Archive for the ‘CNC punching and profiling’ Category

Wilson to make pressbrake tooling in Swindon

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

Wilson Tool International has opened a 2,000m2 (22,000ft2) factory unit next to its existing European headquarters in Swindon, England.

The Swindon facility now has an overall area of 7,600m2 (82,000ft2).

The factory provides additional manufacturing space and a dedicated customer and employee training centre.

The additional manufacturing space will provide capacity for Wilson Tool to continue its growth in Europe.

It will provide space for new machines to manufacture press brake tooling, the fastest growing product line in the business.

It will also allow the company to continue its lean-manufacturing journey, with new flow lines for punch press and press-brake tooling already installed in both units.

Ray John, manufacturing manager for Wilson, said: ‘Reducing our lead times, particularly for special tools, is a key objective of Wilson Tool in 2009.

‘Our commitment to lean manufacturing has already enabled us to manufacture cluster tools and lance and form tools in three days.

‘The new facility will give us the capacity to reduce the lead times of our other special tools.’ The customer training centre, on the upper floor of the new factory, opened with a productivity-seminar day on 13 May.

The event, attended by 69 people, described the benefits of lean manufacturing for sheet-metal companies.

Customers attended a set of workshops throughout the day, with classroom seminars and practical punch press and press-brake demonstrations in Wilson Tool’s technology centre.

Wilson Tool plans to run additional seminar days in the future and will also use the new facility for more specific product and application training for individual customers.

CNC punch press tooling is competitive

Wednesday, September 17th, 2008

Following extensive investment in machine tools and personnel, AW Precision offers a competitive range of punches and dies for thin and thick turret and Trumpf-type CNC punch presses.

Based in Rugby, UK, press tool punch and die manufacturer AW Precision recently launched it latest range of punch and die products in the UK and Ireland Sold under the brand name of ‘Xtreme’, the range of standard and special CNC punch press tooling can be used in machines with thin or thick turrets as well as Trumpf types of machines Xtreme Turret tooling has been sold for four years from AW’s Belgian facility into mainland Europe and Eastern Europe.

The Rugby factory has been producing tooling blanks since the start of the project in 2004.

AW Precision have been producing punches and dies for the press tool industry for over 30 years, and have used their experience in sheet metal to develop there materials, heat treatments and coatings to maximise punch life.

AW Xtreme has been developed with high quality and service in mind, but at competitive prices.

The company has carried out an extensive investment programme in machine tools and personnel as well as stocks of punch, stripper and die blanks before the launch of its latest tooling range.

CNC punch press performs bending too

Wednesday, September 17th, 2008

Bystronic UK said that the Pullmax Pullmatic 520 FC CNC punch press can be used as a press brake, making it possible to finish complex parts in one set-up.

The Pullmax Pullmatic 520 FC CNC punch press can perform thread tapping and be turned into a press brake, making it possible to finish complex parts in one set-up The machine can also equipped with a materials handling system (FC) for the automatic loading and unloading of sheets for ‘lights out’ or unsupervised operation The Pullmatic 520 punching machine is a highly productive machine for sheet metal up to 8mm in thickness.

It is characterised by its speed, low noise, a quick and easy set-up, an efficient tooling concept and the latest Fanuc control system.

A fully programmable hydraulic stroke ensures maximised forming capacity and versatility, said Bystronic. A hydraulic head also generally offers a much faster performance on thin gauge material.

The machine has a working area that allows 2500 x 1250mm sheet to be worked without re-positioning.

Automatic re-positioning is included too.

The positioning speed is 100m/min in the X-axis and 80m/min in the Y-axis.

Bystronic told manufacturingtalk that real manipulation speed of the work piece is up to 128m/min.

The punching force is 220kN (22 tonf) and the hit rate is up to 1200 hits/min (marking).

The Pullmatic 520 axes accelerate rate is up to a maximum of 24m/s2.

* Tool change system – the machine features the Pullmax patented tool change system that has made the Pullmax machinery so flexible.

A rotating punch head makes all tools indexable at a speed of 80 rev/min.

The tool changer now features a 20 station magazine that holds tools all with a maximum size of 90mm diameter (previously the largest tool size available was 75mm).

The magazine ensures a high degree of flexibility, and, optimum use of the machine and the sheet format used.

Such tool sizes allow for longer slitting tools and reduced straight line and radius profiling production times.

In addition each multitool can have five or ten different tools up to 16mm diameter.

All tools in the multitool can also be programmed at any angle like the single tools.

In essence, up to 200 tools are available and indexable.

