TPT July 2023

ARTICLE

transfluid

The cycle times in the bending process must also be taken into account. If the bending geometry is complicated or has many bends, there is no need for a feeder designed for speed. In this case, a system with a large loading volume may be the better choice. It becomes more complicated when the parts to be bent have already been processed. This applies, for example, to tubes that have already been formed and tubes with attachments. The appropriate orientation must be ensured in this case, when feeding the tube into the bending machine, so that it is loaded in the correct position. In most cases, the workpieces must be separated before the loading. Chain feeders are often the best solution here. They have the advantage that the tubes for the bending process can be positioned already in the desired starting position. They then no longer have to be aligned for the bending process. If this is not possible or too inaccurate, optical sensors are used to help bring the workpiece into the correct position. This is now also possible in a cost-effective way with simple loading systems. Incidentally, this also applies to the scanning of the applied QR codes in order to call up bending programs during the production process. This makes it possible to change the bending geometry for tubes of the same diameter during the process. In this way, even small series or individual pieces can be produced without interruptions. Sometimes it simply has to be a robot that takes over the handling. Many complex geometries can be implemented with a simple loading and a transfluid right/left bending machine, but the tubes often have to go through further processing stages before or after the actual bending process. If a production cell is not an option, the use of a robot that can handle loading and unloading in addition to the handling is usually the best decision. As an official KUKA-system partner, transfluid can pass on years of experience and know-how to its customers. A robot always needs some space to make full use of its benefits. However, as space restrictions often play a decisive role and short distances achieve better cycle times, transfluid’s engineers always try to design compactly and make efficient use of machine paths. A small self-sufficient cell, consisting of a bending machine with simple overhead handling, in combination with a chain feeder and a conveyor

Shandong Province Sifang Technical Development Group

The automation of individual manufacturing steps is often the only way to carry out production processes despite a lack of personnel

belt for unloading, can produce in an extremely economical way and in the smallest of spaces. What is supplied automatically must also be removed automatically. Here, too, transfluid offers a variety of unloading systems, for example, to deposit components correctly or feed them into downstream processes. In the planning phase it is once more important to find the right solution among the wide range on offer. transfluid’s CNC right/left bending machines with mandrels can rotate the bending head 180°C, thus offering the possibility of depositing bent tubes on a conveyor belt in a controlled manner. Of course, there are also options for simpler bending machines that cannot rotate the bending head. Tubes can be discharged after the bending process via simple slides and baffle plates onto conveyor belts or directly into collection containers. Computer-aided manufacturing Any degree of automation needs the software to control it. transfluid offers their own in-house t-project software. Their advantage is that all machines integrated in the process can be controlled by using one single software platform. The more complex and diverse the processing stages of an automated system, the simpler and more functional the control and monitoring must be. It was also important in the development of the software that it allows the integration and automation of third-party products. t-project offers the possibility of creating a digital twin in advance, which reproduces and simulates the functioning of the entire process. In this way, the workpieces pass through all phases of the production line in a virtual environment. This enables the efficient optimisation of all production-relevant factors. In the real production process, all material and data flows can then be monitored and linked with warehouse management, quality control and logistics. In other words, completely automated and transparent for all departments involved and with all the possibilities of today’s process digitisation.

Optical sensors help the positioning unit to precisely align the workpieces for the subsequent process

transfluid Maschinenbau GmbH info@transfluid.de www.transfluid.de

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JULY 2023