Product category:
CNC punching and profiling
News Release from: Wilson Tool International | Subject: Strategic tooling partnership
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 02 October 2003
Strategic tooling partnership gives
profits punch
Strategic punch tool partnership helps get the most out of one of the largest sheet metal flexible punching and profiling systems at work in the UK.
Some two years ago Wilson Tool International of Swindon were parcelling up for despatch three sets of its patented Wilson Wheel Tool System, toolholders and dozens of slitting tools, countersink tools, special form tools, Multi-tools and a host of standard punches and dies The tooling package worth some GBP 80,000 was destined to fill the 472 stations on a new GBP 750,000 flexible manufacturing (FMS) for sheet metal components developed by punch press specialist Pullmax for Midland Sheet Metal of Merry Lees, Leicestershire
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 20 Jun 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Built around a 300kN, 500 hits/min 6000 punch press, the system includes a five tower Remmert material warehousing system with 110 pallets and a capacity for 900 tonnes of steel sheets 1500mm wide by 3000mm long.
The system also includes an ETM extended tool magazine with robot loading and software for programming and nesting, production scheduling and tool management.
Such was the importance of the system to Midland Sheet Metal's future plans that according to Chris Buck, manufacturing manager: "The investment in tooling was high on the critical list to maximise productivity and gain the most strategic advantage of minimum manning.
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The concept was that the tool set up should never need breaking down, only updating for any totally new components or new tool developments." One of Midland Sheet Metal's major advantages in the market had been a very effective cell based production strategy formed around turret punch presses, press brakes and manual welding booths linked to specific customers but the management team felt by increasing automation in the business higher levels of productivity, and hence improved competitiveness, would be achieved.
As a result and following a year of investigation, Midland Sheet Metal installed the largest sheet metal FMS in the UK.
"But more important," maintains Buck "is our capability to be highly competitive on any type of punching job customers can throw at us giving both efficiency and very cost-effective production with almost guaranteed quality." Built around a Pullmax 6000 punch press, the system includes robot tool exchange, total material warehousing and material handling from the basic sheet to component stacking and disposal of wastage and skeletons.
The new installation is able to provide the same output as four CNC turret punch presses and has allowed 10 operators to be moved onto other projects as the system proved to have the capability to produce parts within two hours that would have previously taken four times as long.
"It's not about cycle times," argues Buck, who was responsible for selection, justification and commissioning of the system.
"It's about planning of material, tooling and programming.
If we plan correctly we get utilisation figures of 95 per cent and fill a large skip with blanks every 24 hours.
If we don't, the system becomes a white elephant." Breaking down the justification process he reckons half the year was spent on machine details and a massive 40 per cent on tooling selection, development and application.
"So important was tooling on the 'essential to do' list that very early on we formed a strategic partnership with Wilson Tool International of Swindon that ended up with the GBP 80,000 tool package being supplied." Although initially other tool vendors were in the running.
Wilson's concept of 'partnership' involved a close working relationship to cover the options of what could be made on the system.
Here, development of special tooling, the use of Wilson's patented 'Optima' coating, its 2•4•1 tooling system, giving double the regrind life, and in-depth training courses involving tool management, refurbishing and perfecting tool performance, were key elements.
The Pullmax system has a total of 472 tool stations, fifteen positions are available in the machine turret of which four are taken up by Wilson's own Multi-tool systems able to accommodate six tools each.
Three levels of the extended tool magazine hold 15 punches and dies which are pre-empted and exchanged with the machine turret by the twin-arm robot arm without interrupting the punching cycle.
The turret to punching head exchange takes just four seconds.
Special tools abound which effectively combine operations.
These are used to produce knockouts, special forms and progressive louvre tools plus the patented Wilson Wheel Tool system for 2mm, 1.5mm and 1.2mm sheet thickness.
In addition, sister tools such as those used for slitting enable some 250,000 hits to be performed in eight hours of unmanned running.
Lost time awaiting tooling has subsequently been eliminated.
During the day the setter checks out the planning order of jobs which can involve up to 40 different orders.
The programs are compared against tool listing by the software and the control warns if a tool is not available or that hit rate required will exceed the programmed tool life data.
At night, and through weekends the system runs unattended and Buck has electronic access to check at any time through the Internet the current machine status and even reschedule production if priorities change.
Also via autodialing, if the machine goes into alarm, it will call him on his mobile and if he is not available, transfers the call to the setter's mobile phone to warn of the problem.
The working relationship between Midland Sheet Metal and Wilson Tool has proved beneficial for operational security as all tools are Optima coated which enables tool life between regrinds to be extended by some 500 per cent.
As Buck confirms from the tool monitoring software, after over two years of continuous production, the same tools, although reground, are still in use and the previous normal GBP 25,000 replacement tool bill for some 15,000 hours of punching has been reduced to under GBP 2,000 with the new way of working.
Buck concludes that as a result of Midland Sheet Metal and Wilson Tool working together on special tools and prototype testing to achieve the most cost-effective method they are able to target highly efficient 'one-hit' cycle working.
"Wilson Tool performs a justification service to us from our component drawing on any new special tool and works out the most cost-effective solution.
A prime example is a recent exercise for producing 25,000 point of sale brackets.
From the supplied breakdown of costs we were able to easily compare tool cost and cycle time for standard tooling against having a special and to quickly make a decision," he says.
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