Wide range of highlights at AMADA America FABTECH booth
The AMADA America booth at FABTECH 2023 will be full of innovations and a commitment to sustainability. While some AMADA America systems are covered in other articles in this issue of AMADA InTech, we include here information on some of the other systems you will see at the booth.
Bending solutions
The EGB 6020 ATCe press brake (Figure 1) is a new addition to the AMADA America bending solution family. It replaces the HG 5020, with many changes. First, it is an all-electric servo motor-driven press brake with no hydraulics. Second, it adds 10 tons of bending power (60 tons versus 50 tons). Third, it uses an approach speed of 250 mm/sec. and a bend speed of 25 mm/sec.
The system changes speeds via the use of a transmission, one for each motor. The gears in the transmission are nested, and are enabled or disabled according to how close they are to the target material to be bent.
And like all the EGB press brakes, the EGB 6020 ATCe press brake uses the AMNC 4ie controller. It is a newly designed controller that uses the touch screen for most of its functionality. It uses facial recognition to enable programs and/or actions on the press brake.
This model of press brake also features the Automatic Tool Change (ATC) system that can perform a multi-stage setup in less than three minutes (as the model number implies, it uses a bed 2.0 meters long). It uses a wide variety of punch types.
The HRB 1003 ATC (Figure 2) press brake is a 100-ton, 3-meter press brake is a high-precision press brake that is loaded with standard features, such as the SGRIP punch holder system that offers one-touch release, a 6-axis backgauge system, a slit crown bed, and various safety devices.
Many options allow the fabricator to custom outfit this bending solution. Some of the options include:
- The Bi-S sensor, a high-speed, high-precision, probe style bend sensor that measures and adjusts bend angle on the fly;
- Auto slide foot pedal, which moves to the next bending position automatically to provide easier stage bending;
- Adjustable crowning in which the natural crowning action of the lower beam matches the deflection of the ram to provide a consistent angle throughout the entire length of the bed; and
- L-Shift, a function available for the 6-axis backgauge configuration, wherein both gauge fingers can be set to different depth measurements to process asymmetrical workpieces.
Although the HRB 1003 will be shown without it, fabricators can purchase this press brake with the ATC option. Like every other AMADA America product, this press brake works automatically with the Influent management system.
Punch laser combination
LC 2515 C1 AJ (Figure 3) is a punch-laser combination that integrates AMADA’s innovative Multi-Purpose Turret design and proven 3kW fiber laser technology. Four integrated tapping stations are included, and automation options make this model easy to fit into any workflow. Processes such as tapping, forming, and laser cutting all can be programmed within a single machine program to maximize part accuracy and machine productivity.
Operators can easily process copper, brass, and titanium with fiber laser cutting technology. A floating brush table design facilitates down-forming operations and ensures scratch-free part processing.
Other features of the LC 2515 C1 AJ include:
- Work Chute: A 15.75” x 60” work chute allows small parts without microjoints to be dropped into a bin or conveyor belt. The work chute can also be used to remove large pieces of scrap during laser cutting.
- Slug Removal System: The slug removal system is available on all stations. Its powerful vacuum draws slugs through the die, and punch penetration can be reduced to 0.039” resulting in faster speeds and reduced tool wear.
- Nozzle Cleaner: Debris from spatter and dust is automatically removed from the nozzle to prevent processing defects and provide long-lasting performance.
- Large Brush Table: The operator can process 5’ x 10’ sheets, and the brush table design ensures scratch-free processing. It supports up to 0.25” material (110-330 lbs. depending on table speed). The large table also reduces the noise level.
Optional automation makes lights-out production possible, leveraging automatic material loading and part removal.
Influent, delivering on the promise of Industry 4.0
AMADA Influent (Figure 4) is a software environment that measures and analyzes every part of your production, and rewards you with the information that will help every part of your shop and your business.
