Automation takes next-generation Davis-Standard crosshead further

PAWCATUCK, Conn.—With every product it rolls out, Davis-Standard wants its customers to know that they can count on that product to support three key things: safety, sustainability and reliability.

And the company's newest crosshead offering for hose manufacturers—the Model 4000AG—is no exception.

"In today's production environment, it is vital to have machinery technology that reduces waste on start-up, achieves desired product dimensions faster, and minimizes material usage through greater product accuracy," Joe Wnuk, Davis-Standard vice president of elastomer and profile systems, said in an email interview. "This is exactly what the Model 4000AG does for customers."

The Model 4000AG has roots in the company's popular Model 2000 and 3000 manual crossheads and the 3000A automatic crosshead. And there's good reason for that.

"These designs resonated with customers because of their proven reliability, robust design, excellent flow distribution, quick clean-out and turnaround, and low inventory flow path geometry," Wnuk said.

The Model 4000AG, Wnuk said, pulls in the characteristics that Davis-Standard customers have come to expect. But the crosshead is intended to go further in those three key areas of safety, sustainability and reliability with hands-free operations for closed loop, automatic control of tube concentricity and wall thickness.

The new crosshead's design minimizes operator involvement, and the fixed die eliminates the need for fine-tuning by tightening and loosening bolts.

"Customers are always seeking improvements to safety and operation, as are we," Wnuk said. "Conventional crosshead adjustment requires the use of large wrenches under pressure. This often results in wrench slippage, which results in injury risk to the operator. The Model 4000AG minimizes the need for operator involvement, allowing remote adjustment of hose concentricity. The operator is essentially removed from potentially dangerous areas of the extrusion complex."

Instead of routinely managing bolt tightness with manual wrenches, operators use a joystick. Wall thickness modifications are automated, and the HMI touchscreen interface streamlines functionality and ensures continuity from operator to operator.

Through the automation software, operators also have the ability to, in real time, identify off-spec issues.

"The Model 4000AG frees the operator from constantly monitoring dimensional adjustment parameters to keep the product within specification," Wnuk said. "Automation also reduces material consumption while enabling tighter dimensional control. Operators can concentrate on other aspects of the control system to improve performance."

And, as with all Davis-Standard products, Model 4000AG customers have access to 24/7 customer service and an extensive spare parts inventory.

Davis-Standard customers not quite ready to make the change to the Model 4000AG may be able to take advantage of the automations. Existing 2000 and 3000 model crossheads can be retrofitted so long as they have the standard tooling. An X-ray gauge and controller for signal delivery is integrated into the Davis-Standard PLC Controller.