Page 16 - MetalForming December 2011

Conveyor
“We can actually re-sharpen the punches for continued life whereas previously they broke and were a total loss”
Whyn Pelkey, Engineering Manager of C. Cowles & Company New Haven, CT
The Tooling Challenge
As an automotive parts supplier, Cowles experienced punch breakage causing 6 to 7 stops per 20,000 parts,
run on a 250-ton press at 35 strokes/min. Severe galling on the sides caused the punch ends to actually rip off as they would
weld themselves into the material strip on the upstroke of the press. One week of downtime for 20,000 parts.
The Phygen Solution
FortiPhyTM UltraEnduranceTM Coating has given C. Cowles & Company:
• Up to 7x longer punch life with high abrasive-wear resistance
• Spectacular lubricity – no more problems with the material catching & breaking the punches
• Saves downtime – parts are now completed without shutting down the press, removing the complicated tooling and replacing the broken punches – now an inventory of coated punches is on the shelf
• Punch edge stays sharp during the production run and allows re-sharpening as required
• Visit www.phygen.com/Success_Cowles.html for the full story
the load at a 24-in. width that it will at a 12-in. width. This rule of thumb does not hold as pulley diameters approach the 1.25-in. range.
Smaller pulley diameters—with their greater tendency to deflect—have limited ability to produce the proper belt tension needed to achieve auto- matic centering with a crowned pulley. The resulting loss of traction and self- centering can be compensated for by lagging or knurling the pulley, and sub- stituting a longitudinal V-retainer for belt centering in place of a crowned pulley. Because the knurled pulley must now have a V-groove in its center, its rigidity is further compromised. Belt manufacturers, too, discourage knurled pulleys because they invariably abrade the belt underside and resist tracking, which substantially reduces belt life. Further, impacted debris in the pulley knurl, or worn knurling, can lead to belt slippage and mistracking, as well as accelerated belt, V-retainer and pulley knurl wear.
Bearing life also is greatly affected by pulley diameter. A 1-in.-dia. pulley must run at twice the RPM of a 2-in.-dia. pulley to produce an identical belt speed. Small pulley diameters can result in smaller bearings with lower load capacity running at higher speeds, reducing service life. Ensuring that the bearing outer race cannot rotate in the bearing-plate housing can improve bearing performance and avoid the need to replace worn bearing housings.
Drive in Style
Drives are available in a variety of styles. One style gaining in popularity is the external shaft mounted design. This unit is compact, provides perfect alignment and eliminates all couplings, drive belts, chain, sprockets, guards and tensioning. These drives can be radial- ly positioned in 30-deg. increments.
When using a conveyor for multiple applications running at lower speeds, consider a variable-speed drive. This will reduce wear and power consump- tion while providing optimum speed for each application. MF
14
MetalForming/December 2011
www.metalformingmagazine.com
Phygen Coatings, Inc. / Toll Free 888.749.4361 / phygen.com / email: tech@phygen.com
“We know die tooling. We know machining.
We have the capabilities. And we deliver precision.”
• Complete CNC Precision Machining
• 5-axis Machining
• Wire EDM
• Sinker EDM
• Turning
• Milling
• Surface Grinding
• Jig Grinding
Visit
www.future-products.com
Irvin Swider – President, Future Products
885 N. Rochester Road Clawson, MI 48017 Phone: 1.800.237.5754 Fax: 248.588.7303 info@future-products.com
High Quality, Competitive Pricing and On-Time Delivery
Machined Components for Medical and Aerospace