Page 24 - MetalForming April 2015

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22 MetalForming/April 2015
www.metalformingmagazine.com
the press and assisted with integration of the various cell components.
With abundant daylight opening— 79 in.—and a bed size of 102 in. left-to- right by 63 in. front-to-back, combined with the 600 mtons of available force, “our research showed that this press could handle the sizes of almost all parts currently produced via PHS,” reports King, “including automotive parts such as long roof rails and cross members.”
Because the cell would—at least initially—not perform PHS 100 per- cent of the time, it was configured to run not only in an automated-cycle mode using the robot, but also in a manual prototype mode. (Given that, company officials believe that achiev- ing success in manufacturing depends upon ensuring operator safety and developing robust repeatable cycles, hence the automation-heavy nature of this press cell.)
Featuring a stroke length of 47 in., at full tonnage the new press can reach speeds to 60 strokes/min. Its Allen-Bradley control package pro- vides comprehensive features includ- ing programmable pressing and strip- ping tonnage, slide position control and monitoring, slide return on posi- tion or tonnage, multi-mode capabil- ity, part-parameter storage, program- mable dwells, cushion control functions, jog functions, slide-lock functions, extensive fault diagnostics, preventive maintenance screens, mul- tiple user levels and remote diagnos- tic capability.
“We can run the press all of the time on a large percentage of our work,” reports King, with a nod to the system’s flexibility. Enhancing that flexibility, a hydraulic cushion also supplied by Macrodyne matches Experi-Metal’s need for a 12-in. stroke and cushion- pin spacing that replicates trays on other presses.
“This allows us flexibility to inter- change part runs,” King says. “When we run a job in one press and then run it in another for a subsequent reorder, we already have the necessary critical setup information and can repeat it
from press to press, drastically reducing setup and tryout time.”
Metallurgical Lab Sets Experi-Metal Apart
To differentiate itself from other hot- stamping prototypers, Experi-Metal has invested in a fully outfitted metal- lurgical lab.
“With PHS, we are not just a stam- per, but a heattreater,” says King, explaining the decision to construct the lab.
As he notes, to achieve the proper martensitic characteristics for hot stamping, managing and repeating the entire manufacturing cycle is critical. King provides an outline of a typical hot stamping “recipe” used by Experi- Metal: the cycle initiates when the steel blank is picked up via robot transfer from the material load station then placed into a preheated oven. The oven must maintain a closely controlled environment, and the steel must be heated to a specific temperature then soak for a specified window of time. The heated steel then transfers again via robot from the oven to the press. Here it is formed within the approxi- mate 9 to 12-sec. cycle time while maintaining a dwell under tonnage for a specified timeframe until the material is cooled or quenched to proper temperature.
“To ensure that the material achieves the proper martensitic prop- erties, we must then test it,” King says. “The first piece of material in a part run routes immediately to our onsite met. lab where an Experi-Metal technician performs an extensive battery of tests including tensile, yield, elongation, surface hardness and micro-etch, using our 500x microscope equipped with a digital camera and photo package. Our technician then can immediately ver- ify that test results meet the proper material characteristics.”
Most prototype stamping facilities don’t have this capability onsite, so they must send samples out to offsite labs. Results may take overnight or longer.
“With our lab,” says King, “we have