About the Customer
AISIN U.S.A. Manufacturing, Inc. (AUM) is located in the heart of the country in Seymour, Indiana. AUM was founded in 1988 with a small footprint of approximately 250 employees. It became the first North American location of over 200 global companies and brands, under AISIN Group.
At its founding, every manufacturing team member worked tirelessly to manufacture high-quality automotive door moldings and frames using specialized tooling at the custom-built factory.
Since its founding, the company has experienced tremendous growth, employing almost 2,000 workers today. They have expanded into many new automotive markets. They now fabricate a wide range of essential automotive products in a building with a footprint nearly 5 times as large as the original facility.
The figure to the right highlights the diverse catalog of automotive products that AUM is proud to manufacture. AUM is committed to creating high-quality components and systems for the automotive industry’s most demanding customers
Problem: Ongoing Issues with Material Feed
AUM encountered a few manufacturing challenges related to its metal stamping production line. Specifically, they have had ongoing issues with material feed being too long or too short for the stamping press to operate correctly and efficiently.
The root of the problem was discovered to be that the stamping process was using a feed sensor that can’t detect overfeed. This failure led to die crashes and very high die repair costs. Production is stopped during repairs, which became a high cost to the company in terms of lost part production. Additionally, the company needed to fix or replace broken die components.
Solution: A Long/Short Feed Sensor to Prevent Die Crashes
AUM engineers and the MISUMI die & mold engineering team developed a Long/Short Feed Sensor to prevent die crashes. This was accomplished by redesigning an existing MISUMI product called the OKJS Feed Sensor. Many existing MISUMI customers already use this sensor within die protection monitoring systems. This particular sensor was redesigned to be tailored to some of the design features specifically to AUM’s needs.
The system monitors material movement during critical steps in the stamping process to stop the hydraulic press hit before a mishit or crash occurs. This is accomplished via the OKJB Feed Sensor, which signals the controller when there is a fault.
Product Key Benefits and Features
The fundamental difference between the new and existing sensors is that the original sensor (OKJS Feed Sensor) was designed to detect when a strip is fed to the switch. The redesigned sensor unit (OKJB – Long/Short Feed Sensor) will address an over or underfeed issue. This feature alone eliminated the die-crash problem that AUM was experiencing.
Also, as a part of the redesign, MISUMI changed the body material to a 4140 steel alloy to increase the strength of the sensor.
MISUMI also added proximity switch options that can be connected to a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). MISUMI also ensured that the newly redesigned part was configurable to the product by featuring different options for sensor springs and rod washers, which helped to adapt the feed sensor to the specific workpiece. This made the tool more adjustable for many press applications.
For more details, download the OKJB Technical Specifications.
Results: Saved Over $27,000 in Repair Costs
AUM appreciates that the new sensor is fabricated from metal. In contrast, the old plastic housing broke so often that the production workers quit replacing them on the stamping press. Instead, they returned to the old configuration, which never worked reliably.
Furthermore, the prototype part worked so well that AUM still uses it on the particular die on which it was installed. The OKJB Sensor is used to create almost 8,000 pieces per day! The production version of the OKJB Long/Short Feed sensor was put on one production line die around mid-August two years ago.
AUM’s Manufacturing Engineer says, “It has been working flawlessly with no downtime or repair costs for close to 750,000 strokes on the die press. Indeed, the sensor has worked as intended every time, catching 3 separate instances of part misfeeding and preventing any dangerous die-hit part breakdown. To contrast, before the production line was outfitted with the new sensor, 6 mishits resulted in over $27,000 in repair costs alone!”
To learn more about the OKJB Sensor unit, visit the product page.
Ready to Partner with MISUMI?
We are always excited to improve on these products continually and have the in-house expertise to come alongside
and work hand-in-hand to engineer customized solutions for any production challenge, whether big or small. Contact us today to see how we can together drive toward manufacturing excellence! Email the team at tooling@misumiusa.com.
