Continuous duty press monitoring system

Abstract

A continuous duty press monitoring system includes a linear variable displacement transducer mounted to a press frame as to acquire data related to stresses and strains in the press housing due to completion of a press operation. First and second opposed, spaced apart ends of a rod member are secured to the press housing or frame. The first send is secured to so as to cause axial movement of the rod in accordance with the frame movement at that point. The second portion is secured to the housing so as to allow the second end to be slidable in relation thereto. A linear variable displacement transducer is secured at the slidably affixed end of the rod. A magnetic flux generated by application of current to a coil of the transducer is affected by relative positioning of the rod thereto. Press operation thereby provides an indication, due to stresses or strains resultant on the press housing, as to the characteristics of a particular press operation. Flux variations provide an analog signal representative of these press characteristics. This analog signal is communicated to a continuous plotter, a digitized version of which is further communicated to a microprocessor controller. An alarm is advantageously generated when preselected characteristics have been exceeded by press operation.