Parker pneumatic control systems are now specified for automatic drum forming and welding machines manufactured by Dudley-based British Federa - a world leader in resistance welding technology, equipment and controls - which enable 210 litre drums to be welded along their length at production rates of up to 800 drums per hour. British Federal has recently supplied a DW100/6 100 kVA drum forming and welding machine as part of a £300,000 order from the Shanwei Group, a chemical adhesive product manufacturer in Zhuhai, PR China. The machine is equipped with a swing arm 'touch pad' and MP3HPS-DW welding controls and is able to weld 210 litre drums at up to 720 units per hour.
The length of the drums being made is 914 mm with an inner diameter of 571 mm using 1.0 mm thick material.
The specification of Parker Pneumatic control systems results from the ability of the company's specialist Systems Design Department to completely redesign and reduce the size of the machines' existing control panel - at lower cost and without compromising quality - in order that it could be relocated within the framework of the existing machine.
"The original control panel was fixed to the side of the machine and, although the main body of the machine was relatively narrow, the control panel increased the width considerably - but only in this one area", says Nigel Morris, British Federal's Product Manager for specialised products.
"Parker Pneumatic gave us a control panel around 50% smaller than the previous panel - which is now located within the existing framework and reduces the overall size of the machine."
The control panel for the system - measuring 570 mm by 570 mm by 150 mm - consists of a 'U' section fabricated steel plate onto the underside of which all of the Parker Pneumatic control equipment is surface mounted.
The components, piping and fittings are therefore not visible externally.
This pneumatic equipment includes an air preparation set with lock out valve, filter and lubricator; pressure regulators and pressure gauges; 4/3 rotary lever valves; 5/2 ISO2 solenoid spring spool valves; and adjustable pressure switches.
The panel controls a number of the drum forming and welding machine's pneumatic cylinders: the lower weld head cylinder, upper and lower knurl pressure cylinders, and hour glass roll cylinders are controlled by three 4/3 rotary lever valves; and the lower ratchet and upper ratchet cylinders by two 5/2 ISO2 solenoid spring spool valves.
Six pressure regulators are used to reduce the pressure on either the front or rear of the cylinder depending on its application, with the opposing end of the cylinder being supplied by unregulated mains air.
Three pressure switches are used to monitor the air pressure at points on the machine - the mains air inlet, the rear of the lower weld head cylinder, and the rear of the knurl pressure cylinders.
All air connections apart from the mains supply are made in the side wall of the mounting plate.