PRODUCT REVIEWS
Coil feed lines
Automatic Feed Company ( AFCO ), which provides blanking and coil feed lines to the automotive industry , has announced its new PRO Series coil processing lines . The new press feed lines are aimed at Tier automotive suppliers which process UHSS , AHSS and aluminium for applications such as inner body panels and stamped parts ( which are not surface-sensitive or surface-critical ).
Based upon a standard design , each PRO Series line features a single reel and coil cart , peeler , straightener , threading table and press feed , designed for maintainability and reliability .
“ Seventy-five per cent of the material being processed today by steel and aluminium mills did not exist ten years ago and suppliers are increasingly being relied upon to process a variety of materials , including high-strength advanced steels ,” said Joe Andriette , AFCO ’ s director of sales and marketing . “ With the PRO Series , we have taken our industry knowledge and equipment design experience and packaged it into a high-performing , reliable , right-sized solution for their particular needs .”
The new PRO Series systems are available in three sizes — the PRO 40 , PRO 60 and PRO 80 — and each can process coil stock from 4 ” up to 40 ”, 60 ” or 80 ” ( depending upon the model ). All three sizes are capable of handling material thicknesses from 0.02 ” to 0.25 ” at up to 160FPM and can process aluminium with yield strengths of up to 350MPa and up to 1200MPa for steel . Each model can handle coil weight of up to 60,000 # with an outer coil diameter of up to 80 ”.
These systems incorporate AFCO ’ s leveller technology and include a straightener calculator to assist the operator in making the necessary straightener setting adjustments for coil strip correction , helping to reduce scrap and downtime . The uncoiler reel
features a servo motor for back tension control , which can be an issue when processing advanced steels .
“ The PRO Series lines can directly feed coil stock to a mechanical stamping press or a laser blanking system . The controls package enables integration between the press and the coil feed line as well as a pedestalmounted HMI with touch screen control ,” concluded AFCO . n
Robot welding gun
NIMAK has developed its ntcGUN robot welding gun especially for use in local overseas markets . The name stands for “ NIMAK TÜNKERS Compact Gun ” and highlights the two companies ’ first joint development . NIMAK has been part of the TÜNKERS Group , which has 37 locations worldwide , for more than one year .
“ This infrastructure is the essential prerequisite for our concept of developing welding guns worldwide that can be easily adapted to local requirements ,” explained Kay Nagel , Sales Manager , NIMAK . “ On the one hand , it is a question of technological flexibility and , on the other , sometimes necessary compliance with local content regulations .”
NIMAK manufactures the new ntcGUN at its German headquarters in Wissen , as well as in the USA , Brazil and China ( key markets for automobile production ). “ NtcGUN ” construction plans , tools and appropriate training is available to the Group ’ s locations in its most important export markets . Its branches also offer a global after-sales service . French OEMs are the target group in the European market ; the company has built up and expanded its sales and service team there .
“ The ntcGUN has a particularly slim , compact and light structure . All essential components are well protected between two side plates . Even without an additional console , the user can mount the gun on several positions on the robot . It meets all common standards and requirements for spot welding
in series production and is small , light and inexpensive . It is ideal for the ‘ cost-conscious ’ buyer who does not want to forego ‘ Made in Germany ’ quality and wishes to rely on a wellengineered manufacturer standard ,” explained Nagel .
“ The open , modular design concept of the “ NtcGUN ” also enables the use of servomotors and transformers from other manufacturers specified by the customer . It can be used as the seventh axis operated on almost all common robot types in the world and therefore meets possible local requirements . For example , if the aim is to build a gun for the U . S . market where local content is particularly important , we can equip it with an American motor and transformer . In the standard version , it is supplied with the
Above : With a wide variety of drives and transformers , plus a respective country ’ s components , the ntcGUN ( seen here as an X-gun ) can more easily meet local content regulations .
Left : NIMAK ’ s new ntcGUN – pictured here as a C-gun - has a compact , lightweight design .
medium-frequency transformer and powerful NIMAK servo drive ,” added the company .
NIMAK offers a welding gun configurator on its website . Users can configure the welding gun virtually and compare the model assembled in this way with production requirements . There are over 50 configuration variations in gun-arm selection .
NIMAK supplies resistance welding and simultaneously gluing technology . Manual welding guns , welding machines and gluing and dosing plants are also included in its product portfolio . The company also develops individual automation solutions for all applications . n
98 | sheetmetalplus . com | ISMR October 2021