Quick Facts
| Type of Machine | Automated Die Storage & Retrieval System | ||
| Industry | Aerospace | ||
| Special Features | T-Table staging device 15,000lb max tool weight 20-tool storage capacity | ||
| Challenge | Automate the die change process to reduce change-over time and improve operator safety. | ||
| Solution | Beckwood developed a high-efficiency Quick Die Change System (QDC) with an Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) for automatic transfer of the tool into the press. The ASRS can manipulate tools up to 15,000-lbs and utilizes a trolley cart and T-table to stage upcoming dies while the press is running production. When the current run ends and the press is ready for changeover, airbags lift the tool, allowing it to be shuttled from the T-table into the press. Once the tool is positioned in the press, hydraulic clamps lock the tool in place, completing the die change sequence. While the newly loaded tool is running in the press, the ASRS returns the previous tool to its storage location and begins to stage the next tool. | ||
| Results | With the ASRS, this aerospace customer reduced changeover time from 2 hours to 10 minutes, adding 3.5 hours of production during a typical 8 hr shift. |
Manufacturers of all shapes and sizes are taking advantage of the benefits of quick die change technology. Across nearly all industries, production runs are getting shorter and more diverse – requiring more frequent tool changes. As the frequency of tool changes increase per week, day, & shift, the ROI and justification for quick die change products starts to take shape.
Quick die change equipment is no longer just clamps inside the machine – the options extend far beyond that – oftentimes touching the tool long before it is physically loaded into the machine.
Recently, Beckwood has seen a large increase in demand for Automated Die Storage & Retrieval Systems (ASRS). An ASRS can manipulate tools up to 15,000-lbs and utilizes a trolley cart and T-table to stage upcoming dies while the press is running production. When the current run ends and the press is ready for changeover, airbags lift the tool, allowing it to be shuttled from the T-table into the press. Once the tool is positioned in the press, hydraulic clamps lock the tool in place, completing the die change sequence. While the newly loaded tool is running in the press, the ASRS returns the previous tool to its storage location and begins to stage the next tool.
One aerospace supplier implemented a Beckwood-engineered ASRS in 2017 and reduced their die changeover time from 2 hours to 10 minutes while requiring zero human “touches” of the tooling throughout the changeover process. Their ASRS operates in tandem with the two 1400-ton bulge forming presses and uses four 15HP motors to drive the lead screws on the die handling system.
Add a Quick Die Change System to your existing press