volume 19 - issue 2 - Finn-Power International, Inc.

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CUSTOMER PROFILE New Fabrication Technology Meets Telecom Manufacturer’s Growing Needs When Jim Morroni founded Electric Equipment & Engineering Co. (EEE), Denver, CO, in 1922, it was just a small firm selling motors and electrical systems. However, this fledgling company soon earned the reputation of being able to tackle the challenging jobs that competitors couldn’t or wouldn’t attempt. Today, this third-generation family business would make patriarch Jim Morroni proud. His commitment to innovation and engineering excellence still exists through his two sons, Dick and Tom, and grandsons Tim, Greg, Craig, and Mike – all part of the current EEE management team. Nearly 65 years ago, the company began manufacturing products for the telecommunications industry and has evolved into a fierce competitor in manufacturing power distribution and transfer systems in all shapes and sizes from 200 – 4,000 amps. “All the products that we manufacture today have been invented or pioneered at EEE,” explains Greg Morroni. “We do not make what you would call a ‘me too’ product.” “We designed and introduced the very first microprocessor-controlled transfer switch,” adds Tim Morroni, Greg’s brother. “Our larger competitors now manufacture this product in much larger volume than we do, but we can innovate quicker than they can. We innovate constantly in order to compete.” History of Increased Productivity The first fabrication machines installed at EEE were two single-station presses. These machines served the company well for many years, but fierce competition in the telecommunications industry and rapidlygrowing demand for just-in-time deliveries forced EEE to look for more productive fabrication equipment. In 1999, EEE chose the Finn-Power P5 hydraulic turret punch press to replace one of the single-station presses. “We recognized that if we wanted to compete more effectively, we had to upgrade our fabrication equipment,” says Greg Morroni. The P5 is still in production at EEE, and this purchase began a 10-year relationship with Finn-Power that covered several generations of machines purchased to keep up with growing demand. In 2000, EEE introduced another new product that created a rapid increase in production and prompted the company to add an F5 hydraulic turret punch press. In 2005, strong demand for another product line, the integrated load center, once again was responsible for adding new fabrication automation technology from Tim Morroni is part of a third-generation family business that is committed to innovation and engineering excellence. Finn-Power fabrication equipment has been part of Electrical Equipment & Engineering’s success since 1999. Prima Finn-Power – the C5 Compact Express. This product added unmanned operation to the C5 turret punch press through highly compact load/unload automation. “Even though we had short lead times and increased demand, we didn’t have to add to the workforce because of the machine’s automation,” explains Tim Morroni. Servo Electric Technology The latest generation of Finn-Power equipment to arrive at EEE was the E5 Compact Express in early 2009. This machine has many of the same features as the C5, while offering the advantages of servo-electric drives, such as high precision and lower energy consumption. The Finn-Power E5 turret punch press is a new generation, precision fabricating system that features a servomotor-driven punch mechanism and is both flexible and amazingly accurate. In the E5, both the position and speed of the punch and die are programmable, which allows punching, nibbling, cutting, forming, marking, bending, and tapping in just a single setup. This new approach to precision sheet metal fabricating has the following features: ■ High accuracy and repeatability ■ Low connecting power ■ Low energy consumption 12 ■ Excellent forming properties – .630" high (16 mm) – with no die interference ■ Intelligent tool management technology for easy settings The punching process of this new technology from Finn-Power combines servo-electric technology with mechanical power transmission, enabling strict punch control. A “We were surprised by the increased accuracy of the servo-driven punch. With the increased accuracy of the E Compact Express, we were able to redesign the boxes to eliminate welding. We now rivet the boxes together and the holes must match perfectly – and they do. Our cost of manufacturing these boxes has dropped 50%.”
