Automated my Freechex III

[Just Duke]

If you were to invest in a pneumatic Rapid-Air strip feeder with Mr. Yonky's aluminum coil rolls you could just sit back and watch it run. I'm using these items on a 3/ton OBI fully automated press. Only air required for strip feeder. An actuating arm mounted to press cycles feeder on down stroke. Stroke length is set and it's always the same.

Now I know why companies use them, they flawlessly work. Made up a small fixture to hold the 10"-12" diameter coil roll which is mounted on pillow blocks with a spring tensioned arm to keep coil from unraveling. Once loaded up, press cycle start and relax.

Currently using commercial dies for the blanking and cupping operations. Still don't have a 100% reliable blank loader. Very difficult to strip off and transfer small diameter thin gauge blanks reliable to the cupping die. Have another alternative design but no time to spend on machining. If no jams occurred the press could easily do 1200-1500 finished gas checks an hour and they all are consistently the same. Most important the sizes match what I'm casting. Fit on perfectly and seat/crimp on perfectly, they don't come off unless you pry them off.

With a two step setup, it's very easy to make any custom size gas-check required. It takes a little longer but how many thousands of gas-checks can one use in a year with maybe a days time involved.

Machining a one step die to work with my current setup may be a future project but not for now.
There's never enough time.

Interesting for sure.

http://www.production-resources.com/air-feeds/

[tjones]

This seems like a great starting point for some younger fellows wanting to start and grow their own business. Gripping and controlling the strips of metal seem addressed and solved by this machine. Great post duke! tj

[yonky]

Any chance of posting a video of the updated model please?

[Dragonheart]

I thought Lithoplate was a thin material, like .008", so how is it going to lock on?

[Sonnypie]

I get a kick out of the catchy rhythm...
Duke,ba-da duke,ba-da duke,ba-da duke,ba-da duke,ba-da duke,ba-da duke,ba-da duke,ba-da duke,ba-da duke,ba-da duke,ba-da duke,ba-da duke,ba-da duke,ba-da duke,ba-da duke,ba-da duke,ba-da duke,ba-da duke...

Where there is a will, there is a tinkerer to make it better...