Machine Parts For Reuse Newsgroup Discussion Forum > Medium Size Parts
> New
> Electrical
> Detroit
> Speastech smartframe system pick-to-light poka yoke $7K
Speastech smartframe system pick-to-light poka yoke $7K
With that said, I'll do my best to explain what I've learned about this system. I found it at our local Reuse Center. One of the workers there had called Speastech in Little Rock Arkansas. He gave them the serial number and was told that the system originally sold for around $7000. I went home and spent some time on the Speastech site. I wanted to be sure that documentation and software are still available, and they are. You need to register (free) on the site to access the manuals and software. There are also plenty of photos and application examples on the site, which you can see without registering.
The day after I registered, I got a call from the consultant who had sold the original system. He was very knowledgeable and helpful. Among other things, he explained that this specific system had been used in the Technical Center of a large (tier 1) automotive supplier. Having received corporate pre-approval for use in plants, this system was used for evaluation and training by their assembly plant engineers. As far as I know this system was never installed in a production environment. It appears that the system was donated to the Reuse Center when the Tech Center closed. According to the consultant, the system had been mounted on a rolling rack. The rack is not included, but the aluminum mounting brackets are still there and one of them is slightly bent.
The controller appears to be very well-built and sophisticated. The processor has a date on it of mid-2001. It has a lithium battery. There is a key to turn it ON/OFF or select the RUN/PROGRAM mode (the key has been bent and slightly cracked, but still works smoothly.) There is an LCD display, a sealed keypad, a serial communications port, a port for connecting the cable to the frame and a port which has a plug attached. This plug is labeled "Buzzer Enable Plug." The patent number on the controller is 5805451. The frame cable is included, but one of the screws is bent and the associated stud on the frame port is broken off. (This connection still works fine, but minor repair would make it more secure.) My understanding is that the controller is programmed in C++ and that it can be configured either through the keypad or using Windows-base software that is downloadable from the Speastech site. I've downloaded the manuals and the software, but have not installed or tested the software.
Here are the serial numbers: controller- SC0001119, frame- SF0001098
When I bought this, it was not working properly because somebody had gotten spray paint (overspray) on the translucent photo eye cover plate. A little elbow grease and mineral spirits cured the problem. As far as I can tell, the system works perfectly now.
Applications include: manufacturing, assembly, inventory control, distribution (picking, kitting), assistance for mentally handicapped employees and even health care. One interesting example is an emergency room implementation which ensures that the proper blood is chosen to match the type of the patient.
