Instrumentation Monthly Test | Measurement | Control
Automated presence and position checking of tools reduces the setup times for hydraulic presses, improving machine availability and utilisation.
Customer application
The automotive industry uses automation extensively and an automobile manufacturer wanted to automate the presence and position checking of tools within their hydraulic presses.
The conventional downward-acting hydraulic presses are equipped with sliding tables that hold the upper and lower tools in position and allow them to be changed.
Automatic checking is required to ensure that both tool halves are correctly positioned on the sliding table as they are being prepared. Incorrect tool position, or absence of tool, can cause damage or failure.
Customer solution
Contrinex’s cubic 40 x 40 x 40mm C44 inductive sensors from their Basic 600 Series, available from PLUS Automation, solve this application, due to their robust industrial construction, proven reliability of its sensing capabilities, high-performance, a choice of 15 to 40 mm sensing distances and low-cost.
A sensor is installed on one corner of the sliding table and adjusted to confirm the presence of a correctly positioned tool. The accuracy in switching distance of this sensor means that any deviation in tool position is detected. An incorrectly positioned tool will therefore immediately trigger a process stop. This position/absence check takes place with all the speed expected from an automated factory process.
By preventing the presses from proceeding to the moulding process with incorrectly positioned or absent tools, this automatic tool change sensor helps prevent production faults, reduce downtime and avoid damage to the presses themselves.
