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Interface Load Cells for Press Machines

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Press machines are designed to measure and apply force for various reasons. Hydraulic presses can be used to shape materials or crush objects. Stamping presses make a visible impression or stamp onto materials, such as a pharmaceutical tablet or logo on a food product. Even sandwich presses follow many of the characteristics of more industrial presses.

Press machines are used across automotive, aerospace, construction, consumer goods, medical, agriculture, mining, and other industries.  The presses produce consistent, cost-effective quality parts, tools, and products. No matter what kind of press machine, it must undergo rigorous testing during the machine-building process. During operation, there must be continuous monitoring of the press force used in each application.

NEW! Interface Solutions for Machine Builders

Interface load cells are critical to designing, testing, and using accurate and reliable press machinery. Interface load cells come in various shapes, dimensions, and capacities, allowing press machine builders and engineers to find the best solution for their specific machinery use case. Whether selecting a miniature load button load cell for a small press test or our WMC Load Cell to integrate into the machine, Interface has a range of products for press machine applications.

Benefits of using load cells in press machines:

  • Enhance Operator Safety
  • Prevention of Overloading
  • Improve Consistency
  • Avoid Damage to Equipment
  • Reduce Waste and Scrap
  • Increase Quality and Consistency of Work Product
  • Improve Process Control
  • Extend the Life of the Machine’s Operation
  • Increase Productivity

In a press machine test, the load cell is typically placed between the ram of the press and the die, where it can measure the force being applied to the object. The load cell is usually connected to a readout or display showing the operator the force applied to the part or material. This readout may be a simple analog or digital display, depending on the specific press and load cell being used in the machine. Review our Instrumentation Selection Guide to find the best option for your press.

There are numerous options for the types of load cells used for press machine applications. Hydraulic presses are some of the most common presses that use load cells. These machines are often built to form metal parts, such as gears, shafts, and bearings. The construction industry uses presses to assemble and test concrete structures. These presses are designed to crush and process minerals and ore in mining.

Mechanical presses are typically used for high-precision applications, such as metal stamping and forming. Miniature load cells are used in more precise applications that require smaller measurements. These use cases are often reserved for the medical or consumer goods industry, where the goal is to provide a stamping force for medicine or candy to label the product without crushing or damaging it. A precision Interface load cell ensures that the force applied to the material is consistent and accurate.

Another type of press using a sensor is known as a screw press which forms and compacts materials such as plastic and rubber. These press machines are found in chemical, food, and waste processing facilities.

Depending on the measurement capacity needed in the machine’s application, two popular Interface options are the Rod End Load Cells and Mini WMC Sealed Stainless Steel Load Cells. A rod end load cell is typically installed at the end of the piston or ram, where it can measure the tension or compression force being applied during the pressing operation.  These load cells provide accurate and reliable force measurement in various presses.

Press Forming and Load Monitoring

Press forming is a method to deform different materials. For instance, materials such as steel can be bent, stretched, or formed into shapes. A force measurement solution is required to monitor the forces being applied by the press-forming machine. This ensures quality control and traceability during the production process. Interface recommended installing the 1000 High Capacity Fatigue-Rated LowProfile™ Load Cell for large press forming machines. When the material is placed under the punch plate to form a shape, the 1000 series load cell measures the force applied. The captured force results were sent to the INF-USB3 Universal Serial Bus Single Channel PC Interface Module, where results could be graphed and logged on the customer’s PC using the provided software. Interface’s force measurement products and instrumentation accurately monitored and logged the force results of the press force machine, ensuring zero-error production performance.

Tablet Forming Machine Optimization

A pharmaceutical tablet producer wanted to monitor the forces the tablet forming machine applied to understand the relationship between raw material, die set, form, force, and the motor’s cycle speed. The goal was to improve the productivity and efficiency of the tablet-forming process while reducing losses (i.e., cracked tablets or voids) by adding a dimension of feedback that could be used to assign specific press adjustment criteria for given inputs. An Interface Model WMC Sealed Stainless Steel Mini Load Cell (10K lbf Capacity) was mounted in the section of the downward press bar. The machine was modified to accomplish this. The load cell was then connected to a Model 9320 Portable Load Cell Indicator to collect the needed data. After analyzing the data, the tablet producer could quantify adjustment levels by monitoring which forces produced optimal results for a given cycle speed, die set, and raw material. The enhancement of the data feedback significantly improves productivity and efficiency.

