Page 12 - MetalForming November 2019

Tech Update
T&C Stamping Adds Second Servo to Press Lineup
Newly installed at T&C Stamping, Inc. in Athens, AL: a Seyi SD1-300 300-ton H-frame servo-driven press. At T&C Stamp- ing, the new direct-drive press resides next to its twin, an SD1-300 purchased in 2018.
“We purchased this press after seeing the impact of our first servo-driven press last year,” says Wes Coleman, responsible for sales and marketing at T&C Stamping. “The pendulum motion along with the variable stroke speed has allowed us to optimize press time and has resulted in less tool maintenance. With the automotive
presence in our area and the increasing complexity of stampings, we will continue to replace old technology with servo-driven equipment.”
In its 96,000-sq.-ft. facility, the company provides prototyping, progressive die and deep drawn metal stampings, tool design and build, and subassembly services. Markets include automotive, appliance and more, and with a specialty in close-tolerance work, the new servo-driven presses provide valuable capabilities to T&C Stamping.
The SD1-300 offers its full 300-ton capacity at 6 mm from bottom dead center as well as a maximum stroke length of 300 mm―its pendulum motion enables any stroke length to that limit. Standard bolster area measures 1450 by 1050 mm, with a slide area measuring 1150 by 800 mm. At maximum stroke length, speed reaches 40 strokes/min. With a smaller stroke length and pendulum motion, speeds to 120 strokes/min. can be achieved.
Seyi-America Inc.: www.seyi.com
Powered Product and Material Stackers
The PowerStak family of product and materials stackers from Presto Ecoa feature powered lift and powered drive, providing for nearly effortless operation and offering significant performance advantages over manual stackers and significant cost savings versus forklift trucks, according to company officials.
The PowerStak’s compact design, low overall weight and quiet operation allows it to fit into a variety of work environments including warehouses, loading docks, manufacturing and assembly work cells, and more.
All models feature an ergonomically designed control handle that puts all functions, including lift, lower, forward and reverse within simple reach for operator comfort and convenience, with redundant design allowing all controls to be accessed by an operator’s right or left hand. An instrument control panel features a key switch, emergency e- stop, battery status indicator and hour meter. For operator safety, an auto-reversing belly switch protects operators from potential injury when walking the unit backward, while an automatic brake halts travel when the drive/steering handle is released. A Turtle Speed switch reduces drive speed by 50 percent to give operators more precise control when working in high-traffic areas and tight quarters, or when accessing items in racks. Base and straddle legs fabricated from solid steel provide additional rigidity
and eliminate deflection, even under max- imum load. Power is delivered by two sealed, maintenance-free batteries.
The stackers are available in multiple configurations including fork-over for use with open-bottom pallets, straddle for use with any style of pallet including closed- bottom, and counterbalanced for loading and unloading trucks or where straddle legs would cause interference. Capacities range from 1000 to 3000 lb. with lifting heights to 150 in.
Presto Ecoa: www.prestolifts.com
Software Provides
Tooling Timesaver
and More
Tooling design is challenging work. In the case of jigs and fixtures, the part must be held securely enough so that it will not move during machining, but not so tightly that damage or distortion can occur. Injection and casting molds need to disperse heat quickly for maximum throughput, yet evenly, lest the workpiece warp. Forging dies must withstand tremen- dous pressure and cutting tools require exacting geometry. Meanwhile, the tooling used with stamping, forming and extrusion processes needs all this and more.
This demanding work requires extensive knowledge of whatever manufacturing process for which the tool is used, as well as a good handle on mechanical engineering, metallurgy, hydraulics and possibly even thermal and fluid dynamics. Sometimes, even the most skilled design engineers must develop multiple iterations of a tool or tooling assembly, each requiring extensive testing and validation before manufacturing begins. When the next project comes along, the process begins anew, even if the subsequent workpiece is similar in size and function.
This decades-old status quo is about to become obsolete, at least if Christopher Cho and the team at New York, NY-based nTopology have their way. Because their nTop Platform allows engineers to stream- line design, analysis and simulation within the same software system, products can
10 MetalForming/November 2019
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