May 2025 Volume 7

AUTOMATION

PLANNING FOR AUTOMATION? START WITH THE PARTS By Carlo Maffei

T here is much discussion about automation in the forging industry. However, your plan to invest in the latest automation doesn’t start by simply saying, “I want a new press,” or “I want automation.” The correct way to plan for your automated forging cell is not about replacing the equipment you have, but to reevaluate your entire forging process. And here are the foundational questions you need to answer as you begin the process: What parts are you forging? What materials are you using? What temperature does that material require for forging? What are the specific industry standards that apply to the parts you are forging? With this information clearly understood, you can plan the presses, automation, and forging cycle needed for optimal forging production. In this article you will learn about important considerations when you engineer your automated forging cell. Here we will discuss the automated forging process, including precision and traceability, machine integration, preventative maintenance and the positive effects on your workforce. Consistency in Production An investment in an automated forging cell is an investment in precise, high-speed production. With a fully automated forging cell, you can control the forging process. Every step is perfectly determined by programming each component of production. This is optimal for hot forging, where temperature loss is an issue. By maintaining a consistent production process, each step is executed at the correct temperature. Temperature variations, even within 50 degrees plus or minus, can negatively affect other aspects of the forging process. In the automated forging cell, each step of the forging process is set. Preforming, forging, and trimming are maintained at a fixed time and pace so that the part temperature is where it needs to be during the production cycle. Automation provides flexibility. For example, if a part needs to cool down to a specific temperature before trimming, to avoid deformation, this change can be factored into the automated program. Increased Accuracy To stay competitive in the world market, leading forging producers look to our engineers for ways to improve their forging process. At FICEP, we identify automation solutions that provide the highest productivity, efficiency and quality for the final part. Using 4-axis or 6-axis robots for repetitive functions combined with vision systems, scales, lasers and sensors provides for accurate checks throughout the production process.

For example, we’re improving the quality of the production process at the point of sawing by using lasers to mark the billets. This process is particularly valuable for bar that is cut in a separate area from the forging process and stored until needed. This batch production method leaves room for costly errors if the wrong billets are pulled by mistake and sent to a forging cell. With our system, a camera is directed on the conveyer checking the bar code on each billet before it enters the induction heater. This automated verification improves quality by increasing accuracy. Reliable Traceability The new challenge in forging production is traceability of parts particularly in the sectors of automotive, aerospace and medical implants. By applying a laser code to the part, it is marked for traceability. This standard started in the automotive industry about 10 years ago to effectively resolve issues caused by defective parts. It was possible to do this because automation was used to mark the parts with codes that made them easily traceable for identification. As an example, instead of recalling a million cars that might be affected by a defective part, they would recall just 10,000 cars that are verified as affected. This is another application of automation that saves time and money and maintains customer trust. Automated Integration and Your Workforce

Seamless integration of the automated forging cell is core to Industry 4.0. Although this technical advancement changes the scope of your operator’s work, these are changes that may help you attract new talent to your team. With integrated automation, your operator sets up the forging cell locally – at the cell – but can oversee the production process of the forging cell remotely. This remote-control room

in your plant is where the operator manages a dedicated PC to collect information on what we call the “recipe” of every single press, robot, and weighing system in the forging cell.

FIA MAGAZINE | MAY 2025 34