Welcome to the final article in this blog series on Industry 4.0! In this series, we address unanswered questions and roadblocks surrounding the term and its implementation in factories or small job shops. We tackle the what, why, and how of Industry 4.0, and why it should matter to you. Our previous article discussed why data matters in Industry 4.0 and how to become Industry 4.0-ready. In this article, we'll finish the series by covering what data matters and 3 crucial factors to consider when implementing data-driven stamping. Full knowledge about every detail involved in a manufacturing process is ideal. But, collecting, storing, and processing a vast amount of data is challenging. Industry 4.0 is the vision where machines provide the data that can then be processed by computers which are capable of storing large amounts of data and performing complex computations in real-time. The efficacy of the data process algorithm depends on the completeness and accuracy of the data and the intelligence built into it. Industry 4.0 is ideal to be attained over time because it seems to be virtually open-ended. In relation to this, our goal is to provide a good starting point. Starting Point: 3 Crucial Factors to Consider Gathering, storing, organizing, and prioritizing data Many do not even know where to begin and suffer from information paralysis. It is impossible to anticipate all the requirements upfront. One must become comfortable to view the transformation as a journey, rather than perfect out of the box. It is okay, or even necessary, to organize and prioritize before gathering and storing information. It is paramount to question what information already exists, how it is stored, and how it is used. Why not start with data that is already available? Discoveries of the existence of information that no one is aware of are not uncommon. Remember that with Industry 4.0, computers can relay commands to machines to take corrective actions. Therefore, it is important to filter out data that is not relevant and prioritize the relevant information. Ask yourself, “What data or information is already available, easily retrievable, and easily communicated with stakeholders?” As far as a starting point for collecting data, some elementary data can be gathered and processed by simple means. The most basic data that should be part of any KPI metric is: Is the equipment in operating condition? If the answer is No: Questions that determine why it is not in operating condition, what needs to be done to restore operation, and when the equipment is back in service will be the governing path. If the answer is Yes: The next question would be: Is the equipment operating? If No – why not? If yes, is it producing good parts? These basic yes or no questions can be answered with simple means. However, the answers to the why questions are not so straightforward, and therefore cannot be further processed until a concise, binary reporting system exists. The accessibility and ease of distributing data If not existing in a raw format, data may be easily retrievable by running a report from an ERP system. The following questions can help uncover if there is an issue with the distribution or accessibility of information: Do the stakeholders know that the information exists? Do the stakeholders know how the information can benefit them? Do the stakeholders know where to find the information? Do the stakeholders work off the same information? Do the stakeholders have to provide information? Is the information accurate, complete, and reliable? Does the information need to be protected, and to what level? Is there accountability for the information provided, or its use? The use and misuse of information Information is power; hence, as soon as data is collected, one must consider its use and misuse. The importance of managing the storage, distribution, and access cannot be overstated! While Industry 4.0’s focus is on the use of information, it cannot ignore the threats that come with it. There is an entire security aspect to the data world. It may be costly and possibly dangerous to collect and manage information that will not lead to a decision or an action. However, it may be necessary to act pre-emptively by gathering data, even without immediate use, for the future. For example, some machine data may contain useful information, but no processing algorithm exists. Should the data drive the development of the algorithm (Bottom Up approach) or should the intelligence demand the necessary data (Top Down approach)? The current day affairs suggest that it is the combination of both approaches. Who's Best Positioned to Progress in the Digital Transformation? Companies that effectively aggregate and relay available information have already a culture of data-driven decision-making. These are well-positioned to progress in the digital transformation. Companies that don’t have this culture will fall further and further behind. Unfortunately, there are still too many companies that operate ad-hoc, or with an “always done it this way” mentality. Leaders of Industry 4.0 will be highly automated industries and factories. Here’s why. If you compare a highly automated factory containing lots of robots to one with very little or no automation, you may come to the following conclusions about the latter’s operators and production processes: Biased, subjective statements about data and production processes Limited