Golden boys - TRUMPF.com
Transcription
Golden boys - TRUMPF.com
01/12 Sheet metal processing in practice An end to searching With the Integrated Tool Management you always know where things are Wishes granted here The short road to custom punching tools Tricky bends Improving bending capabilities with shrewd add-on functions Golden boys Our application consultants get your machines to do everything they can – in perfect manufacturing concepts Contents Technology in operation 4 Technology news application consulting 6 Step by step to perfection 10 What can be said in favor Application Consulting Step by step to perfection Just good or absolutely perfect? TRUMPF application consultants are fully aware of the subtle difference. They apply expertise and insights to identify potential for improvement. may we have a word with you? of a second-hand machine? Spare Parts and CUstOmer Training 11 A dynamic heart Everyone gets a turn Punching tools 12 How can I help you? Software and bending tools 14 Not sought – but found! 15A lean process Page 6 Product Enhancements 16 Just the right angle Proven bending – automatically 17Keep cool! May we have a word with you, Mr. Schulze? What can be said in favor of a preowned machine? Knowledge technology 17 How it's done 18 News about TruServices good to know No matter whether new or used: Kai Schulze of TRUMPF’s quality management section explains why customers are always on the safe side. 10 Page TruServices Journal April 2012 edition Sheet metal processing in practice Published by TRUMPF Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH + Co. KG, Johann-Maus-Straße 2, 71254 Ditzingen, +49 (0)7156 303-0, www.trumpf.com, V.i.S.d.P. Dr. Gerhard Rübling Editor-in-chief Reinhold Groß, journal@de.trumpf.com Project coordination Babette Kopp Editorial staff pr+co Gmbh, Stuttgart, Norbert Hiller, Monika Unkelbach, Julia Schmidt, Florian Burkhardt Photos Angelika Grossmann, KD Busch, iStockphoto, Fotolia Design & Illustrationen pr+co GmbH, Stuttgart, Tine Bärthel Reproduction Reprotechnik Herzog GmbH, Stuttgart Printing frechdruck GmbH, Stuttgart For address changes contact: journal@de.trumpf.com 2 TruServices Journal 01|12 Editorial Product Enhancements Keep cool! The CoolLine option makes sure things don’t get too hot during laser cutting Dear Readers, 17 Page Knowledge It’s the combination that counts. Attending a technology seminar on punching or on laser cutting? Why choose just one and not both? Page 18 Terms sometimes creep into our vocabulary and we use them so frequently, even if they don’t quite fit the situation, that they become epidemic. “Perfect” is a perfect example. Now we aren’t entirely blameless, here. In the TruServices Journal we sometimes overuse the word. Perfection comes from the Latin perfectio and literally means completion or consummation. In other words, we’re talking about something that is beyond further improvement. With that we’ve arrived at the crucial point. We are fully aware that even the best products and the most expert services can be improved at least a little. At most, we can expect to achieve perfection for only a certain period of time but, we know how quickly requirements can change and how rapidly yesterday’s “perfect” is today’s “inadequate”. “Step by step to perfection” is the title of our cover story. This article shows how we want to help you, our customers, make the best use of our products. We do that by giving you hints and revealing tips that enable you to optimize applications and processes. This can make the “good” even better and – at least for a while – perfect. To make sure you can respond to your customers’ wishes at all times, we continually develop new tools, improve and expand our training curriculum, and broaden our consulting expertise. We modify our software to meet your needs and we craft strategies to help us complete maintenance and repair work both faster and better. Striving for the best hardly stops with our products and services. It goes deep into our own processes and requires that we embrace ongoing mobility and exhibit willingness to change. The best suggestions come from you, our readers. That is why we need your input. Nothing is perfect all the time. We know that only too well. That is why we look forward to receiving your criticism, asit gives us an opportunity to serve you even better. Punching … on pages 4, 5, 11, 12, 14, 17, 18 Laser processing … on pages 5, 11, 17, 18 Bending … on pages 4, 5, 15, 16, 19 Management … on pages 6, 10, 18 Dr. Gerhard Rübling, Managing Director TruServices Journal 01|12 3 Technology News In operation Serge Bertholet, CEO of Kyotec Group SA, Belgium, www.kyotec-group.com. A coat of light What we've spotted … The Belgian Kyotec Group specializes in implementing exceptional design concepts for building facades. A project they were doing in Brussels called for a metal facing capable of refracting light with a special wave-like structure, thus creating the impression of differing light and dark reflections. Kyotec manufactured these facade claddings from two millimeter thick aluminum with their TruPunch 5000 in a single stroke using a Size 5 Louver Tool. “We used to produce similar parts from expanded metal using a press. With this new forming tool, however, we have been able to improve component quality and – through process optimization – greatly reduce manufacturing costs,” is how Serge Bertholet, CEO of Kyotec Group SA, sums it up. Using a TruPunch 5000, Kyotec manufactures façade cladding with exceptional light and dark reflections. 