Automotive Steel-Aluminum Production Line Material Stacking Detection Solution – Atonm MDSC-9000S

1. Project Background

A well-known automotive manufacturing enterprise’s steel-aluminum stamping production line is mainly responsible for the stamping and forming process of key structural parts of automobile bodies, and it is one of the core links in the entire vehicle manufacturing process. The production rhythm of this line is as high as 15 pieces per minute, and the thickness of the stamping steel materials processed ranges from 2.0 to 3.2mm, which belongs to the medium-thick plate metal stamping scenario. In the actual production process, there will be a "material stacking" phenomenon where two or more steel sheets are stacked and enter the stamping die.

The material stacking problem not only leads to quality defects such as out-of-tolerance dimensional accuracy of stamped parts and scratches or wrinkles on the surface, but also causes damage to the die edge and overload shutdown of stamping equipment in severe cases, bringing high die maintenance costs and production line shutdown losses to the enterprise. According to statistics, before the introduction of the new detection solution, the product rejection rate of this production line caused by material stacking was about 0.8%, the average monthly shutdown maintenance time exceeded 8 hours, and the direct economic loss reached hundreds of thousands of yuan. Therefore, an efficient and accurate material stacking detection solution is urgently needed to ensure the stable operation of the production line and product quality.

2. Solution Selection

In response to the core needs of the production line, namely "steel-aluminum mixing, high-speed rhythm, and medium-thick plate detection", and combined with the product characteristics and industry application experience of Atonm MDSC-9000S, it was finally selected as the core equipment for material stacking detection. This equipment is a full-metal double-sheet detection solution specially designed for automotive stamping scenarios.

The probe is installed on the end effector of the robotic arm, and the controller is installed in the central control cabinet. When the MDSC-9000S detects a material stacking signal, it immediately sends a stop signal to the production line PLC. The PLC controls the feeding mechanism to stop feeding, and at the same time triggers the sound and light alarm to issue a warning, reminding on-site operators to handle it in time. After the operator eliminates the material stacking problem, he presses the reset button, and the production line resumes normal operation. The entire linkage process responds quickly, minimizing the damage to equipment and products caused by material stacking.

The MDSC-9000S Single/Double Sheet Detector has the following advantages:

Detection Accuracy Adaptability: The MDSC-9000S adopts advanced electromagnetic induction principle, which can accurately detect the stacking of steel materials with a thickness range of 0.2-4.0mm. It meets the production line’s detection requirements for medium-thick steel plates and effectively distinguishes between single, double, and multiple stacked sheets.

Full Metal Compatibility Detection: It adopts a dual-principle design of "electromagnetic induction + eddy current", which can accurately detect both magnetic steel materials (0.2-4.0mm) and non-magnetic aluminum materials (0.2-4.0mm). It perfectly adapts to the production line’s mixed steel-aluminum processing needs, eliminating the need to replace detection equipment when switching materials.

Production Rhythm Compatibility: The device has an extremely fast response speed, with a detection time of only 200ms. It fully matches the production line’s rhythm of 15 pieces per minute, avoiding production line slowdowns caused by the detection process and ensuring production efficiency.

High-Speed Response and High Reliability: With a response speed of 200pcs/min, it far exceeds the production line’s requirement of 15 pieces per minute and can complete detection in the instant the robotic arm picks up materials. After one million consecutive tests, there are no false alarms or missed alarms. Equipped with anti-electromagnetic interference algorithms and filtering processing, it maintains stable operation even in the vibration and oil-contaminated environment of stamping production lines.

Intelligent System Connection Capability: It supports Profinet, RS485 bus, and IO communication, enabling seamless integration with the production line’s PLC and ERP/MES systems. This realizes remote monitoring of detection data and distribution of process recipe packages. With a built-in storage function for 200 groups of recipes, when the production line switches steel materials of different thicknesses (2.0-3.2mm), parameters can be switched directly without repeated calibration, improving production change efficiency.

Flexible Installation and O&M Design: It adopts a split structure – the detection probe can be directly installed on the end effector of the robotic arm, enabling simultaneous material picking and detection. The host supports two installation methods (embedded/base mounting), allowing convenient installation on the control cabinet for operators to view data and adjust parameters. The overall equipment has excellent protection performance, adapting to the working conditions of stamping production lines.

4. Implementation Effects

After the material stacking detection solution was put into use on the automotive steel-aluminum production line, it achieved significant application effects, mainly reflected in the following aspects:

Reduced Equipment Maintenance Costs: Mold damage and equipment overload shutdown caused by material stacking have been basically eliminated.

Stable Production Efficiency: The detection speed of the MDSC-9000S double-sheet detector fully meets the production line’s rhythm.

Improved Operational Convenience: The device’s automated detection and linkage control reduce the workload of manual inspection. Operators only need to handle issues when warnings occur, lowering labor intensity.

5. Customer Feedback

"The Atonm MDSC-9000S Metal Double Sheet Detector has solved the long-standing material stacking problem for us. The device features accurate detection and stable operation, which greatly ensures the continuous production of the production line and product quality. Since it was put into use, our production costs have decreased significantly and production efficiency has improved steadily. It is a cost-effective detection device worthy of promotion and application in the automotive stamping industry."

— Production Manager of the Automotive Manufacturing Enterprise