CMW Feb 2015 by Annex Business Media

AEROSPACE MACHINING Exploring the soaring highs and turbulent lows – p34

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A COMPLEMENTARY PROCESS Bringing machined pieces to completion – p58

GAS UP THE LASER CO2 laser systems have a lot to offer – p80

SURFACE FINISHING To contact or not to contact – p98

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A step parting forward in -off t echnolo gy!

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CoroCut® QD Reliable parting and grooving When you need to machine deep grooves or part off in long overhangs, CoroCut® QD is the safest choice. All tools have over- and under coolant for best performance and chip control. Add the support from plug and play coolant adaptors and a stable, user-friendly clamping mechanism and you get CoroCut QD – a system to rely on!

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FORM 30 iRTC

The Perfect Applicant. Striking out on finding the skilled machinists you need to further expand your business? It’s time to stop limiting yourself to human applicants. The FORM 30 iRTC (Integrated Rotary Tool Changer) packages impeccable Swiss technology with user-friendly automation, all with an excellent price-to-performance ratio. Featuring a fast and efficient 26-position rotary tool changer and some of the world’s most recent spark-generation technology, this machine will boost your capacity and add to your bottom line. GF Machining Solutions 560 Bond Street Lincolnshire, IL 60069 847-913-5300 www.gfms.com/us

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Elliott Matsuura Canada Inc. 2120 Buckingham Road Oakville, Ontario L6H 5X2 Tel. (905) 829-2211 Fax. (905) 829-5600 www.elliottmachinery.com

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FEBRUARY 2015 ß VOL. 110 ß NO. 01 www.canadianmetalworking.com

A LOOK INSIDE SPECIAL ISSUE: AEROSPACE & DEFENCE FEATURES SOARING HIGHS AND TURBULENT LOWS — 34 Aerospace machining

KEEP ON SPINNING — 38 How to care for and maintain long spindle life

COVER STORY — 28

BUILDING ON THE STRENGTH OF ITS OWNERS — 44

AEROSPACE AND DEFENCE SECTOR TAKES OFF

D&D Precision Inc., Mississauga, ON

The state of the industry in Canada

METAL FINISHING: A COMPLEMENTARY PROCESS — 58 Bringing machined pieces to completion

THE “IN” METAL FOR MANUFACTURERS — 62 Challenges with cutting Titanium

CLEARING THE AIR — 74

Air quality concerns for welding

GAS UP THE LASER — 80 CO2 laser systems have a lot to offer

62 www.canadianmetalworking.com

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 FEBRUARY 2015 | 7

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FEBRUARY 2015 ß VOL. 110 ß NO. 01 www.canadianmetalworking.com

A LOOK INSIDE 86

FEATURES (CONT.) UNWINDING STEEL COILS — 86 Canadian company sells coil handling machinery to the world

METAL STAMPING BUSINESS SEES THE LIGHT — 90 Tripar Inc., Montreal, QC

94 98

NEW MARKETS, IMPROVED ATTITUDES — 94 Grant Metal Products Ltd., Rocky View, AB

FINE DETAILS OF SURFACE ROUGHNESS — 98 To contact or not to contact

DEPARTMENTS VIEW FROM THE FLOOR — 10

UPCOMING IN METALWORKING

NEWS — 12 BUSINESS MANAGEMENT — 24 TOOL TECH — 49 KEN HURWITZ ON FINANCE — 101 BY THE NUMBERS — 106

We are also pleased to announce the keynote speaker for our Winnipeg Metalworking Manufacturing & Production (MMP) EXPO, Don Boitson, Vice President/General Manager of Magellan Aerospace, Winnipeg. This event will take place on April 7, 2015. For more information or how to register, check out page 14. Coming up in March, Canadian Metalworking will feature the Mold, Tool & Die industry. Topics include machining molds, punching machines, along with surface finishing, tool room quality control, and more. For extended coverage of what’s happening in Canada’s metalworking industry visit our website, www.canadianmetalworking.com. Check out our “Productivity Centre” on the homepage for the latest articles, case studies, products, and more to help enhance productivity on the shop floor.

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www.canadianmetalworking.com

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2-2015_CM_IMP_Ad_Layout 1 1/9/15 11:49 AM Page 1

Keith Billings, President (right) and Brian Heins, General Manager Integrated Metal Products

At the Forefront. “Amada’s ability to continuously innovate keeps us ahead of our competitors.” — Keith Billings, President Integrated Metal Products

Integrated Metal Products Retains Their Leadership Position by Partnering with Amada. Located in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, Integrated Metal Products (IMP) is a leading contract manufacturer of precision fabricated metal components. For nearly 30 years, IMP has served a wide range of industries and earned a reputation for unsurpassed quality and reliability. IMP president, Keith Billings, attributes the company’s success to investing in leading-edge technology and state-of-the art equipment. Billings put it in these words, “Amada’s commitment to advancing technology has allowed us to improve efficiencies and attract new customers, as well as keep our long-term customers coming back. We’ve always used Amada equipment. Over the years we’ve upgraded our older models to the latest generation — including press brakes, laser cutting systems and punch/laser combination machines. Amada’s innovative machines and processes keep IMP ahead of the competition.”

Amada’s Networked Solution Provides: • Maximum Productivity (High-speed shuttle tables on the FOM2 ensure continuous processing by externalizing the material setup process. The EMLK combines the punching power of the world’s fastest hit rates with the versatility of a 4kW laser).

EMLK punch/laser combination with MP automated load/unload system.

• Maximum Flexibility (The FOM2 provides high speed processing for a wide variety of material types and thicknesses. The EMLK provides the ability to tap, form, punch and cut on the same machine). • Accuracy and Reliability (The EMLK’s high-speed motion system is repeatable to .0003˝, ensuring accurate parts every time. For more than 10 years, the FO series has a proven reputation for unparalleled accuracy and reliability. As the latest generation, the FOM2 continues to set new standards for precision and performance). IMP’s General Manager, Brian Heins is also impressed by Amada’s service and support. Heins states, “Our Amada service engineer gave us his direct contact information and on one occasion came in at 10 pm on a Saturday night to ensure our weekend shift could continue cutting through the night. It’s great to work with a company that’s committed to our success.”

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VIEW FROM THE FLOOR

110 YEARS AND GOING STRONG

T History is a great teacher. It’s enriching to look back and reflect on progress we’ve made and how history often repeats. Please feel free to share your insights with me at the email address below.

he beginning of 2015 has hit Canada like a punch in the stomach. First our oil patch is reeling from sub-$50 a barrel prices, leading major players to begin slashing their capital expenditure budgets for the year ahead. It’s at the point where Alberta is actually considering a sales tax, and the Feds are delaying their budget to adjust for the oil revenue well running dry. And as a result our Loonie has tumbled compared with the U.S. greenback. And then Target gives up on Canada, leaving without hardly getting to know us. Creating a lot of vacant retail space and workers out of a job. Yet, there are the positive effects of low oil prices. Drivers are happy at the pumps, and this comes after a record year for auto sales in this country with a forecast for even more cars in 2015. And for manufacturers who export, our low dollar once again provides a competitive advantage. This year marks the 110th year this publication has been chronicling the ups and downs of this nation and this industry, and when we look back, it’s interesting to see how far we’ve come. In 1905, this publication’s launch year, Ford introduced its first luxury car, the Model F, a larger, more modern four-seater with running boards. Priced at $2,000, production started in 1905 and ended in 1906 after about 1,000 were made.

PUBLISHER STEVE DEVONPORT 416.442.5125 ß sdevonport@canadianmetalworking.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER ROB SWAN 416.510.5225, cell 416.725.0145 ß rswan@canadianmetalworking.com ACCOUNT MANAGER NICHOLAS HEALEY 416.442.5600 x3642 ß nhealey@canadianmetalworking.com EDITOR DOUG PICKLYK 416.510.5206 ßdpicklyk@canadianmetalworking.com ASSOCIATE/WEB EDITOR LINDSAY LUMINOSO 416.442.5600 x3645 ß lluminoso@canadianmetalworking.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR LISA WICHMANN 416.442.5600 x5101 ß lwichmann@canadianmanufacturing.com ART DIRECTOR STEWART THOMAS 416-442-5600 x3212 ß sthomas@bizinfogroup.ca CIRCULATION MANAGER SELINA RAHAMAN 416.442.5600 x3528 ß srahaman@bizinfogroup.ca

It was in 1905 that Albert Einstein introduced his theory of relativity, which likely had no newsworthiness then, but has served as a foundation for modern astrophysics. And the world of aerospace, our cover story topic this issue, made a giant leap forward in 1905 when the Wright brothers launched their Flyer III with an upgraded engine and slightly larger cylinders. After crashing its first flight, the brothers made some radical changes to the design that influenced all future aircraft. And a flight later that year covered 38 kilometers and lasted almost 40 minutes, until the plane’s three-gallon gas tank ran out. Days later the brothers wrote to the U.S. Secretary of War, offering to sell the world’s first practical airplane. And closer to home, in 1905 both Alberta and Saskatchewan (my home province) joined confederation becoming the 8th and 9th Canadian provinces. Through the good and bad, our energy and resources sector wouldn’t be the same without them. So while no one can predict what else 2015 will bring, we can promise that our nation and this industry will experience more ups and downs, and we’ll be here to share the news with all of you.

DOUG PICKLYK, EDITOR dpicklyk@canadianmetalworking.com

HOW TO REACH US Published by BIG Magazines LP, a division of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd. 80 Valleybrook Drive, North York, ON M3B 2S9 Phone: 416.442.5600 ß Fax: 416.510.5140 CM, established: 1905 is published 9 times per year by BIG Magazines LP, a division of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd. SUBSCRIPTION RATES Canada $55.00 per year, Outside Canada $90.00 US per year, Single Copy Canada $8.00. RETURN UNDELIVERABLE TO CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON M3B 2S9 All rights reserved. Printed in Canada. The contents of the publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, either in part or in full, including photocopying and recording, without the written consent of the copyright owner. Nor may any part of this publication be stored in a retrieval system of any nature without prior written consent.

MARKET PRODUCTION MANAGER BARB VOWLES 416.510.5103 ß bvowles@bizinfogroup.ca

PRINT PRODUCTION MANAGER PHYLLIS WRIGHT 416.442.6786 ß pwright@bizinfogroup.ca

CM receives unsolicited materials (including letters to the editor, press releases, promotional items and images) from time to time. CM, 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.

PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS INFORMATION GROUP BRUCE CREIGHTON VICE-PRESIDENT OF CANADIAN PUBLISHING ALEX PAPANOU EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER, MANUFACTURING TIM DIMOPOULOS

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CM accepts no responsibility or liability for claims made for any product or service reported or advertised in this issue. DISCLAIMER This publication is for informational purposes only. The content and “expert” advice presented are not intended as a substitute for informed professional engineering advice. You should not act on information contained in this publication without seeking specific advice from qualified engineering professionals. PRIVACY NOTICE From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us via one of the following methods: Phone: 1.800.668.2374 Fax: 416.442.2191 Email: jhunter@businessinformationgroup.ca Mail to: Privacy Office, 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON M3B 2S9 Canadian Publications Mail Agreement: 40069240 ISSN: 0008-4379 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

www.canadianmetalworking.com

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IN THE NEWS

Ford has taken the top spot as Canada’s top-selling automaker, partially due to the popular Ford F-150. CREDIT: SAM VARNHAGEN/FORD

CANADIAN AUTO SALES TO GAIN MOMENTUM IN 2015 Auto sales in Canada saw record breaking numbers in 2014 and this pace is expected to continue through the next year. According to sales data compiled by DesRosiers Automotive Consultants, automakers sold a total of 1,851,373 new vehicles in Canada last year, up from just more than 1.7 million in 2013. Scotiabank analyst Carlos Gomes in Scotiabank’s Global Auto Report (Jan 2015) predicts that North America and Asia will lead the global gains. In the next couple of years, China is expected to be the driving force behind global auto sales growth. Demand is forecasted to grow by seven per cent, totaling 19.5 million vehicles sold. “Purchases will be buoyed by strengthening labour markets, ongoing low short- and long-term interest rates and monetary expansion, as the Bank of Japan and the ECB take over from the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England as the main liquidity providers. Sales will also get a boost from rising household purchasing power due to the sharp decline in oil prices,” according to Gomes. “Looking ahead to 2015…there is still room for further improvement in the U.S. while Canadian sales are likely to 12 | FEBRUARY 2015

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remain elevated,” says Nathan Janzen in a RBC report Canada and U.S. Auto Sales, October 2014. Canada is expected to sell more than 1.86 million vehicles, with global sales totaling approximately 74 million in 2015. American sales figures totaled 16.4 million vehicles last year with an expected 17 million to be sold in 2015. This would mark the highest level seen since 2001. According to the Scotiabank report, over the coming year, combined vehicle sales and production in Canada, Mexico and the United States are expected to surpass the 2000 peak. Sales totalled 19.8 million units and assemblies topped 17.6 million. Mexico and Canada will benefit from a strengthened U.S. demand, driving exports, especially seeing that “nearly 40 per cent of the vehicles on the road in the U.S. are now at least 12 years old, setting the stage for an extended replacement cycle,” says Gomes. There are several indicators of a record year. These trends are fueled by one of the strongest economic growths in the last decade. This is marked by employment growth; the level of employment returned to pre-recession levels in January 2011. “The strengthening in employ-

ment growth is a key component of the forecast that Canadian motor vehicle sales will, on balance, post a record sales gain in 2014 with minimal moderation expected in 2015,” explains Janzen. Affordability is also a key determinant for strong growth in the coming year. With the replacement cycle in place and unemployment down, more people are able to afford a new vehicle, and with fewer used vehicles available for purchase, consumers are forced to buy new. Approximately 14 automakers posted new sales records in 2014. Ford Motor Company of Canada Ltd. posted its best year since 1997, making it the top-selling auto maker in Canada; Chrysler sold 290,004 cars and trucks for the year, up 12 per cent; General Motors of Canada was third among the North American automakers as its sales for 2014 totaled 249,800 vehicles. 2015 is shaping up to be a very successful year for automakers. Overall, the Canadian auto industry is proving its strength through vehicle sales and production capabilities. If the next year is anything like the previous, Canadian automakers should expect great things. www.canadianmetalworking.com

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IN THE NEWS

AEROSPACE EXPERT TO KEYNOTE WINNIPEG EXPO Canadian Metalworking magazine has always had great success with its Metalworking Manufacturing and Production (MMP) Expo. And we are expecting that this year will be no different. After positive feedback, the MMP Expo will return to Vancouver for the third time on May 5. After much consideration, the MMP Expo will be heading to Winnipeg in order to show continued support to the Western Canadian market. On April 7, we will be hosting a one-day tabletop show at the Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre in Winnipeg. The show will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m and attendees will have access to the latest in machine tools, cutting tools, fabricating and welding technologies, production software, and metrology. And it’s completely free! Don’t miss out on the chance to hear a keynote address from leading aerospace professional, Don Boitson. “We are extremely excited to have Don Boitson on board as our keynote speaker this year.” Explains Rob Swan, Associate Publisher of Canadian Metalworking magazine. “This is the first year we will be bringing our expo to Winnipeg, and with a strong focus on Aerospace, Don will provide a very relevant and engaging presentation on the industry in Manitoba. We look forward to bringing our event to

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Winnipeg on April 7th.” The Winnipeg MMP Expo will offer guests a chance to hear Boitson, the vice president and general manager for Magellan Aerospace, Winnipeg, speak to the needs of the industry. Magellan Aerospace is a global enterprise that provides complex assemblies and proprietary products to commercial and defence aerospace markets worldwide. Boitson, with more than 25 years in aerospace manufacturing, will provide a market overview of the aerospace industry and the local Manitoba aerospace manufacturing capabilities. Highlighting manufacturing and technology trends that are impacting the industry, aerospace is seeing an unprecedented acceleration in the speed to market for new products. Hear about how Magellan is adopting new

processes and technologies in this dynamic and booming marketplace. The MMP Expo offers regional buying influencers from manufacturers, job shops, maintenance, tool rooms, automotive, aerospace, energy and resources, medical manufacturing, transportation and tool-die moldmaking. So, no matter what industry you are in, the MMP Expo will have what you are looking for. This year’s event will be co-located with Canadian Metalworking’s sister publication, Design Engineering. The Winnipeg MM&P Expo is sponsored by Sandvik Coromant, Mazak Canada, Elliott Matsuura Canada, TRUMPF, and Renishaw. For more information about the Winnipeg show or our upcoming events, visit www.mmpshow.com.

www.canadianmetalworking.com

15-01-20 3:49 PM

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IN THE NEWS

PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA INVESTING IN R&D Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) is investing over $1 billion in research and development (R&D) at both its Longueuil (Quebec) and Mississauga (Ontario) facilities. Over the next 4.5 years, the money will go to developing the next generation of high-performance aircraft engines. The federal government has also agreed to contribute a repayable sum of $300 million. “This investment will support nearly 1,500 high-paying Canadian jobs and countless others across Canada,” says James Moore, Industry Minister. “The Government of Canada’s investment enables P&WC to invest over $1 billion to pursue its long-standing legacy of innovation and sustain its engineering and manufacturing centres of excellence

in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia,” explains John Saabas, president, Pratt & Whitney Canada. P&WC is developing the advanced propulsion technologies, which will be leveraged across the company’s product families for new and existing turbofan, turboprop and turboshaft engines in business, regional and general aviation and helicopter applications. “Our latest R&D programs include cutting-edge materials such as composites and advanced alloys to improve engine weight, a high-efficiency compressor technology to enhance engine performance and reduce fuel consumption, and further improvements to our combustion systems to reduce engine emissions,” explains Saabas. P&WC is currently investing $275 million over five years in cutting-edge

The PW308 turbofan engine, offering a totally integrated engine, nacelle and thrust reverser system. CREDIT: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA

technologies and upgrades to its facilities. Pratt & Whitney Canada was established in Canada more than 85 years ago. P&WC has a long-standing history working with major universities and suppliers across Canada. P&WC employs 6,000 people across the country and has invested more than $10.6 billion in R&D since 1982.

KOSS AEROSPACE AWARDED $5 MILLION IN FUNDING Koss Aerospace has been awarded nearly $5 million in federal funding. The Government of Canada’s repayable contribution is through FedDev Ontario’s Investing in Business Growth and Productivity initiative. “Our Government is proud to support companies such as Koss Aerospace, who help create highly skilled jobs and strengthen the Canadian aerospace manufacturing sector,” said the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of FedDev Ontario. The Mississauga-based company says the money will go towards purchasing new machinery or equipment that will help strengthen its aerospace production capabilities. The new equipment at Koss Aerospace will enable the company to manufacture structural components up to 30 feet in length. Koss anticipates creating 25 new full-time highly skilled positions.

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IN THE NEWS

ALCOA UNVEILS BREAKTHROUGH MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY Alcoa’s focus has been on lightweight metals technology, engineering and manufacturing. And it has been successful. The company has announced a new manufacturing technology that they are calling a breakthrough when it comes to manufacturing advanced aluminum sheets. The technology is called the Alcoa Micromill. The company is hoping that this technology will help them capitalize on the growing demand for next generation automotive aluminum products. What does the Micromill technology involve? The process dramatically changes the microstructure of the metal. This allows the aluminum alloy to have 40 per cent greater formability and 30 per cent greater

strength than current aluminum used today. The automotive applications for this new process are great as it meets the stringent automotive surface quality requirements. What is more, automotive parts made with Micromill material will be twice as formable and at least 30 percent lighter than parts made from high strength steel. The Micromill alloy has formability characteristics comparable to mild steels. “Alcoa Micromill represents a major breakthrough in aluminum materials,” said Alcoa Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Klaus Kleinfeld. “This technology will unlock the next generation of automotive products with strength, formability and surface quality combinations never before possible. It will allow our customers to redefine the boundaries of vehicle design, supporting the creation of lighter, more fuel efficient, safer and more stylish vehicles for the future.” The breakthrough tech-

Micromill produces automotive alloy that is 40 per cent more formable and 30 per cent stronger than incumbent aluminum. PHOTO: ALCOA

nology allows for aluminum sheets to be shaped into intricate forms easily. One of the applications for this process would be in the use of inside panels of automobile doors and external fenders. The aluminum offers improved dent resistance. Traditionally these parts would have been made with steel. However, using this process will allow for automakers to benefit from reduced system cost by streamlining the number of aluminum alloys used in their manufacturing process. The Micromill will also be extremely fast and highly productive when it comes to aluminum casting and rolling systems. A traditional rolling mill takes around 20 days to turn molten metal into coil, Micromill does it in just 20 minutes.

