A specialist in industrial automation products and solutions, Comau, and Exechon, which offers patented technologies to develop parallel kinematic machine solutions, have joined forces to design and produce a Comau machining centre able to handle lightweight framing and structural components for sectors such as electrification.

Harbouring the objective of spearheading a new machining paradigm for large, complex aluminium parts, the companies have started a strategic co-operation. The pair will thus leverage their respective competencies to develop a concrete solution for customers that can cost-effectively meet key drivers within the evolving machining market, which include: the expanded use of lightweight components that reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions; the growing importance of electrification for automotive manufacturers; and the increasing degree of production complexity within the aerospace sector.
Exechon will develop the core of the new machine, while Comau will leverage its 45 years of industrial automation and integration experience to guarantee the best fit for each project.
Luca Ferrero COO of Comau Machining, says: “The importance of this project extends through to Comau’s ability to offer a 360° service connected to electrification, with new lightweight machining centres as a central link. Coupling a lightweight approach in machining with our body assembly competencies and battery assembly know-how, we can now complete the value chain and deliver advanced solutions for battery case machining and more.”
For further information www.comau.com

Already the sole sales and service agent in the UK, Ireland and Gulf region for two metal additive manufacturing (AM) machine producers in France, Kingsbury has been appointed to represent German WAAM (wire arc additive manufacturing) equipment builder Gefertec GmbH in the same markets with immediate effect.

Target industries are aerospace, especially for producing high-quality titanium and nickel alloy parts, tool and mould making, the rail sector, and job shops with their small batch sizes. Compared with traditional subtractive machining, cost savings of up to 70% have been reported when processing difficult-to-machine alloys, and up to 50% when dealing with other metals.
For further information www.kingsburyuk.com

Used for automatically clamping dies on a press ram, Roemheld can now offer a system that uses integrated sensors to measure real-time data on holding forces and transmit the information to the machine control. The newly developed Flexline rapid clamping system is therefore suitable for predictive maintenance and use in Industry 4.0 applications.

With Flexline, the operator has access to information concerning the actual clamping force on the die and is immediately able to detect overloads, the occurrence of unusual forces during operation, and die wear and breakage. Flexline facilitates error analysis and enables rapid problem-solving when servicing is required.
Thanks to the availability of various configuration options, Flexline can be used on almost all press models and for every die. The system is suitable for either factory installation or retrofitting.
Flexline was showcased at the Blechexpo exhibition at the end of last year. At the show, Roemheld also provided an overview of its ergonomic products for the efficient, fast and safe transportation and change of heavy dies. On display were four transport carts with different load-carrying capacities up to 1600 kg; hanging and swivelling carrying consoles that facilitate the insertion of a die into a press; and economical, freely configurable ball and roller bars to allow dies to glide easily over tables and other surfaces for effortless positioning.
In addition, various Roemheld components, such as magnetic clamping plates, locking cylinders, carrying consoles and roller bars, were demonstrated on a Top Line 2000 press from automatic stamping and metal-forming press manufacturer, Andritz Kaiser.
For further information www.roemheld.co.uk

A system for die monitoring based on the latest camera technology has been developed by Schuler. With the help of these cameras, foreign bodies and other potential hazards can be detected before systems and parts become damaged.

By way of example, a wrench left behind in the die is every press operator’s nightmare. When the machine starts up, damage to both the die and part being formed is inevitable. To address this problem, Schuler has developed ‘Visual Die Protection’, a camera-assisted monitoring system that can eliminate costly die repairs, downtime and even complete production stoppages.
With Visual Die Protection, not only do cameras detect the presence of foreign bodies such as wrenches or punch scraps, the system also checks whether the die is properly connected and verifies that the blanks have been correctly inserted, formed and removed. The system is equally able to recognise both cracks in the part itself and potential damage to the centring and ejector
pins. If any abnormalities are found, the press is stopped to prevent the situation from getting worse.
During operation, the cameras first create reference images of the relevant die before production begins. During this imaging process, operators mark critical areas that require particularly accurate monitoring, such as the centring and ejector pins. While the production process is running, artificial intelligence is used on a separate computer to perform a real-time comparison of current images with the original condition of the die, thus allowing an immediate response if any discrepancies are found.
For further information www.schulergroup.com

The Press Automation business unit of Güdel has carried out its first European project, a complete press line for Fagor, a well-known press manufacturer in Spain’s Basque region.

In the project, the customer’s existing press lines, which have an output of 7-8 parts per minute, have been enhanced with the latest Güdel technology. The task of delivering this press plant to a large car manufacturer involved the resources and expertise of the entire Güdel Press Automation unit.
The front-of-line (FoL) equipment consists of two blank carriages with scissor-lift tables, fanners with automatic magnet adjustment, a high-speed double-axis gantry for de-stacking the sheets, plus an input conveyor, output conveyor, and a centring unit for each. In total, Güdel supplied seven RoboSpeed systems, designed for a maximum output of 15 strokes per minute, to transfer parts between a total of six Fagor presses – one servo press and five mechanical presses.
With regard to the end-of-line (EoL) scope of supply, this consists of a shuttle and a double-axis gantry, which places the finished parts ergonomically on a belt conveyor. To ensure that changeover times are kept short, the entire automation system uses automatic tool-change devices. Ahead of the installation at the end user’s premises, three Güdel RoboSpeed systems and two presses were installed as part of an in-house trade fair held by Fagor. A number of interested parties, including various decision makers at well-known automotive manufacturers and suppliers, visited to view these systems.
One of the challenges during the installation phase was that part of an existing press line failed. This meant that the new press line with Güdel automation, which was still being commissioned, had to rise to the challenge of producing parts early in order to safeguard manufacturing.
For further information www.gudel.com