INGRAMATIC is a company with many years of experience in the production of machines for the thread rolling of screws and bolts. It started business in 1966 and has since then produced and distributed over 3000 thread rolling machines worldwide becoming a market leader not only in Italy but around the World.
In 2006, a new m² plant was built in Castelnuovo Scrivia. This
new facility marked a turning point in terms of logistics, organization
and efficiency towards meeting new goals and markets.
INGRAMATIC has been part of the SACMA Group since 2004 creating a unique technical, productive and commercial alliance.
The INGRAMATIC Thread Rollers and products complement the SACMA production range and can be used along with progressive headers for the thread rolling of highstrength screws, bolts and special fasteners.
All the mechanical components for the threaders are manufactured at the SACMA plants in Limbiate and Vimercate, home to OBM, another company within the group.
The assembly, testing, warehouse and technical departments are all completed at the Castelnuovo Scrivia plant.
Offering a wide range of thread rolling machines suitable for small or large components for the automotive, building and general industries, INGRAMATIC products represent unrivalled reliability, productivity, safety and innovation.
INGRAMATIC does not just manufacture machines, it offers complete production systems.
INGRAMATIC has used its experience to expand the standard machine versatility with washer assembly units, pointing units, with special customized versions available upon request. To complete the system, automatic feeders for blanks and washers, load monitoring and rejection control devices are also available. Due to the modular design of the machine these additional units are easily integrated with Ingramatic thread rolling machines.
ULTRA PRECISION
Products in today’s markets require very precise and repeatable threaders that can only be manufactured with ultra precise machining of the components.
Only the highest quality of the materials, design and manufacturing can provide highly efficient and reliable threaders.
To take advantage of the most innovative manufacturing technology and advanced machine tools available, all INGRAMATIC mechanical components are machined within the SACMA Group plants. This not only provides ultra precise machining of the components but also gives INGRAMATIC total quality control over its products.
A systematic, stringent final inspection of all parts prior to delivery and inventory ensures the best guarantee of conformity and interchangeability.
The choice of high strength materials combined with the use of sophisticated heat treatments and extreme precision of surface grinding and lapping finishes make INGRAMATIC thread rolling machines fast and reliable with the lowest operating costs.
MAIN FRAME
Like any machine tool, the design, material and manufacturing of the main frame is critical to the overall precision and reliability of a thread rolling machine.
A reliable main frame is created from years of experience and research using extremely sophisticated simulation systems and experimental deformation analysis.
INGRAMATIC frames are made of electrowelded steel that has undergone thermal stress relieving before machining. For machines up to the RP32, the frame is a cast monoblock made from pearlitic spheroidal cast iron that guarantees good damping of the vibrations generated by the high production speeds.
The frame is fixed to a platform that supports it and serves as a collection tank for the coolant. From a structural point of view, it results in an extremely rigid system with optimum management of technical fluids without the risk of contamination into the work environment.
The new design frame is optimized by using FEM software to identify and counter the stresses caused by thread rolling of heat threated parts and special profiles.
MODULAR SYSTEM
The concept of modularity in the design and construction of machines has significant advantages for the users. It facilitates system customization based on customer needs and requirements, while providing the most efficient method of parts inventory and assembly. Even retrofitting of existing systems becomes much simpler.
In collaboration with SACMA, INGRAMATIC is the only threader manufacturer that builds its machines using the modular system concept, assuring all INGRAMATIC machine parts always available in the warehouse.
The thread rolling machines have been designed to incorporate accessories including:
- single washer assembly units;
- double washer assembly units;
- pointing units;
- feeding systems for stud bolts and special headless screws;
- knurling devices for special works on the screw shank or head.
VIBRATORY FEEDER
The blank feeding system is a very important part of the thread rolling machine and therefore must be perfectly integrated with the rest of the machine.
System efficiency depends on the feeding system functionality which must guarantee a constant flow properly positioned parts.
INGRAMATIC machines have been designed to receive different types of feeding systems.
Small-sized thread rolling machines, up to series 3, normally used for manufacturing screws, are equipped with a vibratory feeder.
Vibratory feeders with digital vision systems are available for special parts that require highly complex selection with maximum flexibility.
A vibratory feeder or a vertical feeding system are available on the mediumlarge thread rolling machines.
