Fadal VMC 6030 Renovation

When it comes to making tooling for the EPS foam industry, Commodore excels at creating detailed designs so our customers can make the highest quality products possible. As we complete the engineering phase and begin with manufacturing, accuracy is among the most important factors in regard to creating a productive tooling set.

Keeping our machine tools in good working condition is an ongoing commitment for Commodore Technology. In fact, just last month we spent a considerable amount of time servicing one of our Fadal CNC machines, a VMC6030.

After the 1991 fire that devastated our facility, we recognized that we had a major task ahead of us in rebuilding our foam plant. One of the biggest challenges that we anticipated was replacing all of the foam tray tooling that was lost in the fire. Commodore bought the VMC6030 from Mid-Atlantic CNC and moved it into our newly rebuilt shop. Needless to say, our Fadal performed as expected and was instrumental in our efforts to get back in to the foam business. However, after tens of thousands of machine hours, it was becoming apparent that the machine was no longer running to its original accuracy of +/- 0.0005". Recently we had been reduced to limiting the use of this machine to making parts that do not require a high degree of accuracy. As mold making was no longer possible, the decision to renovate the machine was made.

Over a three week period, our employees and a technician from Machine Tool and Research tore apart, serviced, painted, and rebuilt the Fadal. We replaced bearings, scrapers, installed a new lubrication system, and replaced the bearing surfaces on the table and saddle. We even replaced the polycarbonate windows in the doors. Although it may need an updated machine control in the future, the maintenance extended the life of the machine, and better yet, our old VMC 6030 is now more accurate than when it was new!

Eric Vogel running the newly refurbished VMC6030

Comco SX-28 Thermoformer

Summer has turned to fall, and things have been busy at Commodore. Sorry for the lack of updates, I am guilty of procrastination...until now.

If you have been following my posts, you know about our newest thermoformer, the SX-44. In the last few months we have been working on the design of the next SX generation machine, the SX-28. This former fills out our product line with a machine that offers high production rates at an affordable price.

All of the specifications have been defined, and design work has begun. Here is a preliminary view of the machine from our Unigraphics design software.



This machine promises to be the next step in combining simplicity, reliability and value in a foam thermoformer. Check back soon for more information.

Fritz

It's Been Awhile...

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. After all of the details that were involved in sending out the new SX-44, and then the final prep for NPE 2009, it was an awfully busy time. Once all of that was behind us, a little break was called for.

At any rate, despite the lack of blog posts, things have continued to move along here in Bloomfield. Since my last post, we have shipped out another SX-16 thermoformer, done the lion's share of a rebuilding job on a customer's older Comco 730-28 former, and continued work on some tooling orders.

Thanks to those of you that visited us at NPE in Chicago last month. It was great to see some familiar faces, as well as make some new friends. The booth looked great, and our video of the SX-44 was a hit. I'm not sure what was more impressive, the thermoformer itself, or the overall quality of the video production. Special thanks to Doug at Blackbird Son Production Service for the outstanding job on the video. If you have not had a chance to see it, you can view it below, or take a look here. We had an enjoyable show, and despite the obvious light attendance, we consider it a success.



The most exciting development of the past month is that we will be rounding out the SX line of thermoformers, bringing the much-anticipated SX-28 to fruition. This former will offer high-end perfomance and features at a low-end price. Stay tuned for updates on our progress through the summer and fall.

That's all for now, thanks for reading!

Fritz

A Job Well Done!

Wow, it's the middle of June already. No blogging lately, it has been a low priority during a busy time.

The news that I want to share with the world is that the SX-44 thermoformer is done and gone. It is always a good day when a large order gets packed up; the sense of accomplishment that we feel as an organization is always evident when we ship. In this case, however, there was more to it than that. The overall feeling of pride in a job well done was apparent throughout the shop yesterday. With the first SX-44, Commodore committed to a huge project, and the overwhelming sentiment is that we designed and built an amazing piece of equipment.

Thanks to all of the men and women of Commodore for coming together - what we accomplished was a real team effort that we should all be proud of. From the machine and tooling designers, to the machine shop guys, from the production planners to the assembly department, everybody came together and did their part. Hats off to each and every one of you!

Check back soon for a preview of the video we are creating to showcase this new thermoformer. It will up before NPE starts in six days!

Fritz

Read more >> Options >>

Up and Running!

The SX-44 is fully programmed and operational. The next steps include some minor debugging and testing of molds. Here's some video of the machine in operation:

From SX-44 Photos

Pictures for the Weekend

Hello everyone! Here are some photos to show a few more details of the new equipment. We have had all of the major systems of the SX-44 running now, so at this point, it's just down to the punch list items.

The chainrail servo motors (The chains really fly!):



Canopies are up on all three trim presses:



Oven detail:

Details, details, details...

Hello there, time for another update. It has been a few weeks since I have posted, but progress on the new thermoformer and trim press continues at an amazing pace. At this point, all of the major components are in place on the machine, most notably the oven and the chainrails. The electricains have been wiring the panels to the machine, tweaking the programs and testing components.

The next couple of weeks will be all about the details. We have to continue to tie in all of the systems, and then it will be on to testing. We look forward to running some foam through the machine so we can get some video footage to show you!

