PRODUCT REVIEWS
Smart stamping solutions
Taiwanese press specialist , Chin Fong , has placed smart machinery at the heart of its technological innovations . From a singlepress smart solution , the company has moved onto multi-press connections and cloud computing , linking ERP management and even AI computing systems to analyse Big Data .
“ Intelligent transformation is the key to a customer ’ s future success . During decades of experience in equipment manufacturing , we have encountered numerous customer cases involving automation integration of large production lines . We help clients to plan their robot / AGV / ARV / AOI automation applications according to their needs and different stages of transformation ,” Chin Fong told ISMR .
It has done this through professional machine selection consulting services , combined with its “ iForming PMS - Intelligent Forming Productivity Management System ” solution . In response to everexpanding customer requirements , the company has also implemented scanning code and fingerprint authentication to meet workplace safety requirements , as well as facial recognition and an iris recognition system .
“ iForming is an intelligent forming solution which enables customers to quickly and cost-effectively introduce intelligent applications . Whether it is a generic stamping press , transfer press , forging press or servo press , all can be integrated into one platform , enabling Chin Fong presses to provide customers with a smart manufacturing solution for forming ,” explained Chin Fong .
From a specification standpoint , this smart forming solution presents production process data in real-time through visual plant management software and a hardware interface ( also known as a Real-Time Situation Room ). These can be used as a reference for production processes , manufacturing management and decision optimisation to transform a traditional stamping factory into a smart production model .
“ Smart transformation should never be a headache . It should be the solution . We are committed to helping our customers improve their manufacturing processes through smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 . Our smart management system updates supervisors on the progress of their factories in real-time . This improves traditional manpower and equipment management , which then extends to materials and logistics management , and finally leads to the factory smart 4M1E ( Man , Machine , Material , Method and Environment ) management method ,” added the Taiwanese stamping specialist .
Accessible and convenient
This innovation was spurred by Chin Fong ’ s observation that most of its customers were concerned about the high cost of introducing smart management solutions in their initial stages of transformation and development , not to mention the time , cost and risk . It therefore developed its own iForming PMS system solution and implemented this in its own factory , serving as a technology demonstrator . As the goal is to make smart manufacturing more accessible for customers , iForming PMS solutions currently come with the machines as added value ( not as additional products ).
After-sales service is an important milestone in Chin Fong ’ s smart transformation solution . Its sales staff visit customers , and their engineers and service staff , to collect feedback and address technology-related customisation needs . In response to customers ’ remote maintenance needs , Chin Fong provides after-sales service via a mobile device app , so that data can be updated online . The press specialist has also worked with a third-party system provider to develop a common applicationprogramming interface ( API ). This program combines enterprise and resource planning with a manufacturing execution system ( ERP / MES ) to respond quickly to changes in the production process . Management decision-makers can therefore integrate this into the shop floor tracking system ( SFT ), linking data in a more compatible and convenient way .
“ iForming not only improves supply and demand forecasts , but also affects response time . It gathers historical information through Big Data and introduces AI machine learning . iForming integrates instant messages to notify customers proactively , which means an actively growing and intelligent system exclusively for customers . Recently , we collaborated with ASUS and Axiomtek to create an intelligent forming defect detection solution , which is the latest upgrade of iForming ’ s extension suite ,” explained Chin Fong .
The “ Intelligent Forming Defect Detection Solution ” is based on iForming ’ s management system . It combines AI visual inspection system and AI edge computing for real-time production data and quality information aggregation , as part of iForming ’ s extended functions . The solution also features wave pattern detection capability .
“ By absorbing a small amount of defect data through a special algorithm , the inspection system can automatically learn and calculate other defect possibilities so that defect detection accuracy can reach over 97 %. By observing the waveform , it can also detect vibration and even noise abnormalities , and quickly report the inspection results through the firewallequipped Ethernet and private cloud . It can also display this data on the Real-Time Situation Dashboard for 24-7 intelligent factory management ,” concluded Chin Fong .
The Intelligent Forming Productivity Management System ( iFPMS ) solution for the stamping industry was recognized with a 29th Taiwan Excellence Award in 2020 . Established in 1948 , Chin Fong Machine Industrial Co ., Ltd . is one of the top five press manufacturers in the world .
“ To date , 100 % of customers who have imported iForming have renewed their orders with additional features , which means that customers are really using this smart production model and finding it extremely useful . In the future , by standardising popular features , we will not only reduce the cost of implementation for customers , but also enhance the added value of the product and develop a customised solution for each customer ,” Chin Fong told ISMR . n
. chinfong . com / en
ISMR May 2021 | sheetmetalplus . com | 49