EDI: First „Boltless“ die cuts downtime
A revolutionary flat-die clamping system from Extrusion Dies, Inc. (EDI) replaces laborious tasks required for die cleanouts and color changes with a mechanized process that clamps and releases the die halves in less than
one minute, the company announced. The innovation centers on a series of hydro-mechanical clamps positioned
along the backline of the die manifold in the same locations occupied by the body bolts in a conventional die. While these bolts hold the upper and lower halves of the die body together, offsetting the huge forces
(typically 250 to 280 kg/m2, or 3500 to 4000 psi) inside the die, removing them requires 1650 to 1950 Newton-meters (1200 to 1300 ft.lb.) of torque, work often done with manual tools and requiring considerable time for loosening and then re-tightening. The operator of EDI’s boltless die, on the other hand, flips a switch to start an unclamping or reclamping process that takes a mere 30 seconds, according to John A. Ulcej, Executive Vice President of Engineering and Technology, who led the project to develop the system.