October 2010 • www.canadianmetalworking.com
S t r l a a t v e i g v r i e u s S Job shops look to innovation and diversity to survive and grow
20
MACHINING Specialty Machining
39
CUTTING TOOLS Grooving the Small Stuff
41
FABRICATING Fabtech Preview
59
WELDING Gun Ergonomics
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Inside this issue... Volume 105 | No.8 | October 2010 | www.canadianmetalworking.com
65
INDUSTRY REPORT
FABRICATING
QUALITY
JOB SHOPS
SHOW PREVIEW
SURVIVAL STRATEGIES ............. 14
FABRICATING KNOW-HOW ... 41
BETWEEN PAGE 52-53 DATA COLLECTION
Recession hit job shops look to innovation and diversity to survive and grow.
BUSINESS REPORT SHOP FLOOR MANAGEMENT
A TALE OF TWO SHOPS .......... 16 Two manufacturing companies, one small and one mid-sized, discover a better way to manage their operations.
FABTECH is North America’s largest event for the metal forming, fabricating, finishing and welding industries.
GOING WIRELESS ................... 3
LASER CUTTING
LASER MEASUREMENT
“WHATEVER IT TAKES” ........... 53
ASK THE EXPERT ...................... 5
Cumbersome, manual data collection is fast becoming a thing of the past on the manufacturing shop floor.
A fabricator’s motto sets the tone for success.
OVERSPRAY
DEPARTMENTS
MARKET REPORT/TRANSPORTATION
MACHINE TOOLS
ON THE MOVE ...................... 63
SPECIALTY MACHINING
A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS .......... 20
If you want to be a leading job shop, invest in top equipment. ULTRA-TASKING
STEPPING UP .......................... 22 Are the new generation of multi-tasking machines worth the investment?
Make way for bus, ship, train and truck coatings. COLOUR CHANGE
POWDER CHAMELEON.......... 65
HANDLING THE DISTANCE ...... 27 Machining long parts requires unique workholding solutions.
Upfront ......................................... 6 News ........................................... 8 Calendar ...................................... 9 Shop Talk.................................... 10 Metal…Works ............................. 72
Quick colour change system helps Quebec furniture maker slash powder consumption by 40%. PLURAL COMPONENT FINISHING
ASK THE EXPERT .................... 68
WORKHOLDING
Applied Precision’s Scott Reiner discusses developments in laser measurement.
14
Graco’s Blake Erickson discusses the merits of plural component finishing.
WELDING CUTTING TOOLS
GUN ERGONOMICS
FINIDNG A GUN THAT FITS .... 59
TOOLHOLDING
HIGH VS LOW ........................ 32 How to determine toolholding quality.
Ways to stay comfortable and cool while MIG welding.
GROOVING
THE SMALL STUFF .................... 39 The challenges of cutting small diameter parts.
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6 | OCTOBER 2010 | www.canadianmetalworking.com
Upfront A Healthy Dose of Economic Turmoil Economic slumps such as the lingering one we find ourselves in may be good for the long-term health of industry. Tough business climates often weed out weak companies—that may well have failed without a recession because of poor business models—and allow strong companies to grow stronger. It’s why we often hear about mergers and acquisitions as companies with strong balance sheets go hunting for weaker companies to increase market share. It is also when we see partnerships formed between complementary businesses or partial ownership deals between rivals in an effort to become stronger companies in tough economic periods. The automotive industry is a good example—Chrysler and Fiat, and Volkswagen’s stakes in Suzuki and Porsche AG to name a few. In the metalworking industry, AgieCharmilles and Hexagon Metrology formed a partnership agreement to install Hexagon’s 3D measuring machines in AgieCharmilles’ main application centres in Geneva, Shanghai, Singapore and Chicago. In a press release announcing the partnership last February, the companies said they were “convinced their complementing technologies will ideally focus on their customers’ interest on high precision.” In 2002, Kennametal acquired well-known German tooling manufacturer Widia to complement its line of cutting tools. In 2000, Iscar acquired Ingersoll and in 2008, purchased 95 per cent of Japan’s Tungaloy Corp., considered one of the top Japanese firms for technology and innovation in cutting tools. At the time, it was the largest acquisition ever of a Japanese company by an Israeli firm. Iscar noted in media reports that it purchased Tungaloy to expand its operations in East Asia and add products to its line. In a Bloomberg interview on April 21, Iscar’s chairman Eitan Wertheimer said the company had ambitions to overtake global market leader Sandvik AB. “We are dying to buy, but there is very little variety around and it has to be the right price.” The Kennametal and Iscar (in which Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. took an 80 per cent ownership in 2006) acquisitions have indeed made these two cutting tool companies stronger players in the industry, but more importantly, they are complementary acquisitions that have broadened the scope of product lines both companies now offer. And the acquired businesses operate as independent entities, exhibit at shows under their respective names and promote specific company products for which they are well known. Economic turmoils also plant the seeds for new start-ups. When companies reach a certain size, their focus may turn more to larger customers and markets where they can generate more profit. It opens up opportunities for new, smaller firms to fill the gap for small and medium sized customers in smaller but still lucrative markets such as Canada. So as this current economic turmoil comes to an end, a healthier and stronger economy will emerge. MARY SCIANNA, EDITOR
If you want to comment on editorial in the magazine, I’d like to hear from you, so please contact me. mary.scianna@rci.rogers.com
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News US auto parts firm opens first Canadian plant
US automotive parts maker Inteva Products (formerly the Delphi Interior Closures Group), Troy, MI, has opened its first Canadian operation in Whitby, ON. The 136,000 sq ft facility will initially produce cockpit and headliner assemblies for GM’s Oshawa assembly plant for the Chevrolet Camaro and Buick Regal. Inteva opened its first facility in Canada to supply GM with just-in-time component delivery for GM’s vehicle assembly line. Inteva’s process is capable of assembling approximately 2,500 different cockpit combinations and 1,000 headliner options. “Today is a celebration of hard work and dedication by the Inteva team, and I’m proud of what we have accomplished,” said Lon Offenbacher, Inteva president and CEO at the ribbon cutting ceremony on September 17. “Inteva produces some of the best interiors in the automotive industry, and now we’ll be producing one of the fastest.”
From the time the cockpits and headliners are completed and leave Inteva’s Oshawa operations, they are installed into the vehicles within two hours. Inteva’s process is designed to deliver the exact cockpit and headliner assemblies sequenced for installation in the vehicle based on the build specifications for each car. “The CAW and Local 1090 are proud to partner with Inteva at their first Canadian Operations,” said Ken Lewenza, national president, Canadian Auto Workers. “We look forward to a successful launch and productive future together.” The 136,000 sq ft site was built with expansion in mind. Only 108,000 sq ft is currently being used but the company expects to expand the operation as business ramps up, says Misty Matthews, a spokesperson for Inteva Products. The site will employ 108 team members when it reaches full capacity early next year. Formal production begins September 27, 2010.
Siemens Milltronics expands Ontario manufacturing operation
Siemens Milltronics Process Instruments, Peteroborough, ON, a division of Siemens Canada, is expanding its circuit board manufacturing operation in Canada with financial support from the Ontario government. The Ontario Ministry of Economic Development is providing a $283,550 grant to support the company’s three-year manufacturing expansion plans to manufacture printed circuit 8 | OCTOBER 2010 | www.canadianmetalworking.com
board assemblies, 90 per cent of which are exported to the US, Europe and Asia. The expansion will result in 10 new skilled jobs over three years. Andrew Blazey, vice president and general manager, Siemens Milltronics, says the Ontario investment “along with our great team of dedicated employees is helping Siemens Milltronics take full advantage of the manufacturing potential in this facility [183,000 sq ft]. By increasing manufacturing output, we are becoming even more competitive and will remain a leader in this field.” The expansion includes the installation of a second Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Line, a fully automated production line for its circuit board manufacturing operation. “This facility produces level and weighing instrumentation and within these instruments are printed circuit boards. So we do the research and development of circuit boards here, we design and we build them. It’s a very technical job and will require highly skilled workers,” explains Carla Guest, senior communications specialist with Siemens Milltronics. As a result of the grant, Guest says the company is able to fully commit to implementing the RoHS, (Restriction of Hazardous Substances Act), a European directive aimed at reducing and eliminating lead in the production of electronic components. “We’re moving to a fully lead-free production process. We sell 90 per cent of our products outside of Canada so we have to meet stringent quality standards from around the world,” says Guest.
FANUC and Rockwell to merge manufacturing technologies
Two major software providers plan to combine their technologies for specialized manufacturing markets like automotive and aerospace. FANUC FA America, a CNC supplier, and Rockwell Automation Inc., a provider of industrial automation solutions, will work together to integrate CNC with programmable automation controller (PAC) environments. Rockwell spokesperson Carly Snyder says the collaboration is not a consolidation, but a “leveraging” of each other’s technologies. “Initially, the focus will be on integrating Fanuc CNCs with Rockwell Automation Programmable Automation Controllers (PACs) and software offerings, reflecting the network architectures of our current installed bases, including EtherNet/ IP and FL Net,” says Snyder. The companies are responding to their joint customers’ demands for integration, says Snyder, adding workers will be able access real-time information, improving plantwide visibility. Equipment upgrades may not be top of the list for plants in the current economy, but Snyder insists that “manufacturing continues to bounce back from the recession.” “We see a robust interest in planning for the next round of spending,” she says. In Canada, Rockwell Automation Canada is based in
News
Calendar NOVEMBER 11 Canadian Machine Tool Distributors’ Association 2010 Annual General Meering at the Country Club, Woodbridge, ON. info@cmtda.com DECEMBER 1 Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium Workshop: Financial Applications for Non-Financial Managers, Hamilton, ON. ldowney@emeccanada.org JUNE 21-23 Atlantic Manufacturing Technology Show in Halifax, NS. www.amts.ca
Poll In the past two years have you considered or purchased automation for your manufacturing operation?
Yes 50.0%
No 50.0%
Cambridge, ON, with locations across the country. FANUC FA America is supported by its Canadian office in Mississauga, ON.
Americans think Canada key to economic recovery
In a recent poll by the Canadian American Business Council (CABC), Americans ranked their economic relationship with Canada as the most important when compared with other countries. “This latest round of polling is evidence that it’s a consistent belief among the American public that having good relations with Canada is very important for the US economy,” said Maryscott Greenwood, executive director for the CABC, in a release. “Polls like this one confirm that Americans value the special relationship that exists between our two countries.” The survey found that 72 per cent of Americans think it is “very important” for the US to have good economic relations with Canada. The country’s relationship with its other five major trading partners ranked as less important in terms of benefits to the US economy—China (60 per cent), Mexico (40 per cent), Japan (63 per cent), Germany (40 per cent) and the United Kingdom (57 per cent). “With these results, Americans are sending a clear and direct signal to policy makers that we should work to enhance opportunities for greater cooperation between our countries,” added Don Millar, a member of the CABC Board of Directors and Managing Director at FD, an international management consulting firm. Source: www.CanadianManufacturing.com
COOL BREEZE UTILITY SERIES Solid Micro-Grain Carbide End Mills Coated Variable Helix End Mills for Materials up to 55HRC • Coating for improved lubrication and high hardness • Special cutting edge design provides high rigidity • Flute design promotes efficient chip evacuation • Cool Breeze tight tolerances Diameter
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Canadian distributor sought for Lamina cold rolled strips and sheets Lamina, an Italian Company with more than 60 years of experience in coils cold re-rolling is looking for a Service Centre, commercial company or agent with experience in long and flat siderurgical products (mainly strips and sheets, but even wire and bars) to market its products to Canadian customers. Lamina specializes in the production of: • roll hardened precision strips in Stainless Steel mainly for spring manufacturing • annealed thin strips in CP Titanium • annealed thin strips in Nickel based alloys
REQUIREMENTS Proven experience in the sector, comprehensive knowledge of the Canadian market, available to travel, educational qualification, organizational skills. Send CV by fax N. 1-514-844-4875 To the attention of Mrs. Inga Lavallee or by email: lavallee.montreal@italchamber.qc.ca www.canadianmetalworking.com | October 2010 | 9
TNT Tools April.indd 1
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News Shop Talk As we approach 2011, are you optimistic or pessimistic about the state of Canadian manufacturing over the next decade? “I am optimistic about 2011 and beyond. Manufacturing is not the same as it was years ago. We have had to make many changes in the way we approach our business, our clients, our suppliers, our employees, and our technology. We have been forced by international competitors and by market conditions to become better at what we do, to be faster, cheaper, leaner, more diverse, and more able to react to customer need/requirement. We have seen tremendous growth in the last year, in big part because of our ability to engage in a production processing environment that allows us to take advantage of last minute and super-rush orders. We are now stocking more variety of inventories, offering more services, and catering to a bigger audience, keeping a focus on quality. Moving forward, I believe we can compete more aggressively with Asia. We’ve already seen pricing increases from China and India. In fact, we not only look at the Far East as a competitor, I look at China as an emerging market. I believe it can become our biggest client as their taste for capitalism and quality products becomes more attractive to the one billion plus population. I am optimistic. Yes.”
“The next decade is a long time. I am definitely pessimistic about the next year ... things are not improving the way I had hoped and the economy is very unstable. I do believe that we will be a long time recovering from this recession.”
-Larry Stuyt, co-owner, Ontario Laser Cutting, Tillsonburg, ON
-Joseph Manzoli, president, Colourfast, Concord, ON
“Cautiously optimistic ... as a certain amount of near-shoring seems to be occurring along with the collapse of manufacturing jobs/companies in the US which has created a short term shift [which has channelled] new machining work into our queue. More opportunities along with access to potentially new customers is creating a backlog in our schedule allowing us to add more equipment.” -Jason Bannerman, president, Xakt Komponents, Brampton, ON
“We need to find a more open approach to our industry. We have to start looking at non-traditional markets and try to not be so dependent on the US. Markets are hard to gain and we are so dependent on one, if it goes bad, we are struggling. For the future, companies that are quick to adapt to changing market conditions will survive, others will struggle.”
-Marco Gagnon, co-owner, Gagnon Ornamental Works, Grand Falls, NB
“We at Brotech Industries are very optimistic about the future of Canadian manufacturing. To succeed we face some huge challenges in becoming more efficient in what we do. For those that have survived the recession and have the knowledge and vision needed to make these changes we face some major challenges. For Canadian entrepreneurs, getting the required capital to make these changes is becoming the number one roadblock we face. It is time for the Canadian government to step up to the plate to help remove this problem for the companies that are willing to make the required changes.”
-Brian Wetherall, president, Brotech Industries, Barrie, ON
10 | October 2010 | www.canadianmetalworking.com
“Yes, I am somewhat optimistic. Since the recent recession, we have seen many companies that have been “weeded out” allowing the manufacturing supply and demand ratio to return back to somewhat of an equilibrium. As we are nowhere near the success of the late 1990s and early 2000—and I don’t believe we will achieve that success anytime soon—we are seeing a steady incline of sales. We have also made those changes to be more competitive, increase our customer base and diversify our company. These changes along with the decrease of competition and increase of demand have given me confidence for the next decade. The only downside that I can see is the lack of apprentices and younger employees entering the trade. Unfortunately, this recession has given the manufacturing sector a discouraging career option for the next manufacturing generation.”
-Adriano Oppio, vice-president, Classic Tool & Die, Oldcastle, ON
THE ALL-NEW 2010
ST-30
TURNING CENTER The all-new, 2010 ST-30 turning center is the culmination of 15 years of continuous development, and it offers the most performance for the money – the best value – of any turning center on the market today.
more rigidity. more tools. more power . . . more value. released for active duty: 01.01.10
Find your local Canadian Haas Factory Outlet 800.331.6746 • find them online @ www.HaasCNC.com Specifications subject to change without notice. Not responsible for typographical errors. Machines shown with optional equipment.
Ask us about our world-class Erickson ÂŽ products: toolholders, steep-taper, HSK, collets, and sleeves!
Š2010 Kennametal Inc. l All rights reserved. | A-09-02186
Victory Top Drill M1™ Our new WIDIA Victory Top Drill M1™ delivers the overall advantages of a replaceable-tip system — with the SAME high performance and hole quality as costly solid-carbide styles! Get 50% better tool life — with greatly reduced cycle times — versus competitive offerings! Ideal for even the most challenging steel and cast-iron applications! No reconditioning costs — simply change out inserts! Drill at exceptionally high feeds and speeds! Clampless pockets — no screws required! To learn more about our innovations: > 800.979.4342 > na.techsupport@widia.com > www.widia.com
INDUSTRY REPORT
JOB SHOPS
SURVIVAL STRATEGIES Recession hit job shops look to innovation and diversity to survive and grow By Nate Hendley ................................................................................................................................................. Like a lot of job shops, Lens Tool and Mould in Windsor, ON, is hurting. From eight employees last year, the company is “down to four guys, five guys,” says president Tamas Godinek. “The work slowed down. We did adjustments. We’re doing good financially with the adjustments, considering what we did last year. We’re staying afloat but we had to make adjustments to not have the losses.” A few years ago, Lens—which does plastic injection moulds, die-cast/trim dies, prototypes, mould repairs and wire EDM outsourcing—had annual revenues of $3.5 million. That slid to $550,000 in 2009. “Hopefully, we hit rock bottom,” says Godinek, who says the firm is on track to reaching $750,000 this year. As Godinek can attest, the impact of the recession still lingers. Manufacturing sales in Canada peaked at $601 billion in 2007, dipped to $596 billion in 2008 then collapsed to $490.7 billion last year, according to Statistics Canada. From July 2010 to August 2010, the number of Canadians working in manufacturing fell from 1.764 million to 1.738 million (a drop of 1.5 per cent). From August 2009 to August 2010, employment rates in manufacturing slipped 0.4 per cent. Unemployment in general is hovering around eight per cent, better than last year when it neared nine percent, but a far cry from 2007 when unemployment stood at six per cent. Lack of business has made it difficult for job shops to expand: Lens currently has seven machines—an EDM sinker, one wire EDM, some CNC machines, manual mills and grinders. It’s the same line-up the company was using last year at this time. Lens would like to get newer equipment, “but cash flow is the issue,” confesses Godinek. For all that, Lens hasn’t given up. The firm is employing a number of strategies to cope with the economic downturn, strategies other job shops might want to employ. Among other measures, Lens is getting choosier about their clientele, tougher on pricing and more focused on domestic markets and specialization. “We’re doing more speciality work with EDM and wire EDM and also some CNC work. We’re trying to do stuff where people can’t really compete with us—including China—for quality,” says Godinek. Other job shops report equally trying times. “We are projecting around $2.3 million (in revenue for 2010) 14 | OCTOBER 2010 | www.canadianmetalworking.com
which is parallel with 2009 but substantially lower than 2008,” says Larry Stuyt, co-owner of Ontario Laser Cutting based in Tillsonburg, ON. Ontario Laser has three lasers and can do both 2D and 3D laser cutting. The firm has seven employees, down from nine at this time last year. “It has been a tough couple of years but we are seeing it starting to pick up. We have some customers in the US and we have been getting inquiries from other US companies looking for machining capacity this last couple of months,” echoes Peter Alden, co-owner of Wessex Precision Machining, based in Ayr, ON. A custom machine shop, Wessex services the automation, mining, oil and rubber industries. The company started off producing small turned and milled parts, but now specializes in horizontal boring mill work. Shop floor equipment includes horizontal boring mills, CNC machining centres, CNC lathes, manual lathes, a manual mill plus two saws and three overhead cranes. Not all job shops are singing the blues: A-Line Precision Tool, based in Toronto, anticipates a boost in business this year. Revenues for 2010 “should be about $4 million. Five per cent more than last year,” says president Rob Muru. A-Line boasts 45 machines including: “a dozen five axis CNC mills, 10 CNC lathes, four wire EDMs, four sink EDMs, three CNC EDM drills, and a couple of waterjets,” according to Muru. A-Line offers CNC machining—turning, wire EDM, die sink EDM, EDM drilling—inspection, waterjet, precision grinding, micro engraving, and microscopic de-burring. The firm has 30 employees—the same number as last year. The firm’s success can be attributed in part to a cagey choice of clients. A-Line primarily serves the aerospace, defence and satellite sectors. While commercial aerospace has had its share of turmoil, military-related aerospace—which A-Line focuses on—continues to soar. Martec Precision of Brampton, ON, is smaller than A-Line, with seven employees (up from five last year at this time). The company has four Okuma CNC lathes, one Okuma CNC mill and a manual mill and does CNC machining, turning and milling. The company’s clientele includes firms in aerospace, mining and mould making. “We have doubled our size enabling us to take on more work. The economy has improved. We network with other job shops and the consensus is that ‘more orders are rolling in’,” says Dawson Marks, owner of Martec.
