Springs fall 2010 vol 49 no4 by Spring Manufacturers Institute

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President’s Message From Scott Rankin

Achieving A Win-Win Partnership This past summer we saw the FIFA World Cup end with Spain taking top honors. With their victory we witnessed the crucial difference that hard work and teamwork can make. We are seeing the same thing with Major League Baseball, as teams battle hard to make it to the playoffs this fall. Likewise those of us in the spring industry have to work extra hard to make sure we do the best job for our customers. This issue of Springs is dedicated to our suppliers. These are the people that allow us to make our springs and assemblies, and to deliver them on time to our customers. Without raw materials and machines, we are really not even in business. So we find the best suppliers and do our best to work with them so we can both win. We call this partnering. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it just doesn’t feel like a partnership. A successful partnership is when both sides win, and that’s where the team part comes into the picture. To win a soccer match or baseball game, all the players must have the same goal. They have to feel equal in some way so they can all win together. If the goalie or catcher decides to not be part of the team that day, then there is a major problem. If they feel like they are being taken advantage of, don’t feel that they are getting what they deserve, and decide to play at half speed, then the team will definitely lose. We are in the same situation with our suppliers, but we are often the ones who make them work less to help us. When our only message to them is we want low price, even to the point of them having to accept uncomfortable margins, then they lose and we win. This does not make a team that wins every time. To win every time we all have to play fair and know that each part of the team is very important. In the spring industry I have seen many suppliers that will do anything to help their customers succeed and win. They give us new innovations that are the keys to many of our successes and work incredibly hard to make sure we get parts to our customers. We would not be able to survive without the dedication and partnership we have with our suppliers. Many of these teams have been together for years and that’s because of successful win-win partnerships. I hope we can all remember to treat our suppliers with the same respect we would give to any great team member. We need them for our survival so we can all be winners. Succeed with Passion!

Scott Rankin President,Vulcan Spring & Mfg. Co. scott@vulcanspring.com

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SMI Executive Committee President, Scott Rankin, Vulcan Spring & Manufacturing • Vice President, Steve Moreland, Automatic Spring Products • Secretary/Treasurer, Russ Bryer, Spring Team • Immediate Past President, Reb Banas, Stanley Spring & Stamping • At Large, Mike Betts, Betts Spring SMI Board of Directors Tom Armstrong, Duer/Carolina Coil • Dennis Backhaus, Spiros Industries • Jim Callaghan, MW Industries • Ron Curry, Gifford Spring • Ann Davey, John Evans’ Sons • Chris Fazio, Diamond Wire • Kurt Gillespie, Century Spring • Richard Guimont, Liberty Spring • Greg Heitz, Exacto Spring • Gene Huber Jr, Winamac Coil • Miko Kabeshita, Ark Technologies • Steve Kempf, Lee Spring • Brett Nudelman, International Spring • Hap Porter, SEI Metaltek • Byron Ress, Zapp Precision Strip • Richard Rubenstein, Plymouth Spring • Ted White, Hardware Products • Chris Witham, Motion Dynamics Springs Magazine Staff