Candy Stamp Force Testing

Manufacturers of hard-shell candies often stamp text or logos on the candy shells. Stamping too hard breaks the candy shell and stamping too light results in an uneven or incomplete imprint. Using a test apparatus with an Interface Model WMC Mini Load Cell attached to hydraulic actuators was discovered to be an accurate way to measure the compression force required. Engineers determined the specific force needed to properly apply the imprint without breaking the candy shell using this solution.

Using Interface load cells on a press machine is a valuable investment that can help to improve the quality of the products being produced, extend the life of the press machine, and reduce the risk of accidents.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Press Forming and Load Monitoring

Press Load Monitoring App Note

Hydraulic Press Machines and Load Cells

Metal Press Cutting Machine

Interface Solutions for Machine Builders

Force Measurement Sensors are Essential to Modern Industrial Machinery

 

Applications for Consumer Products and Packaging

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When we think about force measurement and its relation to product development, we often consider the aerospace, automotive or industrial industry. However, many of Interface’s customers use load cells and torque transducers to test and develop machinery used for consumer products and in the packaging industry.

In order to meet this demand, customers need force measurement tools that are both accurate and provide the necessary data points to automate and regulate consumer packaging machinery. This consumer packaging case study takes a look at the wide variety of applications of force measurement tools used to create consistency and quality among the products consumer buy and use daily.

BACKGROUND

If you have ever wondered how a pill or piece of candy gets a little logo stamped on it without crushing it or how every bag of chips is nearly filled to the same capacity, chances are a load cell or torque transducer was involved. Interface works with hundreds of customers who manufacture a wide variety of machines used in the consumer packaging industry. These machines serve numerous functions including logo stamping, bag weighing, bottle capping, sealing, and precision cutting.

According to Grandview Research, the use of automation, as well as robotics throughout the packaging lines, has seen tremendous growth in recent years. The aim is to improve productivity, reduce the operating costs and prevent waste, thus improving the overall efficiency of the packaging systems. “Big Data” has also gained popularity with operation managers that collect machine data to regulate the performance of the machinery, undertake preventive maintenance and maximize the up-time.

CHALLENGE

The challenge our customers run into when building these machines is they require a high level of precision to get consistent and repeatable results. If the machines are incorrectly calibrated, it can lead to excessive waste. For instance, if a bottle of soda isn’t capped correctly, it can leak, or if the machine which embosses toilet paper and napkins is too forceful, the paper will be ripped to shreds. Currently, most packaging machines are relying on physical hard stops, clutches, monitoring motor current and laborious tasks to monitor and apply the necessary force and torque. To ensure proper performance and to reduce waste, the most accurate and reliable force measurement tools are required.

SOLUTION

Interface works with hundreds of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who develop machines for the consumer packaging industry. Depending on the function of the machine, we manufacture a wide variety of force measurement products to help reduce waste, ensure repeatable results and provide accurate data to help consumer packaging customers automate their processes.

All of our products come with various data communication systems, including analog or digital and Bluetooth®, wireless or Ethernet. This provides customers with flexibility in their data collection methods and the ability to connect systems through the Internet of Things (IoT) functionality. For machines using a precision twisting motion, such as capping machines, we offer nearly 50 types of reaction torque transducers and rotary torque transducers for customers. All of our torque transducers are precision-machined and use our proprietary torque sensors for the most accurate data possible.

For precision weighing or stamping, such as the candy stamping application, we manufacture more than 60 different types of load cells and Interface Mini Load Cells. These load cells have capacities as low as 1 lbf (500 gf) for extreme precision. In our customer’s application highlighting candy stamping, a test apparatus was outfitted with the Interface Model WMC Mini Load Cell and a 9330 Data Logging Indicator to measure the compression force required to imprint the candy without crushing it and collect data to finely tune the process.

For applications using robotics, Interface offers multi-axis sensors to test force and torque measurements simultaneously in three mutually perpendicular axes.

