Page 33 - MetalForming December 2016

hours),” explains Johnson. “Today, just using the SGe we produce an average of 2630 parts per week using just 48 man- hours. The shear and punch processes used to create our parts went from 16 parts/man-hour to 55 parts/man-hour— that’s a 145-percent improvement.”
The punch-shear also has improved quality at LaForce. “Before, we experi- enced quality issues caused by part variances from our process of shear-
to-blank and then turret punching,” says Johnson. “With the SGe, the improved part consistency and dimen- sional accuracy have virtually elimi- nated our quality issues. The accuracy of the machine has led to savings in other processes as well, such as in press-brake forming where dimension- al accuracy from SGe enables faster setup times, and in welding due to improved part fitup.”
Increasing Productivity, Improving Quality
In addition to eliminating labor and improving dimensional toler- ances, the punch-shear machine offers numerous features to enhance sheetmetal-fabrication productivity. These include:
Tool-holder flexibility—Individual tool holders allow fabricators to design their own turret layouts, rather than having tool stations machined into the turret.
Auto Index—The punch and die rotate in their tool holders, in 0.001- deg. programmable increments, and they can rotate beyond 360 deg., pro- viding the shortest path to a pro- grammed angle.
Upward Forming—An upforming option provides accurate forming to 16 mm. And, all dies are at the same height, with minimal risk of material damage and increased machine uptime.
Workholding Solutions
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sheet to 5 mm thick, mild steel to 4 mm and stainless steel to 3 mm.
The machine features automated sheet loading, as well as programmable and automated part removal and sort- ing. And, according to Johnson, all of that automation enables minimal setup times and lights-out unmanned oper- ations, resulting in finished parts with a dramatic reduction in scrap and man- ual labor.
LaForce also finds that the punch- shear machine eliminates wasteful skeletons and costly secondary oper- ations such as deburring, thanks to shearing of part edges rather than nib- bling. During machine operation, a sheet is loaded and squared automat- ically without human interference. And, the same clamps that grip the sheet for punching also hold it for shearing. On average, compared with a stand- alone turret punch press, the SGe reduces total manufacturing time by 60 percent.
“In 2013, we averaged 2209 parts per week (sheared/punched parts utilizing three different machines and 135 man-
Clamp communicates when a panel or multiple panels are detected.
Series GRM Pneumatic
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For a free catalog, visit:
www.phdinc.com/mf1216

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MetalForming/December 2016 31