Page 24 - MetalForming November 2009

New Press Controls
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reduced the potential for defective parts at first piece due to an out-of-control process variable. We capture more vari- ables with the new controls and obtain dependable setups with the first try. We’re running more closely to the run rates we quote, thanks to fewer inter- ruptions, so our quotes are more accu- rate.
“Lastly,” adds Shehorn, “our tool- maintenance time and related costs now are being put toward more sensor instal- lations as we look to retrofit existing dies and build more sophisticated new dies, rather than emergency die repairs—a much better use of our toolroom. We’d
with more motion occur- ring in the dies, more cam forms and pierces, in-die tapping, etc., required us to upgrade our sensing pro- gram to ensure that we cap- tured all of those variables.
“We also did a quick
study to determine the aver-
age cost of a die crash,” con-
tinues Hogan, “and to look
at cost justifying an upgrade
to our press controls from
that perspective. Our focus
there was not as much on
those crashes that cause cat-
astrophic damage, which are
few and far between, but
rather on the production disruptions that may go unreported and unnoticed by management. These events individually don’t create big loss- es, but collectively add up to big losses in efficiency that ultimately cost the company plenty.”
Uptime Up, PPMs Down
Since beginning its control-upgrade journey late in 2007, nth/works has outfitted half of its presses with new controls (SmartPac 2 units from Win- triss Controls), and results are impres- sive. Plant manager Rodney Shehorn explains.
“Our press uptime and efficiency has improved measurably
since we’ve installed the new
press controls,” Shehorn
An Info Center option for the controls allows press operators to download setup sheets, drawings and detailed photos of complex dies.
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22 write no. 22
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says. “And, more impor- tantly, any variation in uptime has vanished; we have little or no unplanned downtime. In the past we might run at a high level of efficiency one shift, and then see a significant drop the next shift. Now our pressroom runs at a consis- tent level, shift after shift, day after day.”
“Internal PPM has dropped as well,” continues Shehorn, “a function of improved first-piece setups. We have dramatically
New press controls allow nth/works to continue to focus on increasingly complex parts and dies, such as the tool shown here that boasts 16 sensors.