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7 Press automation trends lean toward continued integration, acceleration

Technology “plus one”

Toledo Integrated Systems Product Manager John Eby explains that the company’s Maximizer manages not only press control, but also feed line integration.

Automation trends assessed at FABTECH®, and products introduced throughout 2014, indicate more integration and acceleration are to come in 2015—and more robots. After all, if Amazon can deploy more than 15,000 wheeled robots to crisscross the floors of its biggest warehouses, it’s likely that robots will continue to grow their presence in stamping plants as well.

Products showcased at FABTECH included welding/assembly robots, part transfer crossbar robots, automated blank loaders, and servo coil feeders.

1. Parts Transfer Crossbar Robot

Schuler introduced its fourth-generation crossbar robot, Crossbar Robot 4.0, at its Gemmingen, Germany, facility in June and displayed it at the 2014 FABTECH expo in Atlanta in November. Crossbar robots are used to transfer parts from one stage of a press line to the next. They can remove up to four parts at a time from the die, change their orientation when needed, and place them directly into the next die. The company points to the new crossbar robot’s speed as its biggest performance improvement. The newest robot can convey up to 15 parts per minute, according to Schuler Managing Director Lothar Fischer. “With the crossbar feeder for the automation of servo press lines, we are setting new standards in terms of speed,” he said.

A modified drive system with two motors and a new transmission are credited for the crossbar robot’s increased speed, as well as halving its weight, making the artificial arm 20 percent more dynamic. Thanks to an improved energy management system with integrated energy recovery, the robot’s energy efficiency has also improved by 50 percent, the company maintains.

Because the crossbar robot is mounted overhead on a track suspended from the ceiling, it can cover distances between presses of up to 10 meters (32 feet). Such large gaps are typical for older lines that need space for an intermediate station, something the crossbar robot does not require because it can change the part’s orientation either in the air or in the die. “This not only

replaces two former devices and increases the space for maintenance in the press gap, but also significantly increases the line’s output performance,” Fischer said.

The crossbar robot is based on a 6-axis industrial robot, to which Schuler’s engineers have added two additional axes. These represent the hand of the robot arm and the horizontal drive to increase maneuverability, flexibility, and output.

2. Press Control, Feed Line Integration

Toledo Integrated Systems, a designer, manufacturer, and producer of press automation controls, tonnage monitoring, and press control integration, showcased its Maximizer integrated tonnage monitor for what it calls TPC—Total Press Control—at FABTECH. The monitor is part of the company’s all-in-one systems for stamping presses that integrate die protection, programmable limit switches, brake monitoring, and job storage into an encoder-based package.

The Maximizer system is unique in that it offers not only press control, but also feed line integration for a complete, total integrated system, said Toledo Integrated Systems Product Manager John Eby. The PLC-based package allows for customization and expansion. The system has die protection, tonnage monitoring, programmable limit switches, brake monitoring, motion detection, and counters and can be used on mechanical, hydraulic, forging, and powdered metal presses. The die protection tonnage monitor is programmable to bypass coil-fed progressive-die stations until the material is through the die to reduce nuisance alarms during coil change.

3. Press Monitor

Toledo Integrated Systems also introduced the PWi PressWatch production monitor at FABTECH.

1. Parts Transfer Crossbar Robot
Photo courtesy of Schuler Inc., Canton, Mich.

It is a 4-channel monitor that interfaces with load sensors to provide force measurement for press protection and quality control. Each channel and the total are displayed on high-visibility, 5-digit LED displays.

4. Servo Transfer

Most press transfer systems of the past were specified to work only within narrow application guidelines. Progressive-die/coil-fed applications could rarely be mixed with transfer die operations—and vice versa—because of the mechanical and complex nature of the transfer, automation, and tooling required to operate with transfer dies.

Today’s servo-based transfer automation for transfer dies is modular and programmable, according to Wayne Trail, a Lincoln Electric Co. It can be added to nearly any press while maintaining the ability to run coil-fed progressive dies when required. The resulting multipurpose capability of the system gives the press shop a new dimension of flexibility.

5. Assembly Robots

To expedite assembly and subassembly, FANUC introduced fixtureless welding using intelligent technology at FABTECH. Two robots work together in a coordinated dual-arm motion: One holds the part and presents it to the welding robot. The LR Mate 200iD/7L robot picks an auger tooth from an in-process rack, presents it to a fixed camera and use iRVision® to determine the part’s orientation. Then it places the part in a regrip station and grabs the part correctly. The ARC Mate 0iB performs the weld. Stampers can program the robots to make the weld while the part rotates.

6. Combined Straightener-Feeders

AIDA has expanded its line of automated servo coil straightener/feeders. The new models are designed to combine both feeding and flattening of the coil to counter springback tendencies of advanced high-strength steels.

The press manufacturer’s LFA-G series servo coil straightener/feeders handle material widths from 50 mm to 600 mm and thicknesses from 0.5 mm to 6.0 mm as well as many other automation devices.

7. Automatic Blanking Press

Schuler has developed the MSC-2000 automatic blanking press with ServoDirect technology. It features two electrically coupled, freely programmable drivelines without gear transmission. There are preprogrammed profiles for knuckle-joint standard, blanking, coining, bending, and drawing processes.

To Come: Internet of Things?

The so-called Internet of Things (IoT), which has created a buzz about automation at material handling tradeshows, has not been very visible at FABTECH so far, but it may make its appearance in the future. According to Scott Stone of Cisco-Eagle in the MHI Newswire article “Material Handling I: What does the IoT mean to modern manufacturing?” (http://s354933259.onlinehome.us/mhi-blog/what-does-the-iot-mean-to-modern-manufacturing/), “… robotics and automation have paved the way for more efficient, productive, and intelligent industrial operations. And with these technological advancements comes the increasingly pervasive Internet of Things (IoT), which delivers increased data and sharing communication that Microsoft estimates could lead to $90 billion in added value for manufacturers annually.”

According to Stone, stampers and other manufacturers can use the IoT to reduce downtime because repair and maintenance personnel can download manuals, search for parts, and order supplies as soon as a problem, such as a press or conveyor malfunction, occurs.

The IoT also can be used to leverage wireless networks, real-time locating, optimize equipment usage such as navigation sensors for automated guided vehicles (AGVs) so that they can follow a trained route without human assistance.

Editor’s Note: To learn about more stamping products showcased at FABTECH, read “More from the floor at FABTECH” at www.thefabricator.com.

About the Author

Kate Bachman

Contributing editor

815-381-1302

Kate Bachman is a contributing editor for The FABRICATOR editor. Bachman has more than 20 years of experience as a writer and editor in the manufacturing and other industries.