Page 30 - MetalForming September 2009

METALFORMING ELECTRONICS
toolmaker decides to mount the sensor on the the nonrotating spindle of the mill and pass the target in front of that sensor using the table, table hand wheel, cross feed handle and vertical feed crank to move the target, it would not be a bad idea to have our toolmaker build spin- dle adapters for the different types of sensors he will be using.
The target must be presented to the sensor in exactly the same relationship to that sensor as it will be in the die. Before testing the actual strip, it would be wise to use a small block of steel to practice with. This block should be presented slowly into the sensor’s sens- ing field and the point at which the sensor reacts would be recorded for the X, Y and Z axes. Move the block slowly from left-to-right until the sen- sor responds, at various heights from
the surface of the sensor. Typically, start at 0.005 in. from the surface of the sen- sor with the block’s centerline matching the centerline of the sensor. The block then is moved about an inch away from the edge of the sensor, then slowly moved until the sensor turns on. This is written down so that we know exactly where the sensor turns on at 0.005 in. from the sensor’s surface and the sen- sor’s edge relative to the block of steel. Position the block 0.008 in. from the sensor surface and repeat the experi- ment. Keep doing this until the sensor no longer can detect the block at a given distance from its surface. Then perform the same experiment with the actual strip. The experiment will prove or disprove that sensor’s ability to respond to a short feed of 0.010 in. and would further provide the tool-
maker with the mounting location for the sensor in the die.
“But do we really need to go through this?” The answer is yes! The boss wants our toolmaker to be precise in the detec- tion of the short feed. There will be no margin for error or tolerance from fel- low employees should the die crash because the sensor failed to detect the short feed. The time that it takes to simulate the short-feed application is important.
Do not haphazardly mount sensors in your tooling without first thorough- ly checking the reality of the sensor to target relationship. Only your patience will be tested—a better alternative than having to face the anger from the press- room, fellow toolmakers and the boss when the die crashes because the wrong sensor was used. MF
On-Demand Training, at Your Fingertips
PMA’s archived webinars provide a time and cost efficient method of training multiple employees without requiring travel.Topics include all areas of metalforming activity, as well as management-level subjects, and are presented by PMA’s top rated speakers.
Business/Management Technical
• Multi-Skill/Pay-for Skill — Redundant Capability - Not People
• Sourcing Industrial Business via Internet
• I Can Make the Part...Why Can’t I Make a Profit?
• Designing & Building for HSS
• How to Make Money from Work Hardening – a By-product of Sheet Metal Stamping
• New Generation Lubricants
• Quick Changeover Simplified
• Sensor Applications for Die Protection,Tool and Die Material Considerations
Visit www.pma.org/webinars or contact Deanna Nwosu at 216/901-8800 or dnwosu@pma.org for more information.
28 METALFORMING / SEPTEMBER 2009
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