Page 24 - MetalForming June 2009

Link-Motion Presses
“We had been operating used equip- ment, and struggled with maintenance issues. We then started investigating all of the press technologies out there, from C-frames to straightsides and even link- motion presses.”
Eventually the firm settled on Seyi as its press supplier of choice, and has installed nearly two dozen new Seyi presses—gap frame and straightside models from 66 to 660 tons. But Gobar needed more than just higher tonnage presses to take on production of bigger parts. It required a much broader vision, investing in technology to allow it to build its own dies. The company also became more focused on part design and manufacturability, invested in addi- tional production training for its work- ers, and drove the organization to become more value-added in its overall mindset.
“Today we can produce simple stampings as well as more complex parts and assemblies. Our niche is making
what others around us cannot,” says Rolando.
Link Motion Leads to Growth
Rolando explained how the link- motion design of its newer Seyi presses has helped the firm increase produc- tivity compared to its older, more tra- ditional presses.
Link motion allows a stamper to increase approach and return slide speeds and ultimately increase produc- tion rate—by as much as 30 percent, says Rolando. Other benefits include the ability to minimize springback; extend die life due to decreased shock, noise, heat and vibration; and perform multiple functions in a single machine, such as drawing, forming and blanking.
As an example of how link-motion technology allowed Gobar to improve productivity on a job, Rolando cites a case where it switched a deep-draw job from a hydraulic press to a progressive die mounted in one of its new Seyi link-motion mechanical presses.
“Because we felt confident that we could switch the process over,” Rolando says, “we had the customer’s blessing to proceed with prototyping and, with that success, prove all of the production tests for this part. We said that we could increase production rates by two or three times over the older method, and so the customer came in and validated our processes. The link-motion presses were key to this success.”
R & D Center Triggers Tooling Success
Also playing a big part in Gobar’s growth strategy has been its R & D Center, introduced in 1999 to focus on developing new tooling designs and the engineering of automation and robot- ics projects. Projects emanating from the center include application of new CAD/CAM design technology, incor- porating wire EDM for tooling pro- duction and—most importantly— ensuring Gobar’s total involvement of the manufacturing process from front- end part design through die build and tryout.
The firm also has met the challenge of producing tighter-tolerance stamp- ings being requested by its customers in the automotive and electronics mar- kets. Dimensional tolerances can be as tight as 0.1 mm on some parts.
“While our modern presses help make this happen on a regular basis, all of the elements of the process—die design, the precision of the feed equip- ment, etc.—are just as critical,” Rolan- do says. “It’s important that you’ve got your coil payoff in line and you don’t have issues such as camber. All of these factors, and more, are important to a good-quality operation.”
On Gobar’s Future
Gobar expects its overall growth and improvements will continue in two key areas. The first one can be found in its training commitments. The company operates its own corpo- rate university, a place where its people (as well as employees from other local companies) can attend various training sessions. The stated goal of the corpo- rate university: “To enable our associ- ates to achieve the goals and objec- tives of the organization with a strong emphasis on a culture of discipline, quality, precision and teamwork.” A wide range of subjects are taught including CAD/CAM and other pro- gramming, mechanical engineering, management and quality control.
Secondly, Rolando and his team see growth coming from taking on more subassembly work across a wide range of materials. “Our customers continue to reduce their supplier base, and for us to keep existing work and grow into new opportunities, we’re finding ways to process subassemblies with metal, plas- tic and composite parts, even taking on the new higher strength steels,” says Rolando. “Our goal is keep the cus- tomer happy by providing the increas- ing level of value-added services they expect.” MF
Article provided by Seyi Presses, Inc, Tullahoma, TN; tel. 931/455-7700, www.seyi.com.
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22 METALFORMING / JUNE 2009
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