memory and intelligence due to human limitations Need instructions Don’t follow instructions Cannot be controlled A huge reason highly automated industries and factories are best positioned to achieve Industry 4.0 is that they don’t have the roadblocks of human bias, human limitation, and process inefficiency. Essentially, highly automated factories with robots can do it better, faster, and more precisely than humans. Flexibility vs. Efficiency: Where Do You Fall? Aside from having the right mindset and possessing a culture of continuous improvement, there’s another force at play with data-driven stamping. This second force is more pragmatic: flexibility vs. efficiency. Ideally, you want your production processes to strike the perfect balance between flexibility and efficiency. In some industries and factories, this perfect balance exists, but for many of us, manufacturers lean toward one side of the scale. Automotive manufacturers are a great example. Their factories are highly automated and focused on high volume, low mix, and mass production consumables. They benefit from efficiency but lack the flexibility to pivot to other product lines. As Alastair Orchard, VP of SIEMENS puts it, “An automotive factory is incredibly efficient, but not flexible”. Unless they spend a fortune to build a factory that accommodates this flexibility and automation and pays off the investment with continual high product demand, Orchard’s statement still rings true. Aside from mass production automotive manufacturers, what about the typical stamper? Where do they fall? Many will fall into the third category: low volume/high mix, focused on capability + set-up, and with the advantage of specialized, customized fabrication. This means that they are more flexible than efficient. This also means that there’s less automation happening in their facilities. Since these stampers focus more on capability than meeting high production demands, they also have less incentive to collect data that will improve production efficiencies. Final Thoughts The benefits and importance of reliable and complete information have been previously discussed. Data can be used to observe trends and to compare actual performance with historical performance, or a benchmark. As previously observed, raw data is honest and true if the measuring system is reliable. This is in itself a huge advantage because humans communicate with biases and emotions. In the automation world, data gives you an edge over existing production systems. Once you understand the role, importance, and impact of data-driven stamping within the digital transformation of Industry 4.0, you can then start to implement it. We hope this series on Industry 4.0 provided a practical breakdown of how digital transformation applies to stampers. We also hope you gained helpful insight and answers to the question, “What is Industry 4.0 and why should it matter to you?” Please feel free to leave a comment below or reach out if you have any questions, thoughts, or ideas to add. We're always happy to chat with you! Sangiacomo Presses Americas is ready to help you optimize your stamping press operations with our adjustable stroke press. Learn more about our stamping presses by visiting our main website here. Still considering your options? Our helpful sales reps will gladly answer any questions or concerns you have. Contact us today at 256-275-4701 or email us at info@sangiacomo-presses.com.
Welcome to the second article in this blog series on Industry 4.0! In this series, we address unanswered questions and roadblocks surrounding the term and its implementation in factories or small job shops. We tackle the what, why, and how of Industry 4.0, and why it should matter to you. Our previous article discussed the basics of Industry 4.0 and the obstacles to embracing data-driven stamping operations. In this article, we’ll do a deep dive into the mechanisms of Industry 4.0 as they relate to the importance of data, the cyber-physical system (CPS), and how they relate to data-driven stamping operations. In short, we will cover why data matters in Industry 4.0 and how to become Industry 4.0-ready. Why Data Matters in Stamping Operations Have you ever experienced the frustration of being stopped at a red light with you and a line of cars, while there is virtually no cross traffic? Chances are you have, and you wish there were a better traffic light system to control traffic. What if traffic lights could go a step beyond timers and sensors to actually detect cars from afar and actually control them by accelerating and slowing them down, eliminating the need for traditional traffic lights altogether? How do traffic lights relate to Industry 4.0, you might ask? If Industry 4.0 is all about the exchange of data between the physical and cyber world to control a machine, then traffic lights serve as an excellent example of why data matters. Specifically, achieving a more efficient traffic light system starts with collecting the right data, understanding it, and knowing what to do with it. This same principle applies to data-driven stamping operations. Case in Point Regardless of industry, company size, and business, seasoned machine operators know much about the equipment they operate. They observe patterns, try different remedies to avoid nuisance faults, or find synergies to make their jobs easier. If asked, operators can articulate problems with the production