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Brazilian Farm Equipment Manufacturer
Discovers Finn-Power Fabrication Flexibility
 Semeato is a market-leading manufacturer
of no-till agricultural machinery and replacement parts.
Located in Brazil's southern state of Rio Grande do Sul,
Semeato traces its roots back to the mid 1960's. Originally
created to supply parts and small machinery, the company
grew in the 1970's by introducing one of the first lines
of agricultural implements manufactured in Brazil. Semeato
soon earned the reputation as an innovator and pioneer in
the industry by experimenting with the new revolutionary
concept of no-till farming.
During the 1980's, Semeato focused
its efforts to develop technologically advanced no-till machinery
and implements which would provide farmers with increased
productivity and reliability. The company played a key role
in the implementation of no-till farming in the region and
in promoting the popularity of the new system that has spread
to farms throughout the world.
Today, Semeato is comprised
of eight separate units that function as one entity. As a
vertically integrated company, Semeato has developed differentiated
manufacturing and logistic processes - including raw material,
foundry, plastics, etc. - that assure the high quality of
its products and services. In turn, Semeato's customers demand
reliability and fast service. To meet these needs, Semeato
has also established a diverse inventory in order to supply
original parts and accessories.
To satisfy a broad range
of farming operations, Semeato has developed a distinct line
of no-till planters and drills that combine accuracy and
efficiency when seeding and fertilizing. These planters are
ideal for such crops as corn, bean, soybean, sunflower, and
cotton. In order to satisfy its customers' special needs
according to particular regions, soils, cultures, and climates,
Semeato has developed a new concept in no-till seeding - the
Personalized Drill. With over 500 assembly combinations,
the Personalized Drill is a flexible planter/drill designed
to find customized solutions to specific agricultural problems.
As
a result of the multiple configurations of these customized
machines, flexibility is a critical element of Semeato's
manufacturing philosophy. To manufacture these products,
Semeato has a wide variety of metalworking equipment, including:
stamping presses, milling machines, shears, press brakes,
a coil cut-to-length line, a turret punch press, and lasers.
Laser
Work Center
The latest flexible sheet metal fabrication
technology introduced at Semeato was a Finn-Power high-speed
Laser Work Center. In September, 2003, the Finn-Power Laser
Work Center with a load/unload went into production at one
of Semeato's
Passo Fundo locations. According to Amilton F. R. Loss, production
manager, Finn-Power's leading technology was the reason for
choosing the Finn-Power laser over competitors' models. "We
chose the Finn-Power laser for its high speed and load/unload
capabilities," explains
Loss.
The Finn-Power laser is a breakthrough in
sophisticated high-speed laser cutting for sheet metal fabrication,
creating enhanced production with superior speed, accuracy,
and part quality. The Finn-Power Laser is designed by using
innovative linear drive motor technology to allow maximum
speeds, even in small notches or narrow contours. Finn-Power
provides a new level of high-speed performance with regard
to machining dynamics, contour accuracy, and process safety.
"On our old laser, making 52 of these parts on a sheet 3 meters x 1-1/2 meters would take three hours. We do it in 20 minutes on the Finn-Power."
The
Finn-Power laser is a flying optics system with a working
area of 3000 mm (120") X axis; 1500 mm (60") Y axis; and
100 mm (4") Z
axis. Maximum positioning speed of X/Y axes simultaneously
up to 300 m/minute (11,811"/min). Loss also explains that
Finn-Power's unique "Ping Pong" repositioning movement allows
smooth and efficient transitions for increased productivity.
In conventional repositioning, the head moves in straight
lines, taking extra time just to position the cutting head.
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| Amilton F. R.
Loss, Semeato’s production manager, likes
the Finn-Power laser’s high speed and
load/unload capabilities. |
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Semeato
processes mild steel up to 1/4-inch and stainless and aluminum
up to 3 mm. "On thin material, we have experienced
a 70% increase in productivity over our other laser," says
Loss. "On the thicker material, we still experience a 30%
increase in productivity."
To demonstrate the speed of the
Finn-Power laser, Loss presents a production time comparison
on a 9 mm stainless steel seed distribution disc. "On our
old laser, making 52 of these parts on a sheet 3 meters x
1-1/2 meters would take three hours," says Loss. "We do it
in 20 minutes on the Finn-Power."
