Denca have been awarded a significant project in Brazil that is centred around control systems installation, implementation and software development. Cheshire-based Denca will use equipment from world-leading drive and control company, Bosch Rexroth AG.
The installation is currently taking place at an aluminium sheet processing business based in Rio de Janeiro specialising in the manufacture of sensitized films for the graphics industry.
Systems integrators of choice
Denca have previously worked as the systems integrators of choice on behalf of Bosch Rexroth. For this latest contract, they are responsible for control panel build, software creation (for PLC and HMI) as well as all plant and machine monitoring and control devices, for a high precision cross-cutting saw process that is used in the manufacture of chemically-treated lithographic plates.
Increasing manufacturing capability
Using the highest quality imported aluminium sheet, they are chemically treated to accept a lithographic image ready for printing. In a drive to further increase manufacturing capability, an automated solution was required that, while operating at high speed, would provide the highest level of precision cut and still meet cutting tolerances of below 0.10mm.
Delivering a range of cutting variables
For this challenging project, Denca were faced with the complexities of delivering a range of cutting variables on a fast-moving aluminium sheet line. In the manufacturing process, the line will move at a pre-determined rate in association with a rotary cutter that is positioned and calibrated to deliver a straight cut through the moving metal sheet.
Flexible solution
As part of the customer requirement, it was stipulated that the solution should be sufficiently flexible to produce treated aluminium plates in lengths ranging from 450mm to 2 metres, with line speeds ranging 20 to 100 metres per minute. This necessitated the machine servos having to accommodate variable production speeds as well as the rapid acceleration/deceleration of the cutting disc between production cycles.
Recognised for expertise
Comments Denca joint Managing Director, Alan Brennan, “Not only was it rewarding to be selected by Bosch Rexroth for our high levels of expertise in systems integration, it was especially pleasing to be recognised for the high standards, experience, capability and technical knowledge that we were able to bring to this particularly challenging task.”