FABTECH 2014 Atlanta bound – p36
OCTOBER 2014
PM 40069240
HARD TURNING A niche process? – p50
HAND TOOL SELECTION Quality over price – p76
LASER EFFICIENCY Cut thicker and faster – p94
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YCM America’s Inc. 14312 Chambers Road Tustin, CA 92780 (714) 389-3388 e-mail: michael.keeling@ycmcnc.com
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Elliott Matsuura Canada Inc. sales@elliottmachinery.com (905) 829 - 2211 www.elliottmachinery.com
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OCTOBER 2014 ß VOL. 109 ß NO. 8
www.canadianmetalworking.com
A LOOK INSIDE SPECIAL ISSUE: CANADA’S METAL FABRICATING INDUSTRY FEATURES FABTECH 2014 — 36 Atlanta bound
MACHINE TOOLS + TURNING — 50 Hard turning, a niche process?
TURNED ON — 58 Extend cutting tool life in turning applications
COVER STORY — 28
KEEPING YOUR COOL — 62
ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS
The benefits of in-house coolant recycling
The state of the metal fabrication industry in Canada
IMTS 2014 — 68 A recap
FINDING THE RIGHT TOOL FOR YOU — 76 Proper tools to enhance business and profit
68
36 50
62 76
www.canadianmetalworking.com
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OCTOBER 2014 ß VOL. 109 ß NO. 8
www.canadianmetalworking.com
A LOOK INSIDE 82 FEATURES (CONT.) CHALLENGING METROLOGY — 82 How portable CMMs can work for you
FRESHLY MINTED JOB SHOP — 86 Can Tech Laser and Metals Inc., Mississauga, ON
A SINGLE-SOURCE SUPPLIER OF ALUMINUM EXTRUSION — 90 ALMAG Aluminum, Brampton, ON
94
86 90
LASER EFFICIENCY — 94 How fiber lasers are cutting faster and thicker
DEPARTMENTS VIEW FROM THE FLOOR — 10
THIS WEEK IN METALWORKING
NEWS — 12 THE BUSINESS OF WELDING — 27 KEN HURWITZ ON FINANCE — 100 SUCCESSION PLANNING — 104 BY THE NUMBERS — 106
We are very excited for our upcoming tabletop show in Windsor, ON. Each MMP Expo event has been extremely successful and we are looking forward to continued success on October 23, 2014. Canadian Metalworking hopes you can all attend. Registration is free! If you are unable to attend, you can get updates on what’s going on at the Expo or any other metalworking-related event on www.canadianmetalworking.com. There is an “Event” section devoted to these events. You can check out our twitter page for live updates on what’s going on in the metalworking world. And don’t forget to follow along and engage with us on social media – look for us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Facebook!
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www.canadianmetalworking.com
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Amada_10-2014_CM_Schmidt_Layout 1 9/23/14 2:57 PM Page 1
“With the FOM2 RI, we have secured new business while meeting the ever-changing demands of our current customers.” — Calvin Schmidt, President Schmidt Laserworks
Quickly Change From Flatbed Laser Cutting to Tube in Minutes. No Handling. No Jigs. No Problem.
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Located in Edmonton, Alberta, Schmidt Laserworks has earned a reputation as a single source provider of laser processing and precision metal fabrication. That reputation was challenged as a growing number of existing customers were sending parts to machine shops to process holes and cutouts in tubes. To retain current customers while adding capabilities to attract new business, Schmidt Laserworks turned to the technology leader. Amada provided the FOM2 RI laser with an integrated Rotary Index. Calvin Schmidt, President of Schmidt Laserworks, reflects on that investment. “Purchasing a hybrid machine ensures us maximum flexibility. We can go from processing tube, change to cutting flat, and back to tube, with only minutes of setup between jobs. We can also supplement the production of our other flatbed lasers when needed.”
Amada’s FOM2 RI laser with Rotary Index provides: • Process Range Expansion (The FOM2 RI can process round, square, rectangle, C-channel, and angle iron, making it the most versatile Rotary Index laser available). Visit Amada Booth B2503 November 11-13, 2014 • Atlanta, GA
Amada Canada, Ltd. 885 Avenue Georges Cros, Granby, Quebec, Canada J2J 1E8
• Reduced Scrap (The ability to nest parts in 20 ft. lengths has minimized or eliminated scrap — resolving a costly problem associated with processing parts on a bandsaw). • Maximum Productivity (Previously, holes were drilled or parts were fixed into jigs on a flatbed laser. One side was processed at a time and parts were turned manually which required running multiple programs. Complex jigs were built, which also required storage for future use).
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Reflecting on the decision to choose Amada, Schmidt states, “We’re always looking for a competitive advantage. Purchasing the FOM2 RI has once again raised the bar, placing Schmidt Laserworks at the forefront of laser cutting solutions and positioning us as a premier, one-stop metal fabrication service provider.”
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VIEW FROM THE FLOOR
OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND
O
I look forward to learning more from the people in this industry. Feel free to reach out any time to share your news and stories.
n September 24th I had the chance to interact with individuals from different generations of the metalworking fraternity, and although they differed greatly in age, their enthusiasm for the industry and positive outlook for the future was infectious. I was at the Canadian Tooling & Machining Association annual general meeting in Ingersoll, Ontario, where I had the pleasure shaking the thick hands of industry veteran, Michael Solcz, Sr., founder of Valaint Tool & Machnine Inc., headquartered in Windsor. Although now retired, Solcz says he enjoys attending these meetings, but more than that, Solcz is activley helping the CTMA spearhead a new initiative to create an association-sponsored student “earn while you learn” training program, modeled on— and actually occupying—a facility set up by Valiant. At dinner I sat with two young apprentices, Leo and Randy, both honoured earlier that day, and both employed by Massiv Die Form in Brampton, a division of Magna. It was a pleasure listening to these two young men explain what they’re doing. I’m personally new to this industry, and Randy’s eyes lit up as he took on the role of instructor, teaching me about processes, applications and products that he’s learning about. Both guys understand that they are working towards valuable, lasting careers.
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’s a recurring theme in all corners of the manufacturing industry, especially in Canada: how do you recruit more young workers into the skilled trades? And once you get them, how do you keep them? I applaud the recent CWA Foundation’s Mind over Metal welding camps held in Edmonton, exposing kids as young 12 to metalworking. A great step in early recruitment. In order to keep those interested engaged, both Soclz and the students agreed earnwhile-you-learn was a great start. The challenge for the CTMA to get its proposed training school off the ground will be rallying broad industry support. It’s early days, and the association is still putting together a business plan for the initiative, but it’s worth investigating and contributing resources if you believe there is a need and it makes sense. The CTMA event was my initiation to the industry, and I can confirm that my eyes have been opened to the broad reach of metalworking and the many applications it touches in our everyday lives. I look forward to learning much more about the technology, processes and products being produced in this country. I already know it won’t be hard finding people with passion.
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.
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PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS INFORMATION GROUP BRUCE CREIGHTON VICE-PRESIDENT OF CANADIAN PUBLISHING ALEX PAPANOU EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER, MANUFACTURING TIM DIMOPOULOS
10 | OCTOBER 2014
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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
BOMBARDIER, PRATT & WHITNEY C SERIES PROGRAM UPDATE Bombardier’s C Series plane has returned to the skies months after it was grounded due to an engine fire, and confirmation of an order for 40 planes has given the program yet another lift. At the beginning of September, Goldman Sachs downgraded Bombardier and its stock price forecast due to the delays in the C Series jetliner program testing. Currently two years behind schedule, many analysts are expecting further delays or problems. With over 200 orders in the books, Bombardier is tasked with delivering on its promise to provide both the CS100 and CS300 series aircraft. Malmo Aviation, a subsidiary of Braganza AS, announced in September, that they would no longer be the CS100’s launch customer. They have ordered five of both the CS100 and CS300, which are currently on hold. This announcement has caused many to question whether or not Bombardier is able to fulfill its commitment.
Pratt & Whitney PW1524G ground testing for the Bombardier C Series aircraft family. PHOTO COURTESY OF PRATT & WHITNEY
12 | OCTOBER 2014
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Then later in the month Macquarie AirFinance of Australia committed to 40 of the CS300 models, and an option on 10 more, with delivery to begin in 2017. Bombardier is required to have 2,400-2,500 flight test hours for certification. The flight test is often the most challenging part, and has proved to be a stumbling block for the jetliner. However, at the beginning of September Bombardier pushed forward with flight tests by sending out the flight test vehicle two (FTV2) in Mirabel, QC. It was the flight test vehicle one (FTV1) that incurred the engine-related ground incident on May 29, 2014. Since then, Bombardier and Pratt & Whitney have been working closely to address the issue, which has included modifying the engine’s oil lubrication system. “C Series is a great aircraft and we are extremely proud to have our engines power it,” said Graham
C Series employees working on the FTV1 wing in Mirabel. PHOTO COURTESY OF BOMBARDIER
Webb, Vice President of Pratt & Whitney for the PW1000G program. Even with the pause in testing, Bombardier still plans on having its CS100 aircraft ready to enter service in the latter half of 2015, with the CS300 following six months after that. This will only come with successful flight testing from all its vehicles. “We are pleased to see the C Series aircraft back in the air. The geared turbofan (GTF) engine has over 10,000 hours of ground and flight testing and we’re confident that it will enter into service meeting or exceeding the fuel burn, emissions, thrust and noise specifications, as promised by Pratt & Whitney,” said Rob Dewar, VP C Series Aircraft Program, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. The skepticism has mounted over the months of grounding; however, Bombardier remains confident in the success of the program and has confirmed testing of its other flight test vehicle (FTV4), which left from Mirabel, QC, on September 15. Following this successful test, Bombardier will return to testing the FTV1, and then the FTV3 later this fall. “The C Series flight testing activities are successfully moving ahead, making great progress,” said Dewar. “We are seeing great results from all the FTV2 flights over the last week and, as per the schedule, look for FTV4 to fly frequently as we prepare to deploy it to our flight test facility in Wichita, Kansas.” www.canadianmetalworking.com
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IN THE NEWS
QUEBEC-BASED TM4 ANNOUNCES MAJOR ORDER FROM CHINESE BUS MANUFACTURERS In a joint venture with Prestolite Electric Beijing Ltd. (PEBL), Canadian electric drivetrain developer TM4, a subsidiary of HydroQuebec, has broken into the Chinese commercial vehicle market. The company has received a number of orders from major Chinese bus manufacturers for its SUMO electric motor system. TM4 and PEBL, along with Prestolite E-Propulsion Systems (PEPS), have received a multi-million dollar order from Foton, one of China’s largest bus manufacturers, for more than 250 SUMO HD electric powertrains. These systems will power 12- to
18-metre buses for Foton. In July of this year, TM4 received an order of more than 100 electric powertrain systems that will equip China’s Bonluck Bus (BLK) platforms of 6 and 8 meters. The first of these buses was commissioned and uses TM4’s SUMO MD and HD efficient direct drive systems. PEPS has been working closely with Foton for the past 18 months. During this time, the SUMO HD system underwent a critical trial period and had outperformed the competition. Due to these results, Foton opted to continue to foster the
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relationship with TM4, PEBL, and PEPs and place a significant order. “These orders demonstrate the commercial potential of the SUMO systems,” said TM4 president Claude Dumas. “It is a significant step forward that paves the way for other agreements on the Chinese market, where half of the world’s buses and heavy trucks are built, as well as in other markets.” The SUMO systems are designed to propel buses from 6 to 18 metres, shuttles, tractors for semi-trailers, and intermediary or heavy trucks. Direct-drive SUMO motor systems reduce the complexity and the cost of the propulsion chain as well as lowering electricity consumption by 10 per cent or more. Some TM4 SUMO systems are offered with a double-ended shaft option, allowing for integration in many hybrid-electric powertrain architectures. TM4 has developed both the SUMO HD and MD direct drive powertrain systems. Both interface with standard rear differentials. The HD system works with any high-duty platforms and commercial vehicles, while the MD system consists of a multiple high-torque/low-speed motor and controller combinations for vehicle electrification. “The success in China is a direct result of TM4’s excellent development work,” said Pierre-Luc Desgagné, Vice President of public and government affairs at HydroQuébec. “These results consolidate Québec’s leadership role in transportation electrification.” www.canadianmetalworking.com
14-10-03 3:56 PM
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14-10-03 4:38 PM
IN THE NEWS
OFFSHORE SUPPLY OPERATIONS IN NEWFOUNDLAND GET R&D INVESTMENT
Newfoundland and Labrador’s offshore operations received investments of just under a million dollars with the Research & Development Corporation (RDC) investing $300,000 to make oil and gas and ocean technology sectors safer and more efficient, while Rolls-Royce Canada Ltd. and industry partners are contributing $651,950. The goal of this R&D initiative is to support long-term economic growth in the province. Through this collaboration, investment will be used to develop a new intelligent winch
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system, addressing the challenges of loading and unloading supplies in the arctic and harsh offshore operating environments. Arctic and sub-zero environment initiatives are beginning to be explored more in-depth in Canada, with the recent CanWeld conference at the end of September themed “Welding in the Arctic,” which looked at products and services used in subzero work environments. The fact of the matter is that the industries in northern coastal regions face significantly different challenges
than their counterparts in other areas of the country. This new investment in research and development is just one way industry partners are working together to strengthen the offshore operations. “Investing in R&D projects in priority sectors, such as oil and gas and ocean technology, is imperative to achieving long-term economic growth in this province. An intelligent winch system would have a significant impact on increasing the number of operational days which cargo can be transferred Continues on page 18
www.canadianmetalworking.com
14-10-03 3:56 PM
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IN THE NEWS
Paul Shapleigh, Site Manager, Rolls-Royce Naval
Honourable Susan Sullivan, Minister of Innovation, Business & Rural Development
Continued from page 16
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Great Lakes. On September 17 the Honourable Susan Sullivan, provincial Minister responsible for RDC, made the announcement at the Rolls-Royce facility in Mount Pearl. “Companies like Rolls-Royce recognize Newfoundland and Labrador as a leader in R&D and in the advancement of the innovative technologies required for harsh operating environments. Our research and development capacity and skilled labour force are well known globally and have elevated our position as a world leader in offshore operations. I am pleased that RDC’s investment of $300,000 will support making our offshore industry safer, which is paramount,” she said. RDC is a provincial Crown corporation responsible for improving Newfoundland and Labrador’s research and development performance. Earlier in the year, the RDC made a commitment to Memorial University investing $2.3 million in academic-led R&D projects to help overcome technical challenges in the oil and gas sector. These projects aim to improve safety, environmental protection, and efficiency associated with challenging oil and gas work, both in Newfoundland and Labrador, and around the world. www.canadianmetalworking.com
14-10-03 3:57 PM
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PFERD CANADA INC., 5570 McAdam Road • Mississauga ON L4Z 1P1 Phone: (905) 501-1555 • Toll-Free: (866) 245-1555 Fax: (905) 501-1554 • email: sales@pferdcanada.ca
14-10-03 4:39 PM
IN THE NEWS
WHAT WENT WRONG AT U.S. STEEL CANADA It was less than a decade ago the United States Steel Corp. purchased Stelco for $1.9 billion. There was a sense of re-energizing from Stelco employees, as the company had emerged from its first round bankruptcy protection. At the time, U.S. Steel expected the acquisition of Stelco to strengthen its position as a premier supplier of flat-rolled steel products to the North American market. After the acquisition, U. S. Steel expected to have annual raw steel capability of approximately 33 million net tons. “Our goal through the Stelco restructuring process was to re-establish Stelco as a competitive steel company and position it to be part of a larger, stronger company that can provide additional security for our employees and their commu-
nities,” said then-president/CEO, Rodney Mott.
U.S. Steel has had a turbulent relationship with what was once Canada’s larger steel maker. At the operations in Hamilton and Nanticoke, ON, U.S. Steel has locked out employees on three separate occasions, and the company has battled with the federal government over whether or not it had broken promises that were made to Ottawa when Stelco was initially purchased. What is more, U.S. Steel permanently shut blast furnaces and halted steel-making operations in Hamilton in 2010. It hasn’t been a smooth transition, or a profitable one.
loss of US$2.4 billion since December 2009 and US$1 billion in employee benefits liabilities as of June 2014. The parent company has agreed to provide financial assistance of CA$185 million to support current operations through the end of 2015. “A planned restructuring will allow U.S. Steel Canada to operate and compete more effectively. We know this was not an easy decision for U.S. Steel Canada’s independent directors,” stated U.S. Steel president/CEO Mario Longhi. “U.S. Steel Canada has asked the court for an order allowing it to continue to operate while exploring restructuring alternatives—to pay its suppliers and employees and to continue to service its customers.”
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On September 16, 2014, U.S. Steel Canada announced that it received creditor protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA). The company has recorded a loss from operations in each of the last five years with an aggregate operating
However, strong opposition has come from Local 1005 USW president, Rolf Gerstenberger. He is appealing to the court of public opinion. “Enough is enough. Let us together take a stand in defence of the dignity of labour, decency, upright behaviour and the right thing to do. Do not permit Canada to be trampled in the mud by U.S. Steel.” said Gerstenberger in the Local 1005 Information Update for September 18, 2014. Whatever the outcome, U.S. Steel Canada is facing an uphill battle. The upcoming months will prove whether or not this Canadian fixture has the lasting power it needs to overcome this financial challenge.
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14-10-03 3:58 PM
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IN THE NEWS
CWA FOUNDATION HOLDS INAUGURAL MIND OVER METAL WELDING CAMP There might have been some apprehension when the summer camp students first walked into the welding shop in St. Joseph High School in Edmonton, but in short order, excitement soon took over and their attention was completely focused on all the arcs and sparks, while their imaginations ran wild with all of the possibilities of turning metal into something cool. “It was very encouraging seeing how their interest towards the welding profession increased as they were more comfortable and started to work on their projects,” says Deborah Mates, executive director of the CWA Foundation. “There were moments when I noticed such great teamwork and how enthusiastic they
were when they completed their projects that were completely moving.” The inaugural CWA Foundation Mind over Metal welding camps were held August 4-8 and August 11-15 for at-risk students from grades 7-9. The camps were designed by Ken McKen, CWA manager for Western Canada and St. Joseph High School welding and fabrication instructor Dayton Block. “It was a great and rewarding experience teaching the kids all about the welding profession in a safe environment where they could explore and have fun,” said Block. McKen was also impressed by the students’ passion for welding and their creative abilities. “For beginners who never donned a weld-
ing helmet before, they sure were engaged. And the creativity they showcased with the types of projects they welded was impressive. The kids had a blast and we had a great time teaching them, so it was a win-win for sure.” The two welding camps were part of a pilot project funded by the CWA Foundation and are just the beginning as more camps will start up across the country over the next several years to bring awareness to the opportunities of the welding profession. Valerie Larocque, mother of Cheyanne, a camp attendee, said her daughter had a great time at the camp because of the handson component.
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IN THE NEWS “Cheyanne really liked it and enjoyed herself. It was a great learning experience for her,” she said. Cheyanne, 12, a grade 7 student said her favourite part was meeting new friends and learning how to weld the different projects. “It was a lot of fun,” she said. “I really enjoyed building the chandelier.” Another parent, Norma Ann Power, mother of Levi, said her 12-year-old son had a wonderful time. “He came home hooked on welding and for the next couple of days he kept saying he wanted to weld. We appreciated the hands-on experience and the education the camp provided to him and his friends.” Levi, a grade 8 student, said one of his best experiences at the camp was when he looked at the sun through the welding helmet. “That was really cool,” he said. “I had a lot of fun. I met new friends Continues on page 24
Camp attendees listen closely to welding instructor Dayton Block during the first ever CWA Foundation Mind over Metal camp. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CWA FOUNDATION.