4 TruServices Journal 01|12 Things are coming thick and fast With the ACB angle sensor, precision bends in sheet metal up to 15 millimeters thick are made easy as pie. The sensor, which has been specially modified to bend heavy-gauge metal sheet, will measure the material’s specific resilience during the first bending operation and will then take corrective action as necessary. This does away with time consuming start-up procedures – the angle is accurate from the very outset. To make sure this is the case during the entire bending process, the ACB sensor constantly monitors the precision of the angle and adjusts that angle, irrespective of irregularities in the material. Its exceptional accuracy means fewer rejects and shorter cycle times because there is no need for rework or quality checks on the angles produced with a Series 5000 machine with the ACB angle sensor. The The ACE angle sensor accurately bends metal of up to 15 millimeters in thickness. new sensor has a rugged housing and thick, low-wear sensor plates. An articulated joint on the sensor plate mount makes it easy to change the plates without tools and provides overload protection. The Safety Click System makes for safe and positive connection to the pressure bar. >> abkantwerkzeuge@at.trumpf.com A decision that can’t go wrong Matthias Leymüller, Head of Sheet Metal Manu- based oils, even in the high and low temperature facturing at Windhager Zentralheizung Technik ranges, and has a working life of about ten years. GmbH in Seekirchen, Austria, gets really enthu- Another good reason for Matthias Leymüller to siastic when he talks about his experiences with buy it: “Long service intervals, combined with the TRUMPF’s hydraulic oil – Universus gold 5W40. amount of time saved by the fact that all my ma“I didn’t believe all the promises made about this chines operate smoothly, have given me one hunfluid but thought it might be worth giving it a try, dred percent confidence in the product.” a decision I have never regretted,” he says. Matthias >> spares_export.tws@de.trumpf.com Leymüller uses this fluid in his TRUMPF bending machines, in the company’s punching center, Matthias Leymüller, and also in machines made by other suppliers. All Head of Sheet Metof these machines now run much more quietly al Manufacturing at Windhager Zentraland downtime caused by malfunctions has been heizung Technik eliminated. “Due to the high pressures and temGmbH swears by peratures involved, I often had problems with clogTRUMPF’s ging, especially in machines from other suppliers. Universus gold Valves would freeze up and dies would stick,” he 5W40 hydraulic oil. reports. None of these failures have occurred since the company started using this new hydraulic oil. The fully synthetic compound, provides viscosity that is significantly more stable than petroleum- Vitali Pauz, training instructor. A bag for tricks A clever turn Teamwork Computer programs are useful but on occasions mathematical formulae cannot replace the human brain. Computers lack intuition and experience. A software package called MiniNest shows how interaction between man and computer can take good results and optimize them even further. This technique for manually creating any number of part groups during the nesting process complements the automated nesting function incorporated in TruTops Punch and Laser. The programmer is able to arrange different or identical components at any angle and group them by running the MiniNest function. The part group can be set down and nested anywhere on the sheet with no loss of process reliability; it can also be used as a master for future orders. The man-computer team is even more efficient in questions of material utilization if, in addition, the TwinLine function is used to minimize the space between parts. >> sales_cad_cam@de.trumpf.com This is not how a computer would group parts. An experienced operator can achieve the best possible nesting results using the MiniNest function. swivel joint (1) one one side and an adapter with a hold1 ing magnet (3) on the other side, along with a handle (2) 3 to open and close the bending tool. When the bending operation has been completed, the 2 magnet releases the tool, which can then be swung forwards by the handle, much like opening Thanks to the swivel adapter (1), the bending tool can be a window. This makes it coneasily disengaged from the retaining magnet (3) by pulling venient and easy to remove the the handle (2) outward to release the sheet metal closed workpiece. The Bending component after bending. Tool with a pivoting window Simply bending closed profiles or U-sha- can be used to bend components up to ped parts instead of welding two parts a maximum of 1,000 millimeters long, together is a quick and cost-efficient made of sheet metal up to six millimeters operation if you use a Bending Tool with thick. These values may vary, depending a pivoting opening. This tool consists on the shape of the part. of three parts: a rotating adapter with a >> abkantwerkzeuge@at.trumpf.com One for all occasions Many different dies for different die widths? You can forget all that by using TRUMPF’s VLM die with adjustable plates. Adjustment strips can be inserted to type BN of the VLM die, ideal for sheet metals from 3 to 15 millimeters thick, for die widths of 24 to 124 millimeters. Type DN on the other hand, ideal for sheet metal from 5 to By a simple change of the adapter strips, TRUMPF‘s VLM 20 millimeters, is the best die is transformed into a multi-talented bending tool. choice for die widths ranging from 62 to 182 millimeters. Apart from The minimized interference contour reducing downtime by up to 30 percent, makes both these products convincing. both these models make mark-free bend>> abkantwerkzeuge@at.trumpf.com ing due to rollers that rotate as needed. TruServices Journal 01|12 5 Technology Application Consulting Step by step to perfection There are quite a few parameters you can play around with on the road to a perfect part. TRUMPF’s