Comparing Automatic Screw Feeders with Manual Options

Comparing Automatic Screw Feeders with Manual Options

There are two main options for feeding screws for production and assembly purposes.

1. Manual Screw Feeding

2. Automatic Screw Feeding

Here is a comprehensive comparison of manual and automatic screw feeder systems that can suggest which type of feeder is feasible for the task at hand:

Manual Screw Feeding

Manual screw feeding is fine if there are a limited number of screws that need to be locked or unlocked. It is fairly easy to manage as few screws and pick and place them in their holes by hand. But as the workload increases in like professional or industrial usage, manual feeding becomes obsolete as it is no longer a viable option. It cannot meet the unit production rate criteria of the manufacturing units or assembly lines. This is where hundreds and thousands of screws are locked and unlocked every day. The labor force needed to match the work requirement criteria manually is simply too slow and exceedingly expensive. Then there is the physical tiring aspect of working continuously with manual feeding of screws. Especially the smaller ones can be exceedingly difficult to manage by hand and to maintain eye focus for a longer period.

Automatic screw feeder machine manufacturers have provided a viable solution for these issues in the form of automated screw feeder systems.

Automated Screw Feeding

The automatic screw feeder systems have alleviated the situation greatly by removing the by-hand aspect of the screw tightening task. With these remarkable devices, the screws are not only sorted but also supplied in a neat stream to be put in. It is simply highly convenient as it increases the work speed and efficiency excessively. The screws are supplied constantly to be pit in position for tightening and there are no drops and slips involved. Since there is no sorting or pick and place effort involved, no stress is caused to the worker's hands or eyes. 

Additionally, there are electric screwdrivers that are used to either pick or place the screws without using a hand or supplying them directly to the driver's tip to be locked. Both of these options are remarkably convenient.

However, there are various options for production and assembly automation screw feeders to choose from. The selection is dependent on the task requirement and screw specification criteria.

Types of Automatic Screw Feeder Systems

Following the various types of options for screw feeder systems provided by the automatic screw feeder machine manufacturers:

• Separate or Independent Screw Feeders

These are independent automatic screw feeder systems. The screws are loaded in bulk in the machine and it sorts and arranges them in an orderly fashion to be collected by the operator. The screws of small to medium sizes are sorted perfectly using these devices. The operator can pick these using any kind of automated screwdriver easily. These independent feeders are perfect for personal and professional projects as well as for small-scale production houses.

With these types of screw feeders, there is no need to pick or place the screws by hand at all.

• Automated Screw Feeder and Driver Combo

These are the screw feeder where the feeding system is attached to an automated screwdriver. The screws are loaded and sorted in the feeder and then supplied in a constant stream via a nozzle to the driver's tips for quick locking. These combination devices come as handheld as well as the fixed version of assembly automation screw feeders and drivers. These are perfect for heavier use in professional projects that require assembly. They are also used in mid-sized production houses for their considerable efficiency.

This type of screw feeder eliminates the use of both hands and is not stressful to work with continuously.

• Magnetic Screw Feeding Systems

The magnetic feeders are a great addition to the noteworthy range of screw feeder systems. They are used for sorting and supplying screws to be picked up using an automated magnetic tip driver. They replace the need of using hands to pick the screws and place them in their holes for fastening. Instead, once the screws are sorted using the magnetic system, they are picked up by the driver through its magnetized tip and places in position. 

These are very low-maintenance devices that do not need to replace the magnetic strip used to pick and place the screws. 

• Vacuum Screw Feeders

The vacuum screw feeders are also known as suction feeders because they use the vacuum to sort and supply screws where needed. This device is like a household vacuum cleaner. It works by creating negative pressure to generated suction flow. The screws are sucked into the devices as screws and gas mixture or steam. The hopper inside the screw feeding machine carries the steam into the pipeline where the separating mechanism releases the air and sorts the screws in order. These screws are now ready for supply and locking through a pipeline using smart control to supply and stop the feeding process.

This is an effective and efficient device for screw feeding and is ideal for large-scale production or assembly.

• Pneumatic Screw Feeding Systems

As the name suggests, the device uses compressed air to sort and present screws. It is a popular choice due to its convenient working mechanism. It has a small motor and pipes through with the compressed air passes and feeds screws. These pneumatic type assembly automation screw feeders are quite easier to work with as they only have a small motor to create compressed air suction and only need to keep the pipelines clean for maintenance.

It can be easily attached to a screw driving system and used simultaneously to achieve high work efficiency.

All these options for assembly automation screw feeders are better than having to do it all manually. The work efficiency and accuracy offered by these automated devices are off the charts when compared to the manual options. It also reduces the labor costs which bring down expenses. With all the benefits, the automated devices supplied by the automatic screw feeder machine manufacturers are ideal for all sorts of production and assembly needs.