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IN THE NEWS
Levi Power, 12, shows off one of several projects he made during the CWA Foundation’s Mind over Metal camp at St. Joseph High School in Edmonton.
Steven Mellesmoen poses for a picture with one of the projects he created .
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CWA FOUNDATION.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CWA FOUNDATION.
and I had a really fun time making musical notes out of steel.” All of the positive feedback from parents and campers was very encouraging, and it provides a solid foundation to host more welding camps in the near future, said Mates. “Hearing all the great anecdotes from the kids during their time at the
Cheyanne Larocque, 12, had a great time at the camp. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CWA FOUNDATION.
camp and wonderful words from parents really makes this all worthwhile and gives us a positive reason to continue and expand the camps. At the end of the day, seeing firsthand how the camp provided them with a platform
Camp attendees pose for a picture with Deborah Mates, executive director of the CWA Foundation (far right) during the last day of camp. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CWA FOUNDATION.
to express their creativity while meeting new friends and understanding the great opportunities in the welding profession was the goal.”
COMING IN NOVEMBER The focus for the November issue of Canadian Metalworking is all about increasing productivity and improving profitability in all areas of the industry. We’ll explore the latest efficiencies to be found in machine tools, cutting tools, fabricating & welding, quality processes and metal finishing and pass these time and money-saving opportunities on to you. Look for it all in November. Also in November: We’ll step inside some shops to discover how they are boosting their productivity levels through focused training programs and the multiple benefits they produce.
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THE BUSINESS OF WELDING
PITCHING IN BY IAN CAMPBELL
I
t’s always good to get feedback, and lately I’ve been getting quite a lot. I’ve always taken the position that my columns should cause people to stop and think, then hopefully “engage.” Even if you don’t always agree with my line of thinking, hopefully we can agree that saying or doing nothing rarely leads to progress. If you have been following my column for the last couple of years you will likely have noticed that I’ve shared a lot of information about what the Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB) and the Canadian Welding Association (CWA) are doing. While I do work for them, the purpose of this column is not to pitch their services. Rather, the focus is to shine a light on what I see as a series of national problems that cut across the welding industry and are in need of national solutions. With that in mind, CWB/CWA as the only national welding organizations, tend to be, by default, both the map and compass for change. Frankly, while it’s interesting to know what is being done locally by others, I always find myself asking: how do these activities solve the bigger underlying problems? Most of the time the answer is: they don’t. And therein lies the problem—regional reach and influence are after all, well, regional… Regions have their rights and are empowered to make change within their jurisdiction as they see fit. That’s all well and good, but industry is rarely highly regionalized, and generally needs to take a more national perspective when it comes to finding work, materials and skilled labour. Gone are the days when your only customers were your neighbors, and the local schools met www.canadianmetalworking.com
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all of your training and workforce needs. Yet, here we are in 2014, still somewhat stuck in the past. Clearly there’s a need for change, a need for action, a reshaping of the industry. So, whatever your feelings may be with respect to the CWB or CWA, they are well positioned to help. They represent a unique value for the industry as they are able to do things that the industry by itself is unlikely, or unable, to do. Further, they are focused nationally and for the good of the industry. You want change? It can be delivered, and at this point it’s not so much how, but when.
HOW YOU CAN HAVE A SAY IN THE FUTURE OF WELDING WITHIN CANADA What does it take to reshape an industry? First there must be a clear set of key issues that need to be addressed, then there must be a degree of panic related to these issues, and finally there must be recognition that solutions are needed now—before all is lost. Sound familiar? It’s where we are right now. We now know that education, job portability, offshoring, productivity, cost of material and production as well as staffing are issues shared by all, and are things that are not going to fix themselves, even with the best intentioned individual or local effort. What’s important to understand is that these issues are not local, or even provincial—they are national, even international, in scope. While some may find it convenient to consider these issues as “regional,” the facts are that problems associated with finding a job, or employees, or business, or even keeping a company profitable all tie back to issues that are “big picture.” Simply trying to fix the problem in one province does not fix the underlying issues, in fact, in some cases it actually makes it worse. Let’s face it, all employers, everywhere, need good welders, favorable tax and utility rates and steady access to con-
tracts. All welders, everywhere, need access to good and ongoing education, job prospects and the ability to go where the work is (or find work at home). “Fixing” these issues out west only creates problems for those out east. People and industries in British Columbia, Alberta, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland all need the same things, so why not work together nationally to help fix the problem?
FOR INDUSTRY, BY INDUSTRY— PUT YOUR HAND UP TO HELP So, in recognition that at the national level someone has to lead, the CWB will be creating a number of national action advisory groups focused on the following key welding-related industries: structural; pipe and pipelines; pressure vessels; transportation and manufacturing/repair. The goal is to develop and then implement industry-driven solutions—this is the start of a “for industry, by industry” action plan, without the burden or delay of committees and unnecessary bureaucracy. Basically, you tell CWB what is needed and they go to work to make it happen at a national level. If you are involved in one of these industries and want to provide insight into what a national solution might look like then I would encourage you to contact CWB at info@cwbgroup.org. This gets you a place at the table and an opportunity to help define a new national commitment to fixing our collective problems. While I keenly recognize that large national problems are rarely solved overnight, I also understand that they will never get solved if everyone is focused locally. With your support things can change faster, and for the betterment of everyone. So, please put your hand up and pitch in to create a stronger industry. Ian Campbell is Director of Marketing and New Product Development with CWB. OCTOBER 2014 | 27
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THE STATE OF THE METAL FABRICATION INDUSTRY IN CANADA
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www.canadianmetalworking.com
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BY NATE HENDLEY
S
amco Machinery in Toronto custom builds roll forming lines and other equipment for metal fabricators. While currently enjoying boom times, Samco is also coping with challenges such as a skilled labour shortage and increased automation. The company’s situation is a neat reflection of the overall state of Canada’s metal fabricating industry, which also includes makers and users of lasers, press brakes, plasma cutting machines, waterjets, bending and stamping equipment, etc. Asked what demand has been like for Samco, company president/CEO Bob Repovs says, “recently, excellent. 2014—we’ve seen a very good year. The U.S. market is very strong and the international stuff, I think everything is up now. All industries (building, construction, automotive) … we ship to Chile, Mexico, South Africa … everything seems back up.” “On the fabricating side, manufacturing really has recovered from the 2008 – 2009 crisis,” echoes Stefan Schreiber, managing director, TRUMPF Canada, located in Mississauga, ON with a German parent company. Repovs, whose father founded Samco in 1972, won’t say what current revenues are other than that they are up “significantly” (by 20 per cent, he concedes). Revenues will likely continue to rise in 2015, he adds. Business might be great, but Samco’s CEO has concerns. “Our challenge is finding skilled workers. What we do is so customized, we have to develop [skilled workers] internally. Even when you find somebody with the right skills, you still have a lot of training to do,” he states. Automation, of course, is taking care of some of these concerns, observes Repovs, noting the growing presence of automation and robotics in the sector. Samco, which employs 100 people in Canada and another 60 at a manufacturing plant in India, isn’t the only metal fabricating company to report strong growth. “Seventy-five percent of our work is machining fabrications. We do not fabricate in-house unless it is a small part,” says Peter Alden, co-owner of Wessex Precision Machining Ltd., in Ayr, Ontario. “We subcontract out to several fabrication shops to do our fabricating and they subcontract back to Wessex to do their machining. Our main customers for
www.canadianmetalworking.com
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fabrication are mining and the automotive industries … we have seen a big increase in supplying fabricated and machined parts and we expect it to continue.” This kind of optimism is based on facts, not wishful thinking. “Canadian manufacturing sales increased 2.5 percent to $53.7 billion in July, exceeding the previous record of $53.2 billion set in July 2008,” reads a bulletin published September 16 by Statistics Canada. “Manufacturing sales have trended upwards since January 2014. The gain in July was largely attributable to higher sales in the transportation equipment and primary metal industries … in the motor vehicle sub-industry, sales increased 11.6 percent to $5.1 billion. Historically, most automotive plants have shutdowns in July. However, this year several plants reported shorter or no shutdowns in July, which accounted for the stronger than normal month.” According to Statistics Canada, sales of “fabricated metal product” stood at $2.79 billion in July 2013, rising to $2.83 billion in June 2014 then $2.93 billion in July 2014. The summer 2014 newsletter from the Canadian Machine Tool Distributors’ Association (CMTDA) offers a similarly bright outlook.
“I THINK I AM PROBABLY MORE OPTIMISTIC THAN ANYONE ELSE ON THE PLANET. I’M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT ALL THE POTENTIAL THAT OUR INDUSTRY PRESENTS FOR THE FUTURE … WE’RE SEEING THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY IN SPECIFIC RECOVER VERY, VERY SIGNIFICANTLY” “Orders for metal cutting machine tools have increased by 14 per cent in value [and] five per cent in units when comparing June 2014 to June 2013 … orders for CNC metal cutting machines have shown dramatic increases in almost all machine types,” states the CMTDA newsletter. “Many of the manufacturers that I speak with are not necessarily setting records but are enjoying a period of consistency that they have not seen for some time,” says Peter Burrell, general manager of national sales, Amada Canada Ltd., headquartered in Granby, Quebec with a Japanese parent firm. “This steady workflow typically provides our OCTOBER 2014 | 29
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potential customers with the confidence to consider a capital equipment investment.” While Amada Canada has enjoyed “tremendous interest in all of our core product ranges”, the company’s fiber laser systems have been particularly popular, says Burrell. Fiber laser is a rising technological trend, the new kid on the metal fabricating block compared to older, established carbon dioxide (CO2) laser technology. TRUMPF has enjoyed healthy growth recently, depending on the product, and is also bullish about its fiber laser systems. “Fiber lasers have seen a big boost. Fabricators now understand that fiber lasers are the new universal laser,” states Schreiber. “There’s a big demand on press brakes too … whereas in the beginning, fiber lasers were considered a niche product—only a light gauge product with some benefits in that range—this has changed. Chances are that over time, the CO 2 laser will become a niche product with certain benefits when it comes to cutting certain materials, in the thicker range.” He isn’t the only one to harbor such views. “We continue to develop our fiber program.
There’s growing interest in fiber technology,” says Patrick Simon, manager of marketing and corporate planning at MC Machinery Systems, Inc., a Wood Dale, Illinois-based subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation of Japan. When compared to CO2 , fiber “is just faster” and “there’s a lower cost of maintenance,” he explains. “CO2 is still important. It’s a great product offering. Some customers still prefer to use that process … I think the smaller shops, companies that are more of a job shop, using a variety of materials … [they] are still using CO2 or looking at CO2 because of its versatility [and] the quality of the cut in those thicker materials,” Simon adds. He warns against dismissing CO2: “Sixty-five percent of the market is still CO2 . Although that’s probably changing. As soon as two or three years, it might become 50 – 50. We still pay great attention to CO2 and it’s a very viable market, especially for us,” Simon states, adding that the overall laser market “is pretty solid … we’re optimistic. It’s been a good year,” Fiber lasers are also a source of enthusiasm and pride at other firms. “Overall fabrication activity and subse-
CANADIAN MANUFACTURING SALES INCREASE 60 58 56 54
(Billions of Dollars)
52 50 48 46 44 42 40 38 36 34 32
2009
2010 Current Dollars
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2011 2007 Constant Dollars
2012
2013
2014 STATISTICS CANADA
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quent equipment sales have been steady … where over the last several years we saw very strong sales coming from a few industrial sectors, including agriculture and construction equipment, activity is now more diversified,” says Marc Lobit, general manager sales support at Mazak Optonics Corporation, a branch of Japanese firm Yamazaki Mazak Corporation, based in Elgin, Illinois. “A portion of the growth is from OEMs purchasing new fiber laser technology to increase productivity. Those industries include many of the traditional sheet metal markets, including kitchen equipment manufacturers, medical, cabinets for electrical equipment, etc Lasers aren’t the only kind of metal fabricating gear to enjoy boosted sales. OMAX Corporation of Kent, Washington, reports great tidings for its waterjet equipment. “OMAX has seen tremendous growth over the last several years. The fabrication market has been a significant part of that growth. In fact, it represents our largest growth market. Our experience would suggestion fabrication will
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continue to show growth in 2015,” says Mark Trimper, a senior regional manager at OMAX. Waterjet is “a mature market … it’s a different type of process than the laser. It’s for people doing a variety of metals or who want a cheaper way to get into the fabrication market,” explains Simon. “It’s a nice alternative for them. You can profile parts and [cut] thick parts without having to spend half-amillion dollars on laser … waterjet aligns itself to applications that are not affected by heat, because there is no heat in the waterjet process. So if there are parts that you’re doing for aerospace or those type of industries … [waterjet] is a great alternative.” Welding is another part of the metal fabrication sector that seems on a growth spurt. Dan Tadic, executive director of the Canadian Welding Association (CWA) based in Milton, Ontario, says his organization has grown from 11,000 members six years ago to over 51,000 today. CWA is a division of the CWB Group—the Canadian Welding Bureau, a certification body. “I think I am probably more optimistic than anyone else on the planet. I’m really excited about all the potential that our industry
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presents for the future … we’re seeing the automotive industry in specific recover very, very significantly,” says Tadic. The CWA works closely with Skills Canada, a non-profit group based in Ottawa, that tries to encourage young people to enter skilled trades. To this end, the CWA hosts events and runs educational programs with the aim of making welding more appealing to youth. The hope is to ward off a looming labour shortage. “I see our association in the range of 100,000 members within five years. Our goal is to be at 61,000 by early next year. We’re extremely optimistic. We keep driving and working hard and engaging our members through … various events, conferences, seminars. We also see ourselves as being a key delivery agent of welding curriculum for high school and college education in future years,” says Tadic.
“AUTOMATION IS A TREND THAT IS NOT GOING AWAY. TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, WE ARE JUST CATCHING UP TO EUROPE IN THEIR USE OF AUTOMATION TO REACH HIGHER LEVELS OF PRODUCTIVITY” By focusing on skilled work and embracing new technology, metal fabricators can remain competitive against their low-cost brethren in Asia and elsewhere, say pundits. “When you produce the type of equipment that pushes pump, software and cutting technology limits, it will always attract those who want to be on the cutting edge. OMAX has a tremendous focus on profitability or ‘price per part’. It goes a long way to help keep metal fabricating growing here in North America,” says Trimper. What applies to waterjet also applies to other metal fabricating machinery. “When you factor in all of the costs to offshore fabrication and consider the greater efficiencies achieved with newer fabrication equipment, many applications that were prime candidates for off-shoring are returning to North America,” says Lobit. “It also provides easier logistics, a more responsive supply chain and ultimately greater flexibility in meeting market needs.” Of course, some metal fabricating companies see off-shoring as an opportunity, not a challenge. Samco, for example, opened its ancillary Indian operation a decade ago, as part of a “global strategy” to take advantage of lower manufacturing costs, says Repovs. 34 | OCTOBER 2014
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Regardless of whether their respective companies fear or favour off-shoring, metal fabricating experts agree being competitive is vital for survival. And again, embracing automation is a good way to achieve this end. “Canadian manufacturers want to stay on the leading edge of technology. That’s the answer to being competitive versus lower cost countries like Mexico,” observes Schreiber. “Automation is a trend that is not going away. To a certain extent, we are just catching up to Europe in their use of automation to reach higher levels of productivity. And this automation is not just being embraced by OEMs running hundreds or thousands of the same parts but high variation job shops as well. This is practical in part due to advances in the automation technology and in software development that makes one-off part automation more easily achieved,” says Lobit. “There is clearly an increase in the demand for more automated manufacturing methods in the industry,” adds Burrell. “Typically even adding simple automated feeding systems such as robotic loaders will provide productivity gains and afford a level of lights out manufacturing capability … there has also been a noticeable shortage of available skilled labour that makes the addition of automation a necessity for some operations to keep up with production requirements and plan for future expansion.” Automated bending cells are popular in metal fabricating circles, notes Schreiber. “Fabricators are very heavily looking at that kind of equipment lately. These machines are rather expensive but price is not a prohibitive thing right now for Canadian manufacturers. Fabricators are doing well, and can afford new equipment, banks seem confident in providing financing at the moment … the outlook for the manufacturing economy is pretty good right now,” he says. “Talking to our customers on a daily basis … I don’t see many manufacturers, job shop manufacturers or suppliers to the industry right now struggling. Manufacturing is strong. You see it in the growth rates of the U.S. economy—and the same applies for Canadian manufacturers. Fabricators have a good business case, and there is nothing on the horizon, at least from my end, which indicates that should change in the near future.” www.canadianmetalworking.com
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FABTECH 2014:
ATLANTA BY NESTOR GULA
W
hile the peach harvest in Georgia might have passed, Atlanta, the state’s capital, will be ripe with innovation and new technologies this November as it plays host to North America’s largest metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing event. Fabtech will be held from November 11-13, 36 | OCTOBER 2014
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and over 27,000 attendees and 1,400 exhibiting companies are expected to descend on the Georgia World Congress Center. “With 14 million pounds of equipment over 500,000 net square feet of floor space, Fabtech 2014 will be more than 25 per cent larger than it was in 2010, the last time the show was held in Atlanta,” says John Catalano, show co-manager at SME. www.canadianmetalworking.com
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Fabtech takes place in Chicago every other year, with Atlanta and Las Vegas rotating in the off years. “This will be the third time Atlanta will host the event. Fabtech was first held here in 2006,” notes Jennifer Dallos, senior marketing specialist at SME. “Show organizers chose Atlanta as a location for Fabtech because the Southeast is a region seeing robust growth in metal fabricating, manufacturing and infrastructure. The three city rotation allows Fabtech to reach new customers and new markets across the United States. Fabtech has also launched events in Mexico and Canada.” SME is one of the five co-sponsors of the event, along with the American Welding Society (AWS), the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA), the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA), and the Chemical www.canadianmetalworking.com
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Coaters Association International (CCAI). Together they represent a wide variety of expertise in the manufacturing sector of America’s economy. Last year’s event in Chicago drew a record 40,667 attendees, visiting 1,573 exhibitors, and although much smaller, the biannual Fabtech Canada, held in Toronto in February 2014, saw an 11 per cent increase in attendance over its launch year in 2012. Fabtech 2014 will kick off with a keynote presentation on “Creating U.S. Jobs and Bringing Manufacturing Back Home” by Walmart VP for U.S. manufacturing, Cindi Marsiglio. Since the show will start on Remembrance Day (Veteran’s Day in the U.S.), a special panel discussion on “Bridging the Manufacturing Skills Gap with Veterans” will be held and moderated by Shane Hicks, VP global talent at Epicor. A motivational keynote address titled “Be the Best You Can Be,” will be presented by four-time Super Bowl Champion for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Vietnam War Veteran Rocky Bleier. The always interesting “State of the Industry Executive Outlook,” including a panel discussion, will be held on Wednesday November 12 at 12:30 PM. “This year’s Fabtech comes against the backdrop of the continued resurgence of manufacturing in the U.S.,” says SME’s Dallos. “Recent data shows that manufacturers contributed $2.08 trillion to the economy in 2013, up from $2.03 trillion in 2012.” The Industry Outlook panel will be moderated by Edwin Stanley, VP sales and finance for GH Metal Solutions, and will feature Todd Henry, operations manager for Caterpillar, Inc., Raj Barta of Siemens and Dave Whelan,
Large crowds are expected at Fabtech in Atlanta. IMAGE COURTESY OF FABTECH
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The cavernous Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta will be the site of this year’s Fabtech show and conference. IMAGE COURTESY OF FABTECH
SVP supply chain, Bluebird Corp. Attendees will be able to ask questions of the panel. Besides live equipment demonstrations which allow visitors to interact and compare products, the show will also host an educational program designed to enhance the careers and businesses of attendees. The program features more than 100 educational sessions and expert-led presentations. There are sessions on finishing, stamping, lasers and cutting, lean, management, sustainable manufacturing, job shop solutions, workforce, forming and fabricating, tube and pipe and automation.