During the initial design stage, the INGRAMATIC technical department performs a preliminary study to define the best feeding solution for the customer.
VERTICAL FEEDER
To assure efficient production, thread rolling machines must be equipped with feeding units specifically designed for the type of part to be threaded.
The vertical feeding system is available for heavy-duty screws, bolts and special parts with various lengths or for the large thread rolling machines with high loading heights.
The INGRAMATIC vertical feeder consists of:
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a controlled vibration loading hopper that always supplies the correct quantity of parts to the vertical lifting device without overloading the container;
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a vertical lifting device with flights (working width 1200 mm) with speed control;
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a rotating roller unit with linear vibration for selection and positioning of parts before their introduction into the feed guides.
This system guarantees perfect alignment with the thread rolling machine guides as it has motorized height adjustment to match the threader feed guides.
MOTORIZED GUIDES
The feed guides receive the blanks from the feeder and transfer them, perfectly aligned and correctly positioned, to the feed unit and then to the roll tooling.
This type of component must be easy to adjust, stable and resistant to wear and tear.
The INGRAMATIC guides are made of special hardened steel in the feed area to guarantee improved durability and life.
The guides are connected to each other at the top and with their large height adjustment range, they can also load very long parts easily.
Height adjustment of the guides is motorized with the option of memorizing the height position for the part that can be quickly repeated when needed.
Motorization can also be used to automatically align the guides with the vibratory feeder. On larger machines, the width opening of the motorized guides can also be regulated using presetting.
SPECIAL GUIDES WITH INSERTS
The feed guides are components that are subject to wear especially when feeding hardened, heat-treated parts or using guide profiles with reduced contact surfaces for special shaped parts feeding.
For this type of application, guides must be made of special steel and they must be designed to simplify maintenance work.
To solve this problem, INGRAMATIC manufactures special guides with high speed steel inserts (M2) hardened to a high level of hardness increasing the resistance to wear caused by feeding.
This solution is particularly suitable for high-strength bolts, screws and special parts like wheel bolts with conical underheads.
Another advantage of the guide inserts is the ability to replace worn inserts quickly and easily, without having to change the guides.
SINGLE STARTER
The starter device that inserts the part into the threading dies is very important to achieve excellent machine efficiency and productivity.
An important requirement for users is easy set up and adjustment of this device which must be perfectly synchronized with slide movement.
On machines up to size 4 INGRAMATIC uses a single starter system which is very straightforward and efficient for light, relatively short parts. The starter blade is operated by a kinematic chain driven by the main shaft.
The system has a pneumatic cylinder that allows the starter to move backwards when operating, preventing damage if a part is inserted incorrectly.
A stop plate separates the blanks that descend from the guides. This ensures that the blanks are positioned correctly before the starter blade places them between the dies, avoiding the risk of double introduction.
DOUBLE STARTER
The introduction system for larger parts requires special measures to guarantee constant product quality even at high speed.
The wide product range that undergo thread rolling requires a versatile, efficient introduction system.
INGRAMATIC has developed an exclusive double starter device to transfer the parts from the guides to the dies in three different phases: separation, transfer and introduction.
Each phase has its own unique mechanism:
- the separator guarantees that only one part passes at a time for each insertion;
- the first starter moves the part into the work area and places it in front of the moving die;
- the second starter is timed with the slide to place the part at an exact right angle to the dies.
The double introduction system is available on INGRAMATIC thread rolling machines from size 5 upwards.
FIXED DIE HOLDER
The stability of the fixed die holder block is crucial to guarantee the dimensional tolerances of the parts during production.
This important feature must also be able to perform necessary adjustments with high repeatability when setting up the tools.
On its medium-large machines, INGRAMATIC has adopted double hydraulic clamping, both vertical and horizontal, of the die holder block. This applies the correct clamping force and is extremely user-friendly and practical to use.
The following adjustments can be made on the die holder block:
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height adjustment by way of a tapered gib on the lower support surface;
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distance and angular adjustment of the rear support surface by way of four graduated adjusting screws on the operator side.
The frame in the die holder block fastening area is strengthened with reinforcing ribs that guarantee the necessary stiffness.
SLIDE WITH HYDROSTATIC GUIDES
In the automotive sector and industry in general, there is increasing demand for screws and fasteners that are threaded after hardening and tempering to improve threading precision and fatigue resistance of the components.
