Automatic Swaging System-Initial Project Plan

Background
Artisanal writing instruments require the utmost precision when it comes to their manufacture
especially when it comes to swaging to create tapers or points on the instrument. Swaging is an
ideal process as it is a cold forming process and doesn’t cause material loss, which is important
as most of the writing instruments are manufactured using precious metals. The swaging
process currently in use involves a lot of manual skilled labor, which is expensive. The process
is also inefficient and slow as constant resetting of the dies and machine is necessary because
each product has different specifications in terms of length to be swaged and the centricity of
the tube to be swaged therefore it is evident that if the process of swaging is automated, rate of
production can be increased with less skilled labor, thus also reducing the running costs.
Prior Art
An automated system for swaging does exist. This system involves the use of vertically oriented
rollers that move the tube into and out of the die set in the rotary hammers of the swaging
machine. The rollers are run by a secondary motor and mostly just aid in feeding and extracting
the tube into and out of the die. The tube however still has to be placed into the die and
extracted from it manually. Also, the operation of the rollers is manually controlled by turning the
secondary motors on and off and lubricant has to be poured onto the tube before it enters the
die manually as well. This basically implies that the only part of the system that has been
automated is the feeding of the tube into the die. The operation of this machine therefore still
requires a skilled artisan as adjustments of the tube, regarding the length to be swaged and
establishing the centricity still have to be done manually.
Challenges
To ensure that the tube is properly set in the die and the tube is swaged at the exact location
and distance that is required.
Proposed Solution
My proposed solution involves the incorporation of laser detector modules which are integrated
with actuators to automate the entire system. First the tubes that require the same swaging
operation are clumped together and put into the feeder [11]. The operator then has to input into
the computer the length of the tubes and the length that is supposed to be swaged. Then the
operator has to put in the die required for the swaging operation. Each tube is pulled out using
rollers [4], which are run using a variable speed motor [5]. The rollers are constantly being drip
fed lubricant from a duct [7], thus coating the tubes as they pass through. The roller moves the
tube into the die [6]. A laser beam [1] is passed right through the center of the die, and as the
tube is rolled into it, the beam should pass right through the tube and to a sensor [10] on the
other end. This means that if the tube is not placed dead center in the die, the laser beam will
be blocked. As soon as the laser sensor detects an absence of light, it will send a signal to the
operating computer to stop the variable motor [5] which runs the rollers [4] and signal them to
run in reverse thus pulling the tube back out of the die. Once the tube is out of the die, the
rollers are rolled again to move the tube back into the die. This loop will keep on repeating until
the tube is placed dead center in the die. After proper placement of the tube is achieved, the
rollers start moving the tube until the desired part to be swaged is reached. This is achieved by
reading the distance times. The hydraulic clamp then locks the rotary hammers into the die and
the primary motor that runs the rotary hammers is started. Meanwhile the feed rollers [4]
continue to roll the tube deeper into the die [6]. When the required length is swaged, i.e. the
rollers have turned the set number of times, the computer sends a signal to the primary motor to
stop and the hydraulic clamp opens to allow the swaged tube to be extracted. The extraction is
also done by rollers [8], which run using the same variable speed motor [5] as the feed rollers
[4], connected by a belt [12]. This is where a second laser sensor module [9], which is oriented
perpendicular to the tube is placed. This laser sensor module will detect the tube exiting the
machine and signal an actuator [2] in the feeder to push the next tube into the feed rollers [4]. A
third laser module [3] is placed in the feeder to detect the presence of tubes. If a tube is not
present, the module will send a signal to the computer which will generate a prompt on the
screen, informing the operator that there are no tubes left in the feeder.
 The System Algorithm
INPUTS OUTPUTS DECISION

PRESENCE OF TUBE IN FEEDER LIGHT FROM LASER START VARIABLE SPEED IS THERE AN ABSENCE

MOTOR(VSM) OF LIGHT?

CREATE PROMPT

FEED ROLLERS
START VSM

TUBE PLACEMENT IN DIE LIGHT FROM LASER START VSM ANY LIGHT SENSED?

STOP VSM ROTATE VSM

FORWARD OR

BACKWARD?

IS PART TO BE SWAGED OPERATOR SPECS START OR STOP VSM HOW MANY REVS
REACHED? FROM COMPUTER LOCK HYDRAULIC CLAMP HAVE BEEN MADE BY

PRIMARY MOTOR ON VSM?

LOCK CLAMP?

DISTANCE TO BE SWAGED OPERATOR SPECS START OR STOP VSM HOW MANY REVS

FROM COMPUTER PRIMARY MOTOR OFF REQUIRED?

NO. OF REVS TURNED

BY VSM

LIGHT FROM LASER MOVE ACTUATOR IS THERE AN

PRESENCE OF TUBE IN
EXTRACTOR ABSENCE OF LIGHT?