HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS FEATURE
BUILDING EFFICIENCY into machine design
Deciding to design hydraulics technology into a new CNC machine for producing high-precision automotive transmission parts in order to improve cost and efficiency, Buderus Schleiftechnik turned to Eaton. Armin Heyer and Giuseppe Scozzarella from Eaton Hydraulics look into the advantages
A
lmost half of the complete machining systems produced by Buderus
Schleiftechnik are used within automotive production by car manufacturers and their suppliers. In this industry, however, the global players have created extensive specifications to standardise their machinery, to ensure that vehicles and components are produced according to identical standards at a consistent high quality all over the world. The machines can also be used at other locations if necessary. When developing a new CNC machine
for a customer, the company wanted to leverage hydraulics technology to improve cost and efficiency, and turned to Eaton, a supplier of hydraulic components which is listed in the specifications of leading automotive manufacturers in Europe, North America and Asia.
HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS The end customer required the CNC machine for its transmission production line. These complex, high-precision parts are difficult to manufacture, necessitating a machine that is flexible in design to adapt to the requirements. So, with two machining centres that can be equipped with two additional axles, the machine makes simultaneous exterior and interior cylindrical grinding possible. During the planning stages, Eaton
engineers worked closely with Buderus Schleiftechnik to determine how the hydraulics system for the CNC machine could help improve energy efficiency and reduce costs. A V10 vane cell pump was therefore chosen to meet these goals. This supplies an electronically monitored storage charging station, which contributes to the energy-saving operation of the hydraulics. Additionally, a customer- specific valve block takes over the control of all hydraulic drive functions in the CNC, including the clamping of the work pieces. As the clamping varies depending on the
work piece, proportional hydraulics with integrated pressure regulation were used, the electric control of which is coupled with the Stand-alone Power System (SPS) of the machine. This allows the working pressure of the clamping hydraulics to adapt automatically to the part being machined. The components used by Eaton in the
project planning of these power packs conform to the specifications of many car manufacturers. In the case described here, for example, only valves with M12 plugs are used, the PIN assignment of which conforms to the specifications of the end user. The LED integrated in each valve for the operating state indication also belongs to the requirements of the automobile manufacturer. To make the hydraulics system operate
easily, the Eaton Walterscheid WALRing system was also used. This features a sharp-edge ring pipe connection with a soft seal, which can be mounted with particular ease, ensuring a lasting, leak-free connection. The shoulder clasp featured with this system prevents fatigue
fractures, even under extreme strain. The screw joints can be mounted by
hand or via controlled final assembly. During hand assembly, a significant increase of force after one to one and a half rotations clearly indicates the end of the assembly. An excessive assembly is therefore practically excluded. In addition, the optimal shoulder clasp prevents fatigue fractures, even under extreme strain. For these reasons, the WALRing system is listed in the specifications of German and international automobile manufacturers.
AN ENERGY EFFICIENT SOLUTION Within 12 weeks, Eaton designed and delivered the complete hydraulics system which, in addition to the tank, pump and valve block, includes the cooling system with pressure filters and return flow filters. During test runs, the clamping system automatically self-adjusted to each transmission part being worked on, proving to be both reliable and energy-efficient.
Eaton
www.eaton.com/hydraulics Enter 226
LIQUID HANDLING SOLUTIONS
As a designer and manufacturer of automated laboratory instruments, with 95% of its output exported, Bee Robotics of Caernarfon, North Wales, needs to be confident that its products will perform reliably. To help meet this goal, the company is using up to 500 400F/M1 OEM pumps from Watson-Marlow Pumps Group every year. These are applied to a variety of liquid handling applications. The robust 400F/M1 is a compact, single channel, instrument-quality
peristaltic pump which offers flow rates up to 200ml/min. The pump shaft is supported by ball bearings which ensure extended gear motor life as the pump is available with four standard gear motors. The pump uses tube elements for simple tube loading, and Luer fittings for easy connection to transfer tubes – the tubes are completely enclosed in the pumping chamber.
The pumps are being used across four different liquid handling instruments for a variety of
medical/biopharm research and production applications, typically handling reagents, wash waters and laboratory samples. On occasions the company will make use of a four-channel variant of the same model. Among the instruments employing single-channel pumps are the BeeBlot, which offers an open system
for strip based assays offering semi-automation for western blot and hybridisation (pumps used for aspiration and reagent addition). The volumes handled range from 50µl to 5ml.
Watson Marlow Pumps Group / DESIGNSOLUTIONS
www.wmpg.co.uk Enter 227 DESIGN SOLUTIONS | MARCH 2014 29
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