Here's a view of the former from the oven end:

From SX-44 Photos

And one from the side:

From SX-44 Photos

The main electrical panel:

From SX-44 Photos

That's all for now, please check back soon!

Taking Shape

The SX-44 thermoformer is really starting to come together now. It's great to see the results after all of the hard work that has gone in to this machine. Take a look:

Pat assembling the form station:


Thermoformer with form station, hydraulic unit and lower oven frame:


A female mold:


And a male mold:

April in Bloomfield

Well, April is here, and we are feeling a healthy dose of optimism that comes with a new spring season in upstate New York. Besides the optimism that the nice weather brings, we are extremely optimistic about our new thermoformer.

The SX-44 project is coming together, with visible progress occurring daily. The frame is complete and in the paint booth, the form station is ready for assembly, and chainrail parts are almost all made. The trim presses are wired up and ready for the production programs to be installed on Monday. Besides that, we are keeping the CNC machines running around the clock on lots of tooling. Kudos to the guys on the shop floor making it happen, especially to the guys that took on the challenge of manning our second shift.

Here are some more photos showing some of the recent work:

Half of a male mold in the Haas VF6:


A whole rack full of new trim tools:


Those are some LARGE cylinders!


Former frame in the paint booth:


Stay tuned for more updates!

Fritz

Getting Closer

Well, the trim presses are almost complete, and the work on the SX-44 thermoformer has begun in earnest. Kurt had one of the trim presses running at 140 CPM last week, that was easily achieved even without any tuning of the servo drive. Pretty impressive. I can't believe how smooth and quiet it ran, but maybe I should not be surprised, as this machine is extremely well built, maybe even over-built!

Here's how things looked in the assembly building last week:


On the thermoformer side, we have completed the form station headers and platens. Frame work is under way, hydraulics will be delivered within a week, and the chain rail extrusion is on order. The electrical panels are coming along nicely, and will be completed with time to spare before we are ready to wire the machine. Here's the platens and headers:


That's all for now. Stay tuned for more updates.

Fritz

SX-44 Thermoformer Specifications

As promised, here are the preliminary specifications on the new SX-44 thermoformer. Although most of this is finalized, it is possible that some of these specs will vary by the time we are done with the first machine. I will revise the spec sheet once the machine has been built and fully tested, and re-post here.

Dimensions	H: 125” (317 cm) L: 277” (704 cm) W: 100” (254 cm)
Weight	8500 lbs (3855 Kg)
Power requirement	225A @ 460-308V 50/60hz
Total power consumption	150-175A Continuous
Control Panel	NEMA 12 / IP55
Air consumption	> 1 CFM @ 80 psi
Cooling requirements	7 Tons
Sheet Width	Maximum: 46” (1168 mm) Minimum: 34” (864 mm)
Mold Width	Maximum: 42” (1067 mm) Minimum: 30” (762 mm)
Mold Length	Maximum: 56” (1422 mm) Minimum: 32” (813 mm)
Mold Height	10” (254 mm)
Forming Depth	Maximum: 3.0” (762 mm)
Speed	Maximum Dry Cycle: 40 CPM
Oven length	Minimum: 136” (345 cm) Maximum: 168” (427 cm)
Oven zones	8 top 8 bottom
Heater type	Top: Quartz Bottom: Ceramic Coated Quartz
Oven index	4 shots w/32” mold 3 shots w/56” mold
Cylinder Size	Bore: 8” (204 mm) Stroke: 4” (102 mm)
Platen Size (Depth)	32” (813 mm)
Hydraulic motor	25 HP
Press capacity	38 Tons
Vacuum pump	5 HP Vane Pump
Temperature Control	On board water cooling. Optional mold temperature control unit.
Chain Drive	15 HP Servo Motor
Transport	#50 Sticker Chain
Width Control	Manual Adjustment

TP-46 Progress

The TP-46 trim press is coming along nicely. We are in the process of making three of these right now, and they look great so far. Here are some photos:







More updates to come...

Fritz

First Post

Welcome to the Commodore Technology blog! We will be using this forum to keep you up to date on the latest happenings here at Commodore.

It has been a busy start for us here in 2009. So busy, in fact, that it is hard to believe that it is already March. We're anxiously awaiting the return of warmer weather here in New York, but it looks like it might be a while. This morning it was 9°F (-13°C) outside, which sure does not feel like spring!

Our current focus is the development of the latest additions to our product line, the SX-44 thermoformer, and the TP-46 trim press. These products represent our entry in to the arena of wide-web thermoforming. This new equipment will be designed and built using the same philosophy that Commodore has always embraced - simple, reliable, well built equipment that provides you with the best return on investment in the industry. Keep an eye out for more information and photos as this new equipment is being built over the next few months.

Speaking of simple, reliable equipment, the first member of the SX family, the SX-16, was delivered to one of our valued customers earlier in 2008. This thermoformer and trim press combination has already proven to be an exceptional performer, so much so that our customer has already ordered another one for delivery this spring.

I will post some specifications of the SX formers soon, but in the meantime, take a look at the video footage of the SX-16 below.



Thanks for reading!

Fritz Seager
Operations Manager
Commodore Technology