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Canadian Automated
Material Ford Motor Company is at the forefront of automotive innovation with fresh new vehicles accounting for over half its volume in sales during the past year. Among them are the Freestyle crossover vehicle and the Ford Five Hundred mid-size sedan which has 'crossover characteristics' by way of its vehicle platform, cargo capability and command-of-road seating. With its new product offering, Ford intends to establish itself as one of the industry's largest-volume producers of all-wheel-drive vehicles and as a leader in continuously variable transmissions. The vehicles are being produced at the newly retooled Chicago Assembly Plant, Ford's first car plant in North America that uses the company's flexible manufacturing system. The system enables the plant to produce up to eight different models based on two architectures, thanks to such amenities as a flexible body shop, where one set of tooling builds multiple vehicle configurations. The 2.8-million square-foot Chicago Assembly Plant represents a major step forward in Ford's revitalization plan. The plan seeks to create unique products quickly, share major components to save cost and ensure quality, match customer demand, and maximize efficiency. To help achieve these aims, Ford relies upon the best manufacturing tools and the best material handling equipment for staging product along the assembly line while keeping workers as safe and secure as possible. The material handling role is partly being fulfilled by the installation of some 24 pieces of automated material handling equipment from SailRail Automated Systems Inc. of Markham, Ontario. The equipment includes Over/Under machines for handling such components as body side apertures, rear floorpans, front structures, front sub-frames and roofs. Many of these parts are robotically picked, calling for a precision interface with the SailRail equipment. As well, SailRail has installed its largest side-by-side machine yet at the plant, for handling rear suspensions. "We believe that the selection of our company to participate in Ford's leading-industry project represents a massive vote of confidence in our technology and its accuracy, repeatability and reliability," says Ian Scarth, SailRail's president. "Ford says that its new vehicles are crossover 'done right,' and we like to think that the term 'done right' also applies to the equipment that helps Ford get the job done." Indeed, Ford now considers SailRail as a Tier 1 preferred material handling system integrator. SailRail's Over/Under machines provide a continuous, uninterrupted supply of rack-filled components under operator or robotic control, while enabling the automated removal of empty racks from the workstation. Over/Under machines incorporate two conveying lanes, one above the other, and a vertical lift between them. The conveying lanes use the SailRail patented air-film technology to provide safe, clean, quiet movement of racks. The air-film technology 'floats' a horizontal reciprocating transportation bed that can index large groups of containers simultaneously. The vertical lift raises the containers after they have been emptied and moves them back toward the two-tier entry point, for removal by lift truck. This allows the same lift truck that deposits loaded racks to remove the empties, keeping lift trucks productive all the time. By operating on a two-tier basis, Over/Under machines conserve valuable floorspace adjacent to the assembly line. They are available with tilts and turntables, variable pick heights and walk-in capabilities flush with the floor. Cycle times may be customized according to the size of the machine and the application, the average being around 32 seconds. The machines also help isolate assembly line workers from forklift traffic by acting as a buffer between them. The side-by-side machine for rear suspensions is similar in operation to the Over/Under machines except that the conveying lanes are alongside one another, running in opposite directions. A 90-degree cross-transfer device shifts the newly emptied racks onto the reverse lane for transportation back to the rear. Load accumulation in the full-parts lane is with zero pressure, and as many as eight racks can be loaded at a time. Again, the same lift truck can both fetch loaded racks and carry away empties. "The complexity of operating an automotive plant responsible for many different models on a single line means that the manufacturer must be free from worrying about support equipment, such as ours," says Scarth. "For this reason we design it with minimal parts, maximum reliability and low maintenance requirements that are easily satisfied during normal shutdown periods." SailRail uses a sophisticated Parametric Automated Design (PAD) tool for its engineering work and has been an ISO 9001 QSTE supplier for several years. One of the world's leading suppliers of automated material handling systems, it focuses on the automotive industry, paying special attention not only to equipment but to its full integration with other aspects of the plant. "We specialize in line-feeding, conveying, exchanging and presenting racks and containers for assembly and stamping operations," says Scarth. "On the infeed side our equipment readily interfaces with forklift trucks or SGVs (self-guided vehicles), while the outfeed side can be handled by people or robots. Our equipment fully supports the new requirements of the fork-free working environment and earns eager acceptance from plant personnel at all levels." SailRail Automated Systems Inc.