process. However, this information resides within the operator and is subjective. For example, an operator may say that there are “dozens of misfeeds” when starting a new production batch. The operator may have an opinion about the cause, but may not be able to determine if the misfeeds are caused by the improper procedure, maintenance issues, or even a machine design flaw. Operators are typically not trained to question matters outside of their environment. Quite the opposite occurs-- they are often discouraged from doing so. Operators do not have the tools and expertise to make a compelling case to management, but data does. Below, let’s look at how would the statement of “experiencing dozens of misfeeds” in the example above might look, as expressed in a digital format: Batch 1 8:03:01 Batch start 8:03:03 Mis-feed 8:03:56 Run 8:04:01 Mis-feed 8:05:12 Run 8:10:38 Batch complete Batch 2 8:17:59 Batch start 8:20:05 Mis-feed 8:21:12 Run 8:24:26 Batch complete Aggregated in a table: Batch 1 2 Run Time 5:33 5:20 Number of Mis-feeds 2 1 Down Time Due to Mid-feeds 2:04 1:07 Total Time 7:37 6:27 The data reveals that the claim of experiencing misfeeds “dozens of times” is rather an expression of frustration, than an estimated count of occurrences. It's certainly not reflecting the number of misfeeds per batch. The data also shows that the misfeeds do not happen at the start of a batch only. Once a system records data, trends can be observed which may not be as obvious as the above. Suppose the same data was tracked in an identical production system, perhaps in a different part of the world, with the following results: Batch 1 2 Run Time 7:14 7:20 Number of Mis-feeds 0 0 Down Time Due to Mis-feeds 0 0 Total Time 7:14 7:20 Takeaways Data helps identify possible reasons for misfeeds. Looking at the total time for production would indicate that the two plants operate with comparable efficiencies. Since each plant is incentivized to achieve the highest efficiencies, you could conclude that the first plant is more efficient by producing two batches in 14 minutes and 4 seconds compared to the second plant with 14 minutes and 34 seconds. But the second plant has a more tightly controlled process which helps the workflow. Those gains could be far greater than the gain in the average cycle time of plant one. Data helps identify ways to increase stamping efficiencies. Variation at plant one is mainly caused by misfeeds. Running at the production speeds of plant one without misfeed would yield a 2-minute saving per batch, and increase efficiencies by 25% in both plants! The more data, the better. If you investigate the time between batches, the data reveals questions that ought to be asked. The timing from plant one shows over 7 minutes time gap between the end of batch one and the beginning of batch two. Does the second plant have the same time gap? What is the reason for this gap? To address the latter question, the data system would need to be expanded so that the gap can be explained. Then, compare it to a benchmark, similarly as was done in the above example. Hence, the more data, the better. The Role of Data in Stamping Operations Data plays an important role in data-driven stamping. But, it’s important to understand how it’s used just as much as why it’s used. The process and logic it takes to improve your stamping operations come, in part, from an important concept in Industry 4.0—the cyber-physical system (CPS). CPSs provide value creation (i.e. more efficient traffic lights) by using the cyber world to sense, recognize, and understand data from the physical machines in order to ultimately analyze, predict, optimize, plan, and autonomously control the machines and processes. Essentially, CPSs provide a way for physical machines and cyber networks to exchange bidirectional communication with each other and use raw data to be translated into value-creation insight and predictions for better and more efficient stamping operations in the factory. In a stamping factory, this process could look like this: While a press (physical world) is continuously running a job, the Manufacturing Execution System (MES) (cyber world) receives process data and status data from the press with each stroke. Ex of process data: order no., stroke rate, press force values, no. parts, stroke counter, etc. Ex of status data: operating status (engaged, disengaged), alarm, events, error data, etc. The MES uses this data to analyze, predict, optimize, plan, and control the press. During continuous press operation, run: The end result could be to autonomously adjust the process or predict when intervention is needed. During continuous press operation, stop: The end result could be service help or a new job set-up. The word “data” is used a lot here, but what type of data are we talking about exactly? In the next article titled “Industry 4.0: Data-Driven Stamping, Part 2”, we’ll cover what data matters and how to use it for value creation. We’ll also explain what kind of stampers are best positioned to achieve Industry 4.0. Sangiacomo Presses Americas is ready to help you optimize your stamping press operations with our adjustable stroke press. Learn more about our stamping presses by visiting our main website here. Still considering your options? Our helpful sales reps will gladly answer any questions or concerns you have. Contact us today at 256-275-4701 or email us at info@sangiacomo-presses.com.