The high rolling stresses these parts create require specially designed threaders and options.
From size 5 upwards, INGRAMATIC uses a hydrostatic guide system that features a high load-carrying capacity with significant damping.
The pressurized lubricant is sent by a distributor to the special bronze guides fixed to the main frame. Due to the hydrostatic pockets in the guides, a layer of oil is formed that evenly distributes the work load and absorbs any impact created when the part is placed between the dies.
The slide, made of high-strength light alloy, with hardened steel plates in the feed areas and moving die housing, reduces the weight of the alternating masses and delivers high production speed.
A closed circuit recirculates the guide lubricant after it has been cooled and filtered. This assures that coolant is not contaminated, extending the coolant life and providing lower operational costs.
ELECTRONIC HANDWHEEL
When setting up a thread rolling machine it is very important to be able to check the introduction unit operation and correct thread rolling.
Operators need an instrument easy to use, that allows them to work in conditions of maximum safety and avoid any possibility of damaging tools or the machine.
INGRAMATIC equips its thread rolling machines with an electronic handwheel that allows several easily performed set up operations:
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the slide can be moved and controlled at very low speed without the use of the brake-clutch unit, eliminating unnecessary wear and extending the life of the unit;
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checking the die match can be carried out very easily by making the part complete a half-turn and then reversing the slide, returning the blank to the starting position;
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visual inspection of the blank introduction at a controlled speed allows the movement to be analyzed and the rotation can be reversed at any point in the slide travel;
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thread rolling product at a reduced speed allows the complete operating cycle to be viewed and verified before starting continuous production.
SC-MATIC / MOTORIZATION
In today’s production environment of short batch runs and frequent changeovers, the operators have to handle an increasingly large amount of data for machine setups that must be completed quickly.
The touch screen control panel installed on INGRAMATIC machines allows to control the machine and its accessories simply and intuitively. The system provides information on production, preventive and routine maintenance and continuous diagnosis of the thread rolling machine operation.
The SC-MATIC system can store a large number of product codes. There is an Ethernet port for data transfer and a modem for activating on-line customer support.
The SC-MATIC software has been developed by SACMA on a Siemens platform with the Windows-CE operating system to make the operation of the thread rolling machines simpler and user-friendly.
LOAD CONTROL SYSTEM
For high quality production, the advantages and contributions from a load monitoring system on modern thread rolling machines is of fundamental importance.
As well as protecting the tools and moving parts of the thread rolling machine, load monitoring system also provides effective checking of the dimensional compliance of the parts being threaded.
The SC600 device has been developed by SACMA to control thread rolling stresses and is also available on all INGRAMATIC machines.
The system provides several points of strain sensors application, which results are shown on the display integrated in the machine control panel. The control system is either absolute (pre-calibrated sensors) or relative (self-calibration while operating).
Each machine can also be equipped for the installation of other load control systems according to customer requirements.
The detected stress signal can also be used to activate the NC parts rejecting device.
DISCHARGE GUIDES WITH PARTS REJECTION
The industry’s need of defect-free products requires machine features that provide final control of the products to assure high quality and eliminate defective products.
Controlling the parts movement is also crucial for reducing the damage on finished parts from hitting the machine components or each other during discharge.
INGRAMATIC has invented and developed a patented system of finished parts discharge guides combined with a part rejection device.
A fault detected by the load control system activates the reject flap and separates the defective rolled parts from the conformed parts.
At the tool exit, the correct parts are transferred to the discharge guides which reduce the discharge speed ensuring that impact damage with the conveyor belt and the correctly rolled parts is significantly reduced.
ERGONOMICS AND SAFETY
Modern machine tools must be designed to guarantee the best working conditions for operators with focus on their safety and protection of the environment.
On thread rolling machines, the cabin provides soundproofing (noise level below 80dB) and protection for the operator from the moving parts.
INGRAMATIC thread rolling machine cabins are designed with features that help:
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the operators, by wide stairs and platforms, a well designed control panel mounted on a rotating support, convenient access doors hatches and efficient lighting within the work area;
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the maintenance technicians, by panels that are easily removed for accessing the mechanical parts and service systems.
The platform, that the machine frame is fixed on, also contains the technical fluids preventing accidental spillage and seepage into the work environment.
WASHER ASSEMBLY
The increasing demand from the industry for screws with preassembled washers has led machine manufacturers to offer special automatic assembly devices.
