Page 32 - MetalForming January 2015

Speedy Feed Setups Maximize Profitability
industrial hose reels and hardware, AT&D typi- cally stamps mild and high-strength steels from 0.030 to 0.40 in. thick.
“Early in 2013, when we knew we needed to add press capacity to the shop,” Bennett recalls, “we decided that servo- press technology was the best way for us to be able to cover such a wide range of material thickness. And, we had to be prepared to take on more of the higher- strength steel projects that we were quoting.
“Then, to ensure that we could consistently use the new press line to straighten and feed thicker and higher- strength steels,” Bennett emphasizes, “we focused on adding the most robust feed line we could find, to consis- tently remove any and all coil set.
Noting that the feeder on its 600-ton press line has had some overheat- ing issues when dealing with higher strength steels, ATD’s Bennett says that the new line has the right gear ratio and motor capacity (20-hp motor with AC variable-frequency drive) to handle heavy-gauge high- strength work.
During the changeover- time-reduction lean event, ATD also charted how often its press operators had to move from one end of the coil line to the other during setups, and sought to save steps.
“That led us to invest in two complete and inde- pendent line-control sta- tions, one at each end of the coil line,” adds Bennett. He’s certain that the ability to adjust settings—during setup of new jobs or to tweak parameters of existing jobs to deal with material inconsistencies—will return the investment by saving operator steps and making the process more efficient.
“We think, after talking to our operators, that the redundant line controls reduce setup time by at least 5 min. per setup,” Bennett says. “Thanks in large part to the automated features of our new press line, coil-line changeovers that might take as long as 15-20 min. now min. or less.”
“We want the tool to be the limiting factor on our projects,” Bennett con- cludes, “not the feed line and not the press.”
Setup Automation and Redundant Controls
In addition to coil-line robustness, setup automation scored high on the ATD wish list when the firm went shop- ping for a feed-line partner for its servo press.
“We not only wanted to eliminate the chance for setup errors,” Bennett says, “but felt that coil-line setup automation would greatly enhance our ability to accomplish quick changeovers.”
Long a focus at AT&D, setup-time reduction on its presses moved further up the priority list in mid-2013 when the firm conducted a thorough and shop- wide lean event. Feed-line changeover
clearly offered opportunities for improvement. Among the automation features built into the new Dallas line, all-told allowing the firm to accom- plish job setups in less than 2 min., is adjustment of feed passline height, feeder entry guide-roll width, straight- ener rollers, and straightener entry guide-roll width.
On the reel, Dallas supplied a keep- erless coil-guide device that auto- matically adjusts to center the coil throughout the system and contain the coil throughout the run. Outside coil-guide rolls automatically pivot open for coil loading. A threader table with telescoping peeler blade sup- ports the leading coil edge for hands- free thread-up, and a proportional valve controls brake pressure and pro- vides automatic back-tension adjust- ment as coil weight diminishes during a run.
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30 MetalForming/January 2015
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An Eye Toward the Future
The feed line handles a maximum coil weight to 20,000 lb. and coil width to 30 in. Its drive train permits feeding of 24-in.-wide 1⁄4-in.-thick steel. Pinch rolls measure 5.25-in. dia., while its seven straightening rolls are 3.5-in. dia. and the two feed rolls are 6-in. dia. Payout speed ranges from 20 to 80 ft./min.
Bennett and his team also talked, when evaluating the specifications for its new press line, about the company’s ability to meet future demands. These include the growing use of higher- strength steels and even advanced high-strength steels such as dual-phase alloys. That led to working with Dallas to ensure line robustness, including specifying a seven-roll straightener— compared to the five-roll straightener