Application Consulting experts will be pleased to show you what they are. Ulrich Brändle and his Application Consulting colleagues will find the right solution for any customer problem. Ulrich Brändle and his colleagues are never really satisfied until The right partner they have checked off the last item on their list. A completed Once all of the requirements checklist means that yet another customer can now produce and general conditions have goods better and more efficiently. “There’s a difference between been clarified in the start up simply making a part and optimized manufacturing,” he says. As phase, TRUMPF’s Application coordinator he, together with his colleagues of TRUMPF Applica- Consultants will select, from a tion Consultants, makes certain that production is always up to central pool, a suitable specialist snuff. “We want to help our customers work with our machines for the customer’s needs. Which at the highest possible degree of perfection.” That is the objective technology is needed? Is it going the Ditzingen specialists have set for themselves. Our machines to be necessary to help out with have a significant number of features and, at first, people working programming or with machine operawith new technologies tend to recognize only a few of the op- tion? Or maybe both? At the end of the portunities that are actually available to them. TRUMPF’s experts day, the customer is going to be satisfied will help users discover the world beyond standard functions. only if all of these factors have been taken into consideration. Consultants frequently visit customers who work with combination machines. This technology offers a wealth of benefits and thus great potential for improvement. Selecting exactly the right tool is just one of the things that TRUMPF’s consultaCompetent help during start up No two machines are alike. That is why customers receive support tion experts can help with. Tool sequencing, sheet utilization, – right from the beginning – with assistance to show them how to and implementation strategy all offer additional room for imdeal with complicated technologies such as automated bending or provement. Although all of these points are covered during the using a combination machine. Once a machine has been installed, basic training course, the application specialists are best able to the customer receives instruction on how to use it and, after initial solve a customer’s immediate problem on site. In spite of the training, will be able to gain experience on his own. A few weeks standard procedures, every customer has his own special parts, with specific dimensions and geometries that he must pay atlater a TRUMPF consultant will show up to help again. tention to. This also demands a high degree of flexibility on the part of the consultant. Individual advice The team will always come up with tricks and tips on how to solve individual problems – regardless of the machine or tech- Better to work together nology involved. They will have an answer on how to obtain a Another benefit of giving advice right at the machine is that you perfect seam with a suitable punching tool, how to set the right can also support employees from other areas. Normally only parameters for a certain material, and even how to select the programmers attend the training course, but at the customer’s operational sequence when punching. The questions the team site the production manager might drop in or a designer might receives are as varied as the technologies themselves, which is ask the consultant what he thinks of a certain part. This is how why it is so important to clarify exactly where intervention is best to utilize synergies because efficient processes and perfect needed. That is why TRUMPF always checks the prevailing con- components can best evolve if everyone involved knows what ditions in detail during the start up phase. What do the machine’s is feasible. “In this respect, close cooperation between the prosurroundings look like? What options does the machine have to grammer and operator is critical,” states Brändle. Occasionally, offer? What sheet metal thickness is it to be used for? And specifi- even fundamentals have to be questioned and TRUMPF’s specally, where is the exact problem? Before application consulting cialists give advice on material movement to ensure that part starts, the item about operator training levels has to be checked production is kept both simple and smooth. This is when the off. The one-week basic training program at TRUMPF is an ab- wealth of experience and know-how amassed by TRUMPF’s solute must because Application Consulting is not a substitute experts comes to the foreground. For the customer, this means for training. After all, advice given to customers on their own yet another step towards efficient manufacturing – and another premises is always specific to concrete cases and issues, meaning check on the application consultant’s checklist. that it deals with fine tuning and finding room for improvement. This is why customers are always asked in great detail about their expectations – before the consultation process begins. Before the technicians depart, they check to see whether all of the questions on the list have been checked off. TruServices Journal 01|12 7 Technology Application Consulting This is what it looks like in PreTec Schneidtechnologien GmbH, Dresden Erich Deinzer Stahl- und Metallverarbeitung GmbH, Nuremberg The task: How can we best utilize the functions and manufacturing processes available with our new TruMatic 7000? The task: How can we process tubes optimally and efficiently using our new TruLaser 3030 with RotoLas? Consultation: Two of TRUMPF’s specialists spent a whole week with our three programmers and operators. Training on