Automatic blank stacking system with 24 portals

Task

At the end of a production line for trueing and cutting steel plates, subsequent automatic blank stacking is required. The speciality of the production lies in the wide range of formats and the versatile, virtually simultaneous switch between the various dimensions of the batches. The dimensions range from 2 x 1 m to 2.13 x 16 m (plate thickness 2 -25.4 mm) and all the intermediate formats. The system is designed for a capacity per stacking station of 5 strokes per minute in normal operation or 10 strokes per minute in alternating operation. There are two stacking stations one behind the other. This doubles the stacking capacity of the system to 10 or 20 strokes per minute, respectively. The maximum vertical stroke is 900 mm, the horizontal travel from the pick-up position to the stacking station is 3,500 mm.

Solution

The design of the basic stacking module is based on the ZP-5 portal series. A total of 24 identical portals are parallel-mounted on the steel support structure. Production can take place in two separate stacking stations. This means that portals 1 to 12 and 13 to 24 work parallel in the same way. In the plate length range of up to 2.5 m, a so-called “alternating” mode is used in which up to three portals work synchronously, alternating with the other three portals. In the rear area (for lengths up to 8 m or 16 m, respectively), the required portals are automatically added.
Depending on the width, the required number of suction element pairs are added. To keep sagging of the plates to a minimum, a dense arrangement of suction elements with a spacing of approx. 400 - 450 mm was selected.

Scope of supply

A total of 24 ZP-5 two axis portals are arranged on a shared steel construction. The suction toolings for each portal comprise individual suction rows of 5 suction elements each. They are activated individually via valve islands and are automatically controlled. In addition to the 48 portal axes, the control package comprises 14 belt drives, adjustment drives for limit stops and lateral centering. This was achieved with only one shared Beckhoff control unit as well as the drive packages of the Indramat servomotors.