Welcome to the first article in this blog series on Industry 4.0! In this series, we'll address unanswered questions and roadblocks surrounding the term and its implementation in factories or small job shops. We'll tackle the what, why, and how of Industry 4.0, and why it should matter to machine manufacturers and suppliers alike. By now, you’ve probably heard of the buzzword humming in your social media, conference rooms, and industry news outlets. You guessed it—“Industry 4.0”. Let's go over this term’s origin, why it’s relevant, and why this latest revolution has been challenging for some to embrace and implement. In this article titled Industry 4.0: Manufacturing Then vs. Now, we'll cover the following: What is Industry 4.0 and Why is it Relevant? Industry 4.0: Then vs. Now 4 Obstacles to Embracing Industry 4.0 Moving Forward with Industry 4.0 What is Industry 4.0 and Why is it Relevant? Interconnected devices are nowadays commonplace in households with phones, Smart TVs, security cameras, appliances, etc. Thanks to the quick adoption of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) in these industries, the convenience of insight gained from these commonly interconnected devices is done with ease—at least to the common consumer’s eyes. However, if you take a closer look at Industry 4.0 adoption, you’ll see that it’s not so simple after all. When considering Industry 4.0 adoption, there are big differences between industries. This is especially true for the traditional manufacturing industry. For industrial machinery, the intricacies and risks of implementing two-way communication between machinery and computers are much more apparent. This is in part because our industry is historically characterized by lethargy, risk aversion, and resistance to change. This helps explain why the adoption of interconnectivity and the use of data has been slower in industry and between different industries. Notoriously, the adoption of Industry 4.0 in traditional manufacturing has been much slower than in modern technologies, such as additive manufacturing, and in logistics or healthcare. Industry 4.0: Then vs Now To understand more about the buzzword that’s gotten people talking, let’s go over how we got to Industry 4.0 over centuries of innovation: Industry 1.0 The first industrial revolution occurred in the mid to late 18th century, when much of the hand labor was replaced by mechanical devices. Industry 2.0 Near the end of the 19th century, electrification marked the second industrial revolution where mechanical devices were replaced by independently powered machines. Industry 3.0 The third industrial revolution started in the mid-20th century with the arrival of the programmable logic controller. Automation has radically transformed manufacturing ever since. Industry 4.0 The fourth and current industrial revolution grew out of an effort launched by the German government to promote the computerization of traditional manufacturing. The aim of the research was to realize a smart factory by connecting machines based on the Internet of Things (IoT). The term Industry 4.0 was publicly introduced at the 2011 Hannover Fair to indicate that the use of machine data would radically transform manufacturing like the previous three industrial revolutions. 4 Obstacles to Embracing Industry 4.0 Small-size and even mid-size companies are cautious or struggle with implementing Industry 4.0. Here are four possible obstacles to embracing Industry 4.0: Lack of clarity. Companies lack clarity on how to transition to a digital data-driven manufacturing process. In addition, over 850 terms and acronyms are now associated with Industry 4.0 (Fachlexikon MES & Industry 4.0, L. Schleupner, MES D.A.CH Verband e. V). Depending on the industry, equipment manufacturers are equally slow in investing in the technology until it is clear that efforts will help their bottom line or until they're forced to do more. Currently, most of the equipment can be connected to a network which makes them Industry 4.0 ready, but that in itself is useless without software for data exchange. No established software platform. Without a clear winner, the adoption of a software standard stalls until an established software platform is apparent. Remember in the 1980s when consumers delayed video cassette purchases until there was a declared winner between the VHS (Sony) and Beta Max (Toshiba) formats? Decades later, a similar battle ensued between the HD DVD and Blue Ray formats. A similar situation is at hand here with the adoption of I4.0. Security and financial risks. Data exchange software and networked machines require proper security and network maintenance to prevent havoc caused by hackers, automatic updates, malware, and outages. Most companies cannot handle such an IT burden. Reluctant company culture and management. Many factors are at play here, but risk-aversion in company culture and management is one reason that some companies are not willing to embrace a revolutionary change or let data speak. On one hand, it may be due to an inherent resistance to change, or fear about what the data may reveal. In most cases, though, it's an uncomfortable truth that keeps them from embracing change. However, that is exactly the fundamental driver of Industry 4.0— the removal of human biases and limitations such as egos, forgetfulness, stubbornness, etc., and personal politicking. A blog by Pardhasaradhi Reddy Chelikam on the SAP website summarizes the obstacles of digital transformation as follows: High capital investment Business model adaptation Unclear ROI (Return on investment) Lack of adequate skill set to expedite the transformation towards I4.0 functionalities IT security issues (Letting critical process networks open) Reliability/stability of communications between machine-to-machine/user interfaces Reluctance to change management IT system outages/failures that would cause huge re-investment Moving Forward with Industry 4.0 The most common obstacle verbalized is that business is too hot and the human resources are too few. This means that still, so many have not even invested enough to arrive at the above-cited objections. But this trend is changing, as Tim Heston noted in the December 2022 issue of the Fabricator. The focus is shifting from capacity and capability, towards reliability and efficiency. So, we’ve gone over the background, history, importance, and obstacles of Industry 4.0. But how do you overcome those obstacles to embrace the idea of a smart factory? It starts with examining what’s within your reach and control. In the next segments of this blog series, we’ll cover why data matters in Industry 4.0, and what kind of data to start tracking. Stay tuned and subscribe to our blog for more on this. Sangiacomo Presses Americas is ready to help you optimize your stamping press operations with our adjustable stroke press. Learn more about our stamping presses by visiting our main website here. Still considering your options? Our helpful sales reps will gladly answer any questions or concerns you have. Contact us today at 256-275-4701 or email us at info@sangiacomo-presses.com.
