In 2004 we introduced the Wetronome as a demonstration of the full spectrum of commercialisation: how someone takes a product from idea through production to distribution. Sales of the product continue to grow beyond our expectations, and hardware designer Mark Callaghan decided some automation was required to keep up with demand.

Mark priced commercially available gluing robots and determined he could design and build one for a fraction of the cost. The result is a robot which can deliver a precise application of glue for four Wetronomes at a time. Mark estimates this brings time down from about three minutes to fifteen seconds per Wetronome, uses less glue, place less reliance on skilled, attentive labour, and provides a higher yield.

The technique has attracted other companies involved in producing small electronic devices, and we are busily creating more 'Wetrobots'. Mark is also organising to build a few robots to streamline our HF component manufacturing business, Bushcomm.

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Some technical details: Application of the glue is performed by a custom designed robotic X-Y movement table. Two stepper motors drive toothed belts to deliver positional accuracy of better than 0.1mm in both X and Y directions. Linear bearings provide accurate motion with minimal friction. Limit switches and hall effect datum sensors are used to provide accurate initialisation of table position at power up. Glue is dispensed under electro-pneumatic control using an I&J Fisnar glue dispenser.

The controller is based around an Atmel ATMega32 single chip microprocessor, with simple interface circuitry as required for power drive and protection from external static discharge and other transients.

Atamo is no stranger to the world of automation and robotics. The company is a sponsor each year of Robocup Junior, where schools compete to build Lego-based robots for a soccer match, rescue mission, and dance competition. Atamo director Robert Deacon is on the judging panel, and wife Helen is a key organiser of the event. Atamo's Mike Gamble formerly wrote control system software at International Submarine Engineering, including for the world's deepest tethered submersible, and two manipulator arms involved in the cleanup of Three Mile Island. The Wetronome home page is www.wetronome.com.