There are even special seminars for job shops. Some of the sessions include, Marketing Tools for Creating a Competitive Advantage, Workforce: Managing and Developing the Next Generation, The Multiple Uses of Laser Metal Deposition, and Efficient Curing for Industrial Finishing, among others. In addition, the American Welding Society (AWS) presents an expansive lineup of welding seminars, conferences, RWMA Resistance Welding School, and other professional programs. Some of the seminars include Advanced Visual Inspection Workshop, Metallurgy Applied to Everyday Welding, High Energy Density Welding Processes, Developments in Friction Stir Welding, to name just a few. There will be lots of live welding demonstrations and even a competition at Fabtech. The AWS U.S. Invitational Weld Trials is a part of the AWS selection process to choose the TeamUSA Welding competitor for the 43rd WorldSkills Competition to be held in São Paulo, Brazil in August 2015. The AWS Robotics Arc Welding contest returns to the 2014 expo. This competition features a challenging exercise with a live welding robot—a simulated CRAW coupon— welding exam. One of the main focuses for Fabtech is encouraging participation in the manufacturing sector. To this end the show has a specific section geared towards youth. “‘Manufacturing Your Future’ is a program
Atlanta, Georgia’s capital, will extend its southern hospitality to the thousands of guests and participants of Fabtech 2014. IMAGE COURTESY OF FABTECH
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The opportunity to attend live demonstrations at Fabtech and interact one-on-one with experts is invaluable. IMAGE: NESTOR GULA
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designed to give students aged 16-21 a rewarding experience during Fabtech,” says Dallos. “This exclusive opportunity is for students who have a desire to learn more about manufacturing, welding, and construction opportunities. Students receive first-hand information on the advantages of a career in manufacturing and are able to ask questions and receive useful insights from knowledgeable adult mentors in the industry.” The Fabtech Industry Night will be held at the new College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. This facility is within walking distance of the Georgia World Congress Center. Participants can enjoy food and drinks while connecting with friends and peers. Advance tickets for attendees are $50 and include admission to the College Football Hall of Fame, customized experience to your favorite college team, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. This year’s Fabtech event promises to be an exceptional experience for all attending. Whether you are exhibiting, visiting booths, or attending seminars, Fabtech offers an array of opportunities to explore the fabricating and welding industries. Don’t miss out on Fabtech 2014. Additional information can be found at www.fabtechexpo.com. www.canadianmetalworking.com
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NOVEMBER 18-20, 2014 A T L A N T A GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTRE
Greenerd will present the 100-ton Four Post Hydraulic Press to size metal “rings” on the inside diameter after a welding process. The stroke on this press is adjustable up to 12” and the RAM speed can be adjusted. Greenerd presses are available in a variety of styles ranging from gap frame and straight-side to die-spotting and forging presses. www.greenerd.com
TRUMPF Inc. — Booth B1903 TRUMPF will introduce the TruPunch 2000 with SheetMaster Compact to the North American market at FABTECH. Featuring an innovative on-demand drive technology, the hydraulic system only runs when the punch head is active, minimizing the energy consumption of the machine and the load on the system. The machine features a 50 in. x 100 in. working range and can process material up to 0.250 in. thick. www.trumpf.com
MC Machinery Systems /Mitsubishi Laser — Booth B1925 MC Machinery Systems is taking its extensive line of laser and press brakes to FABTECH 2014. They will exhibit the new NXF-4000 fiber laser, the eX CO2 laser, and several large-bed press brakes. The NXF-4000 fiber laser, the NXF40, packs 4kW of power, almost double the wattage of its 2012 predecessor. www.mcmachinery.com
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Bystronic — Booth B2225
Amada America Inc. — Booth B2503
Bystronic introduces new products to their laser, bending and software product lines at Fabtech. BySprint Fiber with Fiber 6000 watt laser source, shown equipped with the ByTrans Extended high-speed material load/ unload automation, is setting new standards for speed, productivity and automation across a wide range of materials and thicknesses. www.bystronic.com
Amada will be showcasing the ENSIS 3015 AJ, which is a 2kW fiber laser cutting system that provides 4kW cutting capabilities. ENSIS is engineered to automatically provide the optimal beam configuration based on the material being cut. Continuous processing combined with automatic changes to beam configuration, result in unprecedented productivity and versatility. www.amada.ca
Prima Power North America Inc. — Booth B2725 Prima Power will be featuring the PLATINO Fiber 2D laser cutting machine combining state-of-the-art efficient and ecological fiber laser technology. PLATINO fiber is available for sheet size 1,500 x 3,000 mm and with laser power ranging from 2,000 W up to 3,000 W and is suitable for a wide range of applications. www.primapower.com
There’s a new team in town. The joining of ESAB and Victor brings together five heavy hitters. Now all the welding and cutting solutions you need are available from one company – ESAB. Here’s what you can look forward to in our booth at FABTECH. Aluminum welding perfection from the new Aristo® MIG 4004i Pulse and AlcoTec® NT wire A WARRIOR™ Multi Voltage unit with the new Mobile Feed and WARRIOR Dual Feed n The latest small gantry cutting machine – SGX n The Tweco Spray Master™ with new, extended-life Velocity™ consumables n The Swift Arc Side Load robotic welding cell with innovative, high-speed Tandem Swift Arc Transfer (SAT™) n Innovative Victor® EDGE™ Series regulators offer unmatched safety and advanced performance
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See us at FABTECH 2014 at booths C2444, C2454, and C2466. ESAB Welding & Cutting Products / esabna.com
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LVD Strippit — Booth B3103
NOVEMBER 18-20, 2014 A T L A N T A GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTRE
LVD will be featuring its latest and most advanced sheet metalworking solutions for bending, laser cutting and punching along with software. Representing LVD’s punch press range at FABTECH is the latest Strippit PX 1530. With the combination of punching, forming, bending and tapping in a single machine complete work piece processing, including complex, three-dimensional parts is achieved. www.lvdgroup.com
Hypertherm Inc. — Booth B3147
OMAX Corp. — Booth B3361
Hypertherm plans to introduce new products and techonologies. The new products include a system that combines a powerful plasma unit with a generator and compressor for cutting in remote areas. In addition, Hypertherm will introduce a HyPerformance HPRXD Plasma torch that features a shorter assembly for use on 3D profiling equipment. www.hypertherm.com
OMAX will be featuring its 80X JetMachining Center, ideal for cutting large-scale components or multiple-part projects from exotic alloys, metals, composites and more. The company will power this bridge-style machine with the industry’s first 100-hp direct-drive pump with EnduroMAX technology that delivers higher JetPower, faster speeds and better cut quality over competitive intensifier designs. www.omax.com
Mazak Optonics Corporation —Booth B3525
Peddinghaus Corporation — Booth B3547
Messer Cutting Systems — Booth B3911
Mazak will debut their new OPTIPLEX 3015 Fiber laser-cutting system with a Zeta-7 cutting head and Preview 3 Control. The brand new Zeta-7 cutting head features breakthrough intelligent functions to automate and optimize the OPTIPLEX Fiber laser process. Zeta-7 intelligent functions include beam diameter control, nozzle changing, focus calibration, auto focus control, pierce sensing, plasma detection and burn detection. www.mazakoptonics.com
Peddinghaus will be featuring the HSFDB-C plate processor, complete with capabilities for drilling, milling, scribing, tapping, countersinking, hardstamping, oxy-fuel and plasma cutting, this one machine has it all. The HSFDB-C is the first true CNC processor enhanced with bevel-cutting technology for plasma or oxy-fuel cutting. The machine is equipped with SignoMat hard stamp part marking and a 12-station tool changer. www.peddinghaus.com
Messer Cutting Systems will announce a new revolutionary high performance plasma/fiber laser combination machine at this year’s Fabtech Show.The MPC2000 cutting machine will also be featured. This machine is the industry workhorse offering plasma bevel cutting, drilling, marking with faster speeds and superior cut quality. www.messer-cs.com
Scotchman Industries Inc. — Booth B4361 Scotchman Industries is proud to introduce the GAA-500 90, Automatic Upcut Circular Cold Saw, the newest addition to our non-ferrous saw line. The GAA-500 90 is a large capacity upcut automatic saw for cutting non-ferrous materials at 90° up to 6” square and round. www.scotchman.com
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COE “Cut to Length” — Booth B4416
NOVEMBER 18-20, 2014 A T L A N T A GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTRE
COE’s “Value-Added” Series CTL systems can process coil from 12”- 72” wide, .010”- .250” material thickness, and 6,000# - 60,000# coil weights in a variety of materials including CR Steel, HR Steel, Galvanized, Stainless, Pre-painted and Aluminum. Other benefits include process streamlining and scrap reduction. www.cpec.com
Gravograph — Booth B4436
Fein Power Tools Inc. — Booth C1144
Gravotech, Inc. is introducing the new Technifor TF450. This powerful 50 watt fiber laser can produce deep marks with high contrasts and increase productivity with its high rate of speed. Designed with lightweight aluminum, the TF450 is highly durable and easily integrates into the most difficult industrial applications. www.gravotech.com
Fein will be exhibiting its Uultra high performance 1500 Watt angle grinders with new long-life motors designed for constant speeds, especially under load. Solid metal gear head rotates in 90˚ steps for right or left hand use and reduced vibration adds user comfort. They are extremely robust and durable with softstart and overload protection. www.fein.ca
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3M — Booth C1522
Bluco Corp — Booth C1730
The new abrasives in the Cubitron II lineup help save time, lower manufacturing costs and can help reduce fatigue and stress. Using 3M’s patented, precisionshaped grain technology where every grain is identical in size and shape, the abrasive continuously fractures, forming sharp points that slice through metal and provide long life and consistent finish. www.3M.com/abrasives
Bluco Corporation will be displaying its line of workstations to complement their existing modular fixturing solutions. With the ability to quickly set datum locations within +/-.030” and repeat setups within +/.005”, weldments are within tolerance every time with no costly re-work delays. The workstations can be used as stand-alone weld cells, or for sub-weldments to feed work to larger weld cells. www.bluco.com
Norton | Saint-Gobain — Booth C1606
The latest generation Norton Gemini RightCut wheels are 100% A/O abrasive, infused with a new bond technology and process, for a thinner wheel design and low kerf loss. Strong, extra-thin .045” wheels result in less material waste and quick cutting action. Providing a clean, precise, straight, burr-free quality cut, RightCut wheels offer up to 20% faster cutting than a standard wheel. The wheels are longer lasting, extending wheel usage up to 70% more than conventional wheels. The new Norton Gemini RightCut wheels also require less pressure while cutting, giving operators a more comfortable, easier-to-use cut-off solution. www.nortonindustrial.com
PFERD Inc. — Booth C1744 CC-GRIND-SOLID is the next generation of grinding wheels by PFERD. The CC-GRIND-SOLID offers extremely aggressive stock removal and a large surface contact area. They are twice as aggressive with 50% less noise, dust and vibration. www.pferd.com
Powerful
Pipe Benders
Lincoln Electric — Booth C2022 Lincoln Electric’s POWER MIG 210 MP is a multi-process welder for MIG welding and more, including stick, TIG and flux-cored welding. The digital controls and color display screen make setup and operation intuitive, while the all-metal wire drive and sturdy sheet-metal construction make it ready for any job. The 210 MP is the ideal MIG machine for the welding novice, with plenty of room to grow. www.lincolnelectric.com
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ESAB Welding & Cutting Products — Booth C2444
NOVEMBER 18-20, 2014 A T L A N T A GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTRE
ESAB introduces SGX, a compact, automated cutting machine for plasma and oxy-fuel cutting, made affordable for the small fabricator or manufacturer. This high-performance machine carries up to three tool stations: up to two oxy-fuel torches and one plasma station that can be equipped with ESAB’s m3-IGC Precision Plasma System. Advanced features include Vision T5 touch-screen CNC with built-in automatic nesting, automatic gas controls and plasma automation. www.esab.ca
Victor Technologies — Booth C2454
Miller Electric MFG Co. — Booth C2744 and C2944
Tweco medium- and heavy-duty Velocity MIG consumables feature shielding gas injection ports that keep the contact tip cooler. By running cooler, Velocity contact tips last longer than other consumables — up to 500 percent or more in gas shielded flux cored, spray transfer and pulsed spray transfer applications and up to 300 percent or more in short circuit MIG applications. victortechnologies.com
Miller will be exhibiting a variety of products, including the SubArc DC 1000/1250 Digital and SubArc AC/DC 1000/1250 Digital power sources for Submerged Arc (SAW) and Electroslag (ESW) welding applications, as well as accessories such as analog and digital interface controls, and a range of drive motors and torches. In addition, Miller will host four educational seminars at the booth. www.millerwelds.com
Bernard and Tregaskiss — Booth C2944
Gullco International —Booth C-3005
Bernard will be displaying its semi-automatic MIG guns and consumables. This new product line allows users to build their ultimate MIG gun by choosing from an expanded list of the best features from the former Bernard Q-Gun, S-Gun and T-Gun MIG Guns. Tregaskiss will showcase its robotic MIG guns, consumables and peripherals. www.bernardwelds.com/ www.tregaskiss.com
The Gullco Pipe KAT is an automated orbital welding carriage designed for pipe welding applications. Ideal for field pipeline manufacturing and power plant construction, the Pipe KAT is a fully integrated welding system. A remote control pendant is provided to allow adjustment of the critical application parameters during the welding process. The carriage operates on a track band made of durable aluminum extrusion by engaging the track with self-aligning wheels and a rack and pinion drive. www.gullco.com
Walter Surface Technologies — Booth C3556 This new patented electrochemical cleaning system facilitates the cleaning of MIG, TIG and spot welds, without altering the surface of the parent material. Paired with a new high resistant and conductive cleaning brush applicator, it allows for cleaning of larger surface areas. In addition, this new system can also be leveraged for marking purposes, giving this workhorse an incomparable advantage for flexibility and functionality. www.walter.com
ROFIN-SINAR Inc. — Booth C3612 ROFIN will introduce the StarFemto FX, its versatile new femtosecond laser at Fabtech. “Cold” laser material processing with ultrashort pulsed lasers is one of the most promising new technologies for high-precision cutting, structuring, ablation, drilling and marking applications of almost all kinds of material, and with no thermal damage. www.rofin.com 48 | OCTOBER 2014
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14-10-03 4:50 PM
BY NATE HENDLEY
R
obert Nefkens, managing director of Hembrug Machine Tools from the Netherlands, is a fervent believer in what many still consider a niche process. The process is hard turning—defined in Hembrug literature as “single point cutting of hardened part pieces [with hardness values] between 55 and 68 HRC.” “Well, what I’ve noticed—people are getting more and more familiar with hard turning,” said Nefkens, interviewed at the Hembrug booth at Chicago’s recent International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS). The doctor’s English was shaky, which made it difficult for him to make his point. Hembrug corporate literature, on the other hand, comes in flawless English and a singular pointof-view. Hembrug operates two websites, a corporate site (which describes Hembrug as “the hard turning company”) and a separate site (found at www.hardturning.com) solely devoted to the glories of hard turning. “In factories throughout the world, hard turning is replacing grinding, cutting costs and raising productivity,” boasts hardturning.com. According to this site, hard turning offers several advantages over grinding, including greater accuracy, flexibility and productivity (hard turning is three to four times faster than cylindrical grinding). Multiple operations can be done in one set up (saving time and money) while the whole process is environmentally friendly (hard turning can be done ‘dry’), adds the site. All very well, but Hembrug is still a relatively small fish in the machine tool market. It’s important to ask, what do the big players think of hard turning? As it stands, opinions range all over the map. Some industry experts think Hembrug is on to something, while others dismiss the Dutch firm as way off base. “Anyone who thinks a turning center can be more accurate than a grinder must have used a seriously bad grinder … turning centers can be very accurate, but grinders are in a different category,” says David Fischer, lathe product specialist at Okuma America Corp. in Charlotte, North Carolina. “The grinder is a more robust platform when parts have to be held to millionths. I can run the grinder for days on end and never have to get fussy with the offsets to maintain size. Typically, a lathe will have to be constantly monitored and the offsets constantly adjusted. “Finish is another area that can be an issue. A
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grinder will be consistent with finish where a turning center will change as the tool wears.” Fischer is willing to concede that, “hard turning does tend to be more environmentally friendly since you eliminate swarf disposal.” He also notes that “hard turning can be done on any of Okuma’s turning centers” including the new HJ-250E horizontal lathe with a FANUC control. Still, Fischer can’t accept Hembrug’s premise that hard turning is the wave of the future. “Progress continues to be made with hard turning and turning centers continue to improve in accuracy. That said, the most robust process is still a grinder and will be for the foreseeable future,” he says, adding that hard turning has been cited as a growing trend “for decades” and still hasn’t achieved widespread acceptance. Tom Sheehy, manager of applications engineering at Hardinge, Inc., of Elmira, New York, takes a considerably different tack. “Hardinge has been hard turning for over 20 years and has extensive process and cutting tool knowledge … additionally, Hardinge has been conducting hard turning seminars for 10 years or more, to assist our customers in getting up to speed in this area,” says Sheehy. “Most customers that inquire to Hardinge in regards to hard turning are looking for faster throughput, accuracy, process and machine flexibility, reduction in set-up times as well as multiple operations in a single set-up, all of which reduce the cost of the finished component. The majority of hard turning is performed dry, resulting in decreased expense in coolant disposal … there can be a substantial cost savings from increased throughput via faster metal removal rates and decreased cost of equipment, when compared to grinding, while maintaining comparable tolerances and quality,” adds Sheehy. He notes that Hardinge’s Super Precision series of CNC lathes, “are an ideal choice for hard turning due to the rigid structure of the machines, collet ready spindles and 0.1 micron control resolution offered on these models.” Sheehy believes that many of the problems associated with hard turning should be blamed on the www.canadianmetalworking.com
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machinist, not the machine. Factors that can impede hard turning include lack of machine tool rigidity, lack of workholding rigidity, lack of tooling rigidity and lack of part rigidity. Ignorance about the cutting theory behind hard turning and improper part preparation can also lead to failure. Even when done properly, however, hard turning is not a perfect process. “Hard turned surfaces can at times experience ‘white layer’ formations. This appears as a white layer at the surface of the material …
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this white layer cannot be seen by the naked eye,” says Sheehy. “Basically it is a very hard sub layer left on the surface and is often caused by incorrect cutting parameters. It is normally caused by severe plastic deformation that cause rapid material grain changes or surface phase transformation as a result of rapid heating and quenching of the surface.” He does point out that white layers aren’t unique to hard turning, and sometimes show up in grinding applications as well. The danger is that the white layer flakes off and causes premature component failure. Knowing what kind of inserts to use in hard turning is also vital. “CBN (Cubic Boron Nitride) is the most predictable from a process standpoint for the majority of all applications and in the case of interrupted cutting,” says Sheehy. “CBN tooling will also, in general, hold a tighter diametrical tolerance and produce a better surface finish. Ceramics and cermets are applicable to generally more open diametrical tolerI’M NOT SURE [HARD TURNING] WILL COMPLETELY DO AWAY WITH GRINDING, ance components and surface finishes, BUT IT WILL REPLACE MOST OF IT. however typically – PETER ALDEN, WESSEX PRECISION MACHINING will not work well in interrupted cutting applications. The major distinction when choosing one over the other is the actual application and usually comes down to cost. CBN is typically more expensive than ceramic and cermets by a factor of four. In the proper application, implementation and cutting parameters, ceramic or cermets can achieve similar cutting results as CBN at a lower cost.” If Fischer is skeptical about hard turning and Sheehy is supportive, Michael Cope, product technical specialist at Hurco Companies Inc., in Indianapolis, Indiana, takes the middle-ground. “As the technology of cutting tools advances each year, more and more shops are becoming aware of the benefits of hard turning. However, although it is definitely a growing trend in the industry, I don’t know that I believe that it will ever reach the level of ‘major trend.’ The overall need in the majority of shops just isn’t there,” says Cope. He agrees with Hembrug’s list of hard turning advantages over grinding, with the exception of greater accuracy; “hard turning is just a different form of single-point turning and does not reach the accuracy level of grinding,” he says. 52 | OCTOBER 2014
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He echoes Sheehy’s position, that machinist inexperience is often to blame for hard turning difficulties. “Machinists generally aren’t used to cutting materials that have been hardened to such levels before reaching the machining process. Without some guidance from people with experience and from tooling companies, it is very difficult to know what speeds or feeds to use, what cutter geometry is necessary, whether you need to use ceramic inserts or carbide, etc.,” says Cope. “All Hurco turning centers are capable and well-suited for hard turning … people often think of Hurco as a mill builder, but we now have 16 different models of lathes, with the TM8i being the most popular,” he adds. So, with all of this in mind, what of Hembrug’s boast, that hard turning is replacing grinding? Machine tool companies and manufacturing facilities alike weigh in. “We hard turn most of the time and have for a number of years,” says Peter Alden, co-owner of Wessex Precision Machining of Ayr, Ontario. “We used to have a cylindrical grinder but we got rid of it and now we just hard turn … I’m not sure [hard turning] will completely do away with grinding, but it will replace most of it.” Cope disagrees. “I don’t believe that hard turning will ever replace grinding, because the accuracy just isn’t there. Although [hard turning] definitely has its place, the vast majority of parts and products simply don’t require it, because the parts don’t require heat-treating. Therefore, I believe that it will remain a popular niche application,” he says. Unsurprisingly, Sheehy takes a vastly different viewpoint. “Hard turning is replacing a lot of grinding applications … this is occurring in all industry segments that we participate in and we anticipate that hard turning will continue to evolve and grow as a whole across all industry segments. Currently, I would say that over 50 per cent of the projects that are submitted to Hardinge applications from our sales force are hard turning inquiries,” he says. Back at IMTS, Nefkens chuckles at how hard turning has entered the popular consciousness. “I remember when we were at [trade] shows 15–20 years ago. [People] almost got angry when we talked about hard turning. They said it was impossible. We had to explain it over and over again,” he says. For advocates such as Nefkens, the fact hard turning can now be rationally discussed without tempers flaring is proof the process is slowly edging towards the mainstream. www.canadianmetalworking.com
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Do something amazing. > As the world leader in Multi-Tasking technology with more than 90 machine tool configurations to choose from, we bring increased precision, productivity and profitability to any part-processing application. Whether you require basic turning, milling and drilling operations or highly specialized gear cutting, honing and polishing capabilities, we make it possible for you to process entire workpieces in single setups.
