Brankamp X7 in-process monitoring system from Marposs helps prevent stamping downtime

Marposs has announced the availability of its Brankamp X7 in-process monitoring systems for cold and hot forming, thread rolling, and stamping operations. The system’s artificial intelligence capability enables quick machine monitoring setup and provides a way to control machine performance by detecting manufacturing faults and part or tool variations.

It is operated via a 15-in. touchscreen with 30 channels capable of monitoring maximum forces, envelope curves, and trend progressions, as well as run times, setup times and downtime, and sensitive process areas such as distorted parts and missed feeds.

Depending on the application, sensors are placed on the machine, in the tooling, or in the dies. This connects the unit to the press, enabling users to see at a glance if their machines are running, if their operational equipment efficiency is where it needs to be, and what is happening at the machine.

The sensors convert energy into electrical signals that monitor tool and machine performances related to the forces applied. Using an adaptive pattern recognition process, the system learns the correct sensor signal profile for a given cycle. If the signals match the learned curve, the process is observed continuously and the unit records data for supervision of production, batch size, run time behavior, and process trend. If the signal moves outside of the recognized envelope curve, the system informs the operator of the specific type, cause, and location of the fault. If necessary, the system also triggers emergency-stop switching.