A national building materials manufacturing company was needing to replace cylinders on a shingle palletizing machine three times per year. To make sure the shingles are straight and lined up, the side-pusher cylinders are activated as a set of shingles is added to a pallet. These cylinders had a male thread rod end that would corrode the bolt and break, making the cylinder economically unrepairable. Also, while the load on the cylinders was within specifications, high temperatures and contaminants attributed to only a 4-month life span.
The customer turned to Motion Industries, Tampa, Fla., for a solution to help prevent unplanned downtime and expensive maintenance costs. Motion Industries and SMC reviewed the application and recommended switching to the MGPM50TN-50AZ compact guide cylinder, which has a shorter rod and thinner plate, resulting in a weight reduction. Designed for high side-load applications found in material handling, lifting and stopping, the cylinder utilizes an ultra-compact design by incorporating the cylinder body as part of the guide body. As the stroke length increases, so does the bearing length, thus enhancing the cylinders’ load capacity. With a female threaded rod end, there is no breakage.
The customer has three cylinders which have been in service for over a year without any issues, saving the customer expensive downtime and maintenance. Not only has the MGPM50TN-50AZ outperformed the original cylinder by three times, it also is a more economical product replacement part, saving over $475 per cylinder for a total of $4,288.50 per year.
Motion Industries
motionindustries.com
SMC Corp.
smcusa.com
Filed Under: Cylinders & Actuators, Pneumatic Tips
