Elite Handle Assembly Line

The Elite Handle Assembly Line is a transfer system built at Philips Oral Healtcare, as part of the Elite product launch.  The system automates the transfer of handles between stations, and allows for a mixture of automated and manual operations.

A key feature of the line is a series of manual soldering stations. Each station diverts the pallets onto a spur line, where an operator can solder them.  The line uses RFID tags to determine which pallets have been soldered or not, and automatically balances the load between three of these stations.

The RFID tags are also used as part of the quality system, allowing units to be tested at one station, and then rejected further down the line.