the machine’s use was both individual and in a group. We felt this was especially important because there are many ways to program a part, and the programmers also have to know what is going on inside the machine – in order to achieve quick throughput. Above all, the interaction between automated components has to be right. This is not always an easy task. How do you determine when tools have to be changed? How does the sheet metal react after being subjected to many forming operations? In the quest for the best possible solution, attention was focused on part arrangement, step sequencing, and tool implementation. With their practical tips, TRUMPF’s specialists showed us how to manufacture certain shapes by punching, how to best nest the parts, and how to correctly secure sheets in the clamps. Thread tapping and special forming operations were new to us as well. Consultation: We had previously worked with RotoLas, but the new model features additional functions and how you operate it has changed a little, too. Our TRUMPF consultant was a specialist in tube processing and he spent two days giving our operators and programmers valuable tips – and showing us new options, too. The focal point in all of this was the actual operation of the machine. We went through all of the sequences and questions right at the controls, simulated those sequences with the help of test programs, and were soon able to correct many errors ourselves. Michael Pfeffer and Markus List learned tube processing tips and tricks from TRUMPF’s consultant. At Pretec, operators and programmers now jointly ensure perfect work processes. The results: We were able to refine and improve the continuity of our work process, refining and improving part removal actions in particular. We now make the best possible use of the flap, the chute and the SortMaster. As a result of the consultation at the machine, we now work more confidently and efficiently when using punching tools, as well. For us, the results are optimization of quick tool changeover – combined with perfect part quality. 8 TruServices Journal 01|12 The results: The outcome of application consulting is that we are now able to better utilize all of the potential built into our new TruLaser 3030 with RotoLas. The consulting process turned out to be a superb complement to the basic training courses. TRUMPF’s expert provided focused and detailed answers to all of our questions. He demonstrated solutions for specific applications. This has enabled us to refine and improve our tube processing operations. Of course, the most helpful aspect was having a tube processing specialist right here on our premises. practice Peter Huber Kältemaschinenbau GmbH, Offenburg The task: What is the right way to use TruTops to program our TruMatic 3000 combination machine for applications with different forming tools? Consultation: Programming was the focal point of our one-day application consultation. We operate TruTops Punch and wanted to continue using this model. We were experiencing some problems when using different forming tools for manufacturing because we were never quite sure how to program the machine to obtain the desired results. TRUMPF’s consultant was able to help our three programmers and machine operators on site, using concrete program examples. He also showed us which tools were best for specific forming operations, how we were to set them up, and how to program them in TruTops. Everything is running smoothly again at Huber Kältemaschinenbau now that their programs have been fine tuned. The results: Our application consulting session greatly improved our ability to fine tune our programming. In many cases TRUMPF’s consultant used menu commands entirely different from the ones we were used to. We benefited from the fact that advice was given right alongside the machine. This let us test everything on the spot and later implement changes ourselves. This was a great help – everything is ship-shape again. Interested? Please contact us: >> training@de.trumpf.com TruServices Journal 01|12 9 Technology Pre-owned Machines May we have a word with you, Mr. Schulze What can be said in favor of a Pre-owned Machine? First choice for second hand: Pre-owned Machines from TRUMPF are a real alternative thanks to standardized quality processes. What benefits do Pre-owned Machines offer? Quite apart from the financial aspect – which is the decisive factor for many customers – a popular argument in favor of purchasing a used machine is that it can usually be delivered a lot sooner. Customers are, however, wary of making any compromises that might affect quality. Just as when buying new machines, they rely on TRUMPF’s quality pledge. And can you keep this promise? Absolutely! Purchasers of a preowned machine receive a warranty on both parts and materials. Our customers don’t pay a penny for TRUMPF’s services during the warranty period. This sets us far apart from nearly all our competitors. And, all of the parts used when machines are serviced or overhauled are TRUMPF Original Spare Parts. And, of course, we guarantee that any required service will be performed only by TRUMPF technicians from the Technical Service department. What is the standard procedure for overhauling a machine? This is done using a checklist which can contain up to 150 items. It is compiled – and continuously updated – in a joint effort by 10 TruServices Journal 01|12 our experts in the production plants, quality management and, international after-sales service organizations. If, for example, we are dealing with a laser machine, the items to be checked will be identified by the experts in our Grüsch facility in Switzerland. Standards for bending machines are defined by our specialists in Pasching, Austria. Whenever a new model