Semeato currently
produces approximately 2,000 different parts on the Finn-Power laser. In the
past, Semeato utilized a job shop to meet its laser parts requirements. Today,
Semeato does all its fabrication internally and also supplies the other divisions
of the company with parts. "We are very happy with the Finn-Power laser," explains
Loss. "By allowing us to fabricate all our parts internally, we not only experience
lower production costs but also reduced lead times. In addition, when we need
to make a design change, it is also much easier to make prototypes on the Finn-Power."
Automatic loading and unloading is accomplished
with the use of load/unload gripper that is equipped with
suction cups. The gripper picks up the sheet from the loading
table and then places the sheet onto the Finn-Power laser's cutting table.
After the laser cutting has been completed
and the laser shuttle tables have exchanged positions, the
fork assembly, which is mounted on the load/unload gripper,
removes the cut parts, including the skeleton, and places them on the unloading
table.
Semeato operates the Finn-Power laser three
shifts per day, seven days per week. In order to ensure the
best performance, maintenance is something that Semeato takes
very seriously. The company rigorously follows daily, weekly,
and monthly maintenance procedures to keep the laser running
in top condition.
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Semeato
recently purchased a Finn-Power 160 ton, 4
axis hydraulic press brake. The Finn-Power
hydraulic press brake is designed for high
precision performance in the most demanding
applications.
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Press Brake
Recently, Semeato purchased
a Finn-Power 160 ton, 4 axis hydraulic press brake. The Finn-Power
hydraulic press brake is designed for high precision performance
in the most demanding applications. When doing small or large
batch work, the Finn-Power press brake provides cycle time
enabling short strokes and rapid advance/return speeds to
benefit production needs. The forming speed is programmable
to avoid part whip-up and provide the operator with ease
of operation.
Semeato schedules the precision parts with tight tolerances to be processed on the Finn-Power press brake.
Ram movement is extremely accurate. The piston
is fastened to the top beam through spherical surfaces, which
eliminates the effect of horizontal loads during the working
stroke and also makes tilted settings possible. Off Center
Loading is possible on the Finn-Power press brake because
the measuring arrangement has been designed specifically
to eliminate any effect on accuracy of the bending force
used.
Automatic
loading and unloading is accomplished with
the use of load/unload gripper that is equipped
with suction cups. The gripper picks up the
sheet from the loading table and then places
the sheet onto the Finn-Power laser’s
cutting table. After the laser cutting has
been completed and the laser shuttle tables
have exchanged positions, the fork assembly,
which is mounted on the load/unload gripper,
removes the cut parts, including the skeleton,
and places them on the unloading table. |
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All axes of the press brake, including crowning,
are calculated by the control and automatically positioned.
The hydraulic clamping circuit for the bed, or ram, has a
separate hydraulic hose for direct control.
When the operation
parameters of tool pair, sheet properties and the product
dimensions are specified in the control system, it automatically
calculates optimal ram movement, back gauge position and
retraction, bending force, lower dead point, and automatic
return stroke.
During ram movement, linear encoders constantly
measure the actual ram position, which is then compared with
the command values for stroke depth, speed, change point,
and return limit.
Any deviation from preset values triggers
a feedback signal that, in turn, activates servo valves to
direct oil flow to the top, or bottom, of each piston for
the correct ram movement required. Measurements are automatically
calculated by program information for programmed depth to
reach the desired angle.
Finn-Power's precision press brakes
are accurate. Regardless of oil temperature, repeatability
of lower dead point positions is +/-.01 mm (.0004") with
Finn-Power's dual linear scales controlling
movement throughout the work day.
Semeato schedules the precision
parts with tight tolerances to be processed on the Finn-Power
press brake.
Technical School
Another unique feature of
Semeato is the company's technical school, established
in 1989, to ensure a qualified workforce for its factories. For example,
production manager Amilton Loss is a graduate of Semeato's
technical school. Students between the ages of 16 and 20
learn design, metallurgy, operations, and maintenance on
all of Semeato's machines. The purpose of the school is to
provide knowledge and ethics to future employees, as well
as build careers. The school has received several awards
for educating the community and contributing to a better
society.
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710
Remington Road 
Volume
14 Issue 1 -
July 2004