Core parts feeding terms
Use these definitions to make project briefs and quotations more consistent.
| Parts feeder | Equipment that separates and presents components to a downstream process. |
|---|---|
| Vibratory bowl feeder | A driven bowl with a spiral track and tooling that moves and mechanically orientates bulk parts. |
| Centrifugal feeder | A rotary feeder using controlled disc and rim motion to separate and present suitable components. |
| Step feeder | A mechanism that lifts components from bulk in controlled stages to an outlet or track. |
| Flexible feeder | A presentation platform combined with machine vision and robot picking for changeable component families. |
| Denester | Equipment that separates one tray, cup, pot or container from a nested stack. |
Flow and presentation terms
| Orientation | The required face, axis, leading feature or rotational attitude of a component. |
|---|---|
| Singulation | Separating and releasing one component from bulk or a queue. |
| Escapement | A mechanical device that isolates and releases the first component in a queue. |
| Buffer | A controlled quantity of accepted parts stored between feeder and process. |
| Back pressure | Force created by queued components against stops or one another. |
| Recirculation | Rejected or unused parts returning to the feeder to attempt orientation again. |
| Pitch | The controlled centre-to-centre spacing between successive parts. |
| Datum | The reference face, axis or feature used to locate the component. |
Output and acceptance terms
| Sustained accepted rate | Correct parts delivered at the agreed hand-off over a defined period. |
|---|---|
| Peak rate | Highest short-duration output, which may not be maintainable in production. |
| Machine demand | The component consumption required by the receiving process. |
| Intervention | Manual action such as untangling, clearing a jam or changing a setting. |
| FAT | Factory acceptance test carried out before delivery against agreed criteria. |
| SAT | Site acceptance test completed after installation in the operational environment. |
| Availability | Proportion of planned time the system is ready to deliver the required function. |
Controls and inspection terms
| Track-full sensor | Detects sufficient accepted parts in the buffer and can pause upstream feeding. |
|---|---|
| Part-present sensor | Confirms a component is available at a defined point. |
| Machine handshake | Agreed demand, ready, permissive, complete and fault signals between systems. |
| Recipe | Stored control and vision settings for a particular component format. |
| Machine vision | Camera, lighting and software used to locate, inspect or classify parts. |
| False reject | An acceptable component incorrectly classified as defective. |
| False accept | A defective or incorrectly orientated component incorrectly accepted. |
Project and tooling terms
| Tooling | Application-specific rails, gauges, rejects, nests, escapements and contact features. |
|---|---|
| Change parts | Replaceable or adjustable components used to convert equipment between formats. |
| Representative samples | Production parts that cover the variation expected during normal operation. |
| Accepted presentation | The documented condition in which a component must reach the downstream process. |
| Autonomy | Time or quantity the system can run before bulk replenishment is required. |
| Retooling | Modifying existing feeder tooling for a revised or new component. |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between orientation and singulation?
Orientation establishes the required pose. Singulation separates and releases one part. A system often needs both functions.
What is the difference between feeder rate and machine demand?
Machine demand is what the process consumes. Feeder rate is what the system can deliver under defined acceptance conditions.
What does FAT mean on a machinery quote?
Factory acceptance testing verifies the manufactured equipment against agreed criteria before delivery.
Why are representative samples important?
Tooling and vision must handle the normal dimensional, surface and batch variation of production parts, not only ideal samples.
Engineering note: This guidance is general. Final equipment suitability, safeguarding, performance and acceptance criteria must be established for the actual component and production process.