Bending Fully automated bending center increases productivity fivefold

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FAULHABER Drive Systems

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In the heart of Ireland, Fireblock, a visionary manufacturer of fire and explosion-proof doors and windows, has achieved a breakthrough in metal fabrication. By implementing advanced technologies, the company has managed to increase productivity fivefold while establishing new quality standards.

Fireblocks' commitment to innovation and quality is underscored by the statements of General Manager Pat Collins. "Our mission was not only to increase efficiency, but also to improve the precision and ergonomic efficiency of the process," he explains. For this purpose, Fireblock has integrated a fully automatic bending center Multibend-Center from RAS for bending its door leaves into our production line. The machine has a bending length of 2560 millimeters and is completed with a 2-place portal loading system, which alternately feeds a sheet metal cut for the cover and the box of the door leaf to the bending cell. The second RAS machine is a Profile-Center and automatically bends the elements of the door frames.

The machines impress with their speed, precision and repeatability. "Every element we produce exactly matches the given specifications. This degree of accuracy is indispensable for fire protection products," Collins emphasizes. This precision has allowed Fireblock to almost eliminate scrap parts and rework, resulting in a significant increase in quality.

Automation as the key to success

The automatic 2-place portal loading has revolutionized the production processes at Fireblock. By automating the entire loading process of the heavy and unwieldy sheet metal plates, the Multibend Center has taken the throughput speed and repeat accuracy in the production of door elements to a whole new level. A laser scanner in the suction frame of the portal loading reads all manufacturing technical information via a QR code attached to the blank plate. The Multibend Center then automatically loads the appropriate bending program and feeds the blank to the bending center. On the material transfer table, the exact position of the blank is measured and then handed over to a highly precise working manipulator. This manipulates the bending part through the bending process. If a blank needs to be manually introduced into the process at short notice, the operator can do this at any time by hand transfer onto the transfer table. This creates maximum flexibility without loss of speed.

The RAS Multibend Center is characterized by its high speed and efficiency. Not only are the pure bending processes carried out in record time, but the tool change also works at lightning speed and automatically. This is the task of the tool changer, which positions tool segments with the highest precision. Due to the complex bending geometries, it even happens frequently that a tool change takes place within the bending sequence on a door element. Without automatic tool change, many bending geometries would not even be conceivable. This allows Fireblock to produce sheet metal components in record time without having to make compromises in quality. In the past, the production of a door leaf on press brakes required two employees and at least ten minutes. The machine operators had to work well together and lift and guide the large and heavy plate with each bend. Today, a single machine operator supervises the bending center without actively intervening in the bending process. This means a bending cycle without physically strenuous work is precise and repeatable in just two minutes. This not only brings significant cost advantages, but also protects the health of employees. This ergonomic improvement has greatly improved working conditions at Fireblock.

Utilize synergies

Through the combined use of the Profile Center, Fireblock also achieves significant improvements in precision and speed in the manufacture of door frames. Where previously several employees took 15 minutes to manufacture a metal door frame, this is now achieved in four minutes, with only one employee. In addition to increased efficiency, the automatic bending of the frames also brought a leap in quality, especially in the further processing of the frame elements. The side parts are placed in pre-made templates with the top part and can be welded into a door frame without any preparatory work. The Multibend Center is not only used for bending door leaves. It also bends sheet metal parts for the stoves of sister company Firebird. This production synergy not only increased the capacity utilization of the bending center again. With its unbeatable flexibility and highest precision from production part one, the Multibend Center fits perfectly with the requirement profile for stove components.

With automatic loading across two loading spaces, the manufacturing process has already reached a high level. A further increase in productivity would be possible with automation on the output side of the finished bending parts. RAS offers various solutions for the parts output at the Multibend Center and advises Fireblock on which system is the most efficient. The use of an unloading robot and a pallet station promise even greater efficiency. The RAS bending experts are looking forward to installing the robot and pallet station in Ireland soon.

Increased competitiveness

The implementation of RAS technologies has catapulted Fireblock to the forefront of the metal manufacturing industry. The combination of increased productivity, improved quality, and ergonomic working conditions has not only strengthened Fireblock's competitiveness, but has also solidified the company's role as a pioneer in the industry. The investment in advanced technologies of the Multibend Center and the Profile Center has paid off in many ways, making the partner companies Fireblock and Firebird global leaders in their segment.