Page 13 - MetalForming September 2013

Tech Update
PRESS HARDENING WITH AP&T
Hard-pressed when it comes to weight and
strength?
AP&T is with you every step of the way – from cold blanks to hot parts. We deliver complete production solutions
mum/maximum coil-width requirements and the variety of mate- rial types and thicknesses being processed through its 200- ton Bliss press. Deciding on a 24-in. maximum-width feed require- ment, the company turned to Coe Press Equipment, Sterling Heights, MI, to see what solutions it could offer.
Given the processing requirements and floor constraints at Manor, Coe recommended its SpaceMaster Series 3 compact coil line, which combines unwinding, straightening and feeding into one piece of equipment. Depending on material yield strength, this line provides Manor the flexibility to process mate- rial from 10- to 24-in. wide over the thickness range of 0.020 to 0.250 in., with a maximum coil weight of 11,000 lb.
Although the line was bolted and dedicated to the Bliss press, the Manor team quickly learned the value of quick die change in conjunction with a standard process. “Coil change used to take as long as 20 min., especially with heavier coils,” says pro- duction foreman Mike Morford. “With the SpaceMaster we are down to 5 to 10 min., tops. Plus, it previously took two guys to thread the coil into the straightener.”
Noting the throughput increase from the switch to a dedi- cated feed line, Manor quickly invested in another Spacemaster to feed its 400-ton Bliss DrawLink press. It’s able to handle coil from 10- to 40-in. wide of material 0.015 to 0.250 in. thick, with a maximum coil weight of 15,000 lb.
What about safety? Morford and Segebarth note a huge improvement here as well. The previous setup with feed lines not bolted to the floor exposed operators to potential accidents, they say. For example, if the material failed in its feeding cycle, the feed line would stop, yanking the equipment off-kilter and pulling derailers out of position. Additionally, clockspringing of the coils was difficult to contain when loading coils onto the reels.
With the SpaceMaster solution, the coil car loads the coil on the reel, positioning it safely where the bands then can be cut without any coil or clockspring. This eliminates the need for a material handler, since once the material is unbanded and aligned with the feed it automatically feeds into the press. Coe Press Equipment: 586/979-4400; www.cpec.com
www.metalformingmagazine.com
MetalForming/September 2013 11
for press hardening of sheet metal parts with
a weight-to-strength ratio that is hard to be
a
t
.
e Not only that, but we also take total
a
t
.
responsibility for everything working – a fundamental concept we call
One Responsible Partner®.
Read more at us.aptgroup.com
h