Page 26 - MetalForming December 2009

Tooling Technology
Trio of New Presses
Gets SMED Upgrades
Hydraulic die clamps and die lifters installed on three new mechanical presses boosts press uptime by nearly an hour per shift per press, resulting in an 18-month payback.
BY BRAD F. KUVIN, EDITOR
When Stemco (Specialized Truck Equipment Manufacturing Com- pany) process engineer Andrew Rucker began to explain to me why the firm recently invested in quick-die- change (QDC) equipment on its three new mechanical presses, he glossed over typical criteria such as a quick return on investment and improved productivity —both of which, by the way, have seen impressive results due to the move to QDC. Instead, Rucker says that adding hydraulic die lifters, clamps and elec- tronically valved controllers “shows our operators that we want to help them do
their jobs better. Performing as many as six setups per shift on each press, the guys on the floor now work more quick- ly and safely than ever, and operator job satisfaction is at an all-time high.”
Stemco, Longview, TX, primarily supplies aftermarket parts for the wheel ends of tractor-trailers, producing 13 to 15 million metal-stamped parts per year. Most stampings are assembled into wheel seals; each seal takes two to five stampings and measure 4- to 7-in. outside dia., and are of draw-quality steel from 12 to 20 gauge thick.
The firm’s pressroom houses 13
24
METALFORMING / DECEMBER 2009 ONLINE
www.metalformingmagazine.com
A Stemco press operator and setup technician change out a compound die on one of the firm’s three new mechanical presses. Adding hydraulic die lifters, clamps and electronically valved controllers to each of these presses sliced die-change time nearly in half; the firm calculated an 18-month return on investment for the quick-die-change apparatus.