Product category:
Drives, motors and power transmission, couplings, clutches
News Release from: Hoerbiger-Origa | Subject: Bi-parting electric linear actuators
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 09 September 2002
Knife actuators cut waste and downtime
Material waste and product changeover downtime have been cut significantly at a tyre plant in Carlisle, following the installation of bi-parting linear actuators to adjust knives for cutting web.
Material waste and product changeover downtime have been cut significantly at Pirelli Tyres' main UK manufacturing plant in Carlisle, following the installation of bi-parting electric linear actuators from Hoerbiger-Origa to adjust knives that cut a continuous rubber web to form an inner casing for the ply of car tyres Pirelli Carlisle produces 13,000 tyres a day, mainly for export
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 22 Dec 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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Order input is such that there are often several product changeovers an hour.
Not only is downtime on the cutting line expensive it is also very disruptive to what is essentially a continuous process, so the site engineers are always keen to think of new ways of minimising it.
"The knives cut the rubber web, which is 0.5-1.2mm gauge, evenly about a centre line at up to 25m/minute," explains Pirelli's Senior Project Engineer Norman Fawcett.
"The strip varies from 250mm wide for small city cars to 500mm for the high performance sports tyres." The actuators are 32mm bore versions of Hoerbiger-Origa's OSP-E belt driven units.
They are fitted in pairs, with one driven by a small servomotor and the other slaved to it in a reversing drive configuration.
Positioning and timing signals are downloaded from a remote central control station over a fieldbus network, although there is a local operator override facility too.
With a maximum travel of 125mm, speeds do not need to be high, which helps ensure that the knives are placed to an accuracy of 0.5mm.
This reduces materials waste and ensures high quality components for assembly into the tyre before it is cured into its final form.
Hoerbiger-Origa's OSP range of linear actuators includes belt and screw electric drives, plus a rodless pneumatic version.
The entire range is totally modular, being based on a common extruded aluminium profile with double dovetail rails on three sides easy mounting of valves and sensors.
The integral guides are complemented by optional external guides for high precision or heavy duty applications.
The motors and their mountings are designed for robustness, so that the OSP is suitable for use in harsh environments, such as found at Pirelli.
"The new system replaces a lead screw system, that was not particularly accurate, required a lot of maintenance and tended to inflict damage to the knife blades, says Mr.Fawcett. Request a free brochure from Hoerbiger-Origa ...
"But since it was twenty years old, I must acknowledge that it served us well.".
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