New EDM Surface Integrity Generator
Charmilles Technologies, Lincolnshire, IL, has designed a new, state-of-the-art surface integrity (SI) generator electronic board that guarantees excellent surface integrity of materials manufactured by electrical discharge machines (EDM). The generator controls electrolysis, thermal damage, stress effects and micro-cracks to perfection, making it possible to obtain unequaled surface integrity and surface finishes in carbide and steel.
The
Surface Integrity Generator controls the effects of heat, water and electrolysis and
guarantees a perfect surface finish down to 7.87 micro-in. Ra.
A standard feature on Charmilles' ROBOFIL 1020 SI, the generator extends the useful life of tooling, providing surface finishes down to 7.87 micro-in. Ra. MicroSurf is available for applications requiring extremely fine finishes down to 4 micro-in. Ra.
During EDM machining, the surface of the material can be
affected by many different phenomena that destroy or modify the structure of the material.
This micro-crack has been caused by the negative effects of heat, water and electrolysis.
Poor surface integrity results in premature part failure and shortened tool life. Dies and punches with poor surface integrity have fragile surfaces and are less resistant to wear. That's why Charmilles launched an intensive research effort to identify the three major culprits of poor surface integrity and successfully reached a single solution with the new SI generator.
Following are the three major causes of poor surface integrity and Charmilles' solutions:
Fuel Cell Breakthrough
Solving a vexing materials obstacle, researchers at Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), Berkeley, CA, report they have made an important breakthrough in the research effort to develop potentially low cost fuel cell technology. Berkeley Lab researchers have focused on solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), which have been on the verge of commercial viability for years. Using a deceptively simple ceramic process, they have developed a new, thin-film electrolyte that both doubles the power output and significantly reduces the cost of SOFCs.
Fuel cells, which transform hydrocarbons into electricity without combustion, are highly fuel-efficient and almost nonpolluting. But, the cost to build them has been a barrier to broad commercialization. Other than for a few demonstration projects, their use to generate electricity and to power vehicles has not been practical.
Like other fuel cell types, SOFCs produce electricity by electrochemically combining hydrogen and oxygen. All fuel cells can run on natural gas but some require that the gas be preprocessed first (reformed), providing a supply of hydrogen to the cell. Some high-temperature cells, like SOFCs, do not require this expensive pretreatment. They can "burn" natural gas directly. The team reports that cells with the new, ultra-thin ceramic electrolyte generate two watts per square centimeter of cell surface area. This is double the record power for SOFCs. Additionally, during testing, electrical output remains absolutely constant over 700 hours. While there is no guarantee that the cell can last the five to 10 years necessary for commercial purposes, the test results are extremely promising.
Backgage
Control
Automec, Inc., Waltham, MA, a manufacturer of CNC gaging for pressbrakes and shears for more than 25 years has introduced a new state-of-the-art control. The 10,000 job memory means that all jobs in virtually every shop can be stored at each pressbrake equipped with the CNC 2000 control without cumbersome external memory cards or computer interfaces. A tool library stores optional parameters for angle mode operation. In addition, up to 1000 jobs can be stored on a standard 3.5-in. floppy disk (provided as standard equipment) in order to back up stored programs or as a quick means of transferring jobs from one pressbrake to another.
The color screen layout of the CNC 2000 uses a "window-type" format to guide the operator through programming. Up to eight bends of the program can be viewed at one time showing each axis of control. A total of 32 steps can be programmed. A parts counter keeps track of total parts formed. A ram offset of ±0.099 in. can be programmed for each job to offset all dimensions in the program by the same amount.
New
Delta Range of Punch Presses
LVD Corp., Plainville, CT, introduced its new DELTA range of CNC hydraulic punch presses to the North American marketplace at IMTS in September. Available in three model sizes, they are designed for punching medium- and large-sized sheets up to 0.250 in. (64 mm) thick.
The DELTA 1250RS, EB 1250RS, LB 1250RS and LB 1500RS models are fitted with a servo-controlled intelligent hydraulic unit, producing a punching speed of 300 hits per minute on one-inch centers, a nibbling rate of up to 650 hits per minute and a marking rate of 1200 hits per minute. Delta 1000 and DELTA EB 1000 models meet the need of markets requiring an extremely cost effective price/quality ratio.
