Automation Solution for the Furniture Industry
Built for a customer in the furniture industry, this servo torsion spring machine forms ASTM A401 chrome silicon wire, in diameters from 0.250" to 0.438", into torsion springs with inner diameters ranging from 1.25" to 3.00".
Supplied with a powered wire uncoiler, it features a 2-axis wire straightener and pneumatic wire feeder, as well as a 2,000 psi hydraulic power unit that operates the cylinder-actuated cut-off slide and end-forming slide. A discharge chute and inclined belt conveyor capture the finished springs. Safety features include extruded aluminum guarding with electrically interlocked access doors monitored by a JOKAB safety PLC. Along with a CSA-approved electrical panel, it incorporates an Allen Bradley ControlLogix PLC as well as PanelView PV1000+ operator interface.
TCA used SolidWorks to both design the machine and execute 3D simulations to optimize its operation and ensure it would produce the torsion springs to the tolerances required by the customer. It was manufactured entirely in-house and we developed all device programming. In-shop testing involved setting the machine up for two different types of springs, executing a changeover from one to the other, and running a full hour of production before installation at the customer site.