Hot forming: Quick, precise and long-lived technologies

Carriages on the RoundTrack system for feeding and discharging blank stacks in the Front of Line area guarantee an uninterrupted stack change. They are equipped with spreading magnets, the cover plate is equipped with specific alignment units and centring aids based on the customer’s requests. Fence elements at the cart ends close the protective circuit during the stack change.

Spreading magnets can either be placed as posts on pantograph arms with an approach function on the blank cart or arranged on the side of the blank cart with an automatic approach.

Traversing feeders with additional rotary axes are used for destacking the blanks. By using two feeder modules on a joint main axis, different types of blanks can be collected in one batch.

Strothmann’s hydraulic marking stations can perform up to four marking processes simultaneously. Depending on the product, the marking heads can be adjusted in relation to each other in two directions. An additional path measuring system is integrated in the hydraulic cylinders to act as a double blank detection.

Prior to entering the press, the heated blanks must be centred. The Strothmann centring table is equipped with automatically adjustable centring fingers for up to four blanks. Stops can be designed for manual or automatic adjustment and have a height adjustment function for disposal of reject parts.

In systems with a press located directly in the throughfeed direction downstream of the furnace, the heated blanks are generally gripped by a feeder from above and inserted in the press. Large grippers with heat shielding are used for this process. The advantage of this system is its compact design and the installed power.

If the press is arranged crosswise to the furnace throughfeed direction, two feeders on a joint main axis that grip the blanks from the sides can be used for loading and unloading. The narrow traversing axes make it possible for the unloading feeder to wait in the press compartment next to the tool during the pressing process, thereby significantly reducing the change time.