EJP Maschinen GmbH continues its innovation in combined drawing machines. The latest automation technology allows bringing the consistent improvements in equipment that for a long time has not been object of significant changes.
Time for Innovation
EJP Maschinen GmbH continues its innovation in combined drawing machines. The latest automation technology allows bringing the consistent improvements in equipment that for a long time has not been object of significant changes. EJP basically continued the trend of replacing wherever possible the fluids systems, traditionally installed in the combined drawing lines, with electrical systems. From the mechanical point of view, the application of special motors and relevant controlling systems allowed to satisfy higher standards of precision required from the market.
Some news about the main current improvements realized by EJP:
Pulling carriages with electric servomotors
After more than one year of successful operation the pulling carriages, with opening and closing of the clamps by means of electric servomotors, became a standard in EJP drawing units. The electric servomotors, replacing the traditional hydraulic cylinders, allow not having fluids on the two carriages which means easier installation and maintenance.
This arrangement makes also possible an easier setting of the machine. In the traditional version it is required the performance of skilled operators to adjust manually the functions of the drawing unit. Particularly in the case of changing the dimension of the drawn wire a manual adjustment of the cylinders stroke is required. A wrong or not precise adjustment causes the wire slipping which goes to affect the precision of the cut.
Thanks to suitable servomotors, the operator has only the task of setting on the display the type of clamp mounted on the machine and recalling the recipe relevant to the material under process previously stored on the system. No loss of time for adjustments or testing. In this way, setting becomes a process easily repeatable and independent from the ability of the operator.
The electric carriages can be also installed in existing lines with a simple modification (replacement of the sliding guides). The carriages are supplied with their own electric cabinet which will work in full integration with the existing system.
Compact drawing unit with main direct drive
EJP is ending successfully one year of production with the first compact version of the drawing unit. In this new version, the direct drive of the cams shaft is carried out by a special motor torque. With this arrangement there is no need of the main gear box which alone is the cause of the loss of at least 20% of the power generated by the main motor. The result is a consistent energy saving.
Another aspect is that, in the traditional version, the drawing unit is surrounded by a multitude of auxiliary systems (lubrication unit for the die, lubrication unit for guide lubrication, hydraulic unit for clamps closing/opening, etc.). EJP designed a compact “black box” with integrated auxiliary systems, easy to install, easy to connect, easy to operate with the display mounted directly on the sliding covers.
Electric Impact Shear “EIS”
After the successful testing in its workshop, EJP is ending the manufacturing of the first electric impact shear which will start the production test by the end of this year. The impact needed to cut the drawn wire, traditionally performed by one hydraulic cylinder, in this new version is carried out by means of a special brushless motor which can guarantee high performances in terms of speed and precision.
An important modification has been carried out also on the cutting head drive which allows the system to know in every moment exactly the position of the head with consequent precision in cut and optimization of the tag and tail length. Also, in this case the aim was designing a very compact unit easy to install. This equipment can be also installed in existing lines replacing traditional hydraulic shears.
Direct drive of the straightening rolls
In the two roll straightening machines, EJP replaced the traditional DC motor – gearbox with an arrangement of a special AC motor driven by inverter and belt transmission. In this case, besides removing the lubrication system of the gearbox, it has been overcome the problem of the heat produced by the high number of rolls turns required by the straightening process.
High precision chamfering machine
The latest requirement coming from the market is a stricter dimensional tolerance of the bars chamfers in order to optimize the machining of the bars downstream of the drawing process. EJP designed and realized a machine, currently under testing, which through a sophisticated automation system controls all the movements of the chamfering heads. Self-centering clamps allows a precise positioning of the bars. Particular care has been given to the containment of the chips produced during machining. No hydraulic units will be needed in this equipment.
Automatic shot flow management of the shotblasting machines
EJP Tosca Strahlanlagen Gmbh in cooperation with the sister company Tosca s.r.l. since thirty years supplies inline and offline shot-blasting machines for the mechanical cleaning of the wire. On the inline shotblasting machines, which after so many years have reached high standards of performance and reliability, EJP Tosca proposes the automatic shot flow management as an optional. This is a system able to optimize automatically the consumption of shots and energy needed in the process. The quantity of shots given to the turbines is adjusted in relation to the drawing speed, the wire diameter, the starting surface condition as well as the steel grade by means of a system of servodrives and sensors.
Main Purposes of the New Design
The above mentioned improvements are currently the most important, but several smaller changes have been realized in the optimization of the fluids management and not only. In designing the new equipment EJP Maschinen GmbH has followed several main purposes.
Simplifying the installation of the line
All the auxiliary equipment such hydraulic and lubrication units are usually supplied separated from the machine and mounted/connected on site with a considerable loss of time usually with a result of a “messy” arrangement due to the amount of cables and pipes needed. In the new arrangement, wherever possible, the auxiliary plants are integrated in the machine forming a very compact unit. By connecting the electric cables the unit is ready to run.
Reducing the energy consumption
In the traditional combined drawing lines the major energy consumption is given by the main motor (usually not with high performances) which has to support the power loss of the relevant gearbox. Added to above, all the auxiliary equipment, even if less important in terms of power, often is incorrectly used during the stop of the machine.
In the new lines, beside removing wherever possible hydraulic and lubrication units, EJP carried a careful work of optimization on the fluids systems that inevitably has still to exist. This is the case of the smart management of the die lubrication and the drop system for the lubrication of the drawing unit’s guides.
Reducing the environmental impact
All the fluids such lubricant and hydraulic oil have physiologic losses during their life time with necessity of refilling. At the end of their lifetime disposal is an important issue. With removal of the most of fluid systems and with the optimization of the lubrication which cannot be replaced, it has been removed also the need of the most of the disposal with obvious benefits for the environment.
Simplifying the operator’s work
Times of reactions of hydraulic and pneumatic devices are not stable during their working life due to temperature changes, pressure and load losses, etc. This means continuous adjustments by skilled operators. Wherever possible, through the installation of special motors, EJP tried to ease the set-up and adjustment work with the possibility of memorizing and, in the future, recalling the same parameters through a simple HMI system.
Reducing the maintenance work
Fluids, pumps, filters, piping have to be periodically refilled or replaced. By reducing the most of the fluids systems the maintenance work has been drastically reduced.
Increasing performances
Less adjustments, faster reaction speed, repeatability of set-ups, continuous feedbacks from the equipment are all parameters which increase performances of the combined drawing lines in terms of quantity and quality of the final products.