job shops
The firm recently upgraded, from a 2,100 sq ft workspace to a 4,660 sq ft one and added a second shift. Dumur Industries, a job shop in White City, near Regina Saskatchewan, is also doing well. So well, that general manager Bob Dumur says the biggest challenge facing his firm is “managing the rapid growth we’ve had.” A leader in precision metal machining and fabricating, the firm has over 100 employees (about the same as last year), 63,500 square feet of workspace and estimated revenues around the $30 million mark. “We’re a turnkey shop,” says Dumur, who founded the firm 23 years ago. “We do machining, welding, laser cutting, bending, the works.” Customers include the Canadian and U.S. military. Doing military work protects the shop somewhat from drastic dips in the economy (while defence-related spending may rise and ebb depending on the government in power, it will never vanish). Dumur also does work for the energy, communications and power utility sectors. At the very least, job shops should diversify away from automotive, say owners. Despite massive government loans, the auto sector remains in very rough shape at present. Job shops have responded accordingly. Just a few years ago, for example, nearly 80 to 90 per cent of Lens’ work was in the automotive sector. Today, only about half their business is auto-related. “We’re looking at all sorts of different markets ... water, nuclear, maybe mining, oil ... stuff that’s not basic automotive. We’re trying to go with more diverse things that are not really affected by this economy at the moment ... hopefully more of the renewable energies are going to be the big things coming up ... solar, nuclear, water—these are hot sectors to get into now,” states Godinek. Lens is also aggressively re-inventing its marketing strategies. The firm is working with a University of Windsor business student to “come up with ideas on how to market ourselves to different clients and different sectors. How to go after them. This is something brand new for us,” he continues. The company used to be “old-school” about getting new clients, Godinek explains, relying on cold-calls and word of mouth referrals. The Canadian dollar appears to have stopped its wild fluctuations, giving job shop owners one less thing to fret about. Over the past year, the dollar remained near-par with the American greenback. By contrast, the loonie sank to a low of 60 cents to the US dollar in 2002 then shot above par in 2007. Besides wrecking havoc on companies’ financial planning, this rise made Canadian parts and services much less attractive to American clients. Marks says the stable dollar has boosted Mertec’s bottom line; “we are starting to see US business returning,” he states. Not everyone, however, is convinced that a strong dollar is a good thing. “The dollar may be stable but it is still too high. There is no benefit for someone from the US to do business in Canada. We need a lower dollar,” says Stuyt. Lens Tool has found a simple way to get around this conundrum; the company has been rapidly expanding the domestic side of its business. “We’re trying to do more in Canada. We’re not shying away from the States but we’re trying to see if we can reach out on the Canadian side because of the dollar,” says Godinek. Two thirds of Lens’ business is now with Canadian companies, whereas they used to export an equivalent amount.
industry report
Interestingly, most shop owners say they haven’t felt the pain of competition from low-cost centres such as Asia. “We’ve seen a few customers leave and go to India but I have seen more come back from those lower-priced countries. The trend lately is to get products locally. We lost two customers last year to China and both have come back. It’s hard to do business at a distance but saying that, we as Canadians need to be content with what we have and need to stop wanting more; wages and benefits don’t always have to go up. I’ve seen many wage cuts this year and I believe that’s helped to keep the work in Canada,” says Stuyt. That said, no one is discounting off-shore pressure. “As these areas get better at manufacturing you have to assume there will be more competition in the future, not less,” says Muru. Muru says his biggest current challenge is “trying to make money with discounted pricing,” among competitors. Godinek urges job shops to resist the temptation of winning business by drastically undercutting their peers. “Stay true to your costs and don’t sell the farm,” he says. Indeed, Lens is taking the opposite approach and is taking a hard line with tardy clients. “We make sure everybody is aware of the payment terms. We’re on almost a one-strike, two-strike thing and if the people are not the kind of customer we’re looking for, we’re quick not to hang around with them,” he states. For his part, Marks cites his biggest challenge as, “finding skilled workers. We need more people to take the lead. It takes years and years to learn this trade. One shop can only have so many apprentices,” he states. “Finding skilled labour is a big problem and it will get worse. We can find the work, but finding good machinists is difficult,” agrees Alden. As these job shop owners are quite aware, a mass of workers in their field are approaching retirement age while young people seem reluctant to enter the skilled trades. Other challenges include, “tax burdens for small business. I still can’t believe that our [provincial] government began implementing the HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) just when we were coming out of a recession!” says Marks. When it comes to the future, job shop owners offer widely varying predictions. “We have a positive outlook. Positivity is an attraction,” says Marks. In contrast to Marks’ rosy attitude, Stuyt has a considerably more pessimistic view. “I don’t see any improvement in the economy [in 2011]. The housing market is still overinflated and has not dropped, the dollar is too high ... road construction and automotive are in business only because the government threw money at them. People are still unemployed and nobody is taking risks,” says Stuyt. For its part, Lens Tool and Mould has no more grandiose goal than simply keeping on an even keel. “We’re trying to cruise to the finish line this year and finish positive .... we are already at the point where we’re going to beat last year’s sales any day now ... once we start getting a couple more clients in different sectors under our belt we can keep chugging along,” says Godinek. CM Nate Hendley is a freelance writer and a regular contributor based in Toronto. www.canadianmetalworking.com | October 2010 | 15
BUSINESS REPORT
SHOP FLOOR MANAGEMENT
A Tale of Two Shops Two manufacturing companies, one small and one mid-sized, discover a better way to manage their operations By Tim Wilson ..................................................................................................................................................... Enterprise resource planning (ERP) surged in the early 1990s, as big software vendors took advantage of emerging client server environments to integrate business processes. Manufacturing was an important part of this story, with shop floor software increasingly integrated with financials and the supply chain. Back then there were many “home grown” applications for manufacturing resource planning (MRP) that were written in-house, as well as a wide range of independent software vendors (ISVs). But ERP was never one-size fits all, and many manufacturers had nightmare stories of implementations gone awry, runaway costs, poor performance, and, perhaps most common, a need for ongoing maintenance and support that tied manufacturers into expensive support contracts. In these instances, manufacturers found themselves trapped: they were dependent on software that was tied to heavy costs and poor performance. Now, in 2010, things are much brighter. ERP vendors have consolidated, with big players like Microsoft, SAP, Oracle, and IBM getting serious about the mid-market. As well, some smaller ISVs are still flourishing. This article is a “tale of two shops,” one small, one mid-size, that have both embraced the same ERP/MRP solution from a Canadian ISV named IntegrateIT.
THE VENDOR AND THE SOFTWARE
Headquartered in Kitchener, ON, IntegrateIT is an independent ERP software vendor that focuses exclusively on the sales, 16 | OCTOBER 2010 | www.canadianmetalworking.com
distribution, implementation and support of its product, ERP123. The company is made up of business managers with software design and implementation capabilities, as well as manufacturing and distribution expertise. As a software suite, ERP123 is delivered within a service offering that includes project management, implementation, site-training, and integration with legacy applications. Included in the purchase, and at the core of ERP123, are integrated tools for inventory management, sales, production management, and finance/accounting. IntegrateIT argues that these capabilities can work alongside the legacy applications that make a company unique. It makes sense, as often custom code is written to address the competitive requirements of a specific manufacturer.
POWER TO THE LITTLE GUY
One example of an IntegrateIT customer that can provide some insight into the challenges associated with ERP—particularly for a smaller shop—is Weber’s Fabricating in St Jacobs, ON. Begun in 1974 by Clare Weber, Weber’s Fabricating is a custom metal fabricator, providing products and services for commercial, industrial and farm applications. “Our use of computing technology goes back to 1984 when we purchased a CNC punch press and a Tandy 4 computer from Radio Shack,” says Weber. “Over time things got faster and the memory got bigger, but it was always a challenge for us to figure
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SHOP FLOOR MANAGEMENT
out the cost of materials.” Over time Weber had a local computer teacher write software in BASIC to track part numbers and prices, which worked well. The company then engaged consulting firm Coopers and Lybrand to write some software in dBase, but the price was prohibitive, so Weber had someone train him to write software in Clipper (another computer language). “Then we bit the bullet and bought Windows software,” says Weber, “which allowed us to advance to ERP123. It is intended to do everything, from manufacturing control, purchasing, and accounting, the whole ball of wax—and that’s what it does.” But there have been challenges, too, mostly related to two constraining factors: the size of the company, and number of custom jobs required. “We are a custom metal fabricating shop,” says Weber. “We do five or ten fuel tanks a week, repair work, welding, roofing, hatches for water tanks—all-in-all we are eighteen people.” As a result, Weber says that his company will never be able to use all of ERP 123’s capabilities, particularly for scheduling and production work. “We have to enter information every time for bill of materials, because we do mostly custom jobs,” says Weber. “About 40 per cent of our costs are materials, the rest is labour, and those get carried through to accounting.” Weber Fabricating has introduced some useful custom software that has gone on to be part of ERP 123’s overall capabilities. For example, Weber now has a screen that can directly look at inventory, with users able to place a number and have the system list the last purchase price, average cost, and quantity of stock. “It’s pretty clean from my perspective,” says Mr. Weber. “We create a job with the sales order, and all the materials and labour line up against the work order. We know everything related to that sales order—what purchase orders are attached to it, what is open and closed, shipping, invoices.” In the end, ERP 123 may be too much software for Weber Fabricating, but it does give the company plenty of space to grow. “We bought a three year maintenance program,” says Weber. “This is good for the long haul; IntegrateIT is doing a good job of trying to meet the needs of a custom job shop. And the clincher for us: these are local people.”
ERP shines in the mid-market
In the case of an application suite like ERP 123, the software’s capabilities really begin to shine as larger requirements are built in. This is the case with Sigma Corp., a Mississauga, ON manufacturer of commercial and industrial HVAC equipment.
Business Report
“We are primarily a sheet metal company,” says David Herzstein, owner and president of Sigma. “We have a number of different divisions for heating and cooling, as well as a ‘whole house fan’ and greenhouse division.” When considering a software solution, Sigma, which now has approximately 60 employees and revenue of $15 million, initially considered German ERP giant SAP. However, at the time Sigma was too small, and the software too expensive. “We needed MRP software that could address our low volume, high mixture business model,” says Herzstein. “These days you can buy any MRP system out of the box that can define a bill of materials and build inventory, but getting to a dynamic system is another matter.” With IntegrateIT’s ERP 123 system, all of Sigma’s business units are integrated, with a middle tier software application that allows for on-the-fly mixing and matching. “There are pre-designed self-assemblies and parts that you can combine to arrive at finished goods,” says Herzstein. “Every field has a number option; there are tens of thousands of permutations. The front end lets us mix all that up, and then the MRP system builds the bill of materials.” There are some pre-defined routing templates, but Sigma’s engineers can go in and change the requirements as needed. These are vital capabilities for a company where roughly one third of the work is high volume repeat; another one third is high volume custom; and the last one third involves low volume custom jobs. “Customers can also put in custom orders on the Web,” says Herzstein. “If they want to build a heating system of a school, for example, they can set the enclosure heights, the depth, and define other elements such as the colour and the gauge of steel. From that a sales order is created that gets loaded into our system.” The parameters are all set by Sigma, and if orders repeat, the company is able to formalize them into specific product offerings. For now, accounting is done using QuickBooks; Herzstein expects accounting to be in the ERP system within two years. “But our next goal is to introduce a finite scheduling module that will prioritize all work orders, as well as telling us when to ship,” he says. “That’s a step to our ultimate goal: 100 per cent predictability of ship dates.” It’s a challenge, because routing is complex in low volume, high mixture manufacturing environments, but then that’s exactly what the right MRP system should be able to handle. CM Tim Wilson is a freelance writer based in Peterborough, ON. www.canadianmetalworking.com | October 2010 | 19
machine tools
SPECIALTECIALTECIALTECIALTECIALTY MACHINING/CASE STUDY
A Recipe for Success If you want to be a leading job shop, invest in top equipment By Mary Scianna .......................................................................................
One of the DMG machines. In addition to the latest DMG mill/turn machine, MTM has several other machine tools in its shop.
A close up view of the new DMG mill/turn simultaneous five axis machining centre.
20 | October 2010 | www.canadianmetalworking.com
Standing out from the crowd is a challenge in the competitive job shop market, but one Guelph, ON, manufacturer has found a recipe for success. What has helped MTM Automation & Aerospace Manufacturing Inc. succeed and set it apart from the competition is, in part, its owner, Marijan Munjic. As a tool and die maker who learned his trade in former communist Yugoslavia (he hails from what is today Croatia), he acquired a strong work ethic and the ability to be resourceful in tough times. They are skills he has applied to the job shop business he formed 14 years ago. “I’m happy with the business today. I went through some tough times and the recession hit me, but I survived. This is my life and besides my family and my grandson this is what I love to do; I don’t know what I would do with myself without this business.” MTM manufactures precision metal components, gauges and automation systems and special purpose machines used for a variety of manufacturing operations. Its main markets today are aerospace, defence, and renewable energy. What has also helped this job shop is its machinery, the latest of which is a multi-tasking mill/turn five axis simultaneous machining centre from DMG, the DMU 80 FD duoBlock, with a capacity of 800 mm x 800 mm x 800 mm (31.5 in. by 31.5 in. x 31.5 in.) and speeds of up to 800 rpm. “If you go with low end machines then you will not be competitive. If you want to be a leader you have to have top equipment and that is what we have done with all the machines we use in our shop,” explains Munjic. He has high hopes for the latest addition to his machine shop, a $600,000-plus machine tool he purchased specifically for complex aerospace work.
“DMG is one of the world’s best manufacturers of this type of machine tool, the mill/turn simultaneous five axis. When I started my apprenticeship in 1957, I had one milling machine in the shop and it was a special tool and die machine from Deckel, a company that is now part of DMG. It was such a good machine and this stayed in my mind and when I opened my shop I purchased DMG because I knew I would be getting the highest quality machine tool.” Today, in addition to the DMG mill/ turn five axis machine, MTM uses three DMG three axis vertical machining centres, one other DMG five axis machine tool and a Nakamura-Tome four axis turning centre. One of his oldest machine tools is a 13-year-old Fadal, a vertical mill he uses for machining blanks destined for production on one of the other newer machines. And that’s just in the component manufacturing section of this 16,400 sq ft job shop. At the front of the shop, MTM’s tool room houses jig grinders from Moore, a Kellenberger cylindrical grinder from Hardinge, Chevalier First knee type vertical milling machines, Chevalier First surface grinders and a Sodick wire EDM and Sodick EDM for small hole burning. The room is used to make virtually all of the toolholding and workholding fixtures MTM needs, including many customized products for complex parts. Just off the tool room is a microscopic deburring and inspection room where small burrs are examined at 20 times magnification and manually deburred and polished before being shipped to customers. When Munjic opened his shop 13 years ago, the core of his business came from the automotive industry. But even at the start of his business he had a sense the automotive industry was heading for trouble and soon began to make plans to diversify into other markets. “One time I made a special device
SPECIALTY MACHINING/CASE STUDY
The Nakamura-Tome four axis turning centre.
when I worked for an automotive parts company. It was a part for an automotive company in Michigan. The plant in the US called me because it had a problem with the device. The union there said I could not bring tools from Canada to the US, so I went without my tools. They sent a driver to get me and when I got to the plant I saw the problem and I knew I could fix it in 15 minutes with pliers and an Allen key. No one would lend me the tools in the plant and in the end I had to take the part back to Canada. I fixed it in 15 minutes and the driver came back to pick up me and the part and drive back to the US where I put the part back in the machine. When I saw this I said these companies will have problems. Who can justify this cost of fixing one part?” So Munjic focused on getting aerospace accreditation, which he achieved several years ago. Today, MTM is an AS/E/JISQ9100-Revision B & ISO 9001:2000 registered machine shop. While he’s done some aerospace work he hasn’t landed long-term contracts, but hopes to change that soon. He’s hired three sales people who he hopes will bring in business from across Canada and the US. And if business grows as planned, MTM has room to grow. Munjic is already looking at more machines, “minimum two more machines and I hope to order even bigger machines than the new DMG I have in my shop.” Munjic, ever the resourceful person,
machine tools
MTM’s tool room includes this Kellenberger cylindrical grinder from Hardinge. The tool room allows the job shop to make fixtures and tooling.