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| 8025 Production Drive | Florence, KY 41042 | (859) 342-1700 | mazakusa.com WEST CANADA Machine Toolworks, Inc. 4803 74th Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T6B 2H5 (800) 426-2052
QUEBEC & MARITIMES A.W. Miller 2685 Boul. Pitfield St. Laurent, Quebec H4S 1T2 (514) 333-9174
14-10-03 4:51 PM
Transmission manufacturing with steel turning grades GC4325 and GC4315 With new technological developments, emerging on the automotive horizon, manufacturers are faced with extremely high demands in terms of quality, security and productivity. The new Sandvik Coromant grades GC4315 and GC4325 with Inveio are designed to support the automotive industry with outstanding reliability and process security. First choice grade for soft stage turning in stable conditions, GC4315, is designed for high-speed steel turning with a long and predictable tool life. Grade GC4325 is a tougher steel turning grade that manages interrupted cuts and uneven depths of cut at high speeds. Both grades enable high cutting data without sacrificing component quality. www.sandvik.coromant.com
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Small-Footprint, Big-Bore Turning Center, ST-15 The newest addition to the Haas big-bore line is the ST-15 – a compact solution loaded with full-size features. The ST-15 is a small-footprint, big-bore turning center with a 2.5-inch bar capacity. The machine provides a maximum cutting capacity of 14 x 14 inches with a swing of 16.25 inches over the cross slide. It is equipped with an 8.3-inch hydraulic three-jaw chuck and a 12-station BOT turret. The ST-15’s A2-6 spindle nose has a 3.5-inch bore and a 2.5-inch bar capacity. The machine’s 20 hp vector dual-drive spindle turns to 4000 rpm, and provides 150 ft-lb of torque. On-thefly wye-delta switching yields a wide constant-horsepower band for constant surface feed cuts, and 1200 ipm rapids and fast turret indexing reduce cycle times. www.haascnc.com
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Reduced insert size while maintaining the insert thickness The EcoTurn line has smaller insert with the same performance of the larger insert. The new ZF chipbreaker is used in finishing applications and has an operating range of 0.2 to 1.5 mm DOC. The feed rate ranges from 0.07 to 0.2 mm per revolution. The new ZM chipbreaker is used for medium cutting and has an operating range of 0.7 to 2.0 mm DOC, making this chipbreaker an excellent option when profiling. Both of these new chipbreakers are offered in the versatile T9115 and T9125 CVD PremiumTec coated grades. The EcoTurn line now offers six chipbreaker options and eight different grade options, including coated and uncoated cermets. www.tunagloy.com
VTM-2000YB Turning Center provides heavy-duty construction for large parts machining Okuma’s VTM-2000YB takes the successful concept of the VTM-200YB and advances the design to increase rigidity, power, B-axis range, speed and accuracy. The extreme rigidity and powerful cutting capabilities of this machine make it ideal for machining large diameter workpieces, such as those in the aerospace industry. The vertical architecture offers the advantage of “natural” part handling and excellent chip fall, while taking up minimal floor space. It utilizes Okuma’s Thermo-Friendly Concept to enhance thermal stability, and has powerful turning and milling capabilities with .001° B and C axes. This CNC turning center has 1.6 meters of Y-axis travel, combines powerful turning and milling functions for large parts in the same machine and includes a 36 tool ATC for tool changing. www.okuma.com www.canadianmetalworking.com
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A shift in performance in the production of electric motors with the VT 2-4
S100 grooving system with additional options in inch widths
EMAG has developed its solution for the machining of shafts up to 400 mm in length and 63 mm diameter in their VT 2-4 4-axis Vertical Pick-Up Turning Machine. The actual turning process, with spindle speeds of up to 6,000 rpm, also helps to achieve short cycle times. The shaft is clamped vertically between workspindle and tailstock and machined from two sides. This work is done by two turrets with 12 tool stations each. The stations can be equipped with turning tools and driven tools. The vertical alignment of the workpiece ensures permanent process integrity, where the unhindered chip flow prevents the build-up of chip nests in the machining area. www.emag.com
The S100 grooving system from HORN has been extended to include the groove width of 1/8 inch (3.18 mm), with tried-and-tested geometries and new substrates. A real enhancement to the system is the new S100 grooving insert featuring an integrated coolant supply via the chip surface, ensuring optimum cooling for deep plunge cuts. A cutting insert featuring an internal coolant supply for effective cooling at the cutting zone completes the S100 inch range. The coolant jet acts directly on the cutting zone. A screw clamp or self-clamping device permits simple insert replacement with high repeat accuracy. www.horn.com
6-sided machining with main and counter spindle The model NLX 2500SY/700 with counter spindle and Y axis is synonymous with efficient complete machining in one clamping operation or from bar stock. The turret comes standard with a BMT60 interface and can optionally be equipped with VDI TRIFIX (12 stations). Speed: 10,000 rpm. It offers a compact, new design with reduced floor space requirements, highest accuracy due to thermo-symmetthermo-symmetrical construction, integrated drive motor in the turret and integrated cooling system in the machine bed to enhance and improve Serving the thermal properties. It also includes Automotive Parts MAPPS IV with a 10.4-inch TFT display. Manufacturing www.dmgmori.com
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High positive radial, helical cutting edges and positive rake angles of the Flash Turn series These semi-triangular turning inserts by ISCAR, used for axial and face turning, feature three 80째 corner cutting edges on each side of the insert. They replace the rhombic inserts that had only two cutting edges, thus saving production time and cost while maximizing insert life. The new inserts are available in a wide range of geometries, corner radii, chipformers and the most advanced carbide grades. These inserts, like their larger counterparts, have high positive radial, helical cutting edges and positive rake angles - a combination that substantially reduces cutting forces. www.iscar.com
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How to Extend Cutting Tool Life in Turning Applications BY NATE HENDLEY
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hat’s the best way to extend cutting tool life in turning applications? We posed this and a few similar questions to a selection of industry experts. Here’s what they had to say:
Q. IS THERE A SINGLE PARAMOUNT FACTOR THAT IMPACTS CUTTING TOOL LIFE IN TURNING APPLICATIONS? “The thing that affects tool life the most is speed. So optimizing speed and the grade that goes along with that speed is probably paramount. If you’re running too fast, you get all kinds of wear [problems]—plastic deformation, crater wear. When you get those problems, typically you go to a more wear resistant grade, to stand the heat that the speed causes,” says Kevin Burton, product specialist, Sandvik Coromant, based in Mississauga, Ontario. “When it comes to trying to extend tool life, the same principles are applied to any application, not just turning, but milling, hole-making, etc. Basically, you need to look at the insert itself. Is the insert capable of doing what you want it to do? Is it designed to handle the depth of cut you’re taking? Is it designed to handle the type of feed rate
you’re going to want to run it under? Is it designed for the basic application, meaning, can it go to a 90 degree shoulder? Can you profile with it? That type of stuff … you also have to consider the coating. Is it designed for the material that you’re machining or is it a general coating? Because obviously, that’s going to play a big [part in terms of] tool life,” says Steve Geisel, senior product manager at Iscar Canada, based in Oakville, Ontario.
Q. IS THERE ANYTHING SPECIFIC TO TURNING APPLICATIONS THAT’S DETRIMENTAL TO CUTTING TOOL LIFE? “One is definitely speed … we find one of the biggest things that affects tool life is people not running at proper cutting parameters. Either they’re running way too slow or running way too fast. People think, ‘I want to get this part done, therefore I’ve got to run it this fast’ … but will the insert handle it? Unless [the insert is] actually optimized … they’re going to be getting low tool life, because if it’s too slow, you get a built-up edge. Get a built up edge, it will chip the insert and eventually the insert will fail. If they’re running too fast, then the high speed will burn out the insert and then of course, your tool life is gone as well,” says Geisel.
New grades and coating mean many more pieces per edge New Beyond Drive inserts from Kennametal feature a bronze TiOCN top coating that increases wear resistance and functions as a wear indicator. New Beyond Drive cutting tool inserts from Kennametal are helping component suppliers expand and thrive in this environment with enhanced performance and extended tool life that mean many more finished pieces per cutting edge. Beyond Drive inserts feature a proprietary post-coat surface treatment that improves edge toughness, reliability, and depth-of-cut notch resistance, and a micro-polished surface to reduce friction and workpiece sticking (BUE). A fine-grained alumina layer allows for increases in cutting speed, improving productivity and reliability at high cutting temperatures. www.kennnametal.com
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“The higher the speed, the faster you’re going to get wear. But on the other hand, the higher the speed the more efficient your machining operation is. By optimizing the parameters, you can generally do the best in terms of using both the capabilities of the machine and removing material as quickly as possible … the appropriate parameters [are vital]. You can’t be feeding too lightly. A lot of times people run into trouble, their first reaction is to back off on the feed rate and back off on the speed. And a lot of times that’s exactly the wrong thing to do. If you feed too lightly on a roughing insert then all you’re doing is rubbing the insert. You’re not really cutting,” says Kurt Ludeking, product manager for turning, Walter USA, LLC, based in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
Q. ARE THERE ANY COMMON MISTAKES MACHINISTS MAKE DURING TURNING OPERATIONS THAT ARE DETRIMENTAL TO CUTTING TOOL LIFE? “Typically, when I get called by one of our guys or a customer, I would say 80 per cent of the time, it’s because of a misapplication, be it the wrong grade, wrong geometry, wrong shape of the insert, not enough coolant, that sort of thing. They were running too slow or too fast, running too high a feed or too low a feed … maybe they’re used to turning gray cast iron, for example, and they get Nodular iron. So typically, the mistake is that they
run Nodular iron at [speeds] somewhere in the region of gray cast speeds. That’s a common mistake. Or the material—say they’re used to running 30 HRC, and it’s 40 HRC,” says Burton. “Basically when you’re talking about machining, you have four areas: finishing, medium machining, roughing and heavy roughing. The problem we see most people do, they take an insert or a chip breaker that’s designed for say roughing and they try to apply it to an application where it’s more of a medium depth of cut. This is a big thing. When you’re talking about a chip former that’s meant for medium machining versus one meant for roughing, they are completely different. A roughing insert compared to a medium handles a much deeper depth of cut and is designed for a much higher feed rate. The chip breaker is designed with that in mind … so therefore, if you take a roughing chip former and try to apply it to a medium application, where you’re not taking a big depth of cut, where you’re not running a very high feed rate, you’ll not get chip control. The chips will come off longer and stringy and you’re not going to have anything but problems [and] bad tool life,” says Geisel.
Q. ARE THERE ANY COMMON MISTAKES SPECIFIC TO SMALL SHOPS? “Nowadays … [small shops] are trying to diversify heavily … they’re trying to get a little bit of everything: a little bit of aerospace, a little bit of mold and die, a little bit of automotive. Because that way, if one area takes a hit, they still have other work to keep them going. This is good as a job shop model. But when it comes to cutting tools, they have to understand, that when you don’t use cutting tools designed specifically for the material you’re [machining], problems will occur. If you want to have [cutting tools] that
Multi-Tasking machine easily pairs with automation for fast, high-production part handling The QTU 350MY is one of several models in Mazak’s new UNIVERSAL Series that boasts the highest levels of performance and productivity at the industry’s most competitive price points. In addition to both turning and milling multi-tasking capabilities, the machine features a special interpolative Y-axis functionality for off-centerline operations and increased part processing versatility. Unlike a conventional tool turret that has its Y-axis parallel to the X-axis and perpendicular to Z, the QTU 350MY’s turret runs parallel to the Z-axis and perpendicular to X. This makes for Y-axis movement that is above and below spindle centerline. www.mazak.com
www.canadianmetalworking.com
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are generic or broad-range, you’re not going to get the same level of performance. Will it work okay? Sure it will work okay, but it’s not going to be the best. You’re not going to be running at the optimum speed, the optimum feed or depth of cut. You’re not going to get the optimum tool life. Your tooling costs are going to be slightly higher because you’re trying to generalize,” notes Geisel.
Q. WILL CHANGING THE ANGLE OF THE CUT ENHANCE TOOL LIFE IN TURNING APPLICATIONS? “Oh, for sure. Changing the approach angle can have major improvements, especially when machining difficult to machine materials like high temp alloy or [when doing] a heavy interrupted cut. Changing the clearance angle can get you major benefits. But if you’re changing the approach angle, you have to be sure the part can facilitate that,” says Geisel.
Q. HOW IMPORTANT IS THE SHAPE OF THE INSERT IN TERMS OF ENHANCING CUTTING TOOL LIFE IN TURNING APPLICATIONS? “The strength of the cutting edge depends on the shape. Typically everyone uses 80 degree diamond [CNMG inserts] for a lot of things [in turning] but that’s not necessarily always the strongest edge if you’re doing roughing and rough cutting and so on … one of the things that can be done to really improve tool life, use the 100 degree corner on those inserts … so you can cut with that 100 degree corner on CNMG inserts … you get the 80 degree corner for finishing, then switch it over to 100 degree corner for roughing. You get to use all eight corners. That 100 degree corner is about the strongest shape you can have outside of a round insert for roughing. Definitely much better in heavy roughing operations … than using an 80 degree corner,” says Ludeking.
Q. WHAT ROLE DOES COOLANT PLAY IN ENHANCING CUTTING TOOL LIFE IN TURNING APPLICATIONS? “Coolant delivery is very important, and obviously, the concentration of the coolant. Sometimes we see coolant just kind of spraying out. Maybe there’s a plugged line or it’s not directed correctly. So coolant delivery is very important for good tool life,” says Burton. “High pressure coolant is something that’s getting a little bit of traction [in the machining world]. I think people are figuring out where the balance point is for the cost, versus the efficiencies that it helps generate. Having the coolant directly at the cutting edge is helpful, even if it’s not high pressure. You’re still going to get better tool life. Maybe only five –10 per cent, but it’s still something. When you get into the 1,000 psi level, you’re talking about 30–50 per cent increases in tool life,” says Ludeking.
Q. ANY FINAL THOUGHTS? “The less in-cut time you have, the better. So if you have a component and you’re wearing the inserts out, you can increase the feed a little bit. Then your in-cut time is less. [The impact of feed] on tool life is much less than speed,” says Burton. “If you’re not using the appropriate geometries, you are not going to be getting the best tool life. Make sure you have appropriate insert geometry,” says Ludeking. “No one uses a cell phone from 15 years ago, and no one should be using cutting tools from 15 years ago … make sure you’re using the latest in technology from your cutting tool provider, and make sure your cutting tools are fully optimized for the work pieces they’re machining. Because if they’re not optimized, all you’re doing is flushing money down the toilet,” says Geisel.
Offering high performance and SUPER-PRECISION models Hardinge CONQUEST H51 SUPER-PRECISION features the Hardinge Collet-Ready Spindle. The CONQUEST H51 features a 20hp, 5000rpm A2-6” main spindle with 2” bar capacity. It offers a generous maximum turning diameter of 12.3” and a maximum turning length of 25.6”. The 12 station turret offers 1⁄2 station index for up to 24 tools. High performance and SUPER-PRECISION productivity packages are available for choosing from features that include Live Tooling with C-Axis, Sub-Spindle and Y-axis. The CONQUEST H51 is offered with either a Fanuc 0i-D or Mitsubishi 720 control, each packed with a host of standard features. www.hardingeus.com
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THE IKON OF A NEW PERFORMANCE CLASS. Visibly different – completely reliable DC170 from Walter Titex has a unique and innovative margin design that greatly increases productivity by ensuring the carbide’s strength is exactly where you need it - right behind the cutting edge, facing the cutting forces. Walter USA, LLC N22W23855 RidgeView Pkwy W Waukesha, WI 53188, USA 800-945-5554 service.us@walter-tools.com
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Exploring the benefits of in-house coolant recycling. BY DOUG PICKLYK
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ccording to some coolant recycling manufacturers, their systems can have an average return on investment of under a year. These calculated savings for machining and grinding operations can come from a range of areas including the long-term reduction of waste hauling costs, reduction in new fluid purchases, enhanced machine performance, less downtime, increased tool life, and an improved working environment.