Lynne Carr, Advertising Sales, lynne@smihq.org Dina Sanchez, Assistant Editor, dina@smihq.org Gary McCoy, Managing Editor, gmccoy@fairwaycommunications.com Springs Magazine Committee Chair, Richard Rubenstein, Plymouth Spring • Lynne Carr, SMI • Randy Deford, Mid-West Spring & Stamping • Ritchy Froehlich, Ace Wire Spring & Form • Tressie Froehlich, Ace Wire Spring & Form • Bud Funk, Fourslide Products • LuAnn Lanke, Wisconsin Coil Spring • Brett Nudelman, International Spring • Tim Weber, Forming Systems • Europe Liaison: Richard Schuitema, Dutch Spring Association • Technical advisor: Loren Godfrey, Colonial Spring Advertising sales - Japan Ken Myohdai, Sakura International Inc. 22-11 Harimacho 1-Chome, Abeno-ku Osaka 545-0022 Japan Phone: +81-6-6624-3601 • Fax: +81-6-6624-3602 E-mail: info@sakurain.co.jp Advertising sales - Europe Jennie Franks, Franks & Co. 63 St. Andrew's Road Cambridge United Kingdom CB41DH Phone/Fax: +44-1223-360472 E-mail: franksco@BTopenworld.com Advertising sales - Taiwan Robert Yu, Worldwide Services Co. Ltd. 11F-B, No 540, Sec. 1, Wen Hsin Rd. Taichung, Taiwan Phone: +886-4-2325-1784 • Fax: +886-4-2325-2967 E-mail: stuart@wwstaiwan.com Springs (ISSN 0584-9667) is published quarterly by SMI Business Corp., a subsidiary of the Spring Manufacturers Institute: 2001 Midwest Road, Suite 106, Oak Brook, IL 60523; Phone: (630) 4958588; Fax: (630) 495-8595; Web site www.smihq.org. Address all correspondence and editorial materials to this address. The editors and publishers of Springs disclaim all warranties, express or implied, with respect to advertising and editorial content, and with respect to all manufacturing errors, defects or omissions made in connection with advertising or editorial material submitted for publication. The editors and publishers of Springs disclaim all liability for special or consequential damages resulting from errors, defects or omissions in the manufacturing of this publication, any submission of advertising, editorial or other material for publication in Springs shall constitute an agreement with and acceptance of such limited liability. The editors and publishers of Springs assume no responsibility for the opinions or facts in signed articles, except to the extent of expressing the view, by the fact of publication, that the subject treated is one which merits attention. Do not reproduce without written permission.

Cover by Sue Zubek, Zubek Design, Inc. Cover art created using images from iStockphoto.com: ©iStockphoto.com/sergey shlyaev; ©iStockphoto.com/PLAINVIEW

Table of Contents FEATURES 25 Spring Suppliers Speak: Predictions and Developments in Markets, Materials and Machines By Gary McCoy 31 Balance Between Capital Equipment and Part Price: Dealing with Cost in a Recession 33 The Game Has Changed. Have You Changed Your Game? By Robert Tichauer

36 Study of Conical Springs with Non-Constant Pitch By Manuel Paredes 47 SMI Offers Seven “Street-Fighter” Rules to Help Curb Your Health Insurance Costs By Henry Trevor 51 The Top Five Causes of Spring Failures and How You Might Prevent Them By Luke Zubek, PE 54 Become a Working Capital Wizard By Mark Battersby 67 Spring World Show Preview

COLUMNS

19 Spotlight on the Shop Floor Compression Spring Requirements — The Absolute Basics By Randy DeFord 21 Be Aware Safety Tips Employee Safety Training is Mandatory By Jim Wood 81 IST Spring Technology Cautionary Tale: Resonance By Mark Hayes

DEPARTMENTS

2 President’s Message Achieving a Win-Win Partnership

7 Global Highlights

14 Regional Spring Association Report 58 Flashback Capital Investment Decisions 64 Wire Forming Wisdom Thoughts from the Road 73 Springmaker Spotlight Hale Foote, Scandic Spring

77 Inside SMI SMI Cocktail Reception at Spring World 2010; SMI Provides Education on ASD 7.0; Cost Saving Tips for Shipping an Exhibit 84 New Products 87 Advertisers’ Index

