Project Details

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Automate the stripping and cutting process of microfibers

Company: Supelco Inc.

Major(s):
Primary: IE
Secondary: ME
Optional: CMPEN

Non-Disclosure Agreement: NO

Intellectual Property: YES

At Supelco Inc., part of Merck’s life science business (Sigma-Aldrich), we develop and manufacture high-precision analytical and chromatography products used in laboratory, research, and industrial applications worldwide. This project will be based at our manufacturing facility in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, where we produce specialized components requiring tight dimensional control and consistent quality. The focus of this project is to improve a manual fiber cutting and stripping process used to prepare short lengths of coated metal fiber. The current process relies on hand tools to strip and cut fibers in order to achieve a clean 90-degree cut and tight length tolerances. The fiber consists of a 127-micron metal core with a 100-micron coating that is bonded to the core and difficult to remove. The stripped section length is 10 mm, and the remaining coated section is also 10 mm, with particularly tight tolerance requirements. While industrial fiber cutting and stripping automation exists, available solutions do not meet the specific material and tolerance needs of our application. The objective of this project is to design an automated process tailored to the unique properties of our fibers. Students will study the current manual process, evaluate why existing automation is not suitable, and develop a detailed automation concept that can reliably achieve the required cut quality and dimensional tolerances. Expected deliverables include a proposed automation workflow with a clear description of process steps, equipment concepts, and control considerations that could be used as the basis for future implementation at the facility.