Statement of problem:

For many years, machine builders and plant maintenance managers have complained about issues with traditional needle valve flow controls used to adjust the speed of pneumatic actuators. There are three key areas of concern that can be generalized as technical, operational, and economical. From a technical perspective, many flow controls have issues with accuracy. The adjustment range of most flow controls, much like electrical pots, lacks linearity across the full span of adjustment. This fact combined with the requirement for manual adjustment by the machine operator can spell disaster. As the manufacturing world has evolved from mass production to mass customization, the need for “on the fly” adjustments to minimize down time has exacerbated the flow control issue. Machine operators are frequently asked to adjust flow controls on a cylinder to meet recipe requirements for a specific product run. Improper adjustment or simply failure to make the adjustment can reduce productivity and cost companies thousands of dollars.

The technology to solve this problem is not new, however the third issue – economics, has previously prevented the solution from becoming viable. Recent innovations and manufacturing efficiencies have resulted in products that can solve this problem without breaking the bank.

Solution:

A proportional speed control circuit to eliminate the need for manual adjustment of traditional pneumatic flow controls.

Through the precise control of air pressure at a fixed orifice and thus flow through that orifice, it is possible to obtain control of a cylinder’s piston speed. Furthermore, a linear relationship exists between the pressure supplied to the cylinder and the resulting piston speed, or as shown in the following diagram, flow through a nozzle.

Livingston & Haven is pleased to present an innovative solution to this problem utilizing two key products that will facilitate an economical proportional speed control circuit for applications where frequent speed control adjustment is required.

The circuit merges the economic precision found in the new ED02 series Electro-Pneumatic Pressure Control Valve from Bosch Rexroth with the Airpel Anti-Stiction air cylinder to provide manufacturers and machine builders alike a viable solution to the manual flow control issue for less than $500.

While some skeptics may bring up the fact that a traditional flow controls can be obtained for about $15, we must consider the ROI. For the plant manager, the confidence that the system will automatically adjust through the recipe in the machine’s controls simply by a touch of the HMI, is certainly justification for a better night’s rest. And consider the OEM service man that has flown half way across the country only to find that the cause of the machine malfunction was nothing more than an improperly adjusted needle valve.

If you would like to learn more about this application, please contact your local Livingston & Haven representative. We will be happy to assist you and provide a demonstration of this technology.

Additional Technical Data:

A 4-20 mAmp or 0-10 Volt signal must be supplied to the ED02 valve to vary the output pressure. The valve is available with various pressure ranges to suit the application requirements. Calibration of pressure and input signal will allow for very precise control of output pressure supplied to the directional control valve and eventually the cylinder.

While the ED02 can achieve similar results with a standard cylinder, the use of the Airpel Anti-Stiction air cylinder will greatly enhance the performance of the circuit due to the lack of break-away friction and fast response. This cylinder utilizes a glass lining and a graphite or stainless steel piston. It rides on an air bearing rather than dynamic seals which essentially eliminates stiction and yields extremely low friction during actuation.

A fixed orifice located near the cylinder port as shown in the diagram is required to achieve the desired results.

For More Information or to Contact Rich, email us here.

Most experts believe, a Lean enterprise program will only be effective with an undying willingness for it to succeed from top management, and most failures are caused by top management’s failure to drive a lean culture throughout the organization.  Oh it starts off great.  Management announces we are going to have a lean program, there may be a kick-off celebration, a lean committee is formed, and target areas are identified for lean initiatives.  So why does it sputter.  I say the problem is much more basic than lack of top management support.  It comes down to strategy or a lack of a strategic plan.  Every company is unique, has its unique problems, and a solution for one company may not be the best for another company.  What are the company’s financial objectives?  What are the company’s market objectives?  If the people who do the work in the organization don’t understand what these are, how can they be expected to make informed decisions and engage in lean initiatives that make a difference?

We at L&H are living through an example of this currently.  Our largest supplier developed a strategy that they had to increase capacity in order to meet customer demand, and that was more important than keeping prices low.  The organization has succeeded in reducing its lead times, through expansion, but we have seen unprecedented price increases even in these times with an uncertain economy.  The point is, the organization had a strategy, focused its resources at attaining the goal, achieved that goal, but at the expense of other market considerations.  Time will tell if that was a good strategy.

Where do your strategies come from?  They come from the people who will benefit from your products and services.  Notice I said will benefit.  You have your customers, and it is important to keep them happy, but how can get your competitors customers.  That’s what separates you from the competition.  Is it lead-time, price, quality, exceptional customer service, product features, engineered solutions, on-time delivery, time to market, or some combination?  Decide what you want to accomplish and run with it.

You can’t form these market strategies in a vacuum.  This is where the financial end of the business also must be considered.  What are your financial objectives?  These must be considered when forming your market strategies.  If your goal is to have the lowest price, you better have an exceptional cost reduction program in place.  If engineered solutions is your goal, you better be priced to cover the cost of a large engineering staff. 

Don’t make the strategic plan too complex.  Remember you only have limited resources to make things happen, and if you have too many objectives, the same objectives will be competing for the same resources, and you may not get the results you need.  Make sure objectives are measurable.  Don’t be alarmed if the measurements show poor results.  Remember this is a process improvement program, so the trend is the important thing.  Don’t expect instantaneous results.  Expect steady methodical and long lasting results.  Empower the people to make improvements.  Results will be long lasting if the people doing the job embrace the changes.  The goal is not to just meet business objectives, but to develop leaders as well.