Re-Configuration Boiler feed pumps in pulp and paper plants can lead hard lives! With long hours, multiple stop/start cycles (often involving cold starts) and tight maintenance budgets, it takes a tough pump to make the grade. It might seem that after more than 45 years of near continuous service, a pump would be ready to retire and hand the job over to something a bit younger. But this isn't the case for a KSB HDA-series boiler feed pump installed in the Mercer International's Celgar pump mill in Castlegar, BC. This veteran will not only breeze by the 45-year mark, but, with a bit of help from KSB and their local distributor, be ready to cope with significant changes to its job description. Three KSB-HDA-series boiler feed pumps were originally installed in the Celgar mill in 1960. However, 45 years is a long time in any industry and the mill has undergone a number of changes and upgrades in order to adapt to changes in market conditions and environmental regulations. Recent changes to plant operating setup eliminated the need for two of the pumps and reduced the flow required from the remaining pump from 193 m3/h to 102 m3/h, both at a head of 610m (from 850 USGMP to 450 USGPM both at 2000 ft.). This reduced output could be achieved by throttling the flow at the boiler control valve, but this would mean running the pump at an off-optimal duty point. Operating in this manner would reduce energy efficiency and could also lead to vibrations and noise that would reduce the life span of the pump and nearby valves. This is clearly not a suitable long-term situation. Replacement of the old HDA-series pump was also considered, but this would be costly because of need to rebuild or update piping, controls, supports, etc. So, what to do? KSB distributor Inproheat was able to suggest a cost-saving alternative. Instead of replacing the old HDA pump, Inproheat and KSB offered to re-configure the pump so that its optimal duty-point would be much closer to the required operating point in the new plant setup. This change is projected to improve energy efficiency savings by approximately 23%. Re-configuration of the pump will involve the removal of one pumping stage and the replacement of the remaining hydraulics (i.e. impellers) with new components matched to the new operating conditions. When this is done, the pump will operate much closer to its optimal duty point when delivering the amount of boiler water required by the plant. By retaining the old HDA pump casings, it will be possible to retain the old drives, supports, piping systems, etc., with minimal changes. Moreover, the surplus HDA pumps are available for use as standbys or as sources for spare parts. Because of KSB's ring section design for the HDA-series pumps, it was straightforward to remove one impeller/diffuser stage and replace it with a special blank section that transfers water smoothly from the previous stage diffuser outlet and the following stage impeller inlet. This would be much harder to achieve with a pump with a horizontally split casing. There were several other factors that made it possible to retrofit the old HDA pumps for the new plant setup. First, because of the inherent toughness of the HDA pumps, key components (casing, shaft) were in good condition, even after 45 years of service. And second, even though the HDA pumps are no longer in KSB's current production program, KSB was able to retrieve designs for alternative hydraulic configurations and manufacture parts that could meet the new operating requirements. KSB Pumps Inc.
