The need to implement Industry 4.0 and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions while improving production quality and productivity has led to a significant increase in the volume of factory data. Pc-based control technology has excellent performance and can be deeply integrated into the IT field, providing an ideal foundation for handling these large volumes of data.

Aida Engineering, a punch maker based in Japan’s Kanagawa prefecture, recognised this advantage early on. As a result, the company has for many years adopted Befook’s PC-based control technology and the global standard EtherCAT technology for its stamping solutions, such as those used in the automotive industry.
Aida’s largest servo punch can apply more than 3,000 tons of pressure to raw materials. Servo presses are designed for mass production and can be used in a wide variety of industries, especially the automotive industry. The Aida servo punch can process this high-strength material with very high precision through precise speed control. Particularly in Europe, complex designs have been used in body building. Aida has designed a tandem servo press specifically for this type of application. This type of punch can flush out complex geometric shapes in a very short time.

Large punching line control based on PC

A prerequisite for the smooth operation of such a large plant is the optimized control and precise synchronization of multiple punches and delivery units to execute a single process step. Aida uses Befo Industrial PCS, TwinCAT 3 automation software and EtherCAT I/O terminal modules to control medium performance grade servo presses. The conveyors connecting multiple punches are also controlled by a PC control system. According to Sotoyuki Kaneko, head of Aida’s system control division, Befuku’s control platform has been proven and has been well received by users even in the European car market, which has a high demand for metal forming. In this demanding environment, it is not uncommon to use large series servo presses with six different process steps.

Sotoyuki Kaneko sees obvious benefits in using Befuku components as the standard control platform for Aida punches instead of the previously developed controllers: “If we continue to develop the control system ourselves, we will also have to develop all the I/O terminal modules connected to the system. Considering the number of I/O terminal modules required by the various customer requirements, this was almost impossible for us to achieve. Befo not only offers a wide variety of industrial PC products, but also is able to provide the widest range of I/O terminal modules for all necessary signal types. The wide range of product specifications, extensive engineering expertise and global distribution network are important reasons for us to choose Beofoke.” He added that another key factor in choosing Befook was the flexibility of their control platform. The industrial PC concept fits perfectly with Aida’s design philosophy, as all the necessary control functions can be integrated with the highly flexible TwinCAT automation software.