FACE TO FACE
Apart from saving on raw materials , working from coil also enables customers to save a lot of energy ( up to 70 % electricity savings ). It is a very fast machine compared to traditional sheet-fed machines using a fully automatic process . It meets the four main efficiency pillars ; productivity , automation , flexibility and material / energy efficiency . Reaction to the machine here has been extremely positive .
The second tool for efficiency that we are presenting here is our coil manager . It is a tool that we have developed originally for managing the coils that we receive . Every year , we manage more than 1000 coils that come to DALLAN by truck to test on our systems . We therefore decided to set up a software database , connected to QR code printers and readers . It keeps track of every coil that we receive . You can qualify your coils when they arrive . Each coil receives a label with a code that stores data about the coil . You can locate your coils in production storage and move them over to the machine . The app can read all the barcodes .
All the machines that we have sold in the last three months have been delivered with the coil manager app , as customers have been requesting this as part of the package . We developed this software and the database ourselves . However , it can also be used by any manufacturer that uses metal coil or coilprocessing equipment , regardless of whether they use a DALLAN machine .
ISMR : The sheet-metal industry is facing a multitude of challenges such as the war in Ukraine ; the COVID-19 pandemic ; inflation etc . How have you coped with these challenges ?
AD : The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented and unexpected shock where some companies , for example in Italy , could not work for six weeks . That created a lot of awareness about the resilience of our economic systems . Some companies have struggled through this .
When we think now about how these challenges have affected the industry i . e . the supply-chain challenges , the shortages of raw materials etc ., we discover the value of partnerships and relationships . We missed a lot of direct interactions throughout the pandemic , but have managed to build privileged relationships with companies and suppliers to help each other through these supply-chain challenges .
When times are difficult and you have strong partners , trusted relationships are so much more important than simply looking for a better price etc . We are not alone in this – our colleagues here are facing similar challenges .
ISMR : Any there any other successes or achievements that you wish to highlight over the last couple of years ?
AD : We have spent a lot of time on communications over the last couple of years . I wrote my first book , ‘ The Revolution of Efficiency ’, during the pandemic and have now just finished a second book which is called ‘ Think Thin ’.
‘ The Revolution of Efficiency ’ was focused on the efficiency of sheet-metal processes . This second book , ‘ Think Thin ’, is focused on product design i . e . how to get the maximum advantage in terms of function , efficiency and the use of thinner material . It encourages people to think right from the design phase of a product for an excellent outcome . My father established DALLAN originally as a technical design consultancy , so this is a key topic of expertise for us .
This book is available for people to order on our website and we have set aside a number of copies each month for free shipment to our customers .
Punching machine from coil .
DALLAN ’ s booth at EuroBLECH 2022 in Hanover , Germany .
EXN coil-fed punching system
The EXN is DALLAN ’ s new powerful , coil-fed electric punching machine , offering greatly reduced energy consumption . The Dallan ® Select servoelectric actuator is designed to unite power and energy efficiency .
“ Thanks to ARC tool post arches , it is always possible to change the turret configuration and adapt the machine to other future production requirements . Maximum production efficiency is ensured by in-line machining , which achieves up to 100 % optimisation of the material ,” DALLAN told ISMR .
It can process material up to 1500mm wide and 4mm thick . Coil-fed operation improves efficiency levels and dramatically reduces scrap . The servo-electric punching head concentrates 20 tons of power on each punching tool and flexible tool configurations enable rapid production changeover without set-up time .