Die Builder Press Release

For Immediate Release:

CLINTON ME, March 1, 2003 — Die Builder Looks To ROWE For Maximum Versatility and Performance.

     When a leading progressive stamping die producer for the appliance industry wanted the ability to test their dies using state-of-the-art equipment, they turned to Rowe Machinery & Manufacturing to provide the most flexible coil feed system available. Rowe is a member of the Formtek Group and is located in Clinton, Maine.

     To meet the demands of the customer, the line had to offer the ultimate in versatility. The ability to run critical finish materials from .020" up to .125" thick and widths from 6" to 50" were a key customer requirement. Another key requirement was the ability to test blanking, progressive and gagged tooling.

     The equipment provided to meet the die manufacturer's requirements was a 50" wide by 20,000 lb. coil capacity light gauge press feeding system. This line features a H-DSJ series heavy duty single stock reel, designed to hold one (1) 20,000 lb. steel coil. Coil staging and positioning on the mandrel is accomplished with a traveling coil car with 24" of vertical lift. A "C6" Series precision powered straightener designed for pull-off operation and a PTD-50 threading table are also provided.

     A high performance, four (4) roll AC servo feeder was selected for its versatility and superior feeding capability. The four (4) feed rolls have a matte chrome finish and are driven by precision, zero-backlash gears operating in a bath of oil for superior accuracy. This was considered a critical feature required for testing long part blanking dies. Since the unit provides twice the normal surface area contact with the material, reduced roll pressure can be utilized without causing slippage. This allows accurate testing of prepainted or polished materials without material marking or distortion.

     The Dominator® control, designed to offer ultimate flexibility in the design and application of tooling, was provided. The Dominator® control system can be programmed for up to 10 different lengths and up to 99 repeats of each length in a pattern (20 lengths optional). Patterns can be repeated automatically on a continuous basis, or to a preset batch count. An absolute material positioning arrangement is employed to avoid accumulative error over the course of a pattern. The control is also equipped with a jog-to-length feature, which especially speeds progressive die thread up, and In-motion refinement of feed lengths can be accomplished while in automatic operation.

     The Dominator® control microprocessor continuously monitors the motor, drive circuits and feed progress providing extensive fault monitoring. If a fault condition is detected, the control exits automatic mode and displays a fault message.


Contact Information:
Mark Bourque,
Engineering Manager
(207) 426-2351
mbourque@formtekinc.com