servomotor, together with a lead screw, moves a roll that in turn moves the ram by means of a guiding surface. The punching stroke is numerically controlled by the CNC, which provides a very fast and optimal punching stroke. The stroke position and speed are controlled by the CNC. With forming tools, you can program a lower ram speed and use a lower forming speed and a positioning tolerance. “We were surprised by the increased accuracy of the servo-driven punch,” says Greg Morroni. “We used to outsource the welding of a line of outdoor boxes, and their price tripled in 10 years. It is critical that the parts fit perfectly together because the box needs to be watertight. With the increased accuracy of the E Compact Express, we were able to redesign the boxes to eliminate welding. We now rivet the boxes together and the holes must match perfectly – and they do. Our cost of manufacturing these boxes has dropped 50%.” Other E5 features include: ■ Auto-index – Finn-Power’s unique autoindex system precisely rotates the punch and die in their tool holders. Rotation in .001 degree programmable increments gives the machine the ability to rotate beyond 360 degrees, thus allowing the system to automatically select the shortest path to rotate to a programmed angle input into the NC part program with simplicity, speed, and reliability. EEE has five full-tonnage auto-index stations. ■ Multi-Tool ® – Finn-Power’s Multi-Tool stations increase the number of tools available in a turret, thus reducing set-up and increasing productivity. The Multi- Tool system allows multiple tools to be put in one station. Finn-Power Multi- Tool offers 6, 8, 10, or 24 different punch/die combinations in only one station – a turret within a turret. Using a 40 station alpha/numeric Multi-Tool, part identification programs are fast and easily done. EEE has four Multi-Tool stations. ■ Upforming system – Finn-Power’s upforming option provides more accurate forming and greater forming heights up to 16 mm (.63”) and 5” in diameter. Another advantage is that all dies are at the same height and there are more high-forming dies in the turret, thus reducing risk of material damage and increasing machine uptime. “Louvers are used to pull air through many of our products,” explains Tim Morroni. “Before Finn-Power, we used a single-station louver punch. It was much slower and more expensive than our upforming solution today.” ■ Large work chute – A large work chute capable of removing large parts up to 19.6" x 19.6". These parts are then The C5 Compact Express added unmanned operation through highly compact load/unload automation. The unit’s loading/unloading solution utilizes the space above and below the machine, requiring only slightly more space than a turret punch press. dropped onto a conveyor to be exited out the end of the machine, thereby reducing shaker parts and eliminating skeletons. “Today, we try to send as many parts as possible down the work chute,” Tim Morroni continues. “It eliminates the labor of shaking parts out and the parts are ready to bend. In addition, with no micro joints, I don’t have to worry about deburring or having them bump on the back gauge of the press brake.” ■ Tapping – The tapping feature of the E5 has also paid a large dividend to EEE. The company chose a six-station, servodriven tapping unit. “On one motor base part, we have 40 tapped holes in three different sizes,” says Tim Morroni. “On our old machine it would take 2 1 /2 hours to make 24 parts. On the E5, we can make 48 parts in just 25 minutes.” The E5 features a large work chute capable of removing large parts up to 19.6" x 19.6". These parts are then dropped onto a conveyor to be exited out the end of the machine, thereby reducing shaker parts and eliminating skeletons. 13 ■ Vacuum scrap conveyor – This optional feature ensures secure and effective slug removal after punching. Green manufacturing According to Finn-Power International, recent tests have proven that by using a creative combination of servo-electric technology and mechanical power transmission, the E5 consumes less than 1/3 the amount of electrical power of a comparable hydraulic turret punch press. More specifically, the E5 concept is an astonishing money saver in terms of energy consumption. It uses breaking energy in the acceleration of the following movement. The operating economy is best described by analyzing what happens energywise during each sequence consisting of a punching stroke and the sheet movement that precedes and follows it. Servo-electric press brake The final piece of Finn-Power equipment that EEE installed was the E Series servo-electric press brake. This press brake is a fast, accurate bending solution. By applying mechanics and electronics, a unique, patented, mechatronic drive was developed. This drive is based on the pulley principle resulting in a very even “The repeatable precision of the E brake is amazing. It forms our parts quicker and the increased precision dramatically reduces assembly time.” continued on page 14
Page 1 and 2: FABTECH 2009 ZAPHIRO & FAST BEND Ta
Page 3 and 4: MANAGEMENT CORNER “I Can’t Chan
Page 5 and 6: During the 4th quarter of 2004, Ori
Page 7 and 8: NEW EQUIPMENT SPOTLIGHT Zaphiro - A
Page 9 and 10: FABTECH OPEN HOUSE Prima Finn-Power
Page 14 and 15: continued from page 13 distribution
Page 16 and 17: CUSTOMER PROFILE 16 By Michael Bish
Page 18 and 19: CUSTOMER PROFILE Ventilation Manufa
Page 20 and 21: FOCUS ON CANADA Prima Finn-Power Br
Page 22 and 23: IN THE NEWS Customer Profile Articl
Page 24: FINN-POWER GROUP P.O. Box 38 FIN-62

volume 19 - issue 2 - Finn-Power International, Inc.

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