Page 16 - MetalForming Magazine May 2023

Motion- Control Technology
Aids Precision Automotive Manufacturing
...via operation of a hydraulic die cushion that meshes with press-ram movement and force to produce precise parts quickly.
BY AARON HEINRICH
In metal stamping, especially in critical automotive applications, sometimes it’s not enough simply to close the control loop. Traditional control algorithms rely on eliminating an error between what is happen- ing—as indicated by feedback from system sensors—and what should happen. High-speed motion con- trollers quickly perform such tasks. But what if, for product-quality rea- sons, no striking errors must occur in the first place—for example, if the risk of making an impression too quickly or too heavily when stamping an automotive part must be avoided?
Aaron Heinrich is responsible for tech- nical support and training at Delta Com- puter Systems, Inc., Battle Ground, WA; 360/254-8688; www.deltamotion.com.
Fig. 1—A newly designed hydraulic die cushion, featuring the latest motion-control tech- nology to properly mesh cushion and press-ram action, helps stamping operations at Spartanburg Steel Products meet stringent automotive-body-panel forming and preci- sion requirements.
Slowing the press might work, but doing so reduces productivity.
To perform the process as quickly as possible requires innovation in set- ting up the control algorithm. Dayton Die Cushions, Eden Prairie, MN, under-
takes such innovation, as the following example shows.
Enables Tight Automotive Tolerances
Die cushions, hydraulically operated
14 MetalForming/May 2023
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