Influent allows you to connect all your machines and build an environment that collects data, measures criteria (like sheets per hour, jobs per shift per machine, anything you tell it to measure), analyzes the data over time, and gives results in summaries and trends. It helps you figure out why some similar jobs have much different time requirements, and why second shift has more problems than others.
AMADA America machines come ready to plug into Influent, and have for several years. However, you are not limited to newer AMADA America equipment. In fact, equipment from other vendors can be tracked, as well as old—even very old—equipment.
Some of the valuable things about Influent are:
- It gives you information for decision support in real time;
- It seamlessly collects data from across the entire organization;
- Wherever possible, Influent uses open standards that allows your business to evolve with the times and the IT environments you choose;
- The connect-to-all strategy means Influent connects to just about anything you have on the shop floor, and to any ERP/MRP system;
- It makes managing the collected data from different sources easy by normalizing the data, converting measurements from different sources into a common format;
- The built-in analytics tools let you analyze your way, even connecting to third-party analytic tools if you so desire; and
- It lets you choose the targets that are important to your business, and choose the criteria that mean success to your organization.
At FABTECH you will see and understand how Influent will help your business evolve into today and tomorrow, to put you and keep you ahead of the market.
FLW ENSIS Series for unmatched laser welding quality and speed
The FLW ENSIS (Figure 5) is AMADA America’s delivery of the new era of laser welding. It is a complete welding solution equipped with a unique processing head, offline programming capabilities, and many productivity enhancing features. At FABTECH, you will be watching a live remote operation from the AMADA Global Innovation Center (AGIC) in Japan.
The welding platform includes an automatic beam focus. The system adjusts the lens to an optimum setting, based on the welding conditions. A rotating lens creates a beam weaving effect to produce fast, accurate results. The Teaching Assist System (TAS) uses a CCD camera to accurately compensate for any deviation from the targeted welding path. New target points are selected, which instantly teach the welding robot the correct target path. All compensation points are stored with the part program for future production.
A Z-Indicator directs height position and welding points with the cross target during the teaching setup to ensure a precise weld. The operator monitors the distance of the torch and can adjust its position to prevent material from overheating.
Continuous waveform welding ensures high-speed, smooth results that cannot be achieved with pulse welding. This minimizes post processing and increases weld quality, processing speeds, and is by nature repeatable.
Automated, digital tool grinding: ID-TOGU
At the FABTECH booth you will also see ID TOGU, an automated, precise, high-speed grinding system that is geared specifically to turret punch press tooling (see Figure 6). Servo-controlled, wet rotary grinding provides an unsurpassed surface finish while significantly increasing tool life. It has a small footprint in the shop but connects via a server to track and update information on every turret punch press tool you own. Perhaps the best feature is that these superior results do not require an experienced grinding operator.
All AMADA ID tooling has a laser-etched QR code on its side. Its serves as a unique identifier for each tool. At the ID-TOGU terminal, the operator points the handheld scanner at the QR code. Scanning automates the grind value setting through the AMADA ID Tooling System (AITS) Server, which utilizes a database to get grinding values and communicates back the automatically measured tool height. After putting the tool in the ID-TOGU grinding enclosure, ID-TOGU continues automatically, thanks to the tracking and programming of each tool. It knows the history of the tool, the exact needs and targets of the grind, and other pertinent data. It brings digital grinding even to older, non-ID tooling because the operator can manually enter the data for the desired grind.
After the grind, the operator places the tool into the tool height measuring device. The control software takes over and the tool height is measured. The results are transferred into the AITS Server.
Some of the greatest advantages of the system are:
- No lost tools: the system will know the location of each tool because it must be scanned to be used, or ground, or transferred;
- The latest information: You will have up to the minute information on each tool, like the number of hits and time remaining until maintenance; and
- Always excellent results: Grinding results will no longer vary according to the experience and skills of the operator—every result will be the same, and perfect.
Although it is a small machine, it delivers big results when it comes to turret punch press tooling.