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Alcoa Micromill reduces time to transform molten metal into aluminum coil from 20 days to 20 minutes. PHOTO: ALCOA

www.canadianmetalworking.com

15-01-20 3:50 PM

Fully integrated precision

Higher volumes, shorter production periods and an ever-growing pressure to keep costs low. In today’s aerospace industry, suppliers are encountering ever-increasing demands. Fortunately, with Walter Valenite, Walter Titex and Walter Prototyp, a solution’s at hand. As professional high-tech tools and operating solutions developed by competence leaders, they yield valuable results throughout the complete machining process. From an increase in productivity of up to 100%, highest machining reliability and extremely long service lives to an innovative chipping process, minimal component costs and a broad range of applications – tailored to the specific needs of your business, of course. This is how we define efficiency – fully integrated into our client’s processes.

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1/16/2015 3:53:04 PM 15-01-20 4:33 PM

IN THE NEWS

CHRYSLER PLANS $2 BILLION UPGRADE IN WINDSOR Chrysler is investing $2 billion in its Windsor minivan plant. The automaker is committed to growing its Ontario operations and was welcomed by the union and the auto industry. “With this announcement, Chrysler is recognizing that the plant where it launched the minivan is the ideal place to bring the vehicle into the modern era,” says Jerry Dias, Unifor national president. Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne made the announcement at the Detroit Auto Show, noting a hybrid minivan will be built at the plant.

Dias said the announcement will have ripple effects throughout the economy, citing studies that have shown that every job in a major auto plant creates nine others throughout the economy, in auto parts manufacturing and other industries. With this massive retooling project comes the need for skilled tradespeople. It is estimated that there will be hundreds of electrician jobs opening. The provincial and federal governments will need to work with labour and industry to develop an auto strategy so Canada can build

on the spate of recent investment announcements.

The Windsor Assembly Plant has been producing minivans since they launched in 1983. PHOTO: FIAT CHRYSLER GROUP (FCA US LLC)

MAGELLAN AEROSPACE SIGNS $250M AGREEMENT Magellan Aerospace has signed a 10-year agreement with Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC). Magellan

will supply complex magnesium and aluminum castings for P&WC. This agreement is expected to bring over

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$250 million in revenue for Magellan through 2023. The castings will be produced primarily by Magellan’s Haley, Ontario division. For the past 50 years, P&WC has been a customer of Magellan Aerospace. This new long-term agreement provides the framework for a new level of strategic alignment with P&WC. “This 10-year agreement demonstrates P&WC’s confidence in Magellan’s ability to produce some of the most complex sand cast geometries in the industry. Magellan has invested in innovative new technologies such as robotics and 3D sand printing to meet its commitment to achieve the highest standard of product and performance,” explains Phillip Underwood, Magellan’s president and chief executive officer. In addition to the legacy casting programs for P&WC’s current engine platforms, the agreement includes the production of castings for Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower engine family which encompasses the Airbus A320neo, Mitsubishi Regional Jet, and Bombardier CSeries programs. In addition to P&WC and P&W engines, Magellan castings are used on civil and defence, fixed-wing and rotorcraft programs across the globe. www.canadianmetalworking.com

15-01-20 3:50 PM

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IN THE NEWS

SME NAMES KRAUSE AS NEW CEO APMA PARTNERS WITH CAMM Congratulations to Jeffrey M. Krause, who was appointed as executive director and chief executive officer by the SME board of directors. Krause officially took his new position on December 15, 2014. “We are thrilled to announce that

Jeff will be joining SME to lead the business and drive the organization’s mission to inspire, prepare and support our stakeholders in the advancement of manufacturing,” said SME’s interim CEO and 2015 president Wayne F. Frost. “Krause’s strong background positions him to support SME in its goals of advancing manufacturing and attracting future generations.”

LINAMAR GETS FUNDING TO HELP CREATE JOBS The federal and Ontario provincial governments have partnered to provide the auto industry with just over $100 million, greatly benefiting Ontario-based Linamar Corp. Linda Hasenfratz, The Minister of CEO of Transport, Lisa Linamar Raitt, announced PHOTO: LINAMAR the federal government’s plan to invest $50.7 million, while Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynn promised support in the way of $50.25 million to Linamar. “Canada is a great place to build cars. Canada has much to offer automakers and parts manufacturers: our Automotive Innovation Fund, the new Windsor–Detroit bridge, support for automotive R&D, a stable economy, a low corporate income tax rate, a highly skilled and productive workforce, well-developed infrastructure and access to markets,” says Raitt. The money will go towards producing the next generation of automotive transmissions. The investment is expected to result in the creation of 1,200 new high-quality jobs and the company will maintain a minimum 22 | FEBRUARY 2015

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of 6,870 jobs at its Ontario facilities. “Linamar is a true Ontario success story. By partnering with companies like Linamar, we are positioning the province for growth now, and for years to come,” explains Wynne. Linamar Corporation is one of Canada’s largest manufacturers of automobile parts. Based in Guelph, ON, the company focuses on precision metallic components and driveline systems designed for passenger vehicles. “We are thrilled with the support shown by both the Ontario and federal governments through this investment in our Ontario plants,” says Linda Hasenfratz, chief executive officer of Linamar Corporation. “Our Canadian plants are our company’s most productive globally thanks to a talented, skilled workforce with an amazing work ethic and a dedication to process and product innovation,” she says, adding “that combination of innovation and efficiency is what makes us competitive on a global scale. It is critical for our governments to create a competitive environment for companies to invest. They certainly have done so today with this funding.” Linamar’s own investment in the Ontario automotive industry totals $507 million.

The Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA) and Canadian Association of Mold Makers (CAMM) have joined forces, so to speak. The organizations entered a collaborative relationship as of January 1, 2015. They will share in common industry initiatives such as advocacy, events and trade missions. “APMA welcomes the opportunity to work with CAMM and its members as we seek to strengthen the voice of the automotive supplier representation in industry,” says Flavio Volpe, president of the APMA. Each organization will continue to operate independently and maintain its own membership roster. This collaborative relationship will allow members from each organization to have access to membership benefits in the other association and vice versa. “This collaborative working relationship will help to strengthen our industry both locally and globally,” says Diane Deslippe, executive director of CAMM.

An employee installs components at Chrysler Group’s Brampton Assembly Plant. PHOTO: FIAT CHRYSLER GROUP (FCA US LLC)

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BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

PLANNING TIPS FOR SMALL SHOPS BY ALMA JOHNS

re you too busy working in your business to work on your business? It’s something we have all heard, and while the operation of a small business can be a consuming task, the reality is successful organizations indeed have a game plan. But the larger question remains; why do so many Canadian businesses operate without one? According to a recent BDC/Nielsen survey conducted on 1,139 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Canada, “over 70% of the most successful businesses had some medium-term business plan and one third had a roadmap for growth.” Most successful is defined as the top 20 per cent of firms in each industry based on total revenue, growth and profitability over the past three years. There are various reasons why business owners do not adopt a formalized business planning process, including the perception that it is time-consuming, irrelevant and unnecessary.

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Some owners think that because their business is small, there are minimal variations in the day-to-day processes, they have been servicing the same customers for a number of years, and the only things they need to be great at are fulfilling orders, timely collection of receivables and acquiring more customers. When owners are asked what they want for their business, they almost unanimously agree; they want to grow their business. But without an adequate strategic plan and a roadmap, growth for small businesses becomes increasingly challenging due to external forces including the introduction of new environmental regulations, arrival of disruptive technologies, and low cost global producers breaking into the market. The bottom line is you can’t get to where you want to be without knowing how to get there. The following steps will help in creating a simple but workable planning process for a mature business. Analyze the current state of the company, including annual sales and estimated market share and whether these variables are growing or sink-

ing. Also examine production capacity and whether operating processes and methodologies are up to date by industry standards. Find out what makes your products and services superior or inferior compared to competitors. Finally, look at industry trends and anticipated challenges over a short term and long term horizon. One simple and commonly used method of assessing the current state of a company is a SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats). Determine your goals and objectives over the next 12 months to five years. Should the company expand overseas, acquire a competitor, or grow organically? What level of revenue and cumulative growth rate do the management want to achieve? What will the balance sheet look like? In conjunction, create financial projections based on these specific goals and assumptions. Take an inventory of the financial and non-financial resources the company currently has and what additional resources are needed to achieve these goals and objectives.

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BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Decide on how to achieve the plan and most importantly how to execute. Without putting the plan in writing, communicating it to middle managers and employees and persuading them to take action it can become very challenging and lead to a failed execution. Identify activities and courses of action that the company needs to embark on to accomplish these objectives. These may involve building a stronger management team, investments in new products and R&D, or securing additional financing to support the planned revenue growth. “Complexity is the enemy of execution” is one of my favourite business quotes. This notion holds true for any size of business, even more so for smaller businesses. Therefore, it is absolutely essential to create a plan that is simple and actionable, especially for companies that have not

previously gone through this exercise. A plan with few variables provides better clarity and has more impact, providing each stakeholder the ability to focus and execute seamlessly. Establish key performance indicators (KPI) to quantifiably measure the company’s performance against specific activities that management has identified or against key success factors in the industry. For manufacturing companies, common KPIs include capacity utilization and manufacturing cost as percentage of revenue. My personal point of view is to identify one or two KPIs across the company’s value chain that are crucial to achieving the company’s objectives. Perhaps limit it to a total of six actionable KPIs. It is often realistic to stick to six KPIs that the company can excel at than to 12 which could lead to a mediocre perfor-

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mance. Further to this, over-analysis of the current situation and future direction of the company can become counterproductive. In my nearly two decades of banking experience, I’ve seen businesses, that after several years of treading water, one day became extremely successful. They come asking for a significantly larger credit facility. When asked about the drastic surge in purchase orders and projected revenues, I often hear, “we hired a marketing consultant” or an advisor, who helped them realize what they’ve been doing wrong. With the abundance of “business” demands pulling managers in many different directions, the task of business planning can be overwhelming. In such scenarios, I strongly recommend that managers consider engaging an external consultant to achieve short term goals and an Advisory Board for long term goals. Both will have entirely distinct views and will help objectively create a roadmap for the company. That way, managers can keep their eye on the ball and focus on what they’re really great at while competent advisors facilitate the execution of their plan. Review performance and accomplishments against the plan on an on-going basis and do not hesitate to pivot if necessary. For most shop owners, there may not be a perfect solution to all challenges or a flawless strategy for every single initiative, but the most effective option is often at their disposal. Some businesses with very long histories sometimes fail because they failed to change with the times. With a myriad of changes impacting businesses today, complacency and status quo are no longer effective. Alma Johns is President of Bench Capital Advisory Inc., an independent corporate finance and debt advisory firm based in Toronto. She can be reached at alma.johns@benchcapital.ca or www.benchcapital.ca. www.canadianmetalworking.com

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BY NATE HENDLEY

t’s been a busy year for the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada (AIAC), the Ottawa-based trade association for over 700 aerospace firms. In 2014, AIAC held two “Day on the Hill” events hosting meetings between aerospace reps, MPs and senators. The Association also hosted its annual Canadian Aerospace Summit in Ottawa from November 18-19. “We had 1,200 delegates, 100 exhibitors and somewhere between 400-500 B2B meetings. We had a roster of 35 speakers, all high-level people

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who are thought leaders in the aerospace, defence and space industries around the world,” says AIAC president/CEO Jim Quick, of the Summit. The Summit theme was “One World: Delivering Results in a Global Market”. Underlying this theme was a sense of buoyant optimism. “On the aviation side…the next 20 years look very, very good,” says Quick. Indeed, Global Market Forecast 2014-2033, a report from French aerospace manufacturing giant Airbus, predicts there will be global demand for 31,358 new planes through to 2033, with a market value of $4.6 trillion. The Asia-Pacific region will lead in demand, states Airbus,

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followed by Europe, then North America. Airbus itself says it’s taken 1,080 gross plane orders in 2014 (up to October 31), an increase from 2012 when it took 914 gross orders. Rival manufacturer Boeing, headquartered in Chicago, has a forecast that’s even rosier. The company predicts a global need for 36,770 new planes from 2014 through to 2033, for a total market value of $5.2 trillion. For its part, Boeing reports gross orders for 1,242 planes through to November 11, 2014, down from the previous year when 1,531 gross orders came in. Canada’s aerospace industry—from OEMs and manufacturers to tier-level suppliers— stands to benefit enormously from global aircraft demand. Of course, any windfall must be balanced against government fumbles, particularly the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program and Maritime Helicopter Project (MHP). Both of these initiatives have been plagued with production delays and cost overruns. On the more positive side of the ledger, Ottawa recently launched a new initiative to fund aerospace R&D.

Canada currently has the fifth largest aerospace industry in the world. The aerospace sector contributes nearly $28 billion to the Canadian economy in terms of GDP and employs some 172,000 people. The related space industry generates $3.4 billion in annual GDP and employs 8,000 people. Manufacturing accounts for 70 per cent of the aerospace sector with MRO (maintenance, repair, overhaul) accounting for the remaining 30 per cent. The recovering U.S. economy and relatively weak Canadian dollar both benefit the national industry. American firms are buying more planes and products, and Canadian companies that supply these firms earn an automatic bonus when paid in U.S. funds. The aerospace industry is more evenly spread out than one may think. While Ontario and Quebec dominate aerospace manufacturing—nearly 80 per cent of manufacturing activity takes place in these two provinces—the west boasts a very strong MRO presence. Western Canada accounted for 41 per cent of GDP in MRO in 2013 while Ontario had a 29 per cent share. According to AIAC projections, 65 per cent of Canadian aerospace manufacturing in 2014 will consist of making business jets. Regional aircraft will account for 23 per cent of manufacturing, rotorcraft will account for

CHANGE IN CANADIAN AEROSPACE MANUFACTURING R&D ACTIVITY AEROSPACE MANUFACTURING TOTAL MANUFACTURING

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 100% 111% 123% 131% 133% 137% 100% 101% 94% 95% 98% 95%

*R&D activity performed by firms within their respective corporations in Canada Source: Industry Canada. Economic modelling based on data from Statistics Canada (Business Registry and Cansim), Canada Revenue Agency, OECD and firm level observations, 2014

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The F-35(A-1) JSF aircraft PHOTO: WWW.JSF.MIL

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nine per cent with general aviation accounting for three per cent. Needless to say, the federal government is determined to keep the aerospace sector healthy and wealthy. To this end, Ottawa launched an Aerospace Review in February 2012 to determine challenges and opportunities facing the sector and policies to address these issues. The Review was led by David Emerson, a former Liberal turned Conservative MP who served as Minister of Industry, among other cabinet positions. Emerson submitted his final report to Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry, on November 29, 2012. One particularly note-worthy paragraph in the Aerospace Review report (also called “The Emerson Report”) touches upon the impact of environmentalism, climate change and security concerns: “The market for fuel-efficient aircraft that address environmental and commercial concerns is strong. As the north opens to more transportation and resource extraction, there is a need for aircraft that can fly long distances in harsh and frigid conditions to help locate and develop natural resources, support environmental stewardship, supply communities and facilities far removed from southern population centres, and respond to emergencies. And, as security concerns shift to non-conventional threats, there is demand for airborne technology that can provide ever more sophisticated surveillance and the capability to strike with surgical precision,” reads the report. The goal of fuel efficiency and tighter pollution controls are driving the current trend towards “lightweighting” aircraft, says Jayson Myers, president and CEO of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME), which has its national office in Ottawa. “The use of lightweight materials—regulatory requirements in terms of emission reduction are going to be key here. Performance, lightweight composites, better and more efficient propulsion or energy systems, all of that is going to be very important,” states Myers. Montreal-based Bombardier, which is Canada’s biggest aerospace company (and the third largest commercial aircraft manufac-

turer in the world), is addressing the issue of fuel-efficiency with its C Series of planes. The much-hyped C Series, first announced a decade ago, consists of 100- to 149-seat, single aisle jetliners. Through the use of new technology and new materials (including composites), the C Series is designed to burn 20 per cent less fuel than similar planes, boasts Bombardier. Impressive as the jet may be, the C Series has suffered continuous production delays. Bombardier says the C Series won’t enter into service until the second half of 2015 at the earliest. In spite of these delays, Bombardier has orders and commitments for 563 C Series planes. In September 2014, for example, Bombardier announced a purchase agreement with Macquarie AirFinance of Australia, pledging to purchase some 40 CS300 jets with an option for 10 more, with delivery scheduled between 2017 and 2019. While off-shoring has been a major factor in automotive manufacturing for years, it’s been far less common in the aerospace sector. Aerospace OEMs want their suppliers nearby so any mechanical problems with parts or services can be addressed quickly. Then, there’s the reliability issue: airplanes have to function perfectly. Once in the air, pilots can’t pull over to the side of the road if something goes wrong. When accidents occur, no airline wants to be in the position of having to explain why they chose a lowcost, low-skill, overseas supplier to make a vital component over a pricier, but more competent, domestic supplier. “Companies that are just competing on cost in aerospace are probably not going to survive for long,” notes Myers. Avoiding aerospace policy disasters is another matter, and the likely motivation behind Ottawa’s decision to introduce a new Defence Procurement Strategy. Launched February 2014, the Strategy is designed to streamline government purchases of military equipment. At the time of the announcement, Quick described the Strategy as “excellent news for the aerospace industry, our armed forces and Canadian taxpayers.” While that may be the case, the Strategy was launched in the wake of two high-profile aviation misfires—the Maritime Helicopter Project and the Joint Strike Fighter program. The Maritime Helicopter Project involves the purchase of 28 state-of-the-art combat-ready CH-148 Cyclone helicopters, to replace the ageing Sea King helicopter fleet. www.canadianmetalworking.com

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Bombardier’s C Series singleaisle aircraft PHOTO: BOMBARDIER

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The original deal with Sikorsky Aircraft of Stratford, Connecticut, announced November 2004, cost $5 billion. Delivery of the first helicopters was slated for November 2008. A series of production problems and technical glitches has drastically pushed back the expected delivery date. Ottawa is now looking at receiving the CH-148 choppers in 2018. It’s the same story with the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The JSF initiative is a multi-billion dollar, multi-decade, multi-national effort to build a cutting edge F-35 combat airplane. Canada has been a partner in the program since 1997. In 2010, Ottawa announced plans to purchase 65 F-35s, with an initial purchase and services price tag around $16 billion over 20 years. The planes were supposed to start arriving in 2017 to replace Canada’s current war planes, the CF-18, acquired in the 80s. As production delays and technical glitches mounted, the F-35 price tag increased. An independent audit by KPMG pegged the purchase and maintenance price of 65 F-35s at $45.8 billion, over 42 years (the projected lifespan of the F-35). Delays and overruns were such that Ottawa seriously considered scrapping the contract in late 2012. The government now says it will make a final decision regarding purchasing the F-35s after a new review. The aging CF-18s meanwhile, are being used in the Middle-East for combat operations. The F-35 isn’t expected to enter service in Canada until at least 2018. Myers refuses to look at the JSF project as a white elephant. Because Canada is a partner with the program, Canadian suppliers can bid for JSF contracts, he points out. As of early 2014, some 32 Canadian companies had active contracts with the F-35 program. Canadian firms have secured a total of US$587 million in JSF-related work, in areas such as the airframe, propulsion, tooling, software and mission systems.

“I still think there’s an awful lot of innovation and a lot of development work that Canadian companies can benefit from...I think Canadian companies have gained a lot already from working on this project,” says Myers. He has advice to shops and manufacturers looking to pick up aerospace work in general. “The first thing I would say, don’t look at your business as getting your product out the door. Look at it as providing a solution based on your capabilities. If you look at it that way, there are an awful lot of capabilities out there in manufacturing, for small companies down the supply chain. Maybe you’re manufacturing currently for the automotive industry, energy industry or maritime industry. Take a look at your capabilities and think of how they could be applied to aerospace. You have to go to aerospace conferences, talk to people, figure out how some of your technologies or products or capabilities can fit into the requirements of aerospace…aerospace has probably a wider supply chain than even the automotive industry in Canada,” states Myers. Funding innovation is one of the keys to keeping the aerospace sector progressive and prosperous, he adds. Industry Canada seems to agree, which is why it launched the Consortium for Aerospace Research and Innovation in Canada (CARIC) in April 2014. This Montrealbased non-profit group is charged with facilitating communication and collaboration between aerospace companies, research centers and academia. To this end, CARIC has been funded by Industry Canada to the tune of $30 million over five years. Of this total, CARIC will dole out $4 million annually for applied research projects. “[Our] mission revolves around supporting research and development projects leading to innovative solutions. It’s not just research for the sake of R&D,” says CARIC CEO/president Denis Faubert. In addition to funding applied research, CARIC plans to host a national forum every two years, with the next forum scheduled for 2016. The Consortium will also open regional offices across the country, in Vancouver, Montreal, Winnipeg, Toronto and possibly, Halifax. Of course, CARIC will work closely with existing aerospace groups such as AIAC. Faubert is downright giddy about the task ahead of him. When it comes to aerospace, “Canada is really punching above its weight,” he notes. www.canadianmetalworking.com

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So, how will these developments impact aerospace machining? We ran some questions by a group of experts to find out. Here’s what they had to say:

IS FIVE-AXIS ALWAYS THE BEST WAY TO GO WHEN DOING AEROSPACE MACHINING?