THE TIGHTER THE EMULSION, THE EASEIR IT IS TO FILTER OUT THE IMPURITIES WITHOUT AFFECTING THE COOOLANT.
Tom Tripepi
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Canadian Metalworking spoke with Tom Tripepi, technical director for the fluid filtration division of PRAB, based in Kalamazoo, Michigan to discuss the basics of coolant filtration and recycling systems. With over 30 years of industry experience working in R&D, designing and developing tramp oil separators and coolant recycling systems, Tripepi shares valuable insights on the subject and the benefits he’s witnessed.
CM: WHAT ARE THE MAIN DIFFERENT TYPES OF COOLANTS, AND ARE SOME MORE DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH FROM A FILTRATION/ RECYCLING PERSPECTIVE? TT: There are three basic types of coolant. There is the water-soluble coolant, basically an oil with some surfactants and wetting agents that cause the oils to emulsify with the water, so that as you’re cutting/machining/grinding you’ll have the properties of the oil for lubricity and you have the water cooling the parts. Then there is the semi-synthetic, which is again a soluble oil but there are components that are synthetic (non-petroleum-based oil) to give it more lubricity and a tighter emulsion. And finally there is synthetic coolant, which means there are no petroleum-based hydrocarbons in the coolant at all. And then there is what is known as a true solution, which is all chemical and others that are called macro-emulsions where it is still an emulsion rather than a true solution. In terms of recyclability, it varies, because with soluble oils you have to be aware of how tight the emulsion is. For some manufacturers the oil droplets could be 20-microns in size, meaning they’re hard to recycle because in the www.canadianmetalworking.com
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filtration process you might start separating that emulsion, basically removing the coolant from the water. Semi-synthetics tend to be a tighter emulsion, the tighter the emulsion the easier it is to filter out the impurities without affecting the coolant. The straight soluble oils would be the harder ones to deal with.
BY REMOVING ALL OF THOSE MATERIALS AND OILS, THAT’S HOW YOU PREVENT BACTERIA FROM FORMING, BECAUSE YOU’RE ELIMINATING THEIR FOOD SOURCE.
CM: HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THAT FROM A FILTRATION PERSPECTIVE? TT: Part of establishing a whole recycling process requires working with the customer’s chemical supplier. If they come back and say, “This is a fairly loose emulsion, you do not want to put a centrifuge on it, it will rip the emulsion apart,” or “You don’t want to filter any less that say 25 micron,” That will determine what equipment you’re going to be using.
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As an example, I’m working with a customer who’s doing aerospace work, and with the aerospace aluminums the coolant starts to get grey because of the fine aluminum oxides from the machining. To take those out you’re looking at about 1-micron filtration. This particular coolant manufacturer said, “No, you don’t want to filter any less than 10-micron.” They’re recommendation was to filter 25-micron first and then 10-micron second, where originally the customer told us they wanted 5 and 1. If we filtered that way, it would destroy the coolant.
CM: CHIPS AND SWARF GET FILTERED OUT, WHAT ELSE ARE YOU REMOVING? ARE YOU ABLE TO REMOVE BACTERIA FROM THE COOLANT? TT: You can’t really filter out bacteria from coolant itself, because bacteria typically is about 0.45 microns, so if you try to filter out bacteria you will actually destroy your coolant. What you’re removing are the chips, solids generated from the process, but you also filter out oils, be it from the machines themselves, lube oil or hydraulic oil, and often parts come in and they have oil on them (sometimes rust inhibitors), these are all con-
www.canadianmetalworking.com
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sidered tramp oils. And sometime the parts maybe sit outside, in the case of steel coils and that type of thing, and they’ll pick up dirt, so you want to pick up those solids as well. By removing all of those materials and oils that’s how you prevent bacteria from forming, because you’re eliminating their food source. In some shops, where they’re not removing tramp oils and over the weekend they don’t machine, the tramp oils float to the top of the coolant and seal the fluids preventing oxygen from getting in and the anaerobic bacteria develop. One of the byproducts is the sulphuric rotton-egg smell. Most concentrates have some form of biocide in them that helps to prevent bacteria from growing in the coolants, and there are coolants out now called biostable, they’re formulated so that they can not support bacteria growth at all.
a machine, and some shops will only replace their coolant two or three times a year. They know it should be more frequent, but it’s too expensive for them to have it hauled away. Then you have shops that are getting rid of coolant every month, up to 1,000 gallons of coolant a month, and it’s costing them 50-cents a gallon to get rid of it. When they start recycling their coolant they eliminate their haul away cost, typically by 80 or 90 per cent. And by reusing their coolant they’re reducing their coolant purchases by 40 to 75 per cent. That’s
The New Modular Chip Processing Systems from PRAB
CM: CAN YOU ADDRESS WHERE THE SAVINGS ARE ACHIEVED FROM COOLANT RECYCLING? TT: Very basically, most people are looking to mix a coolant to a certain concentration say five or 10 per cent. So some shops follow a good practice and have someone with a refractometer to read concentrations, or they have a central mixing station and that helps. In some facilities they leave it up to the operators, and for some operators, instead of getting the refractometer they’ll rub the coolant between their fingers and if it doesn’t feel slippery enough they’ll add concentrate to a machine. Then the guy on second shift will come in and feel the coolant is too rich, so he adds water to the machine, so the concentrations are all over the place. By implementing a coolant recycling program one of the steps is how you monitor and mix your coolant. As an example, our coolant recycling system has an automatic proportionating system on it, so when the level drops down we make up coolant. And it’s made up of the correct concentration. That process itself can probably save 10 to 20 per cent in new coolant purchases, just because it’s giving you control over how you’re mixing your coolant. But coolant will only last so long in www.canadianmetalworking.com
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where the real savings come. And when you recycle, you’re not throwing large amounts of coolant away, so you’re reducing the amount of liability you have going out the door in the way of hazardous waste.
longer, you get better finishes, and the quality of your machining increases dramatically. Those are some of the additional benefits to consider when you’re justifying your return on investment.
CM: IS RECYCLING REALLY ONLY ECONOMICAL FOR THE LARGE SHOPS?
CM: YOU MENTIONED IMPROVED AIR QUALITY, WHAT OTHER HEALTH BENEFITS ARE LINKED TO RECYCLING?
TT: We’ve got shops where we’ve sold recycling stations that have as few as four machines. A typical machine shop that is looking at recycling their coolant will probably have somewhere between 15 and 20 machines, and from there on up to the larger shops with 80 to 100 machines or more. It just depends, because of the other benefits of recycling. By removing tramp oils you stop a lot of the smoking and misting that takes place in the machines, so it cleans up your shop environment. There have been studies done in the UK that claim you can save up to 209 per cent on your tool life. We typically tell customers you can figure that you’ll increase your tool life by at least 25 to 50 per cent. By taking out the tramp oils that hamper the cooling, your tools last
TT: One of the big things is avoiding dermatitis. This skin condition will typically come from contact with coolants that are contaminated with bacteria. Not all operators wear gloves, and they will be pulling parts in and out of a machine. By eliminating the bacteria you can eliminate the dermatitis. We had one guy that was complaining about the coolant and he broke out in dermatitis. The cause was actually a rag that he always kept in his back pocket. He’d wipe off the parts and then put it back in his pocket and sit on it.
CM: HOW LONG CAN YOU RECYCLE COOLANT? TT: Theoretically, you can recycle the coolant indefinitely. Typically you’ll get between 10 to 20 per cent evaporation or carry-off. For example, if you have a 55 gallon drum with chips, you’ll have somewhere between 5 to 20 gallons of fluid trapped in those chips. You can process those chips, spinning them and recovering that fluid, but still you may be losing 10 per cent out of your machine every day. So if every day you’re topping up with 10 per cent new coolant, over a 10 day period you’ve completely displaced the volume of that machine. So it isn’t a case where you put in a coolant recycling system and you run that same batch for ever. The answer is, you’ve filtered it, you’ve fortified it with new coolant, and you’ve brought it back to concentration. It keeps the coolant within an acceptable workable range for a long time. We have people with recycling stations that tell us they maybe dump their whole recycling station every five years, some as long as every 10.
Q: HAVE YOU SEEN AN INCREASE IN DEMAND FOR RECYCLING STATIONS? TT: Over that last couple of years yes, we have seen an increase. Because it’s only costing people more and more to haul contaminated coolant away, so it makes sense for them to recycle and reuse it back in their shop. 66 | OCTOBER 2014
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www.canadianmetalworking.com
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Programming the Universal Robot Arm
RECAP
HERE IS A BRIEF LOOK AT IMTS 2014: West Building: The west building has only one pavilion that expanded the entire exhibition hall floor: tooling and workholding systems. Cutting tools, coolants and fixturing booths filled the building. East Building: The east exhibition hall had two areas, one focusing on CAD/CAM and controls, while the other had booths for controls, automation, EDM technology, machine components/cleaning/environmental and quality assurance. Canadian Metalworking even got to program a robotic arm.
I
MTS 2014 has come to an end, but Canadian Metalworking had a great week exploring exhibitor booths, attending press conferences and watching live demonstrations. Each booth offered attendees a unique experience, whether it was German sausages and beer at the Zoller Booth, petting a virtual tiger at Walter U.S.A, or programming your own robot arm at the Universal Robots booth. The 2014 IMTS event was filled with amazing presentations and innovations. This year’s event reported a pre-show registration number of 98,169 expected attendees. However, IMTS 2014 ultimately reached over 113,400 guests, a record breaking number of visitors. Many booths were filled to the brim with guests and spokespersons. Many companies remarked that they had significantly more foot traffic than in previous years, some receiving more in the first and second days alone, than in entire weeks of previous years.
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North Building: The north building had hundreds of booths with many different pavilions. This exhibition hall focused on abrasive machining, sawing, finishing, gear generation, fabricating, laser, waterjet-based machining, and additive manufacturing. South Building: The expansive south building had some of the largest booths at IMTS 2014. DMG MORI’s exhibit was over 32,000 sq. ft. with a full service restaurant. The focus of the south building was metal cutting equipment, machining centers, turning centers, drilling, boring, milling, and more. Exhibitors offered extensive demonstrations of their machines and featured machined products. Continues on page 102
www.canadianmetalworking.com
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TOOL TALK
CTMA HOSTS ITS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING IN INGERSOLL, ON On September 24 the Canadian Tooling & Machining Association (CTMA) invited members, honoured guests, and industry professionals to its annual general meeting and dinner, held at the Elm Hurst Inn in Ingersoll, ON. This year’s event focused on many different initiatives the CTMA is working on. Having spent time lobbying for the manufacturing industry in the nation’s capital, outgoing president David Glover was happy to report the success of the association’s training programs: the Introductory Trades Training Program and CNC Machinist, Level 1 Open Doors Program. The CTMA secured funding from the Government of Ontario to launch the Introductory Trades Training Program in the Windsor-Essex region in June 2014. Currently, this program has enrolled 27 youth participants, two more than the target of 25, who are employed by 16 different companies. These participants finished their initial training and began work on shop floors on October 2. The second program is a combined initiative with the Ontario Aerospace Council (OAC), the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME), and the Organization of Canadian
Nuclear Industries (OIC). The group is calling itself the Ontario Manufacturing Learning Consortium (OMLC) and will operate in the Greater Toronto Area. The first intake of 18 youth finished their initial training and are now on the shop floor learning real world skills. “It has been very exciting working with all of our participants, and I am looking forward to hearing feedback from these two exciting programs,” said Robert Cattle, CTMA executive director. As these initiatives continue to grow, the CTMA is focused on developing new and innovative ways to help close the skills gap in Canada and listen to the needs and concerns of the industry. Cattle was pleased to announce a new initiative, The CTMA Training & Development Centre. “It certainly does have a nice “ring” to it, doesn’t it?” The CTMA is currently working on putting a business plan together to take over the Valiant ‘Earn While you Learn’ program. Over the years, Valiant’s training program has successfully graduated over 140 students with almost all of them going on to permanent, fulltime positions throughout the Valiant organization, while the others were snapped up by other companies within
Apprentice Bursary Award Winners: front row (l-r) Matthew Bickerstaff – Kapco Tool & Die Ltd.; John Campbell – Kapco Tool & Die Ltd.; Justin Gallagher – Circle 5 Tool & Mold Inc.; Zachary Jackman – C.M. Morris Design Ltd.; Leonidas Korexianos – Massiv Die Form; Dustin Lake – Egar Tool & Die Ltd. Back row (l-r): Graham Harding – Apprentice Bursary Award Committee (Retired); Patrick Chelli – InHouse Solutions Inc.; Phil Ashton – Valiant Machine & Tool Inc. – Honorable Mention Apprentice; Tasha Mason – Valiant Machine & Tool Inc. – Honorable Mention Apprentice; Ron Spraggett – Apprentice Bursary Award Committee (Tipco Inc.); Jon Prashek – J & C Tool & Die Limited – Honorable Mention Apprentice; Randy Cleveland – Massiv Die Form – Honorable Mention Apprentice; Ryan Wozniak – Apprentice Bursary Award Committee (Anchor Danly).
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the Windsor/Essex community. Valiant is no longer in need of apprentices or a training program, but founder Mike Solcz Sr. recognized the importance of what they were doing and asked the CTMA to take over. “We, your CTMA Board of Directors, see this as an opportunity to start something new for all of our industry,” said Cattle. “We also envision that the training centre will be accessible to all CTMA member companies, so they can send students and above all, also send work for the students to learn from.” The meeting then turned to electing the 2014-15 Directors and honouring the recipients of the Apprentice Bursary Award, where six individuals were chosen for their outstanding work and dedication. Winners received $1,000, a framed Apprentice Bursary Award, four days of Mastercam training donated by In-House Solutions Inc. and a $100 gift certificate donated by KBC Tools. “I am really pleased with the growth of the Apprentice Bursary Award program this year, both with the number of nominations and also the level of donations to support the award,” said Glover. It was clear from the onset that the CTMA has been working tirelessly to bring new programs to fruition. Their focus seems to be on education and making the skilled trades accessible. As they continue their work into 2015 with new CTMA president, Ted Callighen, Schmolz+Bickenbach Canada Inc., their dedication to helping the manufacturing industry will remain on the forefront of their agenda. The remainder of the CTMA Board for 2014-15 includes: vice president, Steve Watson, Century Tools & Machinery Ltd.; treasurer, Horst Just, H.J. Machine & Pattern Ltd.; past-president, David Glover, Harbour Technologies Ltd.; and directors: Jaswinder Bhatti, Samco Machinery Ltd.; Colin Docherty, Cavalier Tool & Manufacturing Ltd.; Robert Flack, Hibar Systems Ltd.; Richard Janik, J & C Tool & Die Ltd.; Tom Meisels, FGL Precision Works Ltd.; Horst Schmidt, University of Windsor; Emerson Suphal, ESS Business Strategies Inc.; and Ryan Wozniak, Anchor Danly. www.canadianmetalworking.com
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TOOL TALK
ELLIOTT HOSTS IMTS BOAT CRUISE Frank Haydar, president, Elliott-Matsuura Canada Inc. and Mr. Katsutoshi Matsuura, president, Matsuura Machinery Corporation, Japan.
The Elliott boat cruise first set sail at IMTS 2012 and was a great success, so it’s no wonder why Elliott Matsurra Canada Inc. and Matsuura U.S.A. took to the waters once again at IMTS 2014. On September 10, around 160 guests had a chance to leave the halls
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of McCormick Place and cruise aboard the Mystic Blue, which offered breathtaking views of the Chicago skyline from Lake Michigan. “It was a way to thank existing customers in Canada and the U.S. for their purchase of machines from Matsuura USA and Elliott in Canada as well as develop and fortify relationships with potential new Customers,” said Frank Bolieiro, vice-president sales & marketing for Elliott Matsuura Canada. “This was a huge success and we thank our customers that attended for their patronage.” This year’s event was especially special as Mr. Katsu Matsuura, the president of Matsuura Machinery Corporation, Japan, was able to attend and mingle with customers from both Canada and U.S. He even managed to entertain the group with Japanese style Karaoke.
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There is a new member on the sales team at EMAG. The German-based producer of precision metalworking production machines has named Jeff Moore to the EMAG North America team as a regional sales manager representing the Canadian market. Moore is a manufacturing engineering technology graduate from Algonquin College in Ottawa, with specialized training in computer-integrated manufacturing engineering technology. He brings over 15 years of experience in CNC machining and process engineering and program management. During his career Moore has focused on throughput improvements. www.canadianmetalworking.com
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TOOL TALK
HEULE TOOL HONOURS GARY BROWN Company CEO, Ulf Heule, son of the founder, honours Gary Brown at company dinner in Chicago
On Wednesday, September 10th during IMTS Chicago, Heule Tool hosted its biennial company dinner at Gibson’s Steakhouse. This year’s dinner was of particular note because it honoured the company’s North American president Gary Brown, celebrating his 25th anniversary with the company. Brown has been with Heule Tool since it began operations in the U.S., and even spent time living with the company’s owner, Heinrich Heule, in Switzerland before beginning the American operations. Brown was presented with a few notable gifts, including a Swiss watch and plaque from the company, and box seats to a Green Bay Packers game.
New internal cylindrical grinding machine in various sizes The new user-friendly S141 from STUDER has two large sliding doors for optimal accessibility for both workpiece and grinding wheel change. The series is available in different design lengths, for workpieces with maximum lengths of 300, 700 and 1300 mm. The S141 is suitable for grindgrind ing chuck components, spindle shafts, spindle housings, rotor shafts or axes. Many workpieces fit the areas of machine tools, drive elements, aerospace and toolmaking. www.studer.com
Gear hobbing attachment meshes together power, precision and versatility The compact EPPINGER Gear Hobbing Attachment from EXSYS Tool offers the power, precision and versatility to generate accurate external gear teeth on a wide range of shaft-type components. Designed for all machine tool brand turrets, the attachment delivers single-setup, one-operation gear cutting capability. Shops can generate splines, spur or helical gears. The attachment generates 45 Nm of torque and runs up to 5,000 rpm for hobs or slotting saws up to 2.480” in diameter. www.exsys-tool.com. 74 | OCTOBER 2014
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TOOL TALK High-Precision Cutting in a Small Footprint Okuma has introduced the new V760EX vertical lathe, an update to the V60R model. This new version provides a larger work envelope in the same footprint, allowing for an additional 110 mm in workpiece height and an additional 150 mm maximum turning diameter. It provides stable, high-precision cutting in a small footprint and a platform for machining thin and odd-shaped work pieces. The box way system and solid base and column provide a highly rigid structure. The headstock has flange construction including precision, hand-scraped mounting surfaces to minimize the effects of thermal deformation and vibration for stable, accurate cutting. This machine’s ergonomic design includes easy access to the chuck and a front-skirt operation panel, providing convenience for up-close jobs. www.okuma.com
End mills designed for aggressive aluminum, nonferrous, non-metallic machining SGS Tool Company has expanded its S-Carb offering to include a new ball nose geometry, additional corner radius and reach options, and larger diameters. The S-Carb high performance end mills are designed for aggressive aluminum, non-ferrous and non-metallic machining applications requiring a high level of material removal. The S-Carb three flute series have been engineered with a specialized flute to effectively manage the size and volume of chips produced during aggressive machining. www.sgstool.com
Collet system for highspeed machining REGO-FIX’s micRun system is available in standard taper types, and comprises three components: micRun collets, micRun clamping nuts, and toolholders. Available with internal or periphperiph eral cooling, micRun features a patent-pending Collet Locking System that retains the collet in the nut for easier insertion and removal, with no extractor required. Four sizes are available: MR11, MR16, MR25, MR32. It also allows 16 different tool diameters ranging from Ø 1.00 – Ø 20.00 mm to be clamped in the same holder, including tools with nominal diameter with shaft tolerance h11. www.rego-fix.com. www.canadianmetalworking.com
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Greater Efficiency SGS has designed specific cutting tool technologies that combine substrate, geometry, edge preparation and coating to withstand the complex conditions of Composite applications requiring minimal fiber breakout and delamination.
