Tooling Article
In-Die Fastening Pays Off at PWO Canada
Flexible System Added
Already experienced in using in-die-fastening technology, PWO Canada recently opted for the Pemserter in-die fastener feeding system and fasteners from PennEngineering, Danboro, PA, for a set of German OEM parts. The Pemserter in-die system, consisting of die tooling, fastener-feeding-system module and dispensing module, can be configured to feed nuts, studs or standoffs for multiple or single insertions, usually at the same speed as the stamping press.
As is typical with all in-die processes, employing fastener insertion within the press brings numerous advantages including elimination of costly and time-consuming secondary operations, improved quality, increased productivity, reduced work in process and reduced floor-space requirements.
Flush-Mount Fasteners Ease Assembly Headaches
Each lefthand and righthand part, known as a HUD supporting frame, uses three nuts.
“The negative effects of other fastener designs was the embossing and forming required on the steel surfaces to allow clearance for the fastener,” explains Lew Carlton, sales and project manager at PWO Canada, who was responsible for sourcing a new in-die-fastening system and facilitating its design and launch. “This recess then would cause mounting problems with the method designed for installation.”
The solution: flush-mounted nuts installed via the Pemserter in-die system in a 600-ton progressive-die operation. The cold-rolled steel accepting this nut insertion is 1.5-mm thick.“For this light material, PennEngineering provided a robust fastener design that achieves the push-out and torque requirements for our part,” says Carlton. “The Pemserter system feeds three M8 nuts at a time in different stations of the tool with each press stroke, from the bottom up. This is not a conventional direction of feed in most applications. Fortunately for us, Penn-Engineering had a bottom-feed process that accommodated our engineering change after the tool was built.”
Simple to Set Up and Operate
Commenting on the feed equipment, Carlton noted that PWO Canada toolmakers and maintenance staff were pleasantly surprised at the ease of setup. That’s assisted by the use of multi-pin twist-lock connectors that makes the Pemserter in-die system virtually plug-and-play, according to PennEngineering officials. All that’s needed to operate the system: a standard 110-V receptacle and shop air. On top of that, the system stays online, according to Carlton, with minimal service required.“This equipment has run virtually maintenance-free through insertion of more than 1 million fasteners without incident,” he says, adding that personnel also were impressed with the compact size of the feed apparatus as well as the ease of integration with the tooling and the feed system. “And the ability to outperform our press speeds went well beyond that of competing systems.”
Along with the technical prowess of PWO Canada’s new in-die-fastening process, Carlton cites engineering and technical support as well as a concise training program from PennEngineering that allowed a successful launch at his facility.
“No tweaking, no retrofitting, no major adjustments,” he says. “We just hit the ground running.” MF
See also: PennEngineering
Related Enterprise Zones: Tool & Die
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