Test & measurement C
onnectors have continually evolved in recent decades. The driving force behind this evolution has mainly been the automotive industry: performance, signals and data must be transmitted
quickly, securely and as resistant to interference as possible – especially if cars are going to be self-driving in the future. This sets strict requirements for parts, components and production processes for complex connectors. KRAMSKI, headquartered in Pforzheim, Germany, is a technology leader in this field. The company operates in four locations worldwide, including Sri Lanka (since 1993), the US (since 2002), and India (since 2008). With a team of 700 employees, KRAMSKI produces highly complex stamped and hybrid components, enabling its customers to gain a competitive advantage. “Our top priorities are quality and innovation. Together with partners like Kistler, we’re working at the forefront of technological development,” says Felix Nussbaum, head of Sales and Marketing at KRAMSKI. In addition to cutting-edge stamping and injection molding machines, this is mainly due to their in-house tool manufacturing. Trainees at KRAMSKI frequently win awards at both the state and federal level, and often go on to have successful international careers within the company. Every year, KRAMSKI produces around three billion parts worldwide on behalf of its customers. Important trends in the industry include digitalisation and miniaturisation as well as traceability all the way down to the individual part. Nussbaum continues: “In terms of connectors in particular, the continually expanding range of variants must be considered. We continuously improve our processes in line with the principles of Industry 4.0 in order to offer our customers the greatest possible quality, transparency and efficiency.” The complexity of the projects should, however, not be underestimated: Depending on the task and the work required, lead times can run as long as two years.
INLINE PROCESS MONITORING FOR STAMPING
For the production of a safety-critical high-voltage connector ordered by Hirschmann Automotive, the stamping and hybrid technology specialists at KRAMSKI rely on force sensors and process monitoring from Kistler – the miniaturised piezoelectric force transducer is directly integrated into the progressive tool.
PRECISE INLINE PROCESS MONITORING A recent project for the automotive supplier Hirschmann Automotive involved the production of a high-voltage connector that would later be used in a variety of auxiliary equipment in electric vehicles. During the production of the safety- critical hybrid component – made from metal and plastic – KRAMSKI used inline process monitoring from Kistler for the first time. The closed circular contact was fixed inline with a laser weld point and then fitted with a plastic protective cap that offers touch protection and is also manufactured by KRAMSKI.
A piezoelectric force sensor from Kistler is used to ensure that the cap has been attached correctly. The miniaturised sensor is integrated directly into the stamping tool and, in connection with the maXYmos TL process monitoring system, allows for precise monitoring of the force-displacement curve. This solution offers KRAMSKI 100 per cent control of up to 300 produced parts per minute. Jörg Carle, technical director at KRAMSKI,
explains: “Compared to the previous solution, we are able to achieve a much higher quality of the measurement signal with output of the peak value of the applied force – in this case between 20 and 22 newtons. This allows us to immediately detect deviations and to sort out bad parts. The process monitoring system automatically evaluates the quality and enables easier documentation and traceability of all measured values.”
RELIABLE CONTROL OF PRODUCTION PROCESS WITH MAXYMOS
maXYmos XY monitors from Kistler monitor and evaluate the quality of a production step using two measurands, e.g. force and displacement. The benefits:
easy integration into existing systems and processes
intuitive, uniform operating concept
high-performance evaluation objects
extensive diagnostic
possibilities so causes of NIO can be tracked down quickly
standard interfaces
dentical signal and data formats
The quality of the continuously produced high-voltage connector from KRAMSKI – the black plastic cap is on the left side of the connector in this photo – is guaranteed with the help of process monitoring and further test systems from Kistler (source: Kistler Group).
20
maXYmos is available in the variants BL (basic level), TL (top level) and NC (specifically for joining process), depending on the application.
May 2024 Instrumentation Monthly
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
