Ergonomics and manpower on machine tools

KeyTec supports customers with metal and plastic components in medium and high volumes. As a business-to-business supplier, the company implements a wide range of product solutions for the automotive, energy and consumer goods industries as well as for commercial customers at its headquarters in Sittard in the Netherlands. The spectrum ranges from individual parts and multi-technology products to subassemblies and assemblies. This also includes their surface treatment and assembly using stamping, injection molding and related technologies.

In the production facilities and branches in the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and China, the focus is on design for manufacturing, short lead times and close cooperation with European and Asian tool manufacturers and partners for automation equipment. This also includes ACE Shock Absorbers' technical sales team, which has been based in the Netherlands for more than 15 years and is responsible for the Benelux countries. The synergies with manufacturers and partners such as ACE benefit all KeyTec's end customers in terms of time-to-market, total cost of ownership, quality and efficiency. This pragmatic and solution-oriented approach is applied daily by KeyTec's creative and experienced staff to all customer challenges in order to industrialize products and assemblies.

Greater ease of use in metalworking

KeyTec carries out certain work steps for the production of batteries for various customers in the electronics industry. These batteries contain special pins, around one billion of which are produced in various designs in three shifts at the company's headquarters in Sittard every year. This requires machines that process wires precisely and ensure uniform quality with high productivity. Processing takes place from the coil, with straightening, cutting and cold forming taking place in the machine. Once per shift, i.e. every 8 hours, these machines are supplied with new coil material by the operating personnel. To do this, the upper hoods of the machine, which weigh around 45 kg, have to be opened. This is also necessary if the machine tools need to be cleaned or if access is required to the inside of the machines with their levers and clamping jaws and the bushing-tool systems as well as the cross slides and heads.

One reason for the considerable weight of the hoods is that the closed machine housing must also effectively insulate noise for occupational safety reasons. In addition, the integrated drives as well as the electronics and central lubrication system should be easily accessible from all sides for the maintenance team. Two ACE GS-28-200-EE-920N industrial gas struts on each hood are also responsible for this. These ready-to-install, maintenance-free, self-contained systems are durable and filled with pressurized nitrogen gas. With an original extension force of 920 N per gas pressure spring, they support the operator's muscle power when opening and closing the hoods. With ergonomics in mind and to provide additional relief for the employees, the KeyTec technicians asked the ACE sales engineers in the Netherlands for further ways to increase operating comfort and to modernize the machine tools used in a simple way.

Drives combined with gas springs

Han Titulaer from the Benelux sales team presented the electromechanical drives called Industrial Powerise. For many years, these actuators have reliably performed their duties millions of times over as actuators on tailgates as well as on engine and trunk lids in various models of well-known automobile manufacturers. Adapted and perfected for industrial use in recent years by the ACE and Stabilus engineering teams, these components are therefore also suitable for the 45 kg hoods on the machine tools in Sittard - in conjunction with the gas springs already installed. Using their extension forces, which were reduced to 700 N per unit by reducing the nitrogen via the drain and fill valve, the ACE team also identified IPR35-V-24A-200-8-65C drives as the most suitable components for increasing operating comfort in this special case.

Once fitted and powered either via a 12 or 24 V connection, these Industrial Powerise actuators enable lifting movements of 200 mm in length at spindle pitches of 8 mm per revolution at the touch of a button. In this case, lifting and lowering takes place with an additional force of 65 N per actuator in combination with the gas pressure springs. Ralf Küppers from Technical Sales and Robin Hilke, ACE's Product Manager for Industrial Powerise, set these precise values on site at KeyTec, where the electrical control system could also be precisely adapted to the machine covers via analog interfaces.

In general, the new actuators from ACE are available with screw pitches between 2 and 25 mm and can perform lifting, lowering and positioning with forces between 250 and 4,000 N. With stroke ranges between 50 and 350 mm, design engineers can therefore opt for a precise, powerful and versatile motion control system for their applications in the vertical, horizontal and also as a positioning system. As the noise level of the drive is only 55 dB(A), Industrial Powerise also enables quiet operation. These advantages make the integration of the new machine elements from ACE perfect for flaps, hoods and linear adjustments in the vertical direction.

In the application described here, another advantage is that the combination with the gas springs reduces the load on the drive, which means that the weight can be higher, manual movement more ergonomic and the travel speed faster. In Sittard, this means easier operation, faster access to the inside of the machine and greater satisfaction with work processes and noise levels for everyone involved.