IntellCutProcess – Optimisation of cutting processes using intelligent cutting tools

Situation:

• The company Adient produces seat rails (by forming and punching of steel sheet) with an annual production of approx. 60 million pieces.
• In approx. 70 % of the cases the punch loses its dimensional accuracy due to surface wear (cutting edges becomes blunt and partial flaking can appear) à there is a great need to improve the process and tools.
• Fagor is a world specialist in the design and manufacturing of Sheet Metal Cutting and Processing Lines for coils with widths of up to 2,500 mm and thicknesses between 0.5 mm and 30 mm.
• Several steel makers and service centres have contacted Fagor and Zorrotz tool maker in order to develop new solutions for the processing of last generation high strength steels. This is a real unsolved problem in the current steel industry in terms of coil preparation and cutting operations, due to the very high operating forces and tool wear.

Solution:

• Development of a multi-component solution with a wear predictive strategy consisting of:
  • a wear warning system,
  • optical analysis tool for the edges (cut edge evaluation),
  • measurement and analysis of important process parameters,
  • software tool for wear prediction.

• Development of sensor-equipped (intelligent) tools
• Optimisation of tool (material and wear protective coating)
• Development of optimised surface topography of the tools as well as adaptation of tool geometries and process conditions

Operational benefit:

• Extension of tool change cycles by increasing tool service lifetime
• Reduction of production waste due to poor cut edge quality
• Reduction of press line downtime due to tool breakage
• Improvement of process understanding

• coating
• Force sensor
• materials
• prediction model
• Punching
• Shearing
• simulation
• Wear