PRODUCT REVIEWS
ifm and Schuler cooperate on forming
To monitor and improve quality in press shops through digitalisation , ifm and the Schuler Group have now concluded a cooperation agreement . Their aim is to offer customers more transparency and increase efficiency in sheet metal forming .
Sheet metal forming presses are among the most important machine tools in sheet metal processing . The Schuler Group has 180 years of experience of forming technology . Using digital solutions such as Track & Trace , Visual Die Protection or DigiSim ®, the company offers numerous tools that support digitalisation in press shops . Now , ifm SmartStamp expands this offering with a software tool that detects tilting , eccentricity and the resulting tilting moment on forming presses , reportedly within milliseconds .
“ If the ram is tilted too far , the press guides are subjected to excessive strain and will be damaged in the long term ,” said Christoph Schneider , Vice President Product Management Applications , ifm .
The tool protects the press from excessive wear and damage as well as helping to improve availability . SmartStamp is seamlessly integrated into the moneo IIoT platform and now also into the Metris platform from ANDRITZ , Schuler ’ s parent company .
“ Thanks to combination with the data from our cloud-based Digital Solutions , customers benefit from interoperability and consequently even higher transparency in the press shop ,” emphasised Rohitashwa Pant , Chief Digital Officer , Schuler Group .
The signed cooperation agreement provides
for collaboration in sales . Customers will be able to use ifm ’ s SmartStamp and Schuler ’ s Digital Solutions . It is immaterial , said Schuler , which system customers use when they start to digitalise as they can expand their digitalisation solution with the other system , at any time .
“ In this way , we can offer all of our customers the optimum solution for press shop digitalisation ,” concluded Florian Siebert , Senior Manager Systems and IIoT , ifm . n
www . schulergroup . com
www . ifm . com
G4 robot controller
The G4 robot controller is part of Panasonic Factory Solutions ’ ‘ The Arc Welding Robot System ’ ( TAWERS ), which brings together the total solution of robot , controller , power source and servo wire feeder from one manufacturer . The G4 , which replaces the G3 controller , was showcased at Schweißen & Schneiden 2023 , the international trade fair for joining , cutting and surfacing in Essen , Germany .
“ The new G4 controller helps to deliver a faster , accurate and efficient robot welding service than ever before . There is an 18 % increase in the average speed of movement on the robot ’ s main axes by fine-tuning acceleration and deceleration control . Individual axis movements can be up to 27 % faster than with the previous G3 controller . Motion accuracy has also been improved by up to 20 %,” explained the manufacturer . The teach pendant has been enhanced with an intuitive , slimmed-down user interface and increased resolution on the glovefriendly , touchpanel display . It also includes a 3D high-definition display for operators to visualise the movement of the robot and any potential safety issues ahead of operation .
“ Fast and flexible connectivity in a manufacturing environment is enabled with the inclusion of the OPC UA open standard . This means that future addition of cameras or sensors for data collection or safety can easily be integrated into the system ,” added Panasonic Factory Solutions .
“ The welding table from the G3 controller is
G4 robot controller . available for use with the
G4 and will continue to be developed with more than 150 different welding operations scheduled . Welding is also enhanced , for example , with one process reducing spattering by up to 62 % to improve quality . The new G4 controller also offers improved welding navigational data and management , on-site welding waveform analysis and welding defect verification without the need for external measuring equipment ,” it continued .
Teach pendant for the robot controller .
Safety is envisaged with standard installation of functional safety software that complies with IEC 61508 and ISO 13849 , flexible assignment and editing of safety input and output and an external axis controller with individual servo on / off control as standard .
The G4 controller also has upgraded reliability and maintenance functions with data log enhancements and an increased error histories ’ capability , to improve quality tracking , and improved data for preventative maintenance ( alongside an enhanced dualtunnel cooling structure and energy-saving fan control ).
Panasonic ’ s range of welding robots support MIG , MAG / and TIG welding processes . It offers full turnkey solutions for automotive and general industry .
For more information , see : https :// eu . connect . panasonic . com / gb / en / products / robot-welding / tawers-g4- controller n
https
:// eu . connect . panasonic . com
100 | ismr . net | ISMR November 2024