Tox Pressotechnik specializes in the production of car bodies and sheet metal components. The scope of services ranges from sheet metal joining or joining processes (clinching, riveting, setting of functional elements) to drive cylinders for generating pressing force and conveyor technology for the joining elements (semi-tubular self-pierce rivets, solid self-pierce rivets, clinch rivets and functional elements) through to system control and Tox process monitoring including software.

In the form of multi-technology systems, consisting of the technology controller as the central module and the peripheral ZVK module as a component of the tongs for clinching, riveting or setting functional elements, the customer receives complete solutions that are characterized by high production output, flexibility and monitored processes.

Multi-technology control HMI. Several guns equipped for different joining processes can be controlled with one software. © Tox Pressotechnology

In consultation with the customer, tongs (C-frame in standard or customer-specific special design) and optimum drives (pneumohydraulic cylinders from the Tox power pack series or electromechanical servo drives from the ElectricDrive series) are selected from the modular system. These in turn are fitted with the appropriate setting heads and dies for the automated processing of semi-tubular rivets, solid rivets, clinch rivets or functional elements, for example. The tongs can also be optionally equipped with a drive on the die side, which provides even more application flexibility. The components of the multi-technology systems such as robot tongs and peripheral modules (conveyor technology, spraying devices, ToolCheck) and process device as well as motion controller are connected to the technology controller via Industrial Ethernet (Ethercat).

The advantages of the bus system with intelligent bus node ZVK are obvious. The bus node processes data signals and is also a data memory. Status and configuration data are stored in the data memory and are also available after a voltage drop. Analog signals are digitally processed before transmission.

The data supplied by a joining gun naturally includes maintenance and service life counters. Predictive maintenance requires continuously updated counter readings in order to be operated efficiently. Each joining gun carries its own counter readings and can therefore be maintained individually. In addition, far more sensor-based data can be transferred to the multi-technology controller. Temperature states as well as cycle times of individual movements, pressures, voltages, currents or fill levels are information that is required to control and regulate a technology system. This sensor data allows targeted, rapid intervention in an emergency, provided the system itself has not already become active.

Keeping configuration data on the bus node also simplifies the maintenance of the joining equipment. With the help of the electronic data sheet, which is stored on the ZVK bus node, guns can be changed in less time. For example, the joining gun automatically logs on to the control system again when the gun is changed. The auto-configuration feature therefore helps to reduce downtimes to a minimum in the event of a system standstill. Separate maintenance documentation is now partly a thing of the past. The volume of data sent from a joining gun to the controller is reduced. This saves bandwidth in communication in the system environment.

The different signal requirements of the various technologies are bundled via the bus cable. The cable package as the connecting element between the joining gun and the controller has a standardized structure. This means that different technologies can be operated on one robot via the same cable package. Extensions to the external peripherals, such as tool changers or spray agent containers, are also integrated into the technology system via the Ethercat system bus.

In conjunction with the multi-technology control system, the system offers maximum flexibility, which can be used to great effect when planning system layouts and also when operating the systems. Here too, the customer can choose between three control systems with different expansion levels depending on their requirements. The Basic version requires the customer's own PC, the Advanced version does not need its own PC, but does require the customer's own visualization. Finally, Tox supplies the entire control and operating concept for the Smart multi-technology control system.

In combination with the standardized and flexible support architecture (element support, bus architecture, control architecture and system cabling) and standardized interfaces such as HMI = intuitive user interface, data output (configuration, process,

system data, errors, warnings) and data input (process database, configuration database), intelligent and versatile systems are available. Thanks to the possibility of changing tools, pliers, technologies, sensor tools and more, these can also be used for future tasks with short changeover times and therefore represent a future-proof investment in every respect. The data (process, inventory and system data and configurations), which is initially available as unstructured information, is filtered using software tools. The evaluated data is available to all decision-makers, for example for maintenance planning, predictive maintenance, monitoring and analysis as well as for simulations for process optimization. as