Page 21 - MetalForming-May-2018-issue

“Now, with tool changes occurring multiple times per day in many cases, metalformers cannot accept long changeovers,” says Dixon. “That’s too damaging to their productivity and profitability.” Referencing the above-men- tioned example, “Consider a 15,000-lb. tool that a human never has to touch. The automation brings safety gains while increasing efficiency across the board. The press line main- tains continuous production as opposed to idling while humans load the next tool. We are seeing a dramatic increase in metalformers asking about QDC.”
2)Robotic Part Loading/Unloading
“Robots commonly are used to automate repetitive
tasks and those that would be boring and tiresome to humans,” Dixon says. “The types of robots used vary depend- ing on the application, cycle-time requirements and other specific metalformer needs.”
While traditionalists may believe that robotic part han- dling requires a fully functional six-axis industrial robot flying around a fully guarded cell, new robot technology offers simplicity and cost savings.
“The recent introduction of collaborative robots, or cobots, provide a lower-cost alternative for applications with less demanding cycle-time requirements,” says Dixon. Although introduced a number of years ago, cobots recently
have become more accepted among the manufacturing community.
“The ability of cobots to handle variability is a big selling point,” he says. “Traditional multi-axis robots are typically are mounted to the floor, programmed by an engineer, require perimeter guarding, and seek to load and unload parts as rapidly as possible. They want to do the same thing all day, every day. Cobots, on the other hand, do not require guarding, instead employing pressure and position sensors that enable them to work alongside humans. Portable, they can be wheeled to where needed and programmed by anyone who can operate a mobile device.
3) Part-Transfer Systems for Progressive Dies Many metalformers are seeking automated transfer systems for parts, particularly within progressive dies, reports
Dixon.
“Each station performs different functions, and automated
transfer allows a part to travel quickly through multiple steps within the progressive die,” he explains. “With a linear transfer system, you can move a part efficiently through die stations, allowing the press to cycle as quickly as possible. Automated systems can transfer each part in a single motion, thus providing quick transfer and press-cycle times. Many metalformers continue to rely on hand-transfer, but auto-
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