Reusable Containers Veg-Pro International, a Canadian grower/shipper, is using the IPL SmartCrate 2416-14 collapsible container with solid walls for harvesting spring mix and baby spinach in Florida and then cooling and transporting the produce to packaging plants in Montreal. The company chose the hand-held reusable produce container to replace single-use containers in order to reduce packaging costs and waste. "Reusable containers cost us less than disposable boxes. And being able to collapse the containers on return trips reduces our shipping costs while the solid walls keep the produce intact and cool," said Anthony Fantin, sales director of Veg Pro. Once in Florida, the collapsed containers are placed in the field where workers can easily set them up for harvesting. When full, the produce is vacuum cooled and the containers are loaded on to trucks for shipment to Canada. The crate's solid walls adequately reduce the level of air that reaches the produce, keeping it from drying out while still providing adequate ventilation. The containers can be stacked one upon the other when full without damaging the produce. Once in Canada, the produce is washed and packed for retail. After the totes are emptied and washed, they are collapsed and sent on trucks back to the fields in Florida. Because the SmartCrate collapses flat, it offers increased volume efficiency and higher return ratios, which help achieve savings on long shipping routes. Veg Pro also uses the SmartCrates at its fields in Canada. "RPCs have repeatedly proven their ability to reduce costs in the supply chain through reuse and value-added features. The collapsibility of the SmartCrate brings additional savings in freight costs, making them even more economical," said Eric Fredrickson, sector manager, IPL Material Handling. IPL Products Ltd.
Leak Testing by Claes Nylander, President of Sensistor Technologies Leak testing is an essential element in product quality testing for a wide range of industries. From the automotive industry to HVAC manufacturers, countless products and parts have to be tested for tightness in order to meet specifications and be granted the positive end of the accept/reject option. In fact, for many suppliers to the automotive industry, leak testing is an integrated part of production: 100% of their parts are tested against a leak standard to meet quality requirements that are as important as the price or design of the product. While "leak testing" is almost always a matter of exactly measuring the leak rate of a manufactured part or product. Nothing is ever absolutely tight -- but leak testing ensures that the product has been tested for maximum allowable leakage. Leak testing can be done for several reasons, all extremely important. It can ensure that the outer environment is protected, ensuring that flammable, toxic or corrosive substances remain within an object's walls. It can also ensure that a liquid or gas that is essential to the function of a system (such as brakes, an air conditioning unit or hydraulic valves) is contained within that system for the necessary period of time. Bursting the bubble of water dunk testing There's no argument that leak testing is important, but the question remains which leak testing methods are the most practical and effective. For years, the simpler methods have been the most popular. Methods prevalent in every industry include water dunk testing and pressure decay. Each of these methods offers the advantages of minimal investment. But each of these methods also have major drawbacks. Dunking an object into water can be an effective method for determining if and where an object has a leak. Theoretically, bubbles form at the source of the leak as a result of air pressure, and the amount of bubbles per minute can signify the size of the leak. But water dunking provides minimal quality assurance. A very small leak might make a few or miniscule bubbles. If the leak is within a recess, air from the leak may collect inside the recess and stay there. Whether air bubbles rise to the surface or stick to the test object depends on surface tension. Also, water dunking is extremely dependent on the operator's involvement. When manually dipping an object into the water, you can pull down air bubbles that mask bubbles from a small leak. The operator needs to wait until the object has cleared itself of non-leak related bubbles. Also, the operator's perspective can be limited; he or she may not be able to see a small leak if it is on the reverse side of the object. One final drawback to the water dunking method is tied to the water itself. Water can have a number of debilitating effects on products, the most harmful being corrosion. One certainly doesn't want to employ a leak testing method that itself can be the cause of product failure. Pressure decay methods feel the heat The most common method for leak testing, pressure decay measures the decrease in pressure in an object. A drop in pressure signifies a leak; the greater the pressure drop, the larger the leak. This method is convenient in that it can be easily automated and it is dry. But pressure decay testing is not 100% accurate at all times depending on a number of variables. For one thing, it is an incomplete method, as it cannot be used to pinpoint the location of a leak. Finding the source of the leak requires additional tests. The success of pressure decay testing is also highly dependent on materials and temperatures. One's ability to measure extremely