is introduced, we generate a new checklist especially for that model. So that means that, if I buy a Preowned Machine, I’m on the safe side? Yes, because you can rest assured that your machine will be in expert hands until it is dispatched. It will be installed on your premises as per TRUMPF regulations and, after the machine has been commissioned, a test piece will be used to verify the machine’s precision. The procedure is identical to the one used for a brand new machine. In the future we will also perform customer surveys specifically aimed at those who have purchased used machines. We will use the feedback to improve this service even further. How many used machines do you sell a year? Last year we installed about 130 machines. Some of them came from customers while others had been in our own Training and Demonstration Center. You will find offers for used Pre-owned Machines on TRUMPF’s web site – or just give us a call. >> resale@de.trumpf.com Kai Schulze, quality representative at TRUMPF, makes sure that your pre-owned machine will be as good as new. Spare Parts and Customer Training Technology A small item with a huge impact // The transmitting tube A dynamic heart “Genuine TRUMPF transmitting tubes guarantee optimal amplification performance with a long service life,” explains Joachim Ziegler, TRUMPF’s Manager of Application Development for CO2 laser generators. The high-frequency generator plays a central role in powering CO2 lasers. The output here is the high-voltage, high-frequency alternating current needed to stimulate the laser gas inside a resonator to create laser light. The generator’s heart, and its most important amplification component, is the 12,000volt transmitting tube. It boosts the driver stage’s power output from about 1 kilowatt to 48 kilowatts. This is made possible by an accurately controlled stream of electrons between the cathode grid and the anode, inside the transmitting tube. During this process the cathode grid can reach temperatures of over 1,000 degrees Celsius. The sensitive metal grid has to be accurately manufactured and located inside the transmitting tube, at tolerances as close as one hundredth of a millimeter. That is why every TRUMPF transmitting tube is inspected, using special test generators, to ensure that all the parameters are met precisely. This guarantees that the transmitting tubes match the generator exactly and that eliminates the need for a technician to carry out time-consuming adjustment work on the generator. The result: Performance at TRUMPF quality. >> spares_export.tws@de.trumpf.com Everyone gets a turn Simulation makes it possible. Every participant in TRUMPF’s training courses can practice at “his own” machine controls. It’s a well-known fact that hands-on training is the best training. Unfortunately, only one customer can actually stand at a machine’s control panel during instruction. The other participants in TRUMPF courses have for some time now been able to follow every step, shown on the screen with a video projector. But learning by doing is preferable to just watching. TRUMPF now provides every participant with his or her own controls for practice purposes at the training center. The classroom contains 15 PCs, each with its own special software that perfectly simulates the operating control panel and all of its functions. Customers receiving instruction are able to acquaint themselves, independently and at their own pace, with all of the steps they will come up against in real life. This is fun and at the same time conveys a feeling of self-assurance. The program reacts exactly as its real-world counterpart does, synthesizing even the most minute details – including time lags caused by set-up operations for example. The only thing the operator has to forego is the finished part at the end of the process. This practical simulator is currently available for operator training courses for the TruMatic 7000 and TruPunch 3000 (S11) machines. >> training@de.trumpf.com An identical twin: The machine control panel, imaged on the screen. TruServices Journal 01|12 11 Technology Punching Tools "How can I help you?" Christian Jakisch knows exactly how to respond to special customer requests. In this interview he explains how a customer query leads to a finished, custom Punching Tool. “Special Punching Tools” – that sounds a bit like an out-of-the-ordinary situation. Is that the case? Not at all! This is the type of challenge we encounter every day. Every month our Technical Consulting Service processes an average of 1,300 requests for custom items, reaching us from all over the world by various means. How do you respond to an inquiry like this? Company policy is to acknowledge every customer query within one working day. First of all, we have to determine the type of punch or form needed. That lets us optimize the interaction between the tool and the machine. Individual customer needs always take priority and we work hand-in-hand to find the most economical solution, perfect for the machinery available at the customer’s site. What is the next step after the proposal has triggered a confirmed order? The order is passed on to the engineering department, where a 3D model of the Special Punching Tool is generated with the help of a drafting program. This in turn is sent to production, where the tool is manufactured, assembled and checked for proper function. We send a sample of the finished sheet metal part, together with a comprehensive test report, to the customer for approval. Christian Jakisch, product consultant for Special Punching Tools. 