Cell Automation & Integration: Automation at Your Fingertips
Bring your next tube end forming project to life with cell automation & integration from Proto-1 Manufacturing. Proto-1 has the in-house engineering and electrical capabilities to automate any tube end forming project. Whether your project requires a custom or standard tube end forming machine, we have the knowledge and know-how to meet your project needs and requirements. We can be your best kept secret for your next automation project, by having the ability to integrate automation in-house cuts down on project lead times and gets your next project up and running faster. Our team here at Proto-1 is ready to assist with your next automated tube end forming project!
We have experience in integration automation in Ram Tube End Forming, Rotary Tube End Forming, Segmented Tube End Forming, and Custom Tube End Forming.
Please take some time to view some of our past automation projects by click on the accordions below.
Automated Custom RAM Machine
Customer Problem | Pain Point:
Many components in the vehicles that we drive every day are formed tubes. A customer within the automotive industry approached Proto-1 to create an automated solution to produce a steering component for future lines of automotive vehicles.
Engineering A Solution:
In order to form these steering components, thick wall mild steel must be reduced down to the customer’s specification. Based on the customers strict tolerances, cycle time required, and request for minimal operator involvement, the decision was made to design and build a custom automated machine based off Proto-1’s RAM platform. Our RAM series of tube end forming machines uses hydraulic force to push a tool over a clamped tube, thus reducing/swaging the end of the tube. Depending on the thickness of the material, shape required, and tolerances, multiple tool hits may be needed to progressively size down the tube to meet the specifications. In the case of this project, the end form at hand needed 3 hits to properly form the end to the required specification.
Designing a custom automated machine not only reduced operator involvement, but it also allowed that involvement to be done while the machine was running. Using zoned safety areas, the operator was allowed to load the feed hopper while the machine was completing its process on the forming side. The outfeed table system was designed to allow the tubes to be unloaded and packed into bins by the operator while the machine continued to produce parts.
To start, the operator loads tubes into the feed hopper. The tubes would move from the hopper to an infeed system. That infeed system would transfer the tube into the forming die. From there the forming die would clamp the tube, it would then be justified, and then a mandrel would be inserted. The mandrel was needed to help achieve the tolerances and form specified by the customer. Once the tube is seated, the ram shuttle with the tooling would move in to form the end of the tube. After that process was complete, the outfeed system would shuttle underneath the tube and the mandrel relocated back to home. The outfeed system then moved the tube to the transfer plate where it would be offloaded to an outfeed table where an operator or robot could remove the final product.
Final Tube Forming Solution Delivered to Customer:
When the machine is running in full auto mode, this custom RAM tube end forming machine could produce a part every 28.8 seconds. The final product was swaged down from 2.00” to 1.75” on 0.120” wall mild steel. This automated tube end forming solution provided our customer with the ability to utilize their operator time more effectively, while producing parts to their specification, within their cycle time requirements.
Proto-1 was approached by a customer within the Aerospace industry with a rotary tube end forming problem. The problem at hand was cutting sections of stainless steel tube and pipe into smaller pieces that could be used for vacuum waste tubes. Their current process, which included sawing and then hand grinding, proved to be tedious and inefficient as the tube sections had to be square in order used within the waste duct assemblies.
Engineering a Solution:
Tasked with this problem, Proto-1 engineered and manufactured an automated solution. Our engineering staff made sure to take the time to understand all of our customers current issues so Proto-1 could engineer a solution to solve their problem. This solution came to be an automated RFM-10 rotary tube end forming machine. The RFM-10 was then coupled with Proto-1's cut off tooling that uses a rotary shear method, leaving a clean cut edge. Not only did the rotary cut off tooling leave a clean cut, it also provided the customer with the squareness that their product required. Added on to the RFM-10 was 20+ foot long table. This table allowed the customer to fully load 10 or 20 foot sections of tube and pipe to be trimmed. After each trimming cycle, the table would move the tube section into the RFM for another cycle, providing continuous trimming for the whole section of tube.
