News about DieBotics
and the Automation Industry.

A Perspective on Finger Bars

Finger bars or more specifically workpiece engagement tools for transfer fed stamping dies, are integral to the process development task. Understanding the options is vital to developing the best manufacturing process for a given stamping. The function of finger bars is to attach the workpiece to the transfer mechanism so that it can move the workpiece from one station to the next. Simple enough until some of the requirements are examined. For example, the attachment may need to occur in less than 1/10 of a second. The connection may need to be made by friction between the fingers and the workpiece without marring either surface of the stamping. The center of gravity and or mass may be offset from the finger attach point. The workpiece may need to be rotated about an axis perpendicular to the transfer or transferred a varying amount relative to the other workpieces being transferred.   Read More ....

How will the EV evolution affect stamping manufacture?

Auto industry experts say that the era of electric and autonomous vehicles is right around the corner. So how will this transition to EVs and AVs affect stamping manufacture? STAMPING Journal reached out to automakers and other auto industry insiders, press OEMs, material suppliers, and premier stamping tier suppliers to explore how the transition from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to electric vehicles and other autonomous, connected, electric, and shared (ACES) vehicles will impact—and has impacted—metal stamping manufacture.   Read More ....

OEM Helps Automotive Parts Companies Improve Efficiency and Costs

People love their automobiles, so it’s no surprise that the global automotive industry is booming again following the recent downturn. That’s good news for auto parts manufacturers that are seeing a surge in demand.

To be competitive in a crowded industry, die shops are finding ways to make a wider variety of auto parts faster but without increasing costs. Although it’s challenging, there are manufacturers out there succeeding at it, thanks to OEMs with clever solutions. DieBotics (Grand Rapids, Mich.), a manufacturer of part transfer systems    Read More ....