induction automation

7/29/2019 Induction Automation

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Induction Automation

Automating anInduction Heating Production Process

A look at the options, process and questions in making the decision to automate your

induction heating process

Lance Dumigan

[email protected]

http://www.linkedin.com/in/lancedumigan


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Its All About The Part(ner)

Accepting a part into a machine (part loading), presenting the

part for induction heating (part placement), moving the part (or

the coil) while it is being heated (induction heating process),

retrieving the part from the heating area (part displacement),

and then releasing the part (unloading) is non-trivial. While

there are companies that can handle material, and there are

companies that can build power supply/coil solutions it is the

combination of all these steps that will produce the optimum

solution.

At the heart of your automated induction heating production

machine (AIHM) is the part. It is important to understand that

not every part and process is suitable for full automation. High

production, small and bulk-fed parts may add to the handling cost. Asymmetric parts, or

parts with complex geometries may require a coil that spins instead of the part. Semi-

automatic (manually fed) machines may be the appropriate compromise. If your

production runs are short or your product mix changes a lot it might not be feasible or

economical to employ automation.

A good place to start is to ask; should the induction heating production be outsourced or

retained in-house? There are two variables to consider in determining if you should

outsource the production of your heat treating. One is the strategic importance to your

business. The other is the affect on your operations performance. If it is determined that

the heat treating operation is a strategic value you offer (intellectual property/process) and

you need to keep tight control over the variability (production, delivery and quality) then

retaining the heat treating process in-house should be strongly considered. Other

valuations of these two variables may drive you to other options. When you decide to

automate in-house the questions become more complex and you are assuming more of the

risk (while gaining process control).


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The four basic areas that drive consideration

of automating your induction heating

production are product throughput,traceability, cost reduction, and repeatable

quality. Automation of induction heat treating

production will provide increased efficiency,

labor reduction, shorter cycle time, higher

(process) availability, reduction or

independence from manual operations, and

greater production rates.

As you get started, defining clear

unambiguous expectations is the most

important responsibility of the customer. The specifications should include ALL the parts

that need to be heated along with the post-process characteristics of the part(s). Ensure that

the specification of the AIHM incorporate country, state, company, and plant safety and

operating standards and specifications. Your AIHM builder may request exceptions to a

small segment to one (or some) of these specifications. Production rate will drive the size

and complexity of the AIHM. You can reach the limits of physics in heating a part using

induction. The surface of the part may be melting while the interior of the part could still

be at a much lower temperature. Moving a part will be limited by the technology you

choose. It is critical to understand the nuances involved in moving the part in an AIHM.When you are working with high volume production one or two seconds can have a

significant impact on the production output. Optimizing the trade-offs between handing

and heating will keep you ahead of the curve.

Understanding how to work with the part geometry is particularly important. Automating

an existing heating process may require a new coil design to accommodate automation.

Understanding how to leverage multiple (coil/part) positions and the limitations for

optimization is not straightforward.

There could be "off-the-shelf" solutions availablefor your application. And some may employ

flexible automation. Repurposing capital

equipment is an excellent way of reusing CAPEX

dollars. Pay close attention to how much

customization needs to be added onto the off

the shelf solution as sometimes the option can


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cost more than the base unit. If repurposing is critical then you may want to reconsider

your strategic decision to automate (variability and operational value, see the earlier

paragraph).

You will be evaluating your prospective AIHM builder in three main categories; their

induction heating expertise, their ability to build an automated material handling machine,

and their ability to put both of those together. Finding one company that is proficient in all

three is unique. This will, however, remove the burden (read: risk) of ensuring the

organization building the

machine manages the

part flow, quench,

cooling, etc. the way the

induction heating

company wants it.

Managing a project of

this complexity

with two separate

vendors assumes a

great deal of risk.

Depending on the complexity, a company may be able to build their own AIHM. Savingthe cost of system integration up front is good until the project suffers unacceptable

delays. This decision could put the market launch of your (or your customers) new

product in jeopardy. If youre spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on new

automation, getting it up and running fast helps recoup your investment faster.


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Your AIHM builder needs to guarantee process. Not just handling and heating. Your

acceptance criterion needs to be established before the purchase is consummated. Specify

the AIHM acceptance criteria bydiscussing this with your internal

team. There should be at least two

process verification run-offs.

The first run-off will be at the

selected supplier and must have the

customer present (or a designated

representative). It should produce

acceptable parts. If the customer

feels confident that the AIHM will

produce acceptable parts on the

factory floor there should be a sign-off to ship the AIHM. The second run-off will be at

the customers factory where it is installed on the production floor. During the installation

your maintenance and production people should be trained. If possible, they should be part

of the installation team; even as early as the first run-off. Do not allow the AIHM to

ship before a successful first-run. It is far less costly to fix bugs at the machine builder

where they have all the talent and tools than miles away on the factory floor.

Develop a common componenets list. Your AIHM builder should be able to accommodate

most of this list (within reason). Components like NCs/PLCs, HMIs, pumps, valves, (etc.)should be common with what you are currently using.

If the quality standard requires periodic destructive testing and analysis of the part or if

you need to collect data on the heating process you will want to consider process

monitoring. With a graphics package, the real-time heating performance of every part can

be captured and stored. Synchronizing the data of each parts heating cycle to the actual

data will take high level expertise. A supplier that is adept in understanding both the

heating process parameters and material handling is essential. If you need to have this

process monitoring system built into (or added to) your AIHM, it will be a machine

builder that is intimately familiar with the induction heating processes, automation, anddata collection that you select.

Before you select an AIHM builder there are other operational considerations that should

be discussed and resolved.

Warrantees and timing: Just as important as the duration is the breadth of, and

exceptions to, the warrantees.


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Repair and spares: Your AIHM builder should provide guidance on what you can

repair and recommended a spare parts list. You should attempt to achieve as much

commonality with the other OEM components in your factory as possible. Training and truck rolls: If you are lucky enough to be within driving distance of

the AIHM builder, then the term truck roll may apply. Most likely factory

support will arrive on an airplane. It is important to understand, within the context

of the warrantee, who pays for what, and how much it will cost.

Implementation and documentation: The facilities should specified (well in

advance) and be ready when the AIHM arrives. After the design is approved (by

you) it becomes very expensive to change things. The AIHM will most likely need

some final adjustments at your facility. This will be an exceptional hands-on

training opportunity for your maintenance people.

The complexity of an AIHM cannot be overstated. The nuances involved in combining

material handling with induction heating process are not written anywhere. The AIHM

builder should be able to make suggestions based on their experience. The most basic of

considerations; how the part temperature should be managed (time and power,

temperature, or other), integrating the communications between the heating subsystem,

and material handling subsystem, whether the part rotates or the coil, what is the best

variation and change to the rotational speed, how is the part fed into the material handling

subsystem, how to control the induction heating system, what are the trade-offs between

the coil design and the most efficient method of handling the part, how will your AIHM

builder quench, cool and dry the part, how to harden and temper two different zones on

the same part, or two parts all need to be addressed.

To achieve higher production volumes while maintaining consistent quality find an AIHM

builder that will mitigate risk in automating your process. Select a machine builder with

the experience and expertise in designing and automating induction heating process. The

machine should be based around part, process and production; it is unique combination

and will prove to be invaluable in guiding you to achieve your objectives.


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