Page 22 - MetalForming-Nov-2018-issue

FABRICATION
Today’s fabricating technology promises the ability to produce high-quality components job after job, in a variety of applications. And, in each issue, MetalForming is committed to informing you on how fabrication equipment delivers.
Fabrication-section coverage this month focuses on:
• An editorial trade mission to Japan, where senior editor Louis Kren, hosted by Amada, tours Japanese fab shops for a look at new cutting, forming and punching technology, including one shop’s goal of employing artificial intelligence to ease quoting;
• A waterjet-cutting focused article prescribing best practices for controlling edge taper;
• Lean-manufacturing strategies for managing punch-press operations, with a focus on tool maintenance and setup; and
• Use of Internet of Things tools to manage a productive arc- welding operation.
Contents
20 News&Technology
22 Time-SavingToolingTricks for Punching Machines
New and time-tested tools and techniques promise increased punch-press productivity for job shops.
24 Japan2018:Technology and Culture Intersect
During an Amada-sponsored tour, we found both in abundance.
30 Controlling Taper
in Abrasive-Waterjet Machining
Despite technology and software advancements, parts may exhibit taper. Here’s how to minimize or eliminate the issue.
33 Commentary:WeldingWell
What’s Your Steady State?
Mike Pantaleano
News & Technology
Slim-Nozzle Torch Body
Improves Robotic-Welding Access
20 MetalForming/November 2018
www.metalformingmagazine.com
Fronius has developed the MTB
350, a new torch body for robotic
welding featuring a gas nozzle with a
diameter reportedly 20-percent smaller
than conventional torches to
improve access. Owners of the
Fronius TPS and TPS/i robotic-weld-
ing devices can retrofit the new MTB 350. The gas nozzle’s diameter, 20
mm as opposed to the conventional 25 mm, allows the welding torch to reach
the interface more easily, even when working with challenging component geometries.
The torch body is available in various geometries (22, 36 and 45 deg.) and in a longer torch body suited to typical designs used in Asia.
Despite the slim gas nozzle, the new torch body enables a high-duty cycle at maximum output. At 350 A when using pure CO2, the welding torch achieves a duty cycle of 60 percent. At 300 A, the torch can weld without interruption. If mixed gas is used, the MTB 350 can achieve a 100-percent duty cycle at 250 A and 60 percent at 300 A.
Fronius International GmbH: www.fronius.com
Customizable Automatic Infeed Station for TigerStop Saws
TigerStop’s AutoLoader, an automatic infeed station for the TigerSaw 2000 fully automated cross-cutting saw system for metal, now is compatible with TigerStop and TigerTurbo automated material pushers and positioners. New and existing equipment on flat, nontilted tables can be upgraded to include the automatic infeed stations.
Using the AutoLoader, an operator can load five pieces of stock at a time, reducing manual material-handling time and increasing operator capacity for performing value- added tasks, such as offloading and sorting finished parts. For additional efficiency, a TigerStop printer can be paired with the AutoLoader so that cut parts can be label- printed, thus facilitating rapid and accurate part sorting.
The AutoLoader can accommodate material from 4 to 30 ft. long and be configured with as many as seven stations with section lengths in either 3- or 6-ft. intervals. TigerStop: www.tigerstop.com
New Folding Machine Offers Simple Setup, Rapid Forming
Roper Whitney has released the Autobrake 1212 folding machine, featuring the rotating Kombi beam, which expands the machine’s folding capabilities to produce straight-to-box and pan bending in only 11 sec., according to company officials.
Box tooling is 6.3 in. high, and precision-ground and laser-hardened to 60 HRC. An optional left-hand or right-hand backgauge extension reportedly provides superior material positioning.
Its Synergy control system offers multiple methods of programming, from simple line-by-line to draw-to-auto program, and its network capabilities allow for multiple integrations and overall shop management through the linking of multiple machines. Roper Whitney: www.roperwhitney.com