Final Tube Forming Solution Delivered to Customer:
The end result provided our customer with a faster more repeatable solution that is still running production every day for the Aerospace industry. The automated solution allowed our customer to increase their capacity to take on additional work from their customer. Proto-1 created a lasting partnership with this company and this automated RFM-10 is just one example how we improved their current internal processes.
In recent years, a customer had come to Proto-1 with no knowledge of tube end forming. They sought a method to end form tubes for use within Automotive industry. These tubes were double beaded and were installed behind bumpers of vehicles in the instance of a sudden force or accident. When enough force was applied to the bumper, these tubes would collapse, dampening the force applied to the bumper.
Engineering A Solution:
Using our past experience with projects for the Automotive industry, Proto-1 devised that the RFM-6 rotary tube end forming machine would be the right platform. A double head version of the RFM-6 would double the forming capacity while providing a fast cycle time for each forming side of the tube forming machine. The customer was required to yield a very high amount of product and because of this our engineering team decided that automation would play a integral role in delivering the required high quantity. The automation came in the form of magazines that were added to each forming side of the end forming machine. These magazines would automatically feed tubes to the machine, eliminating the process of an operator having to individually load each tube by hand. Servos were added on each side to move each tube into the forming location. Once formed, the servos would retract and the tubes would drop out from the bottom through a chute where they would go into a bin. The magazines would then drop a new tube in place and the cycle would restart.
Final Tube Forming Solution Delivered to Customer:
In the end, the customer received an automated double head RFM-6 tube end forming machine. Lexan polycarbonate guarding surrounded the working area of the machine providing additional safety. The operator was only required to load the magazines, replace the part bins, and monitor the machine. Each side of the machine could produce a part every 16 seconds for a total of 7.5 parts a minute. During a single 8 hour shift, this machine could produce 3600 parts for a total of 936,000 parts per year (based on a single 8 hour shift for 260 working days, not including weekends, overtime, or additional shifts). The combination of the automation with the quick cycle time from machine met the customer's high quantity requirements and led the way to additional projects.
Electrical conduit is widely used to run electrical components in the buildings and infrastructure throughout of the world. A manufacturer of steel EMT (electrical metal tubing) contacted Proto-1 with a new problem. When steel EMT is used in the field, the 10 or 20 foot sections have to be assembled together. This assembly process, when repeated in large numbers, was inefficient for contractors in the field who were installing conduit in large structures. The manufacturer of the steel EMT wanted to supply contractors with steel EMT that came with pre-installed set screws or compression couplings, but they lacked a solution that could turn the raw material into the final product with one process.
Engineering A Solution:
In order to accommodate to the customer's requirements, Proto-1 would have to build its largest custom tube end forming cell yet. The customer required a machine/process that was fully automated that could form raw material into both of their two steel electrical tubing products. To start, Proto-1 designed an auto feeding magazine for 10 & 20 foot tube sections. This magazine would feed tubes to the station transfer line which would not only transfer the tube to each station but it would hold the tube in place during each end forming operation. There were 5 stations of varying operations in total for both types of steel EMT product. The compression coupling style of steel conduit utilized 4 out of the 5 stations. The first station involved an expand operation which expanded up one end of the tube. The second station was another expand operation to expand the tube to its final diameter. This station was needed since the whole expansion couldn't be done in one operation due to material splitting and flaking. From there, the tube skipped the 3rd station and moved to the 4th where the fitting was delivered and then pressed into place. Once in place, the tube would move to the 5th and final station where a crimp was applied on the outside of the tube, between the two o-rings on the fitting. This operation was completed using an RFM rotary style end forming setup. From there, the tube moved to a dock where it can be lifted out and placed for shipping.
After the tooling was changed over, the machine could then produce the steel EMT utilizing the pre-installed set screws. This style utilized 4 out of the 5 stations as well. The first station was an expand operation on the end of the tube but the 2nd station was a punch and flatten operation which would punch two holes and then flattened the area around the punches. From there, the tube moved to a 3rd station where the set screw assemblies were dropped into the two holes on the tube. Prior to being dropped in the tube, the 3rd station would assemble the set screw to the crimp nut. Once the screw assembly was in place, the tube would move to the 4th station where the crimp nuts would be crimped in place, finishing the tube. The tube would then move to the dock.
