Page 14 - MetalForming February 2010

Transfer Overhaul Keys
Successful
Takeover
Job
An abandoned servo-mechanical
transfer system receives a
top-to-bottom refurbishment that, along with newly engineered transfer tooling, results in a successful takeover project yielding a huge productivity boost.
A 600-ton Aida press that used to run progressive and hand-transfer dies at Steel Parts Manufacturing now runs three different transfer-die sets, two of which are transmission stampings the firm took over from another stamper.
engineers worked closely to create a window to commission the equipment and to support limited production runs.
Tooling Phase One
Due to price-point and timing requirements, the two companies decid- ed that SPM should use the existing transfer-finger tooling as a starting point. Considerable modifications to the dies were required to get this process to operate in this press and transfer system. These modifications—primarily to guide mechanisms—were driven by differences between the original trans- fer system and the refurbished HMS system, and in the press characteris- tics. Press stroke went from 24 in. down to 16 in. with the Aida press, and clamp- axis travel went from 13 to 14 in. down to 8 in. with the HMS transfer system. These changes were accommodated for during a series of Internet-based design- collaboration meetings between HMS Engineering, SPM’s engineering depart- ment and the die vendor.
At install in June 2009, the transfer system and two sets of finger tooling ran off at 12 strokes/min., with abrupt movements required from the transfer
BY BRAD F. KUVIN, EDITOR
Steel Parts Manufacturing, Tipton, IN, is a contract metal stamper that provides stampings and assemblies to the Tier One and Tier Two market- place. Early in 2009, the firm aimed to capitalize on an opportunity to bring in takeover work, as a Tier Two automotive supplier, from another stamping com- pany in Southern Indiana. To do so, it had to make some capacity decisions to accommodate this shift in work without disrupting its customer’s workflow.
In the end, management decided to add a transfer system to its 144-x 72-in. 600-ton Aida link-motion press to increase capacity and process the addi- tional work—a pair of transfer tools for six-speed transmission components. After discussing the project with HMS Products Co., Troy, MI, regarding a few front and rear-mount full-servo transfer system, and accounting for less-than- stellar market conditions, the firm decided that it could not justify the cap- ital outlay for new transfer equipment.
Instead, SPM decided to seek a solu- tion on the used-equipment market,
looking for a system that would suit its press and stamping process. After some searching, in March 2009 HMS managed to locate for SPM a used HMS Series 600 servo-mechanical transfer system. SPM then contracted HMS to procure the system, refurbish it, set it up at the factory to qualify it, and then run it off.
A Quick Transformation
The transformation had to occur in a very aggressive timeframe. Having brought in the dies for the parts, pro- duction operators at SPM were running multiple shifts in hand-transfer mode to keep pace with the existing production requirements. SPM sent existing tooling and station samples to HMS for evalu- ation and modifications in order to run in the newly automated press.
Over a two-month timeframe, HMS went to work refurbishing the transfer system. Mounting attachments were reworked, guideways torn apart and reworked, controls were upgraded and a fresh coat of paint applied. Once the equipment was ready, HMS and SPM
12 METALFORMING / FEBRUARY 2010
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