Process Monitoring and Control
Posted on 11/19/2018 | by The Orbitform Blog Team
We strive every day to find stability and control in our lives. Why not choose the same path with your manufacturing and assembly processes? At Orbitform, we provide solutions that monitor your machine process to help you find that process stability. We search for ways to improve quality and reduce your scrap by integrating our Process Intelligence packages into our forming, riveting, and assembly equipment.
Process Intelligence – “Process Monitoring”
Force Monitoring - Orbitform’s internal mounted load cell package provides force monitoring of the process as the head advances to process the workpiece. Minimum and maximum force parameters are established to verify the peak force was within the acceptable range during every cycle.
Distance Monitoring – Orbitform’s internal mounted LVDT package provides stroke monitoring of the head as it advances to process the workpiece. Minimum and maximum position parameters are established to verify the head stroke position finished within the acceptable range during every cycle.
Pre-Form Stack up Height Verification – Orbitform’s internal mounted LVDT and load cell packages, along with a programmable height sensing pressure pad, are used in conjunction to validate the pre-form stick-out height of the workpiece to the joint stack-up height is within the acceptable range prior to processing the workpiece.
Detecting Workpiece Presence – Using the same machine set-up as “force monitoring” or “pre-form stack-up height” condition as described above, presence of the workpiece can be detected every cycle.
Multiple Z-Axis Forming Positions within a Machine Cycle – Orbitform’s Servo Z -axis control package and our Servo Riveters provide the capability to process workpieces at different height positions. Our Servo-Z option to our pneumatic powerheads automatically adjusts the position of the internal stop gear, which changes the finished form height position. Our Servo Riveters provide ultimate precision control of the head stroke within the total stroke of each unit.
Process Intelligence – “Process Control”
Form to a Force – Using Orbitform’s internal mounted load cell package, this feature provides the capability to complete the process cycle upon achieving a set process force.
Form to a distance - Using Orbitform’s internal mounted LVDT package, this feature provides the capability to complete the process cycle upon achieving a set advanced position of the head.
Form to a “Form Collapse” – Using Orbitform’s internal mounted load cell and LVDT packages, along with our programmable height sensing pressure pad and motor clutch/brake package; upon tooling contact of the workpiece during low pressure or low speed head advancement, this position becomes “0”, and then the head advances to the set “form collapse” position and then retracts.
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