BY NATE HENDLEY

erospace OEMs such as Airbus, Boeing and Bombardier forecast enormous global demand for new planes over the next two decades. There is particular interest in airplanes that have lighter frames, more efficient engines and use less fuel. 34 | FEBRUARY 2015

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“There are large numbers of simple parts that go into an airplane and into other aerospace applications where a three-axis machine can more than adequately satisfy the requirement. That being said, a simpler machine limits manufacturers’ ability to do a variety of parts, of which some may need five-axis. A five-axis machine can do threeaxis parts but unfortunately not the converse,” says Tom Dolan, vice-president sales and marketing at Mistui Seiki in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. “If I was going to go into business on my own and start a company doing aerospace work, yes, I would absolutely have a fiveaxis machine. People say ‘five-axis’ and their mind goes immediately to very complicated contouring work…the majority of aerospace parts do have five-axis contouring work on them, but that’s usually the finishing operation…to get there, there’s a lot of three axis or three plus two axis work that are roughing operations only,” adds Wade Anderson, technical centers and product specialist manager, Okuma America Corporation, based in Charlotte, North Carolina. “Really, the selection of machine is based on the parts to be produced. For many structural components, a three-axis solution is adequate. However, today parts are becoming increasingly complex and many times a fiveaxis solution is the only way to process the part efficiently and within tolerance,” echoes Ray Buxton, general manager at Mazak Corporation Canada, based in Cambridge, ON. “Five-axis machining can eliminate multiple set-ups for the machining of multi-sided parts, thereby improving efficiency and reducing cycle time. Five-axis machining can also improve quality since the part stays in the fixture from start to finish which eliminates alignment issues associated with multiple setups,” notes Adrien Roubenne, North American sales director for Fives Liné Machines Inc., in Granby, Quebec which in turn is part of Fives Machining Systems of Hebron, Kentucky.

ARE HIGH TOLERANCES ALWAYS A PREREQUISITE WHEN MACHINING AEROSPACE PARTS? “No, absolutely not…there are many, many aircraft components that require extremely www.canadianmetalworking.com

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tight tolerances and there are many, many aircraft components that do not,” says Dolan. “Aerospace parts in the manufacturing world are very diverse. You can have simple low tolerance brackets all the way to very high tolerance components for geared turbofans,” adds Buxton.

lighter weight or more [efficient] engines that use less fuel [means] the ability to carry more passengers or more cargo. All that is driving new technology in materials, shapes and configurations and electronics,” says Dolan.

WHAT IMPACT WILL ADDITIVE MACHINING HAVE ON AEROSPACE MANUFACTURING?

“People have to start seriously embracing automation. Automation doesn’t necessarily mean robots and sophisticated flexible manufacturing systems. It means being able to automate a manufacturing process even for small lot manufacturing which is typically what the aerospace industry does. Looking at automating processes means taking the most advantage of the machine capability as possible, to reduce manufacturing costs and reduce the effective capital cost on the workpiece itself,” says Dolan. “The materials in aerospace are getting more and more exotic…there’s new material coming out all the time, different alloys, different mixes…newer, lighter weight, stronger, tougher materials. As materials get more exotic, they tend to get harder to machine,” says Anderson.

“This will continue to grow and grow in new ways as technology changes. I believe one impact of any change in technology is it opens up new areas of business for companies and entrepreneurs alike,” says Anderson. “At the JIMTOF [Japan International Machine Tool Fair] in Japan last year Mazak demonstrated our new i400AM combination additive/reductive machine. Mazak is working at the forefront of this emerging technology and we feel that it will eventually have a major impact on manufacturing not only in aerospace but also in automotive, oil and gas etc.,” says Buxton. “Additive technologies will deeply change [the aerospace maintenance, repair, overhaul] sector in the next few years…replacing worn out parts with a new ones using additive technologies,” suggests Roubenne. “At some point in time, will there no longer be a need for machining? Fortunately, for people of our industry, I don’t think that’s going to be the case in the short-term. But in the long-term, the honest answer is, ‘Who knows’?” says Dolan. “If I was going to make a prediction, I would say the strengths and lightening characteristics of material is one area where I think additive manufacturing gives possibilities. I think [additive machining] will produce a lot more weight-effective components,” says Anderson.

DO YOU SEE ANY OTHER TECHNICAL TRENDS FOR AEROSPACE MACHINING IN THE FUTURE?

SPEAKING OF WEIGHT-EFFECTIVE COMPONENTS, WHAT IMPACT WILL THE TREND TOWARDS LIGHTWEIGHTING HAVE ON AEROSPACE MACHINING? “It’s not just aerospace, it’s automotive too. All the innovations that we’re seeing both in aerospace and automotive are driven by the demand for performance and fuel efficiency,” says Anderson. “If you look at commercial airlines, the biggest single cost today is fuel. Fuel price is driving more efficient or effective aerodynamic shapes of aircraft, lighter weight and more efficient aircraft engine technology … www.canadianmetalworking.com

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Makino’s new T2 5-axis horizontal machining center with ADVANTiGE, designed for mid-size titanium aerospace part production. PHOTO COURTESY OF MAKINO.

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ONE OF THOSE “EXOTIC” MATERIALS IS TITANIUM. WHILE TITANIUM IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY POPULAR IN AEROSPACE MANUFACTURING, IT IS REGARDED AS SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH? “Generally, titanium machining demands a very rigid machine with high torque and horsepower. Mazak designs all of our machines with a very high level of rigidity. For most of our models we also have high torque spindles as an option that successfully address the needs of the more demanding user,” says Buxton.

OKUMA’S AEROSPACE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE Last fall, Okuma America Corporation opened the Okuma Aerospace Center of Excellence at its company headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina. Aerospace manufacturers can use the facility to test machining technology and productivity solutions. “Our primary goal is to offer our aerospace customers what they often don’t have—time, equipment and resources,” explains Wade Anderson, technical centers and product specialist manager with Okuma. Encompassing nearly 10,000 square feet, the Aerospace Center houses nine CNC machines. The space also features a metrology room and a conference room. Two Okuma application engineers (AEs) are posted full-time to the Center to assist with R&D. According to Anderson, the Okuma Aerospace Center of Excellence is an ideal incubator for research. If projects fail, “it’s okay, because we’re doing it in a controlled environment, so to speak. Our machines are not for production. They are strictly here for R&D, to try new processes…in a facility like this, we can push the boundaries. We accept the fact there’s going to be some risk involved,” he states.

“The majority of manufacturing is just now getting into titanium machining. We design our machines to be very rigid, with a lot of dampening and thermal ability characteristics,” echoes Anderson.

COMPOSITE MATERIAL IS ALSO BECOMING MORE COMMON IN AEROSPACE. DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS ON MACHINING COMPOSITES? “Optional high speed spindles are the necessity for this material along with special considerations for dust control,” says Buxton.

DO YOU THINK THE USE OF TITANIUM AND COMPOSITE MATERIAL IN AEROSPACE MANUFACTURING WILL INCREASE IN THE NEAR-FUTURE? “Not a whole lot more than what’s being required as a percentage of each aircraft going forward. However, the volume of these materials will definitely increase as more aircraft are [being built]. At any of the major aircraft OEMs, the projection numbers are quite significant. If you look at the components that are required on an airplane for both aero-structure and propulsion, the volume of titanium is definitely going up … if you consider that Boeing and Airbus are each moving towards 60 commercial aircraft a month, the volume and mix of products they expect to deliver to their customers, the requirement for titanium components is going to increase dramatically over the next couple years. The same applies to composites,” says Dolan.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR AEROSPACE SUPPLIERS ON HOW TO GET MACHINING CONTRACTS FOR THE LIKES OF BOMBARDIER, PRATT & WHITNEY, BOEING, AIRBUS, ETC.?

PHOTO: COURTESY OKUMA

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“Smaller companies will require more multi-axis capability—five axis machining. Although they may still have a wide variety of simple parts to make, they will not want to refuse work for five-axis that comes as part of a complete package. So machine versatility will be an important change or shift [for smaller manufacturers] … the major aerospace contracts that are being awarded now are for longer-term projects. Therefore, the ability of smaller companies to understand differences in machine tools, differences in machining requirements, is going to be of paramount importance,” says Dolan. “Be capable. Have the equipment and processes capable of delivering more than you can promise,” adds Anderson. www.canadianmetalworking.com

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Care and preventive maintenance options for increased spindle life BY LINDSAY LUMINOSO

“O

ut of sight, out of mind.” When it comes to spindle maintenance, this adage is more common than not. However, when manufacturers take this approach, they can often find themselves with spindle failures that can be both costly to repair and cause downtime and lags in production. Overlooking this critical component can spell disaster and affect the bottom line. When you purchase a car, you don’t simply drive it without understanding the specific features and needs of the vehicle. Why would you do the same with your CNC machine and its spindle? Many operators will turn on the machine and run it without really understanding the capabilities and limitations of the spindle. Adding small checks and sched-

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uling preventive maintenance can ensure long spindle life and increase productivity. The spindle really is the heart of the machine and is designed with the application and user specifications in mind. Regardless of what type of machine you are running, the spindle allows the machine to function. “Typically, when someone purchases say for example, a large milling centre, the spindle is so buried, but it’s the heart of the machine. You can build the most rigid machine in the world but you have to have a good spindle motor in there,” says Gary Quirion, corporate president of GMN USA. Because the spindle is often hidden, it is sometimes forgotten about when the operator does machine checks and worse, can be unknowingly pushed beyond capabilities. This is why it is so important to understand the features and specification of this critical component. The onus is on the owners and operators to keep their spindles in good working condition in order to maintain longevity. End-users need an education on the [specifications] of the machine. It’s not just plug-and-play for all its life,” explains Alexandre Maurais, president of MEC PRECISION. Maintaining proper machining practices and inspection of parts can mean the difference between a seized spindle and a spindle that lasts. “The spindle life can be infinite, but only if it doesn’t crash,” says Gus Gustafson, service manager for Thomas Skinner & Son Ltd. Crashes occur when the operator pushes the machine to do something that it isn’t www.canadianmetalworking.com

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normally supposed to do; this can cause the spindle to stall and halt operations. Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence on the shop floor. The spindle life really depends on how the operator treats it and how they run the machine. “The spindle life really varies. They can last 10-15 years under normal use. But if someone crashes it on a regular basis, it could last only a year or less,” continues Gustafson.

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There are some clear indicators that your machine’s spindle is in need of inspection or repair. Obviously, if the machine is no longer rotating, this could mean that the spindle has failed. The spindle itself is a highly sensitive component with many intricate parts. Rotating parts like the chucks, drawbars, quills, rotors, shafts, etc., should be handled with care to ensure that they are never hit and jarred, which can cause serious damage to the overall spindle abilities. Tolerances for the rotating parts are so tight that even the smallest push can cause failure. However, a spindle may not stall entirely, America_CMW_02-14.pdf 12:29:42 PMcan point to but there1are1/13/2014 some factors that

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a future spindle failure. “Old school, if it’s noisy, or if you have part finish issues, or the spindle is running hot, those are good indicators,” says Quirion. The experts agree that uncharacteristic noise is one of the key signs that there is a problem. Monitoring the spindle from the install and confirming that there are no abnormal or different noises is one way to keep the spindle spinning, say Maurais. Cracking, humming or banging noises should be a clear indication for the operator to contact the maintenance department or spindle repair service to diagnose the problem. A part finish can easily determine a problem with the spindle. Oftentimes, you can clearly see if a part has too much or too little material removed, or the workpiece finish is not correct. Slight variances in the tolerances can cause a part to fail inspection, and if several parts are constantly failing to pass quality inspection, then this can point to a spindle problem. Temperature can also point to a significant problem. When the spindle runs hot, abnormally hot, the operator should stop running the machine before further damage is done. The complex interior components of a spindle can vary significantly depending on the manufacturer or application. However, if the spindle is running above the average temperature, this can be an early indicator of a future problem. There are many ways to measure the temperature, including spindle temperature sensors that are often placed at the top and the bottom of the spindle providing live temperature feedback. Gustafson says that another option for measuring spindle temperature is a heat gun. The operator can measure the temperature themselves and compare against baselines set at that facility.

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Enhancing spindle life is a fine balance between proper care and proper understanding of this high-precision component. The operator should know the ins and outs of the spindle as well as the machining applications. For example, machining titanium with low speeds and heavy loads can put a lot of stress on a spindle, while light grinding applications and lower speeds can extend spindle life. A typical spindle is designed with the application in mind but the external design is very similar. Internal components, like the angle of the bearings, the number of bearings, the preload, etc., that are developed for each machining application. This is why it is very important to read the manual and specwww.canadianmetalworking.com

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ifications for the spindle, especially because the spindle is tucked away in the machine and most operators generally don’t access it. One of the most important tips Quirion has for extending spindle life is be safe. “I’ve seen many things over the years. I always say read the manual. You’d be surprised how many people call and ask a question, and I ask, ‘Did you see the manual on page such and such?’ and they don’t even have a manual,” he explains. Speaking to the spindle manufacturer before operation can ensure proper use of the spindle. The manufacturer can provide guidelines that you might not even be aware of. One of the first things the operator can do is run a spindle warm-up program every shift, says Gustafson. As previously mentioned, increased temperature is an indicator of spindle issues. Measuring the temperature the spindle runs at after the warm up cycle is important for establishing a baseline. Once the baseline is set, the operator can determine normal function of the spindle. If it is running hot, “then you know it is pointing towards a problem,” he explains. Checking the cooling system to make sure it’s functional is also important. Whether the

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spindle is cooled through compressed air, liquid, or fan, it is important to make sure that the cooling mechanisms are running smoothly. In most cases, grinding and milling spindles will be liquid cooled. If you are able, it is always a good idea to observe the temperature of the bearings on the front housing. Maurais also points out that there are quite a few spindles that have a positive pressure around the nose. “There is air that is blown all the time so the coolant doesn’t go near the spindle or bearings. The air will stop blowing if the airline is dirty or cracked. [This] will contaminate the bearings quickly and the spindle won’t last long. We are telling customers to watch [out for this]. Make sure there is pressure of air around the bearings at the spindle nose,” he continues. Experts agree that you must use caution when working with longer tools, as they may alter the rotor dynamics if not careful. For example, Quirion explains, “a spindle might run 60,000 rpm as advertised, but if a long grinding quill is put in it, the speed will be limited. And if the [operator] exceeds that, twofold, you will damage the spindle, and it’s a safety factor and someone can be injured.”

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Ensuring that you are using the proper toolholder and appropriate concentricity of the taper to meet the manufacturer’s specifications is key. The toolholder’s tapered shank must fit perfectly in the spindle taper every time it is inserted. “There should be 100 per cent surface contact of the toolholder,” explains Maurais. This will keep the tool on the centre line of the spindle and allow for accurate and proper use. Examining the contact surface of the taper can also be helpful. You want the contact to be at 100 per cent. Cleaning the toolholders and spindle can help maintain precision and prolong the life of the spindle and ancillary tools. Chips and coolant can often get caught between the tool and the taper interface, damaging both the spindle and the tool holder. Spindle cleaners are quality control products that can be used regularly to remove residual particles that can affect machining capabilities. Another way to prevent a spindle failure is by making sure the load on the controller is normal. In many cases, the spindle load condition can be defined for particular tools, whereby the machine stops if it reaches this limit. However, verifying the proper settings ensures that an overload won’t occur. As mentioned, machining something like titanium with heavy loads can put a lot of stress on a spindle. Make sure the spindle is qualified to perform such operations. Proper care is really dictated by the type of spindle and application. For an oil-air system you have to make sure that all the settings are adjusted. Quirion explains, “You have to adjust the air and the oil flow rate. The drive unit has to be correct, the tool clamping for automatic tool change spindles have to be monitored, the tool retention should be checked and all the operating parameters

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with tool/without tool, those safeties should be checked.” Day-to-day care can mean all the difference when it comes to spindle life. The operator should be aware of the spindle specifcations and run the machine accordingly.

SCHEDULING PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE Aside from operator control, manufacturers can schedule Preventive Maintenance appointments with expert technicians who can come into the facility and run diagnostics on the spindles, providing data to allow for trending and extend general lifespan of the parts and spindle. Experts agree that setting a Preventive Maintenance schedule at 3-, 6-, or 12-month intervals, can ensure spindle longevity. There are many diagnostic tests that should be conducted on a regular basis. Having a thorough history or trending the machine and spindle function allows for manufacturers to plan ahead when it comes to a rebuild., With Preventive Maintenance, “what we can do is tell you that ‘hey, your spindle probably has about six months left in it before it’s going to fail.’ And we can order the part and change it out for a customer before it even fails,” explains Gustafson. This allows for machine owners to anticipate future failures, which can be extremely costly, especially when it comes to unexpected breakdowns. Not all spindle manufacturers have all parts on the shelf and with new models, parts are not always readily available. Preventive Maintenance tests can give a good indication when the spindle will need to be rebuilt, so parts can be pre-ordered, without expensive next-day delivery charges and production lags due to shipping times. “The customers have a machine that cannot be down, cannot be in breakdown situations. The more we are able to prevent that, the more money everyone will make and the less emergency situations everyone will go through,” says Maurais. There are 4-5 general Preventive Maintenance tests, including vibration test, checking the bearings, testing the pull force of the drawbar, and temperature checks. Understanding how the spindle functions in the machine and the appropriate machining applications for the spindle can make all the difference when it comes to spindle longevity. Scheduling Preventive Maintenance appointments partnered with proper day-to-day operating techniques, can ensure the spindle keeps on spinning for as long as you need. www.canadianmetalworking.com

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BUSINESS PROFILE: MACHINING

BUILDING ON THE STRENGTH OF ITS OWNERS D&D Precision Inc., Mississauga, ON BY DOUG PICKLYK

t’s Friday afternoon, just a week before Christmas, and the two owners of D&D Precision, a small machining shop in Mississauga, are preparing to go make some visits—dropping in on their loyal customers to share some holiday cheer and express their appreciation for another year of living the dream. Located in a small industrial park minutes from Toronto’s Pearson airport, D&D Precision’s narrow 2,000 sq. ft. unit has a small office space in front and the back is a long corridor lined on both sides with machines and tools of the trade. Tony Desousa and Mike De Acetis, the D & D, started their business eight years ago and have worked together to build a successful operation by continuing to invest and grow the business while adapting to the fast-changing manufacturing industry. Both from the Greater Toronto area, Desousa and De Acetis met while working as mold makers for Ryka Blow Molds, a shop that was located around the corner from where they are now. De Acetis was running machines 44 | FEBRUARY 2015

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and managing a testing facility, while Desousa, after finishing his apprenticeship on the shop floor, took on more business and administrative roles in the office. The two often worked together and were frequently mistaken as brothers. Sensing a strong compatibility, their conversations led to talk about starting up a business. “Thank you Michael Ryan (original founder of Ryka Blow Molds) for the tools and knowledge we acquired at Ryka,” says Desousa. Through a family friend of De Acetis, the two were able to secure a walled-in 10- x 10-foot space on the floor of a plastics factory, squeezing in a small lathe and a manual milling machine. At the beginning both were still employed. They would often work a full shift and race to the other shop staying up until the middle of the night, only to get up and do it all over again. A little more than a year into the project they took the leap, leaving their well-paying jobs to break out on their own. “We took a big chance. Everyone told us we were crazy, and we’re still getting that today,” laughs De www.canadianmetalworking.com

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BUSINESS PROFILE: MACHINING Acetis. “The thing is, both Tony and I, we love what we do.” It was 2006 when D&D Precision was born, and two years after the launch came the economic crash in 2008. “It’s like somebody turned the taps off,” recalls De Acetis. The partners went four months without drawing a salary, yet at the tail end of 2008 they went out and bought a small used CNC lathe. As De Acetis remembers, the machine sat silent on their floor for the first month, but it’s been going non-stop ever since. “Taking chances and not being afraid, that’s part of business,” says De Acetis. And it’s been their strategic moves that have kept them rolling. “Machine shops have got to be smarter, leaner, and faster,” he says, insisting that business owners need to keep up with the changing times. “It’ not a guarantee that you will be successful by just adding new equipment. For us, I believe it’s been the combination of our skill sets. Tony sells it, and I make it run.” Their space on that factory floor grew to 800 sq. ft., but as jobs began piling up they became restricted by their technology—material had to wait for a spindle to free up. They were in need of another, larger, mill and ultimately found a used machine at a local aerospace company. “It was a perfect fit for us, and that’s what led to the move to our current facility [in April 2013],” explains Desousa. The larger envelope of the new mill led to a greater range of work possibilities, and soon the business was growing again. Now work began piling up on their lathe, which led to researching new turning machines. And based on their history they knew they were better off going with something bigger. “We always overkill our homework, and it’s helped us along the way,” says De Acetis. They ended up going with a new Okuma LB4000 EX two-axis lathe with live tooling. “It was a calculated move and we have no regrets,” he says. Purchased from EMEC Machine Tools in Mississauga, the new machine has a maximum machining diameter of 18.9 inches and length of 60 inches between centers. The www.canadianmetalworking.com

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live tooling option also allows them to perform a combination of processes from one set up. “I’m surprised at how easy it was to program and dive into operating the machine,” says De Acetis. “And EMEC has been phenomenal. It’s the first product we’ve bought from them and likely not the last, considering the way they’ve treated us.”

