Automation-ebook-2026

FORMING AND FABRICATING AUTOMATION

Feed-Release Timing— What Every Press Technician Should Know H likelihood of tool breakage or premature wear. Note also that pilots can be worked beyond their original design intent due to an improperly set feed. ighly accurate feed systems practically eliminate the need for pilots in a die. Press technicians should properly adjust or program the feed to avoid inconsistencies in product quality and the

Growth, Diverse Clientele Drive Need for Flexible Feed Line T his stamping and fabrication manufacturer installed its largest mechanical

press yet to process everything from soup to nuts, and needed a coil-feed line flexible enough to parallel those capabilities.

strip could pull out of position from the weight of

Setting the feed-re-

Manitowoc Tool & Mfg. installed a Dallas Industries heavy- duty conventional coil feed line with multiple efficiency features that boost its flexibility. The line is laden with safety features that the manufacturer considers essential.

lease function can be challenging

Manitowoc Tool and Mfg. stamps and fabricates metal products in high volumes to industry segments as varied as agriculture, appliance, home standby-power generation, office furniture and on-highway trucking. Supplying such diverse industries means that flexibility is paramount. The manufacturer’s 28 presses can produce 100 to 1100 tons of force and their bed sizes can accommodate parts as long as 181 in., providing ample flexibility in press capacity. Of equal need is having flexible press-feed lines. “We face some challenges sup-

the material in the slack loop be- tween the feed and straightener

but its accu- racy is critical for success- ful progres- sive-die stamp- ing. The feed release, also called pilot release, allows the pilots in the

feed lines, to prevent cross contam- ination and the potential for steel- scrap fines and fragments to pit aluminum and appearance parts. Recently the company sought an additional feed line capable of han- dling both heavy-gauge steel parts and large aluminum or cosmetic parts.

plying an array of diverse indus- tries, and honestly, it lands right in the feed lines,” says Nick Wunsch, production supervisor for the Man- itowoc, WI, manufacturer. “We run everything from prepainted material for cosmetic parts to heavy-gauge, 3/8-in.-thick Grade 50 steel. Doing both in the same facility can be difficult.” To some extent, the manufacturer handles those challenges by rout- ing specific jobs to dedicated work centers with devoted presses and

or uncoiler.

Feed roll lift (a) and closure (b) timing.

die to position and register the strip accurately in the die. For the pilots to position the strip, the upper feed roll must open (lift) just after the tip of the pilot enters the strip. If the feed roll opens too early, the

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