Two Unison all-electric tube bending machines set to help
specialist fabricator accelerate production of high accuracy parts

Unison has supplied two all-electric tube bending machines to tube fabrication specialist Iracroft, to help meet the company's expanding production needs for high accuracy parts. The machines - 30 mm and 40 mm models from Unison's Breeze range - have just been commissioned at Iracroft's facilities in Blandford, UK.

Iracroft specialises in the manufacture of rigid tube assemblies for high pressure hydraulic, pneumatic and coolant applications. Formed in 1972, the company has grown to become a leading supplier of formed metal parts for the construction, agricultural and automotive industries, with blue-chip customers around the world. Irac

roft's expertise spans all aspects of tube production, including cutting, manipulating, milling and drilling, end forming, fabrication and finishing. The company operates an extensive MIG and TIG welding facility, with more than 30 operational bays, as well as two of the largest fully automated zinc plating plants in the UK.

The Unison Breeze machines represent Iracroft's first investment in all-electric tube bending technology. Although the company currently operates 17 tube bending machines, including several CNC precision models, they are all hydraulically-driven and have begun to reach the limit in terms of bending accuracy. Compared with all-electric machine technology, they require longer set-up and batch changeover times, and have relatively high maintenance requirements. Consequently, when the company decided to expand its production capabilities, Iracroft chose to review the all-electric alternatives. To help with this process, the company participated in one of Unison's 'technology tours', which takes potential users to visit some of Unison's key customers to see first-hand how they use all-electric tube benders to increase productivity and reduce scrap.

According to Dave Shemilt, one of Iracroft's Production Managers, "We are convinced that all-electric tube bending machines represent the way forward. The Unison machines are much easier to set up than hydraulic systems, which is important since we handle a wide range of batch sizes - from one-offs to five or six hundred - and need to minimise changeover time, and they provide excellent bending accuracy and repeatability. The machines are also very operator friendly. Resetting for a new batch, for example, simply involves pressing a button, without having to manually reposition a lot of tooling. What's more, the level of support we have received from Unison during the sales and commissioning stages is exemplary, which bodes well for the future."

Both the Breeze 30 and Breeze 40 machines are multi-stack benders, able to hold a variety of tools in readiness for automatic, computer-controlled changeover. Typically, batch changeover can be accomplished in about 30 percent of the time it takes to reconfigure a hydraulic machine. The machines also feature custom tube stops, which effectively measure tube length and help automate feeding and clamping operations, to further minimise handling times. Both machines accommodate tube bend angles of up to 190 degrees and provide a higher bending torque than any competitive machine on the market; the Breeze 40, for example, can bend 40 mm diameter stainless steel tubes with a wall thickness of 2.5 mm.

Unison's all-electric tube benders are extremely efficient; they only consume significant amounts of power during the bending operation itself, making them an order of magnitude more efficient than hydraulic bending machines. For further information, e-mail:  enquiries@unisonltd.com or view website: www.unisonltd.com

Speed monitor ensures safe speed,
standstill and direction of rotation of  machinery

A safety relay that monitors the safe standstill, overspeed and direction of rotation of a variety of machines is now available from Pilz Automation Technology. The PNOZ s30 speed monitor is suitable for a wide range of applications, from small packaging machines through to large rotating machinery such as used in paper mills and web-based printing machines.

In accordance with the new Machinery Directive, when a machine drive is brought to a standstill, the operating status must be safely monitored and maintained.

Part of Pilz Automation Technology's PNOZsigma range, the PNOZ s30 can be connected to many motor feedback systems which use incremental encoders or proximity sensors  to provide a speed signal.

Reduce commissioning and set up times
A rotary knob with key function (push and turn) and an integrated display enable users to enter their own specific data via an intuitive menu structure. These parameters are stored on a chip card. The permanent display informs users about the current speed during machine operation, whilst integrated LCDs show the state of the output relay.