These devices insert one or two washers onto the blank before threading so that they become integral with the screw.
INGRAMATIC equips its machines with assembly units for one or two washers which are compact in size and extremely flexible.
Without compromising thread rolling machine reliability and productivity, these devices can be used to assembly different types of washers (flat, chamfered, conical, waved, toothed, split, etc.) with a wide range of blank diameters and lengths.
The SC-MATIC software allows the PLC to control washer assembly unit operating easily and intuitively. The sensor control system ensures that all the screws sent to the thread rolling machine have washers and ensures that those without washers continue circulating until they are properly assembled.
For small screws, produced at high speed, a special unit is used where camoperated levers exert pressure on the screw head to counter the effect of the centrifugal force.
WASHER AND BLANK PORTER UNIT
The value of an automatic production system is measured by its operating autonomy, i.e. the operating time without operator intervention.
High production efficiency can be achieved in this way which is a pre-requisite for system profitability.
INGRAMATIC thread rolling machines can be equipped with the Porter, a transport unit for automatic loading of washers and blanks into the respective feed vibrators.
The Porter consists of a vibrating hopper and a lifting system with a fixed column and moving pot. The hopper loads the parts into the pot which lifts on request and trasfer the parts into the vibratory bowl feeder.
The loading unit is controlled by the machine PLC which permits to load according to the level of parts in the vibratory bowl feeder and signals to the operator when the hopper needs to be reloaded.
TYPE P THREAD ROLLING MACHINES
The thread rolling of stud bolts and headless parts on flat die threading machines is extremely advantageous as far as quality and productivity are concerned.
To obtain this result, a reliable feed system that has been tried and tested is necessary.
INGRAMATIC can supply P versions of the entire machine range from size 1 to size 7. The parts for thread rolling are placed in-line with the pusher via a tube.
A pneumatic separating device ensures the correct feeding of parts in the work area.
There are two possible solutions for feeding correctly positioned parts.
The thread rolling machine is directly connected to the progressive header by the connection tube. The formed part is sent from the last station directly to the thread rolling machine.
The second solution involves a feeding system with a vibrator bowl feeder or elevator depending on the part length, and an orientation system which is either mechanical or uses a digital camera.
POINTING UNIT
Many screws or bolts require a chamfer or a point shape before thread rolling.
There are many different types of points that can be made easily and at low cost by cutting rather than using complex, higher cost forming tooling.
The INGRAMATIC pointing unit spindle is mounted on a motorized slide so that it can easily be set to the correct position for the different lengths of blanks.
This position can be memorized to speed up set up times.
The blank is first placed between two fingers which clamp the part and lower it to the pointing tools, where the point is cut.
The scraps are ejected with the coolant and collected in a special container where the liquid is filtered and recirculated.
According to customer preferences, the pointing unit can be a standalone machine or a work unit integrated with the thread rolling machine to point the parts before thread rolling using the same assembly unit.
THREAD ROLLING CENTRE
Since flexible production has become vitally important for penetrating new markets, machines must be customized according to the customer requirements and strategies.
Using machine design on CAD 3D work stations, customized solutions can be developed extremely quickly with a high level of precision.
Based on its standard machines, INGRAMATIC offers solutions that can meet the most complex requirements.
For example, both screws and stud bolts can be produced by applying different feed systems to the same machine.
Some customers want to dedicate the machine for only one type of product at high speed cutting down on machine shut-down time. To meet this need, we offer solutions with continuous and automatic loading of blanks.
Special attention is paid to the feed parts of the machine (HSS guides, control sensors, discharge guides, conveyors, etc.) which must guarantee maximum reliability and durability.
TOOL DESIGN
The changing world of thread rolling encourages designers and technicians to develop increasingly complex products using the cutting-edge technology available.
When planning new investments, it is very important to be able to count on a reliable partner who is skilled in designing and developing equipment that can satisfy special requests.
INGRAMATIC’s consolidated experience in thread rolling and search for technological solutions in close collaboration with customers make it an ideal partner at this critical stage who will help to accelerate project development times.
A team of engineers, using highly innovative simulation and design software, works together with customers to identify the best product manufacturing solutions.
By collaborating with leading companies in the field, INGRAMATIC can also offer efficient “turnkey” production systems.
