Page 14 - MetalForming July 2010

Servo-Electric Punching, Bending
Fuels Productivity Push
In 1922—three generations ago—Jim Morroni founded Electric Equipment & Engineering Co. (EEE), in Denver, CO, as a small firm selling motors and electrical systems. Today, the Morroni- family-owned business has evolved into leading manufacturer of power-distri- bution and transfer systems in all shapes and sizes, from 200- to 4000-A capaci- ty. Among its products: transfer switch- es, integrated load centers, power-dis- tribution switchgear and circuit-breaker motor operators.
As an integrated manufacturer look- ing to keep sheetmetal fabrication as an inhouse core competency, the first fab- rication machines installed at EEE were two single-station punch presses, which served the company well for many years. More recently, to meet rapidly growing demand for just-in-time deliveries, EEE’s Greg and Tim Morroni went in search of more productive fabrication equipment. In 1999, the firm invested in a Finn-Power P5 hydraulic turret punch press; in 2000 it added a Finn-Power F5 hydraulic turret punch press.
Continuous Improvement in the Fab Shop
In 2005, strong demand for the firm’s integrated load centers required the addition of a Prima Finn-Power C5 Compact Express turret punch press, providing its fabrication shop with unmanned operation through its high- ly compact load/unload automation.
Last but not least, early in 2009 the firm added an E5 Compact servo-electric turret punch press, which offers program- mable position and speed of the punch and die—one setup can handle punching, nibbling, cutting, forming (to 0.63 in. high), marking, bending and tapping.
The punching process of the E5 com-
A Denver manufacturer of electrical power-distribution products upgrades its sheetmetal-fabricating operations with a new servo-electric turret punch press and press brake combo.
bines servo-electric technology with mechanical power transmission, enabling strict punch control. A servomotor togeth- er with a lead screw moves a roll that in turn moves the ram by means of a guiding surface. Punching and forming strokes are based on horizontal movement, made by a servo motor, converted into vertical ram movement and transmitted to a punching or forming tool. In the punching mode, the roll moves horizontally over the top of the guiding surface, producing
a punching stroke during each move- ment. The punching stroke is generated by a servomotor-driven mechanism.
The ram that moves the tool has numerically settable upper and lower limits (CNC-axis). For punching, EEE’s operator enters the tool length for each tool in the tool table. The CNC control determines the optimum stroke length according to tool length and sheet thick- ness. The stroke’s lower limit is based on the ram’s mechanical bottom position,
12 METALFORMING / JULY 2010
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EEE’s newest turret punch press, a servo-electric model, offers programmable posi- tion and speed of the punch and die—one setup can handle punching, nibbling, cutting, forming (to 0.63 in. high), marking, bending and tapping. Inset: The large work chute of the press allows quick removal of parts as large as 19.6 x 19.6 in.