Reducing Scrap with a Front Shear

The topic of scrap reduction comes up a lot when you’re talking to AMS Controls, but that’s only because we understand the difference it can make to your company’s bottom line when you create even small reductions in scrap. Those small amounts of scrap easily add up over the course of one shift, one month and especially one year.

The Coil End Point feature will let the operator know when the trailing edge of the last piece is approaching, and stop the line so a manual cut can be made before the last part is formed. This prevents an entire roll former full of scrap, but there will still be some amount of scrap due to the material required in the roll former for the main shear to make the last cut. Plus, the manual cut takes time to perform, you end up cutting it twice (once at the coil end point and once at the final part length) and isn’t all that accurate. This is a fine feature to help reduce scrap on long roll formers, but what if you wanted to eliminate scrap during a coil change? What if that cut could be automated and just as accurate and clean as all the other cuts on your parts? That’s where the Front Shear feature comes in.

When your line is equipped with a second shear before the roll former, also known as a “front” or “entry” shear, that shear may be setup as another tool controlled by the XL200 controller. The main shear handles the normal part cut-off, but the front shear is reserved for cutting at the coil end point. Now, when the coil end point is reached, the line will stop and make a very accurate cut on the trailing edge of the last part. This not only reduces scrap, but because you typically cut the last part long when using Coil End Point alone, it also saves time by not requiring two manual cuts – one to cut the part at the coil end point and another to cut it to the accurate length. This scrap reduction can add up to substantial savings over time.

To discuss how to implement a front shear setup on your long roll former, please contact us.