Page 22 - MetalForming March 2014

New Controls Put Press Order on Hold
handle the parts, hourly production has doubled and we’ve not had a single crash. It has been a major success.
Adds Tenere vice president and COO Jon Fisk:
“The new equipment fits perfectly
into our lean-manufacturing goals by eliminating downtime, and increasing uptime and reliability. Elimination of crashes has led to consistent on-time deliveries without added costs.”
Fisk immediately approved the
The Link process control mistake-proofs other parts of the production system, not just the tooling. For example, shown here is a sensor monitoring motion of the scrap system’s moving crossbar.
installation of the equipment on three more of the firm’s busiest presses.
“Three more systems received the same upgrades,” Fisk continues. “The results were consistent with the test. Production output increased 60 to 100 percent on most jobs. Our setup times also dropped by 20 percent. Output on one job in particular —a large delicate part—actually increased from 700 parts/shift to more than 2900 parts/shift. That increase of more than 400 per- cent was not common, but it was not unique.” MF
Article submitted by TCR Integrated Stamping Systems, Wisconsin Rapids, WI; 800/676-2240; www.tcr-inc.com.