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Global Highlights North America Asahi-Seiki Partners with Aerospace Giants Since it was established in 1953, Asahi-Seiki has been manufacturing various industrial machines like spring machines, transfer press machines and automatic assembly machines. While most SMI members are aware of the company as a springmaking machine manufacturer and a regular exhibitor at Spring World, many are unaware of Asahi’s different field of manufacturing expertise. In 1978, Mitsubishi Heavy Industry Corp., one of the major partners for Chicago-headquartered Boeing Corporation, awarded Asahi-Seiki the first contract in supplying aircraft parts. The company says Mitsubishi “recognized Asahi’s high technologies in manufacturing and quality control.” It continues this relationship by supplying Mitsubishi with parts for the wing, vertical tail, and fuselage. Currently Asahi-Seiki is manufacturing parts for the all new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. In addition to the aircraft parts manufacturing, Asahi-Seiki also manufactures parts for H-II A rocket through the aerospace division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industry, one of the main ISS (International Space Station) project members. The mission of the rocket is to launch satellites for multiple purposes. For more information on Asahi-Seiki, contact Michio Takeda at (630) 784-1737 or visit www. asahiseiki-mfg.com.

Industry’s Largest OEMs Cooperate to Create imX Event The biggest names in the industry are working together to create a new type of event designed to revitalize U.S. manufacturing. Scheduled for September 12-14, 2011, in Las Vegas, the Interactive Manufacturing Experience (imX) will combine the best features of a corporate open house, customer training seminars, client appreciation programs and new product launch events. The seeds of imX were formed more than two years ago, when CEOs from the leading machine tool manufacturers began looking for new ways to engage and educate their customers. These CEOs asked the American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers to help create a new kind of event that would bring manufacturers together with decision-

making buyers in meaningful and informative ways that would help customers find the best solutions for their manufacturing needs. Since then, top executives from DMG Mori Seiki, Doosan, FANUC CNC America, MAG, Makino, Methods Machine Tools, Okuma America and Sandvik Coromant have been meeting with the two industry associations, conducting extensive research into alternative ideas and working together to create a new business model for industry events. The result is imX, a more intimate, experiential and efficient event where top U.S. suppliers will demonstrate specific products and solutions to highlevel, qualified U.S. buyers. Competing suppliers with similar product lines will be located near each other, so that attendees can easily compare all the options available to meet their needs. Product and technology demos, learning labs and other interactive activities will occur on the show floor within the “Experience” areas, facilitating productive, peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and networking. “Traditional tradeshows, where booth locations are chosen by the exhibiting company, require the buyer to focus on one product or one manufacturer at a time, delivering information in a piecemeal format. The attendee has to wander from one end of the show to the other to determine which products would work into a solution for his needs,” says Larry Schwartz, president and COO, Okuma America. “We envision that imX, which will group OEMs and their partners, will allow decision makers to see their options in one area, make price and value comparisons and, ultimately, make better decisions.” The emphasis will be on collaboration, not competition. imX will have a strong focus on education. Learning labs, located right on the show floor, have been designed to allow attendees to increase their knowledge through practical, hands-on demonstrations, see new and existing manufacturing technologies, and hear case studies presented by suppliers and customers who have already applied those manufacturing technology solutions. The emphasis for this event is on creating dialogue, allowing customers to talk about their needs, concerns and challenges, so the industry can finetune their products to help them succeed. “I expect imX to be an industry-changing event,” said Don Lane, CEO, Makino. “We will offer

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concentrated exposure to breakthrough technology development, help buyers find the business services they need and assist them in setting up and conducting high-level private meetings. imX will deliver measurable ROI, real value from their trip to Vegas.” imX is jointly presented by SME and AMTDA. More information about imX can be found at http:// imxevent.sme.org/. Join the Twitter group @imxevent to learn the most recent details about imX. James Spring: 50 Years of Quality & Service James Spring & Wire Company is a diversified manufacturer of custom precision metal components and assemblies that serves a wide range of markets and customers. The company uses carbon steel, stainless steel, titanium, and several kinds of exotic materials to produce wire/strip forms and stampings; compression, extension, torsion, and constant force springs. James Spring has built its reputation on quality, superior customer service, and having the ability to develop complex manufacturing methods by utilizing highly skilled tool and die makers to fabricate specialized tooling and custom machines to produce difficult and unusual products. Richard James, inventor of the historically known “Slinky,” founded James Spring & Wire Company as part of James Industries. In 1959, Mr. James decided to sell James Spring & Wire to a group of local investors led by Ernest Swartz, a shop supervisor. In February of 1960, Swartz, Joseph and Harry Weaver, Emery and Frank King, Ralph Malin, and Harry Zimmerman took ownership. Over the next 35 years, ownership of the company has expanded