McLoone Metal Graphics Story: Stamping Solutions at any Production Volume If you’re anything like McLoone Metal Graphics, you’ve probably experienced the same problem when shopping for a smaller press: finding a stamping press supplier who will work with what you have and customize a press to your specific needs. Matt Dearman–Tooling, Maintenance, and Engineering Manager of McLoone– shares his insight on how Sangiacomo Presses Americas catered to their small press needs and capabilities as a facility doing a lot of small volume jobs to produce product IDs. McLoone purchased three 30-ton C-frame Sangiacomo punch presses in late 2018 to use in their process of manufacturing metal nameplates. This adjustable stroke press is well suited for applications with higher production speeds for increased productivity, like blanking and stamping. The T-30CE press features the following, plus standard features not listed here: 13.78-inch max die height (table to ram distance) 80-200 strokes per minute 0.31-2.99 inches adjustable stroke length 2.36-inch ram adjustment (slide adjustment) 300 kN max capacity Additionally, McLoone recently installed their fourth Sangiacomo press—a 50-ton adjustable stroke press. For technical details on this press and the 30-ton press, download our C-frame product brochure here. The Dilemma It was time for McLoone to replace their old 22-ton gap frame presses, but other press suppliers weren’t offering the needed solutions. Specifically, they needed new presses compatible with the library of 10,000 dies they’ve used since the ’60s. This meant that they needed smaller presses with clearances compatible with the dies. If you’ve ever been in McLoone’s shoes, you know what this implies. They had to seek out smaller, niche suppliers of smaller ton presses willing to sell you only what you need and nothing you don’t. Matt explains, “A lot of press manufacturers want to sell you a 200-ton straight-side press. So, the market for a smaller gap frame press is a bit more laser focused. I guess there are just not as many companies that even want to get into that business. That said, there are still some niche manufacturers out there. We considered a few of them, but again– we're looking at the size of the actual press itself, the compatibility to what we had, the speed of the press, the ease of setup, and the changeover time.” The Solution Matt continues, “As I said, there's not a ton of manufacturers out there that are selling new, smaller presses, so we chose Sangiacomo because of their willingness to build a machine that was close to what we wanted. It was also nice working directly with the manufacturer in Italy. We made some modifications to the presses, so it wasn't just off of the assembly line. The shank-sized pole was different from what you typically have, and we had custom poles in the bolster plates and bolster plate thicknesses. So, by being willing to work with us instead of selling what they make, they provided us a machine that we could use.” Better Changeovers and Feed System Integration Aside from the initial impression of working with Sangiacomo, Matt highlights the ease of changeovers and feed system integration with a Sangiacomo adjustable stroke press: “We do a lot of smaller volume runs, meaning we have orders for 500 pieces. We might change a die in and out of a punch press three times in an 8 to 10-hour shift, so that changeover time is important to us. We don't want to spend two hours changing a die over. With Sangiacomo, our changeovers usually only take 15 to 20 minutes. We have a good system down for SMED, and we try to keep our changeover times down with the flexibility of the guarding and everything else”, Matt says. Regarding the feed system integration, Matt adds, “We use a specific feed system that allows a tight register between the printing and the cutting for our nameplates. Since the feed manufacturer also uses Sangiacomo presses in building integrated systems that they sell, we knew that it would adapt very well and enable us to wire the feed into the control of the press and have the needed handshake of the feed and the press. In our industry, we don’t just stamp raw aluminum–it’s mostly all screen printed to suit our customers’ designs, logos, and artwork. Because of this, we have to maintain a tolerance of 10 thousandths of an inch between the printing and the cutting. So, it has to be right there– regular pneumatic feeds just don't work for our industry.” To summarize McLoone’s experience with the initial design and use of their