A Canadian subsidiary of a Japanese tier-one supplier in the automotive industry offers components directly to OEMs. Capabilities include metal stamping, welding, hydroforming, e-coat and modular assembly. They produce over 58 million components for their customers annually.
Their stamping department consists of seven presses:
- 3500 tons Aida servo transfer press
- 2 – 1600 tons Aida transfer press
- 2 – 1000 tons Aida servo coil feed press
- 1 – 700 tons Aida coil feed press
- 1 – 400 tons Aida coil feed press
Their capabilities range from handling delicate 0.6 mm materials to heavy-duty 6.0 mm thick materials. The double-bolstered presses enable efficient SMED die changes, while four overhead cranes, rated at 10, 20, and 30 tons, enhance lifting capacity.
Through business partners and vendors, they have the capability to produce automotive component parts on presses ranging from 60 to 3,500 tons to meet customer needs. Their in-house die maintenance is responsible for the complete upkeep and maintenance of over 200 dies.
Problem
MISUMI’s die and mold team met with the customer’s metal forming technician who explained that they were experiencing setup issues, as pin connectors were being damaged due to die changes.
However, the main cause of pin connector malfunctions is excessive vibration coming from the stamping process itself during normal operation. A laser sensor mounted on the transferring fixture to detect work parts was disconnected, which can cause feeding issues.
Solution
MISUMI had a meeting with the customer’s maintenance personnel and presented a demo of the Wireless Transmitter and Output Sensor. Using the transmitters, the customer would be able to wirelessly transmit power, as well as signals, to the proximity or laser sensors.
In this specific case, for part detection on the transferring arms, the customer uses laser sensors. With that in mind, MISUMI recommended the 24V transmitter and the output sensors listed below for the LR-ZB250CN laser sensors.
Wireless Transmitter System
RS12EA-422N-PU-02 (NPN) Output Sensor
RS12TA-422-PU-01 (NPN/PNP) Transmitter
The customer showed interest in the wireless transmitter system, so after providing a quote, they decided to move forward with its implementation.
Results
The customer is extremely satisfied with the products. It’s been three months since the current wireless transmitted system was mounted on the press, and it has functioned without any issues.