Since the advent of the digital drive, few new technologies are changing the motion control landscape faster than the integrated servo motor and drive. By integrating the servo motor and drive into one package, the overall motion system changes dramatically. Smaller control panels, fewer cables and lower cable management are some of the obvious benefits. But, not all integrated technologies are the same. The leader in this technology with the greatest advantages is Bosch Rexroth IndraDrive Mi.

Bosch Rexroth introduced IndraDrive Mi in late 2005. The Mi product is an extension to their market leading IndraDrive product line. Several integrated motor and drive packages are available from other manufacturers but IndraDrive Mi presents the following advantages over the competition:

• 50% less space than conventional drives
• Minimal additional footprint over standard motor
• Only one cable for both power and communications
• Multiple units can be daisy-chained
• IP65 protection rated
• Highest functionality
• Integrated Motion Logic via IEC61131-3
• Optional holding brake with integrated control
• single - and multi-turn absolute encoder available
• Elimination of wearing parts (e.g. fans, relays, electrolytic capacitors…)

By implementing IndraDrive Mi in motion control applications, the following benefits can be realized:

• Reduced direct cost of …
  • Project Engineering
  • Assembly Wiring
  • Components
• Reduced control cabinet size up to 40%
• Reduced cabling up to 75%
• Reduced cabinet cooling (AC)
• Reduced plant floor space
• Reduced spare parts
• Increased flexibility
• Compact design
• High power density
• Rapid installation
• Simple commissioning
• Simple expansion of axes

Given these advantages, major OEMs and end-users alike are standardizing on IndraDrive Mi regardless of industry. By implementing this technology, machines can become more modular. Expansion of existing systems becomes simpler. Floor space and machine footprints shrink. Cable management becomes a non-issue. Motion control systems truly become “Lean”!

For More Information or to Contact Mel, email us here.

“OSHA is here!” Whether from e-mail, text message or word of mouth, that statement can strike fear in the hearts and minds of some companies. It did for us as those words were heard at Livingston & Haven along with the words, “OSHA is still here!”

For a total of three days in June of 2006, OSHA was at our facility making us realize how unsafe we were. The result was 26 citations, two of which were ‘Serious’ (although we must admit now that we didn’t even know what ‘Serious’ meant at the time). That was the day we realized, as a company, we had slipped. Safety was not a priority in our company. We were getting by doing what we had to do to comply with our customer’s regulations for contractor safety, while hoping nothing happened to our associates and hoping OSHA never visited.

Fast forward six months later to December of 2006, our citations abated and fines paid, we had realized our crisis and began to meet its challenges. A safety committee was formed and we started the long journey of creating a safety program that included training all of our associates and complying with our customer’s requirements for contractor safety.

Two years later we are now practicing proactive customer requirement compliance, continuing with training, training, training and are also in the process of getting into the safety business with machine hazard assessment, machine safety equipment and OSHA safety training for customers and suppliers.

Why should we be thanking OSHA? Aside from the fact that because of OSHA’s regulations and enforcement millions of American workers are kept safe, OSHA can also inspire. It inspired us here at Livingston & Haven to integrate safety into all aspects of our company. Because of that we now have a safety program and are on our way to creating a culture that thinks about safety not because we have to, but because it’s what we do. As I look back now, our safety program didn’t begin with our first committee meeting or even the completion of our first safety program. It began with the words “OSHA is here!”

What will inspire your company to make safety a priority?

Having sat on the board of SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers) Chapter 107 for several years now I’ve had time to evaluate the benefits and drawbacks to belonging to a professional society. So you may be saying, “why should I belong to a professional society, there’s nothing in it for me?” I truly believe that anyone in today’s economy striving to stay on top of their game could benefit from being a member in at least one of the many organizations. There are a number of societies out there, but I think these should be evaluated carefully before just jumping into one. It helps if you already have some contacts within the society, but it’s not a must. If you already are in one I’d love to hear about what you guys are doing so we could possibly share some ideas. Right now I’m presently in the process of starting a new student Chapter at the University of Tennessee. One thing that this does for students is it gets them out into manufacturing while still in school and allows them to possibly make contacts that may be valuable after graduation.

As Chairman of our local society it’s part of my responsibilities to set up an event for us each month. Typically we do plant tours and occasionally we’ll have a technical presentation. Here are some of the places we’ve visited and some of the technical presentations we’ve had: Siemens molecular imagining, Carlex Glass, Atlantic Research, Gerdau Ameristeel, Yale locks, Alcoa Aluminum, Smalley Manufacturing, PBR Automotive, The Spallation Neutron Source, TN watercraft, presentations on Iconics, PC based controls, New age plastics, Pros and cons of relocating your businesses in China and many more. As for me personally, it gives me a tremendous opportunity to meet many people in companies that I would never get to meet otherwise. It also gives me the opportunity to see their entire process through their eyes and where they may be experiencing bottle necks or other issues. I’ve also been invited into accounts with SME that I’d had trouble getting into as “just another salesman”.

The items I’ve mentioned above typically only appeal to the Industrial focused individual, but there are other great societies that focus on Business, Marketing, Public Relations, Machining, Logistics and many, many more. With the start of 2009 you may have made a New Years resolution that may include bettering yourself professionally, well this could be just what you need to give yourself a kick start!

Johnny Crowell CFPS

Territory Manager

Chairman SME chapter 107