New Multistage Leveling Line Takes on Dual-Phase Steels
September 18, 2020Comments
ABM Tool & Die Co. Ltd., based in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, recently went in search of a leveling line for use at its facility in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, to produce flat and stable stamped parts from dual-phase (DP) steel and other high-strength materials, for the manufacture of car seat-track assemblies and other automotive components. It sought to integrate the leveling line with an existing press, meaning that the custom control system had to fully integrate all of the equipment to perform as a seamless production line.
The search brought them to Machine Concepts, Minster, OH., who designed and built a multistage leveling system that levels the material twice during the production process—first as coil prior to stamping, and a second time as stamped parts. The new line can process DP steel and other high-strength materials from 0.070 to 0.250-in. thick at 24-in. wide and production speeds to 150 parts/min.
The automated pushbutton-operated line comprises a coil stand to prestage and load coils; a 25,000-lb. traversing, single-mandrel uncoiler with powered coil-holddown arm; an H2 cassette-style precision straightener with hydraulic entry hammer flattener bar and cassette-removal kart; an alligator-style entry guided peeler table,; loop system; and two G2 cassette-style precision straighteners with part-conveyor systems.
“The custom-engineered leveling system can achieve as much as 85-percent yield within the thickness of the material,” says Terry Blagonic, son of ABM founder Armando Blagonic. “This produces a very stable and flat product even on high strength material like DP steel. To date, the line has produced more than 70 million parts for several automotive manufacturers, and everyone is happy with the results.”
See also: Machine Concepts Inc.
Technologies: Coil and Sheet Handling
