Page 38 - MetalForming Magazine August 2022

feed setup is a place to drop a double blank, should one be detected. “When using an inline blank-feed system, we typically design the pick-and-place device long enough so that it can retract backward if needed, as well as forward,” Stirrett explains, “so that it can deposit the rejected blank into a reject station. Or we can deposit the extra blank into a station located between the blank stacks and the idle nest.
“When using a pass-through non- contact sensor to detect double blanks,” he continues, “we’re usually moving blanks on a conveyor. Here, to deposit the extra blank we either can reverse-index to drop the extra blank, or the conveyor will stop and an operator manually removes the blank. And, we always recommend that stampers equip their blank-pick- up station on the transfer rails with a gripper that can detect double blanks.”
What About Tailor-Welded Blanks?
Finally, how can stampers handle stacks of tailor-welded blanks that inevitably become tilted, sometimes by a great deal?
“In these cases, we divide the pallet into four separately controlled quad- rants,” Stirrett explains, “and use servo- driven height adjustments in each quadrant to level the stack. This ensures that the top of the stack remains flat for the feeder mechanism. And, we can program the servos at different loca- tions in the stack, necessary because as the stack diminishes there’s less tilt, and the servos ensure that the overall stack height levels out.”
These systems are in place to guar- antee that double blanks are not fed into the transfer process
“These can be challenging applica- tions,” Stirret concludes. “Another option is to add dimples or other fea- tures to the blanks to keep the stack level as it grows. While this approach avoids the added cost of a servo-con- trolled adjustable blank-stack lift sys- tem, it will reduce the number of blanks that will fit onto the stack.” MF
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Toledo Integrated Systems Toledo Transducers, Inc. www.ToledoIntegratedSystems.com 800-T-Toledo • 419-867-4170
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