“IT’S NOT A GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL JUST BY ADDING NEW EQUIPMENT. FOR US I BELIEVE IT’S BEEN THE COMBINATION OF OUR SKILL SETS. TONY SELLS IT, AND I MAKE IT RUN.” — MIKE DE ACETIS D&D has been taking on jobs from a variety of industries: aerospace, material handling, freight elevators and military. “Anything that can fit on our equipment we can do, and we don’t shy away from tolerancing since our machines are capable of holding accuracy

Tony Desousa with the first manual mill the company acquired.

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BUSINESS PROFILE: MACHINING and repeatability,” says Desousa. “I would classify us as a medium-sized shop now. But we have that big shop capability.” The partners are hoping to position the company correctly over the next five to 10 years, and as experienced machinists they are optimistic that the machining industry will climb its way back to the place it belongs “at the top of the trades”. “If all goes well, we will be right there,” says Desousa. The Okuma was installed in the summer of 2014 and it’s been running non-stop. The challenge now for D&D is keeping up with the business and managing their workflow. They try to maximize machine time with intelligent set ups, but they are actively seeking additional hands to work the machines—and that’s proving to be difficult. In busy periods they have hired operators on a contract basis, but the challenge has been finding someone reliable and passionate about the work. De Acetis is 40, and he’s concerned about lack of next generation machinists coming up after him. “When I started there were people eagerly interested in pursuing a career in this field. I don’t see that now,” he says. Both partners see the problem coming with this skills gap in the workforce. In fact, until now they haven’t

been actively promoting their new capabilities, hoping to find a couple more people to alleviate the workload before they start pushing for more work. “The business is heading in the right direction, that’s for sure. But we still have to watch what we spend and be selective on the type of business that we choose, because now we’ve got the range, but you can still bury yourself by selecting the wrong type of work,” says De Acetis. In 2015 it’s about optimizing their workflow through the shop, making sure the work they’re doing is profitable. One aspect of the industry today that Desousa finds challenging are the short lead times (lean manufacturing), or just in time delivery and lack of long term project commitments. “We’re lucky though, from day one our customers have been awesome,” admits De Acetis. “Of course without them none of this would be possible. They have had the confidence and faith in us and have stuck with us.” But Desousa and De Acetis are not shy to give themselves credit as well. They put Precision in their name for a reason. “You have to hold yourself to a standard, anyone who doesn’t won’t be around for long,” says De Acetis. With the business running smoothly, the partners are content, but they do have goals, including the possibility of one day designing, developing and producing products of their own—they already have ideas and concepts in the works. “To me that is an ultimate goal,” says Desousa. “At that point you become global. You go from having 10 customers to 10 million potential customers.” For now though, the owners of D&D Precision are happy to keep their machines humming, enjoying work and life. “We’ve always said, it’s a tough business, but let’s have fun. We take our work very seriously, but we have fun,” laughs De Acetis.

“We take our work very seriously, but we have fun.” The partners of D&D Precision, Tony Desousa (left) and Mike De Acetis with the company’s new Okuma LB4000 EX two-axis lathe.

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TOOL TECH

EFFECTIVE MACHINING OF EXOTIC MATERIALS BY RAFI RAVOACH

ickel chromium based superalloys are oxidation and corrosion resistant materials, well suited for service in extreme environments subjected to pressure, heat and kinetic energy. When heated these alloys, such as Inconel and Waspaloy, form a thick, stable, passivating oxide layer protecting the surface from further attack, causing challenges for effective machining. Because these materials are able to retain strength over a wide temperature range, typical applications are within the global aerospace industry for components located in the hot section of the engine. In the oil and gas industry it fills the need of a high strength alloy with good corrosion resistance for downhole equipment, and the need for completing high-pressure gas wells to gas containing high CO2 and H2S for completion equipment. The major problems encountered when machining nickel chromium based superalloys are characterized by the generation of very high temperatures on the cutting edge of the insert. This is due largely to the abrasive elements in the materialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s composition (high nickel content of 44.2-70% and chrome 14-30%), which cause high wear rates, chipping, notching and insert breakage. These factors contribute to reduced tool life, deformation of the cutting edge, even at low cutting speeds, and increased down-time. Another problem associated with the machining of nickel chromium based superalloys is its tendency to malform due to its metallurgical sensitivity to residual stresses and www.canadianmetalworking.com

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self-hardening effects during the cutting operation. To help overcome these multiple difficulties and to enable the effective machining of this challenging material, cutting tool manufacturer ISCAR has developed IC806, a submicron grade insert with a PVD TiAlN nanolayer coating. The hard substrate of IC806, its coating and additional post coating treatment together deliver longer tool life, improved reliability and greater resistance against flaking and chipping. By combining two major compontents, grade and chipformers F3M & M3M, optimum results in machining superalloys is achieved. The main advantage of the IC806 is the ability to machine superalloys

such as Inconel and Waspaloy at very high cutting speed (more than double) when compared to existing grades. The average cutting speed with the standard current grades for machining these superalloys is between 25 to 30M/min. The new IC806 can run up to 80m/min, increasing productivity while also achieving improved tool life. In extensive trials IC806 was proven to exhibit superior wear resistant properties, excellent machining results and deliver both productivity gains and cost reductions. By Rafi Ravoach, ISO Turning product manager, based at Iscar Global Head Quarters in Tefen, Israel.

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TOOL TALK

EMEC MACHINE TOOLS IS EXPANDING EMEC Machine Tools is expanding its product offerings with the announcement of a new distribution agreement. The Mississauga-based company will now be the exclusive end-user distributor of the full line of Modig products in Eastern Canada and will provide installation and warranty services for customers in this area. “EMEC and Modig are both known for quick response and professional services,” says Modig U.S. president David J. Waldron. “Modig’s innovative technology, optimized for the aircraft industry, is recognized for dramatic reduction in production time, leading to lower manufacturing costs…Coupled with EMEC’s solid reputation built over 20 years of providing highest quality products and support, we can now bring an outstanding value proposition to our Canadian customer base.” Bill Mara, president of EMEC adds, “Modig builds some of the finest machining tools we’ve seen. Our mutual ability to address customer challenges in component manufacturing for aluminum and composites is key to contributing to customers’

for 20 years and moved into its larger space, located at 7939 boul. HenriBourassa Ouest, on August 1, 2014. This expanded location features an operating showroom. At the open house the experienced The EMEC team at the open house in Montreal: (l-r) Tejal Mehta, Julie technicians at Pharand, Pierre Antaya, Enrico Arena, Gino Scopelliti, Bill Mara, Paul Telles, Zach Bird, and Marc Fortin EMEC Montreal were running live demonstrations on an Okuma LB3000 EX-II success. Modig’s approach of buildhorizontal lathe, Okuma M560 vertiing long term relationships mirrors ours, and I am confident our custom- cal machining centre and TSUGAMI SS327-5AX lathe. ers will enthusiastically welcome “It’s nice to have the new building this extensive addition to the prodand showroom, but it’s having the coructs we represent.” rect personnel to service our customEMEC Machine Tools is also ers, that’s where the big investment expanding its operations in order to has been,” said Mara at the event. better assist its customers. The two-day open house also feaIn November 2014, the company tured additional support from suphosted a two-day grand opening pliers including Sandvik, Kitagawa, event at its new facility in Montreal. Hardinge, WTO, Renishaw and Blaser. The company has been in Montreal

HYDROMAT PARTNERS WITH WITZIG & FRANK The Witzig & Frank brand has renewed its partnership with Hydromat. Both companies are combining their matching portfolios of high volume metal cutting solutions for the automotive, communications, medical, aerospace, plumbing, and general machining industries. Witzig & Frank is a manufacturer of highly integrated machining solutions for high volume applications based in Offenburg, Germany. The companies have had close ties for more than 25 years when Hydromat president and CEO, Bruno Schmitter, co-founded a joint venture with Witzig 50 | FEBRUARY 2015

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& Frank. Hydromat’s chief sales officer, Matthias Walter, started his career at Witzig & Frank and later took over its U.S. entity, Turmatic Systems. “We have actually sold, installed and serviced more than 160 Witzig & Frank machines in the U.S., so we’re very experienced in the field and

know the players,” said Walter. According to Pascal Schnebelt, sales director at Witzig & Frank, the demand for their products in the Northern American market is strong, “There is a variety of industries in the growing American manufacturing industry and also existing German customers setting up production in the U.S....With the proven partnership of Hydromat we have the expertise on site and we can guarantee a top service for our customers.” Hydromat’s contract with Witzig & Frank includes sales, service, spare parts supply and retrofits. www.canadianmetalworking.com

15-01-21 11:01 AM

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TOOL TALK

DMG MORI OPENED ITS DOORS AT NEW MISSISSAUGA LOCATION On November 18, DMG MORI kicked off its grand opening event, celebrating the opening of the Mississauga location. Located on Ambassador Road, DMG MORI’s new facility offers a pristine Technology Centre that houses some spectacular machines.

Walking into the building, we were quickly greeted by DMG MORI staff members who directed us towards the showroom floor. The brightly lit room offer guests a chance to see a wide variety of machines in action as well as learn about them through interactive info guides and the expert staff that are there to assist. Representatives from companies like Renishaw and In-House Solutions, amoung many others, were on hand to speak with visitors about their products and offerings.

The event offered a wide range of products and services for all your machining needs. The chips were flying and the coolant was spraying on many of the live demonstrations. The company highlighted 12 of its machines, seven of which are Canadian premieres. The sleek new design was hard to miss, highlighting the black and white options, as well as the new CELOS interface that demonstrates DMG MORI’s commitment to user-friendliness and functionality.

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www.canadianmetalworking.com

15-01-21 11:02 AM

TOOL TALK

HEXAGON METROLOGY M&H PRODUCT LINE AND KOMA PRECISION FORM A STRATEGIC ALLIANCE There is a new strategic alliance between Hexagon Metrology M&H product line and Koma Precision Inc for the North American market. Starting January 1st, 2015, Koma Precision will be fulfilling tasks as the master importer and system integrator. This agreement allows both companies to join forces to support existing and new customers. M&H initially ventured into North America with their office in Ontario, Canada in early 2004. Upon becoming part of Hexagon Metrology, the company transitioned its operations to the current location of Wixom, Michigan.

Koma Precision has been successfully involved for decades in the North American machine tool market. Koma Precision’s regional sales and service branches in the U.S., Canada,

and Mexico will allow faster response times to meet the needs of customers. The new alliance has four service/ integration sites as well as eight sales offices.

NEW PRESIDENT NAMED TO LEAD SECO TOOLS On January 1, 2015, Seco Tools, LLC in North America appointed a new president. Robert Keenan has been promoted as the company’s new president, succeeding current president Kurt Nordlund who returned to Seco Tools AB in Sweden as senior advisor on a global basis. Nordlund was the head of Seco Tools, LLC for the past seven years. Keenan was promoted from within the Seco organization. He was the Canada country manager and central zone manager for Seco and brings over 20 years of metal cutting industry experience to the new position. In addition to his extensive sales management experience within Seco, he previously owned and managed his own cutting tool distribution business. ”We have a great team at Seco, with employees who are completely dedicated to partnering with manufacturers to overcome the challenges they face in today’s market,” said Keenan. “I look forward to leading our organization into the future.”

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TOOL TALK

GROB SYSTEMS PARTNERS WITH DIPAOLO MACHINE TOOLS GROB Systems announces a new partnership with DiPaolo Machine Tools of Mississauga, Ontario. DiPaolo will assume sales and service for the GROB line of 5-axis universal machining centers, high-volume production systems, and assembly and testing equipment in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. GROB Systems will continue its direct support of automotive OEMs with dedicated account managers, a strategy which has earned the company multiple supplier awards in recent years. “The partnership with GROB brings several advantages. The design of this 5-axis machine is unique in its category, allowing exceptional flexibility and creativity in the process,” says Nelson Martins, president of DiPaolo Machine Tools. “Equally important is that GROB is manufacturing hundreds of machines in Ohio each year, so service and all replacement parts are close to our customers,” he says. Bill Vejnovic, Vice President of Sales at GROB Systems, says he was impressed by DiPaolo’s heritage first as a manufacturing and service company. “The background of this organization shows an appreciation for high-quality machine design and construction, and a full-service commitment to the customer. That’s right in line with the philosophy of GROB Systems.” According to Vejnovic, new machine installations, technical support and replacement parts will remain the direct responsibility of GROB Systems. “The DiPaolo team will be an additional resource for new customers,” he said. To ensure fast service response, DiPaolo’s staff from Toronto and Quebec will be trained at the 390,000 square foot GROB Systems factory in Bluffton, Ohio. For more information, visit www.dipaolocnc.com.

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Markus Frei has joined the Elliott Service Department. Elliott Matsuura Canada Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of their new hire. Markus comes to Elliott having worked for Mikron a number of years. Under the Elliott service schedule control, there will be a great improvement to the dispatch of Mikron support in Canada. The start date for Markus was Monday January 5, 2015. He can be reached at Elliott (905-829-2211) to schedule Mikron service. For phone support, feel free to call the Mikron support line (1-800-282-1336). In addition to Markus, Elliott intends to hire a second service technician to work directly with Markus to enhance further their commitment to Mikron service. Elliott is a leader in the machine tool industry supplying quality machine tools coast to coast in Canada, and second to none providing machine service and applications support. As an organization of 70 employees, Elliott offers a multitude of services including machine installation, preventative maintenance, training, full automated turnkey solutions, and spare parts availability.

www.canadianmetalworking.com

15-01-21 11:02 AM

TOOL TALK Software automatically generates part programs for inspection tion function, MiCAT planner creates a program that enables measuremeasure ment in the shortest possible time with the minimum number of probe re‐positionings and tool changes. Utilization of the user customizable rule

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Power chucks designed for the pipe threading industry Samchully Workholding introduces its series of Mega Bore Air Chucks, model PAC. These pneumatic power chucks are designed for the pipe threading industry and large through hole applications. The air chucks range in size from 18.5” with a 7.5” through hole (PAC-470/191) to 39.3” with a 22” through hole (PAC-1000/560). The full range of Samchully Mega Bore PAC chucks includes through holes, in addition to the two sizes shown above, of 9” (230 mm), 10.8” (275 mm), 12.79” (325 mm) and 14.76” (375 mm). All of the PAC air chucks are extended stroke versions with total jaw strokes up to 1” (25.4 mm). Samchully offers front mount or front and rear mount chucks. www.samchully.com www.canadianmetalworking.com

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editor, provides the ability to create programs which use the same parameters each and every time, preventing variation in measurement quality due to traditional program creators. MiCAT Planner will be available for release in early 2015. For more information, visit www.mitutoyo.ca.

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Mitutoyo Canada is announcing a development for current and future Mitutoyo CNC CMM users. Mitutoyo’s MiCAT Planner is a sophisticated software program which automatically generates part programs for inspection. The software enables programming time to be reduced by up to 95% compared with programming using general‐purpose software, for a significant potential increase in the efficiency of measurement work. The users simply upload their CAD file data with PMI (GD&T), as well as CMM system configuration data and the software then instantly and automatically creates a measurement program in a single click! MiCAT Planner identifies tolerance information included in 3D models, defines the location for measurement and creates a measurement program automatically. Through its optimiza-

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TOOL TALK Rigid and stable turning bars

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Seco Tools adds turning bars to the line of damped anti-vibration tooling for long overhang machining operations. These turning bars reduce vibrations in extreme cutting conditions. This is done by a “dynamic passive system” inside the holder body where a heavy metal mass counteracts vibrations created by the holder’s flex. The GL connection has a polylobe taper-interface with two 180-degree positions that orient the tool’s cutting edges either face up or face down. The connection also has fast locking capability via a single integrated clamping ring that draws in the tool head. Once a turning bar is set it becomes possible to mount and remount tooling heads without having to reset the system. www.secotools.com/us

Makino announces its new HS-Rib high-speed Z-axis technology for large sinker EDM processes. Makino’s new technology has a jump rate four times faster and Z-axis acceleration rate 30 times faster over previous technologies. The new high-speed Z-axis technology is available on all Makino EDNC-Series sinker EDM machines, and is designed for use in large workpiece applications requiring high accuracy and fine surface finishes. Its design offers highly flexible processing capabilities, including a jump rate of 20 m per minute with 1.5-G acceleration, Z-axis strokes ranging from 500 to 800 mm, and programming of orbital machining patterns with no amperage limitations. The use of direct-drive motor technology and liquid cooling within therthe Z-axis structure ensures sustained ther mal stability and precise depth control, and supports electrode weights of up to 220 lbs. These machines combine rigid and precise construction, simple programming and advanced performance features for accurate EDMing of large workpieces. Automatic tool change and adaptive controls enable high levels of unattended machining without the need for operator intervention, and is further supported with advanced automatic jump machining controls to optimize debris removal without the need for external flushing. www.makino.com

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www.canadianmetalworking.com

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TOOL TALK Thinnest pneumatic quick-change pallet module With a module height of 20 mm, the VERO-S NSE mini module from SCHUNK provides ideal conditions for retrofitting existing machines, making full use of the engine room, and direct clamping of small workpieces. The patented drive concept consists of a fast stoke and a clamping stroke, ensuring that the compact module has a highly compact performance. At a module diameter of 90 mm, and a clamping pin diameter of only 20 mm, the NSE mini also has an integrated turbo function and enormous pull-in forces up to 1500 N. Locking is done mechanically via spring force. The large contact surfaces between clamping slide and pin minimize the surface pressure in unclamped condition, and the wear of the module. Even small workpieces can be directly clamped, and are completely machined from five sides without restricting accessibility. This is done by screwing the clamping pins of the Quick-Change Pallet Systems directly into the workpiece. www.schunk.com

Flexible machine configurations INDEX Corporation offers the MS40C fully CNC multispindle for nearly unlimited operations on small workpieces from bar up to 40mm (1.57 in.) diameter or for chucking up to 120mm (4.7 in.). Several innovative features make the MS40C quicker, more precise, and more energy efficient than competitive machines. With six fully independent liquid-cooled, hollow-shaft CNC spindle drives each capable of up to 7000 rpm, the MS40C includes a main spindle drive with increased stiffness, and hydrostatic guide bushings on each carrier slide which eliminate wear and the transmission of vibration to the tool. Designed as a modular system, the range of MS40C multispindles includes flexible machine configurations. Across the range, the MS40C can be equipped with up to 35 axes, 12 identical CNC tool carriers with 1 or 2 axes, plus one or two 10,000-rpm synchronized spindles with 150 mm travel in Z, and up to six tools for backworking. Two tool slides approach each spindle, permitting two tools to be simultaneously in the cut on each part. www.indextraub.com www.canadianmetalworking.com

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Metal finishing brings machined pieces to completion BY LINDSAY LUMINOSO

he metal finishing industry is inextricably linked to the metalworking industry, as almost every metallic part must be finished in one way or another. The Canadian Association of Surface Finishing (CASF) represents the wide range of companies dedicated to various surface finishing processes, and although surface finishing is not specific to metal alone the association primarily deals with metal finishing, concentrating on electroplating, anodizing, and coating. We spoke with Mike Kuntz, vice-chair of CASF and vice president of sales and marketing of Kuntz Electroplating Inc. (KEI), located in Kitchener, Ontario, to gain a better understanding of the depth and reach of the metal finishing industry in Canada.

HOW DOES THE CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF SURFACE FINISHING (CASF) FUNCTION WITHIN THE INDUSTRY? When it comes to the association, the CASF has been going on since the 1980s. It really is here to represent the surface finishing industry. The CASF used to be the Canadian Association of Metal Finishing and in the 58 | FEBRUARY 2015

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‘90s that was changed to broaden the scope and open it up to finishing in general. It still hasn’t broken out of its original mold, specifically metal finishing…I think there is a long term goal to include painting, which is a source of finishing. The primary mode of finishing, certainly on metal parts and equally on plastics, is the electroplating process. Outside of metal finishing and electroplaters, you have the suppliers, and the professionals like environmental engineers and consultants, that are all involved. The chemical suppliers are a huge part of the industry and associations. In the last three years there has been a revival to reach out and provide a resource to the industry because it still employs tens of thousands of people across the nation. [The CASF] launched a new website last year, and every year there are networking events, technical/environmental forums, and social networking events to bring people together to talk about the industry.