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to 18 shareholders with two of the owners involved in day-to-day operations. In the beginning, the company rented space from James Industries for a short time while a new plant was constructed at its present location. Over the past 50 years, three expansions were required to meet the growing production requirements. Customers in the early years included nationally know companies like General Electric, Ortho Pharmaceutical, and Graco Children’s Products. Various components for Graco products were produced until 2006 while Ortho and General Electric still remain as loyal customers. Today, James Spring manufactures components for more than 200 customers that include many local firms and customers throughout all parts of the U.S. and regularly makes shipments to Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Switzerland, Singapore, and China. “Adjusting our approach to sales and marketing has kept us competitive in a time when offshore sourcing of manufactured products drastically impacted American manufacturing,” said Tim Morris, president. “James Spring modernized its manufacturing processes by acquiring high speed CNC spring coiling machines to produce more work at less cost. In 1998 the company became ISO certified to further enhance its dedication to quality and customer satisfaction. Over the past several years, James Spring expanded its diverse customer base made up of various industries that include: automotive, electrical/electronic, medical, HVAC, and many others. Almost 30 percent of sales are from medical products while another 20 percent is automotive. In addition, James Spring produces its own product, “The Pipe Viper,” used for cold bending ½” to 4” PVC pipe and conduit.

Currently, the company employs 38 people that produce on average 2.5 million various components per month. James Spring prides itself on maintaining a well organized and safe working environment for its employees. Due to the company’s focus on employee relations and providing steady employment, the turnover rate remains very low. Forty percent of the staff has 15 or more years of service. One employee has been with the company for 48 consecutive years and five others with over 30 years of service. James Spring and Wire Company remains loyal to its customers, employees, and the community and looks forward to reaching the next milestone at 75 years. Simufact-Americas Joins Forging Industry Association in North America Simufact Engineering GmbH, a leading provider of software and services in the area of bulk metal forming, has announced the membership of its affiliate Simufact-Americas in the American Forging Industry Association (FIA). The FIA is a corporate membership association comprised of some 110 North American forging producers operating over 150 plants. The cooperation was established at the end of April this year and will extend the activities of Simufact and its affiliate Simufact Americas in the North American market. As a member of the FIA, Simufact-Americas will benefit from a direct access to valuable information and trends in the North American markets and is able to better get in touch with potential future customers. Simufact will in turn offer all members of FIA an easier and more cost efficient access to the forming simulation environment Simufact.forming. With Simufact. forming, North American forming companies will be able use the latest simulation technologies to optimize their development and manufacturing processes. In addition to the new membership of SimufactAmericas in the association, the company also attended the North American Forge Fair, which took place from April 20-22, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Forge Fair is organized once every 3 years, and is the main FIA event. After joining the FIA, Simufact-Americas plans to participate pro-actively in advanced research activities, under the FIERF program (Forging Foundation for education, technical development and research), working together with the leading universities and academic institutes in North America.

because he possesses the experience and knowledge to provide WAFIOS’ customers with the service and support they need to optimize their machinery. “We are very pleased to have Lee on our team. Our customers have the continued advantage of superior service and expert support by another highly skilled specialist,” say Robert Tichauer, president of WAFIOS Machinery Corporation. Carter has more than 15 years of experience working on WAFIOS’ CNC machines and is an expert in springmaking and wire bending machinery. He has received extensive training from WAFIOS in Reutlingen, Germany. For questions regarding, set-up, training, operation, CNC programming, maintenance, troubleshooting and repair, please contact the WAFIOS service department, (203) 871-2040 or eservice@wafios.us. Joint Venture Between O’Hare Spring and Fortuna Federn Helps Create Jobs O’Hare Spring Company Inc., Fortuna Federn GmbH, and Alex Industries Inc., have joined forces to supply customers with OEM and stock springs, wire forms, stamping, and all related wire forming machinery. “With the joint venture we can sell machines to bend, shape, form, or coil all wire diameters

