Page 28 - MetalForming August 2017

Servo Successes
Manor Tool and Manufacturing Co. pro- duction supervisor Carlos Ruvalcaba and toolroom manager Dan Kiraly review a successful deep-draw project completed recently on the firm’s new 330-ton servo- mechanical press.
state-of-the-art AC servo-drive tech- nology with two variable-speed motors, the press will allow us to expand our design possibilities (servo presses are capable of dwelling anywhere within a stroke as well as changing the slide’s velocity during the stroke) with mul- tistroke capabilities. We also expect to see an increase in the operating life of our dies (operating a servo press will allow us to reduce tonnage by as much as 20 percent on existing tools), all while reducing energy consumption and maintenance downtime.”
Diversification Defined
The management team at Manor Tool and Manufacturing focuses on building a diversified portfolio of capa- bilities, processing a range of parts and materials including 0.005-in. phosphor bronze as well as 3⁄16-in.-thick quarter- hard stainless steels, aluminum-alloy sheet, as well as plate to 3⁄8 in. thick. Its customer base includes OEMs in the aftermarket-automotive, heavy- construction and metal-furniture mar-
kets. In addition, the firm actively seeks R&D opportunities to improve every facet of its operation. Two recent such cases (in addition to adopting servo- press technology): development of new tool coatings and of low-cost dies.
“We have two R&D projects under- way at the University of Chicago at Urbana-Champaign,” explains Sime- one, “to study tool coatings for heavy- duty forming and to look at different materials and methodologies for lower- cost dies. Our partners on the tool- coating study already have begun to apply some of the project results to develop new coatings, and we have built eight stamping dies incorporating some of the lessons learned from the low-cost-tooling study.”
Another more immediate project completed at the company: adding, in August of 2017, a Coe SpaceMaster servo-based compact coil-feed line to its new Komatsu press, to create a com- plete servo-based system. The line han- dles coil stock to 40 in. wide by 18 in. thick (1⁄4-in. stock at a 10-in. coil width).
“Deep-draw and coining applica- tions account for some 45 percent of our work,” says Simeone, “and we expect continued growth in those two areas. The coil-fed servo-press line will support that growth.
“And, thinking about other possi- bilities, as we tend to do here,” he pon- ders, “I wonder how the servo press might perform in shaving operations, which we do a lot of in order to elimi- nate creep-feed grinding on some of our parts. That’s another interesting application where the servo press may help us.”
Wiegel Tool Works Goes Servo for the Speed
Wiegel Tool Works, Inc. (WTW), Wood Dale, IL, specializes in precision metal stampings for several markets including aerospace, automotive, elec- tronics, telecom and more. As a con- tract manufacturer, the company sees jobs with part quantities by the thou- sands to millions per year and with numerous geometries; thus the need for flexibility and the reason why the
company has been on the lookout for a servo press since the 1990s. Even then, servo technology displayed capa- bilities beyond the traditional mechan- ical presses of the day, and has only improved over the years since.
Finally, in November 2015, WTW took the plunge and purchased its first servo press, a P2H-FX-100 from Nidec Minster. In production since 2016, the 100-ton press has performed excep- tionally well on numerous jobs even though, as Ryan Wiegel, WTW vice pres- ident, admits, the company has only scratched the surface of what a servo- driven press can do. Where the machine has earned its keep thus far, according to Wiegel, is speed.
“Why didn’t we buy a servo press sooner?” he asks. “Using the latest servo technology, this press can run at speeds to 250 strokes/min., which was once unheard of for these types of presses. Before, with a 3-in. stroke, we would see machines top out at 70-100 strokes/ min. at best. Finding a press with this type of speed really made the decision for us.”
Wiegel also notes the liquid-cooled servo motors that enable increased production speed, which he sees as an advantage over fan cooling. Liquid- cooling servo-motor technology con- sistently provides more usable power than comparable air-cooled motors, according to Nidec Minster officials, in addition to maintaining thermal sta- bility and cooler operating tempera- tures. These attributes also result in increased press-component life.
Offers ‘Endless Advantages’
“The advantages of a servo press are endless versus a standard mechan- ical press,” Wiegel says. “I’ve read where some stampers actually have eliminat- ed preforming on their tools due to the ability to control the press stroke. Servo presses also offer real advantages when drawing, even though we are limited in the amount of drawing we perform. Already we have noticed that some of the right-angle brackets we produce, which have presented problems in most mechanical-press motions, are now
26 MetalForming/August 2017
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