Alex Bryce, Sales Manager at Pilz Automation Technology Ltd comments: "In terms of the UK market, the PNOZ s30 is very well suited to industries that operate heavy rotating machinery such as the paper, printing and packaging sectors. Monitoring the overspeed or standstill of large paper reels or web-based printing machines are good examples here. The device is also finding applications in robotics; woodworking machinery such as band saws and circular saws; steel processing mills; dovetailed interlocking processes such as buffer zones and conveyor systems; kneading, mixing and filling machines in food and beverage processing environments; and in hygiene-critical processes, which would be contaminated by any reverse movement or a change of direction of rotation."

In terms of functionality, the PNOZ s30 offers a variety of safety functions, including standstill monitoring combined with safe position monitoring at standstill. For example, this might include the monitoring of a position controller or suspended axis. In addition, the device can be used for the safe monitoring of maximum speed in combination with the safe detection of the direction of rotation. The PNOZ s30 can also monitor process-related speeds or movements, combined with the safe direction of rotation.

Any limit values defined by the user can be given a warning threshold. The advantage here is that the user can recognise at an early stage whether an overspeed, for example, might lead to a machine or process shutdown. Resolving an overspeed problem early minimises production downtime and ensures the safety of operators.

The PNOZ s30 includes selectable inputs for incremental encoders and proximity sensors, separate programmable Safety related relay output contacts auxiliary semiconductor outputs, and restart and safe off position feedback circuit inputs.

The device holds all the necessary approvals and Pilz can provide all the relevant, safety-related characteristic data for the PNOZ s30. Performance Level (PL) in accordance with BS EN ISO 13849-1: PL e; Safety Integrity Level (SIL) CL claim limit in accordance with BS EN  62061: SIL 3; and in accordance with BS EN 954-1: Category 3. For further information, e-mail: j.harris@pilz.co.uk or view website: www.pilz.co.uk  Refer to page 88

Aegis Unveils the industry's first iPhone /
iPad Application for manufacturing operations

Aegis Software unveils its next industry-first technology in the form of the only iPad and iPhone integrated manufacturing software system for electronics assemblers.

inSite brings simple, instant, and mobile access to quality, WIP, performance, and traceability information. Forward and reverse traceability is immediately available for viewing and to share direct from your device via email. View active WIP, shipment information, and detect process bottlenecks. Quality Paretos with interactive drill-down all the way from customer level through product and down to individual pin information. inSite even recalls and displays the product image directly on your device. The massive reservoir of process, product, and materials information within the Aegis MOS system is now accessible right in the palm of your hand.

iPad and iPhone integrated manufacturing software system.

Since 2000, Aegis has led the technology in manufacturing operations software. First to offer a web-based MES system. First to use IPC standards for machine monitoring. First make reporting and dashboard creation simple for the customer. First to integrate and project through NSA-level 128 bit security. Still the only to offer a singular system spanning NPI through shop floor control, materials verification, quality, test, packout, dashboards, and reporting built by one company. And now, the unparalleled information within the Aegis Manufacturing Operations System is accessible via iPad and iPhone applications now available on the Apple App Store free of charge to Aegis customers.

Aegis systems in profile
Aegis systems provide hi-tech manufacturers improved speed, control, and visibility of all aspects of factory operations so they can do more with less. Today, manufacturers must maintain fewer assets, but achieve more utilization. They require less cost, but faster product launches and reporting, as well as less overhead, but total traceability. The Aegis Manufacturing Operations System (MOS) supports these goals, and delivers them in a way that defines and contains the investment required to complete the full system deployment.

The Aegis system speeds process planning and launch, controls shop floor materials, delivers all documentation paperlessly, tracks and controls the process, manages test and quality, and makes everything traceable and visible through built-in reporting, analytics and real-time dashboards. Aegis provides one system on one database--created, deployed, and supported by one vendor. The company improves manufacturing operations in more than 1,000 installed sites worldwide, and is the preferred software partner to more than 36 of the leading manufacturing equipment suppliers.  Aegis solutions offer unique benefits to manufacturers in electronics assembly, medical equipment/device, defense/aerospace, and automotive markets.  A Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, Aegis consistently leads in customer satisfaction and value by providing deployment, integration, and support of its systems entirely through direct worldwide offices and staff - a claim validated by ten consecutive years of customer satisfaction awards.

For further information, view website: www.aiscorp.com