12 TruServices Journal 01|12 And the customer then gets his Punching Tool? Yes, exactly. In addition to the tool and sample, we also provide the customer with a USB flash drive containing all of the relevant technical information. Programming tips help the customer import the tool data into TruTops Punch in just a few seconds. Is it easy for customers to place a repeat order? We assign a serial number to each Special Tool and archive all of the data about the tool. This means we can also find that tool at a later date and, if need be, supply either an identical copy of the entire tool or just component parts in the tool. Special Punching Tools Bends, brackets, hinges, bridges or multiple tools – one look at this demonstration part shows how versatile our Special Punching Tools really are. A MultiBend tool can be used on our punching and combination machines to perform specific bending operations. For instance, housings for electrical items are produced this way. D id you already know about this option? You will find inquiry forms on our web site. Just fill them in online and send them to us! If you prefer, you can send us your inquiries by regular post, e-mail or over the telephone. Please get in touch. We will be happy to advise you. TRUMPF Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH + Co. KG Hermann-Dreher-Str. 20, 70839 Gerlingen Phone: +49 7156 303 36320 Fax: +49 7156 303 30647 http://www.trumpf-machines.com/ en/services Special Punching Tools are manufactured and assembled with the help of a 3D model. TruServices Journal 01|12 13 Technology Software Not sought – but found! Integrated Tool Management always provides a perfect overview. Now it’s even better and more versatile: TRUMPF’s Integrated Tool Is it currently in use or not available at all? The tool management Management system takes everything into account: the stock room, system always has the right answer and, being an efficient tool itsetup station, measurement bench, grinding machine, program- self, eliminates tedious searches. This intelligent combination of ming, punching tools and machine activities. Those sites are linked software and punching tool is now available for use – depending to a central database that will provide information, at any time, on on the machine software version – with the TruMatic 6000 and the location and condition of any particular punching tool. A scan- TruMatic 7000 machines, the TruPunch 1000, the TruPunch 3000(S11), ner is used to read the QR code affixed to every tool. That makes it and the TruPunch 5000. You can also be sure that every machine easy to unequivocally identify each individual component. Is a spe- will support this function in the future. Just ask us for details. cific punching tool in the grinding machine or in the tool cabinet? >> sales_cad_cam@de.trumpf.com Combination machine Punching machine Tool grinding machine Programming station Tool database Tool terminal with scanner and touch screen Tool measuring system No matter where your tool might be, TRUMPF’s Integrated Tool Management will make it so easy to find. Compact information – An overview of the benefits to you: Less time looking for tools. You will always know your tools’ location and condition. Minimizing setup time. Intelligent setup suggestions save time and are forwarded straight to the machine. Efficient equipment management. Punching tool data are entered quickly and modified automatically. Greater productivity. Manual operations are replaced by electronic processes. Greater process stability. The system checks to see whether tooling has been configured correctly. Cost savings. Reduced search and setup times. 14 TruServices Journal 01|12 Tool storage Bending Tools Technology A lean process An integrated bending machine paves the way to even shorter completion times when manufacturing Special Bending Tools. Special-purpose tools, made to customer specifications, are an im- Getting your dream tool faster portant topic in the field of bending, too. The TRUMPF subsidiary Even in the past, the road leading to a Special Bending Tool was short. in the Austrian town of Pasching produces over 25,000 meters of TRUMPF’s specialists prepare design drawings for the custom tool, bending tools each year. Of those tools, about one in twenty is in based on sketches and information about the sheet metal product as fact a custom solution. provided by the customer. A trial tool is then created according to these drawings, as per the SYNCHRO principles. Using the bending machine integrated into the system, the new tool can now be tested Keeping things running smoothly Since 2003 TRUMPF has manufactured Special Bending Tools in directly – using sheet metal provided by the customer, ensuring the progressive assembly operations, following the SYNCHRO principles, most telling test results. Should it be necessary to modify the tool, the optimizing production cycle times. This process has become even manufacturing area is just a few steps away. Rework and subsequent leaner. Instead of testing tools in the demonstration center as in the testing can be completed within a few hours. past, bending trials are now carried out on site using a TruBend 5050. >> abkantwerkzeuge@at.trumpf.com “We achieved extremely short cycle times for special tools using this advanced manufacturing method,” explains Mario Urmann, Pasching’s manager for Bending Tool production. The delivery time for special tools has dropped by a quarter on average. Did you know that it only takes a couple of minutes to submit a query for a Special Tool? This can be done, around the clock, by logging into the Bending Tool E-Shop of MyTRUMPF. Our short training video will explain, step by step, how to get the tool you want. www.mytrumpf.com www.trumpf-machines.com/en/services Material flow Special Tools erode The bending machine being integrated into the assembly flow means faster bending trials, carried out right on site, using customer materials. measure adjust trial