PRODUCT REVIEWS
Faster tool handling
RUD ’ s new Tool Separator is designed not only to optimise work processes , but also to ensure workplace safety during operations .
“ There is now no need to use sledgehammers and tyre irons to open massively heavy tools by hand . Our new tool separator makes tool handling safer and , importantly , much faster . This latest innovation opens injection tools , punching tools and forming tools in seconds , revolutionising production , service and maintenance processes . By optimising these processes , the tool separator can pay for itself in less than a year . Working with our new Tool Separator is especially safe and ergonomic – it is the ideal companion to the Tool Mover Pro , our tool-handling machine ,” the company told ISMR .
“ The drive underpinning our latest development came directly from the market . Companies must often separate massively heavy tools by hand using cranes , sledgehammers and tyre irons . Depending upon the tool , this can take between 30 minutes and three hours , and take up to three members of staff . Other machines , such as injection moulding machines or die-spotting machines , might also be used to separate the tool . This is very inefficient and has a direct impact on operating costs . We therefore decided to find a solution to this problem as a matter of urgency ,” continued Anne Kühling , a product manager in RUD Ketten Rieger & Dietz GmbH u . Co . KG ’ s conveyor & drive division .
Instead of taking three hours , and involving three members of staff , the Tool Separator takes a maximum of five minutes and one person to complete the entire process . It operates with an opening and closing force of 50kN ( 5 tonnes ). A PLC control system ensures effective operation and carefully controlled force and speed ensure that tool halves can be opened gently and closed accurately : operators can set the degree of force from a theoretical 0 to 55kN , and set speeds from 0 to 2,000mm per minute .
Using the Tool Separator not only protects expensive tools , but also safeguards the joints and vertebrae of its operators . At 380mm high , the contact surface ensures work can be performed safely and ergonomically , according to the manufacturer . After opening , the operator can work directly on both halves of the tool to perform minor repairs or maintenance tasks , while it is held securely in the tool separator . This reduces the downtimes required for maintenance .
“ Safety is key . It is simply not possible to operate the Tool Separator , either by pressing buttons on the machine itself or by remote control , if anyone is standing between the two halves of the tool ,” explained the German tooling specialist .
“ Its electrical drive is its distinctive feature because it operates entirely without hydraulics . A hydraulic drive not only needs more maintenance , but also takes up more space because of the additional hydraulic unit . In contrast , the Tool Separator is a compact all-in-one system ,” added Walter Lais , a designer at RUD Ketten Rieger & Dietz GmbH u . Co . KG . “ Its compact construction means we ’ ve been able to bring
New production line for steel packaging
How do you improve on the humble food can ? Tata Steel believes that it has the answer with Protact , a new steel packaging material which , it says , is easier for can-makers to work with and ‘ truly 100 % recyclable ’. Protact is used in the food processing industry ( including canned food ).
“ We are extremely pleased with the high-quality new production line for making Protact ,” said Simone Vooijs , Director Operations , Tata Steel Packaging .
The new production facilities at Tata Steel ’ s IJmuiden site in the Netherlands now have a new in-house laminating line - the largest of its kind in the world , says Tata Steel - to apply a special food-safe layer to the steel , as well as its own film production line for manufacturing the high-quality polymer needed . plastic film .
Tata Steel now holds several patents on this product .
The production line for Protact has been running in IJmuiden for more than a year now and , says the steel giant , with great success . The installation has a capacity of more than 150,000 tonnes per year .
RUD ’ s new tool separator .
its contact surface down to 380mm , which is very low . That makes it an excellent , ergonomic working height for operators .”
RUD ’ s bespoke tool separator machines are ‘ made in Germany ’ at the company ’ s headquarters in Aalen . The prototype is sized for tools weighing up to 10 tonnes , but can also handle lighter or heavier tools . The tool separator has a 1,300mm x 1,300mm clamping plate and a sliding and contact surface at a height of 380mm .
“ Theoretically , anything is possible here : we can adjust the machine to handle lighter or heavier tools , greater or lesser forces and smaller or greater distances between the clamping plates . We can also modify the plates themselves , depending upon what is required ,” stated Lais .
“ With the Tool Mover Pro and the Tool Separator , we really can offer the ‘ dream team ’ for optimising costs and processes , and ensuring that tools are handled safely and ergonomically , now . This applies across the most diverse applications : from tool manufacturing to metal stamping and bending technology , aluminium die casting and injection moulding to the automotive industry and the packaging and container industries ,” said Anne Kühling . “ Having two separate machines also helps to reduce the waiting time for employees , because they can work independently of each other .” See
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“ Protact production facilities have been designed to meet all the requirements set out for food-safe production in Europe and the United States . This also means that employees wear special clothing to ensure optimal hygiene in the factory . Protact is one of the most innovative steel grades for the packaging sector ,” added the company .
Benefits of its new Protact material include a reduction in the number of production processes ( reducing costs and increasing productivity ; sustainable production setup ; easier can printing and better corrosion protection .
Tata Steel is one of Europe ’ s leading steel producers , with steelmaking in the Netherlands and the UK , and manufacturing plants across Europe .
ISMR February 2021 | sheetmetalplus . com | 49