adjustable stroke presses from Sangiacomo, Matt concludes, “We had to have something that was going to work with our feeds at the right speed with safety. Those are our biggest three criteria, but with the price and, again–the adaptability and willingness to work with us to build the size of presses that we needed rather than what you sold– was a big decision maker.” To learn why Sangiacomo Presses Americas offers some of the best stamping presses, check out other timesaving and productivity-increasing advantages of an adjustable stroke press here. Related Pages: C-Frame Presses About McLoone Metal Graphics McLoone is a product identification manufacturer in La Crosse, WI. They specialize in ID plates, custom nameplates, labels, and graphic overlays for commercial and industrial applications in nearly every industry. To learn more, visit their website here. McLoone Metal Graphics 75 Sumner St La Crosse, WI 54603 Phone: 800-624-6641 Email: info@mcloone.com
As discussed in our previous article about the relationship between downtime and repair costs, there's also a relationship between tool life and impact velocity when a press is in action. Let's discuss how to get longer tool life with an adjustable stroke press. You probably already know that tool maintenance can be expensive. There are preventative technologies out there that are worth investing in to protect and maintain the longevity of your tools. One of these preventative technologies is an adjustable stroke press. How does an adjustable stroke press increase tool life? Recall that an adjustable stroke press uses shorter strokes. This inherently reduces the velocity at the point where the die punches make contact with the material. Similar to a person going down a short slide, the impact of a person hitting the ground at the end of the slide will be much less than when going down a long slide. This is because velocity has a chance to build up, resulting in a higher impact upon contact with the ground. The more this person goes down the long slide with faster velocity, the quicker their body will begin the ache from the repeated impact with the ground. So, when the stroke length on an adjustable stroke press is reduced, the impact velocity is also reduced, resulting in less wear and tear to your tools and dies over time. Want to see a technical illustration of ram velocity on an adjustable stroke press vs. a fixed stroke press? Check out our other article here. Contact us today to learn more about our adjustable stroke press technology and discuss your stamping needs.
There are many ways you can extend the life of your press through preventative maintenance, but we won't be covering that today. What we will be covering is one way to extend press life through adjustable stroke press technology. An adjustable stroke press has variable stroke length built into the machine. With a manual 15 minute stroke change, the press can do different types of forming all on the same press-- stamping, blanking, coining, and deep drawing. They key concept here is that only an adjustable stoke press allows you to do this and not worry about damaging the press frame from misuse. Breakdown of longer press life with an adjustable stroke press Consider all that goes on inside a press while it's running: Repeated ram movements, tools making contact with the material being formed, and other dynamic forces. These forces can become harmful and damaging to the press frame and drive system. However, when stroke length is reduced to the shortest stroke possible, you reduce those harmful forces and increase the life of the press. In a previous article, we used this graph to illustrate the effect of ram velocity on throughput, but it can also be used to explain longer tool life with an adjustable stroke press: This graph compares the impact velocity of a long stroke (40 mm) and a short stroke (20 mm) during a full ram rotation, at 50 strokes per minute. At 90 degrees, the ram velocity curve of the 20 mm stroke (yellow) is 5 inch/s faster than the 40 mm stroke (orange). Though this difference may seem small, when you consider the unnecessary ram movement from the longer stroke (40 mm), that 5 inch/s difference from the shorter stroke (20 mm) has a significant effect on press life. Therefore, by using a shorter stroke that's achievable with an adjustable stroke press, it's possible to reduce stress to press frame and drive system overtime. Want to learn more? Contact a sales representative today to talk technical specs of our adjustable stroke presses.
