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Greetings,
Welcome to the January 2004 issue of the AMS
newsletter. Most indicators would appear to show the
economy is rebounding and hopefully it is going to be a
good year for manufacturing. We are optimistic about
the future and were very pleased with the quantity and
quality of inquires we received at the recent Metalcon
and Fabtech Shows. It was encouraging to hear that
overall attendance and interest levels were up at both
Shows.
In 2004 we plan on continuing our format of providing
you with helpful hints to maximize the value of AMS
products on a production line, news about on-going
activities at AMS Controls, and keep you apprised of
new products and features as we release them. As
always we are interested in your feedback and
encourage you to contact us with your ideas or
suggestions. Drop us line at
feedback@amscontrols.com.
| New Features: Crash Detect |
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The AMS XL200 (Version 2) series of controllers offers
a crash detection feature created to detect the
probable existence of a material crash on a roll forming
line.
When this feature is utilized, the controller
compares pre-defined common run characteristics with
actual run data provided by the material encoder. If a
discrepancy such as line speed is indicated, the
controller will stop the line to allow an investigation to
be preformed, minimizing material waste and possible
injury to humans or equipment damage.
Read more about Crash Detect... »
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| Rick Wilhelm Presents Seminar on Statistical Process Control at Fabtech 2003 |
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AMS President Rick Wilhelm presented a seminar
entitled "Statistical Process Control in the Metal
Forming Industries" at Fabtech 2003. Topics in Rick's
presentation included: How to calculate process
capabilities and determine normal process outputs with
simple statistics; Understanding current technologies
available to automatically generate control charts; and
Discovering how to interpret control charts to assist in
process adjustment.
Read the paper... »
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| Encoder Installation and Troubleshooting |
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The vast majority of tolerance/variance problems on
roll forming lines are related to encoder tracking. For
this reason, this document reviews some basic
mounting principals for encoders and encoder wheels,
as well as some procedures for troubleshooting the
encoder and cable hardware.
The encoder is a vital part of the control system.
Everything the controller knows about the material
(speed, direction, amount of material flow) comes from
the encoder. If this information is bad, the result will be
a variance in part length.
Continue Reading... »
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| Eclipse Training Session at AMS set for Feb. 10-11 |
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A two-day Eclipse Production Management System
training session has been scheduled for February 10-11
at AMS' facilities in St. Louis. All Eclipse users with a
maintenance agreement in good standing are invited to
attend this training session free of charge (travel
expenses not included).
View training details... »
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| Quality Assurance Manager Appointed |
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AMS has appointed Ken Click to manage our Quality
Assurance program.
Ken brings to the job a wealth of experience regarding
the production and functionality of AMS products. His
past duties include working in the Parts Repair and
Console Design departments as well as having spent
more than 10 years with AMS installing roll forming
control systems in the field. Ken's thorough knowledge
of AMS products and the proper steps to customer
satisfaction make him the ideal man for the job.
The new AMS QA program will incorporate the existing
AMS quality programs along with implementing new
procedures to insure that in every opportunity we have
to serve our customers - AMS Controls will exceed their
expectations. From the front door, to the shipping
door, everyone at AMS is dedicated to providing the
highest quality products and services to our customers.
Email Ken at
quality@amscontrols.com.
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