Request for ideas to feed velcro into die press

This is my first post on Practical Machinist and I'm really hoping this group can help.

Background:
I have a tiny side-business where I produce velcro accessories. My current manufacturing process is very manual so I'm trying to upgrade it. Since I'm on a shoestring budget that means figuring it out myself. But unfortunately I have no previous manufacturing experience so I've been hitting my head against the wall trying to come up with solutions.

Problem:
One specific area that I'm focusing on is the feeding of velcro into a die press. I have a roll of 4" double-sided Velcro (i.e. it sticks to itself when rolled) that is fed into a hand-powered die cutting press. I currently unwind/unstick a few inches of the velcro and then push it into the press. What I'd love to do is have a device that pulls the velcro via rollers directly into the press. It would need to feed a specified length and then stop feeding. After I've pressed the velcro I would push a button to feed another length of material.

Options I've explored:
I first checked out the RapidAir MS-4 servo feed. It is way too pricy and seems to require a bunch of other equipment that I'm not sure I'll be able to figure out. Also I think my material is too thick. I emailed another company about the Sheffield PF-33 Pre Feeder but they said it won't work without much more of an explanation unfortunately.

Constraints:
As I mentioned above I have a tight budget - $2,000 is probably my ceiling. My products are made in a home office so any equipment needs to be fairly compact and quiet (e.g. a compressor is probably not an option). I'm fairly handy and could figure out the most basic of wiring/soldering, but I don't have the skill to take on a computing or breadboard project and I only have access to basic home tools.

I'd really appreciate any support. Thanks.

Investigate the Geneva Drive : geneva mechanism - Google Search

You would want the feed rollers to regulate the distance the Velcro travels; the take-up drive would be allowed to slip, since the take-up reel would grow in diameter during operation.

Compressed air is out you say
But the simplest way would be 2 cilinders for clamping and 1 ciinderl for the stroke

Like this
You have a guideway ,2 rods with bushings for example, along which the cilinder for the stroke can move a head up and down
On the guideway a hard stop to set the lenght On the head a cilinder that clamps the velcro And at the end a stationry cilinder that clamps the velcro when the cilinder for the stroke returns to its home position

If cilinders are out of the question perhaps you could use a motor(reductor) with 2 pullys and a V belt that moves the head and clamping with solenoids

Peter

For a hand powered press and cheap, i think i would be trying to assemble a hand powered linear guide style feeder.

I would probably have a split block for clamping the material ride on the guide, with a lever that pulls over toggle style to clamp the material. Use same lever to feed material into press. Include springs for the clamp pressure release and retract.

Auto Feeder for Power Presses By Samay-Asia - YouTube

AS peter said this style of feeder is very common, you can maybe design the cylinder to be electric linear one.

Don't rule out air. Perhaps placing the compressor in a remote location.
A used rapid air feeder should be cheap. Advertise here for one. Alternately I have built exactly what you are wanoting for feeding and cutting velcro to length. Simple air cylinderes to clsmp. Index and release. A few limit switches and air valves mounted on a plate. Very small air consumption. I built because our ace cutter could not keep up with a high volume job using small pieces of velcro.

Now that I've thought about it....

I'd consider a foot treadle driving a ratchet/pawl on the feed rollers. You can vary the take-up by moving the treadle linkage closer/further from the pivot of the pawl's lever.

I try not to overthink things; that explains my "The Woodwright's Shop" approach to this challenge.

IMO, this is not that hard to solve. I'd be looking for a servo driven feed. The trouble is that most of them are going to be for thin gauge metal. Not fabric. Here's a good article on the theory. Don't get stuck on the size, it's all scalable.
Finding simplicity and efficiency in servo press feeds - TheFabricator.com

You need 2 rubber or urethane covered rollers. The top should be spring tensioned to the bottom. The bottom roller would be driven by a small servomotor that would be controlled by a PLC. Easy Peasy!

There are a couple of guys on the board that build just what you need.
JR

SteveBausch said:

Now that I've thought about it....