DELTA punch presses are of C-frame construction with throat sizes of 40 in. (1000 mm), 50 in. (1250 mm) or 59 in. (1500 mm). Depending upon the table dimensions, sheet sizes up to 50 in., 80 in. or 100 in. can be punched without repositioning. With one reposition, sheet sizes can be doubled. Positioning accuracy and repeatability are ±0.004 in (±0.1 mm) and ±0.002 in. (±0.05 mm), respectively.
Latest development is the "Soft Cut" option, which reduces noise levels by "squeezing" the punch through the material. This has the added advantage of reducing impact and shock forces. The hydraulic system allows new tooling developments to provide fast, high-quality contour cutting and roll forming.
LVD offers a choice of turret configurations, which accept the self-stripping and self-aligning "Thick or Thin" turret type tooling. As an option, other tooling systems can be accommodated. In order to produce scratch-free punched parts, the support tables can be fitted with transfer balls or brushes.
Automatic evacuation of parts up to 17.5 in. x 17.7 in. can be programmed via the automatic work chute (optional on DELTA 1250RS) and for further increased productivity LVD punch presses can be equipped with an automatic load/ unload system, which can load a sheet in less than 20 seconds without operator involvement.
The control has a 10 Kb Ram memory and a 425 Mb hard disk as well as a 1.44 Mb 3.5-in. floppy drive and a RS232 interface. It offers different possibilities, such as concurrent programming with input, reading and storage of a program while the machine is in operation and parametric programming for families of parts, such as doors, panels and other products of a similar design, but with different dimensions. The operator has only to change dimensional parameters to have a new NC program within a few seconds. For instance, production time on metal doors is reduced from 40 min. to 90 sec., including punching of the sheet.
Karel
Sander, manager of the Cable Division of P/A Industries, Inc., has been involved with
high-speed re-wind technology for the electronics industry since its inception.
Demand for Rewind Equipment Increases
Pressroom productivity involves more than keeping fresh stock payed-off and fed accurately into the press. Post-process handling is a huge consideration, because when a high-speed stamping operation is running as designed, it is probably exiting product into a bottleneck. The electronics industry alone requires billions of intricate connectors, terminals and other components to be stamped and rewound onto reels to satisfy the need for automated assembly in a later operation.
Historically, most product development energy has been devoted to perfecting the technologies involved in the precise feeding and payoff of stock to optimize press uptime. Advancements in rewind technology were not as essential to overall stamping productivity as they have become in the past decade.
Assembly area at P/A Industries includes several rewinders, giving the
company expertise at both ends of the press.
P/A Industries, Inc., Bloomfield, CT, made a substantial investment in rewind technology in 1994 when Karel Sander, a graduate electronics engineer who had designed and built high speed rewind equipment for over a decade in Germany, was brought on board. His work had involved taking rewind technology from its infancy into a sophisticated manufacturing process, leading to several innovations in use today.
Since that time, the company's WR series of rewind equipment was introduced. The compact, high-speed devices perform automatic reel changes based on the programmed number of parts per reel, without stopping the press. The units also automatically thread the material and index from full reel to empty, as well as wrap the full reels with interleaf in preparation for removal.
Dozens of installations handling both straight and traverse rewind applications has led to continuous increases in the size and type of stamped component suited to this level of automation. Rewind automation will become a major consideration for a growing number of companies as the overall level of automation demanded in the pressroom increases.
Chrome-Free Iron and Zinc Phosphating
Environmentally friendly, chrome-free iron and zinc phosphate pretreatment programs from Betz MetChem, Horsham, PA, are said to provide the long-awaited solution to achieving the high performance of chrome. The costly consequences and future liabilities of chrome for possible human health and environmental problems are eliminated when using the Betz Guardiantm series of phosphating coatings. Users report unparalleled corrosion performance for most metal substrates, as well as the virtual elimination of flash rust concerns and improved paint adhesion that achieve the performance of chrome sealers.
The series of phosphating programs are a direct drop-in replacement for wash process with three or more spray or immersion phosphating stages. Increasing NSS at a midwest automotive parts supplier from 750 hours to 1100 hours with their phosphating program eliminated field corrosion problems and helped differentiate their product from competing suppliers. At a powder coating job shop, severe flash rusting problems were solved resulting in improved paint adhesion and corrosion resistance.
Precision Metalforming
Association, PO Box 318081, Cleveland, Ohio 44131-8081
Phone: 216-901-8800 ---- Fax: 216-901-9190 ---- Send e-mail