials and geometry), the process becomes smoother and more reliable, and these operations can be integrated upstream of the assembly lines with minimal human intervention.

Automated equipment generally includes vision systems, robotic arms, interchangeable tools and intuitive control software. It fits into existing production lines or can be deployed as a standalone cell, depending on your needs. Adding sensors also makes it possible to collect real-time data to optimize maintenance, improve yield and anticipate drift. By automating the cutting and preforming of components intelligently, manufacturers gain productivity, precision and traceability while lowering overall production costs, in line with Industry 4.0.

About MGA Technologies

Based near Lyon, France, MGA Technologies has been designing, manufacturing and installing custom machines for more than forty years. Its equipment serves the pharmaceutical, food, automotive and precision engineering industries, and more than two hundred customers have already trusted the company to improve their industrial tools with tailor-made solutions.

One of its achievements is the integration of the component cutting and preforming machine into an automatic line for manufacturing electronic sensors. Also discover our custom inspection, testing and identification machines.

If you plan to use the automatic cutting and preforming machine for components, contact us. Our technical teams can also be reached by email or telephone.