WHY IS METAL FINISHING SO IMPORTANT? Without it, parts can fail prematurely and there are safety issues. A lot of finishing happens in the aerospace industry, for example. www.canadianmetalworking.com

15-01-21 11:24 AM

There is some very technical finishing that happens on landing gear, of say a [Boeing] 747 for example, that if you don’t do it your plane doesn’t land. Automotive, aerospace, and mining and gas exploration all have a fairly healthy finishing industry that support them. When you see Harley Davidson, for example, [the metal finishing] serves two purposes. It provides corrosion protection because you have parts that are exposed to the environment; it also has the aesthetic, jewelry-type look. That’s a traditional nickel plated part. It’s a huge industry in North America that accounts for somewhere between $500 million to $1 billion just for the decorative plating, and it’s not just metal parts that get finished but also plastics and composites. The electronics industry is also quite large, like printed circuit boards, and it has a number of different surface finishing processes that apply. Specialty metals and copper are what let the electricity run through the components, and you are plating conductive metal on to non-conductive materials that allows current to run through them.

WHAT ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS, HOW DO THEY AFFECT THE SURFACE FINISH INDUSTRY? The regulatory environment is changing so quickly. We are probably one of the most heavily regulated industries in Canada, with a few minor exceptions. There are an extreme number of environmental regulations, from municipal, provincial and right up to the federal level, and for good reason. It’s a chemical intensive process and industry; you can’t afford to have a mistake. That doesn’t change the fact that it becomes a heavy burden to make sure that you are in line with all the different changing regulations.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES FACING THE SURFACE FINISHING INDUSTRY IN CANADA? It’s a shrinking industry in Canada, but it’s an essential part of the industry. The surface finishing industry is faced with the same struggles and challenges as any other traditional manufacturing sector in Canada. We are struggling just like anybody else with the high labour rates here. Our customers require us to be globally competitive. A lot of the finishing that used to happen in Canada or the U.S. has gone to China or Mexico. The shops that are left are the ones that are specialized. What we would consider advanced manufacturing, where there are real technical/specific technologies required, or specific manufacturing processes that cannot be easily repeated somewhere else, especially in low-labour-cost countries. Those are the ones that are thriving. It’s cyclical too, [Kuntz Electroplating is] an automotive company for the most part, and we kind of live and die by automotive volumes. Same goes with aerospace suppliers. They are experiencing a boom right now due to resurgence in aerospace manufacturing. But it’s cyclical; the ones that are doing well are the ones that specialize, or have embraced lean manufacturing, technology and automation, and focus on responsive, flexible supply chains. www.canadianmetalworking.com

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PHOTO: KUNTZ ELECTROPLATING INC.

[At Kuntz Electroplating], we have 15 full time environmental people at our company that take care of the entire sustainability program, all of our waste streams, recycling, energy, water, and air. We are proud of that, and we are always trying to stay ahead of the curve with environmental technology. It’s still a cost burden; it’s part of the cost of doing business in this industry.

IS THERE A SPECIFIC REGION IN CANADA THAT YOU SEE A CONCENTRATION OF METAL FINISHING COMPANIES? The majority of finishers reside in Ontario and Quebec. There is a fairly healthy finishing industry in the West as well that is associated with the oil and gas and mining industry. Those are functional type finishers, very specialized. You’ve got very large mining equipment and oil and gas services require specialized equipment under very harsh conditions, so there are some very large, healthy finishers that are again specialized for servicing a specific industry and sticking close to that industry. For the short responsive supply chains, they are important to compete today. FEBRUARY 2015 | 59

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WE ARE SEEING A TREND IN OTHER INDUSTRIES WHERE OEMS ARE IN-SOURCING OR MOVING ANCILLARY PROCESSES IN-HOUSE, IS THIS THE CASE FOR SURFACE FINISHING? The trend is actually the opposite in the finishing industry. It is such a specialized function of the manufacturing process. A lot of the OEMs are saying “this isn’t our core competency, so why are we doing it.” The finishing business is a high fixed-cost business, there are barriers to entry, and there are extreme environmental requirements and restrictions. There are a lot of heavy chemicals used and it requires a lot of due diligence to make sure those are managed properly.

PHOTO: KUNTZ ELECTROPLATING INC.

The big OEMs are outsourcing more. Harley Davidson is a good example of that. They were huge into doing electroplating, the decorative nickel-chrome plating, that bling that you see on their motorcycles. They did a lot of that in-house. Five to six years ago they made the conscious decision that they couldn’t compete anymore. They now outsource all of their electroplating needs. Some painting is done in house, but the more specialized electroplating they decided to outsource, and that is a fairly common trend we are seeing which presents opportunity for those that are competitive in that space. There is certainly a lot of consolidation though. The last recession took a big bite out of the industry. A lot of the smaller, less competitive finishers in the industry just couldn’t compete. They were already sort of hanging on and if they didn’t commit to lean 60 | FEBRUARY 2015

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processes and right sizing their business, they weren’t able to survive the storm.

IS IT COMMON FOR A SURFACE FINISHING COMPANY TO SPECIALIZE IN ONLY ONE TYPE OF PROCESS? It’s kind of split. There are many finishers that offer a broad range of finishing services. There is hard chrome plating, anodizing, and dozens of electroplating finishes that you can provide. It depends on how specialized each company wants to become. For example, [KEI] used to provide dozens of different kinds of finishes. Then we saw there was an opportunity in high-volume decorative nickel chrome on metal substrates like steel and aluminum. We decided to specialize and carve out our niche. That was a good decision, as there weren’t and still aren’t many companies today that can provide the level of cosmetic quality and functional quality at the same time at the volumes that the motorcycle and automotive industries require. There are others that are more diversified though. In some other spaces, like functional finishes, it is a little more competitive and commoditized. Like when you are doing fasteners for example, you are doing millions, and hundreds of millions of nuts and bolts per year. It’s a mixture really.

ANY FINAL THOUGHTS? The metalworking and metal surface finishing industries are complementary to each other. Many of the parts that are surface finished have to be metal worked first, they need to be machined and have exact tolerances built into them. What’s interesting is a lot of times the finishing needs to be factored into the metalworking, because with finishing you are building up surfaces. So if you don’t take into consideration a couple of thousandths of metal thickness building up on a metal finished part, then things just don’t fit. Many of the metalworkers who work with metal finishers understand through the OEM designs that these tunings need to work together. Many of the metal finishers will work closely with the machine shops to make sure that the quality is in sync and unison. www.canadianmetalworking.com

15-01-21 10:55 AM

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The ‘in’ metal for manufacturers BY NATE HENDLEY

nown by the symbol ‘Ti’, titanium is an increasingly popular ‘go-to’ metal for manufacturers. “Titanium is both strong and lightweight— as strong as steel but weighing only 56 per cent as much as steel. That gives it the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any of today’s structural metals. To produce structures of the same strength, far less titanium is required than other metals,” reads information from the International Titanium Association (ITA), a non-profit trade group based in Northglenn, Colorado. Heat and corrosion resistant, titanium is highly regarded by people who make airplanes and airplane parts. “The commercial aerospace industry is the

single largest market for titanium products primarily due to the exceptional strengthto-weight ratio, elevated temperature performance and corrosion resistance,” states the ITA. “Titanium applications are most significant in jet engine and airframe components that are subject to temperatures up to 1100ºF (593ºC) and for other critical structural parts… as new titanium products, alloys and manufacturing methods are employed by the aircraft industry, the use of titanium will expand.” Indeed, titanium is also finding its way into the medical parts sector and world of oil and gas. For all its advantages, however, titanium has a reputation for being difficult to cut. “It doesn’t like to be bullied,” is how Brian Hamil, product engineering manager, SGS Tool Company, in Munroe Falls, Ohio puts it. With that in mind, what’s the best way to cut this metal? We asked some experts, and here’s what they had to say:

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN CUTTING TITANIUM?

PHOTO: COURTESY OF MAKINO

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“Probably the biggest problem people report is heat build-up at the cutting edge, because titanium is a poor conductor of heat,” says Don Graham, manager of education and technical services, Seco Tools, in Troy, Michigan. “Titanium is regarded as a heat-resistant super alloy (HRSA). One of the biggest challenges [in cutting it] is chip control,” adds Brian Sedesky, applications/sales engineer, Horn USA, in Franklin, Tennessee. “Chip control is difficult because the titanium alloys www.canadianmetalworking.com

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will retain their strength at high temperatures. Titanium does not soften and flow into the chip form of the cutting tool like steels do. The requirements of the cutting tools are also demanding when machining titanium. The cutting tools must have a sharp enough edge to shear the material in the cutting zone but be strong enough to withstand the repeated cutting forces of the material.”

PHOTO: COURTESY OF MAKINO

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH HEAT BUILD-UP ON THE CUTTING-EDGE? “Typically the heat build-up from machining is controlled with coolant and by using an appropriate cutting tool that minimizes the heat generated during cutting,” says Kurt Ludeking, product manager for turning, Walter USA, Waukesha, Wisconsin. “A sharp cutting edge and appropriate chipform geometry can help quite a bit in controlling the heat.” According to Brian MacNeil, milling products and application specialist at Sandvik Canada in Mississauga, Ontario the parameters that affect heat are, in order of biggest impact: 1) Vc cutting speed, m/min (ft/min) 2) ae cutting width, mm (inch) 3) fz feed per tooth, mm/tooth (inch/tooth) 4) ap cutting depth, mm (inch) After setting appropriate parameters, “the next thing we can do is introduce high precision coolant at the highest available pressure,” says MacNeil. “Grades and geometries can also play a part in reducing heat by using sharp ground geometries and thin PVD coatings that prevent edge rounding of the geometry itself. Programming techniques can also help to reduce heat.”

AN ARTICLE ON THE SANDVIK COROMANT WEBSITE READS, “IF STEEL WERE STIFF MODELING CLAY, TITANIUM WOULD BE FROZEN SILLY PUTTY.” IT CAN BE ‘GUMMY’ IN OTHER WORDS. WHAT CHALLENGES DOES THIS POSE FOR CUTTING AND HOW DO YOU OVERCOME THEM? “Titanium is a very high strength material but has a low modulus of elasticity. This causes the material to want to move away from the cutting tool. Or causes the tool to deflect,” says MacNeil. “You want to 64 | FEBRUARY 2015

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www.canadianmetalworking.com

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use very positive tools with sharp edges to overcome this challenge.”

AS A RULE OF THUMB, IS IT A GOOD IDEA TO USE LOTS OF COOLANT WHEN CUTTING TITANIUM? IS IT POSSIBLE TO CUT TITANIUM WITH MINIMAL COOLANT? “I do know that people are researching Cryogenic machining and Minimal Quantity Lubricant (MQL) machining. Sandvik is heavily involved globally in this type of research as well with a number of universities here in Canada. These [applications] are not mainstream or readily available yet. Until then the best and most productive results will always be with precise delivery of coolant under the highest possible pressure,” says MacNeil.

HAVE MORE OF YOUR CUSTOMERS BEEN ASKING ABOUT TITANIUM? “Yes, we see it more and more. It used to be just the big aircraft companies or their first-tier suppliers [that used titanium], but now it’s getting into some of the smaller shops too. A lot of them don’t have much experience with titanium or some of the high temp alloys…if you’re a small shop, you want a tooling supplier that has experience with titanium, since [small shops] generally don’t have in-house [titanium experts],” says Ludeking.

applications are expanding. Its corrosion resistance brings it into some other areas that are not typical aerospace,” says Ludeking. These other areas include automotive, medical parts and oil and gas drilling.

SOME EXPERTS SAY TROCHOIDAL MILLING (IN WHICH THE CUTTER IS PROGRAMMED TO MOVE IN A CIRCULAR PATTERN) IS THE BEST MILLING SOLUTION FOR TITANIUM. WHAT’S YOUR OPINION? “This is a very secure and efficient method of milling in HRSA. The low engagement (usu-

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SOME EXPERTS RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING CUTTING SPEEDS FOR TITANIUM: 60 M/MIN FOR ROUGHING AND THREE TO FOUR TIMES THAT WHEN FINISHING. WOULD YOU AGREE?

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TITANIUM IS VERY POPULAR IN THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY. DO YOU EXPECT THE USE OF TITANIUM TO INCREASE FOR CIVILIAN AND MILITARY AIRCRAFT?

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“Yes, I would agree if we are cutting Ti6Al4V which is an Alpha/Beta titanium. We tend to use it as the benchmark for speed and factor speed for other material from it. For example Ti-5553 which is a Beta Ti, we would use half the speed as we would for Ti6Al4V,” says MacNeil.

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“Absolutely. Titanium’s combination of properties makes it highly desirable for the demanding applications of aircraft. Use will almost certainly increase in the future…[titanium]

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ally less than 10 per cent of the tool diameter) allows us to increase our feed and the short contact time in cut allows us to increase the speed,” says MacNeil. “Trochoidal milling is one of the machining techniques [that] can be advantageous if it is applied correctly and uses the right cutting tool,” says Tom Hagan, milling product manager at Iscar Tools in Oakville, Ontario. “In many cases this technique does indeed significantly improve the situation. Material is machined by producing thin chips with high sfm. The tool must have the necessary cutting geometry and coatings but also must have the correct helix angle for smooth and stable cutting for titanium material.”

IN YOUR OPINION, ARE CARBIDE TOOLS THE BEST CHOICE FOR CUTTING TITANIUM? “With regards to finish and rough milling, in my opinion, no doubt, yes,” says Hagan. “Finish machining allowance (material to be removed per pass) is small, chips are thin and the heat does not affect the tool dramatically. In rough milling, low heat conductivity of titanium is a key factor and heat resistance of a tool material is very important. Tungsten carbide has higher heat resistance compared with high speed steel (HSS), even with rich cobalt (Co) content and coatings. worldwide

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF MAKINO

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However, the thermal shock resistance of HSS is greater than carbide…as a result, HSS and HSCo (high speed cobalt) milling tools continue to be widespread in industry.”

DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR OPTIMAL MACHINE TOOL SET-UP WHEN CUTTING TITANIUM? SHOULD YOU ONLY USE RIGID EQUIPMENT? “Overall rigidity is key, as well as part fixturing,” says Matthieu Guillon, global segment manager, aerospace and defence, Kennametal, in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. “That is a Catch-22 question. Most of the parts in the aerospace industry are very complicated shapes that require large clearance in overhangs of the tooling. As for rigidity, rigid equipment is always preferable. However, in many cases we will machine non-rigid work pieces or have to deal with insufficient stiffness (poor work and/or tool holding, high overhang), or the machine tool is not in the best condition,” says Hagan.

ANY FINAL THOUGHTS ABOUT TITANIUM? “Best machining practices are critical to use when cutting titanium or any HRSA,” says MacNeil. “Simple habits such as rolling into cut, keeping tools in cut and rolling around corners are often overlooked and can give you a benefit in terms of tool life.” And finally: “Don’t be afraid of it. Understand it. It’s not a black hole. We tool guys understand titanium and know how to deal with it,” says Hamil.

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON TYPES OF TOOL WEAR EXPERIENCED WHEN CUTTING TITANIUM? “Thermal cracks, edge breaking and chipping of the cutting edge,” says Hagan. “Build-up and crater wear along with chipping are usually the primary wear mechanisms in titanium machining,” notes Ludeking. “To combat these and get the best tool life, you need a cutting edge and chipform geometry suited to titanium…to get the sharpest edge and avoid build-up, many manufacturers use uncoated carbide for titanium applications.”

DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR TAPPING TITANIUM ALLOYS? “Tapping titanium alloys such as Ti6Al4V is more difficult than tapping most alloyed materials, but certainly doable with the appropriate taps and techniques…tapping speed is critical for cutting threads in titanium alloys and will result in tap failure and/or shortened tap life if not followed. We recommend a tapping speed of 10-13 sfm both turning into the tapped hole and exiting out of the tapped hole,” says Mark Hatch, product director at Emuge Corporation in West Boylston, Massachusetts. www.canadianmetalworking.com

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FABRICATING & WELDING NEWS

CWA FOUNDATION’S “WEEK OF WELDING”

he Canadian Welding Association (CWA) Foundation hosted a week of welding recently that included robotics and welding students from various schools within the Halton District School Board and technology educators from both the Halton District and the Toronto Catholic District School Boards. “It was a great time. All of the students and educators really enjoyed their experience learning about the welding profession and having the opportunity to actually put their skills to the test and weld final projects,” said Deborah Mates, Executive Director of the CWA Foundation. “Seeing the students’ interest in welding and how they worked as a team clearly showed that if students are exposed to the welding profession in a safe environment, they really take hold and enjoy it.” From December 1-3, 2014, female robotics students from M.M. Robinson High School, Burlington Central High School, Garth Webb Secondary School, Craig Kielburger Secondary School, Milton District High School and Georgetown District High School learned all about MIG welding safety, proper welding techniques and they even tried the virtual welding simulator and welded a decorative Christmas bell.

After an exciting day of creating arcs and sparks, students and educators from M.M Robinson High School and Burlington Central High School pose for a photograph with their Christmas bells with Deborah Mates, Executive Director of the CWA Foundation (front left) during a week of welding at the CWB Group’s headquarters in Milton, ON.

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“I loved it, it was a lot of fun,” said Heather Tarnawski, 17, a Grade 12 robotics student from M.M Robinson High School about her experiences welding at the Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB) Group’s headquarters in Milton, Ontario. “I like the arcs and sparks and fusing metals together and seeing how it all works out when the project is completed.” On hand to educate the students on all safety measures, proper welding techniques and ensure the environment was safe was Canadian Welding Association’s Manager for Western Canada Ken McKen, along with Kim Kovaks and Tony Pisano, both CWB Certification Service Representatives, and Jamie McMillan, a female ironworker. “It was a lot of fun,” McKen said. “They quickly learned the basics of MIG welding and were eager to see the arcs and sparks. The projects turned out great and by the teamwork and enthusiasm displayed, they can all become wonderful welders.” McKen and his team not only assisted the robotics students, but on December 4, the CWA Foundation hosted a “Train the Trainer” session for manufacturing educators throughout the Halton District School Board. The basics of TIG and MIG welding fundamentals, safety and introduction to the latest welding technologies were covered. After the crash course, the educators were tasked to TIG weld an aluminum bird house as their final project. “TIG welding is a complicated and delicate welding process. It takes a lot of practice to master it, but the educators did a great job grasping the concept and their final projects were welded quite well,” said McKen. The final day of the week, the CWA Foundation welcomed students from Robert Bateman High School in Burlington, Ontario and two manufacturing educators from the Toronto Catholic School Board. They all got the chance to learn

A female robotics student from Garth Webb Secondary School welds a Christmas bell.

about welding and they fabricated a similar project as the other students earlier in the week. “Every one of them had a great time,” said Yvan Poulin, Program Lead SHSM Welding/Manufacturing at Robert Bateman High School. “The CWA Foundation always helps out our students and the relationship is wonderful. It’s exciting to have an organization that promotes welding education, safety and the entire welding profession in our backyard.” Poulin also participated in the Train the Trainer session the previous day where he received hands on training in TIG welding. “The experience was great,” he said. “TIG welding is a high-end welding process and being able to get an educational session on that process and then apply that training to the more practical side and TIG weld a project was a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to further working with the CWA Foundation.” The CWA Foundation invites other schools and educators to contact the Foundation and find out more information about bringing these initiatives to high schools in their provinces and communities. www.canadianmetalworking.com

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FABRICATING & WELDING NEWS

A SUCCESSFUL CWA NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR CHAPTER INAUGURAL EVENT The turnout for the Canadian Welding Association’s Newfoundland and Labrador chapter’s inaugural event was a huge success, as nearly 70 attendees gathered at Manuals River Interpretation Centre on November 18, 2014. “Personally, as Chapter Chair, and as an executive, we are very pleased with our first event,” said CWA Newfoundland and Labrador Chair Brad Forsey. “This is our second attempt in the province to try and establish a Chapter, so to have this kind of turnout for our first event was very reassuring and is a clear indictor that the chapter can succeed.” Forsey said the chapter is focusing on getting industry involved as much as possible because it will help industry disseminate their message while boosting appeal to attendees. “We’re going to work collaboratively with industry and leverage the great things they’re doing in the welding landscape here in the province while getting the chapter’s word out and promoting the benefits of becoming a CWA member,” he said. “So far we have had

positive feedback from our first event and I’m excited to see this chapter grow over time.” Guest speakers for the event included: Rod Bursey, P.Eng., who focused on the latest revisions to CSA W59-13, Greg Saunders, P.Eng., discussed fixed steel offshore structures – CSA W59-13 Annex U vs. S473 and Stig Skarborn, P.Eng., who presented on Quality: The Welder’s Responsibility. “Having distinguished speakers attend the event was a great honour,” he said. “They did an amazing job and the attendees were very pleased. All of the topics are very timely.” “I am very confident on the chapter’s future success,” said Forsey. “Local industry is at a place right now where the CWA can provide a lot of value and I don’t see that changing for the foreseeable future. The CWA is very important to industry here for educational seminars, new technological information, networking and the overall presence it has with regards to the welding industry.” Although the chapter’s first event

recently concluded, Forsey said the executive is working hard preparing for future events. “We’re working on two high impact events for the new year as a chapter, as well as work with the Canadian Welding Association (CWA) Foundation to host a Mind over Metal welding summer camp for students and work with industry to promote the 2015 CWA CanWeld Conference that will be right here in St. John’s from September 13-15.” Dan Tadic, Executive Director of the CWA, said it’s great that the Newfoundland and Labrador chapter had such a successful event. “It is wonderful news—I’m very pleased with the hard work by everyone to really make this a success,” he said. “It truly indicates the commitment by Brad and all the chapter committee members. There’s a lot of activity in the province right now and I’m looking forward to seeing this chapter successfully grow.” For more information about the Canadian Welding Association and becoming a member please visit their website at www.cwa-acs.org.

