Page 13 - MetalForming April 2017

Workshops for Warriors Secures Patent for Leveling Machines
The servo feed has a touchscreen HMI that controls the feed and communicates via Ethernet with the straightener and reel.
Workshops for Warriors (WFW), a non- profit school providing veterans with free training and nationally recognized industry credentials in CAD/CAM programming, CNC machining and welding, has obtained a patent for a product that levels machines on support surfaces. Secured by Fish & Richardson P.C., a global patent, intellectual property and commercial-litigation law firm, the solution reportedly offers a quick and easy way of leveling large, industrial machines that are anywhere from 1⁄8 to 12 in. off-level.
• Mode control and jogging of the straightener from the feeder HMI
Among the system’s features:
• Laser loop monitoring and control configurable from the HMI
Tech Update
Says Hernán Luis y Prado, WFW founder: “There are numerous benefits to this patent. In addition to fostering cre- ativity and innovation internally, it also offers a sustainable revenue stream for WFW while providing training and experi- ence for our veterans.”
Instead of having to manufacture an offset for any machine that’s not level, the WFW-devised system includes a set of ruggedized shims that lock together. They securely hold a piece of equipment by locking the foot of the machine without having all of the leveling support structure give way, slide or move once the machine begins to vibrate.
Workshops for Warriors: www.wfwusa.org
Manage a Feed Line from One Location
Coe Press Equipment, Sterling Heights, MI, introduces the SyncMaster feed-line control package for integrated coil-feed lines, allowing operators to control servo- feed, straightener and coil-reel setups and functions from a single location. With features typically only included with fully integrated PLC-based systems, Sync- Master setups include a coil reel, power straightener with AC drive, and a PLC that controls the straightener and reel and communicates with the servo feed.
www.metalformingmagazine.com
MetalForming/April 2017 11