This article outlines how operational changes, planning, and combinations and adaptations of existing technologies are upgrading quick die change. Die standardization and new technologies, such as mechanical die lifters, box-style lifters rolling bolsters and programmable logic controllers, is making quick die change more efficient and cost effective.

Exploring the benefits of welding coils in roll forming and progressive stamping operations. Welding coils can reduce scrap, downtime, and tooling damage. A variety of coil end joiners are described, such as portable, stationary, single-and double-cut, fully automatic, and semiautomatic.

Multiblanking lines are used to produce small, accurately shaped blanks directly from large coils. Modern lines can process many different types of material over a range of thicknesses, while still allowing quick changeovers and minimal maintenance. New technology is available in several key areas that limit the capacity of a typical multiblanking line, which include leveling, slitting, feeding, shearing, and stacking.

This article outlines how mechanical presses are changing to meet a new marketplace. Stampers are adding extra stations to create a more complete part and stamping harder alloys. Servo-driven mechanical presses will make traditional flywheel presses obsolete because they use less energy and can be adjusted midstroke. Technological advances include real-time press monitoring, automatic die changes, and computerized troubleshooting.

You're not afraid of automation. You already have automated several cells around high-volume parts. But now you have a new challenge: Integrate several large presses while still maintaining the flexibility to run lower-volume parts?

The output from a load monitor can be expressed using statistical language, such as X-bar, sigma, and Pareto charts, and histograms, to help stampers make decisions regarding their stamping processes.