Production Resources April 2020 News

Production Resources Team

April 1, 2020

Dorner FlexMove Conveyors Deliver Flexibility & Productivity

Floor space is a valuable commodity in today’s manufacturing plants and warehousing operations. Conveyors can make or break a facility’s ability to put its space to optimal use.

Four characteristics to look for when seeking the best conveyor for your operation:

Flexible layout – the ability to maneuver in tight conditions around machinery to maximize floor space is important, as is the ability for the conveyor to go vertical.
Increased production and capacity capabilities – the right conveyor system will boost your production capabilities, allowing you to reliably move more product in less time.
Efficiency through automation – the conveyor that best suits your application will use automation to improve production speed, increase accuracy and free employees for other tasks.
Ease of purchase, speed of installation – the best conveyor in the world won’t do you any good if the purchase process requires you to jump through too many hoops or if installation is complicated and time-consuming.

Dorner’s FlexMove conveyors not only accommodate tight corners but also can move product up and down with minimal space required. They’re also capable of twisting 360-degrees to transport products vertically in an extremely small footprint.

FlexMove conveyors also offer important advantages in boosting capacity and production capabilities, especially for small parts: they come with a 5/8” nose bar transfer to safely maneuver parts as small as 3” in diameter at speeds of up to 200 feet per minute.

FlexMove truly is as flexible as its name implies. Aside from tight spaces and complex configurations, these conveyors are used for a wide range of other applications, such as:

Part handling and orientation
Transfers
Assembly automation
Machine conveyance
Elevation changes
Accumulation
Buffering

Flexmove

Advantages of Electric Shaker Conveying Systems

Properly installed and maintained electric shaker systems eliminate the common causes of operating failures while providing years of trouble-free service. In addition, they also deliver significant performance and cost advantages over their pneumatically driven counterparts.

Advantages include the following:

Efficiency. Electric shaker conveyors eliminate disruptions caused by maintenance and repairs frequently required by pneumatic shaker systems or belted conveyors, thus providing immediate and significant boosts in shop-floor efficiency. Also eliminated: wasteful leaks in air tubing, which can run thousands of feet, along with the need for air compressors, thus freeing valuable floor space.
Reliability. Given the harsh operating conditions encountered in metal stamping plants, electric shaker conveyors are designed, engineered and built to be extremely reliable. Some systems, including MPI’s M- series models, for example, avoid using seals and damping components that require maintenance and repairs. More-complicated pneumatic models feature more parts and assemblies that can break down. Except for the need to clear infrequent jams, electric shaker systems can provide years of trouble-free service.
Simplicity. Pneumatic systems require compressed air from compressors, often located far from stamping presses. The compressors, tubing and connections required with these shaking systems constitute a complicated infrastructure that requires lubrication, plus periodic and as-needed maintenance and repair. Electric shaker systems operate virtually maintenance-free with much longer service intervals and fewer required spare parts.
Energy savings. Electric shaker systems use 71 percent less energy as compared with 3.4-ft.3/min.pneumatic setups. Given the number of stamping presses in a plant and how long they run—assuming similar run times for their scrap handling systems—annual energy-cost savings from electric shaker conveyors can total tens of thousands of dollars. Less energy consumption means a lower carbon footprint for stamping plants.
Maintenance. Electric shaker systems, virtually maintenance-free, save hundreds of hours in plant maintenance over a year’s time, enabling staff to focus on other maintenance tasks possibly deferred due to upkeep required on pneumatic shaker systems. Pneumatic conveyors require regular lubrication of air lines and seals to prevent leaks, and this maintenance must be conducted over many thousands of feet of tubing typically found in medium- to large-sized stamping plants.
Flexibility. Electric shaker conveyors offer flexibility to meet a variety of production configurations, and ease reconfigurations as well. For example, MPI’s M-series units are engineered for industry-standard T-slot configurations—common in stamping plants. Pneumatic units prove more difficult to install, and reconfiguring production lines also requires reconfiguration of long-run air lines.
Less noise. Noise in stamping plants is a given—an environmental condition subject to limits set by the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration. Pneumatic shaker systems emitting loud air bursts with each trim clearing present a bigger issue. Electric shaker systems operate almost noiselessly via relatively small motors.

Article extract courtesy of Magnetic Products. PRI is a distributor of Magnetic Products electric shakers and other conveying, safety, and automation products. Call or email Chris Jones 615-714-1000 sea-jay@pri-mailbox.com for more information or quotations.

You can read the complete article here: Metal stamping and scrap handling

Die Protection Technical Tips

Know the Critical Angle
The “critical angle” is the last point in the press cycle where an E- stop will stop the ram before the die closes
The goal of die protection is to stop the press before the die can be damaged
You should know the critical angle for every die, in every press that can run it.
To prevent die damage, the control must be finished checking the sensors before the critical angle.
SmartPAC PRO’S Brake Monitor can help you to establish the critical angle

See more die protection tips, read 50 Tips for Better Die Protection

PRI can help you with your automation and safety control needs.

We can help you comply with the National Emphasis Program on Amputations in Manufacturing Industries. This Instruction provides updated guidance to the OSHA National, Regional, and Area Offices for continued implementation of its NEP to identify and reduce or eliminate amputation hazards in manufacturing industries. OSHA’s enforcement history shows that employees are often injured when machinery or equipment is not properly guarded or maintained. This NEP targets industrial and manufacturing workplaces having machinery and equipment that can potentially cause amputations.