Lean Interview: Automotive Parts Workshop: By "locking the operation panel", we bid farewell to the hidden danger of mold collision during line replacement

Interviewee: Manager Chen (a top tier supplier of automotive chassis/body stamping parts)

Improvement topic: Establishment of a "hard foolproof" mechanism in high-frequency mold changing scenarios

Core equipment: AtormMDSC-8200T metal dual detector(Bus level/unidirectional thickness measurement to prevent double tension)

Processing materials: carbon steel, high-strength steel (magnetic metal)

Q: You are the core supplier of the host factory. I heard that your production schedule is very tight on a regular basis?

Manager Chen:Yes, nowadays car companies are all driven by JIT (Just in Time) production, with strict time windows for what parts are needed and when they can be delivered. Our workshop needs to change lines at least 6 to 8 times a day, producing dozens of different product categories. Under this rhythm, downtime is a disaster. But what used to be a headache for us was that every time we changed the mold or added new plates (such as changing from 1.2mm steel plate to 1.8mm steel plate), workers had to manually adjust the thickness parameters of the anti double detector. When the night shift worker gets tired, he forgets to adjust the parameters once out of ten times, and the machine feeds according to the wrong parameters. A mold costing tens of thousands of yuan suddenly breaks corners, and if it is not shipped to the host factory on time, the associated downtime penalty is astronomical.

Q: I heard that in order to solve this problem, you had someone directly "lock" the operation panel of the new sensor?

Manager Chen:Haha, it's not just about physical locking, we've also done 'deprivation' in the system logic. We eliminated the old sensors and replaced them with Atorm'sMDSC-8200T metal dual detector.

This device uses Profinet industrial bus communication. Now our process has changed: the central control has issued a wire replacement work order, and the main equipment (PLC) loads the corresponding mold program while directly pushing the "thickness formula" of this batch of steel to the Atorm detector through the network cable. Millisecond level parameter switching is completed, and the entire process does not require human contact with the detector. This realizes the common saying in lean production of "hard prevention" - without the need for workers to develop a sense of responsibility, the system directly cuts off the path for you to make mistakes.

Q: Did this equipment encounter resistance during installation and actual testing for complex automotive parts punching machines?

Manager Chen:The end effector (mechanical gripper) of automotive stamping parts is usually very compact. If a pair of vertically aligned probes are installed as before, there is no space to be found and it is also prone to mechanical interference with the mold.

We choose8200T metal dual detectorOne major reason is that it uses a single-sided contact probe. As long as it is integrated on the side of the suction cup holder, when the suction cup picks up the carbon steel plate, the probe can penetrate and measure by pressing against one side. Don't worry about alignment issues, it saves us a lot of time in mechanical interference troubleshooting for our renovation. For us who only process carbon steel and high-strength steel, this single probe architecture for magnetic metals is the most suitable.

Q: After running for a period of time, what intuitive data feedback has this system brought to the management?

Manager ChenIn addition to the expected "no manual calibration required for wire changing and saving mold changing time", the absolute thickness measurement function of 8200T has given the quality department a great surprise.

Dual detection is no longer just a red light when in danger. It is now actually an 'online caliper'. The real-time thickness data of the steel plate measured by the probe (such as 1.22mm measured) will be synchronously displayed on our upper computer screen. Once, through the abnormal thickness fluctuation curve on the large screen, we discovered a batch of tailings at the edge of the steel mill's rolling tolerance in advance. We successfully isolated them before entering the mold, effectively avoiding the generation of wrinkled and cracked waste products.

Improved OEE Kanban Periodic Review:

Anti mistake achievement: After the automatic formula distribution mechanism is put into operation, the hidden danger of mold collision caused by "parameter missing adjustment" is greatly eliminated.

Switching efficiency: eliminates the traditional downtime teaching/calibration process of the dual detector during each line change, making the single mold change process more compact.

Quality control: Real time thickness monitoring mechanism provides digital process traceability basis for front-end incoming materials (carbon steel coils).

Co creation of stamping pain points and difficulties

In the high-speed stamping production line of automotive parts, depersonalization and digitization are the necessary paths to resist the period of low profits. Atorm provides a one-stop foolproof solution including bus communication, formula distribution, and single contact thickness measurement to assist in the smooth delivery of stamping workshops.