Manufacturing Technology

“BRANKAMP systems are especially used as a means of measurement in forming and stamping production processes. They prevent process errors, provide support for quicker machine set-up and when there are malfunctions they switch off the system in time to prevent or limit costly damages.

An operator can never react as quickly as such a system operating with pressure and acoustic sensors or light barriers, etc. Through the use of BRANKAMP-MARPOSS monitoring systems, the costly consequences of spontaneous shutdowns are limited or prevented. If valuable tools installed in the machine are exposed to intense loading then there is the possibility that they may get damaged and need replacing. Damage in the region of thousands of Euros, even up in the six-figure range, can ensue rapidly because common automatic industrial systems work at stroke rates from several hundred to thousands of cycles per minute. Only a switch off system that can respond within milliseconds of a malfunction and shutdown the machine accordingly offers a suitable remedy. Experience shows the continued operation of a defective machine will result in higher costs than the actual first defect.

Other plus points for BRANKAMP systems include economic efficiency, and thus the operation, resulting from process observation. From accelerated familiarisation periods during commissioning of new machines, to higher machine utilisation rates due to reductions in downtimes, repair times and conversion times, as well as the reduction in repair and tool costs. 

The optimisation of process parameters leads to more stable processes, while more stable processes enable multi-machine operations and run time extensions through further production.

The concrete benefits for the operator through BRANKAMPs’ systems and the visualisation of the process are:

- Machine protection due to permanently programmed safety

- limits (consequential damage prevention).

- Tool protection through adjustable warning and shut-off limits (consequential damage prevention).

- Economic efficiency due to pause throughput and additional

- shifts with thinned down personnel (ghost shift).

- Quality assurance through process controls during the manufacture of each part.

Monitoring is worth actual money in the area of machine efficiency. Because the production process is monitored, it can be more efficiently designed. For example, because of fear for the damage referred to above, many companies produce with only half power. The use of BRANKAMP-MARPOSS monitoring systems enables the running of the production lines at higher speeds. The use of such systems therefore can give companies a competitive edge.

It is also a prerequisite for ‘condition-oriented maintenance’. This helps to prevent downtimes, a concept which is missing in classic ‘reactive’ maintenance. In this form of maintenance, as with a car inspection, the machine is taken down at regular intervals and thoroughly checked. Monitoring tools, on the other hand, enable specific problem identification during

ongoing operations. Occasionally, a shutdown can be avoided because a problem can possibly be solved while the machine is running; at the least, idle times are shortened.

MARPOSS Group is commited to supplying a wide range of monitoring solutions for machining centres, as well as grinding and forming machines. The Group understands the importance of these applications and is investing in these areas to offer new and innovative solutions to the market.”

“Close to its 40^th anniversary, 50,000 BRANKAMP applications are in use in manufacturing facilities all over the globe. The systems are especially prevalent in the automotive industry, but also in many other metal processing industries. In principle, many different applications are conceivable. Anywhere where the production process needs to be optimised and downtimes prevented. Our systems can be installed as individual modules, but can also take on the networking and monitoring of overall locations. Being part of the MARPOSS Group means that BRANKAMP is the ideal partner to support and serve fastener industries everywhere in the world.

MARPOSS Group is present in 24 countries with 80 offices in the world, and offers specialised competence in stamping and forming manufacturing processes.”

“The forming process monitoring is based on the regular and permanent acquisition of the machine status in the form of measurements and analysis of significant physical parameters

(such as vibration, strain, loads, acoustic emissions, etc). Machine and tool loading on the production line is measured by means of various sensor systems and compared with predefined reference measurement curves.

The operator can rely on their own senses, but they haven’t got X-ray vision (in many processes, one can hardly see what is happening inside the machine) and, in a loud production hall, it is also a challenge to hear whether the tool in the sound insulated machine has malfunctioned or not. The operator, thus, cannot see, hear or measure everything. This results in the need for special measuring equipment.

BRANKAMP-MARPOSS offers such solutions. Sensors mounted close to the process records all process relevant parameters. If the sensor data analysed in real time indicates the critical values have been exceeded, the monitoring system shuts down the machine in a fraction of a second (emergency switch off, or ‘trip’).

Comparable systems such as simple vibration sensors in so-called ‘earthquake’ switches are usually not precise enough and do not compile data sets, from which subsequent conclusions may be drawn as to the cause of the problem. The economic advantages for the production process are preventing expensive machine collisions and when problems do arise, the disruption factors can be subsequently analysed.

The most important parameter for this is process quality (PQ). This PQ factor is displayed on the monitoring unit to enable operators to draw conclusions of process progression. Through visualisation of the process the operator can respond quickly in the event of undesired process changes.”

“High-quality fasteners are an absolute must, particularly in the electronics and automotive fields. There are no compromises for customer satisfaction and quality and supply delay aren’t acceptable. Everything in the fastener production process must fit perfectly, no matter whether MARPOSS customers deal with standard screws or special cuts. Their process must run at top quality and efficiency.

For this reason many fastener industries use BRANKAMP-MARPOSS systems on thread rolling machines and multi-station machines. Without monitoring systems, typical errors due to quality problems with the parts would occur, such as improperly rolled threads or deficient thread geometry, as well as machine problems, for example due to tool wearing or misaligned tracks. With our monitoring systems these problems can be drastically reduced. The production becomes more reliable with consistently high-quality. That is an important prerequisite for our users to remain competitive. They can reduce downtimes and rejects – that not only saves time but, above all, saves costs as well. Machine operators have absolutely no problems handling the BRANKAMP-MARPOSS monitoring systems thanks to their simple operation.”