Setup asstistance for straightening machines

Description:

Opening up new markets by extending the applicability of flat wire products addresses the need to increase the remaining forming capacity of high-strength semi-finished steel products. Reducing the deformation required for the given straightening result by means of intelligent self-correcting straighteners represents a promising approach. Self-correction minimizes the load on the semi-finished steel product during straightening so that the residual stresses locally present in the flat wire are compensated "as required". At the same time, overcompensation due to unnecessary alternating bending processes is avoided. The forming capacity available for the actual forming process, in particular for high-strength steel materials, can be significantly increased in this way. The simultaneous transfer of data recorded during the straightening process, such as material thickness variation, to downstream processes and thus the networking of all machines used in the manufacture of the final component leads to an improvement in component quality and a significant increase in the productivity of the manufacturing process. Furthermore, the automated process can reduce the need for manual corrective interventions during operation, but also during setup. Consequently, both safe operation with lower scrap under the condition of high quality requirements for form and dimensional accuracy and a lower time expenditure for the setup process can be ensured.

Acknowledgement

The research project IGF-Nr: 19799 N / FOSTA-P1273 "Intelligenter Richtapparat mit erweiterten Prozessgrenzen bei der Drahtverarbeitung" from the Research Association for steel Application (FOSTA), Düsseldorf, was supported by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy through the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF) as part of the programme for promoting industrial cooperative research (IGF) on the basis of a decision by the German Bundestag. The project was carried out at Lehrstuhl für Spanende und Umformende Fertigungstechnik in cooperation with the Fraunhofer IEM.

The findings of this research project are available in the final report which can be provided by the FOSTA.