Forming Tech Progresses

A year ago, Schuler presented its Digital Suite, a package of products for networking forming technology, with which productivity and availability of systems can be increased. A few months later, the Smart Press Shop opened.

The shop features a system for tracking components, simulating part flow, monitoring dies, and lubrication circuits. But there's more to the Digital Suite.

The Smart Press Shop in Halle, Germany, is said to be the most modern press shop in the world, and Schuler has implemented numerous solutions from its Digital Suite for networking forming technology.

In spring 2019 the 50:50 joint venture between Schuler and Porsche, which operates the Smart Press Shop, announced the 32-acre location just outside Halle. Despite the pandemic, the plant went into operation as planned two years later. Thanks to the proximity to Porsche's plant in Leipzig and the associated shorter logistics routes, the automaker is significantly reducing production-related CO2 emissions. But above all, the Smart Press Shop is intended to raise production efficiency and digitization of important process steps in automotive production to a new level for forming technology.

The joint venture's machinery includes a servo press line with an output of 20 strokes per minute, a try-out press and a laser blanking line. They produce body and structural parts for the Porsche Macan SUV and other small batch runs.

Blanking lines with lasers do not require expensive and heavy dies. That is why they are particularly suitable for production of new parts or small batch sizes with frequent product changes. The coil material, which is continuously moving forward, is processed into blanks at high cutting speeds. Thanks to a tooling-free shot separation, a high output can also be achieved.

The Laser Blanking Line 2.18 from Schuler is equipped with two cutting heads for processing strip material with a width of up to 1,880 mm. By recording various measured values of the system and the coil material, as well as by smart marking of the circuit board, the system that supplies the blanks for the servo press line is also the starting point for a Track & Trace system.

Parallel to the development of machine, die, and materials technology, the quality requirements for outer skin parts are constantly increasing. Due to the forming limits of lightweight materials and the design of sophisticated components, the process windows for production of good parts are often very small. Start-up effects up to continuous production, fluctuations in material quality or tolerances in the die often can lead to problems and the production of rejected parts.

The continuous part tracking enables a complete proof of quality for ongoing production. The system marks each component with its own ID, which can be traced back at different times and product stages. For this ID, all important information is stored in a database, thus it's possible to trace from which coil the processed component originates, which parameters were present during forming, and a part's quality characteristics.

Track & Trace closes the gap to complete transparency in production. Each individual part receives a unique identifier and is tracked during the production process. All data and information are linked and put into context. The data collected by automatic or manual control devices includes the processed pre-material (coil), measurement and process values in the blanking and press line as well as quality features.

The closed quality control loop enables an optimization of production. Errors can be detected more quickly and eliminated in a targeted manner. Through open interfaces to MES systems or cloud platforms, the use of artificial intelligence from the field of machine learning is possible to monitor and control production in a supportive manner. Even in the early development stages, approaches are already being pursued to optimize the re-oiling of circuit boards and the adaptive control of the die cushion to reduce defects such as cracks.

Schuler cooperates with the German Edge Cloud (GEC). The specialists supplied a central software module for the Track & Trace system. Schuler is also developing further modules according to the "User Centered Design" approach. GEC brings its industrial solutions based on the Premise Edge ONCITE to the new cooperation. The system's full data sovereignty, assures know-how and critical production data remain in the right hands. Track & Trace is compatible with public clouds from OEMs and with hybrid systems.

With the Smart Press Shop, the forming process and part flow are simulated on the computer in advance. The Schuler software DigiSim detects so-called interference contours and ensures the necessary safety distances by mimicking the actions of the slide and transfer as well as all other movements relevant for the application. In this way, collisions between all elements can be detected in advance and eliminated. At the same time, real tests and setup processes are shortened while the risk of failure is minimized.

Cameras in the press line use intelligent software to monitor the forming process. They detect foreign objects such as punch residues or wrenches in the die, and check whether the parts have been correctly inserted, formed and removed. In the event of a registered deviation from the target state, the press stops immediately to avoid expensive consequential damage in the die.

Schuler calls the system Visual Die Protection, or VDP for short, which can save die repairs, downtimes, or even complete production standstill. The cameras also detect whether the die is connected correctly and whether the blanks have been correctly inserted, formed and removed. They see cracks in the component as well as possible damage to the centering and ejection pins.

To enable detection, the cameras must first take reference images of the respective die before starting production. The operators mark sensitive areas such as the centering and ejection pins, which require particularly precise monitoring. The artificial intelligence on a separate computer then compares the current photos in real time with the original state of the die in the production process and immediately enables the initiation of countermeasures.

The VDP Analyzer also can be used to investigate the causes of errors. In the visualization, fluctuations in the time curve can be used to quickly gain an overview of when exactly deviations from the normal state occurred. The user can now retrieve the images associated with these times in a targeted manner and recognize potential problems, such as parts on a centering pin that are not threaded or that punching waste accumulates repeatedly in a certain scrap shaft.

In this way, appropriate changes can be made to avoid future production interruptions and thus increase process stability and ultimately output. The system also enables the export of time series and image data for documentation and later comparisons. With conventional cameras, press operators can monitor the die room, but then have to evaluate the videos themselves afterwards. This work is now carried out by the VDP Analyzer.

Cameras in the Smart Press Shop monitor a part's "drawing edge." Under constant conditions in the forming process, the shape and size of this edge remain largely identical. Any change indicates a deviation in the material properties, lubrication or pulling forces. In this case, process monitoring provides information to the plant operator so that he can make corrections at an early stage to largely avoid expensive reject or reworking parts.

In addition to the dies, the oil circulating in the plant is continuously monitored to determine the aging of the lubricant. The aim is to change the oil only when its condition really requires it, which can lengthen service life and makes it possible to detect short-term changes in oil properties that indicate contamination with water or foreign particles.

Via the virtual product platform, interested parties have direct access to Schuler's experts, with whom they can discuss specific use cases and request more detailed information. Using open interfaces and standard technologies, enables integrated into existing IT networks.

Smart Assist provides step-by-step guidance, with help from videos and graphics, to coordinate press setup and harmonize the machine, transfer, and conveyor system for maximum productivity. The safety of the parts transport is always guaranteed, and the fully automatic optimization of the motion curves, including acceleration and adjustment angle, also increases output performance. Smart Assist asks the operator to move the plunger and the transfer to certain positions one after the other. The Teach function stores these positions, allowing Smart Assist to record the minimum necessary transfer lifting stroke and all other relevant data.

Using collected information, the optimal movement curves of the plunger and transfer are calculated, and the determined parameters are transmitted to the press control. Operators simply press the start button. In expert mode, Smart Assist allows the free programming of the motion curves of the slide and transfer, such as asymmetrical transfer movements to further minimize distances, allowing the last percent up to maximum output of a transfer press to be tickled out.

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