MTM purchased its latest machine, the DMG DMU 80 FD duoBlock, to machine complex aerospace parts.
owns the building that houses his machine shop. When he became ISO certified, he had to have third party inspection for the high precision gauges he makes in his shop. So he blocked off part of his shop and built a separate unit that he now rents to a certified metrology company, Canadian Measurement Technology, that checks his parts and his gauges before they’re shipped to customers. Munjic has worked hard in the past 13 years to develop a reputation as a high quality job shop that provides innovative solutions for customers. His efforts are paying off. Among his customers are Brad
Mainse, senior metrologist and Kevin Moles, tool services manager for Siemens Westinghouse Power Corp. In a testimonial on MTM’s web site, the two say that they “value Marijan Munjic and his company for his resourcefulness and innovative solutions.” Today, Munjic isn’t working just for himself; he’s building a company that he hopes to pass on to his grandchildren. “I showed my four year-old grandson the machine shop and what we were making and he liked it. I said to him everything here is yours. He was so excited he ran back to his mother and father to tell them this.” CM www.canadianmetalworking.com | October 2010 | 21
Machine tool
ULTRA-TASKING
Stepping
Up
Are the new generation of multi-tasking machines worth the investment? By Ron Richardson ................................................................................................................................................ What’s in a name? up to the end product costs. The economic solution is to simply Call it what you will: multi-tasking, multi-function, ultralet the machine tool do everything without human intervention. tasking, integrated or universal machining. The move to reduce the machine operator content is now being No matter the label, the objective is the same: to combine addressed by machine tool manufactures with multi-tasking, multiple machining processes in one machine—along with a multi-axis machine tools and fully integrated controls.” timesaving single setup. These machines have been around Okuma, for example, has designed machines (e.g. the in various forms for many years now, and it’s almost a MU series and Millac VH Universal M/C, Multus and sure bet that advanced variations of these models will MacTurn multi-tasking lathes, and the VTM and continue to shape the future of the machining world. VTM-YB vertical turning machines) with single Today’s ultra-tasking machining centres state process capabilities, limited operator intercan perform turning, boring, drilling, milling, vention and expanded versatility to enhance hobbing, honing, polishing, grinding, overall shop throughput, which will help drive inspection, assembly, thread rolling and down manufacturing costs and increase profitwelding—with still more bonus features to ability, adds Endsely. come that are just around the corner. “The growing presence and capability of These sophisticated entries into the multi-tasking equipment offer compelling machining market continue a steady takecompetitive advantages,” says Brian Papke, over of the tasks long held by the older president of Mazak Corp., Florence, KY, as he machining workhorses such as two axis describes the market’s expanding enthusiasm for Mazak’s Super Digital Machine, a turning centres engineered to provide some multi-purpose machines. “Designers will discover conceptual design created for the basic milling, grinding, drilling and tapping. increasingly that multi-part assemblies can now be company’s 100th anniversary in 2019. This current crop of versatile machine tools, made as single integral parts and in one setup.” with the integration and support of state-of-the-art CAD/CAM Papke makes the point that “it is naive to be committed to systems, now provide a whole range of modern factories—both manufacturing without a plan to become cost and large plants and small shops—with the capability to process price competitive.” raw material into finished products. Mazak continues its close ties with suppliers of CAD/CAM, The advent and availability of advanced machine tools NC verification and various other software programs with the couldn’t come at a better time for Canada’s besieged manufacturgoal of creating a “virtual machining” environment to hasten ers. They now face the toughest competitive pressures in recent both part and process development. A third generation in the memory. The industry faces over capacity, over supply and company’s multi-tasking line is the two spindle Integrex 400-lllST anaemic profit margins. And this means the necessity has never that offers 3,300 rpm maximum turning spindle speed and been greater to cut costs throughout the entire supply chain. 12,000 rpm maximum milling speed. These machines also fit into growing lean practices manufacturers are now embracing, according to some machine tool builders. By setting up a machine once for several operations, it employs reductions that define lean: less material handling as the workpiece remains in one machine for multiple operations and less setup as the machine is placed in one flexible fixture. An important factor that multi-tasking or ultra-tasking machines address is labour, says Jim Endsley, machining centre product specialist with Okuma America Corp., Charlotte, NC. “The variable that management doesn’t have control over is direct labour costs. This is an ever increasing direct cost in the manufacturing process. It usually slows throughput, creates scrap and rework parts, and Mazak’s Integrex e-670H multi-tasking centre. demands constant management on several levels. All this adds 22 | October 2010 | www.canadianmetalworking.com
ULTRA-TASKING
The machine control is also an important component in multi-tasking machines, adds Okuma’s Endsley. “I am referring to a great deal more than simply “moving the machine tool”. The Okuma “Thinc” control provides not only this ability, but also the ability to connect directly to various Windows manufacturing management software systems such as business software, inventory control systems—and even predictive maintenance systems. The PC-based control is expandable and upgradeable for future requirements, offers many “plug and play” options from our “Thinc” partners, and can even be remotely monitored to retrieve real-time production data. These unique features allow the machine tool to become a true asset rather than a cost.” Companies don’t typically invest in multi-tasking equipment to produce parts in a traditional fashion. Instead, through solid modelling and more powerful toolpath verification software, parts and components are produced on multi-tasking equipment in fewer pieces. “Multi-tasking is now a mature technology and if manufacturing companies haven’t invested in these advantages, then I don’t see how they will be able to survive in this competitive environment,” advises Vince D’Alessio, executive vice president, Elliot Matsuura Canada Inc., Oakville, ON, a distributor of several machine tool builders including Matsuura, NakemuraTome, Toyoda and AgieCharmilles. “The key driver for multi-tasking technology is to reduce labour costs and throughput—time to market. The multi-
10 Multi-tasking Benefits 1. The “Done in one” production concept reduces overall part costs by using fewer machines, operators and fixturing. 2. I ncreased throughput. Fewer part setups reduce material movements, improves material flow and production efficiency. 3. Evens out work and cash flow. Entire batches can be completed continuously, reducing work in progress and keeping invoicing consistent. 4. Reduces compound errors and increases part accuracy. 5. Eliminates expensive fixturing and tooling. 6. M ultiple processes in one setup allows unattended operation. 7. Reduced setups by combining multiple processes. 8. Reduced non-value-added time by eliminating product queues between machines. 9. Reduced lead times by increasing flexibility to produce small and large complete batch runs. 10. Reduced fixturing improves efficiency and product quality increases profitability. Source: Yamazaki Mazak
machine tool
Mazak’s Integrex e670H multi-tasking machine bevel gear cutting.
tasking machine itself offers an element of labour reduction, but the challenge is to integrate automation systems to the machine to enable extended periods of unattended multitasking manufacturing. Since multi-tasking machines come in many forms, configurations and sizes, the type of work to be produced needs to be matched with the right machine configuration,” says D’Alessio. He adds that if manufacturers are going to truly benefit from this new machining technology, “all aspects have to be considered, including the automation and ability of the machine to run unattended. Machine tool builders will need to address built-in automation in the development process.” While fewer machines and operators will be required with the new generation of multi-tasking machines, “the required employee skill levels will be greater,” says Mazak Corp.’s Papke. Multi-tasking equipment can be set up for low-skilled button pushers, but Papke says “the total capability of the equipment is proportional to the amount of training the operators receive. The higher quality of training, the higher the productivity potential of the multi-tasking equipment.” Multi-tasking machining technology is gaining popularity because it helps manufacturers to raise quality and delivery and lower production costs, all at the same time. EMAG, which introduced its first multi-tasking machine for turning and grinding in 1998, has developed a platform that combines assembly, laser welding and measurement with machining and grinding functions. EMAG vice president Gary Hulihan says “the bar for quality continues to be raised. Our customers compete in a business that demands parts faster, better and at lower cost. Quality is improved by limiting set ups and transfers between machines.” Mark Rentschler, marketing manager for Makino, Mason, OH, says every manufacturer is in need of machines that can reduce setups, stack-up error, work in process inventories and their total number of operations. “It’s all about streamlining the process for the ultimate goal of a reduced cost per part. Ultra-tasking machines offer all of this in a single package. As North America continues to emphasize growth around advanced manufacturing methods, and technologies, the use of ultra-tasking machines should continue to increase.” www.canadianmetalworking.com | October 2010 | 23
machine tool
ULTRA-TASKING
However, Rentschler stresses that building high performance ultra-tasking machines requires experience and understanding for each type of operation performed. “If you’re interested in a machine with grinding capabilities, it’s important to understand the grinding process and how to manage coolant and remove chips and grinding swarf effectively,” he says. “At Makino we developed the G5 five axis horizontal machining centre. This machine offers grinding, milling, drilling and tapping capabilities all on one machining platform. The design of G5 provides the flexibility to accomplish each of these tasks with the speed and accuracy that customers have come to expect from Makino. Because you can go from milling to grinding in one machine, you’re not only saving on investment in specialized capital equipment, but you’re also able to perform multiple operations in a single setup, reducing non-value-added time in your process, which lowers your costs and reduces lead time. This technology has been used successfully in various turbine engine applications.” The opportunity to combine various machining operations is one of the most important investments a company can make to gain an edge to produce quality products, stay lean, efficient and globally cost-competitive. Can companies afford to make what will be a major investment to get in the game? The question should be: Can they afford not to? What’s the vision for the industry? Future machines will continue to improve on capabilities to mill turn, mill drill,
| October 12010 | www.canadianmetalworking.com 24schunk.indd
Makino’s G5 multi-functional five axis horizontal machine, capable of grinding, drilling, boring and milling all on one platform.
tape, bore and finish a part in a single setup, preferably with ‘lights out” and operated from a central control station, with shorter setup times between processes. And if Mazak’s conceptual machine tool design for the future (see image on page 22)—in anticipation of its centennial anniversary in 2019— is an indicator, we will likely see ultra-tasking machines like we’ve never seen before. CM Ron Richardson is a freelance writer based in Toronto. www.elliottmachinery.com www.emag.com www.okuma.com www.mazak.com www.makino.com
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WORKHOLDING
Handling the Distance Machining long parts requires unique workholding solutions By Tim Wilson .......................................................................................... New industrial demands are emerging that require longer pieces, and tool vendors have to come up with solid, reliable strategies for getting the job done, particularly given that machining lengthy parts presents unique stability challenges that inevitably affect set up times. “It all depends on the piece, the process, and what you are doing with it,” says Steve Kane, global sales and marketing manager at Kurt Manufacturing Co. Inc., Minneapolis, MN. “At Kurt we have single module standard products, multiple module standard products— such as MoveLok and WedgeLok—and of course custom engineered workholding.” Typically, longer pieces crop up in industries like Machine energy and transportation. Tool However, newer industries, Solutions specifically wind turbines, are also affecting demand. “Aerospace has some long piece components, and we deal a lot with oil exploration, but windmill generation is uniquely large,” says Ron Wright, general manager of Schunk Canada. “You are looking at unusual workholding applications, with tools specifically designed for that process; and when you get very long, the set-up can be cumbersome.” Weight is also an issue. Any long piece is going to be quite heavy, whether it is for a wind turbine, a plane wing, or rail. A good answer to this challenge is a modular vise system. “We use the Lang modular vise system, which is very flexible and offers superior workholding solutions also for long/narrow parts made of ferrous or non-ferrous materials, magnetic or non-magnetic,” says Lino Libertella of Machine Tool Solutions Ltd. in Toronto. “For the workholding of long parts, a multiple vise arrangement can be organized, keeping vises spaced apart for a distance that can guarantee sufficient rigidity for the machining process.
These allow for a strong hold with just 3mm of gripping depth, leaving a wide access area for five face machining.” Libertella notes that the LANG system is utilized by every type of industry or application, but in particular for the defence, medical, energy, and aerospace industries, where aluminium is common. Aluminium distorts easily, making accurate machining of long parts a challenge, though this is actually less of an issue than one might expect. “We have done some long wing spurs, and also some rails,” says Kane. “Typically we will use six inch single station 3600Vs, which are high precision vises, and line them up on a bed. We would then run those about 12 to 18 inches apart.” That translates to roughly 300 mm to 450 mm, which is a healthy distance. Other vises require a more cautious approach, and in some cases a simple clamp will suffice. “With aerospace you would normally use toe clamps,” says Wright. “These are fairly rudimentary workholding devices, but sufficient.” The key to using multiple vises in repeat applications is for there to be a system to remember positions. This way set-up time can be reduced, a major issue with long pieces. “In addition to the holding function, the Lang vises can be combined with the manual pallet system Quick Point,” says Libertella. “This allows for quick and accurate re-positioning of the part, thus saving consistent set-up time.” For its part, Kurt Manufacturing has Vischer & Bolli’s “VB Dock Lock” zeropoint workholding system. “This system will locate the vise within 5 mm,” says Kane. “It can also lay grid pallets down in a pattern, and can reset fairly quickly.” Of course, workholding selection depends heavily on the process and the
MACHINE TOOLS
PRODUCT REPORT Emuge
Emuge’s workholding division specializes in providing accurate, almost maintenance-free customized solutions for applications from low volume job shops to high volume automotive production environments. Emuge is the exclusive North American agent for Germany’s The Hohenstein Co. that designs and productes workpiece clamping fixtures.
“Our workholding group stays close to our customers to learn about their unique challenges and production environments. Doing so helps us develop the best solutions for their applications,” says David Jones, precision workholding manager at Emuge Corp. Among the company’s precision workholding lineup is: Emuge’s System SG. With its expanding-bush design, it’s used in many machining operations such as hobbing, shaping, and shaving for gear production, as well as milling and inspection. A large surface area contact with the workpiece provides a clamping solution that is rigid, accurate and repeatable. The high precision System SP is used to clamp workpieces and tools. By applying an axial force, the clamping sleeves move in the direction of the force and expand radially. This eliminates the clearance between clamping sleeve and body, and between clamping sleeve and workpiece. System SP achieves concentricity of < 0.002 mm (corresponding to < 0.0001 in.). System SH is the solution if there is not enough room for a mechanical clamping system and for clamping long, thin-walled workpieces or a number of similar workpieces. System SH is a closed system that uses hydraulic pressure to clamp the workpieces. For workpieces that have a short clamping base or for diameters with a very large tolerance, System SZ is the best choice. By applying an axial force, a slitted collet is radially expanded by a cone. Simultaneously an axial movement occurs, clamping the workpiece. When the eccentricity between pitch www.canadianmetalworking.com | OCTOBER 2010 | 27
MACHINE TOOLS
WORKHOLDING PRODUCT REPORT
application. An effective solution can deliver on hydraulic clamping and a large clamping range due to reversible jaws, as well as five axis machining. “A five axis machine has so much capability because, in effect, it is the machine travel that sets the outer limit for these long pieces,” says Kane. “In the example of the rail piece, we were using our 3600V vises in increments of 20 ft.”
Steady as she goes
When parts get long, whether it is for a windmill or a jet wing, stability has to be approached with an eye to maintaining integrity at the centre of the piece. “You need a steady rest to stop deflection in the centre,” says Barry Schwartz, sales manager at Sowa Tool & Machine Co. Ltd. in Kitchener, ON. “That’s not an uncommon issue for extra length tools and turning.” A steady rest allows for easier access to the piece, and the ability to move from one side to another. “You can have multiple steady rests,” says Schwartz. “But whether it is wind turbines and props, which is an industry that is new to all of us, or the oil industry, as far as the structure and capability goes there are only a certain number of companies that can do it.” As well, whether one uses hydraulic vises or ‘soft jaws’, the truth is that long pieces are cumbersome and slow. The work after set-up can be efficient and of the highest quality, but getting all the parts in place is rarely a quick job. “The problem with a long part is that a workholding device has to be installed where the action is occurring on the workpiece,” says Wright from SCHUNK Canada. “If you are milling right there, then all’s fine, but if you move off two feet you’ll get vibration and chatter.” The clamping itself can create distortions, and when a workpiece is unclamped, and there is a warp, inaccuracies will appear when it reverts to its natural state. “This is why support is essential,” says Schwartz, adding that one way to get around the issue is with magnetic workholding.
Metal magnetism
As an alternative, but only for magnetic materials, a magnetic workholding system can be utilized for long/narrow 28 | October 2010 | www.canadianmetalworking.com
parts, possibly combining a number of chucks. The use of electro-permanent technology can enhance safety and allow for greater freedom of operation: no need for cables to the chucks after energising, and no need for back-up power during operation. “Magnet technology for workholding started to be utilized many years ago,” says Libertella of Machine Tool Solutions. “More specifically, electro permanent workholding began about 20 years ago, and it is getting better and better.” These powerful magnets can be positioned vertically or horizontally. With clamping, rough machining in the middle of a long part can lead to vibration, but if you use a magnet the whole surface will be held down on the table. The electro-permanent magnetic solution also allows for the handling and clamping of very large parts, such as moulds and dies, big plates or bars. Quick set-up is also guaranteed by the fast clamping/unclamping process. “The magnetic holding force goes through the length of the workpiece,” says Schwartz. “You don’t need hoses or connections; you turn it on and it holds.” What this means is that you can get equal support through four foot sections, with no distortion. However, electro-permanent workholding only works for ferrous metals, meaning it is ideal for steel but of no value for aluminum. And when considering magnets, the materials aren’t the only issue: it is also important to consider geometries, because magnets are better suited for pieces with greater surface area. “If you are trying to hold a knife edge, then a magnet won’t work at all because there’s nothing there,” says Wright. “Only if the knife were on its side would you have sufficient force.” Which is to say that based on the metal and the application, magnets are not the complete answer. And when it comes to securing long pieces, vacuums, vises, and clamps will likely be around for a long time to come. CM Tim Wilson is a freelance writer and regular contributor based in Peterborough, ON. www.kurt.com www.machinetoolsolutions.ca www.schunk.com www.sowatool.com
circle and seating bore is small, diaphragm clamping System SM is ideal. It allows clamping of the gear wheel at the pitch circle for machining the seating bore. The gear wheel is clamped in both axial and radial directions. www.emuge.com
Kurt
Kurt Self-Centering Vises improve machining centre productivity by positioning and clamping workpieces precisely and quickly on a defined symmetrical axis. Available in two sizes, these Kurt SelfCentering Vises can be used in any mounting position and provide a large clamping range for odd-sized workpieces. For maximum productivity, they quickly and easily align in a series on a machine worktable. Centering accuracy for these vises from minimum to maximum opening is .0006 inch with .0002 inch repeatability. Both moveable jaws are designed with the famous Anglock. This is the unique pull-type jaw clamping design that minimizes jaw deflection.
Kurt Self-Centering vises feature durable 80,000 PSI ductile iron bodies with precision machined steel components. This is important to machinists who want rugged strength, extra part holding rigidity, and long-term accuracy while absorbing machining vibration. Additional features include: hardened jaws, hardened bed ways, chip guards, lip seals on main screw, and optional InnerLock jaw plates to further minimize setup time. The two Kurt Self-Centering Vise models are: a four inch jaw width (Model SCD430) and a six inch jaw width (Model SCD640). Jaw opening on the four inch model is 6.25 inches and 8.00 inches on the six inch model. Both are backed by Kurt’s exclusive lifetime “Iron Clad”™ warranty for workmanship and materials. “Kurt Self-Centering Vises are another effective workholding option for expanding the productivity of existing machining centers,” reports Steve Kane, Kurt’s global sales and marketing manager. “These vises provide major process upgrade opportunities at very modest cost.” www.kurtworkholding.com
WORKHOLDING
Schunk
Schunk has introduced a new line of rotational workholding, Rota NCK-plus, and a new line of stationary workholding, Vero-S module. The Rota NCK-plus features a large through hole, an improved lubrication system, and high clamping repeatability. It is a direct replacement of nearly all OEM chucks. With tapered clearance designed into the chuck body, additional tooling clearance, as well as increased spindle bearing life due to lighter weight, can be realized. The long precision piston guide and support guarantee less wear, a high level of continuous clamping accuracy, and long life. This power chuck represents the best alternative as a replacement lathe chuck. The jaw interfaces are 1.5 mm x 60° and 1/16 x 90° offering the user a high flexibility with regards to the use of existing top jaws. The Rota NCK-plus is available for all CNC lathes in the sizes 165 (6 in.), 210
(8 in.), 250 (10 in.), and 315 (12 in.), with clamping forces from 57 kN (12.814 lbf) to 144 kN (32.392 lbf). It is suitable for maximum speeds of 6,000 rpm and combines jaw strokes ranging from 2.75 (0.108 in.) – 5.30 mm (0.208 in.) per jaw. All functional components of the new module are made of hardened stainless steel. Among the many benefits, the pull-in force of the new module is up to 9,000 lb. With the Vero-S, machine set-up times can be reduced by up to 90 per cent. Thanks to the patented dual clamping stroke and the integrated turbo function, the retention force increases to 9,000 lb (4,000 kg). This is 30 per cent higher than Schunk’s previous model. The rigidity of the clamping system benefits from this higher force. As a result, considerably higher cutting forces are possible. Even extremely high shear forces can be absorbed reliably. Locking of the new quickchange pallet system is done mechanically via a large spring package. It is self-locking
MACHINE TOOLS
and clamps with a form-fit. Holding forces of up to 16,800 lbs are achieved. For opening the module, a pneumatic pressure of 6 bars (85 psi) is sufficient. Vero-S clamps workpieces, pallets, clamping stations, existing fixtures, and tombstones with one or more clamping pins. The radial aligned clamping slides of the quick-change pallet system pulls in the clamping pin and locks it. Exact positioning is accomplished via a short taper. Radial location is done via a diamond pin. This assures a repeat accuracy of less than 5 microns (0.0002 in.). The new Vero-S is completely compatible and interchangeable with Schunk’s previous pallet system and the clamping pins work universally across the new line. Workpieces can be transferred from machine to machine or to a CMM accurately and seamlessly on the fly. Hardened Stainless Steel is used for all the functional components of the Vero-S, such as base body, clamping pin, and clamping slide. This increases the module’s life, reliability, and reduces maintenance. www.schunk.com
Performance, Precision and Reliability You Can Count On.
