The Union Tool Corporation introduces the new Union Sheet Feeder designed to de-stack, align and feed steel sheets ranging in sizes from 20” to 44” wide and 60” to 76” long with thicknesses of .050” to .125”. The Sheet Feeder can feed up to five parts per minute and features a PLC control with operator touchscreen interface. A lower roller conveyor pops up to lift the load and a centering device centers the load. It is important to have these blanks on center prior to delivery to the roll forming machine. Once centered, the original powered roller conveyor delivers the stack to a backstop which features magnetic sheet separators that separate the top sheet from the stack to be sent to the roll formers. A vacuum head gantry, equipped with vacuum cups mounted to the head, picks up the blank sheet and moves it to a new conveyor with idler rollers and a chain conveyor pushing device or “dog”. The chain conveyor features two dogs; one pushes the blank to the roll former and then falls out of the way, while the second dog comes up from behind to push the next blank. Vertical centering devices insure the blank is centered and secure until it is delivered to the roll forming press. When the sheet is drawn into the press, the centering devices separate/open for the next sheet. The sheet feeder is equipped with a double sheet detector to insure that only one sheet at a time is delivered. If two sheets are detected the operation will stop.
- de-stack, align and feed steel sheets
- sizes from 20” to 44” wide and 60” to 76” long
- thicknesses of .050” to .125”
