Application of Atonm Double Material Detector 8000S in Automotive Stamping Lines

Case Study: Successful Application of Atonm Double-sheet Detector 8000S in the Feeding Process of a High-cycle Automotive Steel Plate Stamping Line

This case study introduces the successful application of the Atonm Double-sheet Detector 8000S in the feeding process of a high-cycle automotive steel plate stamping line. The solution effectively solves the problem of double-material misfeeding during the robotic feeding process, protects expensive stamping molds from the source, and significantly improves the operational stability of the production line and product quality.

1. Project Background and Challenges

In the stamping workshop of a well-known automobile manufacturer, a core production line is responsible for manufacturing body structural parts. The key parameters of the production line are as follows:

Processing Material: Cold-rolled steel plate

Plate Thickness: 0.5mm - 3.0mm

Production Cycle: 8 times per minute

Feeding Method: The robot sucks the sheet metal from the de-stacking area and feeds it into the press machine

During high-speed production, due to factors such as oil film adhesion or vacuum adsorption between sheets, there is a risk that the robot may suck two or more sheets at the same time when picking up materials from the stack. Once double sheets are fed into the stamping mold, it will lead to:

Mold Damage: The huge stamping force acting on the double sheets is very likely to cause mold edge chipping and cracking, with extremely high maintenance costs and a long maintenance cycle.

Product Defects: Double-sheet stamping will produce waste products, resulting in raw material waste.

Unplanned Shutdown: Handling mold damage and production line stagnation will seriously affect production line efficiency and order delivery.

Therefore, realizing reliable double-sheet detection before the sheet metal enters the mold has become a key problem to be solved urgently for this production line.

2. Solution

To solve the above pain points, we provided the Atonm Single-probe Double-sheet Detector 8000S detection solution for this production line.

System Composition and Deployment

The sensor probe of the Atonm Double-sheet Detector 8000S is integrated and installed on the robot's end effector (suction cup frame). When the robot completes material picking, the probe performs instantaneous detection on the currently sucked sheet metal.

Technical Principle

The Atonm 8000S Double-sheet Detector integrates two technologies: electromagnetic induction and eddy current. A metal conductor placed in a varying magnetic field generates swirling induced currents. When the sheet metal passes through the detection probe, changes in its thickness cause corresponding changes in the induction coefficient. The control unit detects this change to calculate the thickness of the sheet metal, and compares it with the pre-learned signal, thereby outputting a signal indicating no sheet metal, single sheet metal, or double sheet metal.

Reasons for Solution Selection

High Precision and Reliability: For thin sheets of 0.5mm to thick sheets of 3.0mm, the 8000S can achieve stable differentiation and effectively intercept double material.

Adaptation to High-cycle Rhythm: Its response speed of 200 milliseconds fully matches the high-cycle requirement of 8 times per minute of the production line, and the detection process does not occupy additional cycle time.

Strong Environmental Adaptability: The probe has a robust design, is resistant to vibration and impact, and can adapt to the complex working conditions of the stamping workshop, ensuring stable detection.

Easy Integration: It has a built-in 485 communication module, which can be connected to the touch screen for control and easily integrated with the robot PLC or press machine control system for communication.

3. Application Effects

Since the Atonm 8000S Double-sheet Detector was put into use, the stamping production line has achieved significant comprehensive benefits:

Zero Mold Damage: All double material cases have been successfully intercepted. Since installation, there has been no mold damage caused by double material being fed into the mold, avoiding high mold maintenance costs and production interruption losses.

Improved Yield Rate: It eliminates waste products caused by double-sheet stamping from the source, directly improving the overall yield rate of the production line.

Guaranteed Production Efficiency: The system is stable and reliable, avoiding long-cycle shutdowns caused by mold maintenance and production line debugging, ensuring the production line operates continuously as planned, and effectively supporting the production capacity target.

High Return on Investment (ROI): With a one-time, predictable equipment investment, it avoids unpredictable and high-cost mold risks and shutdown losses, bringing customers rapid and long-term investment returns.

In automated, high-cycle automotive stamping production, the risk of double sheets in the feeding process is a process pain point that cannot be ignored. The Atonm 8000S Double-sheet Detector provides customers with a mature solution with its accurate, reliable, and efficient performance. It is not only an "insurance" for stamping quality, but also a powerful tool to ensure continuous and efficient operation of the production line and achieve cost reduction and efficiency improvement, providing a highly valuable practical example for similar industrial automation scenarios.