SMC drives the automotive industry
January 2018
Pneumatics & Hydraulics
Known for its support to the automotive industry, SMC offers a comprehensive line of pneumatic products which both meet and exceed the automotive industry's demanding manufacturing requirements. The result is robust pneumatic systems for continuous operation, efficient production ramp up and the ability to operate in extreme temperatures and welding environments.
While many companies offer components to the automotive industry, SMC has spent years understanding the industry’s needs and adapting and evolving with them, looking to maximise performance and minimise energy costs and downtime.
In 2017, the company started manufacturing and assembling pneumatic/electro-pneumatic panels in-house at its facilities in Midrand. From a simple assembly to a complex system, SMC’s sales engineers together with its designers, panel builders and technical teams work with customers to ensure that panels are designed to specification, within budget and on time.
Most recently, SMC’s team worked with a large automotive manufacturer to alleviate production time and speed up processes by using one of its custom-built panels to match the application. The previous application required that the staff on site had to manually manoeuvre two side panels of a vehicle and have these welded onto the chassis. This was proving labour intensive and safety was of concern.
The team at SMC found the perfect solution to the problem – an SMC panel which houses control valves and operates CP96 cylinders (ISO) and AS flow controls; this allows for an automated process that reduced both welding and labour time.
Featured products for body assembly
• CQ2 compact cylinders: the CQ2 series has a long service life and optional coil scraper for weld spatter removal making it an ideal
selection for resistance welding applications.
• Clamp cylinders: complementing the CQ2 is a full range of clamp cylinders, including the CKZ2N power clamp which conforms to the NAAMS standard.
• SY series: series SY 5-port valves in combination with the EX600 modular fieldbus system yield versatile configurations, satisfying diverse user requirements.
• EX600: series SY 5-port valves in combination with the EX600 modular fieldbus system yield versatile configurations, satisfying diverse user requirements.
• AC modular units (FRLs): the AC series modular FRL ensures the precise flow of clean air to maximise operation of system components. A host of available options such as the manual residual pressure release valve on the -X352 variant ASP speed controller includes an internal check valve that will pneumatically lock an actuator in place for drop prevention.
For more information contact SMC Pneumatics South Africa, +27 (0)11 100 5866, [email protected], www.smcpneumatics.co.za
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