When Scan Press A/S in Horsens, Denmark needed a new production line with a high degree of automation and a number of entirely new technical solutions, AP and T became the supplier of choice. 'With this equipment, we have the opportunity to become better than our competitors,' says Lars Ravn Nielsen, CEO for Scan Press A/S. The new press line, put in operation in February 2002, is used for manufacturing end-pieces for gas containers.

The AP and T press line consists of a 'visual recognition system' (from Cognex and Swedevision), a six-axis robot (from ABB), two conveyors, a 2-axis CD 25 press robot, a LPS-2500 deep draw press, lubrication unit, double-blank detection, bins for stacking of completed parts and a conveyor system for pallets and bins.

The production rate of the press line is ten completed parts per minute.

This is one of the first press lines in the world to use a so-called visual recognition system for controlling the feed of material into the press.

Scan Press uses flat circular blanks varying in diameter from 90 to 320 millimeters (3.5' to 12.6'), and forms a total of 19 different parts in the press line.

'With so many different sizes of blanks, it is difficult to automate effectively in a traditional manner with revolving magazines.

That would have resulted in the replacement of magazines for each new blank size,' says Peder Ostlund, AP and T's project manager for the delivery.

'Moreover, because they are used for high pressure containers, the blanks are nearly 10 millimeters (0.39') thick, allowing only a few blanks in each stack, which means you need to be able to pick up from several stacks placed beside each other on pallets.

This was the core issue to resolve.' Developing a flexible solution became very important.

To utilize automation, AP and T developed a solution based on a 'visual recognition system'.

A camera views an entire pallet of blanks and sends the blanks' center point position in a coordinate pattern to the six-axis robot.

This enables the robot to pick up the blank - directly from the pallet - and place it on a conveyor to be sent to the press.

'Our previous production line needed two operators who manually picked and placed the blanks.

With this automation, one operator now handles the entire line and we also have more time for quality control, and an overall quicker flow,' says Lars Ravn Nielsen from Scan Press.

Quality control has also been built into the press line.

An example of this is the function that automatically retrieves completed parts for inspection at regular intervals.

For example, if the function is set to retrieve every 180th part, the operator has 20 parts to check this retrieved part.

At 200 parts, the entire line stops if the operator has not approved continued operation.

There is also a quality control function in the 2-axis CD25 press feed robot.

The robot feeds the blank into the press.

After pressing, an ejector/lifting device takes the completed part out of the press and places it on a second conveyor leading back to the 6-axis robot which picks the part up and stacks it in a bin.

Some of the finished parts should have a hole for a valve connection.

The 2-axis CD25 robot checks for the hole by placing the grippers' suction cup over it and attempting to create a vacuum.

If the hole is not present, a vacuum is detected and this information is then sent to the control system for the entire line, which will indicate to the operator that the part is not correctly formed.

'All such functions are stored in recipes for each individual part to make things easier for the operator,' explains Bela Repits, sales manager at AP and T.

All functions of the press line are linked together by the MC32 control system.

'The operator carries out all operations from a screen.

The desired end result is simplicity,' says Bela Repits and Peder ™stlund.

AP and T has delivered two other complete press lines to Scan Press within the last 18 months.

Scan Press and their corporate group, Steel Products Group Denmark, has had a good relationship with AP and T over the past 30 years and currently have between 30 and 40 presses from AP and T.

Lars Ravn Nielsen explains why, 'Primarily, it is because AP and T supplies equipment of the highest quality, and provides quick and effective service.' The yearly turnover for Scan Press is approximately DKK 80 million and the total number of employees is 84 (the entire Steel Products Group has approximately DKK 375 million in annual turnover and 350 employees).

The company is a well-established supplier of formed, steel products and 53% of their turnover has been in the export market.

'Because AP and T values its customers, it was especially satisfying to provide a solution for Scan Press that includes new technology - the visual recognition system - that we have not yet seen used by anyone else,' explains Peter Karlsson, Managing Director for AP and T Danmark A/S.

'We want to be a responsible partner to our customers.

I think this is proof of that.' And Ravn Nielsen adds, 'Through the years, we have always had very good personal contact with AP and T.

This is always important and means much for good cooperation.'