The Fabricator - May 2010

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Weighing system aids label generation
for automotive parts supplier
Situation

Resolution

Rossignol replaced its entire weighing installation with an IND690 weighing indicator from Mettler Toledo to produce its Odette labels. The system helps manage all operations for order filling in the shipping department. The technology serves as a human-machine interface for piece counting and data handling with the company’s inventory system and also is used for weighing, counting, scanning, printing, and data handling.

The weighing terminal took over the previous computer’s role of generating all types of labels. All settings are stored in the system, not in the printers or on a dedicated computer. The company uses two printers for the two different paper formats, with the label printed right after the parts are counted. This procedure eliminates the need to switch paper types and reduces the risk of operators accidentally picking up the wrong preprinted label.

The system is linked via Ethernet to the company’s IT system for production control and planning. All transactions are traceable for quality control. There is one counting installation with a capacity of 60 kg for parts weighing less than 1g.

Mettler Toledo Inc. | 1900 Polaris Parkway, Columbus, OH 43240 | 800-638-8537 |
www.us.mt.com
Nesting software achieves 25 percent
material savings for waterjet-maker
Situation

Resolution

The company installed a single license of Jetcam Expert with high-performance nesting and configured it to drive two OMAX 2652 waterjets, along with Jetcam Orders Controller (JOC) on the shop floor.

When the original part is designed and cutting information stored, it is immediately available for nesting on either machine; as a result, programming time was reduced by 25 percent. Any changes to a part are reflected automatically in any relevant nests. Order information for parts or assemblies is placed into JOC, allowing job queues to be constructed remotely and then passed to the software for automatic nesting.

According to Watkins, this has created a change in the way OMAX works. “It’s given
us the ability to take the day’s orders and nest multiple parts into one sheet in a very
short amount of time, which often is so short that we feel we can create dynamic nests
anytime they are needed and save money and material.”
Nests often yield a 25 percent savings over previous manually created nests. Ma-
chine setup time has been reduced by one-quarter, and fewer sheets need to be handled
throughout the day.

For runs requiring a single-component nest, the company uses Jetcam’s Single Component Automatic Processing (SCAP). This allows the user to specify the number of parts required, with the software immediately creating nests. Additional features such as com-mon-line cutting can be applied automatically, and NC code can be generated in seconds.

Jetcam Intl. s.a.r.l. | 1, Rue du Gabian, “Le Thales” Bloc A, MC 98000, Monaco |
44-870-760-6469 | www.jetcam.com
THE FABRICATOR | www.thefabricator.com | MAY 2010 31

Mesh belt blaster doubles fabricator’s
system capacity

Situation

D&S Mfg., Black River Falls, Wis., is a custom manufacturer of large-scale components, assemblies, and complete weldments. The company employs laser, high-definition plasma, and oxyfuel cutting; machining; and manual and robotic welding. Value-added services include liquid spray painting, shotblasting, assembly, and testing.

The company recently completed an expansion program and decided to update its shotblasting capabilities.

Resolution

The company collaborated with Metcast of New Berlin, Wis., and Pangborn Corp. to engineer a custom Pangborn ES-2050 wire mesh belt blaster.

The unit features an open hexagonal design that allows operators access for maintenance. A large-diameter, lower-RPM wheel reduces kinetic energy, which helps maximize the longevity of the shot media while reducing noise pollution when the system is in operation.

The installation enabled D&S to eliminate two of its four more specialized shotblasting systems. A variety of parts, from flat plate to complex weldments as large as 144 in. long by 48 in. wide by 36 in. high, are processed using a continuous-motion conveyor system.

As a result of the new installation, system capacity has doubled. Reduced labor needs have allowed employees to reallocate time toward cross-training to help maximize productivity.