Page 38 - MetalForming January 2014

Tooling Update
Tooling Technology
Aluminum End Effectors Lighten the Load on Press-Tending Robots
Responding to industry needs for faster and more efficient automated press- room stamping lines, De- Sta-Co, Auburn Hills, MI, introduces the Accelerate collection of lightweight end- of-arm automation tooling.
works with the sheetmetal’s
natural inclina-
tion to stretch
and move. By sculpting the material in a cir-
cular, upward fash-
ion, the Rolling Forge creates a sturdy, perfectly smooth product with a very high emboss.
To view an 80-sec. video of the Rolling Forge shaping a
large emboss
(shown in the
accompanying
photo taken at
FABTECH last
October) and leav-
ing zero distortion,
visit youtube.com and search for Wilson Tool Rolling Forge.
Wilson Tool Intl.: 651/286-6000; www.wilsontool.com
Metal-Cutting
Technology
e-Learning Program
Sandvik Coromant, Fair Lawn, NJ, has launched an interactive Metal Cut- ting Technology (MCT) e-Learning program. This comprehensive online program com- prises a 75-course curriculum packed with information and expertise about the metal-cutting process. Designed for engi- neers, programmers, operators and stu- dents, the unique training and education program explains the fundamentals of metal cutting and specifically teaches about internal and external turning, part- ing and grooving, milling, drilling, thread- ing, boring and tool holding.
Says Sandvik Coromant U.S. president Jamie Price:
“This program will help people who want the most up-to-date information get the most value and productivity from their tools. They can learn at their own pace and as they want to learn it. We are
The end effectors reportedly are as much as 50 percent lighter than their predecessors, translating into production-line speed gains of 25 to 30 percent. Also, the lightweight end effectors improve ergonomics, resulting in higher worker-safety ratings.
Accelerate tooling is of high-strength aircraft-grade aluminum, allowing minimum wall thickness and overall weight without sacrificing strength and allowing stampers to maximize load-carrying capacity. This approach also eliminates the need to use more expensive, longer-lead-time materials such as carbon fiber.
Accelerate components also have trimmer, more elegant shapes than their predecessors. Greater flexibility provided by CNC machines, tooling and fixtures let De-Sta-Co contour the components to eliminate unnecessary bulkiness and weight. Further weight savings come from specifying thin-wall extruded tube instead of heav- ier solid bars or thicker-wall tubing.
De-Sta-Co: 888/337-8226; www.destaco.com
Create Distortion-Free Embosses in a Punch Press
Wilson Tool Intl., White Bear Lake, MN, introduces the Wilson Wheel Rolling Forge—CNC punch-press tooling designed to create distortion-free embosses.
Distortion is a significant problem faced by fabricators trying to create large embosses on a punch press. Unlike tradi- tional punching methods, which work against the natural ten- dency of sheetmetal to move and warp, the Rolling Forge
36 MetalForming/January 2014
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