Lean production: rapid production change systems

In the Lean philosophy, we know that it is important to adapt production to the customer requests and that retooling on a line needs to be completed in minutes, not hours.

For roll forming, the set-up time of a line was traditionally a very time-consuming operation, in which rollers were changed one by one at each station (and had to be positioned accurately and adjusted individually).

For some machines, this could literally take days and require highly skilled engineers.

Can any company afford this kind of downtime nowadays?

Naturally, companies and manufacturers of roll forming machines have taken appropriate steps. Over the course of time, interchangeable drawer solutions have been developed, in which rollers are mounted on platforms that include shafts and roll forming frames. The shafts are motorized with complicated cardan joints, but it still takes a long time to position the different drawers and connect each shaft to the joint!

The Combi System is a truly unique feature of Dallan machines and allows even non-experts to create extremely high-quality roll forming products with set-up times that are often less than 10 minutes.

The base of Dallan machines consists of a flat section on which the motor is assembled and where a toothed wheel juts out, which is all that’s needed to activate the Combi.

The Combi group consists of a metal plate on which the toolhead, transmission, shafts, rollers, all tangential accessories, as well as the feeder and straightener, are assembled.

This unit lifts and moves through four eyebolts, with an overhead crane or a simple forklift, which can be adapted simply for the purpose.

When the combi is placed on the base of the machine, it centers itself automatically. The external toothed wheel of the Combi meshes with the motorization and the weight of the combi unit itself keeps it in position!

Consider that, at Dallan, we produce over 250 combi groups a year!

At this point, all we have to do is put the guards in place, change the cutting die, and mount a new coil on the roll former.

The combi system can provide countless advantages, including:

• the option of having multiple Combis, already prepared and adjusted for different profiles on a single machine.

• the ability to set-up a combi off-line while the machine is processing another profile!

• you can order a Combi for a new profile that will be assembled and tested at Dallan’s premises, while you continue to produce using your line.
Once received, all you need to do is position it.

• you can send old combis to Dallan for an overhaul without needing to move the entire machine.

• you can double or triple your productivity easily using the Combis you already have by simply purchasing a reel, bare base, and a cutting system, in order to create more lines that produce in parallel (as is the case with armored door or poultry facility manufacturers).

• if you have large quantities you need to produce, you can organize spare equipment that can be prepared in good time on new Combis, thereby avoiding the need to halt production.

That’s not all: when lines become over twenty years old, it’s often difficult to find spares for electrical parts.

If the line has a combi system, you can reuse all the equipment and update all your machines by only replacing the machine base. This allows you to keep your machines operational and updated from a production and safety point of view!

In this video, you will also see how simple it is to change a Combi group:

COMBI for dies: the COMBI philosophy for fast full tooling

The same philosophy applies to the quick change of dies.

Special bases include quick reference points and multiple dies that can be prepared off-line. Once a change becomes necessary, instead of replacing the equipment, you change the entire bank, complete with sensors, extractors, pneumatic and hydraulic connections.

Production changeover times involving Dallan equipment are 80% faster than any traditional system!

To find out more about DALLAN production quick change systems, register for our Masterclasses !

REGISTER HERE!

Andrea Dallan
CEO – Dallan Spa