LINCOLN ELECTRIC ACQUIRES REALWELD SYSTEMS, INC. Lincoln Electric is expanding its educational and training capabilities with its latest acquisition. The company has acquired the assets of the privately held live arc welding training system manufacturer, RealWeld Systems, Inc. and the associated intellectual property from EWI. “RealWeld Systems’ RealWeld 70 | FEBRUARY 2015

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Trainer solution offers hands-on arc welding training and evaluation, which complements our existing educational offering and strengthens our position as a market leader in welding education in North America,” said Michael Mintun, Senior Vice President, North America Sales & Marketing. “EWI developed RealWeld’s technology to advance welding training

and help establish industry-accepted credentials for welders,” said Henry Cialone, President of EWI. “We are thrilled that Lincoln Electric shares our vision for the RealWeld Trainer in its ability to educate and deliver skilled, production-ready welders for the manufacturing workforce.” The terms of the transaction were not released. www.canadianmetalworking.com

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FABRICATING & WELDING NEWS

ELLIOTT TO DISTRIBUTE LVD STRIPPIT IN CANADA Elliott Matsuura Canada has announced that it has partnered with LVD Strippit to provide a new product line to meet today’s demanding requirements of the metal fabricating industry in Canada. The LVD Group is a leading manufacturer of a comprehensive range of sheet metal/plate working machine tools and software solutions, including laser cutting systems, punch presses, press brakes, guillotine shears and midlevel automation systems, integrated and supported by its CADMAN PC based Windows compatible software. “We are confident that the relarelationship between Elliott and LVD

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Strippit has a bright future. The LVD Strippit product line together with Elliott’s renowned service and support will be a winning combination. We are excited and eager to see where this partnership will take us,” said Frank Haydar, President of Elliott Matsuura Canada Inc.

LVD Strippit Sales and Marketing VP John Quigley adds, “LVD Strippit has been looking to increase our market presence in Canada and the new partnership with Elliott leverages their excellent reputation for strong market presence, industry knowledge and customer service in Canada. The new relationship brings greater resources and a broader plan to assertively support and increase our business in Canada. We believe our current and future customers, Elliott and LVD Strippit will benefit greatly from this partnership.” Visit the Elliott showroom in Oakville, Ontario and check out their full range of metalworking machinery.

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FABRICATING & WELDING NEWS

AN APP DESIGNED TO HELP DETERMINE APPROPRIATE FILLER METAL Check out the latest Hobart app, available for iPhone and iPad. This new free app can be downloaded at the Apple App Store. The Hobart Filler Metal Selector and Calculator app is a quick reference tool designed to help users determine how much filler metal is needed for a job, and it provides filler metal recommendations for welding various materials. It also includes a heat input calculator and a hardfacing product cross reference function. To determine the volume of filler metal required for a job via the app, users simply select a weld joint type and enter the dimensions of the weld size. The app also requests the user to input the total weld length, material and transfer modes, resulting

in a calculation for the amount of filler metal in pounds or kilograms required to complete the weld. The volume calculator works for alualu minum, stainless steel and carbon steel MIG and flux-cored welding applications. The heat input calculator in the Hobart Filler Metal Selector and Calculator app allows users to input voltage, amperage and travel speed variables to determine heat input for a given application, while the filler metal selector option provides recommendations for Hobart filler metals. The Hobart filler metal results list the appropriate American Welding Society (AWS) classification for the recommended products. A hardfacing product cross refreference function in the new app

Portability, durability, and performance in extreme-use applications Tweco’s ArcMaster 401MST (MIG-Stick-Lift TIG) and ArcMaster 401S (Stick-Lift TIG) power sources offer best-of-class performance in on-site and portable welding applications. These units have a 10- to 400-amp output and provide superior welding performance, especially with cellulose 6010 electrodes and MIG and flux cored wires (401MST). A rugged case protects the units from a 3-ft. drop and take up 50% less space than welders with similar outputs; the units measure 16.5” x 8.3” x 17.7”. The ArcMaster 401MST weighs 54 lbs. and the ArcMaster 401S weighs 46 lbs., both about 40% less than competitive welders. Automatic primary voltage selection with no mechanical changeover enables the unit to operate off single- or three-phase power, 208-230/400/460 VAC. Combined with 20% better energy efficiency and strong performance when connected to generator power, the ArcMaster 401MST and 401S are ideally suited for use in the following markets: industrial fabrication, power generation, instalpipe fabrication, shipboard instal lation and repair, petrochemical fabrication, maintenance and repair and rental. The 401MST works with all common wire feeder platforms. www.esabna.com

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allows the user to determine the Hobart filler metal equivalent to competitive manufacturers’ products.

The laser solution at your fingertip Gravotech’s Energy 8 is an economical CO2 laser engraver designed for low-output marking needs in the workshop, store or office. Its compact size, low running cost and included software make it a highly effective solution. Energy 8 features ergonomic functionalities namely, the front loading concept, user control of the laser via the interactive machine instrument panel, integrated storage capabilities and automatic focus adjustment. For occasional users whose activity does not involve intensive marking, this offer represents the answer to a variety of demands, be it for flat or cylindrical engraving, or engraving on objects. Compact in size (775 x 725 x 450 mm), Energy 8 fits easily into a small workshop and makes it possible to perform immediate engraving operations. The customer can chose, on the spot, the material he wishes to mark, from the extensive range offered by Gravotech. Energy 8 is supplied as standard with GravoStyle Discovery, which offers both the security of reliable software and the flexibility of saved settings according to materials. www.gravotech.com www.canadianmetalworking.com

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FABRICATING & WELDING NEWS New high performance abrasive blend

High performance abrasive flap discs

Norton Abrasives has introduced a major upgrade of their BEST-tier depressed center wheels for right angle grinding applications. Norton NorZon Plus wheels now utilize a proprietary blend of Norton’s patented, newest generation SG ceramic alumina and Norton BlueFireTM zirconia alumina abrasives, combined with a new high performance bond system for significantly improved grain micro-fracturing. The new Norton NorZon Plus line has also been expanded with the introduction of Norton NorZon Plus Fast Cut Depressed Center Wheels. Norton NorZon Plus’ improved micro-fracturing capability provides a continual supply of serrated cutting edges, enabling unparalleled productivity, wheel life and overall cost effectiveness across a broad spectrum of right angle grinding applications. NorZon Plus Fast Cut provides a 15-30 per cent improved cut rate over standard NorZon Plus wheels. NorZon Plus wheels offer a fast cutting, long lasting, low total cost solution. NorZon Plus is ideal for steel, stainless steel and ferrous metals. Wheels are available in sizes 4-9” in ¼” thickness. www.nortonindustrial.com

Weiler introduces Tiger Paw abrasive flap discs, designed for aggressive performance and longer life in heavy-duty applications such as edge grinding. The 100 per cent zirconium grain on the Tiger Paw is designed to last up to 40 per cent longer than other standard zirconium flap discs. That durability comes from a high-performance grain and special poly-cotton backing that provides superior grain retention. This is ideal for applications such as pipe beveling, weld blending, grinding, stock removal, edge chamfering and surface finishing and blending. The multiple layers of coated abrasive material on the Tiger Paw flap discs expose sharp, fresh grains as they slowly wear away, and the poly-cotton backing prevents premature grain shedding on aggressive applications. Tiger Paw flap discs are available in 4-inch, 4 1/2”-inch, 5-inch and 7-inch sizes that come with or without a 5/8-inch 11 nut. All sizes come in standard Type 27 style, for smooth action, and standard Type 29 style, for the most aggressive applications. The 4 1/2”-inch and 7-inch sizes also come in a Type 27 super high-density configuration, which contains 35 to 40 per cent more flaps for increased flexibility, extended life and lower operator fatigue. www.weilercorp.com

www.canadianmetalworking.com

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CLEARING THE

AIR

Air quality is a concern for manufacturers and regulators BY NESTOR GULA

he days of grimy smoke-filled manufacturing plants are long gone. There is an ongoing push to make the work place healthier, and to this end there are more regulations coming that will mandate the reduction of allowable exposure to the harmful fumes that are created during the welding process. “Hexavalent chromium [Cr(XI)] and manganese [Mn] are among these materials,” says Kevin A. Lyttle, senior development scientist at Praxair, Inc. in a paper he presented at the Canadian Welding Association’s Conference in October 2013. “The recent significant lowering of suggested exposures to these materials makes it imperative that the welding community have a better understanding of what can be done to reduce the amount of these and other potentially harmful constituents found in the workplace environment. The challenges of controlling fume generation are significant, but they can be met by careful selection of consumables and welding processes, and proper use of ventilation.” While some may bemoan the introduction of new stringent regulations covering the workplace as an unnecessary intrusion by the government into the affairs of private business, the aim is to create a healthy work

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environment and an even playing field for competing businesses. “Foremost is the impact on worker protection as it applies to the employer’s responsibility to create a safe working environment for employees,” says Peter Elleman, director of EHS at ESAB Welding & Cutting Products. “Employers must obtain and apply the expertise to evaluate worker exposures against the evolving regulatory and scientific exposure limits.” Complying with any new air quality standards will bring costs to the business. For Elleman, one single assessment is not sufficient for determining air quality and fume exposure. Welding is performed in a variety of scenarios; one of the only effective and accurate ways to evaluate worker exposure is through air sampling over the course of a shift or other respective period. One important factor when measuring against new regulatory standards is using a “representative period of time that encompasses the peaks and valleys of fume generation at a particular job. This industrial hygiene assessment is not a skill set of most employers, so it adds to the cost of business when an external expert is retained for this purpose. It may be a case of proving the negative, but one must make decisions based on the data from sampling rather than trusting assumptions or inference,” says Elleman. www.canadianmetalworking.com

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Welding causes fumes that should be avoided. PHOTO: COURTESY OF ESAB WELDING & CUTTING PRODUCTS

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The health of the worker is but one of the reasons for companies to invest in a healthy work environment. “An increasing number of companies are preparing to purchase or already implementing steps, such as source capture, to create a cleaner, safer welding environment,” says Allan Hilbert, fume extraction product specialist, Miller Electric Mfg. Co. “Additionally, insurance carriers are beginning to place more requirements on companies to create a viable weld fume management program, making companies take action sooner.” Liability, from an insurance point of view, can extend beyond just the health of the workers. Elleman explains that a second concern is the potential for product liability. “By design, welding consumables can generate hazardous decomposition products during use. Manufacturers must clearly communicate the risks and uncertainties to the product purchaser and then trust that the user will use due care with the products.” Welding fumes rise from the weld arc and are largely caused by the melting and vaporization of the consumable electrode. The fume will contain such elements as manganese and copper, but the specific chemical compounds present in the welding fume depends on the composition of the consumable electrode alloy, the base metals being welded among other factors. “Some specific compounds in welding fume

have occupational airborne exposure limits,” says Lyttle. “While in some instances there may be an exposure limit for total welding fume, the exposure limit for a given individual compound in the fume may be many orders of magnitude lower. Therefore, certain compounds of environmental health significance can effectively drive the need to limit total welding fume exposure to very low levels. These compounds typically include forms of cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, manganese, and nickel.” As more research is being done on the effects of various organic and inorganic compounds on the human body, exposure limits and exposure guidelines for welding fumes continue to be modified and manufacturers should pay attention to how these can affect the business. “In 2006 (compliance by 2010), a change was made in the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) in the U.S. for hexavalent chromium,” notes Lyttle. “This material is found in varying quantities in the fume generated by stainless steel welding electrodes and wires. This limit, set at 0.005 mg/m3 for any form of Cr(VI), proved challenging but not impossible to meet through the use of engineering controls and ventilation,” he says. “In early 2013, a new Threshold Limit Value (TLV) was published by ACGIH (American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists) for exposure to manganese in both respirable www.canadianmetalworking.com

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A good fume hood can adjust to be where it is most effective. PHOTO: COURTESY OF LINCOLN ELECTRIC

and inhalable forms. This new guideline is 0.02 mg/m3—a reduction from the previous TLV by a factor of 10. While this is a guideline exposure number and does not have any regulatory impact, many in industry do seek to limit personal exposures to materials in the work environment to levels at or near recommended TLVs.” It is important to note that the ACGIH makes recommendations as opposed to standards. “Implementing the CCOHS Hierarchy of Controls is the best step toward meeting them. This hierarchy provides feasible options for reducing worker exposure to weld fume and includes four guidelines,” says Hilbert. There are some steps that can be taken to ensure reduction of overall exposure. Miller Electric outlines four ways: (1) elimination or substitution; (2) engineering controls; administrative controls; personal protective equipment (PPE). “Elimination or substitution uses low-manganese filler metals or changing the shielding gas to an argon mix to reduce overall fume generation rates. Engineering controls adds portable source fume extraction equipment or centralized filtration systems. Administrative Controls makes behavioral changes (e.g. proper body positioning). Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) includes respiratory protection such as half masks, powered air purifying respirators or supplied air respirators.” There are many ways that a manufacturer can comply with these new regulations and guidelines. For some, it may require a change in process, consumables or fume capture at source or a combination of any of these three methods. “I believe that our industry is doing its best to comply with these new regulations,” says Dan Tadic, executive director of the Canadian Welding Association. “Some companies are addressing this issue with increased use of fume capture at source, use of welding respirators, change in welding consumables, or simply though a process change. An www.canadianmetalworking.com

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TECHNOLOGY FOR THE WELDER’S WORLD.

MORE THAN WELDING. RAB Grip TA & FES-200 W3

Mobile, powerful, and easy to handle! The fume extraction unit FES-200 combined with threaded, low profile fume extraction torches provide the best possible welding fume extraction directly at the source. The W3 is licensed for all CrNi steels! steels

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Welding wire for reduced manganese emissions Developed for hand-held, automatic and robotic welding in the automotive industry, as well as rail car manufacturing, structural welding and other similar applications, this low manganese emission metal-cored welding wire also addresses the new ACGIH guidelines. Coreweld C6 has more than 50 per cent lower manganese content and is designed to provide improved operating qualities while reducing manganese levels in the comwelding fumes when com metpared to standard met al-cored electrodes of the same classification. www.esab.ca

Welding gun sucks fumes away Lighter and smaller than many standard fume extraction guns, the redesigned Clean Air Fume Extraction Gun from Bernard (a division of Miller Electric Mfg. Co.), provides welding operators with a more comfortable option for reducing weld fume and smoke. The gun is nearly the same dimensions as a regular Bernard SemiAutomatic MIG Gun and is suitable for almost any medium- to heavy-duty solid or flux-cored welding application. It features a four position nozzle shroud that optimizes weld fume capture, gas flow and weld access. The small size offers good joint access and visibility, while a 360-degree vacuum hose swivel on the rear of the handle improves flexiflexi bility and reduces wrist fatigue. It comes in 400-, 500and 600-amp models with a 45- or 60-degree neck bend to maximize wire feeding. www.bernardwelds.com

Portable at source fume capture The Mobiflex 200-M from Lincoln Electric is a low vacuum system for welding fume extraction and filtration. Suitable for smaller manufacturing facilities that require light to medium duty weldwelding fume extraction in variable locations, it has one of the largest disposable filter cartridges in its class. It comes standard with a cellulose/polyester filter and has a filter status indicator located on the front. A washable aluminum pre-filter protects and extends the life of the filter by removing larger-sized particulate and providing spark entrapment. www.lincolnelectric.com

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example could be the use of the Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) or Submerged Arc Welding (SAW) processes.” While shielded-metal arc (SMAW), gas-metal arc (GMAW), and flux-cored arc (FCAW) welding processes are responsible for generating a significant portion of the fume particles found in the welding environment, “gas-tungsten arc (GTAW) and submerged arc (SAW) welding processes generate significantly less fume than other techniques because of the way in which material is transferred from the consumable electrode to the weld pool. The fume generated by any of these arc welding processes depends upon a number of factors and each can have a very significant impact on fume production,” says Lyttle. Fume hoods and fume control is the primary method of dealing with this noxious smoke. For Elleman, one of the best approaches is to direct fumes away from the welder at the source or through appropriate ventilation. “It’s also important to consider the exposures that may arise from handling the raw consumables, by-products and filters that are the less obvious exposure pathways. It’s wise to exercise good hygiene practices all around the welding activities,” he explains. Positioning and the power of the fume extraction technology are essential. “It’s important to have a system that includes the appropriate filter to capture the fume and that provides enough velocity to pull in the weld fume before it reaches the welding operator’s breathing zone,” says Hilbert. “The combination of performance and correct filter type maintains the best capture distance. For the welder that means the hood can be further away which means less arm movements and results in more welding.” However, a well-ventilated shop will not necessarily comply with the new guidelines alone. Tadic warns that General ventilation is not always practical as the fume may be inhaled before reaching an exhaust unit. This is why it is important to capture the fumes at the source. Whenever possible, use at-source fume control so that fugitive fumes are minimized. “At source fume extractors are also more effective tools for directing the fumes and air stream into the desired direction, away from the welder’s breathing zone,” says Elleman. “They will reduce, or possibly eliminate, the requirement to assess collateral exposures and liabilities. Whole-plant fume capture is reasonable but is not as effective as source capture. One can use both, of course.” www.canadianmetalworking.com

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C02 lasers have a lot to offer BY NESTOR GULA

The Amada LCG3015 features a 3.5 kW CO 2 Amada/Fanuc resonator, an enclosure that surrounds the entire cutting area of the machine with access for part removal, a helical rack and pinion drive system for both the X and Y axis.

hen it comes to deciding on the right type of laser cutting system, fiber lasers have been capturing recent headlines due to their speed advantages. However, CO 2 lasers have been supplying much of the laser cutting capacity in North America. The fact of the matter is CO2 lasers have a stronghold in the manufacturing industry because of their longevity. They simply have been around for a lot longer than the fiber laser systems and continue to be a popular choice for customers searching for the right system for their specific applications. “There is an install base of about 50 to 1 of CO2 lasers versus fiber lasers,” says Mike Millette, laser product manager for Prima Power. One of the

reasons is because CO2 lasers can cut varying materials and thicknesses without challenge—cutting up to one inch thick stainless steel. Shops that focus on custom fabrication, the CO2 laser offers the most flexibility. What is the fundamental difference? When it comes to laser systems, the difference is found in the way the beam is created and the wavelength that is emitted. “CO2 lasers create the beam using a gas as a gain medium, and the beam produced is of a 10.6 micron wavelength,” says Brett Thompson, sales engineer for TRUMPF Inc. The energy represents what we commonly refer to as heat or infrared radiation. “It is transmitted from the laser to the processing head via line-of-sight copper mirrors enclosed in an external beam delivery system,” explains Bob Kloczkowski, regional sales manager for Rofin-Sinar, Inc. CO2 lasers convert electric power into heat energy with approximately 10 per cent becoming the actual laser beam. The transportation of the beam to the focusing lens also changes

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Developed to operate autonomously, the ByAutonom can be operated lightly-manned in combination with an automation system. Users have the option of incorporating the ByLaser 4400 or ByLaser 6000 watt CO 2 laser sources. WWW.BYSTRONICUSA.COM

The Optiplex Nexus 3015 laser system is available in single fixed table, manual table, or automated two-pallet configurations which are modular. The system features auto nozzle changing, auto nozzle cleaning, auto profiler calibration, focus detection, auto focus positioning, pierce detection, burn detection and plasma detection. WWW.MAZAKOPTONICS.COM

