An insertable fastener installation apparatus for a flat substrate has a thickness, T. A roller press station is used to press T-nuts into holes in the substrate. An optical vision system detects the location of the holes in the moving substrate and aligns the t-nuts with the holes. A computer controlled pick and place robot takes T-nuts from an escapement of a hopper feed system and aligns, but does not fully insert, the t-nuts in the substrate. A conveyor system feeds the substrates through the optical vision system, the pick and place robot station and the roller press station. A first roller is spaced apart from a second roller by a gap in the roller press station and the gap is less than the thickness of the substrate. The hopper feed system includes a bulk hopper, a bowl, a track and an escapement.

A method for producing a tubular underwater pipe including: assembling a structure of peripheral metal elements (3A, 3B, 3C) wound in an S-Z configuration about a central flexible core (1) as the core is driven in movement along its longitudinal axis; providing an inductive sensor (12) arranged for rotation about the central flexible core (1) in a manner synchronized with the longitudinal movement of the core so that the sensor scans the periphery of the structure opposite and in the immediate proximity of peripheral elements wound about the core and during the assembly step; using the sensor (12) to acquire measurement signals (S) of which the amplitude varies according to whether or not the sensor (12) is located opposite a peripheral element during the rotation of the sensor (12); and using the measurement signals to control the positioning of the assembled peripheral elements.

A tire mounting method is provided for automatically mounting a tire onto hub bolts of a motor vehicle. The method includes gripping the tire and temporarily tightening nuts on the hub bolts on which the tire has been placed with a first working mechanism. The nuts that have been temporarily tightened by the first working mechanism are fully tightened with a second working mechanism, which is disposed in association with a first mounting region on a front wheel side or on a rear wheel side of the motor vehicle. The nuts that have been temporarily tightened by the first working mechanism are fully tightened with a third working mechanism, which is disposed in association with a second mounting region on the rear wheel side or on the front wheel side of the motor vehicle.

A tire mounting apparatus is constructed from a first working mechanism and a second working mechanism that are separate from each other. The first working mechanism is provided with a tire holding device for holding a tire and with a temporary tightening device for temporarily tightening nuts onto hub bolts to which the tire is mounted. The second working mechanism is provided with a final tightening device means for finally tightening the temporarily tightened nuts. The final tightening device includes two nut runners and an interval adjuster for adjusting an interval between the two nut runners.

A tire mounting apparatus is constructed from a first working mechanism and a second working mechanism that are separate from each other. The first working mechanism is provided with a tire holding device for holding a tire and with a temporary tightening device for temporarily tightening nuts onto hub bolts to which the tire is mounted. The second working mechanism is provided with a final tightening device means for finally tightening the temporarily tightened nuts. The final tightening device includes two nut runners and an interval adjuster for adjusting an interval between the two nut runners.

A tire mounting apparatus is constructed from a first working mechanism and a second working mechanism that are separate from each other. The first working mechanism is provided with a tire holding device for holding a tire and with a temporary tightening device for temporarily tightening nuts onto hub bolts to which the tire is mounted. The second working mechanism is provided with a final tightening device means for finally tightening the temporarily tightened nuts. The final tightening device includes two nut runners and an interval adjuster for adjusting an interval between the two nut runners.

A method for operating an electrically-operated portable riveting machine includes providing an electrically-operated portable riveting machine and informing the user when it is necessary to empty the collecting vessel. The electrically-operated portable riveting machine includes a housing, a rivet setting mechanism arranged in the housing which sets rivet elements into workpieces to be connected, a collecting vessel, a delivery duct that delivers spent rivet mandrels created during a setting of the rivet elements into the collecting vessel, a spent rivet mandrel determination device which determines a number of the spent rivet mandrels in the collecting vessel, and a user information device which informs a user when it is necessary to empty the collecting vessel.

A system and method for implementing a search and feel function on a robot for installing parts on a workpiece. An air switch feature is provided on a gripper of the robot to determine the presence and proper placement of a part in a desired receptor location on the workpiece. The air switch feature is used to detect whether or not a particular part, such as a bolt or other part being inserted by the robot, has been properly gripped by the gripper, and whether the part has been properly placed in the desired position.

A tire mounting method for automatically mounting tires onto hub bolts of a motor vehicle using a tire mounting device having a first working mechanism and a second working mechanism. The method includes feeding the motor vehicle intermittently so that hub bolts of a front wheel and hub bolts of a rear wheel are successively positioned in a tire mounting station. Tires are gripped by a tire gripping unit of the first working mechanism, and nuts are successively temporarily tightened onto hub bolts of front and rear wheels to which the tires are mounted. The nuts, which have been temporarily tightened, are then fully tightened using the second working mechanism.

A assembling apparatus includes an electric cabinet, a manipulator, a conveying assembly, and a distribution assembly. The manipulator is controlled by the electric cabinet. The conveying assembly includes a vibration plate and a guide rail, the vibration plate is controlled by the electric cabinet. The distribution assembly includes a driving apparatus, a distribution board, and a connection board, the driving apparatus is directed by the electric cabinet, the guide rail is connected between the vibration plate and the connection board, and the distribution board is connected to the driving apparatus. The vibration plate conveys workpieces to the guide rail, the driving apparatus drives the distribution board to communicate with the connection board, the workpieces pass through the connection board and the distribution board, and the manipulator lifts the workpieces from the distribution board.