Final Tube Forming Solution Delivered to Customer:
In the end, the conduit end forming cell was a success. The product that it was able to create in one process eliminated the need for other processes for the manufacturer, increasing overall efficiency. Not only did the machine save time for the manufacturer, but it also was able to deliver a product that would save contractors time in the field.
A customer within the Automotive industry reached out to Proto-1 with a need to combine operations into one process for production of steering columns. Their current solution involved 3 separate operations. The first was a reduction operation to reduce the end of a mild steel, .095" wall tube. From there, the tube would receive a rectangular punch with rounded corners. Then, the tube was faced to a required overall length. This tube would then be assembled into a steering column assembly.
Engineering A Solution:
The customer required a pick and place cell that combined all 3 operations into one automated process. Proto-1's in-house electrical engineering team decided that a RAM-70 ram end forming machine would be the foundation of the cell. The RAM-70 would provide enough power, accuracy, and room for the reduction operation and automation. Tubes would roll down a chute where they go into a conveyor system. This conveyor system fed into the servo that placed each tube into the RAM-70. Rather than adding another operation to the cell, our engineering team integrated the punch operation into the tooling for the RAM-70. This integration allowed the RAM-70 to reduce and punch in the same operation, eliminating additional cycle time for the cell. Once the tube was reduce and punched, the servo would retract and it would roll down another chute to be transferred to the facing machine. The tube would fall into a trough where a tube backstop pressed it to the right location. Clamps would maintain the tube's location while a servo moved the trough into the facing machine. The facing machine would face the tube to the customer specified length and the servo would retract. A clamp would descend and pick the tube out of the trough and transfer it to a final product bin.
Final Tube Forming Solution Delivered to Customer:
The final cell was a 2 operation automated cell which combined all the processes and met the requirements that the customer specified. The automation provided additional safety by keeping the operator away from the working area. Not only was Proto-1 able to provide the customer with a solution to their current project, but also future projects to come. This cell is capable of being retooled to produce different types of steering columns and is currently running to this day.
Copper is widely used throughout the Water industry to transfer water through buildings and infrastructure. A customer that specializes in copper valves and fittings for the Water industry approached Proto-1 in need of a solution. The customer was currently outsourcing the entire process for a specific copper fitting to overseas companies and they wanted to bring the process in-house to boost efficiencies and product delivery for their markets stateside.
Engineering a Solution:
For this project, Proto-1's engineering team designed a custom ram machine as the basis for their tube end forming solution. The customer's final product required multiple operations that would need to be incorporated into the machine. To start, the raw copper fitting, which came in multiple orientations such as 90° & 45° elbows & straight tees, needed to expanded up on all ends. Secondly, the ends would then have to be trimmed to length. In the past, the customer was using a facing method to reduce the ends to length while maintaining perpendicularity with the tee or elbow. This method was effective but it was extremely wasteful in terms of recycling scrap material. The facer would produce scrap material in the form of shavings that would hardly warrant any material when the copper was meltdown again for recycling. Proto-1 incorporated our ram end forming pinch trim technology to trim the ends of the tees and elbows while keeping the ends square. This operation also produced a large piece of scrap material that could be used for recycling. Automation was added to increase efficiency and product output.
Final Tube Forming Solution Delivered to Customer:
The final result was a custom 3 headed ram machine that had 3 ram shuttles with two hits per shuttle. Both of the operations needed to complete the product were incorporated into the ram end forming tooling. The first hit would expand while the second completed the pinch trimming. To change the orientation of the product being made, the tooling just had to be changed out. Once a different set of dies and hits were loaded, a new variation of the product could be produced. A robot continuously fed the machine, eliminating an operator in the working area which increased safety. Due to the increased output and the added ability to recycle scrap material, the customer was able to not only in-source their product but also meet demand and save costs. Numerous other projects were spawned because of the success of this project; giving way to new variants of the 3 headed ram for various products lines that the customer required.
