03/13/2014

Fast material change ensures high flexibility

SCHRAG launches production on its seventh Schuler blanking line to manufacture edging profiles for industrial and commercial buildings

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The line comprises coil loading, decoiler, straightener, coil laminator, roll feed, hole punch and cut-to-length shear.

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The coil is automatically threaded into the Vario straightener which can straighten thicknesses of 0.75 to 4.00 millimeters.

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Finally, the cut-to-length shear cuts the blanks from the coil ready to be stacked.

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SCHRAG will use the blanking line to produce edging profiles such as purlins and bolts, pilasters and frames (clockwise from top left).

Edging profiles are a mainstay of industrial and commercial buildings: the lightweight metal strips are ideal for the easy, fast and safe construction of roofs and walls. The profiles produced using press brake technology, such as purlins and bolts, fanlight frames and box gutters, provide the flexibility and design freedom to create best-fit solutions for a variety of requirements. Profiles also offer added value as wall coverings, window and door frames, as well as photovoltaic support structures. As a member of the SCHRAG Group, SCHRAG| Edging Profiles has now launched production on its seventh Schuler blanking line to manufacture such edging profiles.

“Schuler is a reliable partner for our production,” says Thomas Goswin, Managing Partner of SCHRAG Kantprofile GmbH. Schuler’s automation experts have incorporated various improvements proposed by SCHRAG: “Together, we were able to adapt and improve the blanking line for our specific purposes.”

The line includes coil loading, decoiler, straightener, coil laminator, roll feed, hole punch and cut-to-length shear. But to start at the beginning: in the first stage of the production process, the decoiler is loaded with one of three coils on a rotatable storage unit – each coil can weigh as much as twelve metric tons and be up to 1,600 millimeters wide. The rotatable three-coil storage unit ensures a high degree of flexibility, as it enables the manufacturer to quickly change materials. Thanks to the optimized rewinding function, the coil which is no longer required can be quickly and precisely rewound.

Automatic importing of CAD data

Product changeovers are also accelerated by preparations for the automatic importing of CAD data, providing further proof of the line’s high degree of flexibility. Once the coil has been threaded, it is straightened by the automatically positioned Vario straightener which can straighten thicknesses of 0.75 to 4.00 millimeters. If required, the strip can then be coated with a protective film in a coil lamination unit – an optional feature which Schuler integrated into the line at SCHRAG’s request.

The next station after the loop pit is the roll feed. Thanks to its direct drive with servo motors, this unit can transfer high accelerations and speeds onto the coil and position it for the next station: the Vario punch. This unit provides various holes or notchings for fixing the profiles. Finally, the cut-to-length shear cuts the blanks from the coil and they are ready to be stacked. The parts then continue to the press brake process, for example, before they are finally ready for use.