AUDI MLB EVO CLIP PRESS MECHANISM

One of our customers asked us to design a special clip press mechanism for the top panel of the AUDI MLB EVO gear shift. As the last fabrication stage when this top panel is covered with leather they need to press on two pieces of steel clips that are locating and fixing the top panel on the gear shift.

They have had a very simple press mechanism for this clip pressing process that was made in the Czech Republic and Germany but it has had a serious problem. The operator had to locate the clips into the pressing socket upside down. The mechanism was fitted onto a manual press that has got 40mm stroke that means there was not many room to locate the clips into the socket.

They asked us to design and manufacture a pair of (L/H and R/H) clip press mechanism in which the operator can easily locate the clips and not needed manoeuvring blindly.

The 40mm stroke of the press caused us some headaches, because we could use 20mm of the stroke for flipping the socket. The rest 20mm of the stroke was needed for vertical movement to press the clips onto the panel.

The other big challenge was in this project to design a proper mechanism for 1.500 cycle /day with the minimum maintenance and maximum precision and reliability.

The working process of how our mechanism is working: at the TDC (top dead centre) of the press, the clip socket is facing towards to the operator and the clips can be located easily and ergonomically. When the operator starts pulling the lever of the press the clip socket is flipping into working position and from the half of the stroke it will move vertically for pressing the clips on.

As our office is usually providing - we have generated and made all the required documentation for this mechanism as well. So the customer got all the documents ie. engineering statement, technical description, settings manual, exploded view drawings with spare parts catalogue.