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Mansfield, OH --January 26, 2004-- Safer die storage, faster retrieval, and reduced floor space were considered when this stamper upgraded its facilities. Wading through a jungle of dies on the stamping production floor to find the one you need next can be a daunting task. Dies are often stacked one on top of another, in no apparent order, and possibly sustaining damage. When a die must be brought to a press for use, the questions are "Where is it?" and "How much do I have to reshuffle to get to it and move it?" Progressive stamper Newman Technologies (Mansfield, OH) decided it was time to invest in a die storage and retrieval system to address this problem. Newman produces parts for Honda and other automotive OEMs, such as exhaust system and inner door components. Jeff Bandy, tool and die engineer, says, "We simply were running out of room. The main motivation was to free floor space." The objective was to get several hundred active dies into a single bay. AS/RS SOLUTION Newman chose Atlas Technologies (Fenton, MI) to design and build an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) to hold more than 200 dies, weighing from less than 3000 lbs (1350 kg) to more than 37,000 (16,650 kg). Five levels of multi-tier storage racks are accessed by an elevating die cart. Die compartments (slots) are configured in six different sizes/shapes to minimize total space required and maximize die storage capacity. Twentyfive of the compartments hold dies up to 10' 8'' 6Prime; (3 m 203 mm 152 mm). One side of the storage system is built around eight building columns, using the shallow area in front of the columns for smaller dies. The system can also store other production materials, including blank stacks, coil steel, weld wire, and spare parts. Dies are delivered by the elevating cart either to a non- elevating die transfer cart or a stationary die table. The cart moves dies into a bay of 1200-ton (10.7 MN) presses. The die table on the other side of the system is accessed by a crane that takes dies to a set of 2000-ton (17.8 MN) presses. After die change, outgoing dies are brought by the transfer cart back to the elevating cart for storage in the AS/RS. Up to 211 dies are vertically stored in approximately 4500 ft^sup 2^ (419 m^sup 2^) floor space. Identification for every die, and its location in the racks, can be quickly called by the AS/RS system controller. Die change frequencies vary: a typical week might involve three changeovers on the 2000-ton (17.8 MN) presses, and eight to ten on the 1200-ton (10.7 MN) presses (one or two per day). Despite the 165' (50 m) length of two rows of multi-tier racks, average time to retrieve a die is about six minutes. To retrieve the highest level die at the farthest point away from the elevating cart, the worst-case position, takes less than 13 minutes. HOW IT WORKS "The storage and retrieval sequence is completely automatic once a die and a destination have been entered at the system control panel," says Dan Leighton, Atlas' senior regional manager. To retrieve a die, for instance, the production operator selects the required die from a touch screen and indicates to which bay it should go. An operator is not needed to run the elevating car, although the cart can be operated manually and is equipped with an operator platform and control. Newman uses a die color-coding procedure that indicates every die's status. Red means "do not use" due to necessary maintenance. The AS/RS software does not allow a red-status die to be retrieved and queued for the stamping bays, preventing dies from going back into production until management changes the status. Both the dies and equipment are also protected by several fail- safe features, ensuring that the elevating cart does not try to put a die that is too large or too heavy into a slot configured for a smaller die. Jeff Bandy explains: "We guard against potential damage from mistakes in two ways. A scanning system first measures die height, width, and length before it is transferred from the elevating cart to the storage compartment. Then, an automatic die-weighing feature in the elevating cart calculates die weight when it is lifted, providing a second assurance that rack capacity is not exceeded." Dies are deposited to, or retrieved from, this die table by the elevating die cart. Multiple safeguards are used on the elevating cart and within rack compartments to protect equipment and personnel in case of power failure. The need for heavy-duty rollers in each die compartment is eliminated by the way the elevating cart (orange) operates. OTHER STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL FEATURES Standardized subplates are not required for the dies. Powered load/unload forks in the elevating cart advance into the rack under the dies, raise the dies off the rack, and retract to move the die set onto the elevating cart. This format eliminates the expense of having heavy-duty rollers in each die compartment. The empty platform indexes multi-tier rack's fifth level, making nearly total use of the system's vertical space. When unloaded, the elevating cart platform moves vertically and horizontally at the same time at speeds up to 50 fpm (15 m/min) to access any of the 211 slots in the 165' (50 m) long, 36' (11 m) high system. WIRE ROPE EFFICIENCY The lifting system for the platform uses braided wire rope (see lead photo) that can lift large, heavy dies twice as fast as ballscrew-driven elevating carts. Despite its speed, noise levels produced by the wire-rope elevating system are considerably lower than ballscrew-driven elevating carts. Lubrication requirements are also reduced, bringing a corresponding improvement in the plant operating environment. Traditionally, die-elevating carts required four custom ballscrews up to 40' (12 m) long, one for each corner, to precisely lift the platform. By replacing the ballscrews with wire rope technology, energy requirements can be reduced, since a single 60-hp (45-kW) electric motor is used, as opposed to four hydraulic motors, one for each ballscrew. Replacement wire rope is readily available from local suppliers and at lower costs for spares compared to custom ballscrews. MAXIMUM USE OF SPACE Using six different compartment sizes to accommodate various size dies was a key factor in packing as many dies as possible into five tiers. The higher the level, the smaller the die compartment. The larger compartments are also suitable for coil stock or stacks of blanks. Coil stock, sheet blanks, or other parts or material can also be stored and retrieved by the system. Adding "brick and mortar" is not a viable option in many stamping plants, due to cost and lack of available real estate for expansion. Newman has embraced a concept that is becoming a trend: consolidate and automate dies, since they constitute such a large physical volume and are frequently moved. An integrated die-handling system can compliment a disciplined and/or automated die change capability, reducing the time it takes to find and bring a die to where it is to be installed. Safety factors can also be improved, since AS/RS systems limit fork truck and crane use for transporting unwieldy dies. Finally, dies are handled in a controlled manner to prevent damage, so more parts can be produced per die and with consistent quality. About Atlas: Atlas designs and builds pressroom automation including systems for automated die change, die storage and retrieval; programmable in-press transfer automation and flexible tooling; sheet metal destacking and stacking systems; and turnkey stamping systems. Atlas serves the automotive, appliance, contract stamping, and other industries. ISO 9001 - ISO 14001 certified. To discuss a potential pressroom automation application, contact: Ron
Demonet, Vice President, Sales and Marketing E-mail: demonetr@atlastechnologies.com Click here to view more current news articles Did you find this material interesting? Comment via FEEDBACK
Source: Forming & Fabricating
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