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Since 1954, YCM Machines have been recognized worldwide for superior precision, exceptional rigidity and outstanding reliability. YCM has a wide range of machine tools to meet today’s manufacturing needs.
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TEL：562-205-9268 FAX：562-205-9278
www.canadianmetalworking.com | OCTOBER 2010 | 29
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Beyond Blast technology uses low-pressure conditions to offer high-pressure performance
Through-channel coolant, delivered at the cutting edge, results in twice the tool life of standard inserts
Delivers superior performance on Titanium and high-temperature alloys, using either high- or low-pressure coolant systems
Effective thermal management results in reduced cutting temperatures, improved lubricity, superior chip control, and longer tool life
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cutting tools
Toolholding
High Vs. Low Experts weigh in on how to determine toolholding quality
By Nate Hendley .................................................................................................................................................. What factors are the most important to consider when determining toolholder quality and why? We posed the question to several industry suppliers to help manufacturers determine high quality versus low quality toolholding. “Initial considerations begin with an analysis of the operation. Turning, milling, drilling, boring/reaming or tapping operations will have an effect on your choice of holder,” says Randy McEachern, product and application speciality, holemaking and tooling systems for Sandvik Coromant Canada, Mississauga, ON. You also have to consider metal properties and finish, advises Brent Godfrey, industry and application specialist for Sandvik Coromant in the US, based in Fair Lawn, NJ. “For example, for corrosion resistance, strength, wear resistance and long life in the machine. And with performance, if the holder can help cutting tools to perform better, then we can assume it has all of the strength and accuracy it needs.” Another key consideration is the “concentricity between the workholding taper and the locating diameter which holds the cutting tool,” says David Vetrecin, rotating tools product manager for the Canadian branch of Israeli-firm Iscar Tool, Oakville, ON. “The factors to consider in determining toolholder technology are balance quality, run-out accuracy, torque capacity, vibration dampening, radial stillness, ease of use and flexibility. All of these factors carry differing importance depending upon the machine process for which they are used,” says Ron Wright, general manager, Schunk, Mississauga, ON. Asked if there is one factor that is more important than the others in determining tool holder quality, Wright says “in a roughing process, torque is typically more important than run-out accuracy. In a finishing process run-out accuracy and vibration dampening are paramount.” “In drilling, a quality chuck with low run-out and balance is critical for vibration free machining and longer tool life. The same holds true for milling applications,” adds McEachern. “Probably the most important factor is whether the holder can improve the performance of the cutting tool and do so consistently,” echoes Godfrey. To address these ongoing needs, industry suppliers have developed a host of innovations in toolholding. The HydroGrip HD (heavy duty) “has been recently introduced to our line of hydraulic chucks. It is designed for rough milling, while providing the same low run-out characteristics and balanced features that permit the HydroGrip family to run at high speeds,” says McEachern. A power chuck, the Hydro-Grip HD boasts low run-out (max 0.0002’ in./ at 3 x d) with proper shank, a clamping 32 | October 2010 | www.canadianmetalworking.com
Iscar’s Maxin power chuck for roughing and finishing operations offers clamping power for fast metal removal.
range of 20, 25 and 32 mm (collets can be used) and extreme repeatability (the company claims it offers the same performance “after 15,000 clamping cycles). Each chuck is individually balanced to G2.5 at 25,000 rpm. “The EH coupling is another new holding system we released recently. The EH program currently holds our CoroMill 316 which is our line of threaded solid carbide milling heads. The EH coupling features a ground tapered and threaded interface,” adds Godfrey. Vetrecin points to Iscar’s Hydrofit hydraulic chuck and Maxin power chuck. The former can handle stationary or rotating tool applications up to 15,000 rpm and has run-out accuracy of 0.003 mm. The latter is intended for roughing and finishing applications in milling which require high torque transmission, maximum accuracy, compactness and easy operation. The Maxin power chuck features an unthreaded
Toolholding
clamping nut, sealed nut construction and is designed for direct chucking of the tool shank. Schunk has several new toolholder options, including Sino-R milling chucks. “The new Sino-R technology offers more torque and radial stiffness and is ideally suited for roughing applications that require high torque and vibration dampening,” says Wright. Designed for heavy duty cutting, the Sino-R milling chuck toolholders offer high radial rigidity and top-notch dampening characteristics. Other notable features include high clamping force and flexible clamping diameter (the Sino-R universal toolholder can cover a clamping range of 3 – 16 mm in.). It can be used for rough milling, copy-milling, drilling, countersinking, and tapping/thread-milling. Schunk also sells the Tendo Hydraulic Expansion Toolholder which boasts “high run-out and repeat accuracy, maximum continuous run out and repeat accuracy of <0.003 mm in. and a “more than a fourfold increase in service life,” according to the company. These toolholders are precision-balanced and can be used for speeds up to 50,000 rpm—making them suited for high-speed milling. The Tendo hydraulic expansion tool holder can also be used for drilling, reaming, tap machining/thread milling and chamfering. What type of blade should be used to ensure top quality in high performance cutting (HPC) operations? “The choice of carbide grades, cermets, cubic boron nitride, ceramics, etc., all depends on the material and application. The job of all the steel parts behind the insert(s) is to enable the insert(s) to perform to their maximum potential,” says Godfrey. “The type of cutting material is subject to the material being cut and capabilities of the machine. With the use of high-pressure coolant, carbides are working more effectively but CBNs (cubic boron nitride) and PCDs (polycrystalline diamond) are becoming more popular for their tendency to run at higher speeds,” echoes McEachern. How important is design in terms of raising or lowering the quality of toolholders? “The design is very important. For example, a standard CAT V or ISO steep taper adapter has drive key slots that fit over the drive keys on the spindle of a machining center. There is a tolerance band on the width of the drive keys and
cutting tools
PRODUCT REPORT Exsys Tool
Preci-Flex toolholders from Exsys Tool Inc. are fast, accurate and cost-effective solutions for lathe tooling changeovers, claims the company. The modular system is the first tooling system on the market with a single base holder and multiple tooling adapters that utilizes the ER collet pocket.
Offering flexibility, precision and cost savings, the Preci-Flex’s compact design assures maximum torque transmission and rigidity, resulting in increased machining accuracy and improved productivity. Additionally, the toolholder’s conical and flat face planar interface allows the use of either an adapter or a standard ER collet, and enables collets, endmill holders, expanding collet chucks and shrinks fit tooling to be mounted on a single base holder. Available in a range sizes, Preci-Flex provides unsurpassed repeatability, with every toolholder offering repeatability within five microns. The system also virtually eliminates machine downtime, and allows tooling adapters to be interchanged between fixed and rotary base holders for fast, economical machining. www.exsys-tool.com
GenSwiss
GenSwiss has introduced the GenBore ID Triple toolholder that adds three ID tool stations in place of a standard OD turning position on most Swiss type CNC machines. With this new toolholder, work can be expanded to include spotting, boring or drilling, all from one position for more cost effective machining of complex parts. The toolholder features easy integration of high pressure coolant delivery systems, and can be configured for thru-coolant delivery through one, two or all three tool positions. The GenBore includes (3) ER11 5/8 in. shank collet sleeves, removable location screw to re-position the holder on the gang plate, and set screws on both sides of the holder to suit RH & LH machine layouts. The ½ in.
shank includes shim-plate for machines using 5/8 in. shank tooling. When required, the new toolholdher can be easily removed returning to a standard OD turning position to suit specific machining requirements. www.genswiss.com/genbore_swisstool.htm
Guhring
Guhring has extended its GM 300 toolholder range with precision clamping chucks and additional Guhrojet-shrink fit chucks. Among the new products is Thermo Secure Gold 3000 shrink fit chuck, the module 6x6 for highly accurate fine adjustment of six-fluted tools and the MQL 4-point clamping set that is now available for different spindle contours.
The Thermo Secure Gold 3000 shrink fit chucks feature a length setting screw with axial force damping and a special locking screws. When shrink fitting, the heating and subsequent cooling of the chuck and the tool does not only result in an essential radial shrinking but also in an unwanted axial shrinking. If the shrink fitted tool is sitting on the setting screw, it can lead to minimal tool concentricity inaccuracies with conventional solutions. The new length setting screw with axial force damping compensates the axial length difference with the integrated, flexible compensation element. On request, the length setting screw with axial damping is also suitable for retrofitting conventional Guhring shrink fit chucks. www.canadianmetalworking.com | October 2010 | 33
cutting tools
Toolholding
also the width of the drive key slots, so the drive keys don’t fit perfectly in the slots and there is a “click clack” effect that occurs under load that also changes the location of the cutting edge(s). That will cause problems for any turning operation,” notes Godfrey. “The design of the system also contributes to the concentricity and the rigidity,” says Vetrecin. A final thought... “I always find it interesting that customers will spend a lot of money on the latest machine tool and they’re also spending enormous amounts on cutting tools but they find it hard to realize that the interface between the two is critical for the performance of each. We have to educate the masses that their new Ferrari machine tool won’t perform without high quality tires [toolholders],” says Wright. CM Nate Hendley is a freelance writer and regular contributor based in Toronto. www.iscar.com www.sandvik.coromant.com www.schunk.com
PRODUCT REPORT Up until now you could not tell the temperature of a shrink fit chuck. With an optical temperature indicator on the new chucks this source of danger is a thing of the past. A red ring signals: Attention, hot! Risk of burning! The chuck temperature is above 45°C. When the temperature reduces to below 45°C, the ring turns blue. The chuck can then be handled without danger. Optimal clamping is achieved with a shrink fitted tool. The setting of six-fluted tools is now performed quickly, simply and accurately with Guhring’s module 6x6. Setting screws for the radial and axial setting sit perfectly below the cutting edges of the tool allowing the correction of concentricity errors at the position they are detected. This offers users up to 70 per cent time saving in tool presetting, a cost reduction as well as a highly accurate tool setting in his production. The optimal cooling lubricant delivery on module 6x6 without hanging and swirling ensures perfect machining results thanks to cooling and lubricating the cutting edges of the tool without loss. In conventional tool holders the cooling lubricant
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swirls and hangs and the coolant exits into hollow areas in the holder, in the Guhring system the cooling lubricant is supplied in a straight line without hanging or swirling from the machine through the tool holder to the cutting edge. Now users don’t need to go without the maximum clamping force of their tool holders and the advantages of MQL machining because they do not apply a Guhring spindle contour. Because now there are Guhring’s four-point clamping sets available for many customary spindle contours MQL offers time and costs savings, increases quality, is environmentally friendly, safe and simple to use. www.guhringcanada.com
Iscar
Iscar’s latest toolholding innovations include the Hydrofit hydraulic chucks, The Shrinken toolholder line for milling and the Maxin power chuck for roughing and finishing applications. The Hydrofit hydraulic chucks qualify for high speed machining (HSM) and simplify tool changing, presetting and fine balancing more than ever before. Suitable for stationary or rotating tool applications of up to 15,000 RPM, the new chucks deliver the clamping force, accuracy, dynamic balance and vibration damping necessary to protect brittle solid carbide round tools in HSM work. Runout accuracy is 0.003 mm. The hydraulic chucks require only moderate hand torque on an Allen key to clamp and unclamp the tool—right in the spindle. The turn of an internal preset screw adjusts the datum to where you want it. Optional threaded holes facilitate fine balancing. Chuck styles suit all popular HSK, DIN and SC machine interfaces and to handle four main shank types: taper shanks for rotating applications; VDI DIN 6980 shanks in sizes 30 and 40; ST 25, 32 FINEFIT ADJ with 070 flange for stationary tools; and FINEFIT ADJ taper shanks with 070 flanges for rotating tools. The Shrinkin toolholder line is designed for milling applications requiring higher rigidity. These new toolholders integrate
TOOLHOLDING
the Shrinkin ER SRK collets with standard taper shanks to form a single, solid piece toolholder. These units may be used for solid carbide, steel and HSS shanks. The Maxim power chuck offers clamping power for fast metal removal rate. With only a small tightening torque, it compresses the frontal nose, providing high gripping force. It is designed for roughing and finishing applications in milling where high torque transmission, maximum accuracy, compactness and easy operation are required. The clamping nut (featuring a sealed nut construction) is not threaded (as in ER collet chucks) and it is designed for direct chucking of the tool shank (no need for intermediate collet) for maximum gripping force. There is no axial drawback of the tool shank as chuck is tightened. And thick wall construction withstands greater side loading forces. The high gripping force results from the shallow nose tapered cone with helical slot inside the internal chuck bore. It exerts a very high clamping force when the clamping nut is rotated in the axial direction. The shallow taper of the tool nose and the angled position of the needle bearing that sit in the cage create the axial movement of the clamping nut. Run-out accuracy is maximum at 100 mm and overhang is less than 0.01 mm. www.iscar.ca
Lyndex-Nikken
Shrinking and unshrinking toolholders is efficient and easy with Lyndex-Nikken’s latest Shrink Fit Machine. In as little as two seconds, the machine can firmly insert a cutting tool into a Shrink Fit Holder, making this unit the fastest shrink machine available, according to the company. With its patented induction coil, the shrink fit machine can handle cutter bodies made from HSS, heavy metals and carbide. The additional benefit of the automatic cutter size detection function eliminates the need for inputting the size of the cutter shank, thus reducing set up time. The machine is compatible with all holders with varying geometries, shrinking 2 – 40 mm with the same inductor. Designed to be plug-and-go, the Shrink Fit Machine is equipped with a three-phase 220V power connector for shop compatibility. The compact table top design and the machine’s shrinking range (14.57 in., shrinks .080 to 1.5 in./370 mm, shrinks 2 mm to 38.1 mm) make this shrink fit unit a versatile yet powerful tool for shrink fit needs. Ideal for use with the Shrink Fit Machine,
Lyndex-Nikken offers a complete line of Shrink Fit Holders, including CAT40, CAT50, HSK32E, HSK63A, HSK80F, BT30, 40 and 50. They are available in multiple lengths, and in both inch and metric sizes. Lyndex-Nikken Shrink Fit Holders offer optimal balance and maximum grip characteristics. They are made in Japan with the H13 Heat Resistant Hot Working Tool Steel, and pre-balanced and balanceable up to 40,000 RPM. www. lyndexnikken.com
CUTTING TOOLS
comparable tool overhang, regarding torque transmission, run out and accuracy. For best overall machining results, tool overhang should always be kept to the absolute minimum. Integrated holders with an EH coupling provide a shorter total programming length compared to cylindrical shank tool holders with EH coupling. Integrated holders therefore provide the highest stability, when all other machining variables are the same. With modular tooling possibilities these holders can be used in many tooling combinations to suit various applications and machine tools, from a smaller inventory of standard items. For greater tooling flexibility these holders reduce set-up times, require minimum adjustment of tool length for each application and a stable performance is always guaranteed.
REGO-FIX
REGO-FIX’s new Rego Plus line of toolholders are fully compatible with all Big Plus spindles and licensed by BIG Daishowa. The new product series includes a full line of ER system toolholders, as well as a full line of powRgrip system toolholders. All products in the line are made by REGO-FIX at its Switzerland manufacturing facility and hold to the strict Swiss standards that the company is known for. The new Rego Plus line offers several
advantages to manufacturers working with high precision milling machines equipped with the Big Plus system. These include better TIR, improved tool stiffness, increased quality of surface finishes and higher machine accuracies. All Rigo PLus products are designed for form B coolant and accommodate through-the-taper coolant as a standard feature. www.rego-fix.com
Sandvik Coromant
A new range of integrated tool holders from Sandvik Coromant are designed for compatibility with CoroMill 316 exchangeable-head (EH) tools. The holders achieve a secure performance better than a cylindrical shank clamped in a precision chuck, with
Sandvik Coromant’s QS holding system, already available for users of Citizen and Star automatic sliding head lathes, is now being introduced for machine shops with Tornos, Tsugami and Nexturn sliding head models. With the QS (Quick Start) system, tools can be slid in and out quickly, automatically locking into place on centreline, thus improving repeatability and accuracy thanks to its highly secure positioning in the tool post. In simplistic terms, QS consists of a system of stops, wedges and short toolholders that replace conventional tool post hardware. The result is reduced downtime through faster tool changes. Released as part of Sandvik Coromant’s CoroPak 10.1 phase of product introductions, the following new QS components are available: QS wedges for Nexturn SA20 and SA26 machines; QS wedges and stops for Tsugami B0, BS, BU, BM, BN, BA and BW models; and QS wedges and stops for Tornos Delta 12 and 20 machines. Toolholders are available to suit CoroTurn 107, CoroCut 1, -2, -3, CoroCut XS and CoroThread 266. www.sandvik.coromant.com www.canadianmetalworking.com | OCTOBER 2010 | 35
Celebrating 50 Years Sowa Tool & Machine Co. Ltd. would like to take this opportunity to extend a sincere thank you to our valued customers, suppliers, and employees, as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary! !
There have been a number of articles written of the modest beginning of Sowa Tool. Mr. Gerhard Sowa, Sr., a gentleman of the industry, began a career in Canada selling measuring equipment and accessories coast to coast from the trunk of his car. After 50 years, the roots are well established and all business decisions continue to take our history into consideration. The input of many has allowed us to grow and offer stocking locations in Kitchener, Edmonton, Ohio, California, Illinois, Texas as well as offices in Asia. With over 80,000 products to offer, we continue our commitment to bring you the highest quality products at a competitive price! Gerhard Sowa Sr. & Gerhard Sowa Jr. #
Proudly Supporting the North American Metalworking Industry since 1960 We have taken the guess work out of your Cutting Tool selection with our Colour Band System
Sowa Indexable Cutting Tools
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• European Engineering and Design • Nationally Traceable Calibration Certificates • 12 + 12 Care Warranty Program
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GRAY TOOLS
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cutting tools
Toolholding
PRODUCT REPORT Schunk
Schunkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is a new holder for automated tool and cutter grinding with the ability to clamp diameters between 5 and 20 mm, without additional components or time-consuming changeovers, and offering high repeat accuracies of less than 0.005 mm. These are ideal conditions for automated manufacturing of small batch sizes of all cutting tool types.
The principle function is based on a precise clamping sleeve with prism guidance. Each of the five chuck jaws are guided by a double prism. A third prism is on the clamping face, which directly contacts the tool shank. The holder always adjusts itself to the individual tool diameter. Even deep hole drills and fluted tools can be clamped precisely with the
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38 | October 2010 | www.canadianmetalworking.com SCT Final.indd 1
3/4/10 9:30:49 AM
Prismo. During the clamping operation, the five hardened and coated chuck jaws intermesh. The basic sleeve and the robust design provide a high stiffness to the holder. At an overhang length of 2.5 x D with a tool diameter of 20 mm, the Prismo provides a repeat accuracy of less than 0.005 mm. Regardless of which tool diameter is to be machined, the X-axis of the grinding toolholder remains unchanged. All the chuck jaws actuate on the identical axial position. Time-consuming additional programming and the interference due to incorrect axis offsets are problems of the past.
