Design and Simulations

More EASY $$$$$ From your Plating Line Work Cells

Most manual and automatic plating lines are running far below their possible production rate due to a lack of a good timeway.

Plating lines can be easily be analyzed for this condition with the below procedure by calculating the production rate of every tank, and then comparing the lowest production rate tank vs. actual production and quantifying this difference.

  1. Set up a spreadsheet with a list of all process tanks (no rinses) on the existing line(s) as below.
Tank    # of Batch Positions 1 to n Minimum time in tank to make good product           + 60 sec empty time    (MTIT) Station Time Resistance (STR)                              (MTIT) / # of batch positions) Loads per hour         =    3600 / STR
Zi/Ni          12 7,200 sec (2 hrs.) 600 6 loads per hour

 

  1. Compare your actual production rate vs. the lowest production tank, and that represents the easy gain of production available.

 

Real Life Example installing this year:

  • Older two hoist automatic Alkaline ZiNi Barrel Line for Automotive Parts
  • Running a timeway at ~ 2 loads per hour
  • Above Spreadsheet showed the ZiNi batch tank could produce 6 loads per hour @ 7,200 seconds
  • Flextime designed a new timeway using the existing slow hoists speeds and achieved 6 loads per hour
  • Equivalent value to getting two more plating lines at 2 loads per hour or > $ 1,000,000 value

Typically the customer provides the below data from 1-5

  1. Tank Layout with a top-down view
  2. Saddle Spacing, in inches or mm, for all loads positioned in tanks
  3. Recipes (following will be recipe sheets)
  4. Number of cranes/hoists
  5. Production rate desired
  6. Number of Queue/load/unload Stands for Flight Bars

Typically we provide:

  1. Required number of cranes with
  2. Horizontal crane(s) top velocity(s) and acceleration(s)
  3. Required vertical hoist lift/lower times time
  4. Number of flight bars or hoods required for worst case condition
  5. Number of flight bars or hoods that need to be removed or stored for each recipe transition scenario
  6. Production rate confirmation
  7. A table of temporary transition production loss from recipe to recipe, if any!

 

Basic Determination of Station by Station Production Capacity

 

Station – all functions (steps) the load must be sequenced to by the crane(s), this includes dryers, load/unload stations, etc.

# of batch positions – the number of positions for each function i.e. batch tanks, such a copper, nickel, etc., where the load goes to one and only one of the positions.

Total Time – the nominal time in tank + empty time, in seconds, use to to determine station production rate capability.  Empty time ranges from 1 minute for single crane over a tank to as little as 20 seconds for two cranes simultaneously managing the filling and emptying of the same tank.

Station Production Rate– each stations productivity capability, in seconds, for that load in that location based on this equation; Time in station + 60 sec/ # of batch positions.

 

The following is an example of how to set up your station by station productivity spreadsheet.  Do not forget to evaluate load/unload stations, dry off stations, etc.

 

Station Productivity Limits
 

Tank

  

# of positions

  

Total Time (time in tank + 20 – 60 sec empty time

  

 Station Productivity Capability
 

Rinse

  

1

  

12 + 50 = 62

  

62 sec
 

Etch

  

2

  

30 + 50 = 80

  

80 sec
 

Copper

  

10

  

3600 + 60 = 3660

  

366 sec
 

Rinse

  

2

  

60 + 50 = 110

  

55 sec
 

Dryer

  

2

  

600 + 60 = 660

  

330 sec
 

etc.

  

??

  

??

  

??

 Simulation Recipe Data

Tank#//Name – This field is self explanatory

Min. Time – Minimum time, in seconds, the part can be in that tank and still produce good quality

Max. Time – Maximum time, in seconds, the part can be in that tank and still produce good quality

Drip Time – Minimum time, in seconds, required to avoid waste treatment/carryover problems

Resolution – If the Min. to Max. time is a range to be covered in discreet increments of time you must fill this column out.  If the Min. to Max. time only requires one time within the range the resolution field is not relevant and should be left blank.

Batch Tanks – The software is told a group of tanks is a batch tank by filling out only the last tank Min. Time/Max. Time/Drip Time fields (Refer to example below).  This tells the scheduler to send the load to the one of, but not more then one of these tanks, for the amount of time in the last field.  The system will automatically do a FIFO (first in, first out) algorithm for all batch tanks!

Distance  – The length in inches or millimeters from the previous saddle or the absolute length from a reference point.  If used, the reference point must be the same for all stations.

Example of Batch Tank in a Recipe (fill out time in tank seconds, last tank only)

 

Tank #     /    Name

  

Distance

  

Min. Time

  

Max. Time

  

Drip Time

  

Resolution
 

Tank # 30 /  Rinse 26

  

 

 10 200
 

Tank # 32/Copper 28

  

 
 

Tank # 32/Copper 29

  

 
 

Tank # 33/Copper 30

  

 
 

Tank # 33/Copper 31

  

 
 

Tank # 34/Copper 32

  

 
 

Tank # 34/Copper 33

  

 

  

3000

  

6000

  

5

  

300
 

Tank # 35/  Rinse 34

  

 

  

5

  

10

  

0

  

Na

Use the above table as a template or spreadsheet example for your recipe

 

Thank you for the opportunity to submit this quotation.

GPR Material Handling

Greg Arneson

Marketing Manager

Please Email the Excel Spreadsheets to arneson1@bellsouth.net or fax to (954) 252-4186.  You may call me at (954) 723 -9907 if you have any questions.