Every penny matters whether you're a high-volume production facility or a small metal forming shop. There is a close relationship between downtime and machine utilization and costs; when your press isn't working, the costs can become significant. It's worth every company's effort to track and measure maintenance, repair, and downtime costs in order to evaluate whether new machinery is worth the cost. In most cases, with an adjustable stroke press, it is. We recommend an adjustable stroke press if you're searching for a new press that will reduce downtime and provide huge returns on investment. ROI with an adjustable stroke press To illustrate the value of investing in more efficient presses, let's go through an ROI example using real customer data from a study conducted by Sangiacomo Presses Americas in 2019. A customer was using two 25-year-old presses 50% of the time each. They replaced them with one adjustable stroke press machine. They could now use one machine 100% of the time instead of two machines 50% of the time. Remember that an adjustable stroke press is suitable for multiple types of forming because the adjustable stroke length allows for varying tool sizes. This is why the customer was able to get rid of their old presses and just use one press machine at 100%. Objective 1: What are the savings during the first two years? Objective 2: What is the machine's ROI in savings? Assuming machine replacement every ten years $80k adjustable stroke press over two years: 1 press every 10 years: 2 x 80,000/10 = $16,000 Opportunity costs, better floor space utilization: 24 months x $600 = $14,000 Tool Maintenance, est. 1 service/year: 2 x $2500 = $5,000 Repair costs, est. 1 incident/year: 2 x $1000 = $2,000 Lost shift due to component failure, est. 1/year: 2 x $1000 = $2,000 Maintenance cost, est. 1 shift/year: 2 x $1000 = $2,000 Total savings over two years on a press that costs $80,000: $41,400 What this means By replacing their old machine with an adjustable stroke press, the customer was able to pay off the $80k upfront cost in 4 years, leaving six years of pure profit. With modest complex tooling and one shift per day, this is the ROI-inducing performance we typically see with our customers: 10-25% higher production rates 20-30% longer die life 10-30% reduction in downtime Questions to ask yourself when assessing the ROI of an adjustable stroke press * These final numbers were used in the above ROI example using real customer data 1. What does it cost you when a machine is not producing? This question addresses machine utilization and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). An adjustable stroke press is multiple machines in one, thereby freeing up floor space for more value-adding machine operations. ROI Example: 10' x 20’ sq ft and machine utilized 50% more Floor space: $6/sq ft per month 200 sq ft x 6 = $1200 50% x $1200 = $600* $600 savings from better floor space utilization 2. What does it cost you to sharpen and shim? This question addresses tool life and maintenance costs per tool. By using shorter strokes with an adjustable stroke press, the impact velocity is also lower, thereby reducing wear and tear on the tool and increasing its life up to 50% longer. ROI Example: Doubling the tool life of a reasonable midsized tool that costs $5,000 to repair 50% x $5000 = $2,500* $2,500 savings in tool maintenance per tool 3. What does it cost you to repair a mechanical or electrical component that has prematurely failed? This question addresses machine repair costs. One premature failure of a mechanical/electrical component can cost $1000 in repair per incident. Sangiacomo builds commercially-available electrical components into all their presses, meaning less machine downtime and hoops to jump through when ordering replacement parts. Ready to invest in your operations with an adjustable stroke press that has proven to create ROI for our customers? Contact us today to get an ROI assessment or a quote.
In a previous article, we explained why the shortest stroke is optimal for efficient stamping operations. Now, let's explain how shorter strokes using an adjustable stroke press enable more parts produced per minute and provide an advantage to high-volume stamping facilities. Most presses in our competitive market are fixed-stroke, meaning that they can only operate at one stroke length. Not only does this limit press operators in the type of forming they do on a single press, but it also has the potential to waste a lot of machine productivity. The solution to this problem is found with adjustable stroke length. Remember that with high-speed stamping, the optimal stroke is the shortest stroke possible. This is because the ram has less distance to travel, and therefore, the velocity is faster. With less unnecessary ram movement comes the advantage of higher speeds, resulting in more parts produced per minute. Let's illustrate this below: This figure compares the ram velocity of a 40 mm stroke (orange) and a 20 mm stroke (yellow) during a full rotation, at 50 strokes per minute. As can be seen in the graph, the ram velocity curve of the 40 mm stroke at 90 degrees is 10 inch/s, while the 20 mm stroke's ram velocity is 5 inch/s. The 5 inch/s difference between the two stroke lengths has a positive effect on throughput. With the 20 mm stroke length comes faster ram velocity, causing better use of energy. This example shows that you can increase throughput with an adjustable stroke press by using shorter strokes. We hope this short article helped you understand the important dynamic between adjustable stroke length and an increase in throughput. If you'd like to learn more about adjustable stroke press technology, check out this page. Interested in a Sangiacomo adjustable stroke press? Contact us to request a quote.
Here's the thing about fixed-stroke mechanical presses... Inefficient and outdated stamping operations can cause production bottlenecks in your stamping operations. This can result in downtimes and backlogs. One of the possible culprits is the use of fixed stroke presses that are only compatible with the type of forming for which it is designed. The problem? Instead of using one machine for multiple types of forming, some fabrication shops are using a separate fixed stroke press for each type of forming. The disadvantage? Downtimes from scheduled maintenance and unexpected repairs or press replacements. To illustrate the effects of downtime, let's say you have 1 stamping press and 1 blanking presses in your multi-application metal forming shop. One day, the stamping press stops working, leaving you without a backup press. Unfortunately, a fixed stroke press does not offer the versatility of an adjustable stroke press. So, when one press is down, you have no backup. This causes backlogs and forced downtime while you wait for repairs or a replacement. The solution? One adjustable stroke press can serve as a back up to several fixed stroke presses, eliminating backlogs and downtime mentioned in the previous example. Since certain jobs require a specific stroke length and die height, adjusting the stroke length for the desired job allows for a variety of jobs to be performed on a single press. An adjustable stroke press is multiple machines in one-- stamping, blanking, coining, drawing, and bending. While your operations were once limited to the type of fixed stroke press you owned, an adjustable stroke press offers this kind of versatility. Implications of adjustable stroke press on reducing production bottlenecks in your stamping operations Increased floor space When you replace a fixed stroke press with an adjustable stroke press, you free up floor space previously occupied by single-job presses. Return on investment With an adjustable stroke press, you can produce more parts per minute without damaging the press frame and tools. This results in the benefit of less downtime and repair costs. Learn more Have questions? Contact us to speak with an expert about eliminating production bottlenecks with an adjustable stroke press.