This is an even more sophisticated process and one that makes the required tool available in three-quarters of the time. TruServices Journal 01|12 15 Technology Product Enhancements Just the right angle OCB – Operator Controlled Bending – guarantees precision angles at the push of a button. Users don’t always need to have an angle sensor permanently attached to a machine to monitor angles during the entire bending process. Frequently though, a simple digital angle meter (or goniometer) is not adequate for a lot of people. The ideal solution for anyone wanting perfect angles with a minimum of time and effort is an add-on for TruBend machines, called Operator Controlled Bending (OCB). This portable, versatile instrument transmits the measurement results straight to a USB Bluetooth receiver at the machine’s control unit. There is no need for manual entries, saving time and boosting productivity. The OCB tolerates no compromise when it comes to accuracy. It can check the angle at three different places per bend. The OCB shows its real strength in long production runs. Simply measure all of the bent edges, transmit all of the results to the control unit, and continue working with precise angle data. >> retrofit.tws@de.trumpf.com The OCB angle meter is portable, versatile and equipped with a Bluetooth interface. It guarantees perfect angles, even when working on multiple bending machines. Improved bending – automatically The BendMaster control V7.0 speeds bending processes. Automatic bending made faster, easier and cheaper. These are the benefits of the latest BendMaster control with its updated software version 7.0. The BendMaster control has been perfected and the BendMaster itself has been made even more productive; its motions are now synchronized and at the same time augmented with collision window monitoring. Depending on the specifics of the application, productivity can be increased by 15 to 25 percent! This also contributes to lower component cost – by up to 30 percent, again depending on the application. So apart from saving time, the upgraded control system will also be putting money in the bank. With the latest BendMaster Software V7.0, the TruBend Cell 5000 provides not only highly productive automation for a wide range of components, but its operations are even more economical. Beginning in July 2012, this control will be available for retrofitting on all BendMaster of bending machines with a TASC 6000 control unit. Just ask us for details! >> retrofit.tws@de.trumpf.com The advantages of the updated version 7.0 software for the BendMaster’s control are twofold: parts costs drop as productivity increases. 16 TruServices Journal 01|12 Product Enhancements and Technology Knowledge Keep cool! Things can sometimes heat up when cutting through thick material. The CoolLine’s water mist makes sure the material doesn’t overheat. Inconsistent material composition and surface quality sometimes make life a misery for laser cutting, particularly when processing thick, low-carbon steel sheet. Such alloys can reach considerable temperatures near the cutting face. The sheet’s high temperature impedes the cutting process, especially where filigree shapes are involved. If the kerf overheats, it can even set off a so-called selfburning reaction. There the material left in the cut burns and causes slag to stick to the rear surface of the sheet metal. How it's done Easy Type You can show every digit from zero to nine in a seven-segment display. The Easy Type MultiTool can do even better than that. Just five embossing inserts in a single tool are so closely harmonized that they can form the 26 letters of the alphabet, symbols and digits 0 to 9. Even if the parts are subsequently powder coated or painted, the text remains clear and uniform. You can select from ten different font sizes. Embossing insert Punching Tool 4 3 More parts, less waste To keep this from happening, a cooling device is now available to keep temperatures constant – TRUMPF’s CoolLine option. A special cutting head sprays a fine water mist around the area where the steel is being processed. This is a highly effective measure; the evaporation of just 30 milliliters of water per minute brings about cooling of one kilowatt. This provides the laser with uniform temperature conditions and makes cutting through thick materials faster and more reliable. The result: Parts can be nested more tightly and skeletons can be more narrow. That reduces waste and the metal sheet can be better utilized. A test specimen showed: up to 31 percent more parts and 14 percent less scrap. You can use the CoolLine to make cutting even more reliable for lower grade construction steel with its accompanying fluctuations in chemical composition. This unit can be retrofit to the TruLaser 3030, TruLaser 3040, TruLaser 5030, TruLaser 5040 and TruLaser 5060 models. The cutting head is easily changed with just a few motions since all of the cables and hoses are integrated into the unit. Mount the head, activate TruTops Laser, and start cutting – quickly and reliably – even when the going gets a bit tougher. >> retrofit.tws@de.trumpf.com 5 2 1 QuickSharp Regrinding tools simply and safety ... the QuickSharp makes that job easy. As soon as the tool is inserted in one of the integrated tool mounts, the amount to be ground away is selected and the fully automatic grinding process is started. First the length of the tool is measured and then the grinding disk drops to make gentle contact with the tool. Machining is especially gentle, using a cooling lubricant to avoid thermal overloading at the cutting edges. Thanks to a practical pre-adjustment device with a tool adapter, the result is sure to be perfect, even for dies with shear angles. And then the QuickSharp will show the