Page 8 - MetalForming November 2009

TechUpdate
Blank Stackers Ideal for
Supporting Tailor-Welded Blank Lines
tion/pickup systems avoids damage to the product. Lift tables accommodate as many as 36 stacks; blank size can reach 2000 by 5000 mm, or larger.
Also available: profile-stacking equip- ment, turning devices and purlin stackers. BTU Technology BV: 31/495-493322; www.btu-technology.com
Retrofit your Press, Before it Quits
Information provided by Bill Savela, Delta Computer Systems, Inc., Battle Ground, WA: 360/254-8688; www.deltamotion.com
Retrofitting the control system on an existing press can increase perform- ance and prolong the life of mechanical and power components at a fraction of the cost of a new machine. The benefits of upgrading a press’s electronic motion controller:
• Higher throughput, by reducing the time it takes for an axis to move and sta- bilize at the new position and by sup- porting synchronization and gearing of multiple axes to increase the performance of complex motion systems.
• Improved quality thanks to more pre- cise positioning and advanced capabil- ities such as pressure control.
• Reduced changeover time through the use of recipes—complete motion sequences downloaded to reconfigure a machine.
• Reduced maintenance costs due to reduced shock and vibration provided by smoother motion.
When retrofitting equipment, the plant engineer or systems integrator must design around equipment that is either mandated by the end user (such as a certain brand of PLC) or would be cost-prohibitive to replace. The engi- neer selects a motion controller that can be adapted to the application, replacing only those components required to achieve specified goals for performance or productivity improvement. To do so, he must consider these factors:
• Communications support. An ideal
BTU Technology BV, based in Budel, The Netherlands, has adapted its high-end sheetmetal-blank stacking equipment to develop a destacking system ideal for tai- lor-welded blank production. BTU’s stackers can stack in different patterns with dif- ferent gap sizes to align the blanks for laser welding without any restacking or down- time. Options include vacuum or hybrid stacking for nonferrous materials (in addition to magnetic stacking for ferrous materials), as well as height adjustment, pop-up rollers and automatic pallet positioning. The use of soft head pusher ejec-
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