Page 28 - MetalForming March 2015

Unlike in years past, with today’s press controls, an operator needs only to enter a job number and all press functions are updated—shut height, counterbalance, press speed, die protection, feed length, lubrication sprayers, etc.—and adjusted to their proper set- tings. Look for continued evolution—it’s happening even now—with the press control overseeing setting and monitoring performance across an entire workcell.
Die protection is a critical function rou- tinely handled by today’s press controls.
Beyond that, controls today provide an abundance of historical data used to create baselines and chart perform- ance for a variety of uses.
“Controls gather information such as tonnage curves of a tool, so that a company can compare curves over time,” Phillips says. “A manager can compare graphs and determine that a tool does not run like it had prior, and investigate why.”
The trend points toward manufac- turers seeking data gathering and auto- matic reporting to the point that some actuating mechanism on the press or in the cell will do something with that information, according to Phillips. Also, because control systems no longer are expected to just monitor and report on the press but on ancil- lary systems as well, more diagnostic trouble codes are needed, and efforts are underway to add sensoring and provide more codes.
Error-Proofing—It’s Your Fault, Unless You Can Prove it’s Not
More and more, press controls assist in error-proofing. Driven in large part by automotive poka-yoke systems, manufacturers not only want to verify good parts, they want automated sys- tems to provide those reports.
“For example, an inspection station built into the die will report that a part is good,” says Phillips. “That part auto- matically routes to a parts bin, and if not, it diverts to a scrap bin. Sensors can verify parts entering the good-parts bin and generate a report for the cus- tomer. No longer does the control offer
Press controls increasingly offer diagnos- tic capabilities, eliminating downtime related to a technician having to inspect the press line in detail.
developed capabilities to gather and share it.
“Controls can provide real-time information on job status and when a job will complete, allowing metal- formers to have fork trucks rolling to position the next die or change part bins,” Phillips says. “Controls also inte- grate with MRP and ERP systems (pro- viding offline updates) to improve, for instance, the tracking and ordering of materials. To inform software systems and networks, and aid company deci- sionmakers, press controls gather and relay information to monitor tool wear and equipment performance, and plan maintenance.
“Manufacturers,” he continues, “need specific information on, per- haps, why a press has stopped. They can’t afford the downtime for a techni-
Simple, yet detailed control displays pro- vide critical press-line information to the operator, and feed into company-wide systems that assist in scheduling and performance assessment.
cian to come over and spend an hour or more investigating to find that an oper- ator didn’t plug the die block in or turn the air pressure back up. Controls iden- tify these issues and report them in plain English or other languages. This capability helps operators quickly diag- nose and correct simple errors.”
In more complicated situations, according to Phillips, technicians require diagnostic tools in the control that show input and output status, with less daisy-chaining, an architecture that increases troubleshooting time. In addition, due to arc-flash regula- tions and electrical-shock hazards, technicians can examine inputs and outputs shown on the control screen instead of entering a hot electrical panel.
26 MetalForming/March 2015
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