new length for many tools. That saves time! Rotating grinding wheel Cooling and lubricating mix Tool Cooling lubricant nozzle clamping device CoolLine brings temperatures down when things heat up during laser cutting. TruServices Journal 01|12 17 Good to know Knowledge News It’s the combination that counts TruMatic owners know the advantages of the combination. Two Technology Course Laser Cutting technologies in a single machine bring about uncompromising Among the topics covered in this course are practical detergood results while at the same time saving time and money. mination of process parameters, laser control, and cutting a Two mutually independent courses can make you an all-round- diverse range of materials. Both courses can be scheduled iner in punching and laser technology. dependent of each other – or in combination. The order is irrelevant. With this double knowledge in your pocket, you can use the advantages of your combination machine even more Technology Course Punching This class offers a number of new insights to everyone who has effectively. So sign up today and enjoy double benefits. already completed the basic operating course for a punching or >> training@de.trumpf.com combination machine. On the agenda are analyses of the causes for collisions, how to best work with forming tools, the reasons Technology Course for burrs and scratches, and using Size 5 tools. Technology Course TruMatic Punching + Laser Cutting = Expert Two courses offer combined knowledge in five days. Let’s drop in on … … Wolfgang Wolf? olfgang Wolf demParts detective W tive’s skills when onstrates a detec . material numbers for ing he’s search Wolfgang Wolf needs the nose of a bloodhound and lots of patience. If a customer, somewhere around the world, is missing a part and cannot find it in the TRUMPF Spare Parts Catalog, then this mechanical engineer or one of his two colleagues in parts identification starts the search for the material number. “We are usually seeking spares, sheet metal parts or components from older equipment,” Wolf explains. The basis for his research is often meager and blurred pictures made with a cell phone which he receives virtually every day. His most bizarre job was put in Wolf ’s hands directly by a customer. It was a bag with parts from an older 2D laser machine. “It was a real grab bag,” he recalls with a smile. “A bit of hose, an old valve, a light bulb.” He identified and found them all. A wellfilled spare parts database is the starting point for his searches. That database includes machines of all kinds and in every model series, all the way back to 1960. If that doesn’t do the trick, “then we start digging in collections of old documents,” Wolf continues. It’s a true labor of Sisyphus. Once he’s found the part, he adds information to the database that will shorten the next search. In the final analysis, the machine at the back of beyond is to be put back in shape as soon as possible. We profit from our own experience,” says Wolf. Another valuable resource are regular visits to the TRUMPF plants. “There we can see what is located where.” And that facilitates the search for the next part – one that’s already waiting as a shaky photo in the inbox. >> SPConsulting.TWS@de.trumpf.com 18 TruServices Journal 01|12 TruServices at a glance Quick Quick mirror mirror images images > Finance Stay flexible on a solid basis Are you making a case and need a part that’s the exact mirror image of one you’ve already designed? In the past this meant having to make an entirely new drawing for the second part. That was both bothersome and time-consuming! This work can be done by the TruTops Bend software with a single command. Using the data for the existing workpiece, the program first flips – or reverses – all of the bending lines. The set-up plan and the bending process are automatically converted to the new values and the position of the machine’s stop fingers are matched to the new position. And so you have, quickly and without undue effort, the identical part – just as a mirror image. > Software Programmed for success >> sales_cad_cam@de.trumpf.com > Punching Tools Know-how for every application > Bending Tools Customized to your specification > Spare Parts Quality in every detail > Technical Service You can count on us TruTops Bend creates the perfect mirror image with a single command. Prize drawing: Trading a dongle for an iPad2 Each of the following winners is excited about the prize: an iPad2. Jürgen Schablitzki, Jonda Metallwaren fabrik GmbH, Breitengüßbach, Germany Leonard Huyghens, Actilas/Actijet SA, Villecomtal-sur-Arros, France Mark Tyler, Laser Options (Pty) Ltd., Randburg, South Africa We hope you will enjoy your tablet computers! > Service Agreements For the highest machine availability > Product Enhancements Your machine can do more > Customer Training The knowledge advantage > Consulting Advice through experience > Per-owned Machines First choice for second hand >> truservices@de.trumpf.com Clever. Expectations for machining sheet metal are becoming ever more diverse. For some time now, just selling advanced machinery has not been enough. After-sales back-up and support have become a prized aspect and one that distinguishes TRUMPF. Our customers are quite justified in putting their faith in our good ideas, our broad expertise, and our years of experience in implementing complex production concepts. Regarless of whether it’s a matter of custom-engineered tools, consulting in design questions, or well thought out concepts for fast and trouble-free processes – our application consultants are experts at thinking “outside the box”. In their role as highly competent, farsighted partners, they help make possible what might at first seem impossible. Thinking service? Think blue!