Challenge 1: New Product Development

Take a new product from early prototype stage to fully automated production.

Genesis Engineered Solution

Partnered with customer through multiple prototypes, providing product design assistance, design for manufacturability, process definition, design, fabrication and commissioning of production equipment- including capability to adapt to product and process changes as product went through multiple iterations.

Customer has been able to capture a very significant market share at a high profit margin, has production capacity over 4 times that of closest competitor, and continues to work with Genesis to maintain a competitive advantage through ongoing process and product evolution.

Challenge 2:  Prototype to Production

Design, develop, fabricate, assemble, program, test and debug market ready research, balance and vertigo training machine from raw prototype.

Genesis Engineered Solution

Developed full set of specifications and manufacturing documents based on prototype information. Fabricated both first and second generation equipment, developed control program to execute complex multi axis motion protocols and performed all de bug and test programs for market ready unit.

Based on demonstrable quality and capability of machine, customer was able to sell units into both military and medical applications.

Challenge 3: Mechatronics

Integrate electrical, electronic, and mechanical components to provide a fully operational machine for a fastening operation.

Genesis Engineered Solution

Partnered with customer to modify and improve mechanical components for optimum performance with selected drives and controls. Programmed control system for optimal operation, including elimination of inherent “noise” generated by the operation.  Maintained torque values on critical operation to +/- 1#.  Provided these services through multiple model upgrades and CE certification.

Challenge 4: Machine Control

Provide control system for metal forming machine that is low cost, rugged, user friendly and is capable of continuous operation in a construction environment.

Genesis Engineered Solution

A low cost programmable logic control was coupled with a menu driven touch screen user interface to create a control system that met all of the customers requirements and reduced costing by over 25% while improving ruggedness and reliability.

Challenge 5: Process Development

Develop a process for cutting through a single layer of a multi layer sheet.

Genesis Engineered Solution

Worked with customers chemists, engineering and operations personnel as well as selected vendors.  Provided equipment recommendations, modifications and controls, material recommendations, pilot operations and operational guidance.  Labor costs were reduced by over $500,000 annually.

Challenge 6: Thin film handling

Extract a shaped 4’ x 4’ double layer of 0.001” poly sheeting from processing machine and present it in a 2” x 4” packet ready for final packaging.

Genesis Engineered Solution:

High speed extraction yoke/gripper deposits sheet over dual vacuum/air rolling mandrels.  Sheet is rolled, pulled from mandrels, rolled in a perpendicular direction, folded and presented to an operator for final packing.  Throughput was increased from 6/ minute to 60 /minute plus a labor savings of $450,000/year.

Challenge 7: Leak Detection

Existing system for detecting leaking beer kegs after filling was not reliable, resulting in flat kegs being sent to customers.

Genesis Engineered Solution:

Since even minor leaks occlude the fill check ball, a wash down inspection system checks for visibility of this ball immediately after filling.  Result is nearly 100% detection of leakers and much higher customer satisfaction.

Challenge 8: Manufacturability and Quality

Remote construction sites requiring small to medium amounts of concrete have problems with availability and quality of concrete due to transportation issues.

Genesis Engineered Solution:

A previously conceptualized system was re-engineered for manufacturability and quality control, resulting in a completely portable, self contained batch plant. The plant is equipped with state of the art controls capable of operating in english or metric units and which produces accurate, high quality batches in sizes ranging from1/2 to 15 cubic yards.

Challenge 9: Packaging

Uniformly present both cylindrical and rectangular parts of varying sizes, randomly delivered to the packaging station at up to 240 units per minute without the use of a timing screw.

Genesis Engineered Solution

A servo controlled pin chain system detects and automatically adjusts speed and spacing of incoming products and presents them to the packaging machine at a uniform spacing and speed.  This system allows running of both rectangular and cylindrical parts of varying height and width on the same line, eliminates hand processing of some parts, and reduces change over time from one product to another from over 30 min. to approximately 30 seconds.

Challenge 10: Machine Control

Provide a low cost control system with recipe functions, data acquisition and precise tension control for an industrial banding tool

Genesis Engineered Solution

A $500 motion controller with I/O, analog and touch screen functionality collects data in 1ms units and controls tension to +/- 1#.

  Challenge 11: Down Time Reduction

Reduce downtime and improve reliability on a custom paper folder

Genesis Engineered Solution

Relatively minor design changes, coupled with improved control program have reduced cycle times from 15 sec to 4 sec, improved fold quality, and reduced down time.  Labor requirements have been reduced by $60,000 and one shift eliminated.

Challenge 12: Inspection

Provide 100% inspection of a fragile, hollow ceramic cylinder 1mm dia. x 3mm long.

Genesis Engineered Solution

An 80 station dial is used to orient, load and test to the following criteria:  Length, +/_ 0.0001”; ID/OD to 1 micron; concentricity to 1 micron; through hole, no blockage.  Parts are sorted into 4 acceptable categories based on part volume and 1 reject category.  Inspection is done at 30 ppm and there is a 10 year history of never shipping a bad part.

Challenge 13: Troubleshooting

Determine and correct problems with vision system without being on site or having modem access. 