With the Tendo E compact, it is no longer required to use different holder technologies for milling, drilling, and reaming. For the first time ever, hydraulic expansion toolholders can safely transfer torques of up to 520 Nm (384 ft-lbs) at a 20 mm clamping diameter and are suitable for high volume cutting. With excellent vibration damping and precise run out accuracy of less than 0.003 mm (0.0001 in.) at 2,5 x D, the holder protects the machine spindle and the cutting tool from damage. The hydraulic expansion toolholder works well across the application range from rough milling to finish operations such as reaming and fine milling. In roughing operations, tool cost reductions of up to 40 per cent have been achieved with Tendo E compact. Tools can be quickly changed with an Allen key, making this powerful hydraulic expansion toolholder an excellent alternative for operations where the toolholder quantities do not justify peripheral equipment purchases. All common spindle connections are available for ž in. interfaces HSK-A63, SK40, BT40 and CAT40. For nearly all cutting tool shank diameters, other versions are scheduled for future release. www.schunk.com
GROOVING
CUTTING TOOLS
Grooving the SMALL Stuff The challenges of cutting small diameter parts By Tim Wilson ..................................................................................................................................................... How best to approach grooving a small part has a lot to do with the width of the grooving insert; the wider the insert, the more the materials involved: repeat, high volume applications tend to pressure it will produce. We also grind positive rakes on the be with softer metals, with specialty one-offs applying to higher inserts to control the pressure and to act as a chip former to value applications, often with tougher alloys. control the chip shape and size.” “Exotic materials are not for production jobs—these are low INSERTS OR SOLID CARBIDE volume applications,” says Tom Ficker, regional sales manager for A frequent issue is whether or not to go with inserts or solid Cogsdill Tool Products, Inc., with responsibility for Canada. “The carbide tools. Inserts can be indexable or have only one edge problem with precision grooving in high nickel alloys is that you for single use. Inserts tend to be less expensive, but usually beat down on the grooving insert almost from the get-go.” can’t get into the smallest bores, and are not as strong as solidAs a result, Cogsdill’s tools are better suited to high produccarbide tools. tion lines, an area that has seen some big changes of late. Only a “The grades Iscar uses for few years ago, small bores were typically our inserts depend on how fast 4 mm, but now leading vendors are the machine spindle can spin,” delivering off-the-shelf bore grooves says Iscar Tool’s Geisel. “10,000 to 2 mm, with specialty applications rpm sounds high but rememgoing much smaller. This has resulted ber you are working with very in new abilities—and challenges— small parts, around .100 in. in when it comes to grooving very small diameter. So that 10,000 rpm parts, as well as increased demand. with a .100 in. diameter works “There are companies that require out to be about 260 sfm…we face grooves with major diameters as need to design and produce small as 0.2 mm,” says Duane Drape, national sales manager for Horn USA Iscar Tools’ new MinCut inserts for internal grooving, undercutting and threading. the insert out of carbide grades with coatings that can Inc., in Franklin, TN. “This is mostly run at such speeds.” aluminium, but I have had customer “When things get small you have a length and diameter ratio requirements to get that small with steel at 50 + Rockwell.” to contend with,” says Ficker from Cogsdill. Hydraulics, given their need to control pressure, create “It would be preferable to take an indexable insert into small demand for inside diameter (ID) and outside diameter (OD) grooves, because it would be more economical. But you often grooving seals and threads, as well as relief grooves. In the have to go with a one piece design, using a brace tool with a automotive sector, miniature grooving applications include carbide or carbon steel cutter brazed to it.” fittings for air bags and fuel injection components. Solid carbide grooving tools are usually L-shaped. Part of “The challenge with grooving is that below 1.5 mm it is difthe challenge is that even the non-cutting, or “leg” part has to ficult to make a tool that is strong enough,” says John Stewart, fit into the bore diameter. Given that the bottom of the L, or VP of engineering at Bokum Tool in Madison Heights, MI. “The the “foot” has to be even smaller, strength becomes an issue, overall determining factor is: What does a groove look like in a as does the fact that groove depth is limited. As a result, with hole that size? If it is proportionally very similar to a larger hole bores of less than 2 mm in diameter the best tools are now then it is theoretically possible to get very small, but it really constrained to a groove depth of around 0.2 mm. comes down to the strength of the tool itself.” But replaceable inserts, single edge, can still get to some ID grooving in particular can be an issue with small parts, small diameters. More cost effective than a solid carbide tool, says Steve Geisel, senior product manager for Iscar Tools Inc., they can also deliver better axial depth. That said, solid carbide Oakville, ON. tools are usually more expensive, toolholders aren’t, and there “As a tooling manufacturer, we are being pushed to produce is a risk the holder might break after a dozen or so uses. tooling able to groove in smaller, and smaller diameters. Our PICCO line can produce grooves in diameters from as small as 2 SLOWER FEED RATES mm (.08 in.) and we can go smaller by special request.” Small grooving tools can require much lower feed rates due to Geisel concurs with John Stewart that the challenge for breakage concerns. tooling suppliers is to make a strong, rigid cutting tool or insert. “It is important to keep speeds as low as possible when “The cutting process produces pressure on the work piece you have small-sized parts,” says Igor Kaufmann, a member of and on the tool. Controlling the pressure during machining Kennametal Inc.’s global team for turning tools. When grooving dictates how successful we will be [in producing an effective miniature parts, Kaufmann emphasizes that the tools still need cutting tool]. We can control cutting pressures by controlling www.canadianmetalworking.com | OCTOBER 2010 | 39
CUTTING TOOLS
GROOVING
to fit axially and apply radial force to the bore. As a result, it is hard to ensure that the tool is strong enough, which then leads not only to chatter issues but also challenges with breakage and chip evacuation. “Slow feeds can be a good idea, depending on the material,” says Bokum Tool’s Stewart. “With smaller sizes a weaker tool neck will want to deflect, especially with carbide, and with increased distance to the groove, feed speeds need to be adjusted downward.” The problem with carbide is that reducing deflection increases the risk a tool will break, so it’s important to preserve the strength of the neck of the tool. Tool monitoring is also recommended, because with small cutting edges it can be hard to see or hear when a tool breaks.
are specially designed for these challenges. “This is a double-sided insert that works well with slow cutting forces,” says Kaufmann. “The GUP insert geometry is advanced and versatile, with excellent metal removing rates.” If the chip created by the grooving tooth is wider than the finished groove, then you can minimize the possibility that the chip will stay in the groove. But when it comes to harder metals the challenge isn’t chip control so much as creating the chip in the first place. “At 1.5 mm you need to have a tool that is strong enough to create the chip,” says Stewart. “But from there, with a strong alloy like Inconel, it is relatively easy to control the chip. In the case of aluminium and softer materials, where the chip is continuous, it creates greater headaches because the material balls up.” The risk with these softer metals then becomes Kennametal’s AF-GUP insert geometry that the chips pack the hole and break the tool. A chip off the old groove for grooving and turning. When grooving small pieces, cutting pressure “The geometries are not standardized, but tends to be relatively high. Aside from slowing there are ways to create space at the head of the feed rates, it can also help to use high lubricity coolants that tool to promote chip flow,” says Stewart. “Sometimes the actual work well in tight spaces. grooving tooth on the cutting tool will have a chip breaker on “If you are cutting to small major diameters on the face, it—this will help the chip move out and get flushed with coolant.” where the grooves generally aren’t that deep, the chips are not Another approach is to compress chip width, thus ensuring an issue,” says Drape. “But in ID grooving applications where it doesn’t lodge in the groove and result in tool failure. Either the groove is deep into a bore, then we need to get coolant in, way, when it comes to grooving small parts, the combination of and also need to break down the chip so it can evacuate.” slow feed rates, proper tool selection, and a strategy for chip Chip size, adds Iscar Tool’s Geisel, can impact performance evacuation is the best way to ensure success. when working in small diameters. “You need the chips to be able to freely get out of the bore Tim Wilson is a freelance writer and regular contributor based in and away from the cutting action so they do not interfere with Peterborough, ON. CM the machining process.” www.bokumtoolco.com Managing chip generation in tight spaces has always been www.cogsdill.com a challenge, because the smaller the hole the harder it is to get www.hornusa.com the chip out. One approach is to plum or port the tool to get www.iscar.ca coolant out. There are also advanced tools, like Kennametal’s www.kennametal.com AF-GUP insert geometry for grooving and turning, that
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SHOW PREVIEW/FABTECH
fabrication
Fabricating Know-How
FABTECH is North America’s largest event for the metal forming, fabricating, finishing and welding industries
From November 2-4, 22,000 industry professionals will converge at the Georgia World Congress Centre in Atlanta George for FABTECH 2010. The annual event is the longest running North America event dedicated to showcasing the latest technologies and companies working in sheet metal forming and fabricating, finishing, tube and pipe, stamping and welding areas. FABTECH is co-sponsored by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International (FMA), the Society for Manufacturing Engineers (SME), the American Welding Society (AWS), the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA), and the Chemical Coaters Association International (CCAI). Industry partners include the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), and the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT). As the largest event of its kind in North America, attendees can expect to find more than 1000 exhibitors servicing the metal fabrication industry covering more than 350,00 net sq ft of floor space.
Special Events
FABTECH, as many who have attended in past years know, is more than just a trade show and conference. Over the years, event organizers have added special events and features to address industry issues of the day. This year is no exception. One of the most significant issues facing industry today is surviving in an increasingly competitive environment. So it’s not surprising that the keynote presentations at FABTECH are about how manufacturers can better compete. On November 2, a panel of experts will discuss “Diversify Your Business or Die.” The panel will include Roy Verstraete, president & CEO of Anchor Daly; Sam Strausbaugh, managing partner of Defiance Metal Products; and Brent Schwartz, vice president of engineering for MetoKote Corp., and
discuss what diversification practices work and which don’t, in addition to exploring the risks and rewards of diversification. “In today’s manufacturing environment, relying on one customer, one market or one process can spell certain death, but understanding the choices and deciding how and when to diversify can be complex,” says Randy Kish, exhibition marketing manager with Precision Metalforming Association, one of the show sponsors. “This session will provide first-hand perspectives and insights to jumpstart and grow your business.” On November 3, “Make Green by Going Green” will review how manufacturers can gain a competitive advantage through sustainable practices. Speakers from Steelcase, DeWys Manufacturing and Caterpillar will discuss how implementing a practical lean and green approach to consuming water, gas, utilities and raw materials can benefit both the environment and the bottom line. “Case study after case study, the pursuit of sustainable manufacturing practices and execution of conservation principles have proven profitable for manufacturers,” said Mark Hoper, FABTECH show comanager. “Our panelists will share examples of how they’ve done it and how companies can improve their bottom line by going green.” Other expert-led sessions include “Look Before You Leap—The Economics of Diversification,” “The Nuts and Bolts of Diversification,” “The Choice to Merge or Acquire,” “The Lean and Green Audit: Step one to Practical Green,” “Is it Possible to be Lean and Green with Your Finishing System?,” “Converting Factory Lighting: Process and Payback,” “Outlook for Welded Pipe Usage in Natural Gas Shales,” and “The Essentials of Job Shop Marketing.” All sessions are free and will be presented in the Solutions Showcase Theater on the show floor. www.canadianmetalworking.com | october 2010 | 41
fabrication
SHOW PREVIEW/FABTECH
What to do in Atlanta
When people think of Atlanta, GA, Coca-Cola often comes to mind. It’s one of the best-known attractions in the city, but for FABTECH delegates, there is a lot more to see and do when FABTECH’s doors close at the end of the day. Here’s a select list of attractions and restaurants. For more information on what to do while you’re in the city, visit the Atlanta travel guide at www.atlanta.net.
Attractions
The Georgia Aquarium World’s largest aquarium www.georgiaaquarium.org
For those involved in stamping, AIDA America will have a fully functioning stamping line, a 110-ton gap-frame servo press with a Coe SpaceMaster compact coil line that unwinds, straightens and feeds. For welding professionals, The International Training Institute will have a mobile welding lab housing five booths with multi-process machines, a classroom, and performance testing equipment. For more details about the latest exhibitors, conferences and special events, visit FABTECH’s web site at www.fabtechexpo.com.
TRADE SHOW HOURS Tuesday, November 2 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Wednesday, November 3 9:00 am – 6:00 pm Thursday, November 4 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
• Automation Strategies to Streamline Your Job Shop Office 10:30 am–12:30 pm • National Welding Education Conference 9:15 am – 4:30 pm Wednesday, November 3 • Waterjet Cutting Advancements 10:30 am – 12:30 pm • Laser Cutting Considerations for First-time Buyers 10:30 am – 12:30 pm • Emerging Technologies in Finishing 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
CNN Atlanta 50-minute CNN studio tour www.cnn.com/tour/atlanta Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site 35-acre historic part and Sweet Aurburn district www.nps.gov/malu/ Stone Mountain Park Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad, mini-golf www.stonemountainpark.com Underground Atlanta Five-block historic site features 100-plus vendors, shopping, dining www.undergound-atlanta.com
• Lasers for Tube & Pipe Fabricating & Tech Tour 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
Restaurants
• Metallurgy Applied to Everyday Welding 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
Imperial Fez (Moroccan) www.imperialfex.com
Bone’s Restaurant (steakhouse) www.bonesrestaurant.com
Durango Oak Fire Steakhouse www.durangosteakhouse.com
EDITOR’S PICKS
Thursday, November 4
Tuesday, November 2
• Environmentally Friendly Surface & Part Cleaning 10:30 am – 12:30 am
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood www.mccormickandschmicks.com
• Forming Simulation 8:00 am – 10:00 am
Oceanaire Seafood Room www.theoceanaire.com
• Forming & Fabricating of Lightweight Metals 8:00 am–10:00 am • Cost-cutting Scrap Handling Improvements 1:30 pm–3:30 pm 42 | October 2010 | www.canadianmetalworking.com
• Design of Welded Connections & Qualifications 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
Sotto Sotto (Italian) www.sottosottorestaurant.com
Best choice. Bystronic at FABTECH. Laser | Bending | Waterjet bystronic.com
Visit us at FABTECH in Atlanta, hall B, booth #1733, for continuous product demonstrations and complimentary refreshments.
With our nesting software there isn’t much left to talk about. SigmaNeSt is simply the most advanced and efficient nesting software for sheet metal fabrication and profile cutting. That means less waste and huge savings on all your machines—laser, plasma, waterjet, flame, punch, router or knife. Visit talk.sigmanest.com/5 to find out how much we can save you.
Visit SigmaNEST at IMTS booth E-4059.
®
SHOW PREVIEW/FABTECH
fabrication
EXHIBITORIBITORIBITORIBITORIBITORIBITOR SPOTOTLIGHTS
Events like FABTECH are important because you have the opportunity to attend technical seminars to upgrade your skills, learn about leading edge fabricating processes and to see many of the key suppliers to industry under one roof. Canadian Metalworking spoke with some of these suppliers about what they plan to exhibit and about their expectations for the coming year.
Who: ESAB Where: 6521, 6611, 8039
As one of the world’s largest manufacturers of welding and cutting equipment and welding filler metals, ESAB plans to have a big presence at FABTECH. The company has been gearing up for the event. In fact, Andrew Masterman, CEO and president of ESAB North America, Florence, SC, says this year is a significant one for ESAB. “This year we have released more new products than we have in a decade, so we feel we have something of interest for everyone from the small shop to large production facilities. We look forward to sharing these new products with the FABTECH audience and letting them get a close-up look at all ESAB has to offer.” ESAB is a long-time exhibitor and views the event as a significant part of its marketing strategy to inform the industry about the latest fabricating solutions that can help them become better at what they do. “We feel this is an excellent venue to reach a large and diverse audience of fabricators and showcase our product solutions for greater productivity. As one of the world’s largest and most skilled manufacturers of welding and cutting equipment and welding filler metals, ESAB has amassed a great volume of knowledge and is constantly on the forefront of developing new technologies to make welding and cutting easier, more productive and more profitable for our customers,” says Masterman. ESAB’s extensive line of products and technologies will be on display. Products being showcased include handheld plasma cutters, welding outfits, weather-resistant power supplies, programmable gantry cutting systems, automated welding equipment, sub-arc welding and cladding systems, friction stir welders, hybrid laser welding systems and a new line of protective equipment for welders. Among the products ESAB is highliting is the Suprarex SXE cutting gantry, which Masterman says combines “unparalleled flexibility and productivity and features the most advanced cutting technology available…it can be configured for almost any need, providing the perfect solution for every cutting application.” Another product of note is the Vision T5 CNC, an ergonomic touch-screen interface. Cutting or marking tools are controlled directly on the touch-screen. It features a built-in process database that simplifies cutting tool setup by automatically setting parameters such as cutting speed, kerf offset and timers based on the material thickness, material type and cut quality desired.
Masterman also points out that the FUB 30 roller bed for fit-up of sections features a robust design to withstand the rugged environment in the welding industry. In laser welding, the HLx series mechanized laser welding system uses laser only, laser with cold wire fill or a hybrid laser arc in a 2D gantry, 3D robotic or custom mechanized solution with closed-loop weld process control. And the Hybrid Laser Arch Welding (HLAW) “combines the deep weld penetration and low heat input associated with laser welding with the power efficiency and superior gap tolerance of GMAW to create a new welding alternative,” explains Masterman. ESAB’s aim with its new range of products addresses two key issues in the industry: the shortage of trained labour and the need to
See us at Fabtech Booth 3906
www.canadianmetalworking.com | october 2010 | 45 Jet Edge Aug.indd 1
7/26/10 6:42:36 AM
fabrication
SHOW PREVIEW/FABTECH
increase productivity, says Masterman. “We have placed a great emphasis on introducing technology that makes welding and cutting easier and the machines more intuitive so that newer welders can quickly become productive with less training time. We have also placed more emphasis on technology to improve the quality of the product with fewer secondary operations to speed production and reduce waste.” www.esab.com
Who: Flow Corp. Where: 2333
Flow International Corp. is cautiously optimistic about the coming year but whatever growth the fabricating industry experiences, it will be a gradual one, says Tim Fabian, global product manager for Flow Corp., Kent, WA. “We recently reported our earnings and business in North America is up over last year’s quarter. We expect to see things continue to improve but at the moment we’re seeing the larger companies investing because they’re in a better position to purchase equipment. The smaller companies are more influenced by consumer confidence indexes which have not been very good so they’re less likely to invest in machinery until they see more confidence.”
When the economy began to slump in 2008 and continued into 2009, many companies began to re-examine their costs and where to cut them. LVD Strippit underwent the same exercise, but one thing it did not consider was dropping out of a trade show like FABTECH. “Trade shows are among the largest expenditures for companies and many will spend upwards of $100,000 or more exhibiting at these events. We have the metrics on ROI and for us exhibiting at such events is worthwhile because it’s an opportunity to meet customers and prospects and to highlight new technologies. And as the inventor of abrasive waterjet cutting [which it invented in 1979], it’s important for Flow to exhibit to let customers know about improvements in our technologies and our products.” In 2009, to focus more on different market needs, Flow launched its Mach series of waterjet cutting machines which consisted of three distinct product lines: Mach 4, Mach 3 and Mach 2, designed for different market sectors from entry level to high end production operations. “Our product lines are driven by the needs of our customers and that’s why this year we’ll be showcasing the Mach series of abrasive waterjet machines,” explains Fabian. Flow will conduct live demonstrations of the Mach 4 system with its Dynamic Waterjet XD. The abrasive waterjet 46 | October 2010 | www.canadianmetalworking.com
cutting machine—the company’s flagship in the Mach series— features Flow’s HyperJet, pump, rated at 94,000 psi, and the Dynamic Waterjet XD flat stock and 3D cutting technology. Another machine in the series on display will be the Mach 2, an economical machine for entry level applications or for those fabricators on a limited budget. Fabian adds that the Dynamic XD, new to Flow, offers advanced beveling and up to 60º of motion, allowing for easier cutting of 3D parts. According to Flow, the original Dynamic Waterjet technology, launched in 2001, automatically compensates for stream lag and taper. This technology and the new Dynamic XD means that Flow can offer fabricators 3D cutting and taper compensation in one package, something it will demonstrate at FABTECH. www.flowwaterjet.com
Who: LVD Strippit Where: 1846
One of LVD Strippit’s greatest strengths is its history. While LVD Strippit is part of the LVD Group, a Belgium sheet metal fabricating equipment manufacturer, the company (with North American headquarters in Akron, NY) is actually a combination of two businesses whose combined histories date back to the 1920s. And each company has contributed many innovations to the metal forming business, says Johhn Quigley, vice president of marketing. “For example, Strippit [founded in Buffalo, NY, in the 1920s] was the first company to introduce combined punching and laser cutting technology to the sheet metal industry with the introduction of the patented Lasertool in 1978. LVD was a pioneer of multi-axis bending systems and adaptive forming technologies such as the Easy-Form Laser adaptive bending system.” LVD Strippit is gearing up for a better year ahead, adds Quigley.