Recently, ART Metals Group (ART) shared their experience with us. If you’ve ever doubted whether an adjustable stroke press has the ability to positively affect your company’s bottom line, you’ll want to keep reading this case study about how an adjustable stroke stamping press drives business growth. Chad Wyan, Director of Engineering at ART, located in Fairfield, OH, had a problem. ART was receiving a lot of requests for short-run production jobs and could not take them because of high tool costs in relation to the job size. Chad’s solution? A low-tonnage adjustable stroke press from Sangiacomo Presses. ART purchased a Sangiacomo T-50 C-frame flywheel punch press. This press is well suited for applications with higher production speeds for increased productivity, such as blanking and stamping. The T-50 C-frame press features the following, plus standard features not listed here: 15.75-inch max die height (table to ram distance) 140 strokes per minute (variable speed available as an option) 0.47-4.33 inch adjustable stroke length 2.76 ram adjustment (slide adjustment) 500 kN max pressure (capacity) Chad explains, “Since I joined the company, we were seeing estimates with a lot of lower volumes that didn't justify a multi-out approximately $50,000 tool to run 10,000 pieces a year. With the Sangiacomo press and the lower tonnage press, we decided we could make a single-out tool where we could interchange some components in one master die, make various parts with that tool, and be competitive on these lower volume quotes that nobody else really wants. So, even if it was a lower volume quote that nobody else wants to take, we can increase margin and lower tool costs, and it made good business sense.” Chad continues, “The adjustable stroke was key, giving us the ability to take a variety of parts and put more parts into that press than if I went with, say, a straight-sided press. With a straight-sided press, we would need to slow down the speed and go with a larger stroke to accommodate the same amount of parts.” “Once I could show that I can cover 80% or 85% of the quotes we're seeing that we typically just no-quote or pass on, and have the opportunity to bid on them and win some new customers, along with adding more business with existing customers, then higher management was all in on the adjustable stroke Sangiacomo press”, Chad explains. “Probably the other big thing about the Sangiacomo Press was the adjustable stroke on the press because we do mainly round work, but we do a large variety of it, and we kind of did the master die concept.” “Looking at it, we could run pretty much anything under four inches in diameter. And with the adjustable stroke, I can run faster on the smaller parts and slower on the larger parts, but I've got the flexibility to go between the two. Some of the other presses we have here are fixed strokes, so I'm running say a one-inch part, but I've got a six-inch stroke. Obviously, I'm wasting a lot of time. I'm only running 70 strokes a minute whereas, on the Sangiacomo adjustable stroke stamping press, I can crank it up to 180.” “So, with the feed line and everything, it fits into our existing floor plan. Now that we have it here, everybody likes the less expensive tooling. We can get a part into production in a lot quicker lead time because I'm not building a big die”, concludes Chad. Click here to see the full technical data on the Sangiacomo T-50 C-frame flywheel press. To view the full line of Sangiacomo presses, download our product brochure. Check out other time-saving and productivity-increasing advantages of an adjustable stroke press here. For more background on this story, check out this article that was featured in the September 2022 issue of MetalForming Magazine, written by Brad Kuvin. About ART Metals Group ART Metals Group is a full-service global supplier of precision metal stamping and assemblies, thrust bearings, and coining services. Based in Ohio, they serve numerous industries of Auto, Truck, Bus, Solar, HVAC, Military, AG, and more. ART specializes in providing quality products produced on time and under budget. Check out some of their past projects here. Interested in making ART your supplier? Contact them here: Email: sales@artmetalsgroup.com Phone: 513-942-8800 Fax: 513-942-3200 Address: 3795 Symmes Road, Fairfield, OH 45015