Page 37 - MetalForming August 2011

With the press upgrade, Flexco’s crew enjoys a multitude of new die, press and operator protection bene- fits. A first line of protection comes from a quick-response hydraulic over- load protection (HOLP) system. The HOLP can be manually released at any point in the stroke and automatically resets when the slide returns to top- dead center. A Wintriss SmartPac2 con- trol, with WPC 2000 clutch/brake con- trol, adds further protection while integrating the complete press line. The standard eight-channel die pro- tection monitors as many as eight inputs from a variety of electronic and mechanical sensors that mount to the press or die. And, a four channel ton- nage monitor tracks and controls crit- ical performance parameters.
Flexco integrates the line’s coil feed- er via adjustable cams, allowing for setting of accurate, repeatable timing. Eight cams come standard, helping Flexco to also easily integrate its lubri- cation system and, down the road, add part and scrap conveyors.
Custom Fabrication Through and Through
Flexco’s new press joins eight addi- tional stamping presses occupying a
60,000-sq.-ft. building on the firm’s sprawling campus in Elkhart. In addi- tion to RV steps, the building’s inven- tory of presses as well as additional fabricating and finishing equipment— lasers, press brakes, robotic-welding cells, a powder coating line, etc.—turns out cam locks, bar locks and strap hinges for the cargo-trailer industry, and a line of continuous hinges.
“We’re a full-blown custom fabrica- tor,” says Jellison, noting that the firm serves more than 1000 customers and produces more than 30,000 part num- bers. In all, its manufacturing campus houses 25 buildings, eight of which are used regularly for production. The firm even maintains its own material-pro- cessing plant, to satisfy inhouse needs as well as service other metal-fabrica- tion shops. Flexco purchases material direct from the mills and performs cut- to-length operations, corrective level- ing and coil-to-coil slitting. Its steel- processing operation features a Braner 72-in. looping-pit slitting line that can process coils from 30 gauge to 1⁄4 in., outfitted with an automated packaging conveyor.
In addition to operating some 20 stamping presses throughout its com- plex, the firm also maintains a fleet of eight CNC turret presses—most outfit- ted with automatic load/unload sys- tems—and three laser-cutting machines. Its latest investment is a 4-kW laser from Han-Kwang USA.
“I purchase new equipment every
year,” says Jellison, noting his com- mitment to keeping the shop updated with the latest-greatest equipment that began when he launched the firm in 1977. Technology holds the key to enabling the company to respond quickly to customer requirements.
Be Nimble, Be Quick
“Things change quickly in the world of custom metal fabrication,” says Jel- lison. “We have to be able to react to changes in supply levels, pricing, design changes and order volumes. Speed is critical, as is being able to turn on a dime when we get a running design change.”
Helping the firm remain nimble is its custom shop-management soft- ware, data-driven with barcodes. “We barcode everything,” says Jellison, “We track every operation and com- pare real-time performance with standards developed that govern every operation. This allows us to compare actual time and cost for each project to what we’ve projected, and adjust on the fly. We can then main- tain a system of checks and balances to make sure we’re accurately quoting the work and properly estimating process timing.”
What’s next on Jellison’s wish list for new technology?
“We hope to be able to replace sev- eral more of our aging stamping press- es in the near future with state-of-the- art Seyi models,” he says. MF
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Shown: Stamped folding-step parts exiting Flexco’s new press, and assembled steps moving through a production line.