“We are experiencing an improvement in the business climate in the US and in Canada, and we expect the market will be in a more advanced state of recovery by 2012. Capacity utilization rates are slowly and steadily rising and we see a measured improvement in overall customer activity. The outlook for the US and Canada is for a gradual and sustained increase in demand and orders through 2012.” As a global company, LVD Strippit has a global outlook on markets and Quigley says that the company is strengthening its “local presence in markets that are recovering at a faster rate or that are emerging markets. For instance, we have recently expanded our presence in Latin America with the opening of a new demonstration centre and sales office in Brazil. We are active in other growth markets such as China,
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Russia, the Far East, Eastern Europe and Austrialia.” While it is expanding around the global, Quigley adds that LVD Strippit’s manufacturing facility near Buffalo, NY, and its proximity to the Canadian market, has helped the company “forge strong bonds with many Canadian metal fabricators, so our presence in Canada continues to be strong. Within Canada are some of the most progressive metal forming operations in the world, which are always interested in making use of the latest technology advancements in sheet metal fabrication.” That’s one reason why LVD Strippit—one of the first companies to exhibit at FABTECH—is at the 2010 event. It plans to use the event to showcase new products and proven technology. Among them will be the debut of the company’s latest CNC turret punch press, the Strippit VX-1225, a 20 tonne machine with 48 turret stations, and the Sirius 3015 Plus 4 kW laser cutting system equipped with an integrated shuttle table. Other key technologies being highlighted include the Easy-Form 135/30 press brake, the LVD-HD PPF series multicylinder bending machine for specialized forming of large pipes and its CADMAN 3D offline programming software for punching, bending and laser cutting. As the metal fabrication industry continues to rebound many businesses will be looking to invest in new fabricating equipment, says Quigley. “Price, performance and profit are the three key factors that most companies are looking to balance when investing in new fabricating machinery. This is made more relevant by the current economic situation. Customers have become increasingly aware of the need to get the price-to-performance ratio correct. Getting it wrong can mean increased part cost and ultimately decreased profit.” To help customers, LVD Strippit focuses on designing and delivering the products and technologies that suit its customers’ needs at a price point that fits their budget. www.lvdgroup.com
Who: PRIMA Finn-Power North America Where: 2307
While many fabricators have been hit hard by tough economic times, it doesn’t mean they’re not still interested in new technology. On the contrary, Mike Stock, bending product manager for PRIMA Finn-Power North America, says there’s even more interest now in looking at new technologies, particularly automation. “In 2009, the stand-alone market for press brakes, lasers and turrets was hit hard but on the automation end of things, we’ve seen pretty steady sales and even last year was not a bad year for our automation systems. When the recession hit, many fabricators were looking at reducing costs and that meant cutting labour. Now as they begin to see the market pick up, they want to keep costs down and if they take another step on the automation curve, they’re accomplishing that.” In part because of focus on automation and the steady interest in the technology among fabricators, PRIMA FinnPower North America foresees a favourable 2011, adds Stock. “This year was better than last. It wasn’t the type of increase we would have liked to have seen, but it was still positive. There’s still some hesitation among customers because they want to get more comfortable with the market and be more sure of where it’s heading before they decide to 48 | October 2010 | www.canadianmetalworking.com
make any major capital investments.” The interest in automation among fabricators is growing in Canada and the US. Indeed, Stock says that in Canada, PRIMA Finn-Power has several customers in Toronto, Montreal and Edmonton using fully automated systems that his company installed. And at recent monthly open houses the company has held at its Arlington Heights, IL, facility, “they’ve been very well attended. Even through this dip, at least at PRIMA Finn-Power, we’ve not see a drop off in interest among customers wanting to see the latest technology and that’s why we’re also at FABTECH.”
This year, one of the themes at the company’s booth is energy efficiency. Finn-Power introduced its first servo electric punch press in 1998 “and we’ve been participating in that arena for along time now. More players are coming into the market and I’m not surprised because the whole green/ energy efficient servo electric technology has really taken hold over the last several years,” says stock. Indeed, the company’s FAST BEND, which was highlighted at the last FABTECH, is likely to be a big hit again, predicts Stock. In addition to this though, the company will also be showcasing servo electric press brakes, punch machines and lasers. www.finnpower.com
Who: SigmaTEK Where: 2149
When Cornel TerreBlance, marketing manager for SigmaTEK Systems LLC, Cincinnati, OH, read a recent story about Chinese appliance manufacturer Haier opening up a manufacturing facility in North America, it confirmed her observations—and the company’s steadily growing sales— that manufacturing is coming around. “We’re seeing a steady improvement in orders and in our profitability, which is a good sign considering all of our customers are exclusively in manufacturing. When I read about Haier opening a manufacturing plant in North Carolina it was encouraging for me because I think people are starting to realize it’s not feasible to ship things across the world, doesn’t really improve profitability and offers such a slow turn around that domestic manufacturing is becoming more of a goal for people in the industry.” SigmaTEK, like many suppliers to the manufacturing industry, has felt the brunt of the recession, but despite this, the company has continued to invest heavily in research and development. “We develop all our software for SigmaNEST here in Ohio.
SHOW PREVIEW/FABTECH
fabrication
Who: TRUMPF Where: 1701
As thousands converge in Atlanta, GA, for FABTECH, one stop they’re likely to make if they’re interested in fabrication equipment is TRUMPF’s booth, traditionally one of the largest exhibitors at the annual event. The company’s range of fabricating equipment extends to machines for bending, punching, combination (punch laser) and laser cutting. As 2010 draws to a close, TRUMPF has a positive outlook for the coming year. “TRUMPF is already seeing a significant pick-up in interest for our machine tools and lasers in the Canadian market,” says Burke Doar, vice president of sales and marketing for the Farmington, CT, company. “We think this trend will continue through 2011. The markets which are leading the way include transportation, medical, agriculture and energy. As the premier event for the metal fabrication industry, FABTECH is often the platform for launching new products and technologies. For TRUMPF, visitors can expect to see a line-up of new equipment, including an entry-level 2D laser cutting machine with a solid state laser. The machine is equipped with the company’s fiber guided solid state laser and offers productivity advantages in some thin sheet applications. “We also plan to introduce a highly efficient punching machine as well as a few other advancements to our existing
We have several phDs who have been with us for several years and they’re constantly working on improving our nesting software.” As a result of R&D efforts, it will showcase three new software products for the sheet metal fabrication industry at FABTECH: SigmaTUBE, an add-in module for tube cutting laser and plasma machines; Version 3 of SolidNEST; and SigmaBEND, automatic bending software. “SigmaTUBE is seamlessly integrated inside SolidWorks 3D CAD design software. The second product we’re introducing is Version 3 of SolidNEST. Like SigmaTUBE, it runs inside SolidWorks. We did this because our customers tell us that they have difficulties with design and file Pipe Saddle and Hole Cutters integrity between exporting and this software means they don’t have to deal from Jesse Engineering with the haasle of translating files and losing data.” A third new product the company plans to showcase is SigmaBEND, for Ask us about automatic bending applications. Beam Coping! For SigmaTEK, FABTECH is the most important trade show of the year. “It’s always the one where we have the best turn-out. We meet customers and new prospects and we spend time with others in our field who we can learn from. It’s also a chance for us to see what is happening in our industry,” says TerreBlanche. One of the challenges SigmaTEK aims to address with its new software products is get the message out to North America’s fabricators that Cuts miters, Y, T & K joints up to 36” diameter. automation is the way to go to remain competitive. “I see and hear stories about fabricators doing things manually for no reason when they should instead be nesting, programming and managing data automatically. If manufacturers can www.JesseEngineering.com | p. 253/922-7433 | f.253/922-2536 understand the benefit and capability Represented exclusively in Canada by MAG Tool | p. 800/661-9983 of automation and adopt it, I think we’ll Jesse Engineering manufactures pipe benders, pipe shop equipment see a boon in Canadian and American and PipeShop® software, in Tacoma, WA - USA manufacturing.” www.sigmanest.com Jesse Engineering March Oct.indd 1
www.canadianmetalworking.com | october 2010 | 49 PM 3/11/10 2:37:30
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portfolio of machine tools and lasers,” adds Doar. There are many issues fabricators face as they strive to become more efficient and more competitive in their businesses. One issue that Doar hears is about the lack of interest in this industry among youth. “Frankly here at TRUMPF we do not see that. On the contrary, I believe our industry is enticing smart and hard working young people, not only in the US and Canada, but overseas as well, to pursue a career in manufacturing. Sure, the skills are different today than they were, but I have a lot of confidence in our industry’s ability to create a platform of meaningful employment for young people in the future.” What is of concern is the rising cost of subsidies and the increased dependency on local and federal governments. “The heavy tax burden and the overly cumbersome regulations threaten to put the US and Canada in uncompetitive situations when competing for business around the globe.” www.us.trumpf.com
Wagner Systems Where: 910
Wagner Systems Inc., Elgin, IL, is a comprehensive supplier of industrial finishing equipment for the metal fabrication business. Its product lines include spray booths, guns and delivery systems for powder and liquid coating operations. Like all finishing equipment suppliers, Wagner’s business has felt the impact of the economic recession that hit the manufacturing industry. Business though is starting to improve, says Loren Keene, regional sales manager for Wagner. “I have seen an increase in the US for equipment [among] companies looking to improve energy efficiency, reduce labour with more automation, bring coating needs in-house or faster colour changes [in powder coating applications] to meet market demands. We are adjusting our forecast due to the economy and an increased market share.” FABTECH is an important event for Wagner because “most of our customers will be there,” adds Keene. “If you want to have market presence, you must be at FABTECH. It is our hope to generate many leads at the show. Although customer knowledge in coatings have matured, many have not been exposed to or fully understand the new technologies available today.” Among the new technologies and products that Wagner plans to display is the new manual powder system, the PrimaSprint. The system is equipped with an electronic controller (EPG-Sprint). A central control dial combines the operation of all parameters, divided into four functional sections, such as unique cascade characteristic curve settings and Tribo compatibility. Another new product is the BIG Cobra 40-25, a high pressure double diaphragm pump for Airless and AirCoat applications in liquid finishing operations up to 250 bar. Wagner says it’s the first pneumatic pump without packing. Keene is optimistic about indusry’s recovery and says the company is already working on several projects. “[These are] projects coming back here due to the increased cost of business overseas. Technology is helping [companies] to be more competitive.” www.wagnersystemsinc.com
LASER CUTTING/CASE STUDY
Fabricating
“Whatever it takes” A fabricator’s motto sets tone for success In 2003, Rob Marelli left his job with a small fabrication job shop to start his own company. He founded Seconn Fabrication in a 2,000 sq ft facility in Waterford, CT. The startup company could only afford to purchase used equipment, nothing newer than 10-year old machines—a turret punch press, a laser, MIG and TIG welders, and a couple of press brakes. Five key employees from the previous company joined Marelli in this new venture. They believed in his character, leadership, and organizational skills, and committed themselves fully to do whatever it took to help get the fledgling company off the ground. From the first day of operation, Seconn focused on customer service and meeting deadlines. “We were going to meet the delivery date at all costs,” reflects Marelli. “Whether that meant working nights and weekends, meeting deadlines and creating good will and trust with our customers was our prime objective. We needed to give the customers an experience they didn’t experience with other shops. Forget about answering machines…talk
to the customer directly. And as repeat work developed, we eventually generated enough revenue for profitability. It was all about reinvestment of these profits to right the ship with our employees’ salaries, then investment in technology and floor space. We set a goal for ourselves in the first full year to do $750,000 worth of business…we did $3.5 million.”
Dramatic growth and diversity
And through the years of operation, the company has grown dramatically. After several expansions at the original location, in 2006 Seconn purchased an old Sears warehouse in Waterford and converted it into a 35,000 sq ft facility, which was expanded into 60,000 sq ft in 2009. The number of employees has grown to 77, and sales have jumped to $10.2million. Seconn serves such diverse industries as agriculture, retail, defence, medical, automotive, pharmaceutical, OEM, lighting and communications. The company’s largest customer is only 12.5 per cent of its revenue. Its largest industry sector is less than 23 per cent of total business.
In the first year of business, Seconn owner Rob Marelli set a goal of $750,000 worth of business. Instead, the company did $3.5 million. www.canadianmetalworking.com | October 2010 | 53
Fabricating
LASER CUTTING/CASE STUDY
Equipment & new technology
Seconn has aggressively invested in equipment. Today, the company offers one stop shopping for its customers with such services as laser cutting, punching, bending, machining, welding, powder coating, silk screening, and assembly. One of Seconn’s latest acquisitions is the Prima Syncrono laser with TowerServer. Syncrono is a radically new solution—two machines in one, a dynamic and ultra-lightweight head and a machine with a large work volume that moves with perfect synchronicity and coordination to optimize processing times. The highest dynamics applied to the smallest masses—a rule that allows a combination of high performances, excellent cutting quality, and reduced running costs. Special active compensation of masses and control algorithms govern the formation movements smoothly and without vibrations. With a small force, no vibrations and motions perfectly coordinated, the Syncrono can operate at its technological limits, in real operating conditions and even on the most complex and intricate shapes. The result is a machine that guarantees previously unthinkable processing times: 6 g acceleration allows more than 1,000 holes to be made in a minute, double that of other laser machines available on the market, according to equipment supplier Prima Finn-Power North America. Syncrono performs best on thin sheet metal yet also cuts materials such as mild steel, stainless steel and aluminum, with considerable thickness fast and accurately.
The number of employees at Seconn has grown to 77 and sales have jumped to $10.2 million.
“We chose the Syncrono because our bread and butter laser jobs are in light gauge work, between 11 and 20 gauge,” explains Marelli. “When I saw the speed of Syncrono at FABTECH, I was completely impressed. When I went back to my shop and I compared the cut speeds to the top 50 per cent of my revenue, the opportunity for savings was just huge. It’s the right tool for the right job. That’s what’s at the heart of the dual machine engineering in the Syncrono. With a small, dynamic and light head for minimum masses and a large head for greater masses perfectly synchronized, energy and production time are all maximized.” 54 | October 2010 | www.canadianmetalworking.com
Seconn’s latest acquisition is the Prima Syncrono laser with TowerServer, an automated work handling system. Marelli liked the lights out capability of the laser machine.
Lights out capability
Marelli was also attracted by the lights out capability of the Syncrono with the 10 shelf TowerServer automated work handling system. “We can now almost get a second shift unattended—and some weekends unattended. This is a great benefit with the growth we have experienced—20 to 60 per cent—for the three years leading up to the decision to purchase the Syncrono. It wasn’t about replacing a person… it was about relieving a resource that I could place into other revenue-making opportunities.” Seconn also experiences higher yields with the Syncrono. “Another thing that I didn’t expect, and never factored in, has turned out to be a huge benefit with the Prima laser. For some reason we get much better yield on our material on the Syncrono than anything we have experienced with our other laser machines. With our raw material to sales ratio off of the Syncrono is about eight to nine per cent higher than the other laser cutting machines. If you are spending US $100,000 $175,000/month on material, and you pick up a few percentage points…it’s a considerable savings.” In the past, Marelli has been disappointed in the lack of service his company experienced with new technology machines. “When Prima was willing to put in the contract an expectation of service agreement, that meant more to me than $50,000 on the machine. When a company is growing, and is running five to six days a week…your machine has got to be up and running. To be down with our tight deadlines, and wait two to three days to get the machine operational, would be fatal for us. Prima stepped up considerably with their service. They have honoured it to this day.”
Legacy of success
Seconn’s rapid growth has been phenomenal. For example, in 2006 the company grew 30 per cent, in 2007, 57 per cent, in 2008, 34 per cent, and even grew 7.5 per cent in the challenging year of 2009. This remarkable success hasn’t gone by unnoticed: Seconn was named in the Inc 5,000 list as one of the fastest growing private companies nationwide. In 2008, the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International (FMA) named it Fabricator of the Year. Seconn was named Small Business of the Year for the Northeast by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and it was one of seven finalists in the Small Business Summit in Washington,
Fabricating
LASER CUTTING/CASE STUDY
DC, for the national Small Business of the Year award presented by the US Chamber of Commerce.
Planning for future growth
The Prima Syncrono laser with the TowerServer in the background. The system is capable of Lights Out operation, a feature that appealed to Rob Marelli.
56 | October 2010 | www.canadianmetalworking.com
Seconn continues to take an aggressive leadership position in the industry. The company is in the process of an acquisition of a local sheet metal shop. It has begun hiring in recent months, and continues to cross train its team and implement lean manufacturing principles throughout its shop. At a time when other manufacturing peers are reducing investments in technology and backing down research and development resources, Seconn has moved in the opposite direction. To position itself for future growth, the company has developed a dedicated floor plan, including floor space, equipment, and personnel for a rapid prototype response department all focused on one mission: analyzing challenges and with outside-the-box mentality engaging and fulfilling new ideas. That space is currently 2,000 sq ft, set aside from the normal production floor. This shop within a shop includes a laser cutter, press brakes, welding station punch; the same resources as the main fabricating line, supported by some of the most seasoned team members of Seconn’s staff. “Our top guys with decades of experience are part of Pro/ Response,” says Marelli. “Engineers, operators, and welders are part of the permanent team. In addition, we have full license to ask for support from any other member of the Seconn community. It’s not about who solves the challenge, but doing whatever it takes.” CM www.finnpower.com
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GUN ERGONOMICS
WELDING
Finding a MIG Gun that Fits Ways to stay comfortable and cool while MIG welding By Andy Monk ..................................................................................................................................................... A welding operator typically spends much less than 50 per cent of an eight-hour day engaged specifically in the act of welding, with the remaining portion allocated to joint preparation, part fit-up and movement, and other activities that contribute to the throughput of the welding operation. Still, during that arc-on time, the importance of helping the welding operator remain comfortable and cool can’t be stressed enough. Simply stated, by ensuring good operator comfort, companies can lessen the chances of injuries associated with repetitive movement, reduce overall operator fatigue and lessen insurance rates or worker compensation claims. The result? A more content employee and the potential for greater productivity and profitability. Not surprisingly, the MIG gun that a welding operator uses can have a direct impact on comfort. Factors including the MIG gun’s amperage, along with its handle and cable styles all contribute to the equipment’s weight and maneuverability, and should be considered when selecting a MIG gun for the welding operation. Other factors, such as protecting against the MIG gun’s heat output is also critical, both to the welding operator’s comfort and safety, too.
SELECTING THE RIGHT AMPERAGE
It is not uncommon in a welding operation to find MIG guns that are rated at a higher amperage than necessary for the given application. One of the reasons for this occurrence is the common misconception that the MIG gun used should be rated to the highest amperage at which the welding operator will be welding. For example, if an application requires 400 amps, it’s very common to find a welding operator using a 400-amp gun. While the gun in this example will undoubtedly do the job, the higher amperage gun also weighs more than a lighter amperage one and tends to be less flexible—both factors that impact the welding operator’s comfort and his or her ability to manoeuver the MIG gun easily.
www.canadianmetalworking.com | OCTOBER 2010 | 59
WELDING
GUN ERGONOMICS Selecting the right style handle can help a welding operator increase his or her comfort level. Here is an example of a curved style handle.