I'd consider a foot treadle driving a ratchet/pawl on the feed rollers. You can vary the take-up by moving the treadle linkage closer/further from the pivot of the pawl's lever.

I try not to overthink things; that explains my "The Woodwright's Shop" approach to this challenge.

Click to expand...

Booooring, tedious work.

I think if your gonna put a feeder on it...let it run all by itself.

Go over, turn it on, walk away, come back when the parts counter shut's it off.

a couple of added parts to the basic feeder set up would totally automate it.

Your hourly net worth just went up....

This can be don completely mechanically.
Consider the mechanism of a shaper.

digger doug said:

Booooring, tedious work.

I think if your gonna put a feeder on it...let it run all by itself.

Go over, turn it on, walk away, come back when the parts counter shut's it off.

a couple of added parts to the basic feeder set up would totally automate it.

Your hourly net worth just went up....

Click to expand...

I completely agree, except he says he is using a hand powered press. He could certainly upgrade the press too, if it all fits in the budget.

Where'd the OP go???

Did they think someone had a spare Velcro feeder that wasn't being used?

JRIowa said:

...I'd be looking for a servo driven feed...You need 2 rubber or urethane covered rollers. The top should be spring tensioned to the bottom. The bottom roller would be driven by a small servomotor that would be controlled by a PLC...There are a couple of guys on the board that build just what you need.
JR

Click to expand...

JR - This is the direction I was envisioning. If you think it might fit my budget, could you connect me with the people who might be able to build this?

Steve (and other respondents) - I'm sorry for the delay. Some of the replies went a bit over my head and I didn't get over the inertia to respond until now.

aisle2 said:

JR - This is the direction I was envisioning. If you think it might fit my budget, could you connect me with the people who might be able to build this?

Click to expand...

Perhaps your budget is sufficient for parts only but not to have it build
One thing to keep in mind too If the roll of velcro is heavy you might need a dereeler which hangs the Velcro in a loop before the feeder You could try without one first but if the lengt gets inconcistend you need one

Peter

From your first post, I assume that you have sorted out the clamping of the Velcro in the tool, you have limited funds and are using a manual press and you want keep things quiet.
I think a simple, crude but cheap solution will do for now and then go for the more exotic solution when the job takes off.
The Velcro will come on a reel which you mount on a horizontal axis on the input side, the scrap material after stamping will then pass through the press and onto a second reel.
The Velcro itself will provide tension on the input side so all we need to do is to pull one components worth through the press at a time and keep a steady tension on the take up roll.
If you fit a pulley to the take up roll and a low poweed motor and a belt to it with the belt tension rather poor, it will act a slipping drive and maintain take up tension
If you make a simple drum which has its circumference the same as the length of one component, cover the outside of this with Velcro and mount it on the output side of the press, one turn of the drum will feed one component,
The drum can have a disc on its face with a square cutout in it, into the cutout goes a peg attached to an arm, the arm is linked by simple levers to the head of the press so as the tool rises it releases the peg so letting the drum turn, immediately releasing the arm so the peg can drop into place and lock the drum after one revolution.
All this is pretty crude but can be made using simple equipment and materials, mostly from wood if needs be and will be cheap. The only noise will be the motor running

aisle2 said:

JR - This is the direction I was envisioning. If you think it might fit my budget, could you connect me with the people who might be able to build this?

Click to expand...

One of the guys I was thinking about is "Motion Guru". You might also post your needs on the "robots and automation" section.
JR

Thanks JR!

Just catching up with this . . . yes, we have designed and manufactured quite a variety of index press feed systems from die cut carton machines to frozen juice can plastic muhr strip machines and quite a variety of things in between.

A lot depends on your budget and your production rate requirements. Typically if you are die cutting plastic parts like this and they nest well together, a rotary die cutting system is easily available for something like this.

We have designed and manufactured several rotary die systems (Java jacket production for instance) that can deliver 3000 units / (jackets) a minute.