Tool changing times are exceptionally quick ranging from 1s to 5s and this has boosted productivity significantly, said Bystronic.

Pullmax’s vast experience in automated systems also features within the new range.

Access around the tooling system has been increased, allowing optimum use of part picking devices.

This height also allows forming with a maximum height of 75mm.

* Work handling – the Pullmax sheet loader is designed to provide maximum efficiency and operator safety.

The loader consists of a carriage with AC-servo control.

Standard features include: air-knife for sheet separation; corner lift cup to minimize double sheet pick-up and double sheet detection.

Through the CNC, the vacuum cup system also automatically switches cups on and off depending on blank size .

The unload system can handle punched nested parts and material skeletons in a reliable way, without any scratches or damages at the material.

There are grip positions where four material clamps grip the skeleton and pull it out on top of the brush covered jalousie table.

The skeleton will be released and lowered down on pallet systems or directly on skids.

The system allows for integration of automatic pallet changing, where punched nested parts and skeletons can be stored in to customised storage systems with unmanned production.

* CNC – the Fanuc windows based 160iBP control system has been specifically designed for sheet fabrication and features energy saving servo drives, fiber optics and a touch screen for user-friendly interfacing to the machine.

Other standard control features are, automatic tool management and job scheduling, ethernet network ready and integrated diagnostics.

Turret punch press tooling is fully guided

Wednesday, September 17th, 2008

Turret punch press tooling is fully
Mate Precision Tooling will introduce its Fully Guided Tooling System for Murata Wiedemann turret punch presses at the USA’s FABTECH 2008.

Mate Precision Tooling will introduce its Fully Guided Tooling System for Murata Wiedemann turret punch presses at the USA’s FABTECH 2008 fabrication show Mate Precision Tooling’s Marathon Plus fully guided tooling system adds the benefit of ‘click and turn’ external punch length adjustment The feature minimises downtime, increases adjustment accuracy, and eliminates the need for shims.

Marathon Plus features fully guided, longer lasting M2 high speed steel punches for exceptional edge quality and spring loaded strippers that hold sheets flatter.

Full length guiding (top, middle and punch tip position) provides perfect tool alignment and stability. Punch holders are fully hardened and ground for maximum precision and long life.

Mate’s Marathon Plus has many additional features including the following.

* Strippers that provide guided lateral support.

* Self-locking stripper plate retention.

* Built in lubrication vents for smooth, long life operation.

* Mate Slug Free die geometry.

The Marathon Plus is available for Murata Wiedemann Vectrum, Motorum and Magnum 5000 presses in all stations XB through J.

* EasyView Slug Free dies give fast and easy tool selection – Mate’s Thick Turret EasyView Slug Free Die is claimed to be the first tooling system designed with lean visual management technology.

Using a colored O-ring designed to provide clear and instant identification, the new EasyView Slug Free design allows the user to assign visual identification to signify a specific feature or use of the tool.

Examples include: material type, machine location, die clearance and more.

Mate said to manufacturingtalk that to use the EasyView Slug Free die system, the user simply installs a colored O-ring by identifying the assigned feature for that die.

The O-ring is easily positioned in the special grove on the outside diameter of the die.

In keeping with maximally efficient, lean visual tool management processes, the simple operation speeds up tool selection and set-up.

Slug Free dies eliminate slug pulling, a condition where the slug returns to the top of the sheet during the stripping portion of the punching cycle.

Mate’s Slug Free dies eliminate this problem, promoting improved piece part quality and increased tool life.

* Mate Xcel Fully Guided Tooling for Strippit punch presses – Mate’s expanded Xcel tooling system includes two 3-1/2in station fully guided punch assemblies.

Featuring fully guided strippers and premium high-speed steel slitting punch inserts, these high performance tooling systems are designed for all Strippit punch presses.

Mate’s Xcel Fully Guided tooling system, is claimed to be the first true and fully guided tooling system for thin turret punch presses.

The Xcel system is novel in that it guides the tip of the punch relative to the stripper and guides the stripper relative to the punch guide assembly.

The guide holds the stripper rigidly while the stripper guides the tip of the punch for high precision, fully guided punching performance.

Ensuring the fully guided performance are the precise clearances between punch and stripper – 0.0017in (0.04mm) and stripper and guide – 0.0006in (0.02mm).

Mate said that only the Xcel fully guided design provides these tight tolerances.

Mate’s Xcel Fully Guided Tooling has many additional features including: special steel options; push-button punch length adjustment; interchangeable punch drivers and Mate Slug Free die geometry.