Adding a neck grip to the MIG gun neck is one way that a welding operator can protect against heat discomfort.
As a general rule, selecting the lightest, most flexible MIG gun for the application is the best choice. In the case of a 400-amp application, a MIG gun rated at 300 amps may suffice. There are two reasons for this assertion. First, MIG gun amperages, which are established by CE (Conformité Européenne or Europeon Conformity) in Canada and NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturer’s Assocation) in the US, reflect the temperatures above which the handle or the cable on a MIG gun become uncomfortable. They do not indicate the point at which the MIG gun risks damage or failure. Secondly, given that a typical welding operator (as mentioned previously) welds only a small portion of the workday, it is highly unlikely that he or she would be operating the gun at full amperage and full duty cycle at all times. Duty cycle is defined by the amount of arc-on time in a 10-minute period that the equipment can be operated at maximum capacity. Some MIG guns will offer 100 per cent duty cycle, while others are rated 60 per cent or below. As a result of these two factors, a lower amperage model can often be used for a slightly higher amperage application without damaging the gun or heating up to the point of making the welding operator uncomfortable. The lower amperage MIG gun also offers the added benefit of being lighter and more flexible for the welding operator. In many cases, these models will also be more cost effective. It is important, however, to research the MIG gun’s duty cycle prior to purchasing it to ensure it offers the necessary capacity for the application.
GETTING A HANDLE ON THE SELECTION
Another important factor in maintaining a good comfort level for the welding operator is selecting a MIG gun with the appropriate handle, neck and cables for the application. Typically, as a MIG gun’s amperage decreases so too does the size of the gun handle and the cable, which makes the equipment that much more comfortable for the welding operator. Because every application is different, however, it is not always possible to use a lower amperage MIG gun. For that reason, it is important to implement other safeguards to keep the welding operator comfortable. First, it is important to match the handle style to the welding operator’s preference. MIG gun manufacturers often offer handles in curved and straight models, either of which may be 60 | OCTOBER 2010 | www.canadianmetalworking.com
more comfortable for one welding operator compared to another. The goal for both types of handles, however, is the same: to choose a lightweight, comfortable style that also meets the MIG gun and application’s amperage and duty cycle requirements. As a rule, a smaller handle will be easier for the welding operator to manoeuver. Additionally, some MIG gun manufacturers offer ventilated handles, which help reduce heat and are more comfortable to hold when welding for longer periods of time. In some instances, a water-cooled MIG gun may provide the smaller size desired for an application and would be a good choice to reduce operator fatigue on higher amperage applications, especially in a shop setting. As when selecting a MIG gun or a handle, a good rule of thumb is also to select the smallest and shortest power cable possible that can still meet the needs of the application. Smaller and shorter power cables are lighter and more flexible and can, therefore, reduce operator fatigue. They can also minimize clutter in the work space and prevent excessive coiling that may be cumbersome for the welding operator to rectify and that could also lead to poor wire feeding. An added advantage is that smaller and shorter cables tend to be less expensive, as well. In addition to fixed necks, many MIG guns are available with rotatable and flexible necks in various lengths and angles that can increase the welding operator’s comfort. The advantage of these styles is that they provide the welding operator with the option to select one that will best suit the joint access required for an application. For example, flexible necks can be easily adjusted to fit different welding angles and reach difficult joints that may be restricted or otherwise awkward to reach. This features helps keep the welding operator from straining to reach a particular weld joint and risking fatigue or injury. Similarly, rotatable necks are a good option for welding out-ofposition (including overhead), as they can be adjusted to reach the weld joint without changing the gun handle or its position. Both of these types of MIG gun necks can also simplify inventory and reduce downtime for neck changeover, as they can be used on multiple applications. Some MIG gun manufacturers also offer neck couplers, which allow the welding operator to connect multiple necks together to reach especially difficult joints comfortably.
STAYING COOL
There are two main types of heat in a welding operation: radiant heat from the arc and resistive heat from the cable. To protect against both types of heat, it is important that the welding operator always wear the proper protective apparel, including a helmet, welding gloves and a welding jacket or sleeves. Radiant heat is heat that reflects from the welding arc and base metal back to the handle. If the welding operator welds on shiny materials, such as aluminum or stainless steel, it will
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GUN ERGONOMICS
WELDING
Choosing consumables that are designed to fit together securely can help ensure they operate cooler and that the neck remains cooler, too. This exploded diagram shows how each component matches with one another.
likely reflect more heat than a duller mild steel, for example. Using a longer neck to the MIG gun can help protect the welding operator from radiant heat by placing the handle further back from the arc. Adding a neck grip can further increase comfort. Neck grips are available through select MIG gun manufacturers and are usually composed of high temperature silicon rubber. They slide over the neck to protect the welding operator from heat exposure and related fatigue. These accessories offer the added benefit of increasing control for welding operators who like to rest the neck on their hand or forearm, using it as a pivot point to maneuver the MIG gun. Because the neck can also carry heat to the handle, it is important to use front-end consumables—nozzles, contact tips and diffusers—that remain cool. Be certain to look for consumables that fit snugly together, as this feature will minimize electrical resistance and reduce heat output. Also, consider the shielding gas being used for the applications as a means to minimize heat in the welding operation and help the welding operator remain cooler. Argon, for example tends to create a hotter arc than does pure CO2 shielding gas. In fact, MIG guns operating with Argon in the mix often reach the MIG gun’s rated temperature at a lower amperage than when using pure CO2. While it may not be possible to choose which shielding gas to use (a particular application often specifies gas usage), if operating an Argon application, a welding operator could take other precautions (as mentioned above) to help stay cool. To protect against resistive heat, it is important to have a large enough power cable for the job—but not too large as to make it difficult to manoeuver—and also to prevent kinking of the power cable whenever possible.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
When selecting a MIG gun for any application, the goal is two-fold: to have the right equipment for the application and to keep the welding operator as comfortable as possible. Through careful selection of the proper amperage MIG gun, along with choosing an appropriate handle, cable and neck that goal is reasonable to achieve. Also, by taking precautions against heat exposure, a welding operator can ensure that he or she will be able complete the required welds with minimal discomfort. Remember to research the MIG guns available in the market, in addition to the application at hand. Consider the actual amount of time the welding operator will be welding and on what type of material, too. Doing so can help ensure that the selected MIG gun strikes a good balance between size and capacity. CM Andy Monk is a product manager with Bernard, Beecher, IL. www.bernardwelds.com 62 | OCTOBER 2010 | www.canadianmetalworking.com
On the Move Make way for bus, ship truck and train coatings By Nate Hendley
Canada’s transportation system links us as a nation. At present, Canada boasts nearly 50,000 km of railway track, 243,000 km of coastline (giving us the longest coastline in the world) and 900,000 km of roads. There are also 26 airports in Transport Canada’s “National Airports System” (i.e. airports with annual traffic of 200,000 passengers or more as well as airports in national, provincial and territorial capitals). All of which adds up to a huge number of trains, ships, trucks, buses and airplanes crossing our land, sea and sky—an armada of vehicles and vessels that require special coatings. With this in mind, we contacted a few transportation coatings experts and asked them about the challenges these markets present and how coatings can help overcome them. What is unique about your transportation coatings? How do they differ from other industrial coatings?
“Transportation coatings are generally a two component (2K) systems based on an acrylic or acrylic/polyester resin crosslinked with isocyanates making a monocoat system. The other approach that is used widely in automotive refinish is base coat/ clear coat. The base coat offers an easy to apply colour coat that is fast drying and highly pigmented. Then a clear coat is applied over top for your gloss and protective properties. This system is used for buses and trucks as well. In general, transportation coatings are high gloss, more chemical and solvent resistant and more resistant to UV than say for homes and some commercial applications not including the window and door side of commercial buildings,” says Mike Shillum, technical director of Toronto-based Tempo Aerospace Inc. In business for over 50 years, Tempo provides coatings for the aerospace, defence and transportation industries. Prominent customers include the Canadian Armed Forces. Tempo coatings are used on military tanks, trucks, jeeps and military aircraft. Amercoat Canada also makes transportation coatings for ships and railcars. “Since our products are used for heavy duty corrosion
protection, we mainly deal with trains and ships. [We do] marine coatings for ships and offshore … these coatings have much higher corrosion resistance plus some contain anti-fouling additives or are resistant to ice,” says Daniel Agnew, president of Amercoat Canada, Oakville, ON. “Biological fouling” occurs when microorganisms, algae, plants and other substances accumulate on wetted structures such as ship hulls. Anti-fouling refers to the act of removing or preventing this accumulation. Amercoat is the licensed Canadian manufacturer of PPG/ Amercoat protective and marine coatings. PPG is a major supplier of rail, marine and aerospace coatings. Among PPG’s key transportation coatings are Amerlock epoxy (for trains), the SigmaGlide line (for ships), and Amercoat 240 epoxy (also for ships). In addition, the company supplies refinishing products for cars, trucks and buses. Nisku Industrial Coatings, Nisku, AB, sells a product made in Dallas, TX, called Jones-Blair Industrial Coatings. “We offer this coating line for industrial purposes, such as transportation and infrastructure,” says Steve Marrazzo, company owner. “Industrial coatings like ours are made for extreme conditions, long term UV exposures and environments which might contain chemicals, fuels, and other solvents. Generally speaking, the industrial coatings are for worse conditions than architectural and residential coatings,” continues Marrazzo. What’s the best way for transportation companies to maintain their coatings?
“That would depend on the specific coating and end-use. However, in most instances, regular cleaning with mild soap and water is the norm,” says Jennifer Rosiak-Wong, marketing manager, PPG Canada Inc., Mississauga, ON. “The best way to maintain transportation coatings is to keep them clean and repair any areas that show signs of degradation,” echoes Shillum. 63 ■ October 2010
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SPECIAL REPORT/TRANSPORTATION COATINGS
Marrazzo offers more detailed advice: “First, choose a long-life product to begin with—maintenance is part of paint, but the proper coating system can reduce maintenance and protect the equipment for many productive years without extra down-time. Second, frequent touch-ups, on areas that have been scratched or abraded, will prevent rust, bubbling and peeling. Ultimately your paint is what keeps your fleet looking good but also protects the valuable machinery underneath,” he states.
durable, easy to clean, and will last for years. It not only resists graffiti, but it also adds UV protection to the surface it is applied to. It has also been used inside concrete trucks to aid in cleaning as it prevents adhesion through its high slip coefficient,” adds Marrazzo.
Do you offer different transportation coatings for different parts of the continent?
“PPG provides coatings for inland marine/fresh water vessels as well as coatings to the global marine/blue water segment,” says Rosiak-Wong. Amercoat also makes coatings for both types of ships. “[There is] little difference in the coatings, except little to no anti-fouling is used in [ships for] lakes,” says Agnew. “We do have coatings that are viable for short term immersions and above-waterline applications. They are resistant to salt and water immersion and perform very well in these conditions,” says Marrazzo.
“Generally speaking, the coatings would be recommended based on end-use of the substrate, not on geography (e.g. coatings for painting aluminum extrusion would be different than coatings for painting locomotives),” says Rosiak-Wong. “Marine coatings are mostly the same world-wide, except lower temperature cure coatings and icebreaker coatings used in Canada. Also some specialized plural component cargo hold coatings used in Canada for lake bulk carriers,” adds Agnew. “Because JB [Jones-Blair] has developed its products in Dallas, many conditions that we do not have up in Canada have been taken into consideration. Mexico has a variety of climates from hot and dry to tropical and coastal, compared to Canada’s moderate climate. We can offer our customers specialty coatings for all of these various conditions. For example, coastal regions might expose the equipment to salt spray and high humidity which would require a zinc coating to protect the steel substrate properly in these conditions,” says Marrazzo. Have you released any new transportation coatings recently or variations on existing transportation coatings? What’s unique about these coatings?
“Our most recent release in transportation coatings is our Duramar 2.1 and 3.5 VOC compliant coatings. These coatings have improved weathering, higher solids, lower VOC and still maintain the fast dry properties of our previous Duramar line,” says Tempo’s Shillum. I see a lot of trucks and train cars in Toronto that are covered in graffiti. Are your transportation coatings graffiti-proof? If not, is this an area you are working on?
“Our new Duramar line is graffiti resistant but not graffiti-proof. This is something that could be offered if a particular client was looking for more protection … there is a high amount of cross linking between the acrylic polyol and the isocyanate which forms a very tight, chemically resistant structure which makes it harder for the graffiti to adhere to,” says Shillum. “We have PSX 700 Polysiloxane Coatings for trains,” says Agnew, pointing to a 2004 case study involving a graffiti-scarred train in Sydney, Australia. Prior to being vandalized by graffitiartists, the train had been coated with PSX 700. “The maintenance crew was able to remove the graffiti with only a high-pressure wash, retaining the original high-gloss finish,” reads the case study, from PPG. “We carry a high-performance, anti-graffiti coating that is 64 ■ October 2010
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Do you manufacture coatings for fresh water vessels and ocean going vessels? What’s the difference between these coatings?
What impact has VOC emission legislation had on your transportation coatings?
“Very little since 90 per cent [of our transportation coatings] have been VOC compliant for many years. Several, like Amercoat 428PCLO for rail cars and Amerthane 490 are solvent-less,” says Agnew. “PPG’s automotive refinish division has introduced two new brands—Envirobase High Performance and Aquabase Plus over the past five years to meet the demand of lower VOC regulations that have come into effect in Europe, parts of California and Canada,” says Rosiak-Wong. “Our manufacturer has developed full product lines for a large variety of application requirements especially regarding VOC levels. We carry products that range from already low VOC ratings to waterborne coatings. “Because American standards are that much higher than Canada, our business is ahead of the Canadian manufacturers. As mentioned, our coatings are all 100 per cent lead and heavy metal free which is currently not a standard that Canadian manufacturers are held to,” says Marrazzo. Have you noticed any trends in transportation coatings?
“The focus now is really on lowering VOC and improving all properties of the coating,” says Shillum. “In the industrial coatings division E-coat and urethanes are still popular with increased powder-coating presence … within the automotive refinish division, water-based paint is a significant technological change from the solvent based paint that has been used in the past,” says Rosiak-Wong. “Increasingly, there is demand for car-like colours and finish on trucks,” she adds. Nate Hendley is a freelance writer and regular contributor based in Toronto.
POWDER FINISIHING/COLOUR CHANGE
A Powder Coating
CHAMELEON BY PIERRE BACHAND
Quick colour change system helps Quebec furniture maker slash powder consumption by 40%
Paint process engineer Francois Julien, left, with Andre Cyr, system specialist for Nordson Canada.
Office furniture maker Teknion had a challenge on its hands. It needed to improve the efficiency of its powder coating colour change system and it needed to do it economically. The worldwide manufacturer operates several plants in Canada, including four in Quebec. Bruno Dionne, technical support, quality, and maintenance manager, and Francois Julien, paint process project supervisor turned to Andre Cyr, a veteran of the powder coating industry and system specialist for Nordson Canada. Teknion needed to find an economical and efficient way to do 40-plus colour changes per shift on a conveyor running at 12 to 14 ft/min and do it while improving finish quality, increasing production and reducing powder consumption. Cyr’s suggestion to address the challenge? Nordson’s Prodigy Colour-on-Demand Instant Color Selector system.
Teknion’s powder finishing line is a conventional one consisting of a three-state iron phophate system (including cold running rinse and a captive final rinse). Chemical supplier is PPG Chemfill (Mathieu Fournier is the local service technician). Parts dry in a convection dry-off oven and then move on to the powder application process consisting of two spray-to-waste (designed by Teknion) spray booths and a convection bake oven. Teknion employees have also developed an efficient combination conveyor accumulation-load station with an in-house design transfer system, which gives the company more production flexibility without the high cost of going to a traditional power and free system conveyor. At the heart of the new colour change system is Nordson’s HDLV (High Density Low Volume) technology. Prior to installation of the new system, Teknion operated
Nordson’s Prodigy Colour-on-Demand Instant Colour Selector system.
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POWDER FINISIHING/COLOUR CHANGE
The Nordson colour change system at Teknion’s facility.
an automatic powder coating system consisting of 12 automatic guns, two gun movers and two manual units. After installation, the company increased efficiency dramatically because it was able to drop down to using four Nordson Prodigy applicators in the new system, consisting of 28 different sized hoppers. The system was installed in June 2008 and Teknion’s Francois Julien says it was completed faster than anticipated. There are two spray booths, each with two painters working in ¨shoot-to-waste¨ mode. Colour change takes 28 seconds; it can be set at 20 seconds but is not necessary based on the determined set time/space available between colours on the conveyor. Teknion has never have had colour contamination with the system. Each spray gun applies approximately 220 gr/30 sec. Transfer efficiency, says Julien, is excellent and powder consumption is 40 per cent lower than with the old 14-spray gun system. The secret to the new system is the HDLV pump, which operates with pinch valves. The unit is composed of two identical halves. Basically this is how the system operates. The left side aspirates the powder and the right side diffuses the powder towards the applicator. When the operations are completed they alternate sides. The left side delivers the powder as the right side
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POWDER FINISIHING/COLOUR CHANGE
After installation of the colour change system, Teknion dropped down to using four manual guns.
The Nordson HDLV technology at the heart of the Prodigy colour change system.
aspirates it. Both sides expel the powder towards the exterior, so the powder in the tubes gets mixed, creating a constant powder flow towards the gun. Compared to a standard venturi pump that operates between three to four cfm, the HDLV system works at 0.5 to 1.5 cfm. This low volume of air permits transfer of higher volume of powder at lower speeds, which improves transfer efficiency by reducing ¨blow-by¨ and permits better charging of the particles by having more contact time while in the ion bombardment field. The pinch vale system on the Prodigy Fast Cycle is simple to operate. The operator selects the required colour in the pump control panel; the selected colour is then pumped via a 6 mm hose from powder in the hopper. The powder travels through the pump control panel to the HDLV pump where it is pumped to the applicator using a 6 mm hose (typically 50 ft, but can go up to 70 ft). The Prodigy applicator can be equipped with more than 10 types of nozzles. At Teknion, the best deflector found for the job is a 75˚ flat spray nozzle. The Prodigy applicator is lightweight and longer than the average applicator, making the work easier for painters. Teknion says maintenance is minimum. The interior of the gun is cleaned automatically on demand. If extra cleaning is required, the operator simply dials repeat on the control panel. The exterior requires a jet of compressed air. Julien says there is virtually no impact fusion because of the low velocity of the powder in the hose. Each operator has two control panels: one for the Colouron-Demand System (the required colour) and one for the gun controller for the manual applicator. The controller has 10 user configurable presets for electrostatic and powder flow combinations. Nordson also offers its AFC (Automatic Feedback Current).
The colour change and Prodigy gun panels.
An initial problem Teknion encountered was with sandtex paints. An analysis showed that the culprit was larger particles in some of the powder formulations, which made it more difficult to apply the powder uniformly. With the new system and an assessment of its powder coatings, Teknion has controlled the problem. Pierre Bachand is president of CHROMATECH Inc., a finishing training and consulting firm based in Quebec.
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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGIES
Plural Component Finishing Overspray asks Blake Erickson, product marketing manager for Graco Industrial Products Division, about the merits of plural component technology What application is best suited for plural component technology? Blake Erickson: Plural component materials are ideal when durability and part quality are key. It is also a great solution for the wood industry to highlight the appearance of natural wood by bringing out more grain structure with acid catalized materials. Applications where environmental pressures for lower emissions and higher manufacturing efficiencies are desired are also good candidates to look at 2K material. Equipment wise, a wide range of applications from single to multiple colour and all spray technologies; there are plenty of areas where plural component systems can be used.
