We see the need to automate the part-out process— racking parts and placing parts in bins, eliminating the need for multiple employees at the end of line. " " CLICK FOR
FORMING AND FABRICATING AUTOMATION
“Stampers can form features on parts that we never thought were pos- sible, such as going from a blank die to a spline part in a stamping press rather than in a machining center,” Walas says. Stuart Cordrey, vice president of sales, Colt Automation, says that stampers have been asking the com- pany to automate more of the feed- line components and processes, including coil threading. Feed-line processes include loading of the coil from the car into the correct loca- tion on the uncoiler and centering it; feeder and straightener material guiding; straightener entry guiding, pinch-roll adjustment and roll adjust- ment; threading-table adjustment and
With today’s vision systems, a robot can locate a part off of a conveyor or a random bin of parts, pick it up and place it into a secondary downstream process or rack.
pass-line height adjustment on the feeder. “We’ve noticed recent trends specifically around automating the feed line for increased efficiency—without taking our eyes off of safety,” Cordrey says. Tim Wilson, engineering/operations manager at Greenerd Press and Machine, says that metal formers are adding more sensors and more capabilities to their automation systems to enhance their ability to troubleshoot pressroom problems. “A lot of that need occurs when our customers have senior
maintenance personnel retiring or have a single-point individual who is the only one who knows how to maintain the equipment,” Wilson says. “By adding more sensors, more feedback and more diagnostics to the equipment, we can alert operators to problem trends such as tool wear. Jim Finnerty, product manager, Wintriss Controls, says that the company’s new automation-development efforts—its WPC Apex press control and Shadow 10 safety light curtain—focus on safety. The Apex bridges the gap between a basic clutch/
brake control and a full-blown SmartPac Pro integration. The Apex clutch/brake control incorporates automation-friendly features such as programmable-limit inputs, setup memory, and a large, color touchscreen interface while also being OSHA/ ANSI-compliant.
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