Page 22 - MetalForming November 2017

TruForm, with New Presses
Able to handle coil widths to 48 in. and easily remove partial coils on the 660-ton press is a space-saving coil-feeder, which also provides straightening capability for stainless and high-strength steel.
the new presses, ensuring compatibil- ity, reports Beaton.
Quick-Changeover Needs Addressed
Citing the unique demands inherent in JIT production, TruForm opted for rolling bolsters to assist with die changeover.
“As the company has grown and we’ve taken on more jobs, die changeover has become very important to us,” Beaton says. “So, we added rolling bolsters to the 660-ton presses. This takes our 30-45-min. changeovers to as low as 15 min. Over the course of a month we will save a lot of time.”
Described as a 100-percent pro- gressive-die operation, TruForm puts much effort into keeping the complex tooling in working order. Though it sources dies from outside partners, the company has a fully outfitted die shop with 10 tool and diemakers as well as two apprentices (via TruForm’s inhouse tool-and-die apprenticeship program).
“We maintain a computerized PM system, so when a new die comes in, we look at the job volume and com- plexity of the die, then set up a schedule in our ERP system,” explains Beaton.
percent weld inspection on press frames, as well as other significant qual- ity inspections prior to sign off of equipment to the customer. The visits eased TruForm’s collective mind that the presses would stand up in a harsh, demanding stamping environment.
“Importantly, Stamtec is located close by,” notes Beaton, “as is Link Sys- tems (Nashville), which provided the press controls. These two companies work together quite a bit, so the con- trols are well-suited to the presses, and if there is a service issue, again they are both close by and very responsive.”
The two 660-ton presses feature longer-than standard beds, 144 by 60 in., as does the 330-ton machine, with a 120 by 48-in. bed.
“Today’s die technology and capa- bilities require longer and longer beds, and the longer beds give us flexibility,” says Beaton. “Customizing with longer beds means a little more money up front, but when customers call, we want to be able to say, ‘Yes, we can fit your die in our press.’”
With two Dallas Industries Space- Saver coil-feed lines on existing presses, TruForm opted for those again on the new 660- and 330-ton presses, and has done the same for the 660-ton press on order. Beaton notes the close work- ing relationship between Dallas and
Stamtec and the lines’ compatibility with the Link Systems controls. The feed lines, he says, can handle coils from 2 to 48 in. wide, which, again, offers flex- ibility when quoting new work.
Every press at TruForm, including the new units, feature fall-through- the-bolster scrap removal via a Ward- craft Conveyor scrap system. Company engineers worked with Wardcraft and Stamtec to design scrap chutes into
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TruForm’s seasoned toolroom personnel along with apprentices from an inhouse pro- gram keep the company’s complex progressive dies in working order. A preventive- maintenance program stored in TruForm’s ERP system automatically details tool-main- tenance schedules and provides to-do checklists.