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Proper tools will enhance your business and bring profit BY NESTOR GULA
W
hen investing in tooling, there is always the temptation to look for the least expensive option. A bargain is a great thing; however, not all bargains end up being cost-effective. Deciding on how much to spend on hand tools should depend on need rather than price. Getting a great deal on a tool that will meet or exceed expectations is
one thing, but getting a low-cost tool for the sake of a discount is another. Power hand tools should neatly fall into the first category. However, too often the “100 drills and driver bits for $50” lures purchasers in the wrong direction. It’s a great bargain, no doubt, but the big question is: does it suit your business needs? Finding the proper hand tool can be a challenge, here are some things to think about
ERGONOMIC TOOL DESIGN
GERMANY’S FEIN PUTS ENGINEERING QUALITY ABOVE ALL ELSE With a long history of innovation, Fein is not just another tool manufacturer. Founded in 1867 by Wilhelm Emil Fein, an inventor and electrical engineering pioneer, it was Fein who invented the first portable electric hand drill in 1895. Originally located in Stuttgart, the company still manufactures its products in Germany in the town of Bargau, Schwäbisch Gmünd. “Fein does things different,” says Randy McDonald, national product manager for Fein Canada. “We are not a mass produced manufacturer of power tools. We are known as inventors.” McDonald explains that people will approach the company with application problems, and Fein will research the application to see if it’s feasible to design and then ultimately build the tool. “Fein’s principle for designing power tools is not ‘one for all’, but instead a wide range of high performance power tools, each designed to very specific applications, tasks
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and working conditions,” he says. “With the emphasis on smaller lighter tools, Fein is constantly working on the perfect balance of durability, power, performance and very important—ergonomics.” “End-users sometimes pay too much attention to HP, amperage or cost and sometimes are oblivious to the ergonomic features.” He notes that ergonomics is about more than just the shape and the handling of the tool, it’s also about weight, efficiency and safety considerations. “More and more light-weight materials are being used in the design of tools,” says McDonald. “Fein for years has used Polyamides from BASF because of the durability and lighter-than-metal properties. Gear heads are sometimes made of magnesium because of its light weight. We use electronics for our “jam protection” as it is much lighter than heavier mechanical slip clutches.
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when planning and purchasing. The old cliché, ‘you get what you pay for’ holds true for Tony Mirisola, product manager, power tools at Trumpf. “While a low end tool might be able to complete a task, higher quality tools will last longer, work better, are made of superior materials, and designed for increased ergonomics,” says Mirisola. “All of these factors may dictate the applications where the tools can or should be used. If you need to open a paint can, for example, an inexpensive screwdriver will do the trick, but a professional, who will use a certain tool every day, will find that investing in a higher quality tool will make a big difference.” A question you should be asking yourself is how long a tool will be in use for. “If you are a professional, it is all about durability, accuracy and performance,” says Keith Potts, national trainer for Milwaukee Tool Canada. “You want a tool that will stay together under all conditions. You want a tool that will stay up to spec for a long time.” When investing in tooling, this is an important question to remember because not all hand tools are designed for prolonged use. On the whole, high-quality means a higher price, but investing in a high-quality hand tools could mean the difference between buying one, or buying many to finish the same job. “The professional…knows the benefits of using high quality tools over a low cost/price point tool,” says Greg Londrigan, marketing coordinator for Hougen Manufacturing Inc. “The quality tools will turn on when needed, take the abuse of repeated use, help…complete
the job faster and offer long term reliability. “Paying a little extra for tools that work right is well worth it when you consider the cost of down time, repairs, stress and frustration that a discount tool brings.” The focus of any professional working with hand tools is completing a job with efficiency and accuracy which is essential to making a profit. According to Jason Felder, brand manager at Bosch Tools, “Their profitability begins and ends with the fact that they have a quality tool in their hand that they know they can depend on.” The inexpensive tools, like the drill/driver bit deal are for hobbyists, not for manufacturing or heavy duty use. When searching for a tool that will maintain usage over a prolonged period of time, it’s important to read the fine print. Don’t just assume that because it says “professional” on the packaging that the tool is indeed meant for this type of use. Oftentimes, tools will have a disclaimer in their manuals that they are just for intermittent use, so this is definitely something to look for. “When you get into the DIY brands those tools are more or less plastic and nylon. There is not a lot of steel inside of them. That is because it is weekend warrior stuff. It is designed to work for two or three hours a couple of days a week,” says Potts. “When it comes to power tools you want to have a tool that will withstand dropping. You want a tool that is designed in such a way that it expels heat, because heat is the enemy in a power tool.” High quality hand tools are built for endurance and reliable performance. Chris Rezny,
“Close attention is paid to the design of the fan as superior air flow provides excellent motor cooling. This allows motors to be designed lighter with more wattage without adding weight.” Ergonomics also extends to performance. “People want to use cordless tools in assembly, but your standard cordless tool has no torque accuracy. You can change the settings on it, but there is no accuracy—it can be plus or minus 25 per cent of accuracy. Our tools will guarantee plus or minus 10 per cent torque accuracy.” In the end, an ergonomically-designed tool leads to greater efficiencies. “The tool is not the main cost driver for projects, it’s the labour costs,” notes McDonald. “A properly designed tool leads to more satisfied users who like to work with these tools. They work safer, properly, get ill less and like to come to work. Properly designed power tools are more comfortable which in turn protects the worker’s health and safety which also reduces health care costs. This all leads into more productivity.”
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sales manager, industrial division for NSK America, explains, “Our products are meant to withstand industrial usage and give the end user a product they can utilize for years with great results.” Material and design are the main differences between high-end tool and the DIY tools. “In general, when stronger, lighter, or best-suited materials are used, a better and more flexible power tool will result,” says Mirisola. “Another difference can also be seen in the design itself. Additional comforts like a soft grip handle will enable the user to work with minimal fatigue over an extended period of time. Manufactures usually devote extra time, money and thought to developing these features on high-end tools, compared to low-end varieties.” A lot of thought goes in to making the design work best in an intensive environment. An angle grinder is just one tool that is used heavily in a welding shop. For Felder at Bosch Tools, the environment in which a tool will be exposed to is important to the overall design. “Instead of pulling in dirty air from where the grinding happens, pulling all the metal chips through the tool and past the motor, we pull in clean air from the back and flush
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it out the front,” he says. “There is also a dust sealed switch so it does not get contaminated and lasts a long time. Our grinder is thin and lightweight. The balance is good in the hand. When you are using the tools for hours on end you want that comfort and feel in it.” A comfortable tool leads to a more productive worker. “When a worker has a tool that feels good and does the job safely and efficiently he works more effectively,” adds Randy McDonald, national product manager for Fein. “High-end tools lead to more satisfied workers.” Although a sturdy and robust design will allow the tool to work the whole day, if the ergonomics aren’t there, then a worker can become fatigued and will not be able to sustain prolonged, productive usage. Not all tools are created equally, just as not all workers use hand tools exactly the same. This is why it’s important to explore all ergonomic and design options that will best fit the job. If a hand tool is too heavy or not well suited, this can lead to worker injury and compensation claims. Vibration is one of the key issues. A condition known as white finger/muscle disease (carpal tunnel syndrome) can occur
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anced equipment,” from working with a tools that have high says Rezny. For vibrations levels over an extended period of time, such as hammer drills or angle grinders. NSK America, its high-quality tools “This has been reported as the biggest cause offer a low audiof compensation claims in the workplace,” ble decibel rating says McDonald. “If a tool is designed with bad designed with the end ergonomics it can also be a safety hazard…A user in mind. poor handling tool can cause the operator to While high price lose control of the tool or possibly slip out of does not always their hands, which can be very dangerous.” The fatigue that operators face can be a chal- mean that a tool is of a high quality, for Londrigan, better lenge, which is why ergonomics are so importtools usually do run higher in price, but it’s ant. “A happy worker is a good worker, espebecause the tools are going to be constructed cially when it comes to metalworking,” says with better materials and components, Felder. “A grinder is a perfect example. It is an assembled cleaner, have tighter tolerances, extension of the users arm. The work they do are better engineered and will last longer. is an art form and it needs a delicate touch.” “All that adds to the cost of the tool,” he says. Aside from weight and ergonomic grips, To compromise on a lower quality product according to Mirasola, manufacturers tend based on price alone can impact productivity to take time on other little things that will and profit. According to Felder, “At the end impact the user when designing high end of the day... when you are getting three to tools. For example, the sound a tool makes is nine times as much life out of a tool, you are often overlooked because of the general noisy saving not only dollars in buying units over environments in which they are used, but loud environments can also produce worker fatigue. the long run, but you are also saving time by having the unit working and not having to “Using quality, high-end hand tools equip repair it or substitute it for another.” the operator with a very ergonomic and4:51 bal-PM Page SumpAd_CanMetal_6_14_Layout 1 5/5/14 1
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Grinder boasts more power and control
Fillet Weld Grinder
New Bosch grinders are designed to deliver more control, more power and more life. A new motor design features direct motor cooling and more air vents to reduce hand blockage and to help extend the tool life and provide higher overload capabilities to prevent overheating. Improved carbon brushes offer more lifetime. The new grinders offer up to 2 amps more power than previous generation models and feature a new patented multigrip paddle switch and textured housing to provide increased grip options for better tool control. www.boschtools.com
The unique Fein Fillet Weld Grinder is designed for the stainless steel surface-processing field. This small, low-profile and handy tool is designed to remove fillet welds quickly and easily even in the tightest corners and angles. Seams can be leveled, ground and polished while scratches and unevenness can be removed with precision. With the ability to match the optimal speed to each application and original FEIN accessories, consistent and flawless results can be achieved. Heat discoloration can be quickly removed with the fine fleece disc without damage to adjacent components. www.fein.ca
The new 75002.5PR (left) and the 75004PR Electro-Hydraulic Hole Punchers Featuring a lightweight single body construction allowing you to punch holes in steel in as little as 2.3 seconds, the new 75002.5PR and the 75004PR Electro-Hydraulic hole punchers include the new “Power Retractable� punch system which allows the user to power reverse the punch back out of the hole. This improves productivity in harder, more elastic materials which tend to grip the punch (not allowing it to auto return to the home position) after the hole is produced. The punch units are lightweight at 24.9 lbs (11.3 kg) making them easy to move around and operate without the need for a lift or assistance. www.hougen.com
Cordless metal band saw Cutting faster than its corded counterparts, the M18 Fuel Deep Cut Band Saw has Job Site Armor Technology to protect the tool from drops and debris with a proprietary composite material and crush zone barriers to absorb impacts. Internally, an all metal direct drive system provides maximum tool life, and requires less servicing than the chain drive alternative. The M18 Fuel will deliver half to a full day run-time on one charge and will eliminate the need for a cord in most environments. www.milwaukeetool.com.
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Chamfer and deburr
Hand grinders for burring
Creating cuts with excellent surface quality, Trumpf’s TruTool TKA 500 chamfering and deburring tool is suitable for preparing welded seams and edge breaks. The power tool can chamfer lengths of up to 0.200 inches in mild steel, at a working speed of 9-13 feet/minute. It cuts 30, 45, and 60-degree angles as well as radius edges, with additional angles available. A high-power 1140 watt motor and triple-blade tool system enable high feed rates, while integrated vibration-dampening ensures fatigue-free operation. www.trumpf.com
The EVOlution series of hand grinder allows a forward or reverse rotary burr application in either a straight application, a 45-degree application or a variety of 90-degree applications. There are over 15 attachments available making this a modular hand grinder unit. The hand motor can also be equipped for a reciprocating polishing or grinding appliapplication or an oscillating polishing or grinding application. The Luster hand piece can hold a grindstone or a diamond file for mold pocket polishing and there is also a fine belt sander that can be attached where a sanding operation may be needed. www.nskamericacorp.com
www.canadianmetalworking.com
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“SHOW US YOUR BEST” contest:
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How portable CMMs can work for you BY LINDSAY LUMINOSO
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hen it comes to metrology, there are varied and highly sophisticated options available. As technology advances, so have levels of convenience and useability of measuring devices. The type of measuring tool used will depend on your particular environment and situation, and many measuring devices are designed for use in specific settings following set guidelines. Traditional bridge-style coordinate mea-
suring machines (CMM) have established their place in the metrology industry. However, there are challenges to placing a typical CMM on a shop floor, hence, the development of portable measuring devices. Although there have been some challenges when it comes to using portable CMMs, the technology is advancing and the trade-offs for using a portable solution over the traditional bridge-type are greatly reduced. The portable coordinate measuring device has brought inspection right into the produc-
GAINS IN SPEED, CONSISTENCY AND ACCURACY Buyken Metal Products of Kent, Washington is a respected manufacturer of quality metal parts products in the northwest. The company has a long history of investing in the latest equipment, technology, and training so it can stay at the forefront of all aspects of metal parts manufacturing. Buyken was founded in 1939 and for over 70 years has been a leader in precision sheet metal forming, stamping, and fabrication. The metal products industry has changed over this long history to where lead times are getting shorter while customer demands are growing. Buyken’s competitive advantage comes from dissecting its processes to search for the best way to build parts. The company’s commitment to the highest standard of capital equipment allows it to respond to ever-changing customer needs and helps ensure Buyken’s position as an industry leader. PROBLEM Buyken measures everything from electrical transmission parts that can be as long as 25 feet and have bolt patterns with tolerances of ± 0.032 inches to small, one-inch diam-
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eter washers with tolerances of 0.003 inches. These parts are in runs of one or two pieces up to two million pieces. To measure these parts, Buyken used surface plates, height gauges, calipers, micrometers, pin gauges, and various other monitoring and measurement equipment. These measurement methods were slow and often required several set-ups for complex parts, especially for parts with compound angles or several bends. They required manual recording of measurement data and then determination of out-of-tolerance deviations. This took a lot of time and was subject to recording errors. Buyken looked into optical measuring systems, but the z-axis limitations and the table size that would be required to overcome them made such a system untenable. SOLUTION Buyken decided to purchase a 6-foot FaroArm with FARO’s CAM2 software. The FaroArm made it possible to complete measurements with one set-up and has dramatically improved efficiencies. Instead of taking parts to a surface plate, Buyken
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tion line. Portable measurement is far from the comfort of the traditional climate-controlled metrology lab with their stable granite tables and qualified operators. It’s because not all measuring requires this level of technical control that portable options with the benefits of flexibility are being embraces, along with the fact that portable CMMs are generally much less expensive than their stationary counterparts. One of the most popular styles of portable CMMs is the articulated arm. This highly portable device maintainins an overall accuracy that is surprisingly comparable to its classic CMM technology. According to Canadian Measurment-Metrology Inc., the arm-style portable measuring device is the number one choice for measurement in the modern manufacturing facility. Because the arm can be taken to the part for inspection machine downtime and quality control bottlenecks can be greatly reduced. According a FARO Technology white paper entitled 3D Measurement Arm Technology: “arms are designed to adapt to most temperature conditions so they can work in a wide range of environments and are not confined to a temperature-controlled inspection room. The accuracy of arm CMMs exceeds a majority of the hand tools often used to do an inspector’s job.” There are still several challenges that users
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of portable measuring devices do need to overcome when operating in production environments, and one of the biggest is vibration. If the shop floor is inadequately insulated against vibrations, the vibrations can be transmitted to the mechanical measuring process used on arm devices. A portable solution designed to overcome this limitation is the optical portable CMM system. “The limitations for the mechanical, portable CMMs are that they are very sensitive to vibrations. Due to this limitation, now we can see in the market more and more optical CMMs,” says Jean-Francois Larue, product director, Creaform. One such device is the HandyProbe from Creaform. This optical system uses a wireless hand-held device for measuring instead of the fixed arm. It is also possible to put optical targets on the part, that way the part can be tracked if moved. Optical devices require a tracking unit within an operating space in order to function. Creaform’s tracker, theC-Track has dual-camera sensors, fitted with high quality optics and special lighting, enabling them to measure all reflectors within their operating space. For Larue, there are few limitations to the optical technology, but one would be that you need to have a view on the part or tool that you are using to make the measurement. When working in an environment where interior measurements are required, the optical
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devices are not ideal. “In the case of the HandyProbe, you have an optical probe and you need to see the optical probe at all times during the measurement. So that means that if you have, for example, a tube or cylinder, it’s not so easy to measure inside the tube.
“THE LIMITATIONS FOR THE MECHANICAL, PORTABLE CMMS ARE THAT THEY ARE VERY SENSITIVE TO VIBRATIONS... [WITH OPTICAL PROBES, THE CHALLENGE IS ] YOU NEED TO SEE THE OPTICAL PROBE AT ALL TIMES DURING THE MEASUREMENT.” “With a mechanical arm you can go directly inside the tube, with the optical system it’s a little more complicated,” said Larue. It is important to explore portable CMM capabilities when used for specific applications. The articulated arms equipped with laser trackers are highly used in laboratory conditions and shop/production floors. The optical CMMs have found a home in assembly lines and are used for dynamic measurements.
While the arm option has become a significant fixture in the metrology industry, the optical machines are fairly new but are being embraced in various industries. “A lot of users right now are in … the automotive industry,” notes Larue, citing Volkswagen, BMW, and Audi in Germany, as well as Toyota, Honda, and Mazda in Japan. He also points to aeronautics applications including Bell Helicopter, Boeing, and Airbus. Right now in Germany, Creaform products are being used on the Golf vehicle production line. The practical applications for portable CMMs are constantly evolving, much like the technology itself. The articulated arm is considered the breaking away point from traditional bridge-style coordinate measuring machines and climate-controlled room environments. As shop floors and production lines transition with new technologies, the need for portable CMMs will continue to grow. The advantages and challenges users face when using particular metrology devices can be overcome when choosing the right device for a specific application.
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From entry level systems for smaller parts to the most intricate, highly engineered systems for heavy, large frame welding, ABB has the ideal robotic system for the full range of welding, cutting and metal fabrication applications. With industry leading software innovations that reduce programming complexity, ABB robots and modular systems can easily handle small batch runs of highly diverse parts. The ABB family of robots includes a selection of integrated dressing models that deliver 15% shorter cycle times, lower operational costs and greater flexibility. www.abb.com/robotics ABB Inc., Robotics 201 Westcreek Blvd. Brampton, ON,L6T 5S6 905-460-3000 abbrobotics@ca.abb.com
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Fabtech Booth C1510 Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta, GA USA
www.canadianmetalworking.com
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now takes the FaroArm directly to the part needing measurement. What’s more, the FaroArm provides the reporting and editing capabilities required in today’s modern era. As part of its implementation, Buyken attended FARO University. “FARO’s training was a very pleasant surprise...” said Gary Osborne, Buyken’s Quality Assurance Manager. “It made our transition and implementation very easy.” In addition to first article inspections, Buyken uses the arm for prototyping, engineering changes, new part introductions, part/process verification, and reverse engineering. All are done using the FARO system, every day.
very tight tolerance. Other customers have also asked for support in reverse engineering their own parts that lack existing drawings or with performing measurements that are beyond their capabilities, but not those of Buyken. “Our defined cost of quality, our scrap rate, and our on-time delivery percentage have all shown marked improvement since we acquired our FaroArm,“ says Osborne. Courtesy of FARO, www.faro.com
For Buyken, the flexibility of the entire system has been key. The company has found the CAM2 software to be especially intuitive. “The report quickly generated by the system matched the mapped drawing with feature locations and dimensions,” said Osborne. RETURN ON INVESTMENT The time it takes Buyken to generate first article inspection or PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) reports has been reduced one to three hours per instance by implementing the new system. “Not only has FARO saved us time,” said Mr. Osborne, “but it has reduced the variations in measurement from day to day, part to part, and operator to operator.” In addition to consistency, Buyken has even gained additional work because they implemented the new system. A customer came to them with a DoD part they wanted the company to manufacture. Buyken was awarded the contract because they had an arm with the capability to measure the 13-foot long part with a
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BUSINESS PROFILE: FABRICATING
FRESHLY MINTED JOB SHOP Can Tech Laser and Metals Inc., Mississauga, ON BY NESTOR GULA
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tarting a business is an exciting endeavour. Mixed feelings occasionally arise--hope for future success yet fear of the challenges ahead. Of course there is lots of work and pre-planning, and ideally there are customers waiting as you open your front door.
