Page 43 - MetalForming February 2014

3) Helm Compass RLG: What appears to be a first in its field, this system offers smartphone and tablet- PC communications, via Bluetooth and Helm’s RLG-2/4 load monitor. Using the Android OS, a metalformer can use a smartphone or tablet to down- load, in real time, tonnage values and force signatures. This exem- plifies a new trend in our industry
of having at one’s immediate access the latest status of shopfloor activ- ity—on demand and wirelessly.
www.helminstrument.com
4) Link OmniLink 806 operator terminal: With the explo-
sion in servo-press technology worldwide, the timely arrival of an operator die-protection control specifically aimed at those types of presses is most welcomed. The flexibility of a servo press stroke, including its pendulum mode, can be an interesting die-protection programming challenge. This new
controller address- es specifically and in an easy-to- understand visual manner the tim- ing-window setups for the various sen- sors embedded in a die running in a servo press, and the various press
officials. The typical enve-
lope that is selected
around a given force sig-
nature has been made
much more reliable and
dynamic. In a sense, this
new enveloping technique
is a living system that con-
tinuously adjusts itself for
improved detection of a
true tooling failure without nuisance machine stoppages for most processes. www.impaxptg.com
7) Starrett KineScope microscope: This handheld micro- scope combines a digital video camera, precision optics and LED lighting in a unit that comfortably sits in the palm of the hand. With 40X to 140X magnification, it connects
directly to a computer via USB port—no dedicated video monitor required. The included VLink imag- ing and measuring soft- ware captures stills and videos, adds labels, makes measurements and allows
users to draw on the live or captured images. It can be most useful for part-quality and tooling-inspection purposes.
www.starrett.com 8) Toledo Maximizer TPC: This PLC-based press control features a 19-in. touchscreen for easy operator setup of tonnage monitoring, die protection, feed-line integration, program-
mable limit switches
(cams), brake moni-
toring, motion detec-
tion, counters and
more. An interesting
feature includes the
ability to bypass die-
protection sensors
on specific coil-fed
progressive-die stations until the strip material feeds com- pletely through the die, to reduce nuisance alarms during coil changes. www.toledointegratedsystems.com
9) Turck inductive sensor for material ID: This inductive eddy-current sensor can distinguish all types of metal alloys that pass in front of it— ferrous and nonferrous. Turck’s technology for this analog sensor incorporates the pro- cessing of amplitude and phase signals mathematically to per- form the material differentiation. The distance between the sensor and the target is of no consequence to the ability of the sensor to distinguish material type. www.turck.com
and tooling cam outputs.
5) Pinnacle Universal Safety Controller Hub: This device
integrates what usually is a set of multiple, separate and freestanding safety relays into one unit. Thus, the monitoring and control of devices such as interlock switches, safety light curtains, E-stop switches and safety mats can be accom- plished with
this one con-
troller. Dry
contact safety
relays and
solid-state out-
puts also are
incorporated
within this one system. The device promises substantial cost savings by avoiding the installation, wiring and hardware complexity of separate safety relay systems.
www.pinnaclesystems.com 6) Schwer+Kopka Impax-SK 400 process monitor: Force monitoring via sensors embedded in tooling has been further enhanced with the release by Impax of this new Mandonic auto-enveloping system, developed “to provide a solution to the old conflict between detecting errors reliably but avoiding machine shut downs without reason,” say company
www.metalformingmagazine.com
MetalForming/February 2014 41
www.linkelectric.com
Tooling Technology