Automated method and apparatus for driving fasteners into an electric fan assembly

摘要

An apparatus and method for assembling a fan grill to a shroud of a fan housing. The apparatus includes a support structure having a moveable carriage disposed in a horizontal plane. The moveable carriage is adapted to align and carry the fan grill and shroud combination. A clamping structure is moveably attached to the support structure and has clamps adapted to clamp the fan grill and shroud combination in a fixed position. A plurality of automatic drivers attached to the clamping structure are moveable in a direction transverse to the horizontal plane of the carriage. The automatic drivers drive a plurality of fasteners into the fan grill and shroud combination. The moveable carriage may be adapted to carry more than one fan grill and shroud combination to allow an operator to load a second fan grill and shroud combination onto the carriage while a first fan grill and shroud combination is engaged by the drivers. Each of the automatic drivers are capable of being independently controllable in relation to each other via a control system.