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depending on the type of system that is used. The fiber laser uses “a fiber to transport the laser beam to the cutting head, where the CO2 laser uses optics configured in a special way so they don’t suffer from beam divergency,” says Stefan Colle, laser product sales manager for LVD Strippit. All CO2 lasers are not created the same. In the fabricating industry, there are two designs that are generally used: Fast axial flow (FAF) and dif diffusion-cooled slab lasers. The methods of excitation and cooling of the carbon dioxide laser gas mixture is what categorizes these two different options, according to Kloczkowski. Although there are differences in the construction of the beam, the wavelength still remains at 10 micron. At 10 micron, the laser beam wavelength is readily absorbed by most metals, making it a flexible option for most industrial metal cutting and welding applications. Because of its absorption characteristics, it provides a more forgiving parameter window for most metal applications. However, Kloczkowski explains that the CO2 laser cannot be used with highly conductive metals such as brass, copper and aluminum. This type of laser, though, is able to work with a large

variety of metals as well as non-metals, including wood and plastic, making up for its limitations. The wavelength of a fiber laser is unable to cut these types of materials. This allows for more offerings when it comes to customers’ requests. Setting aside some material exceptions, there are many advantages to choosing a CO2 laser system for a manufacturing facility or job shop. “The primary advantage of a CO2 over a fiber laser is its ability to cut thicker stainless steel with smoother edge quality than what a fiber can do,” says Jason Hillenbrand, laser product manager for Amada America Inc. From Amada’s stand point the real advantage is the fact The CO 2 Slab Laser with 6 kW cutting power was developed to cut thicker sheet metals. The laser comes with a Rofin Control Unit (RCU) which enables extended monitoring and control functions. WWW.ROFIN.COM

that the CO2 option can cut thick mild steel with a bit better edge quality as well as its speed. Solid state, fiber laser systems are best suited for up to six millimetre thick material. Millette explains that this is where you get the speed differential and therefore the payback on the cost of the machines. He uses the example of a company that makes rail cars or something similar in nature, where a good edge quality is needed in half-inch, three-quarter inch or one inch material, this is where the CO 2 laser has the advantage. “As you get into thicker material the cut speeds become closer and closer together. One thing that is a detriment to fiber is when cutting thick material, the beam is so small that it is difficult to get parts out of the skeleton. All of the time you would gain, potentially, with more speed in the processing, you would lose getting the parts out of the nest,” says Millette. www.canadianmetalworking.com

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Available in two sizes, 1530 and 2040 and with laser powers ranging from 2,500 watts to 5,000 watts, the Platino system can work in any application and can be equipped with an optional rotary axis that allows the machine to change from cutting flat sheet metal to processing round, square and rectangular tubes. WWW.PRIMAPOWER.COM

The TruLaser 5030 laser system is available with the newly designed TruFlow 6000 CO 2 laser resonator. With a high temperature cooling system, the laser’s power consumption can be reduced by 30 per cent. WWW.TRUMPF.COM

The initial investment cost of the CO2 laser system tends to be lower than the fiber option, and those working with a wide variety of materials generally see this as a reasonable choice. In addition, the overall performance and quality of the results tend to be higher compared to solid-state laser cutting,” says Thompson, who adds, “When processing stainless steel the CO2 laser produces a substantially more cosmetically appealing edge. Processing stainless steel with a solid-state laser produces a more striated edge and the

stainless steel has a lower burr limit. Fabricators who process high quantities of stainless steel, or who are especially concerned with the edge quality, would be more inclined to install a CO2 laser system.” Another area of concern when purchasing a new machine comes with operat-ing costs. Even if the machine investment is the right price,

a high operating cost can soon eclipse the initial savings. “The electrical efficiency of the CO2 is approximately 10 to 12 per cent… [whereas] the electrical efficiency is 30 per cent for a fiber laser,” says Frank Arteaga, head of product marketing, NAFTA region, for Bystronic Inc. What this means is that fiber laser requires less electricity to create the laser beam than its counterpart. This can equate to overall costs savings. However, another factor in operating costs is cutting material and thickness. When dealing with mild steels, the fiber laser has a lower operating cost, generally as low as $5-13/hour, whereas the CO2 costs $9-15/hour. However, it is cutting stainless steels and aluminum where the cost differential is minimal. “They get closer together [in cost] because [CO2] use nitrogen in the cutting and with fiber you have to use more nitrogen pressure and volume to accomplish the same [result]… so you would spend a bit more on the nitrogen cover gases than you would on a CO2 . Both alusystems can be up to 25 dollars to cut alu minium or Stainless steels,” says Millette. Overall, the decision to purchase or use one system over the other is predicated on a shop’s general applications. There is no fast and hard rule for choosing one over the modother. The fiber laser system, the more mod ern of the two, offers many cost-effective solutions. However, “For a smaller job shop it is very difficult to make up a hundred grand in operating costs to the initial purchase price of the machine where you are only running the machine maybe 30 to 40 hours a week,” explains Millette. The strength of the CO2 machine comes in its usefulness. “CO2 remains the most flexible laser cutting technology,” said Colle. Being able to cut various materials and advanthicknesses gives this machine an advan tage. However, having both fiber and CO2 lasers in the shop is a sure fire way to maximize the features of both machines.

The Sirius 3015 Plus 4 kW CO 2 laser system has standard features including Automatic Laser Cutting (ALC) technology using dynamic feedback to monitor and regulate laser power, speed and assist gas pressure in real time during the cutting process. WWW.LVDGROUP.COM

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Canadian company sells coil handling machinery to the world BY NESTOR GULA

ucked into an industrial area in the east end of Toronto, Mecon Industries is a privately held Canadian firm that specializes in making coil handling equipment—the machinery that unrolls the coils and the straighteners that make the coiled steel flat so it can be worked by other machinery. The company was founded in 1961 by Anthony Foscarini to manufacture press tooling, fixtures and machined parts. The company gradually expanded its product line to include custom designed machinery, conveyors, drilling machines, inspection equipment and coil processing equipment. Today the company places its focus on two main product lines, sheet metal bending tools (or brake dies) and coil handling equipment. These areas comprise 70 per cent of the company’s business, with the other 30 per cent including machine shop and welding services, custom design and builds of specialty machines. Mecon’s primary clients are associated with the automotive industry. “They tend to buy the biggest and the most,” says Jeff Norman,

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vice president of Mecon Industries Limited. “But anyone who makes stamped parts from metal is our client. You can have office furniture makers, appliance manufacturers, people that make air conditioning equipment.” The plant is located in an area that used to have a lot of automotive and other manufacturing activity. “The GM van assembly plant was right here. We did a lot of work for them,” he says. As plants closed, Mecon moved further afield to find customers. “A lot of the plants are still here but they are not doing much. An area that is coming back is Ohio and Michigan.” Norman sees no reason to join the flight of manufacturing and relocate his shop. They have a 45,000 square foot plant that employs 25 people. “We have a good spot here. We have a good building, a good facility, and there are a lot of big advantages of building in Canada, and in Toronto,” he says. “We have a well-educated workforce. We have a good and secure environment to work in. There are a lot of good reasons for us to be here.” With customers in the United States, Mexico and even in Europe, Norman does not see the distance to customers as a great www.canadianmetalworking.com

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obstacle, although he admits it does make sales and support more difficult. Using coiled steel is beneficial for manufacturers with long production runs. “Where you are making parts in the 5,000 and up range, there are lots of savings to be had by not having to constantly start and stop and handle sheets of metal,” says Norman. “Coil processing means you can set up once and then run a lot of weight of material for many, many hours without doing setup change. It means you can do high volumes of parts with a very small amount of labour input. The stamping process is very fast as compared to some of the cutting processes. With stamping you can produce parts at 60 strokes per minute.” Before using coiled steel, it must be straightened, and this is where Mecon’s expertise lies. “You start from coil, you need to unwind it somehow, that is where we come in,” he says. “Our machine unwinds the coil, conditions it to take out the curve, and we have a machine that will feed it into the next process. So if you dial 12 inches, the machine will give you exactly 12 inches within a thousandth of an inch—every time you ask for it.” Mecon’s coil handlers can feed a press, laser cutter, torch, shear or any other sheet metal tool. The goal of the conditioning is to get the metal sheet flat, especially if it’s producing blanks which will be stacked up. Mecon’s systems can handle coiled metal from oneinch thick to material that is about only three thicknesses of paper. There are two types of systems for unrolling coiled steel. In one the coil reel locks the coil in the centre and then rotates it like a spool. The other is a cradle

system with the coil resting on rollers and the force rotating the coil comes from the rollers. “The problem with the cradle is that you are rolling on the outside surface which is the working surface, so there is a risk of contamination, marking or rubbing,” says Norman. “So it is not a good choice when things have to be perfectly smooth. If you are making outside car parts and they will be painted with gloss paint any mark will show, so you need to run the coil with a different process, something that holds the coil from the inside and does not have a chance to mark it from the outside.” The biggest challenge the coil handling industry is facing now is adapting to new stronger and lighter materials being used in the auto industry. The newer car parts are being made with steel that has more carbon and other alloying elements in them. They have much stronger mechanical properties and they act quite different, explains Norman. “We are engineers and we understand the material, and we will design the machines differently to handle the hard and strong materials. What harder and stronger means is that you have to bend it further to actually straighten it.” The way Mecon’s straightening machine works is by bending the metal back and forth as it passes over a series of rollers. “With harder material the old straighteners may not have any influence on these new materials. They worked well on 1/8-inch mild steel, but now with the harder material they cannot push the 1/8-inch to a small enough radius to actually bend it,” he says. “So with the hard material you need a different straightener.”

A straightening system assembled and ready to ship from Mecon’s plant in Toronto. PHOTO: NESTOR GULA

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Mecon Industries Limited vice president Jeff Norman with a milling machine in Mecon’s Toronto plant. PHOTO: NESTOR GULA

Coil handling equipment, especially straighteners, is not a one solution fits all system. Each system Mecon builds is customized to that customer’s requirement. According to Norman, there are several different details that you need to know, the material thickness, material width, the minimums and maximums, and the hardness of the material. “We generally ask for the specifications and we look at all the materials they run and look at our straighteners to see what is the best compromise for all that will give them the best performance,” he says.

The process is not as simple as unrolling the coil and passing the metal through some rollers to make it straight. One of the challenges when starting to straighten the metal is that the material characteristics can change, depending on the type of material. This means that you really need to be careful not to overwork it, especially in the straightener. “Depending on what you are trying to do with the steel after in the press, if you are making a deep draw, making a cup shape, that material has got to go from a circle and get drawn into a cup, so that is deforming

A straightener being assembled in Mecon’s Toronto plant. PHOTO: NESTOR GULA

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cut sheets from a steel service centre made a lot in the forming process,” says Norman. sense,” he says. “The high production in mak“The materials must also have the properties ing tubing or making pipe or making auto that allow it to flow into the new shape— parts is where you are trying to get 5,000 that would be a special type of steel that is parts out of an eight hour shift and you are developed that would allow it to draw like trying to do that three times a day, 200 days that. If we did too much straightening and a year. That is high production and that’s the worked that material that would change the way auto parts are made. If you tried doing mechanical properties that didn’t allow it them in a different way you would never be to flow then we have done too much and you able to afford the price of a car.” would end up with cracking in that draw.” As the North American and world economies slowly begin to move forward, Norman sees a positive future. Manufacturing, especially in the auto sector, is bouncing back. “There is a point where buying a coil of material and processing it into many pieces makes sense. There is a point before that where buying SumpAd_CanMetal_6_14_Layout 1 5/5/14 4:51 PM Page 1

Mecon’s coil reel straightening system. PHOTO COURTESY MECON INDUSTRIES LIMITED

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METAL STAMPING BUSINESS SEES THE LIGHT Tripar Inc., Montreal, Quebec BY DOUG PICKLYK

ver four days in early November 2014, Montrealbased Tripar Inc. opened its doors to customers and suppliers to celebrate the metal stamping company’s 65th anniversary. This event was made doubly special when 91-year-old Ben Sevack, the company’s founder and chairman, made an appearance. The well-attended open house was symbolic of the company’s core strength of building long-term relationships with its customers, one dating back since its inception, while also maintaining strong family values and a willingness to share the expertise the company has acquired over three generations. Tripar’s specialty lies in metal stamping (mainly progressive, draw & deep draw), with an international reputation for its work in the commercial and architectural lighting industry. The business originally started in 1949 by three partners, thus the Tripar name. It was brothers Ben and David Sevack, who were recent immigrants from England following the Second World War, and a local man who was connected to the die making trade. Before long it was just the Sevack brothers who were running the metal stamping business, but the Tripar name stuck. Initially located in a 4,500 sq. ft. building on Hays Avenue in Montreal, the company moved to a 10,000 sq. ft. space in northeast end of Montreal Island after its 10th anni-

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versary in 1960. Now after four rounds of expansion Tripar occupies a 65,000 sq. ft. plant. “We have enough space for now,” says current company President, Lloyd Sevack, Ben’s son, although he doesn’t discount potential expansion in the future. An engineer by training, Lloyd worked for two companies over 15 years prior to joining the family business as vice president in 2001 after his uncle had retired. Since its earliest days Tripar has been well known to the lighting fixture industry. Lloyd notes that today around 80 per cent of its business comes from lighting OEMs. “We’re very responsive to that market. We can modify tooling, often giving customers exactly what they want with little or no tooling cost,” he says. Tripar does resists competing in the high-volume, lowend, residential lighting space, the products typically found in the big box hardware stores where deals like a six-pack of recessed lights run for $50, with light bulbs included. “It’s all made in China and of terrible quality,”

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BUSINESS PROFILE: FABRICATING

says Lloyd. “But that’s not our market. That’s practically a throw-away market.” Metal stamping in North America is a challenging business and a lot of work has moved overseas, but Lloyd does see some work coming back. “It’s not a tidal wave, but it is happening.” Lauren Sevack, Lloyd’s daughter, joined the company in a sales and marketing role in 2013. She relates the story of one local customer who had shifted its manufacturing to China years ago and recently rediscovered Tripar. “They called us because they were in a pickle and knew we were always there to help them,” she says. Tripar was able to quickly turn around their request, and Lauren followed up by asking for the opportunity to quote on the bulk of their work. “I wanted to see how close we were to the pricing from China. I know we are competitive, and we’re constantly innovating. “Well, their mouths were on the floor when we quoted, and they said, you’ve won our business back.” It’s a combination of being local and a focus on quality that works in their favour. “The reason we got the opportunity to regain their business was because they had ordered a thousand parts from China and more than half were scrap,” notes Lloyd. The company is not only winning back business from local customers but is also growing its relationships with European lighting clients. “We have customers from France, England and Belgium and we’re in discussions with firms in Denmark and Germany. All for the same reason, they’re eyeing the North American market,” says Lauren. As the European economy remains stalled these OEMs see the North American market ripe for expansion. The firms find Tripar, often through referrals, and take advantage of their expertise with North American construction and electrical codes, and the company’s ready supply of existing parts. “Initially we may be shipping components to Europe, where they assemble them and ship them back to North America, but more and more the European firms are setting up shop somewhere in North www.canadianmetalworking.com

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Three generations (l-r): Lloyd, Ben and Lauren Sevack.

America to assemble and deliver from here,” says Lloyd. Although modest in their Canadian way, the Sevacks are convinced they are the largest firm in North America specializing in the lighting market “We get told that all of the time,” says Lauren. “We don’t know if we’re always safe to make that claim, but then we have customers who tell us that we’re the only ones who do what we do.” “I know of a few others that do other aspects of lighting, but we’re the biggest,” says Lloyd. And with 65 years in operation the company’s knowledge is valued. “The number one feedback I get from our customers is that they love our expertise,” says Lauren. “They know that at any point they can come down, sit with our team of engineers and work out their problems. We care about finding solutions, and for the lowest possible cost.” “As much as we try to diversify out of lighting—which we do—we still continue to get more customers within lighting,” says Lloyd, “particularly now with the evolution of LED lighting which has taken place with such rapid speed over the last three to four years. New companies keep popping up.” The company certainly handles jobs outside of lighting as well, listing off projects including air purifiers, gardening tools, and project supplies such as xylophone kits and blind shelf supports. The company’s largest single contract was to manufacture a racking system for a massive (500,000 sq. ft.) grocery chain’s automated storage & retrieval system. FEBRUARY 2015 | 91

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On the factory floor, Lloyd insists they are constantly trying to modernize to meet new demands and requirements. The company has over 100 presses, CNC laser & press brakes, shears and metal assembly including spot welding. They do a lot of high-volume press work that start from coils, and for smaller volume jobs they have sheet metal fabrication equipment. For a lot of lighting components they work with galvanized steel, but for jobs that require a better aesthetic they use cold rolled steel that can be coated or plated. “We also work with aluminum, copper, brass, stainless steel, and some prefinished materials, like pre-painted steels or pre-plated—both of those can be formed to a degree without flaking and if that works for the customer, it’s way more cost competitive than post finishing (painting or plating),” says Lloyd. Shortly after the economic collapse in the fall of 2008, Tripar installed its Amada LC 1212 CO2 laser cutter. “We were responding to what customers were telling us,” says Lloyd. “I was the one who resisted it for the longest time.” He adds that the laser has allowed the company to start small with a lot of new and even existing customers. “Customers told us, ‘When we have high volume and can justify tooling you guys are great. If we don’t have high volume and you can modify an existing die, you guys are pretty good. But for lower volume you don’t have any option and we have to go somewhere else.’” So Tripar will often start out with the laser option with new clients or projects that are in their infancy and may need to be market proven before moving to larger runs. “The difference with us is, unlike a laser-only shop, once a customers’ volumes increase we’ll be the first to say, ‘You’re tying up our laser doing high-volume work, so instead of paying $4 a part, if you spend x-thousand dollars on tooling, your price will drop to $2 per part.” And the numbers speak for themselves,” explains Lloyd. 92 | FEBRUARY 2015

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“That takes the load off our laser and keeps it available to do what it’s really best at which is our lower run work.” Last year Tripar installed its newest stamping press, a 200-ton Minster press, up from the 150-ton which was their previous top end. “Since installation in late 2014, we have several jobs that we had won, the dies of which are being designed and would have been difficult to put on a 150-ton press,” says Lloyd. The company is very vertically integrated, with all of its tooling done in-house. “Lately our tool room has been working overtime, 50 to 60 hours a week for the past three months because we have won orders for many new dies,” says Lloyd, adding the company has over 1,500 dies in stock. “The only process we subcontract is wire cutting and CNC profiling, the whole die design and build cycle is done in house,” says Lloyd. “The next project we’re going to be evaluating is whether or not it makes sense to acquire CNC milling capability to speed up the machining of various blocks that we have to make for the dies.” He explains that it would possibly speed up the tooling process, but it wouldn’t be a big change to the business, explaining, “Our objective is to make profit on the stamped parts, not the tooling.” As the company enters its 66th year, the benefits of experience and staying responsive to the market are propelling it ahead. “It’s no walk in the park,” says Lloyd. “Yes we have our reputation and yes we have customers coming to us, but Asia is out there, it’s a reality. We have lost some business to people who say they have to save money and move their manufacturing to China; some of them have come back to us. “It’s two steps forward, and 1.5 steps backward, and we slowly progress. We quote on a lot of things and we don’t win them all, but we win enough to keep moving forward.” www.canadianmetalworking.com

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NEW MARKETS, IMPROVED ATTITUDES Grant Metal Products Ltd., Rocky View, Alberta COURTESY OF PRIMA POWER Three main rules for success in the real estate market are: location, location, location. And that same maxim could also apply to the dramatic success of Grant Metal Products Ltd. in Rocky View, Alberta, a custom manufacturer of sheet metal products for the construction, glazing, and signage industries. which found itself in the middle of the Calgary’s recent construction boom—it’s the

fastest growing city in Canada. But geography alone only begins to tell part of the story of the company’s success. Grant Metal Products was founded by Bill Grant and his wife Jean in 1980. Through the years, the company has evolved to become the supplier of choice for a growing list of customers who require high quality, consistent precision-made sheet metal components in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and customers who supply products around the world. During this time, the company has grown from three to 34 employees and today is housed in a facility that provides 55,000 square feet for production, operations, storage, project management, and shipping. Grant Metal Products fabricates mainly light gauge material for its customers—everything from 26 gauge to ¼-inch in steel, aluminum, copper, brass, and stainless steel. The company attributes its contin-

The EBe servo-electric Express Bender is a bending solution that is designed specifically for each fabricator’s production requirements to achieve maximum productivity, quality, and repeatability. PHOTO: PRIMA POWER

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BUSINESS PROFILE: FABRICATING U.S., the company looked at three ued growth to its ability to respond to types of machines, including water new business opportunities and the “WE’VE USED THE SHEAR jet, laser, and punch centers. After willingness to try new things. “We GENIUS IN A LIGHTS OUT much comparison and evaluation, have continually diversified our serAPPLICATION WHERE WE’VE Grant Metal Products purchased the vices,” explains general manager John LOADED IT AND GONE HOME Prima Power Shear Genius flexible Reitmeier. “At one time all we proAND IT IS READY FOR US THE manufacturing cell. It was installed duced was metal building flashing. NEXT MORNING. WE ARE NOW Then we began servicing the glazing USING IT FOR REPEAT ORDERS. and operational the last week of January 2006. “We decided not to buy industry and then the sign industry. WE JUST PULL THE FILE AND used or an entry-level punch center,” We also supply sheet metal parts to a RUN THE JOB. THE SHEAR says Reitmeier. “We wanted to purcompany that builds theater sets that GENIUS HAS IMPROVED OUR chase the best equipment available.” have been used in performances such PRODUCTION AT LEAST as Phantom of the Opera, Showboat, 20 PER CENT.” and others.” Today, Grant Metals has PUNCH/SHEAR COMBINATION expanded its services to provide conWith the Shear Genius (SG) concept, tract manufacturing to other OEMs in the area. the objective is to provide one machine capable of transWhile slow, steady growth has been the foundation of forming a full-sized sheet into finished parts. These Grant Metal Products’ success, the realities of today’s parts can be moved to final production stages for immemarket are evident in the company’s changing philosophy. diate integration directly into final product assembly. “The entire building industry is a big part of our busiShear Genius requires minimal set-up times and allows ness,” states Reitmeier. “With the explosive growth of the for “lights out” operation, while also increasing mateconstruction market in Western Canada, we’ve never been rial productivity through efficient and versatile nesting so busy.” This dramatic increase in demand for higher programs. The level of automation can be customized productivity and quality, coupled with the increasingly through Prima Power’s modular solutions for raw matedifficult task of finding labour in Alberta, drove a search rial storage, loading, unloading, sorting and stacking. for automation. According to Reitmeier, the benefits of the Shear Genius to Grant Metal Products include increased speed and accuracy, additional product lines including more elaboMORE PUNCH FOR THE BUCK rate products and the possibility of new markets, such as A good example of this new emphasis on automation small part brackets and heavier material products. was the company’s increasing need for faster and more “There is a definite labour saving as well, since we are cost-efficient punching. For many years, Grant Metal no longer having to pre-shear or go through all the preProducts had used a strip punching system to handle vious manual steps,” says Reitmeier. “We’ve used the SG its punching needs. “While this system was very slow in a lights out application where we’ve loaded it and gone and labour intensive, punching was not a big part of our home and it is ready for us the next morning. We are now business,” explains Reitmeier. “However, by 2005, the using it for repeat orders. We just pull the file and run amount of punching increased so much that we had to the job. The Shear Genius has improved our production at find a more productive punching method.” least 20 per cent.” After attending several trade shows in Canada and the

The Shear Genius provides Grant Metal Products increased speed and accuracy, additional product lines including more elaborate products and the possibility of new markets, such as small part brackets and heavier material products. PHOTO: PRIMA POWER

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BUSINESS PROFILE: FABRICATING ADDITIONAL AUTOMATION

AUTOMATED BENDER

In 2009, Grant Metal Products replaced their earlier model the SG8. The company also added the Night Train Material Management System to its arsenal of fabricating products. And in January of 2014, the EBe automated bender was purchased.

