In developing its new electronic torque wrench for production, the STRwrench Compact, Atlas Copco focused on requirements for Industry 4.0 and smart factory applications.
But how was this innovative tool created and what specific benefits does it offer for assembly?
Our product manager and tightening technology specialist Dirk Biebricher has the answer. The graduate engineer has been involved in the field of torque wrenches for over 15 years and previously acquired in-depth expertise at Atlas Copco in the areas of screw joint analysis, process optimization and modern assembly technology.
“We asked users about their expectations for a modern production wrench and included this key feedback in development work for the STRwrench Compact,“ says Dirk Biebricher. “We have not developed a tool that can do everything but the STRwrench Compact comes very close,” the product manager for assembly tools reports.
A production all-rounder
This modular production wrench is designed for a very wide torque range from 1.5 to 1000 Newton-meters (Nm) and it combines the features of an assembly, measurement and testing wrench. The extremely sturdy design of this production wrench and its pure digital tightening and measurement data transmission system exclude the sources of error connected with previous similar tools. That significantly reduces repairer and calibration costs [1]. At the same time, the STRwrench Compact makes its users more agile and flexible in assembly and it is convincingly easy to use [2].
“One extraordinary advantage is the controller integrated in the STRwrench Compact. With this on-board controller, it is no longer necessary to install physical controllers or wiring at assembly stations. That saves space and considerably reduces the installation work required.”
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Compatible with a wide variety of controllers
Nevertheless, this smart torque wrench is still compatible with all the widely used Power Focus controllers from Atlas Copco, Dirk Biebricher confirms: “For good reason, the STRwrench Compact can continue to be used with controllers already installed at the production facility, including
- Power Focus 4000
- Power Focus 6000 und
- Power Focus 8
without any retrofitting effort.”
Many users, especially in the automotive industry, operate the proven Power Focus controllers of their electric nutrunners with their own protocols. Some users even control entire production lines with them. “This is why customers who use Power Focus controllers with their individual production-specific programs can link up the STRwrench Compact without any problems. The STRwrench Compact accepts the program and implements the commands received from the Power Focus controller directly as a slave.“ [3].
Error prevention and process safety
In order to optimize error avoidance and further improve process security in assembly, the STRwrench Compact ensures seamless interaction with the wide range of tightening attachments and accessories available from Atlas Copco. “When operated with external controllers, the wrench is a full-feature component of our assembly ecosystem,” says tightening system specialist Biebricher, underlining the high compatibility of the unit and its further benefits for users: "Users can select the correct socket for any application via light signals if the smart wrench is equipped with a convenient Selektor. Tightening status signals can be visualized even more effectively along the production line if these units are combined with Stacklights. They can also be connected to Profi-bus or other bus systems."
[1] An application report from industrial practice shows how the STRwrench Compact can withstand the most arduous working conditions and optimize production processes with precise reliability and a long service life https://www.atlascopco.com/nl-be/itba/expert-hub/articles/strwrench
[2] This article gives a more precise overview of the features and benefits of the STRwrench Compact: https://www.atlascopco.com/nl-be/itba/expert-hub/articles/strwrench-compact
[3] For example, flexibility: When used as a slave, the smart production wrench accepts the programming of an external controller but still retains its internal programming in the background. This way, the STRwrench Compact can simply switch to integrated control immediately when the need arises and operate fully autonomously with its on-board controller – and switch back to external control when appropriate.
Communication and data transfer
“As a general principle, the STRwrench Compact also has outstanding connectivity even if it is used without external controllers: If you operate the STRwrench Compact with its on-board controller, you can use an open protocol to communicate with your own software.
By doing so, you can release the smart wrench for use, call up all the values measured or set other tightening programs. Bluetooth and WLAN modules are installed for seamless communication and data transfer, ensuring the appropriate connections at all times.
If the STRwrench Compact is used in the off-line mode, the tool stores the results of up to 5,000 tightening operations and the same number of tightening curves. As soon as a connection has been re-established, the data can be transmitted, thoroughly analyzed and even used for further process improvements.
Each STRwrench Compact has a 2D barcode and QR code scanner.
An innovative 2D barcode scanner that can also read QR codes rounds off the STRwrench Compact. With this unit, the codes can not only be read but also linked to each other. This is very useful for component identification or program selection, for example.
Just imagine an assembly process in which each component has four different codes that need to be scanned at different positions on the production line. The STRwrench Compact can select the appropriate program entirely independently of the worker. The wrench uses information from the codes scanned to automatically select the appropriate program. No entries or selections by the user are needed and errors are completely excluded.”
Find out more about STRwrench Compact
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