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When Nik Sharma and his partner, Sarjit Hunjan, opened Can Tech Laser and Metals Inc. this past June, their hopes were high, but their plans and potential client lists were sparse. Sharma first came to Canada in 1988 from the Punjab region in India. Completing his schooling here, he worked as a press brake operator at a shop in Etobicoke,
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BUSINESS PROFILE: FABRICATING ON until it shut down. He’s held various different jobs in the metal forming sector, but then he got his real estate ticket and became a relatively successful broker in the west end of the Greater Toronto Area. “There were lots of opportunities to work in sheet metal at that time, and I worked for quite a few different companies, but it was not consistent with what I wanted to do,” says Sharma. Through his various jobs and success at real estate, Sharma continued to harbour a feeling that he wanted to open up his own metal job shop. “It is something that I always wanted to do,” he says. He wanted to start up something even in 2002, but the time was not right. “When the right time comes, things that have to happen will happen.” Sharma met Hunjan, who was also working in the sheet metal sector as a laser system operator, in 2002, and the two kept in touch. This past January, Sharma contacted Hunjan and in in February they went to Fabtech Canada together. “We were still trying to see what we want to do, and what we can do,” says Sharma. What they did was purchase an Amada LGC 3015 fiber laser cutting system and HFE M2 1303 press brake at the show. They were the floor models, according to Sharma. Together the two spent the month of March putting together their business plan, and then in the first week of April started their company. “We had the Amada machines, but we still did not have a place to put them,” recalls Sharma. “We got this place the first week of May, and the delivery of the machines was June 2nd. We were opened pretty soon after that.” Their 7,000 square foot facility is located near Dixie Road and Highway 401 in Mississauga, ON, and there are now six employees including the two partners.
Getting the machines and manufacturing space was the easy part—getting customers is a whole different thing. Hunjan had never left the metal industry so he still had contacts in the sector, and Sharma is a salesman. Orders started to come in. “We started talking to potential customers at about the same time as we started the company,” says Hunjan. “We have done pretty good in this time.” For a company less than half a year into its operation, it is moving forward, according to the owners. “In the past two and a half months we have hit the numbers that they predicted,” said Sharma. “We are doing okay. We have people who are working, and we are training them.” Not having a firm slate of customers never worried Sharma. “I think that business is there--it is the approach you have and the customer service you provide. That is the key,” he says. “Right now we are dealing with displays and showcase work. We have dealt with some auto industry parts, laser cutting and bending them. There have been some custom jobs in the past two months.” He also notes that they have some sales people out drumming up business, and that there are a lot of jobs working with stainless steel. They have mostly small-run custom jobs for now but are looking for the big jobs. “They will start coming,” says Sharma confidently. “Starting from scratch, two months ago, with no customers, we had no idea what the future would be.” The start-up was a big risk, but it’s paying off. “We had some potential customers, but we did not know if we would get any orders from them or what the volume would be,” says Hunjan. “Initially we would get orders to make two items and another for five. Now we
The newly established 7,000 square foot shop boasts two new Amada machines. PHOTO: NESTOR GULA.
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BUSINESS PROFILE: FABRICATING
Nik Sharma and Sarjit Hunjan stand in front of their newly purchased Amada LGC 3015 fiber laser cutting system. PHOTO: NESTOR GULA.
get purchase orders for 100 of one unit and 60 of another. The customers like what we are doing, our product, our equipment, our craft, and our service.” Most of the work they have now is creating store fixtures. “There are always a lot of stores opening and they need fixtures for their displays,” explains Sharma. The stores have to exude an air of quality and so the fixtures and display have to reflect the same quality. Sharma and Hunjan are pleased with their Amada machines because they can provide the quality their customers demand, and paying attention to their customers’ needs is what they see as their pathway to success. Incidentally, this is what turned them on to purchasing equipment from Amada. Both partners had used other equipment in their various stints as metalworkers.
Nik Sharma examines the control panel of the Amada HFE M2 1303 press brake. PHOTO: NESTOR GULA.
“The main thing behind choosing Amada, is because of the service.” They met the Amada representatives at Fabtech in February, and spoke with several Amada customers in the Greater Toronto Area. They were impressed with the tales of Amada’s customer support. “The thing that I like best, and what the companies we visited also said, is that when we call them [Amada] they are here,” says Sharma. 88 | OCTOBER 2014
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“They will show up the same day or the next. The service is great. We do not get voice mail, we get help very quickly.” He also notes that the supplier has been very supportive. “The delivery was right on time, and the set-up and installation was done well. If there are problems, for any issue that we need, they are there to help us. I think they are great with small businesses and newcomers like us. Service wise they are very unique.” The machines are no slouches either. The LCG is a flying optic laser system that can cut up to 3/4-inch mild steel, 3/8-inch stainless steel and 5/16-inch aluminium. It boasts a repeatability tolerance of plus/minus 0.0002-inches. The HFE M2 press brake contains production-enhancing features such as a large open height, a large throat depth, a narrow lower beam and a large distance between the side frames. With a 146-ton capacity, an18.5-inch open height, and a 7.87-inch stroke, this bender boasts a plus minus 0.0004inch ram repeatability. Both machines are accurate and efficient according to Sharma. “We looked at the energy consumption figures for different machines and the Amada had the best,” says Hunjan. Working with the machines for the past two months the partners are happy. The machines are accurate and if there is a question they know the Amada technical staff will assist them. “Even if it is a small thing like nesting,” said Hunjan. “I can just call Amada and they will help me and teach me how to do it properly. Their technicians have the experience and that is an asset for us. That is something that came with the machine.” The 50 plus years of experience that Amada has gained in the industry is shared with the customers and comes with the machine according to Sharma. “The staff and technicians that Amada has are very well trained,” he says. “If you have a question they will have answers. They have never said no.” www.canadianmetalworking.com
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BUSINESS PROFILE: FABRICATING
ALMAG ALUMINUM, BRAMPTON, ONTARIO A single-source supplier for all areas of aluminum extrusion BY LINDSAY LUMINOSO
W
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALMAG
hen you turn on to Finley Road in Brampton, Ontario you cannot help but see the massive ALMAG Aluminum headquarters. The aluminum extrusion company was founded in 1953 by Edward Peacock in a small 1,320 square foot facility located in nearby Etobicoke, and it was originally called Almag Aluminum and Magnesium and focused on making decorative aluminum door grilles. For the past 27 years, Bob Peacock, Edward’s son, has acted as president, growing ALMAG Aluminum in both size and capabilities. The Brampton facility is approximately 200,000 square feet, occupying three buildings. There are 210 workers split over three shifts. Two years ago, the company
also expanded into the U.S. with a facility in Ardmore, Alabama, that focuses on fabricating and warehousing. They wanted to focus on better serving a larger customer that had moved from Ontario to Alabama, and give themselves a bigger stake in the U.S. market. Their products are generally for North American customers, with 35-40 per cent of sales in the U.S. But ALMAG’s main market is Canada. ALMAG is in the business of manufacturing and fabricating aluminum extrusions. “It’s much like squeezing play-doh or toothpaste out of a tube,” explains Bob Peacock. “People with children relate to the play-doh example, where you put the little chunk of play-doh in and squeeze it and it comes out in the shape of a cross, well we do that with aluminum,”
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BUSINESS PROFILE: FABRICATING While the company designs and creates complex extrusion profiles, they also do several secondary operations to provide customers with as close to a finished product as possible. Joe Jackman, vice president, sales and marketing, explains that they offer lots of post-extrusion processes, “Milling, drilling, cutting, notching, bending, deburring, fabricating is all done here. We own a powder coating company in Mississauga. We do a lot of one-stop shopping. You come to us, and we will get you a finished product. We take full responsibility for it.” The company also offers metal finishing, like anodizing, for which they partner with four companies specializing in the process. They also tend to migrate towards more high finish and decorative applications over structural applications. One of the selling features for ALMAG is the price; typically extrusion tooling is between $800-2,500, which is fairly inexpensive. An extruder will work on designing the tooling and have costs up front for the customer with a tooling charge added. “It’s not like we are talking $10,000-100,000, and it’s one of the biggest things when we meet prospective customers…they aren’t used to that [price],” says Jackman. ALMAG also offers prototyping and can get a die typically within two weeks, so they are able to tool up and die and run some material before you can set a CNC machine program it, mill a sample. This allows for the customer to be ready for production sooner. Because they deal with a wide variety of markets, the company is constantly working at remaining flexible and technologically advanced. Although they try not be tied to any one specific market, they work with automotive, medical and healthcare, lighting systems, office systems and furniture, store fixtures and signage, solar systems, and a bit in the electronics industry. Peacock also explains that, “heat sinks are well suited to aluminum extrusion because aluminum conducts heat very well … we do a lot in the way of complex heat sinks. We do a little construction work but not much.” On their shop floor, ALMAG is currently working with
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materials for various industries, especially automotive. They have assembly lines set up with benders, all individual to specific automotive programs like pillar covers, window guides, roof racks, etc. They are currently extruding parts for Mercedes, BMW, and Chrysler. When asked if ALMAG was comfortable with the strong tier 2 position they currently occupy serving strong tier ones, Peacock believes that they are in a sweet spot. “That is not to say that we wouldn’t deal with an automotive company and be tier one, but it’s not in our plans at the moment,” he says. “The automotive market is one that is going to evolve a lot over the next few years with the CAFE standards. They are looking more and more to aluminum and lightweighting, so it’s going to depend on what the automotive customers are looking for, and it could be in three to four years that we will be dealing directly with some of the larger automotive companies.” On the line, there are profiles that ALMAG will extrude, cut it back, bend it and heat treat it. They will bend it at a T4 state and put it in the oven and heat treat and artificially age it to harden it up. They have even invested in a 3D printer, a Dimension SST 1200es, to build plastic prototypes for customers before developing and creating a die. “It’s great because when customers have three or four extrusions that have to fit together, right away they can see if the design will work. If the design won’t work it will save them thousands of dollars in tooling and time,” says Peacock. It’s all about serving the customers’ needs. Many customers will call up ALMAG with an idea in their mind, or even a sketch on a napkin, and its Bob Peacock and his employees’ job to bring it to fruition. There is a lot of working with the customers to develop their ideas and “make an extrusion that’s extrudable,” says Peacock. Although it is more common to get CAD file designs or models, ALMAG also has an engineer group whose goal is to interpret drawings and ideas and convert them into something the die makers can use—it’s all about design assistance.
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BUSINESS PROFILE: FABRICATING When it comes to the extrusions themselves, Peacock explains, “We extrude generally common alloys, we don’t do exotic alloys, but three or four of the 6000 series.” 6061 and 6063 are the most common extrusion alloys that ALMAG works with. 6061 is high-strength alloy used in trucks, trailers, towers, machined parts and marine applications. 6063 is a multi-purpose alloy primarily with applications in windows, doors, signs, furniture, frames, decorative trim, heatsinks and boats. 6463 alloy, used in bright dip or high finish applications, is primarily used for appliance trim, showcases, shower stalls, display systems and light reflectors. 6005 is a structural alloy and is easier to work with than 6061; it is used for antennas, towers and machined parts. “[6005] has properties like 6061 but extrudes more like 6063, so it’s a good compromise,” says Peacock. “We’ve started to work with 1000 series alloys and a little in the 3000 series but 6000 series is at about 90-plus per cent.” In terms of the types of things they extrude, “we tend to get into the high visual, thin walled, tight tolerance, difficult shapes. It’s where our sweet spot is in comparison to other extruders,” says Jackman. This can also be a big challenge for the company, he explains. From a selling standpoint, they come across two problems. Getting in front of a designer or engineer and
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BUSINESS PROFILE: FABRICATING
explaining or showing them how ALMAG does extrusions is one of the challenges. There is an aluminum standard out there and “we typically start at half tolerances, and two or three times the tolerances on tongue ratios, so it makes it interesting when we get some customers who have been dealing with extruders for a long time. They may have a profile that has been running well for a for them, and we can look at it and say, ‘Hey, we can thin out that wall, or incorporate screw boss or screw part, we can incorporate things in there that can cut down their fabrication or value added things.”
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Jackman explains that it’s challenging because ALMAG is always pushing the envelope and trying to create more complicated and better extrusions, and sometimes they may not get a chance to talk to customers, both current and potential, or actually show them how and what they can extrude. “That keeps us up at night a fair bit. We are doing some things that a couple of years ago we would have said you can’t do,” says Peacock. “But I believe that we are almost in a better position to provide a better product by focusing on what we are really good at, which is extruding and fabricating.”
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A fiber laser cuts quickly, cleanly and efficiently. PHOTO: NESTOR GULA.
EFFICIENCY Fiber lasers are getting faster and cutting thicker BY NESTOR GULA
F
aster. Better. Cheaper. These are three words that usually don’t go together. However, in today’s manufacturing environment, these three words drive innovation, production and business. Having been around for nearly 20 years, fiber lasers have shown the metalworking industry that you can have faster and better cutting results and cost efficiencies too. While fiber lasers have been proven effective on thin stock, as technology advances, they are now being used on heavier gauge stocks of metal sheet. According to Jeff Hahn, laser product manager for MC Machinery Systems/ Mitsubishi Laser, a fiber laser is a great option as long as it fits the application, and
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with an increase in power, the application area is set to grow. This will mean that fiber lasers will offer improved cutting abilities of thicker material. “Fibers are really good at nitrogen cutting, where we can cut from quarter-inch and down. This is mostly in mild stainless steel and aluminum, especially with our 4kW model. Not a ton of people are buying fibers for half-inch mild steel yet, but as the technology grows, the application range will only increase.” Fiber lasers are a good option because they offer what most manufacturers want—low operating cost, fast setup and processing, accuracy, and low maintenance. Choosing a fiber laser can be a worthwhile for, “Any manufacturer who is looking to improve efficiencies, cutting speeds and cost for processing mild steel, stainless, aluminum, galvanized, copper, www.canadianmetalworking.com
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brass and other metals,” says Stefan Colle, laser product sales manager for Strippit Inc. A fiber laser is a first-operation shape-processing machine, and material thickness has always factored into the accuracy and speed. However, fibre lasers are extremely proficient at cutting thinner sheet metal at very high speeds, according to Mark Mercurio, applications manager for Mazak Inc. “A customer who traditionally has other CO2 type lasers might introduce a fiber laser to cut all of his thinner materials. Fiber lasers have seen speed gains of over 300 per cent on some materials as compared to CO2 lasers.” Manufacturers that are looking for increased productivity will find much to like about fiber lasers systems. Reduction in part process time alone will reduce part cost and free up capacity, says Jason Hillenbrand, laser product manager for Amada Inc. “Cut speeds in thin materials can be up to four times faster than comparable CO2 lasers. Depending upon part geometry this can translate into cutting process times in half or even better. Also, because a fiber laser’s wavelength is 1/10th that of CO2, fiber lasers also can effectively process copper, brass, & titanium. ” This means there is no replacement cost associated with the fiber laser system and, by default, there is less maintenance required. The operating costs of a fiber laser are considerably low. “Under properly managed conditions in a lean shop, [there is] less [work in progress] WIP; low, almost zero maintenance costs owing to the lack of mirrors (only one is required); and reduced need for resonator gasses—a fiber laser is the clear choice,” said Steve Aleshin, product manager for laser systems at Salvagnini America. While fiber lasers might involve a greater initial investment, the payoff comes— and not just in higher speeds and greater throughput. “Obviously the reduced electrical consumption of a solid state laser will lower its operating cost relative to CO 2 lasers, but much of the cost savings actually comes in the elimination of the maintenance requirements within the resonator and beam delivery path,” says Brett Thompson, sales engineer – laser at Trumpf. “Solid-state lasers such as disk and fiber technologies have eliminated maintenance-requiring components within the laser system itself, which is the primary contributing factor to reduced operating cost.” Using approximately a third to a quarter of the amount of electricity of its CO2 counwww.canadianmetalworking.com
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terpart, the fiber lasers lack internal mirrors, blowers, simplify the system. However, fiber lasers still have a cutting lens, nozzles, and additional optics in the cutting head for beam expansion control, explains Hillenbrand. “Additionally fibers still require assist gas such as N2 and O2, or “shop” air for cutting.”
A fiber laser cuts quickly, cleanly and efficiently. PHOTO: NESTOR GULA.
Fiber lasers can also have a lens protector—a consumable optic that is significantly less expensive than the actual lens itself, making it a common addition. This protector sits below the lens and will take the spatter from the cutting process. The lens protector will require replacement depending on usage, which can extend the life of the lens and lower overall costs. In some instances, productivity is more important than operating costs. Less moving parts decreases the maintenance and down time that the system will have. “The fiber laser that Mazak uses has no moving parts and everything used to create the laser beam is solid state equipment,” says Mercurio. “The laser beam is delivered to the cutting head via a fiber optic cable which also eliminates any external bending mirrors which may be found on other types of lasers.” Mercurio notes that there are many processes that a fiber laser can achieve faster. If a fiber laser can cut faster while operating at a lower cost, then machine owners can produce parts at a reduced cost. One of the great advantages to the fiber laser is its easy-to-use system. “Training is the same as any other type of laser, usually between a couple days and one week,” said Jon Blom, a product specialist for OCTOBER 2014 | 95
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Hypertherm Laser Systems. Arteaga explains that this training would consist of operator and safety training as well as laser applications training. This training gives the worker the ability to be able to run the machine and understand most processes of the machine. “As a laser operator gains machine experience I always suggest that a few more days should be spent with that operator to answer any questions that he may have and to help him with any difficult procedures he may have encountered,” said Mercurio. “Each machine owner will be different. We teach new operators about machine functions and its abilities. But that trainee will have to also understand how this machine fits into the work flow and daily operations of his company. At that point each trainee needs a bit of custom training.” Touch screens and advanced computer systems make the operations of these complex machines seem simple. “All our controls have 19-inch touch screens and are intuitive, simple to use,” said Colle. “It takes less than an hour to train a new operator how the control works. Also all our controls come with RFID. This prevents people without access cards to run the laser.
