Page 24 - MetalForming November 2014

Servos Seeing More Service–Part 2
Schuler introduced its new TwinServo press at EuroBLECH 2012, boasting a new drive concept with two decentralized servo motors in the press bed. The design, we were told, enables a more com- pact press and, since the drives are located in the foundation, greatly reduces noise compared to standard servo-press models.
transfer and progressive-die applications.
Landowski also points out how recent advances in the technology make servo-drive presses even more flexible, and offers a case in point.
“Digital features,” he explains, “can control tonnage by auto-adjusting die height on the fly to compensate for vari- ations in material thickness.”
Komatsu has developed a dual servo-drive system with independent control and monitoring of each connec- tion point’s (right/left) actual position. The press control constantly monitors slide position with reference to the bolster. The standard linear scales feed slide position back to the control and adjustments to die height are made auto- matically to maintain slide- to-bolster parallelism within microns. The system com- pensates for off-center load- ing, which causes tilting of the slide, not possible without independent point control.
Servo-drive press technology is see- ing rapid acceptance in precision med- ical and aerospace applications, as well as in electrical and other industries, says James Landowski, vice president of Komatsu America Industries, LLC.
“In applications where part toler- ances are critical, a servo-drive press, with accuracy measured in microns, fits the bill,” Landowski says. “Often, smaller, precision-tolerance parts are produced in lower volumes, perhaps at speeds of up to 40 strokes/min. as com- pared to higher-volume, higher-toler- ance automotive parts that may run at speeds exceeding 60 strokes/min. The higher the speed the less the need for the programmable slide motion of servo-drive presses.”
While precision represents one advantage offered by servo-drive tech- nology, there are many others. Over time, as servo-drive presses have evolved so must users continue to learn
how to use the equipment to its great- est potential.
“We emphasize that customers must think ‘out of the box’ and use the servo press as part of a manufacturing system and not just as a press,” explains Landowski. He notes, for example, how the technology has helped metalform- ers Waukesha Metal Products, Industry Products Co., Perforated Tubes Inc. and others tackle issues related to working with myriad materials and part jobs, all with differing process parameters. It is the flexibility of servo-press tech- nology that makes it ideal as a system that can meet diverse challenges for companies with diverse production requirements.
“For example,” Landowski says, “you don’t need the typical long stroke of a mechanical press for transfer applica- tions, as you can control motion of the slide throughout the stroke.”
As a result, one press can handle
Safety and reliability are assured via constant position monitoring of the main shaft angle, motor encoder and slide.
Think Energy Efficiency and Die Compatibility
Schuler’s Andreas Kinzyk sees incen- tivized energy efficiency and the some- what related discarding of obsolete equipment as European trends making their way to North America. Kinzyk, director of sales-Americas for Schuler’s stamping and cutting division out of Germany, believes that these trends make servo-drive press technology an even more attractive option for metal- formers.
“The cycle of capital investment is changing,” he says. “In Europe, most stampers are getting rid of obsolete equipment with high maintenance costs and high energy usage. In Ger- many and the new EU member states
22 MetalForming/November 2014
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