Genesis Engineered Solution

Completed trouble shooting, re engineering, programming and parameter setting via phone.

Challenge 14: Developing Technology

DARPA autonomous vehicle challenge.

Genesis Engineered Solution

Provided vision, tracking systems and programming for Team Mojaviton.  This vehicle placed 13^th in the off road challenge (Failed throttle servo limited vehicle to idle speed part way through course) and placed in the top 20 in the urban challenge.  This was accomplished with a vehicle whose total cost was less than the cost of one component on some competitor’s vehicles.

Challenge 15: Non Destructive Testing

Perform 100% non destructive crack and finish testing on 2 sizes of a heavy duty automatic transmission part that is “T” shaped with sloping sides.

Genesis Engineered Solution

A combination of bowl feeder, rf wave generator and vision systems are used to detect orientation, cracks and similar flaws, short shots > 0.010, surface finish on sloped and one flat side, and a 12 corner dimensional inspection at a rate of 30 units per minute.  This system has eliminated hand statistical sample testing and has greatly improved reliability of parts in the field.

Challenge 16: Automation

Provide low cost, effective automation for a log splitter assembly line.

Genesis Engineered Solution:

A three section assembly line allows sub assemblies to be fabricated separately and fed into a final line where splitter “kits” are palletized and readied for shipment.  Line control is accomplished with the use of “smart” VFD drives and timed indexing.  Output has increased from 100 units / day to 350 units /day with reduced staff.

Challenge 17: Developing Technology

Develop a machine capable of reinforcing all four edges of a sheet of woven HDPE,  0.003” thick and 12’ wide x 25’ long.  This material tends to be non uniform and will stretch varying amounts when under tension.

Genesis Engineered Solution:

Material is roll fed through a custom designed machine which applies transverse reinforcement at 25’ intervals, using a dual registration system to insure correct length and placement.  Mounting openings are laser cut in the reinforcement at pre selected intervals as it is being applied.  The material is subsequently processed through another unit which applies reinforcement and mounting openings along the longitudinal edges.  A 15 pli tension, automatic stretch measurement and compensation are used to insure correct laydown of the reinforcement.  Production rates are 2 units / minute and have enabled this customer to obtain a significant market share due to his capability to produce quality product in high volumes.

Challenge 18: Heavy Duty Precision

Provide a three axis (X,Y, Rotation) positioning table capable of 2 meter movements and up to 195 degrees of rotation at high speeds, with very precise positioning, and with a load of approximately 1000 #.

Genesis Engineered Solution:

Multiple precision rack and pinion, servo driven actuators will power each axis, allowing acceleration rates of 59” / sec² on the X & Y axes with max velocities of 40”/sec.  The rotational axis will achieve a 400 deg/sec2 acceleration with a max velocity of 190 deg / sec.  Positional accuracy will be  +/- 0.0039” for the X&Y axes and +/- 0.005 deg for the rotational axis. Backlash is limited to +/- 0.0016” for the linear axes and +/- 0.001 deg for the rotational.  This system is integrated with a laydown mechanism which is provided by the customer.

Challenge 19: Innovation with Existing Technology

Provide a system that will make randomly shaped cuts at random intervals on a multi layer web of film moving at 60 ft/min.  Cuts must be made in the top layer only.

Genesis Engineered Solution:

A low cost marking laser modified with a custom font character for each cut shape was used in conjunction with the machine control system to generate the desired cuts at the desired locations.  A laser absorbing additive was mixed with the top layer film to allow ablation of this layer.  A laser reflective material layer was added immediately under the top layer to prevent excess laser energy from affecting subsequent layers, some of which are, by nature laser absorbing.  This customer was able to eliminate a manual cutting operation utilizing 20 people in a 7 day, 2 shift operation.  Estimated yearly labor savings are $2,500,000 and product quality has been improved.

Challenge 20: Efficiency Increase

Increase assembly line capacity from 500 units daily to 900 units daily for a cabinet manufacturing operation

Genesis Engineered Solution

Changes to line configuration to integrate sub assembly cells into a sequential line without sacrificing flexibility and with capital expenditures limited to additional conveying equipment, the required increase in capacity was achieved.

Challenge 21:  Improve Reliability

Eliminate down time and product loss in post blow molding operation without loss of cycle time.

Genesis Engineered Solution

Eliminate separate conveying and pinch off removal operations, improve neck gripping and cutter operations.  Automated discharge stacking.  Result is a much more robust system that radically reduces down time, maintains cycle time and quality and reduces labor requirements.

Challenge 22: NASA Space Climber

At this stage of competition NASA requires that competitors provide a system that will lift a 2 kg load 1km up a vertical cable at a speed of 5m/sec.  No on board power is allowed, other than emergency braking and telemetry.

Genesis Engineered Solution

Genesis is an integral part of Team Mojaviton, which is developing a climber that we feel will meet or surpass all requirements. We will be integrating light weight, powerful drive systems with high wattage lasers, optical and electronic tracking systems and sophisticated controls to accomplish this. Follow the progress of this project on our web site.  www.genesisengineeredsolutions.com