What are the key advantages of plural component technology versus other types of finishing applications? BE: Plural component technology offers a range of benefits. Plural component finishes are made by mixing base material with a catalyst that causes a chemical reaction. This reaction creates a painted surface that dries quicker, is more durable due to the molecular crosslinking of the material, uses less energy in the production process, and is more environmentally friendly as it reduces the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are emitted. The advantages of plural component equipment include waste reduction and material tracking that is automatically gathered in the mixing process.
What are the health and safety considerations to consider with plural component technology? BE: Plural component technology is an environmentally friendly finishing solution. Because there is a chemical reaction prior to spraying, 2K materials have higher solids and use less solvent to transfer to the targeted part. This leads to lower VOC emissions. They also dry faster which leads to 68
â&#x2013;
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lower energy consumption in heat related drying equipment. On the other hand, some plural component paints use isocyanate catalysts that can cause skin irritations and potential respiratory problems. You should always follow the manufacturersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; guidelines for handling these materials.
Plural component technology has been in existence for many years. What are the most important technological improvements that have been made in the past five years? BE: The accuracy and flexibility of plural component proportioning equipment has grown with the help of more advanced software algorithms. This leads to peace of mind that the correct mix ratio is being met and that if it is not, the machine will stop the spray process and prevent off ratio errors. Another area for improvement has been in the line of waterborne material mixing. These materials have been difficult to mix and even more difficult to flush while leaving finish qualities that are sometimes not as good as traditional paints. Advances in micro dosing and sequenced programmable flushing have allowed waterbornes to be mixed well with minimal maintenance while material improvements have made for better final appearance.
What gaps in the technology still exist and do you expect to see improvements in the near future? BE: There are two areas that we should look at; the material itself, and the equipment that mixes it. In terms of material, advancement in waterbornes will come that make them more viable in terms of finish quality. They will be used in more areas that are currently being used with solventbornes. Mixing equipment will also advance in areas of limiting waste in the flushing process. This is a key focus area for making 2K mixing equipment investments pay off with large impact cost savings.
APPLICATION TECHNOLOGIES
Energy consumption and environmental considerations are playing a stronger role in finishers’ decision to purchase equipment. How does plural component technology fit in as a “green” finishing system? BE: The nature of plural or 2K materials drives them to be lower in VOC emissions. Because the material is a chemical reaction in progress, they do not need to evaporate as much solvent in the spray and dry process. This cuts down on the fumes emitted from a finishing operation. Further, 2K materials dry fast and may not need heat to help the cure process. This means lower energy consumption and a quicker throughput in production. Plural component equipment is also more suited to handle waterborne materials. Plural component equipment also helps with continuous process improvement as well. These machines track material usage and any system errors that may happen. The material use reports can uncover areas for process improvement while allowing companies to easily report environmental emissions. Any changes to process that could help with transfer efficiency can be tracked with material reports and verified that improvements have made an impact such as tracking the material used over a specific quantity of parts.
How does the cost of plural component technology compare to a traditional one component liquid finishing operation? BE: Plural component materials will require a shorter drying time than traditional 1K solutions. In this process, the use of heat will also be reduced giving savings in both time and energy. These benefits need to be weighed against the added process of mixing two components and using the material before it can no longer be sprayed. Investment in 2K electronic proportioning equipment can minimize the issues by providing mixed material on demand while ensuring the mix ratio and guarding against material that has been in the system too long as the pot life expires. Overspray
October 2010 ■ 69
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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGIES
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What kind of ROI can a finisher expect from a plural component install? BE: There are several places to look for ROI in 2K systems. First is the material itself. Reducing paint dry times and energy consumption are the main aspects. These gains are then weighed against any added investment in mixing or proportioning equipment needed as well as the added feed equipment for the second component. Areas that could be affected are the energy and maintenance of drying equipment that could be saved by going to a two component paint. Process throughput can also be examined as there may be opportunities to get more product through in a shorter period of time. It is best to work with 2K material suppliers to determine the best areas for potential savings
Page 1
Once the decision has been made to use 2K material, further ROI can be found in the mixing process. Mixing by hand is a low investment way to begin using 2K materials but it does come with costs. Hand mixing requires labour to mix the components and then to clean up afterward. It also involves the potential for significant amounts of material that does not get used due to sitting too long. Finally, there is the human element of getting the mix ratio accurate. With these factors considered, it is not out of the question to have a ROI on electronic proportioners that pay for themselves in two to four months. These savings are achieved by reducing waste generated from hand mixing and cleanup by having these functions performed automatically by the proportioning equipment. The proportioning machines mix only the material that is sprayed and reduces the amount of “left over” material to that which is held in the feed line. It also ensures higher quality by electronically controlling the mix ratio on an ongoing basis and automatically stops operation if the mixture is not acceptable. Blake Erickson is product marketing manager for Graco Industrial Products Division, Minneapolis, MN. www.graco.com
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Metal...Works A Woman’s Journey to Journeyman Kathleen Matthews’ determination to succeed serves her well in male-dominated tool and mouldmaking industry By Mary Scianna ...........................................................................................................................................................
When Kathleen Matthews decided to enter the mouldmaking program at St. Clair College in Windsor, ON, she knew the career path she was choosing would be filled with challenges. Not because she was a woman, but because she was a young mother raising two daughters, ages four and six, while juggling a full time day job and a night school mould making program. “On the days I had night school there would be no time to go home and see my daughters. I lived in Tilbury and commuted to Windsor for work and school so I’d be gone from 5:30 am in the morning until 10:30 at night. During breaks at night school I’d make the call to my children because I wanted to make sure I spoke with them before bedtime.” Despite the stresses of juggling so much, she never thought of giving up. “I really liked what I was learning and doing. There were some people I encountered that didn’t think a female should be in the trade, but there were many more men I met through the years that supported me and were really great mentors.” Today, after ten-plus years in the industry, Matthews is an accomplished (and certified) mouldmaker and the tooling manager at Pano Cap Canada, Kitchener, ON, a manufacturer of injection moulded plastic caps and closures. When she first entered the industry through a preapprenticeship placement program at Reko Tool & Mould, Oldcastle, ON, she was “overwhelmed but excited. I did the grunt work, as all apprentices do but I worked extra hard because I felt I had to prove myself.” Shortly after her apprenticeship began, Reko management said they planned to keep her after her placement ended, at which point she enrolled at St. Clair College to achieve her mouldmaking certification. After about two and a half years, Reko laid off workers, including Matthews. “It was a temporary layoff but sometimes temporary means permanent. I didn’t want to stop my apprenticeship and I also had a mortgage to pay so I went door to door handing out my resume to more than 100 mould and tool shops. It was a booming time then and there were many shops in the Oldcastle/ Windsor area. Within three weeks, I had landed a job with Active Burgess Mould & Design.” She moved to Tiercon shortly after to take on a better position as supervisor lead hand.
“It was my first production facility and I took care of the mouldmaking facility. Part way through my time the tooling manager left and I took on his role.” Three years ago she joined Pano Cap Canada. When she looks back on her career she doesn’t regret the long, hard 65hour work weeks because “it was my choice to take this path and I had a goal in mind and knew that reaching my goals would take time and effort.” Goals are important, she adds and something she stresses when she speaks to high school students interested in skilled trades as part of Skills Canada’s educational program. “I tell them that they need to look at what they like and what
“There were some people I encountered that didn’t think a female should be in a trade, but there were many more men I met through the years that supported me and were really great mentors.”
72 | OCTOBER 2010 | www.canadianmetalworking.com
they’re good at because this is going to be your working life. In the skilled trades you have to be willing to work hard and put in the extra effort and in the tool and mouldmaking industry you’re looking at 65-hour weeks and not very good pay at first. And if you have a family or want a family, you have to factor this in too and make sure you’re making the right decision.” It’s also advice she’s given to her two daughters, now 18 and 21, who are making their career choices. Life has changed significantly for Matthews in the past decade. She recently remarried and is happily settling into her new marriage. “We lead such busy lives so we decided to make Monday our ‘nothing night’. It’s a chance for us to relax, have dinner, and unwind from the stresses of work and life. We make it a priority and life is about prioritizing the things that matter to you.” Matthews’ enthusiasm for her work has not subsided, nor has her drive to learn more. She’s back at school, this time at Conestoga College—where she also sits on the board of the college’s apprenticeships for machining—enrolled in an industryrun Manufacturing Leadership Certificate Program. Perhaps the biggest accomplishment in her career is the reputation she has earned as a highly skilled journeyman who just happens to be a woman. CM
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Manual data collection is fast becoming a thing of the past
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SOFTWARE
Data Collection Goes Wireless Cumbersome, manual data collection is fast becoming a thing of the past on the manufacturing shop floor By Jacob Stoller
Volume 3 Issue 5 Senior Publisher Larry Bonikowsky 416-764-1489 larry.bonikowsky@rci.rogers.com Editor Mary Scianna 416-764-1540 mary.scianna@rci.rogers.com Art Director Jill Nelson 416-764-1518 jill.nelson@rci.rogers.com Sales Manager Steve Devonport 416-764-1498 steve.devonport@rci.rogers.com Circulation Manager Bibi Khan 416-764-1450 bibi.khan@rci.rogers.com Junior web producer Jessica Mirabelli 416-764-1316 jessica.mirabelli@rci.rogers.com Production Manager Kristen Hrdlicka 416-764-1692 kristen.hrdlicka@rci.rogers.com
ROGERROGERROGERROGERROGERS PUBLIUBLIUBLIUBLISHINGHINGHINGHING LILIMITEDITEDITEDITED
As metalworking shops look to competitive global markets, they find themselves in a world where standards are rising and tolerances are shrinking. Consequently, a growing number are finding that timely measurement of the parts they manufacture is essential to meeting the demands of their customers. AV Gauge & Fixture Inc., based in Oldcastle, ON, provides a wide range of positional gauges for the manufacturing industry. “We build gauges and check fixtures for just about anyone who runs production. Any company that has parts coming out of a press or out of a mould and needs to ensure their parts are checked before they’re sent to their customers,” says Steve St. Pierre, manager of quality control for AV. “So basically we build a jig, they put their part in it, and it’ll check the shape, form, size, and make sure the features are there that need to be there prior to them being able to ship.” Recently, a growing number of AV’s customers have started using UWave wireless data collection technology from Mitutoyo Canada Inc., Mississauga, ON, to improve their measurement capability. Collecting data on parts is, of course, nothing new. In the automotive sector that represents most of AV’s customers, the growing power of Statistical Process Control (SPC) software has strengthened the ability of quality practitioners to keep tabs on a wide range of quality
parameters. Many parameters, however, demand many measurements, and until recently, the physical process of data collection was cumbersome, and often involved manual steps. “I think the OEMs are pushing their customers to control their processes much better, and their tolerances are tighter than they used to be,” says St. Pierre. “Our customers are getting more advanced. They want to learn, and they are using this data to make their own processes better, not just to show results to the customer. So it’s really two-fold. If you look up any SPC processes, that’s what it’s really about. The customers that are savvy will use it to make their company run better.” “Data collection has been around for a long time,” says Gary Sinasac, sales and application specialist with Mitutoyo Canada. “Basically it started with somebody taking, for example, a measuring micrometer or caliper, taking a reading and writing down that number on a sheet of paper. Once there were 100 or so numbers written on a piece of paper, they would take it in and somebody would type out those numbers to an SPC software program, and do all the number crunching.” There were two problems with this method.The writing and re-typing of each number created opportunities for human error, and when the recording task became large and repetitive, errors were inevitable. Timing was the other factor—by the time
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Mail Preference Occasionally we make our subscriber list available to reputable companies whose products or services may be of interest to you. If you do not want your name to be made available please contact us at rogers@cstonecanada.com or update your profile at www.rogersb2bmedia.com/cmm. Canadian Publications Mail Agreement No. 40070230 QC receives unsolicited materials (including letters to the editor, press releases, promotional items and images) from time to time. QC, its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, re-publish, distribute, store and archive such unsolicited submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort. QC accepts no responsibility or liability for claims made for any product or service reported or advertised in this issue. QC, established: 2008 is published quarterly by Rogers Publishing Limited, (www.rogerspublishing.ca), a division of Rogers Media Inc. ISSN: 0008-4379 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. Our environmental policy is available at www.rogerspublishing.ca/environment. Content copyright ©2010 by Rogers Publishing Limited, may not be reprinted without permission.
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Quality Canada October 2010 3
SOFTWARE the numbers got into the system, the part that was measured had likely already shipped, so real time control was not practical. “That was the old way of doing it,” says Sinasac. “Then we came up with interface boxes, where the tool could be connected. That eliminated having to enter numbers by hand. But the drawback was that it in some situations was hard-wired and this didn’t suit certain customer needs.” The use of wireless to eliminate cables was the next stage.The UWave product uses an RF transmission frequency that prevents interference from factory equipment.The 20 m range gives operators and quality assurance practitioners the flexibility they need to maintain reasonable workflow patterns. This is particularly important when measurements of multiple parts are going into the system simultaneously. “One example is a plant in Woodstock, ON, where they have an SPC station on the shop floor,” says Sinasac, “and they have a number of stamping parts that they make there, and there may be five or six checking fixtures around this FLIR Research QualityCanada 1/3 :4.625x4.875 7/28/10 10:57 AM Page 1 SPC station. So the operator, when he’s ready The Mitutoyo UWave uses an RF transmission frequency to prevent interference from plant equipment. to collect data for one of the parts, goes to that fixture, and sticks an indicator into the SPC port, pushes a button, Introducing Affordable Real time and downloads it into the Measurelink Real-Time software.When another part Thermal Imaging solutions for Research is produced another operator will come in with his part, and check that part on FLIR Infrared a different gauge, and push the button Research Cameras: and download the data into the same computer—the same software.” Once the data is collected, it can be analyzed using Mitutoyo’s Measurelink i5 i-Series software, or the data, which is ODBC Starting below with Quickplot $2,200 package compliant, can be transferred to desktop applications like Excel, or to enterprise level applications. St. Pierre sees wireless data collection as part of a continuing trend. “You look at all the kids walking around with T-Series SC-Series with Quickplot package Handheld phones in their hands and they’re in communication with everyone around the world,” says St. Pierre. “When they bring their mindset Quick image and data into the workforce, I think it’s going to recording replaces cumbersome SC-Series SC-Series HD change things even more.” QC Starting under up to 200Hz thermocouple technology
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Jacob Stoller is a freelance writer based in Toronto. www.avgauge.com www.mitutoyo.com
4 | October 2010 | Quality Canada
LASER MEASURMENT
An Eye for Measurement We ask Applied Precisionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Scott Reiner about developments in laser and optical measurement Is laser measurement the only type of optical measurement for quality control? Scott Reiner: Laser is one type of optical measurement for quality control in the manufacturing environment. Other devices that optically measure data points like lasers are white light scanners (fringe projection), which collect high density organized point cloud files, and photogrammetry systems, which measure individual data points on objects with the use of digital cameras. These systems can be used independently or together to achieve high density data on larger objects. Photogrammetry systems are single point measurement systems similar to a CMM however the points collected are referenced on the object being measured by reflective targets. These targets create individual X,Y and Z points in space. These reference targets can be measured by the white light systems to align their high density scan shots to the previously created 3D reference file. The procedure is useful for measuring high density data on the front and back of a car when the user is not concerned with what is in between the two or more areas, or when high accuracy is required on medium or larger objects.
What have been the top three developments in laser measurement devices for manufacturing in the past five years? SR: The three main developments for short to medium range laser scanners include better camera chip and lens technology advancements offering better resolution of data collection on small details on objects. Steinbichler has excelled at this with the new lens technology on the Comet 5 11M offering resolution down to 18 microns for point to point/data density. Improved calibration techniques have helped achieve better accuracy of each point collected by calibrating the extents of the volume and high end math calculations of the scanners. Signal processing improvements have allowed for better adaptive readings from different surface finishes such as mirror like and shiny black.
What are the key benefits of laser measurement in manufacturing? SR: Laser measurement offers fast, accurate, complete 3D data collection on complex geometry, compared to the slow single point typical of a granite based CMM. Laser measurement also offers the added advantage of typically being much more portable, which means that you can measure the part on the machine rather than moving the part to the CMM and back if corrections need to be made on the machining equipment. This optical data collection is useful for inspection or CAD model updating when changes are made manually on the shop floor to make parts or tools work for a given application, such as a stamping die with spring back compensation that is beyond what was originally designed into the tool.
What are the different types of laser measurement technologies used in manufacturing and how do they compare? SR: There are many types of measurement technologies including laser trackers, short-medium range laser scanners (line or dot), long range laser scanners and fringe projection laser scanners to name a few. Each technology is suited to a specific type of measurement; there are no â&#x20AC;&#x153;silver bulletsâ&#x20AC;? for laser measurement systems where one system will cover all applications that an organization requires. Most companies try to purchase the system that suits 80 to 90 per cent of their applications. Laser trackers are typically a single point measurement system used on large objects that require accuracy in their inspection as well as having the added advantage of offering in-process inspection where the part can be inspected on the machine before being removed, allowing confirmation that the part is correct before removing it from the machine. These systems are also now being offered with laser scanners to expand the functionality of the measurement tool.
Question & Answer QUALITY CANADA
| OCTOBER 2010 | 5
LASER MEASURMENT How does measuring part tolerance/specs with lasers compare to other forms of measurement?
density for quality personnel to understand better what is happening with a part versus single point measurement.
SR: While a CMM in a climate Is laser technology for measurement used in small and medium sized manufacturing controlled room would offer the companies or is this technology typically most repeatable and most accurate adopted more by larger firms? results, comparing this with a laser tracker on the shop floor during the SR: Yes, optical measurement summer or winter with the door technologies are growing in open in the shop the temperature adoption. As the technology gets expansion or contraction would need more accurate and easier to use, to be taken into account for shop the size of the company is not seen floor measurements. Portable laser measurement systems would depend as a limiting factor of adoption. Specific measurement needs by on the type of system utilized and e on , ks as m e turer of goali lped a manufac some can be temperature calibrated in a company are a larger driver of he rs. ne on isi an ec sc Pr er ed las Appli e of its red here, using on adoption and if the need is there, the environment that they are going to of which is pictu the cost is typically justifiable. be used.The general rule of thumb for measurement is to utilize a measurement device that is capable of 10 to 20 per cent of the What key factors will influence future developments in accuracy requirements of the part to be measured, with increased laser measurement? tolerance capabilities of manufacturing processes.This rule of thumb is modified in some cases as the additional amount of data SR: For systems to evolve, the demand needs to be there to collected through scanner type collection units offers more data motivate improvements, as technology companies typically design products only to meet the needs of customer requests. However, the ROI can also drive advancements for the manufacturer. If you compare the technology in a Bugatti Veyron with that of a Chevrolet Volt both are impressive pieces of current automotive technology but the price is different based on the market that each is selling to as well as what each vehicle is capable of: one can go 400 km/h and the other can go 40 miles on a single electric charge. The current state of technology answers most current needs, albeit sometimes with multiple solutions for any given customer measurement requirement. It will be a long time before we see a car that is • Reverse Engineering capable of 400km/h on a single electric charge.
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| OCTOBER 2010 | QUALITY CANADA
SR: Most changes in optical measurement will be flexibility, where a single system will be able to do multiple types of measurements, like a laser tracker being able to scan an object’s surface as a long range scanner does and vice versa. Another key change will be increased accuracy in tracking methods for small to medium range systems as well as in-field verification and calibration of the scanners for those that can’t currently. QC Scott Reiner is the vice president of sales and marketing, Applied Precision Inc., Mississauga, ON. www.AppliedPrecision.ca
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