RESULTS

Accuracy in packaging is a game-changer for cost-savings, production efficiency, time-to-market, and product safety. Whether you are measuring, weighing or securing, Interface load cells, mini load cells, torque transducers, and instrumentation can assure you the quality and accuracy you need to protect your brand and customer satisfaction.

Interface is one of the leading force measurement manufacturers for the consumer packaging industries. We work directly with OEM’s and engineering consultants to implement systems and products which help to reduce waste, automate the packaging process and provide accurate, repeatable results. For more information on how Interface can help solve your test and measurement challenges, please contact us to connect with our specialized Application Engineers, click here to locate a local Representative or International Distributor.

READ COMPLETE CASE STUDY HERE

Interface Case Study For Consumer Packaging

Load Cells for Consumer Product Applications

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Typically, when engineers talk about load cells and their multitude of uses, it is assumed the applications are large-scale industrial projects like airplanes, rockets, and automobiles. However, did you know Interface load cells are regularly used for research and development (R&D), manufacturing, and end-of-line testing for countless consumer products?

Force is one of the most critical pieces of measurement in product development. This is especially true for consumer products that we interact with every day. Load cells are the tools that ensure products feel, handle and react the way they should in a consumer’s hand.

Here are a few examples showcasing how load cells touch almost everything the consumer touches.

A perfect example of a consumer product where force measurement plays a critical role in human interaction is in the abundance of numerous touch screens. Load cells are used in the R&D process to measure the accuracy, pressure, and sensitivity of the touch screen consumer interacts with on a minute-by-minute basis. The little things we don’t think about when using a tablet or smartphone, such as the smooth feeling of scrolling through social media pages, is possible because of testing using a load cell.

Another common consumer application type of load cells being used to improve product feedback and interaction is with simulation programs. High-end flight simulators often use load cells to measure the force of haptic feedback on the joysticks or chair when interacting with a flight simulator. The feeling of drag or rough winds a pilot experiences in a simulation is measured and refined for accuracy using a load cell.

Load cells are also an integral part of the manufacturing process for consumer goods. If you’ve ever seen a piece of candy with a logo stamped on it, chances are high a load cell was involved in determining the level of force to apply an exact brand stamp. Load cells are used on the stamping machine to ensure the right amount of force is used to apply the logo without crushing the candy.

In the food and drug industries, load cells are used in manufacturing facilities and on a wide variety of packaging machines. They are used for ultrasonic welding, which is the sealing process for plastic, paper or fabric shopping bags, garbage bags, and diapers. Potato chip assembly lines use load cells to weigh the bags as they fill them with chips to know when to stop and move on to the next bag. And the same stamping process used for candy in applying labels is used on pills.

Companies also incorporate load cells in end-of-line product testing. Furniture often goes through rigorous testing to ensure reliability. The furniture has various loads applied to it to confirm it can hold heavier weights over time, the furniture can also be bent and flexed to check the quality of the materials.  To reduce waste and ensure product quality, many consumer bottles use a torque transducer for end-of-line testing to test the proper cap implementation.

Batteries are another consumer product that goes through R&D and end of line testing to measure the force needed to damage the casing.  This is used to eliminate poorly designed and assembled batteries, as the acid inside can do immense harm if a child or adult is able to accidentally crush one.

Force measurement is also something that plays a role directly in the products we use. For instance, scales we use to weigh ourselves, food, and more, have load cells in them. Racecar gaming brake pedals are another example. High-end racing simulators need their brake pedal to be very accurate at measuring the amount of force applied to it to react as a real car would. Load cells are implemented in the base to provide accurate force readouts to the simulator in real-time.

Most products we all interact with every day have had some force testing or are currently using a sensor to manage its use and reliability.  Other consumer products that use Interface load cells, in all capacities and models, include treadmills, skis, bicycles, coffee makers, gaming brake pedals, boats, golf balls, desk drawers, guitars and robotic vacuums. And that is just to name a few.

Load cells and other force measurement tools like torque transducers are an integral part of developing, testing, and manufacturing reliable and accurate consumer goods. Think about this the next time you are handling your smartphone or carrying in groceries from the store. None of it would be possible without the use of force measurement equipment.

Contributor:  Kim Williams, Business Development Manager at Interface