PRODUCT REVIEWS
The entire system can be operated by a single employee .
The finished profiles are automatically collected by automatic unloading unit conveyors and transported to the finished parts buffer for easy removal .
Automated sheet metal unloading
Thalmann ’ s TD double folder is designed to produce sheet metal profiles efficiently and automatically . According to the Swiss bending specialist , the operator ‘ basically just has to press a button ..’ The folder now boasts a new automated sheet metal unloading unit .
“ This means an impressive sheet metal profile production cycle ,” Marco Cappello , managing director of THALMANN Maschinenbau AG , told ISMR . “ The sheet metal infeed device automatically feeds the metal sheet and positions it exactly inside the machine and , depending upon the profile , the automatic sheet flipping unit then turns the parts . Last , but not least , using our latest innovation - an automatic part unloading unit - the finished parts are removed from the machine and conveyed to the folded parts buffer unit . They are then ready for easy removal .”
The automatic sheet unloading unit is a third optionally available and modular automation component for TD double folder models . Depending upon the sheet metal profiles to be produced , users can choose between three different unloading modes .
These are : sheet metal pick-up directly from the machine ; sheet metal pick-up from the extending table and sheet metal dropoff onto soft foam absorber boards . This ensures that diverse profile variants ( with their differently developed widths , lengths and shapes ) can be safely removed from the machine .
A major benefit is the option to produce not only in full automation but also in semiautomation mode .
“ Within a few seconds , the entire unloading unit can be automatically folded away and ‘ parked and stowed ’ underneath the part buffer framework . The space between the double folder and the buffer unit is therefore freed for the operator and orders can be processed without the use of full automation ,” explained Thalmann .
The complete unit can operate within compact dimensions and , unlike production lines with added robotic handling , the Thalmann solution operates on more confined floor space . Programming is easy , said the manufacturer , since all three automation modules , the sheet infeed device , the flipping device and the part unloader are integrated machine components and not external robotics .
“ The entire system can be operated by just one single operator . The advantages are obvious : considerable cost savings through significantly reduced labour ; minimised risks of accidents ; strong efficiency and productivity gains as well as a high degree of flexibility in manufacturing . All three automation components can easily be retrofitted to the latest generation of the TD models ,” continued Thalmann .
The first complete system has already been delivered and is in operation . Three more are now on order .
‘’ We are delighted that our innovative automation solutions are so well recognized by the market . We will continue to do everything in the future to offer our customers tailor-made machine solutions built to satisfy their needs - from typical , smaller sheet metal businesses to medium-sized roof and facade construction companies to international industrial groups ,” concluded Marco Cappello . n
. thalmann-ag . ch / en
Long and bulky profiles can also be removed from the folded parts buffer , for example with a forklift .
The complete unloading unit can be folded away and stowed underneath the parts buffer framework . The space in front of the double folder is freed for the operator .
66 | sheetmetalplus . com | ISMR July / August 2021