New Service Expert Joins WAFIOS Lee Carter has joined the WAFIOS Machinery Corporation’s service and support team. After conducting a nationwide search, Carter was selected

SPRINGS Fall 2010 9

including shaped wire,” says John Schneider, CEO of O’Hare Spring Company in Des Plaines, Ill. “Our largest machines can cold form 2.5 inch (63mm) round or shaped wire. We can even make the machines bigger,” says Goran Fofonjka, owner of Fortuna Federn Austria.

In a news release, the companies point out that customers can now bring jobs back to the U.S. from China. “If clients use high volumes of wire products it is very cost effective to buy a machine and manufacture in the United States. The costs for overseas shipping, duty, costs of quality, and delays when buying from China are many

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times more expensive than having parts manufactured in the U.S." The three companies believe that the U.S. can compete with China on manufactured goods. “However, U.S. buyers need to be educated so they can make better decisions. Many Americans have the mindset that China is cheaper, but when all costs are figured the U.S. can compete.” O’Hare Spring Company has produced high quality springs, stampings and wire forms since 1964. Founded by Rudy Schneider, the company has been family owned and operated for four generations. With the addition of Alex Industries and Fortuna Federn, the companies now can provide customers with wire products, springs, and the machines capable of producing whatever is required, any size, any shape. Alex Industries is the North American representative for Fortuna Feder n Austria and also distributes spring coiling and wire forming machines from manufacturers around the world. Executive vice president Jeffrey S. Kolozsy attended the 2010 International wire and Cable Trade Fair held in Düsseldorf, Germany to demonstrate the complete line of Fortuna Federn machinery. When a customer has a question about bringing purchases back to the U.S., O’Hare Spring and Alex Industries will make a personal visit whenever it is necessary to assist a customer or prospective client. The companies believe that customer satisfaction comes first and that personal visits are an important part of the relationship with all customers. The companies are taking a high profile approach to become known. Products will be displayed at six tradeshows during 20102011, including CASMI Spring World in Rosemont, Ill.

International NOF Metal Coatings Group Unifies to Strengthen Awareness of Global Capability The NOF Corporation, with several business divisions, including an anti-corrosion coatings division, announced that their worldwide group of anti-corrosion coatings companies have changed their names. All companies of NOF’s Anti-Corrosion division are now known as part of the NOF Metal Coatings Group. The new company name reflect their common ownership and globally unified partnership. NOF Metal Coatings Group companies are NOF Metal Coatings North America Inc. (formerly named Metal Coatings International), NOF Metal Coatings Europe (formerly DACRAL), NOF Metal Coatings South America (formerly Metal Coatings Brazil), NOF Metal Coatings Asia Pacific (formerly Nippon Dacro Shamrock), NOF Metal Coatings Shanghai (formerly Shanghai NDS), and NOF Metal Coatings Korea (formerly Korea Shamrock). “To convey our group’s global resources as leader of the anti-corrosion market, we have unified our company names under the auspices of NOF Metal Coatings Group. Our unification will make us a stronger, more efficient organization,” said NOF Corporation president and chief executive officer Hirokazu Ohike. “We will leverage our synergy to serve all members of our intercontinental industry, committed to creating new anti-corrosion technology.” For over three decades, NOF Metal Coatings Group has supplied zinc flake anti-corrosion coating systems to a variety of markets including automotive, construction and wind energy, among others. Their GEOMET® and DACROMET® coatings and topcoats are specified by manufacturers worldwide, and applied by a network of licensees. NOF Metal Coatings Group is a leading worldwide developer and manufacturer of proprietary corrosion resistant coatings, sealers and topcoats, including the GEOMET® and DACROMET® coating systems. For more information on their products, please visit their website at nofmetalcoatings.com

