Page 25 - MetalForming November 2009

much prefer to direct labor toward improving our automation and con- tinuous-improvement efforts than on fixing prematurely broken tools.”
Where to Begin
nth/works began its control-upgrade journey by focusing on its three busiest presses, 150- and 200-ton models that together account for 70-plus tools. These first-in-line presses for control upgrades run the largest variety of tools that form higher-volume parts—2 bil- lion parts/yr. in some cases. Many are multiple-part-out dies running at 100 strokes/min. or more. Most of the firm’s presses already took direction from pre- vious Wintriss controls, which simpli- fied the upgrade process, says Chanda. The controls use the same connections, and the existing ProCam electronic cam switches easily tied in as well.
“The SmartPac 2 control does give us added capability to controlling our Pro- Cam switches,” says Chanda. While the previous controls (DiePro 1500 units installed on the firm’s presses in the early 1990s) can fire the ProCam switch- es after a set press-stroke angle or at a certain angle, the SmartPac 2 provides added options, such as activating the ProCam based on counter readings.”
Other newly gained functionality with the controls include wireless net- working so that all job settings are backed up to a network drive. The firm connected wireless adapters to the built- in Ethernet ports, and down the road, it expects to integrate data gathered at the presses into its OEE (overall equip- ment effectiveness) calculations. It also plans to integrate the network with its ERP system.
The SmartPac2 also features a web interface that allows managers to view press status remotely, and which allow Shehorn and others to view the error log for each control. The firm also added the Wintriss Info Center option to every one of its new controls, which allows the controls to display setup sheets, draw- ings, photographs and other informa- tion. “One of the best applications of this feature,” says Chanda, “is providing quick access to photos and drawings of
our more complex die sets, labeled with sensor and other feature locations. These roadmaps help the operators troubleshoot the tools and, since they can pull the illustrations off of the net- work, it cuts down on the amount of paper on the shop floor.”
Another feature of note is the Servo- feed Interface (SFI) that integrates the controls with nth/works’ feed controls, “which gives our operators one less
process variable to worry about,” says Shehorn. The SFI automatically sets feed length and speed when a new job is loaded. Included with the SFI is Feed Advisor software that optimizes feed parameters. Says Shehorn: “We used Feed Advisor on several of our existing setups, and in a few cases we found we could reduce the feed rate and acceler- ation, reducing wear on the feed and improving accuracy.” MF
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