The company’s EBe servo electric Express Bender is fully automated, from the loading of flat punched parts to unloading of the finished product. “We purchased the EBe because we couldn’t keep up with just our four press brakes,” explains Reitmeier. “The EBe is an excellent machine. The accuracy is amazing. Some of our parts have up to 16 hits, and they come out perfectly aligned every time. The savings the EBe has provided us have been huge. A number of our parts that were formed on the press brake required two men and took six minutes for each man to make the part. The EBe does it in 60-90 seconds...and it is more accurate.”

NIGHT TRAIN The Night Train Material Management System, a material transporting center, allows the connection and operation of multiple flexible manufacturing units to a factory manufacturing system. The automated system provides a total solution for unmanned operation for sheet metal fabricators by controlling material flow within the system, including the supply of raw material as well as removing and storing work in process. “The Night Train is a remarkable piece of equipment with 130 bays,” explains Reitmeier. “The more we use it, the more we understand everything that this system can do for us. The Night Train allows us to better control our inventory. It allows us to buy in bulk and store material, because we have a wide variety of small jobs. For example, we might make one or two products for one company and 300 for another. So we stock a lot of that material in there. We use it for work in process with the new bender. It allows us to store the SG parts for the automated bender with minimum space requirement. We used to store these parts on skids and racks and pulled them up when we needed it. The Night Train does the work of three employees and provides better control of our inventory and our entire process.”

NEW MARKETS...IMPROVED ATTITUDES “This is the busiest that we have ever been,” concludes Reitmeier. “The Prima Power equipment has allowed us to seek out new customers and seek out different markets. The equipment also has improved our accuracy, delivery times, the volume of our work throughput...and some attitudes too. Our guys are now working on better equipment. And they are happier to work with reduced manual labour and a different skill set that requires them to be computer savvy.”

The Shear Genius increases material productivity through efficient and versatile nesting programs. The level of automation can be customized through Prima Power’s flexible modular solutions for raw material storage, loading, unloading, sorting and stacking. PHOTO: PRIMA POWER

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www.canadianmetalworking.com

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WINNIPEG APRIL 7, 2015 Victoria Inn and Conference Centre

Don Boitson KEYNOTE SPEAKER TIME: 9AM - 10AM FREE to attend  Breakfast included Don Boitson is the Vice President and General Manager of Magellan Aerospace, Winnipeg, an operating division of Magellan Aerospace Limited.

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To contact or not to contact BY DOUG PICKLYK

The Zeiss ROTOS roughness sensor enables standardcompliant inspection of roughness and waviness on a CMM.

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n the world of quality control within metalworking manufacturing, the measurement of surface finish is a complex subject with multiple standards for defining the various elements of roughness, waviness and other parameters required for the description of machined surfaces. For decades the use of diamond-tipped contact profilometers have been the standard tools used to measure surface finish qualities, but as optical technologies have evolved the introduction of more detailed surface topography images are being made available for extremely demanding applications where surface finish readings are critical. The typical contact surface measurement instruments come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including handheld portable devices and dedicated bench type machines, and because

of their relative affordability and ease of use, these instruments continue to be the most common tools used for surface metrology. Peter Detmers, vice president sales with Mitutoyo Canada, has been involved with doing surface roughness measurements for some 25 years. He relates a long-term standard used for measuring the roughness average (Ra) of a component would involve using a stylus-type profile measuring device and measuring a 0.8 mm cut-off five times, and depending on which parameter you’re using, the Ra number is generated from those five different sections. Unlike the stylus on a turntable which follows a groove and converts vibrations into sound, the stylus on a profilometer moves in a linear path and moves up and down over the surface and the device calculates surface roughness or other topographical data from the variations. “Most of the standards in the industry were written around the contact-type technology, a 2D reading,” says Detmers. Surface finish has an effect on many different aspects of a part’s functionally. Detmers suggests that most shops in automotive, aerospace and even general machining will have at least one if not many portable profilometers on the floor as well as dedicated bench-top units. These surface measuring tools are used to read surface finish on external surfaces and internal surfaces, including small bore holes. And manufacturers of stylus instruments have made tips very small to get into those types of surfaces. A cylinder bore is a common example used for the importance of surface finish. If a piston and the bore contact each other eventually they’re going to weld together, so the bore must be able retain oil to keep a viscous layer between the cylinder and the bore. In measuring the bore, the desired surface would have low peaks and deep valleys to hold the oil. The most recent developments in stylus-based measurement has included the integration of surface finish probes into common CMM (coordinate measuring machines). Renishaw has the REVO SFP1 probe, a tip-sensing probe for use on its REVO measuring head and probe system. Mitutoyo also has its SURFTEST probe which can be fit on the rotary head of the Renishaw PH10 system on Mitutoyo’s CMM systems. And the Zeiss ROTOS is a roughness sensor that can be incorporated on a Zeiss production CMM. All www.canadianmetalworking.com

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The SURFTEST Probe from Mitutoyo allows surface roughness analysis on a Mitutoyo CMM

of these solutions eliminate having to reposition a workpiece on multiple devices and allow one machine to compile all measurement data into one report. One challenge may be justifying tying up an expensive CMM system when a less expensive surface measurement tool could be used for this process. Beyond the stylus, non-contact optical solutions using light to measure the surface of components are capable of capturing more finite detail than the stylus tools, and perform the task much faster. The data points compiled by optical devices are stitched together to form a point cloud which is digitally transformed into a 3D topographic image. According to Rob Johnson, product manager for Carl Zeiss products, with Elliott Matsuura Canada, one area of strong market demand for detailed surface finish accuracy is within the automotive powertrain sector. White light interferometry is one well established technology, proven to be very repeatable with a high degree of resolution, making it suitable as an optical profilometer. Another is the confocal microscope. Novacam Technologies of Point Claire, Quebec, manufactures fiberbased optical non-contact 3D profilometers using low coherence interferometry. Novacam’s profilometers allow for high-speed scanning and create surface maps providing detailed roughness data. Novacom has created many small fiber-based probes that can be fed into small diameter bores or challenging environments, allowing the measurement of both dimension and roughness. Along with the many advantages of the optical solutions come higher costs admits Vuk Bartulovic, president of Novacam Technologies. He says the technology is being applied in the auto industry today, www.canadianmetalworking.com

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for high-precision machined parts. “They are producing a lot of parts and the takt time is quite short, so in many cases you have only seconds to do the measurement,” he says, pointing to the benefit of speed with the optical solution. Bartulovic also notes that recent requirerequire ments from aerospace and automotive call for finer resolutions. Already Novacam’s optical solutions can deliver sub-micron resolution (0.8 micron), and he suggests that the next generation instruments will go even further.

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The Novacam Microcam 3D fiber-based optical non-contact profilometer using low-coherence interferometry.

The SFP1 surface finish probe from Renishaw is part of the REVO 5-axis measurement system.

Another high resolution alternative is the confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) like the Olympus LEXT OLS4100 which has been optimized for surface imaging, optical profilometry and surface roughness measurement. According to David Rideout, director of sales and marketing, industrial microscopes with Olympus, the laser is a very small spot size, and confocal removes all out-of-focus light capturing only high-resolution data and then compiles it into one 3D image. “We’ve sold this solution into the aerospace industry, automotive, semiconductor, and archeology. For any industry that’s looking at surfaces at a sub-micron level it’s an appropriate instrument,” says Rideout. For the industrial market, Olympus released its 4000 model with the ability to filter the data back down to replicate using a regular stylus-tipped contact profilometer. “Profilometers have been around for a long time, so there’s a well-established comfort level there. When you want someone to try

new technology you have to make them comfortable with that new technology,” says Rideout. “One way to do that is to give them what they’re used to as you take them to this new level of measurement.” With the advancements of non-contact optical technology in the field of surface finish, the ISO 25178 standard has been developed for 3D surface metrology. When comparing an interferometer with confocal, the interferometer offers a better depth of field for reading peaks and valleys, but the confocal is stronger in the xy and at reading angles, says Rideout. He admits the laser confocal process is used more in a controlled environment and is more of an analysis tool and not used much in production. For most metalworking machining applications the fine detail of the optical tools are overkill, and because of the large cost differential between stylus instruments and optical, only if an application demands a non-contact solution would manufacturers select that option. “Part of the reason is cost, another part is, where do you put this machine?” asks Detmers of Mitutoyo, who does offer optical solutions as well as tradition contact profilometers. He explains that because there are optics involved, vibrations can affect the measurement, and if you require a very high resolution measuring capability, you’ll need a suitable environment. “In the metalworking industry, typically the only time somebody will ever bring up the idea of non-contact is if the scratch left behind by the diamond dragging across the part will affect the use of that part,” he says.

The Olympus LEXT OLS4100 confocal laser scanning microscope for high resolution surface finish readings.

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FINANCE

LEASING, FINANCING AND YOUR BUSINESS BY KEN HURWITZ

thought it would be a good idea to reflect back on 2014 and share some of my most frequently asked questions.

WHY IS MY BANK NOT INTERESTED IN MY BUSINESS? Well it may not be quite that bad, but pretty much any business has some form of banking relationship, even if it’s just for deposits. A bank will look at your business and hang a number on it they feel comfortable with lending. The number is the total amount of credit they are prepared to offer, and it could be a combination of loans, operating lines or other purchasing lines of credit, credit cards, and secured lending. As soon as you hit that number you will be capped. It is no secret your bank will always be your lowest cost of funds, and this is for two reasons: first, the cost of funds for a deposit taking institution these days is less than 1%, maybe even less than 0.5%, and that’s pretty tough to beat. For a bank to put out rates a couple of points over prime, their profit margin is still very good, and when you are the lowest cost in your industry you can pick and choose who and where you put your dollars. Secondly, a bank will have you secured in more ways than you probably realize. I cannot tell you how often I tell one of my customers that even though they have no debt and all of their equipment was paid in cash, their bank still has a first charge against everything via a GSA (General Security Agreement). A GSA provides a lender a security interest in a specified asset or property that is pledged as collateral. In the event that the borrower defaults, www.canadianmetalworking.com

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the pledged collateral can be seized and sold. It is presented and signed when an account is opened and gives the bank a first charge against all current and future assets. As an asset-based lender, I come across this often when I close a deal by taking a piece of equipment as collateral in lieu of a deposit. I inform my client I need a waiver from their bank. I almost always get “but I paid for it in cash, I didn’t use my bank to finance it.” Regardless of how banks secure you or your company, they will ensure to always be in an equity position, meaning the security is always more than the value of the credit provided and/or offered. When it comes to small business loans, in my world of equipment loans, banks will first look at the size of the transaction and whether it fits the equity box of the company. Specifically, they will look at the company’s total net, or essentially cash left within the company. A bank will think the transaction fits if the net worth is twice the amount of the transaction. However, in the manufacturing industry this type of evaluation is problematic since equipment is inherently very expensive and usually purchased when an opportunity for growth comes along. The reality is a bank has a surplus of cheap money and lots of potential investments, there is an excess demand for their services and therefore they can pick the most secure and risk-free investments.

in a full equity position, the amount lent is less than the total value of the asset so they are only out the time it takes to get the property sold. A private non-bank leasing company gets its money from a number of different places, but it is not a deposit taking institution and therefore has a higher cost of funds. The typical leasing company will focus on assets where they have expertise. A leasing company will look at the $100,000 transaction and will expect the company to have retained earnings of $100,000. Also, a new piece of equipment will automatically depreciate the moment it is installed. Those two factors equate to a transaction that is riskier than a bank would accept and therefore they will not be priced identically.

WHY AREN’T YOUR RATES IDENTICAL TO MY BANK?

Ken Hurwitz is the Senior Account Manager with Blue Chip Leasing Corporation, an equipment finance company in Toronto. Ken has years of experience in the machine tool industry and now works to help all types of manufacturers either source or tap into their own capital to optimize their operations. Contact Ken at (416) 614-5878 or via email at ken@bluechipleasing.com. Learn more at www.bluechipleasing.com.

When banks look at a potential transaction they evaluate their exit strategy. For example, let’s take a mortgage. Most institutions will not lend more than 70-75% of the purchase price, but when they do it will be at very cheap rates, maybe 3% or 4%. In the event of a default the property is sold and the bank gets all its money back because they are

CAN YOU QUOTE ME A RATE? Getting a quote for financing is as simple as looking up lending rates on a website; it is the approval that actually counts. The only way for any business to get a meaningful quote is once an approval has been issued or after enough information has changed hands that whoever is evaluating the transaction can make a qualified statement. I totally understand everyone wants to ensure they are getting the best deal at the lowest possible cost, but shopping for financing is as important as sourcing the right equipment. And the same care should be taken to find the right source with expertise and understanding of the industry.

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PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Introducing an opportunity for small-space and classified advertising in Canadian Metalworking Metalworking Marketplace will be available in all nine issues of Canadian Metalworking, and provides the opportunity to run small space advertising and classified ads at low cost. There are two main parts to Marketplace, Listings for Products and Services, and Classified for Machine Tool and Fabricating Equipment.

For a quote on any size ad, contact: STEVE DEVONPORT, Publisher 416-543-1641 sdevonport@canadianmetalworking.com

ROB SWAN, Associate Publisher 416-510-5225 cell 416-725-0145 rswan@canadianmetalworking.com

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

CUTTING TOOLS

RENISHAW (CANADA) LIMITED. Renishaw laser melting system is a pioneering process capable of producing fully dense metal parts direct from 3D CAD. From tooling inserts featuring conformal cooling, to lightweight structures for aerospace & high technology applications, laser melting gives designers more freedom. Find out more at www.renishaw.com/additive. T: 1 905 828 5519 E: Canada@renishaw.com www.renishaw.com

HORN USA, INC. HORN is the technology leader of indexable cutting tools with experience in over 100,000 custom application solutions and engineering expertise applied to more than 17,000 standardized turning and milling tools. T: 888 818 4676 E: info@hornusa.com www.hornusa.com ISCAR TOOLS INC. ISCAR provides industries machine tools, carbide cutting tools, engineering and manufacturing solutions for a wide range of metal cutting applications, including innovative products, designed specifically for customer increased productivity requirements globally. T: 905-829-9000 www.iscar.ca

ASSOCIATIONS CANADIAN MACHINE TOOL DISTRIBUTORS’ ASSOCIATION (CMTDA) The CMTDA is a trade association dedicated to the marketing of machine tools and services in Canada through distributors. For more information about CMTDA or our members products and services, contact us at: T: 519 599 2803 E: info@cmtda.com www.cmtda.com

AUCTIONS

Hilco

NICHOLAS HEALEY, Account Manager 416-442-5600 x3642 nhealey@canadianmetalworking.com

2-Day Onsite/Webcast Auction • March 11th & 12th HUGE QUANTITIES of SHOP & PLANT SUPPORT EQUIPMENT ACCESSORIES & TOOLING

2ND SALE IN A SERIES OF AUCTIONS with ASSETS AVAILABLE NOW! Preview: Mon. & Tues. Mar. 9th & 10th or earlier by appt. Location: 282 / 285 Ontario St.,

St. Catharines, ON L2R7B3 Canada

Late Model CNC Turning & Machining, CNC Gear, Heat Treat, Fanuc Robots,Tool Room, Fabricating, Complete Power House & Substations

DAY 1 - Wednesday, March 11th

DAY 2 - Thursday, March 12th

• Tool Room Equipment • Gantry Mounted Fanuc Robots • Centerless & Double Disc Grinders - Cincinnati, Gardner & Besly • CNC Horizontal & Vertical Machining Centers • Table Type & Floor Type Horizontal Boring Mills • CNC Horizontal & Vertical Turning Centers • Bridge Cranes • Rolling Stock • CNC Gear Hobbers, Shavers,Shapers & Generators • Electrical Substations/Complete Power House • Spline Rollers • Broaching Machines & Hones • Angle & Bar Shears • Washers/Mist & Dust Collectors/Coolant Systems • Beche Cross Rolling Machines • Dynamometers & Test Equipment • Hot Forming Press • Shot Blast Equipment • Plant Support & Vidmar/Lista Cabinets • Heat Treat Furnaces & Gas Generators Plus much more! • Plant Support & Vidmar/Lista Cabinets For more info. please contact Ken Planet at +1 248.419.1964 or email kplanet@hilcoglobal.com This is a partial listing only. For more information or to subscribe to our email/mailing lists, visit

www.hilcoind.com

Prefer click-to-bid? Register and bid on

Hilco Industrial, LLC • IL License #444.000215

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AD SIZE: 1/2-Page (7” X 4.875”)

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PRODUCTS & SERVICES

SANDVIK COROMANT (Cutting tools for turning, milling and drilling, modular tooling systems for lathes and machining centres. Direct sales personnel and specialists in more than 60 countries plus authorised distributors and 20 Productivity Centres worldwide providing training in tooling solutions for increased productivity) T: 905 826 8900/800 268 0703 E: coromant.ca@sandvik.com www.sandvik.coromant.com SGS TOOL COMPANY. SGS is a privately-held, ISO-certified leader of round solid carbide cutting tool technology providing value at the spindle for the aerospace, medical, power generation, and automotive industries. T: 330-688-6667 E: sales@sgstool.com www.sgstool.com TUNGALOY. Tungaloy has supplied carbide cutting tools for over 70 years. Supported by our sophisticated materials technology and state-of-theart processing technology, Tungaloy is committed to quality. For more information on our extensive range of products contact us at: T: 888 886 4256 www.tungaloy.co.jp.ca WALTER TOOLS. The five competence brands of Walter, Walter Titex, Walter Prototyp, Walter Valenite and Walter Multiply, are united under one umbrella. With a product range of around 49,000 catalogue tools for milling, drilling, turning and threading. Walter is a complete service provider for the metalworking industry. T: 800 945-5554 E: service.ca@walter-tools.com www.walter-tools.com/us

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

SETUP, OPERATOR & SUPERVISOR

NEEDED

We are seeking a CNC Trumpf Brake Press – Supervisor to oversee all production jobs in our CNC Trumpf Brake Department. Requirements for this position include a min. of 5 years setup and operational experience, as well as the ability to program off line with related software. A min. of three years in a supervisory role in the custom metal fabrication environment is also required. F/T $27/hr. Trumpf experience is a definite asset. Please send your resume via email to careers@marfabmetal.com. Marfab Metal Products Inc. Concord, ON www.marfabmetal.com

EVENTS – TABLE-TOP SHOWS

April 7, 2015 Winnipeg MB May 5, 2015 Coquitlam BC CONTACT: 416-510-5225 www.mmpshow.com