With the help of RFID we can put operators in a different skill level—beginner or advanced.” Integrating a laser system into a manufacturing facility can be simple, but sometimes there can some complications. “This is a challenge as the systems both before the fiber laser and after the fiber laser must also be taken into consideration,” said Arteaga. “If the systems before the fiber laser such as order entry, engineering and programming cannot feed the demand of the fiber laser, or if the material automation and bending process cannot keep up with the additional throughput, then the advantages of the fiber laser are diminished.” The higher speeds of a fiber laser can cause bottlenecking and lead to warehousing of parts, and inefficient downtime for the fast fiber laser. Fiber lasers are integrated into a manufacturing process line just like any other machine tool. “The operating parameters of the machine must be factored into the part processing equation so that any manufacturing bottlenecks—upstream of downstream— are minimized. For example, if a fiber laser is replacing a CO2 laser, the system must be adjusted to account for the higher speeds if the shop is to operate in a lean, JIT, fashion,” said Aleshin.
Economical Laser Series The FLC-AJ series of fiber lasers greatly reduce electrical consumption by requiring a 1/4 of the amount of energy consumed by the typical CO2 oscillators. They also requires a minimal amount of valuable floor space while boasting a maximum light conversion efficiency of 75% and a maximum “wall plug” efficiency of 30%. The small spot density of the focused fiber laser beam results in fast cutting speeds in thin materials. The full range of laser cutting systems are availavailable from 1kW to 6kW. www.amada.com
Fiber laser cuts up to 0.75-inch
Unique drive system in the L5 fiber system
Cutting up to three-quarters of an inch in CRS, the Optiplex Fiber is designed to process reflective materials with greater speeds and greater thicknesses than its similar CO2 systems. The fiber design can significantly reduce operating costs for applicable material types and thicknesses. It uses the Mazak PreView 2 CNC Control which has a user-friendly 15-inch touch-screen control and automatically determines the required processing conditions for the material prior to cutting. www.mazakoptonics.com
The L5 is a machine that is able to reach the very highest levels in terms of speed, accuracy, reliability and performance. It features a mechanical drive system consisting of a compass structure, made possible by the absence of a defined optical path. This structure is driven by a pair of rotary motors, allowing the cutting head to be moved on the XY plane over a distance of 170 mm with dynamics of up to 5g and extremely low consumption, on account of its light weight. www.salvagnini.com
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His decision to cut energy costs by 70% with LED high bay lighting was a great idea. And a great start. Once you start seeing the benefits from our incentives for installing high efficiency lighting, you’ll want to look into making other areas of your business like HVAC and compressed air systems more efficient too. When you do, you’ll be joining companies like DJ Galvanizing, RNR Custom Cycle and TRW Automotive who are already enjoying the savings that our programs deliver. Take a look at their stories and our incentives at
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Integration keeps the footprint to a minimum With an integrated TruDisk laser providing 3.0 kW of solid-state laser power, the TruLaser 1030 fiber is a versatile, cost-effective and productive 2D laser cutting system. The machine’s features component integration that keeps the footprint to a minimum. It requiring only half of the floor space of a typical 5 x 10 foot machine. www.us.trumpf.com
Easy to operate Fiber laser system Offers high speed thin sheet processing, low operating cost and the ability to cut a wide range of ferrous and non-ferrous materials, the Electra FL fiber laser cutting system is easy to use and operate. With a 19” touch screen the graphic user interface efficiently and effortlessly guides the user through all necessary man-machine interactions. Incorporating a part programming and nesting feature to import parts directly to the control, this system maximizes up time with an integrated shuttle table system or modular automation options that include a compact material warehousing tower (CT-L) inclusive of integrated load/unload system. www.strippit.com
2D laser system for a wide variety of materials
BySprint gets more power The BySprint fiber lasers will be enhanced with a 6kW laser that will be introduced at Fabtech 2014 in Atlanta. It will be available in the 5’ x 10’ cutting area of the 3015 model and the larger BySprint 4020 model that gives a cutting area of 6’ x 13’. It will enhance the processing of sheet metal in the thickness range previously reserved for CO2 laser cutting systems, giving users greater flexibility. It is powerful enough to cut steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and non-ferrous metals, such as copper and brass, with high process reliability and precision. www.bystronicusa.com
Reduce costs while increasing speed The CL-900 series fiber laser cutting systems has a high-performance 12,000 ipm linear-motor axis drives (combined X & Y axis speed). With a power efficiency greater than 30 percent, it reduces operating costs and cuts thin steel two to three times faster than similar wattage CO2 lasers. Available with bed sizes of 5 ft. x 10 ft.,6 ft. x 12 ft, and 8 ft. x 20 ft, the PC-based HMI control comes standard with Cincinnati’s Programming and Nesting Software to optimize machine performance www.e-ci.com 98 | OCTOBER 2014
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Combining state-of-the-art efficient and ecological fiber laser technology, the Prima Power PLATINO Fiber 2D laser cutting machine can be used to cut a wide range of materials. Varied thicknesses (up to 20 mm of mild steel) can be cut with efficiency and quality. With zero setup time the machine can change from cutting flat sheet metal to processing tubes and profile. Available for sheet size 1,500 x 3,000 mm and with laser power ranging from 2,000 W up to 3,000 W www.primapower.com
Eco Mode reduces costs by 70 per cent Featuring new fiber laser technology, the Mitsubishi NX-F series of fiber lasers has a two-dimensional fiber laser processing system, and comes standard with a fiber laser resonator, z-axis linear drive, preset auto focus and a safety cover. The new Mitsubishi 700 series control offers a step-by-step maintenance guide for easier user interface. The head position camera for material alignment allows the operator to make head adjustments even if the work piece is far away. For efficient operation, the NX-F series comes standard with an Eco Mode, which reduces cost during standby by up to 70 per cent. www.mcmachinery.com
Fully optimized cutting system The HyIntensity Fiber Laser systems use a low maintenance solid-state laser source to generate a laser beam that is delivered through a fiber optic cable to the laser head. The series consists of a 1.0 kW fiber laser (HFL010), 1.5 kW (HFL015) , 2.0 kW (HFL020) , 3.0 kW (HFL030). All systems have the ability to cut and mark with the same consumables for easy process changeover and efficient operation and feature easy plug and play integration with other Hypertherm products. www.hypertherm.com www.canadianmetalworking.com
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FINANCE
GROWING SALES THROUGH MACHINERY UPGRADES Lessons learned from the dawn of NC machines in the 1970s BY KEN HURWITZ
I
n today’s world, the challenge for any manufacturer is to remain as efficient as possible. Competition isn’t just from the shop around the corner. These days it’s the shop on the other side of the globe. There’s constant pressure to improve internal processes, find employees with the right mindset and skill set, and of course, install the latest technology. All of these tasks can be challenging for various reasons but as someone who’s had a lot of experience trying to sell new equipment—and currently has a front row seat while some of the best in the business continue to do the same thing—selling technology is difficult. New machinery is expensive and so are the accessories required to run them efficiently. Whether it’s software, measuring systems, or even just additional tooling, it’s tougher for business owners to invest. When I see a purchase of a new two-axis lathe when a multi-axis turning centre with live tools and sub-spindle is what’s really needed; or a new 3-axis vertical machining centre to handle an increase in volume from one particular job when a machine with 5-axis capability is what should be purchased to handle the current and future work, it reminds me of an interview my grandfather, Harold Gross, who was the chairman of Gross Machinery Group, gave Canadian Machinery and Metalworking (the former name of this publication) in October 1976. The Canadian market was a tough one in the mid 1970s for a myriad 100 | OCTOBER 2014
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of reasons. By the fall of 1976, the recession was coming to an end and the industry was starting to show signs of life. Gross was already a well established seller of conventional machinery and equipment and by 1976 had been in business for more than 40 years. However, the company was now beginning to focus on selling numerically controlled (NC) equipment, the first generation of machines that were computer controlled. The typical job shops of that era were only learning about these types of machines and were hesitant to install them in their plants because of cost, reliability, and concerns that finished parts could not be made of the same quality that their best toolmakers could produce.
INSTALLING THE NEWEST TECHNOLOGY KEEPS THE INDUSTRY MOVING AND MANUFACTURERS EFFICIENT, WHICH IN TURN, LEADS TO PROFITABILITY. The article discussed how manufactures were investing in expensive machines with NC controls to fight the economic squeeze in their battle to stay competitive. His overall point was that even during soft markets installing the newest technology keeps the industry moving and manufacturers efficient, which in turn, leads to profitability. “It was always a myth that you needed big production runs to justify NC equipment. Really it’s the reverse,” he said. “Of course, the very big operators—automotive, farm equipment, and aircraft manufactures—were our first customers in this field. That was simply because they understood the advantages and could afford to exploit them…
Actually, it’s the little guy doing small runs and hoping for repeat business who reaps the real benefits from these machines.” The article goes on to discuss the advantages of NC equipment, such as substantial reduction in set-up time, fewer special jigs or fixtures required, and most importantly, the machines requiring fewer people. That was a huge advantage since there was a shortage of skilled workers. Here we are 40 years later and those reasons are as true today as they were when that interview was first published. The only difference is today, a standard 2-axis CNC lathe sitting beside a 3-axis vertical machining centre is commonplace in pretty much every shop. But what should be there are multi-axis machines and for the most part, it’s cost that is holding back the typical business owner. I’m now five years into a career of leasing machinery and equipment, and I have secured financing for literally hundreds of clients. I’ve seen just about all of them identify technology they couldn’t afford to buy outright, install it in their shops, and grow their businesses to the point where they’ve come back for more machines. Here’s a typical example—call it company A. They were the first client I signed back in 2010. I had an established relationship with the owner from my days as a seller. Our company put the first CNC lathe on their floor and I watched them build a business from literally one machine. As soon as I started in equipment finance they approached me to finance a small band saw—only about $35,000. We figured why lay out money from their working capital when I could easily handle the transaction. They were in the midst of a large growth phase and had much www.canadianmetalworking.com
14-10-03 5:54 PM
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14-10-03 5:15 PM
FINANCE better uses for their cash. Two years later their sales had doubled and I secured financing for a large multi-axis CNC lathe, at that time the largest deal I had put on our books. Since that machine has been installed, their sales have doubled once again. Another client of mine; let’s call them company B, was another deal signed in 2010. It was for a used CNC lathe which was 15 years old at that time. The machine cost was about $40,000. Within six months they were back, this time for a used plasma machine for about $70,000. They found a great deal on a used machine (a plant was closing) so for us, financing it was a no brainer. About two years after that, in early 2012, their sales had tripled and we easily secured financing for their first brand new CNC lathe from what I would consider one of the finest manufacturers in the world. We’re now in the fall of 2014, about 2.5 years from that last deal, and they just completed their most successful year to date. Sales are up to five times from what they were in 2010, and I now have them approved for a brand new large CNC multiaxis machine. A lot has changed in 40 years. Technology is vastly different and the market for manufacturers is far more competitive, but sometimes it’s a good idea to take a moment and reflect back on where we came from. There are some lessons learned which will help point us in the direction we need to go. Till next month… 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. 102 | OCTOBER 2014
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Continued from page 68
Sandvik Coromant builds record breaking mosaic. PHOTO COURTESY OF SANDVIK COROMANT (VIA AP IMAGES)
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Sandvik Coromant breaks Guinness World Record at IMTS: World’s largest coin mosaic incorporates over 214,000 coins worth more than $65,000 (donated to The Manufacturing Institute). The Hurco Chipmaker Challenge: Philip Paull, owner of Excavating Solutions, in Indiana, took home a trophy and a Hurco machine as winner of the Challenge. Paull’s winning presentation included patented designs including a long reach boom and kung fu grip.
Hurco crowns Philip Paull Chipmaker Champion
KOMET announces seventh service partner
KOMET announced the addition of a seventh service partner: Tom Whennen, Manager of KOMET SERVICE in North America, happily introduced the 7th partner to the program, Adolfo Perez at Grinding Technology LLC in Houston, TX. These are just a few of the events that occurred at IMTS 2014. Exhibitors introduced some of their newest products and innovations and guests had a chance to explore the vast number of booths and conferences. Overall, IMTS 2014 offered both exhibitors and attendees a chance to interact and network while learning just what the manufacturing technology world has to offer. The dates are set for IMTS 2016, don’t miss out. Save the Date: September 12-17, 2016!
www.canadianmetalworking.com
14-10-03 3:54 PM
SME-CMTS15-ad-fullpage-PRINT-v5.pdf
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SUCCESSION PLANNING
ACCESS TO FINANCING AND IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY Relationship between Financing and Productivity BY ALMA JOHNS
E
xperts agree that one of the best strategies to boost the company’s value and secure premium pricing during the sale is to focus on value drivers. One of the most often overlooked key value drivers is productivity, since it can have a direct and dramatic impact on maximizing a company’s enterprise value. But how does a company optimize productivity without adequate capital investment and access to financing? Numerous studies conducted by various institutions from academia to private research firms conclude that there is a strong positive relationrelationship between access to financing and comcompanies’ productivity. If you’re a SME
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business owner who has been to hell and back, it doesn’t take empirical studies to prove the strong correlation. Simply put, it is extremely difficult for most companies to improve their productivity or fulfill higher-than-normal purchase orders without access to external financing, both debt and equity alike. For instance, you’re a metal fabrication company currently generating approximately $2 million in revenues over the past three years, your production plant operates at near full capacity, and has been funded by internal cash flow. Unexpectedly, your existing customer placed an order of $1 million that you need to fulfill over the next three months. This order will essentially elevate your company from a break-even position into one that is fairly profitable. For a moment, you were ecstatic to receive this windfall knowing that
the enhanced level of service you have provided to this customer is finally paying off. Then you realized you’re currently operating at 80% capacity, this order entails high customization, and you would need new equipment that costs $400,000 for purchase and installation, and inventory that costs $200,000. This emerging “bottleneck” poses a threat to your productivity. Because your banker relies on your historical results of just above, breakeven performance (presumably, your financial statements were prepared to maximize taxes), and, worse, your company has reached the Debt to Equity ratio threshold that the bank typically tolerates, The Account Manager declines your request for equipment financing and line of credit. For the same reason, the equipequipment supplier is unwilling to finance the purchase. You now officially have restricted access to external financfinancing. Your options are as follows: (1) Delay fulfilment of the order, if at all possible (2) Beg the customer for a full 50 per cent of down payment, hoping they have financial wherewithal. Frankly speaking, neither one of these options is palatable to you or your customer.
www.canadianmetalworking.com
14-10-06 11:06 AM
SUCCESSION PLANNING
So, your other option is: (3) Turn the customer away or worse, send him to the competition. Although it seems inconceivable to business owners who have not been in a similar situation, option 3 is in reality more common than we think.
HOW TO AVOID THE ABOVE SITUATION Not every single business owner will run into an unexpectedly large contract, but turning away contracts due to lack of working capital and an underestimated CAPEX (capital expenditures) requirement undermines productivity. Also, although equally important, not all small businesses have the required financial sophistication nor can afford a CFO/controller who tracks monthly cash flow,
creates a detailed financial projection, and prepares a quarterly year-to-date actual performance vs. budget report. First, make sure that your financial statements are up to date. If it takes more than six months after the fiscal year end for your accountant to prepare your financial statements, perhaps you need to find another accountant. Second, it is crucial to have financial projections outlining assumptions for every variable ready at all times. Creating projections should not only be done for your banker, consider projections as goals that business owners should aim to achieve. All large corporations have financial projections, and although it’s smaller your business shouldn’t be any different. Hire a part-time
CFO if you have to. Third, anticipate future orders by staying close to your customers. Finally, determine from your banker what ideal financial ratios look like and stick to them whenever possible. While most businesses show the lowest reasonable bottom line to minimize their taxes, it is not the best strategy when seeking bank or equity financing. While this may sound counter-intuitive, banks and funders in general, like to finance healthy and profitable companies. Alma Johns is President of Bench Capital Advisory Inc., an independent financing consulting practice based in Toronto. She can be reached at alma.johns@benchcapital.ca or www.benchcapital.ca.
ADVERTISERS INDEX ADVERTISER PAGE ADVERTISER PAGE 3M Canada 89 Mitcham Machine Tools 67 ABB Robotics Inc. 84 Mitutoyo Canada Inc. 15 Amada Canada, Ltd. 9 Multicyl Inc. 40 AMT Machine Tools Ltd. 14 Northbridge Insurance 99 Benchmark Maintenance Services, Inc. 16 Ontario Power Authority 97 Canadian Measurement-Metrology 85 PFERD Canada 19 CWB Group 46 PG Quality Management Consulting 105 Dipaolo Machine Tools 13 Powerhold Inc. 56 Elliott Matsuura Canada Ltd. 6 PRAB 65 Emec Machine Tools Inc. 69 Renishaw (Canada) Ltd. 21 ERI America Inc. 18 Retention Knob Supply & mfg. Co. Inc. 105 Eriez Magnetics 79 Rofin-Baasel 35 ESAB Welding & Cutting Products 42,43 Salvagnini America, Inc. 39 FANUC Canada, Ltd. 25 Samchully Workholding, Inc. 51 Fein Power Tool Company 78 Sandvik 4,5 GMN USA 64 Scientific Cutting Tools 54 Gravotech - Gravograph 33 Scotchman Industries, Inc. 92 Gravotech - Technifor 33 SGS Tool Company 75 Haas Automation Inc. 57 Shop Data Systems 73 HORN USA, Inc. 11 Sirco Machinery 57 Hougan 20 Manufacturing Inc. Hurco USA IFC Ingersoll 71 Iscar Tools Inc. OBC ITI Tooling 55 ISO 9001 Auditing & Documentation Company Inc. Business Process Improvement Jesse Engineering 47 Supplier Management Kinetic Cutting 93 Calibration & Maintenance Programs Systems Inc. Quality Management JHSC (OHSA) Kyocera Precision 72 Consulting Tools, Inc. Your Quality Management Outsourcing Partner Lincoln Electric 45 Company of Canada Phil Ganesh, C.E.T., QMS-LA Mobile: 519.577.9680 LVD Strippit 31 Consultant Email: sales@pgqmc.com Mascoutech Inc. 24 Web: http://pgqmc.com/ Mazak Corporation 53 Cambridge, Ontario, Canada Canada Messer 32 Micro 100 66 Tool Corporation Miller Electric 26
ADVERTISER SME CMTS SME WMTS SST Canada Thomas Skinner TRUMPF Inc. Tungaloy America Inc. Vargus USA Victor Technologies Walter Surface Technologies Walter USA, LLC Westway Machinery Wilson Tool International Yaskawa Motoman YCM CNC
PAGE 103 63 22 57 IBC 3 74 49 81 61 23 41 17 6
PG Confidential
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Professional
Affordable
OCTOBER 2014 | 105
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BY THE NUMBERS
CANADA’S
METAL FABRICATING
YT: 0.0 % (5)
NT: 0.0 % (0)
NU: 0.0 % (0)
BC: 12.3%
INDUSTRY
(1,384)
NL: 0.4%
AB: 13.2 %
MB: 2.9
(1,485)
(48)
%
(325)
SK: 2.5%
QC: 22.9 %
(278)
ON: 42.8%
(2,587)
PE: 0.2 % (23)
,00 0
00 2,0 ,90
NS: 1.6 %
(134)
(182)
,53 $36
5,0
,59 $36
8,0
NB: 1.2 %
00
00
$40
,00 0
,23 8 $42
00
,28 5 $41
5,0 ,63 $40
,04 $40
6,0 ,02 $38
2,0 ,87 $36
$37
,29
8,0
00
00
00
3,0
00
(4,824)
2009
2010
(Dec, 2012)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2011
Statistics provided by Industry Canada. (2013)
106 | OCTOBER 2014
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www.canadianmetalworking.com
14-10-06 12:05 PM
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