Page 24 - MetalForming-January-2019-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.
This month, tour innovative metalworking companies throughout Italy, and find out how Michigan metalformer and fabricator Detroit Radiant Products benefitted big time by adding fiber laser cutting to its arsenal. Also, Welding Well reveals control capabilities that can optimize resistance seam welding.
Contents
22 News&Technology
24 AFour-Course Fabrication Menu
...filled the agenda of a primo trip around Northern Italy to visit a trio of metalworking companies, and to witness the international debut of a new 3D metal-printing machine by Prima Power.
28 Laser-Cutting Addition Heats Up Productivity
A new fiber laser machine speeds production of flat parts—without costly hard tooling—for a Detroit, MI, heating- equipment manufacturer.
32 Commentary:WeldingWell
Adaptive Controls Optimize the Resistance Seam-Welding Process— Part One
Robert K. Cohen
News & Technology
Fiber Laser Cutting Complements Stamping Operations
At FABTECH, Trumpf fea-
tured the TruLaser Cell 5030
as an ideal fiber laser-cutting
solution for stamping opera-
tions, providing the necessities
at a price point that makes
laser edge trimming and hole
cutting economical on stamped
and deep-drawn parts. The setup reportedly is ideal for smaller volumes and batch sizes where laser cutting is a better investment than costly hard tooling.
“After the stamping or deep-draw process,” explains Pierson Chang, production manager of laser systems for Trumpf North America, “the laser can be used to trim edges or cut holes. For prototypes and lower volumes, 3D laser cutting is an excellent alternative.”
The cell’s software provides everything needed to program and make adjustments, according to Chang, and it already has found use in low-volume, high-variety appliance applications. Here, a common die can create a general shape, with laser cutting used to add different holes or features based a particular product model. And, the cell reportedly provides smaller heat-affected zones and higher-quality cuts than mechanical sawing or laser cutting.
Trumpf Inc.: www.trumpf.com
Robotic Bending Cell with Electric Press Brake
New from LVD Strippit, the Dyna-Cell, a robotic bending cell featuring a high-speed electric press brake. The press brake and robot function
as a compact, integrated unit to automate the bending of
small- to medium-sized parts in varying batch sizes at
bending speeds to 1 in./sec.
The cell combines the Dyna-Press Pro 40-ton press
brake with 59-in. working length and five-axis backgauge
with a Kuka industrial robot in a footprint of only 16
by 16 ft. It allows for attended or unattended production,
incorporating a stacking area and space to
load and unload several pallets,
with finished parts offloaded
by the robot onto the appro-
priate pallet. When bending a
large volume of small parts, no
operator intervention is required
for as long as 8 hr. of automated production. When batch sizes are too small to benefit from robot automation, the robot can be placed in a park position and the press brake used in standalone mode.
The robot features a unique LVD-patented gripper, which fits part sizes from 1 by 3.9 in. to 11.8 by 15.7 in. Its compact size allows it to handle small parts and travel between tool stations. Users can make bends on three different sides of a part without regripping. Offline software controls gripper suction cups that activate according to part size. Also, Dyna-Cell offers rapid programming of part and robot following the 10- 10 rule: 10 min. for CAM generation of the bending and robot program and 10 min. for setup and first-part generation.
LVD Strippit: www.lvdgroup.com
22
MetalForming/January 2019
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