small leaks hinges on the internal volume of the object and whether the object is made of a rigid or flexible material. This form of test also relies heavily on temperature; temperatures rise as the air is compressed inside the object and the pressure will not stabilize until the temperature has stabilized. But unfortunately, temperature can also be affected by elements outside the test. For example, if one is testing an aluminum object, the heat from a human hand or a breeze from an open door can completely throw off the test results and be cause for false acceptance. If you need to test a large object, such as a gasoline tank, pressure decay testing is not going to be your best choice. Objects that are large in volume demand too long of a cycle time to get results from this method. Pressure decay testing really only works for small volume objects. Finally, there can be issues with efficiently testing flexible plastic bottles and rubber parts using pressure decay, as they counteract the pressure decay by reducing their volume. Testing with tracer gases is evidently better In recent years, more complex methods such as the use of tracer gases like helium and hydrogen have proven to be the most effective methods for detecting evidence of a leak and measuring that leak. Helium has been the commonly used tracer gas for leak testing. This is simply due to the fact that helium is the lightest of the inert gases and Helium mass spectrometers are extremely sensitive to trace amounts of this gas. Mass spectrometers, commonly used to analyze unknown gases, and recently gaining some notoriety for their Martian mineral-testing application, have also been developed for leak testing applications. Set up to detect helium as it dissipates from an object, these mass spectrometers that use helium typically have an external pump that create a vacuum outside the object, which allows for the relatively easy detection of helium atoms. But the helium method has drawbacks. A mass spectrometer is a delicate piece of equipment and is very expensive to maintain. Plus the machine's pumps need to be regularly checked and serviced. In addition, helium itself can be the cause of problems. Helium is a highly viscous gas, and should it spill, can be very difficult to clear from the testing equipment. It also has a tendency to cling to surfaces. Helium is expensive to buy, and as it is a non-renewable natural resource, the price continues to rise. Seeing the light with the lightest gas Perhaps the most misunderstood gas, at least in terms of its relevance to leak testing, hydrogen testing is actually the superior option for many reasons. Often ruled out by experts because of its perceived volatility, hydrogen actually can be completely safe when handled in the right form. By using pre-diluted hydrogen with nitrogen, one can completely avoid this flammable concentration range. In fact, standard hydrogen/nitrogen mixtures are commonly used as shielding gases for welding. A suitable concentration for leak testing, available in industrial grade from most gas suppliers, is 5% hydrogen/ 95% nitrogen. According to the international standard ISO10156 any hydrogen/nitrogen mixture containing less than 5.7% hydrogen is classified as non-flammable. Hydrogen can, therefore, be safely employed for leak testing. And it should be. The lightest element in the universe, hydrogen has half the viscosity of air or helium, so it spreads easily throughout the test object, penetrates leaks more readily, and vents away much easier than any other tracer gas. Hydrogen is also much less expensive then helium, in addition to being environmentally friendly. And hydrogen detectors cost much less than the price of most mass spectrometers. The advent of a new type of hydrogen detectors has overcome another perceived hydrogen leak testing obstacle. Based on microelectronic hydrogen sensors, these new hydrogen detectors are unique in their high sensitivity and high selectivity to hydrogen. They are also robust enough for industrial use, allowing the easy detection of leaks down to 5x10-7 cc/s. Hydrogen leak detectors are easy for a non-engineer to operate. The test gas is simply injected into the test object, and a hand probe connected to the hydrogen detector is used to search for leaks. The detector indicates with an audio signal that increases in frequency pitch the closer you get to the leak location. There is no need to create a vacuum, which means the user can save a lot of testing time. Hydrogen leak testing can also be automated. Especially in Japan, the automotive component manufacturers are beginning to run more and more chamber type, automated hydrogen testing systems on their components, thus saving cycle time and money. Extremely effective and efficient, easy to use, cost effective and safe, it's no surprise that hydrogen leak detection is now seeing increasing use in a number of industries, including automotive, refrigeration and air conditioning, medical, water and even telecom. Hydrogen testing has been getting extremely positive references from industry experts and academicians, and has also received official T V certification. It's clear that there are many options available for leak detection and testing. But if you're looking for a leak testing method that isn't full of holes, hydrogen testing could be your best choice. Sensistor Technologies
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Canadian Industrial Equipment News September 2005 |
May 15, 2008
