Page 39 - MetalForming Magazine February 2023 - Metal Forming for the Automotive Industry

BLANKING LINE Supports Automotive’s Southeastern-U.S. Progression
The AP&T drop stacker at the end of the blanking line includes a set of crowding cones that gently tamp the stack after each part drops, to keep the stacks neat and straight. Maximum stack weight and height: 8000 lb., 24 in.
Shock Dampers to Manage Reverse Tonnage
In addition to scrap-handling upgrades, the Olympic Steel team also plans the addition of shock dampers to the press to help handle reverse tonnage and enable the press to run at optimum stroke rates when taking on thicker material. “In order to maintain the longevity of our presses, we monitor and try to minimize reverse loads,” explains Whidby. “The damping system on the Verson press does not need a heat exchanger. But because the Stamtec runs at a higher stroke rate, we are look- ing to add shock dampers with a built- in heat exchanger to dissipate the heat generated at higher speeds.”
Whidby tells MetalForming that they soon intend to add shock dampers from W-Technologies, Mt. Carmel, IL.
Heat exchangers in the dampers, according to W-Technologies, effec- tively remove heat buildup in the hydraulic oil, “critical in some blanking applications. Excessive heat will ‘cook’ the damper’s seals, which eventually leads to leaks,” according to informa- tion on the firm’s website.
“We already can tell that the reverse tonnage will limit our stroke rate on the new press,” Hall adds, “and by using the new dampers we will gain signifi- cant speed. With the press rated to 660 U.S. tons, maximum reverse tonnage is 66 tons. And, because we have a cou- ple of dies at slower rates that already generate 60 reverse tons, productivity is limited. We expect that the new dampers will remove enough shock load to allow us to run many of our dies at their full stroke rates.”
The new Stamtec press isn’t the only focus. The Verson recently has bene- fited from the addition of a quick die- change cart that helps cut die-change times by half, or better, says Hall. The Stamtec has a rolling bolster that allows for die changes to be managed by an overhead crane. The rolling bol- ster, per Stamtec specs, provides 40- ton capacity, 196 in. of travel and 39 ft./min. maximum travel speed. It’s equipped with wipers for removing slugs and foreign objects from the car- riage rails as it moves in and out of the press.
“We also are looking to add a similar end-of-line automated stacker for the Verson line,” Hall adds. “This will allow us to pick up a lot of speed on the large and heavy blanks that prove difficult to stack by hand.” MF
About the Press
The 660-U.S.-ton eccentric-drive press, with 40-ton-capacity rolling bolster, spearheads the new blank- ing line at Olympic Steel’s Winder facility. Its fabricated steel-frame structure members—crown, uprights and bed—are of a heavy, box-type construction, stress-relieved before machining. The bed is built to a standard of no more than 0.0015-in. deflection/ft. of bed length left to right and front to back, according to Stamtec regional sales manager Todd Helms, with the full-capacity load symmetrically distributed over two-thirds of the bed area. Eight full-length 90-deg. gibs guide the path of the slide. Other features include a high-torque low-inertia wet clutch/brake; dual-valve automatic hydraulic-overload protection system; herringbone gears, which provide quiet and smooth operation at higher speeds; and digital die-height indicator.
Included is a Wintriss SmartPac Pro press control (eight programmable limit switches and eight die-pro- tection inputs), with WPC2000 clutch-brake control and AutoSetPac four-channel tonnage monitor, along with Wintriss Shadow 9 light curtains.
About Olympic Steel
Olympic Steel, headquartered in Cleveland, OH, operates more than 40 service centers throughout North America that distribute a variety of flat-rolled products and grades, ranging from commercial-quality to ultra-high-strength steel and specialty metals. The facilities also offer a full portfolio of value-added pro- cessing including cut-to-length, temper-passed, stretcher-leveled, burned-to-shape, forming, machining, welding and painting. In addition, its Chicago Tube & Iron subsidiary distributes steel tubing, bar, pipe, valves and fittings, and fabricates value-added parts and components.
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