of the largest international trade show organizers worldwide. MDNA has a long standing tradition of organizing USA group exhibits at trade fairs around the globe and will bring its expertise to EXPOCOMER 2011. The Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama approached MDNA for this project based on its extensive trade show know-how and experience in managing USA group exhibits. In the USA Pavilion, companies are provided with a fully equipped, nine square meter turn-key booth designed by Messe Düsseldorf North America. All technical work, set up, dismantling and daily cleaning is included. On-site support personnel for technical supervision and translation assistance is also part of the USA pavilion package. In addition, U.S. Commercial Service staff will be on hand to assist with export and licensing issues. The USA Pavilion provides a cost-effective means for companies to enter into or to expand their business in the lucrative Central American market. At the last staging of EXPOCOMER in March 2010, 16,744 visitors, including 15 trade commissions, attended the event to see and order the products of 534 exhibitors from 36 countries. For further information on exhibiting within the USA Pavilion at EXPOCOMER 2011, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America at (312) 781-5180, e-mail info@mdna.com, visit http://www.mdna.com or follow on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mdnachicago.

Messe Düsseldorf North America to Organize USA Pavilion at Expocomer 2011 For the first time, Messe Düsseldorf North America (MDNA) will organize a USA Pavilion at the EXPOCOMER trade fair. Organized by the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama, this multi-sector trade exhibition will take place from March 23 - 26, 2011 at the Atlapa Convention Center in Panama City, Panama. MDNA is the U.S. subsidiary of Messe Düsseldorf in Germany, renowned as one

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Sulzer Acquires Diamond-like Carbon Coatings Activities from Bekaert The DLC activities of Bekaert have been acquired by Sulzer Metco, a leading global supplier of services and products for surface solutions, covering thermal-spray and thin-film coating technologies. The acquisition, which includes Bekaert’s diamondlike carbon (DLC) coatings and racing activities, will deliver significant technological benefits to Sulzer and Bekaert customers, as both companies have a strong presence in complementary markets and produce complementary technologies. Bekaert DLC produces thin-film coatings, which combine very low frictional resistance and extreme hardness. The coatings are used to reduce wear and friction in a wide range of industrial applications, such as machine parts, automotive components, and molds for plastics and metals. Bekaert DLC division will be integrated into Sulzer Metco’s existing thinfilm coating activities, which focus on machining, forming, general automotive, racing, semiconductors and plastic-processing applications. The acquisition represents no change for Bekaert customers, who will enjoy a continuity of service. There will be no redundancies following the take-over. Bekaert customers will receive the same exemplary level of service from the same team, who will continue

working at the same locations. Product names will also remain the same, e.g. Cavidur® and Dylyn®. The only change will be the switch in brand name from Bekaert to Sulzer. For more information, contact Mark Boghe, at Sulzer Metco, +32 9 338 59 30, or e-mail mark. boghe@sulzer.com u

Event Dates Spring World 2010 Rosemont, IL www.springworld.org October 13-15, 2010 Fabtech 2010 Atlanta, GA www.fabtechexpo.com November 2-4, 2010 Wire & Cable India Mumbai, India www.mdna.com November 18-20, 2010 Expocomer 2011 Panama City, Panama www.mdna.com March 23–26, 2011 Interwire 2011 Atlanta, Georgia, USA www.wirenet.org May 2-5, 2011 Eleventh International Conference on Shot Peening South Bend, IN www.shotpeening.org September 12-15, 2011 imX 2011 Las Vegas, NV www.imxevent.com September 12–14, 2011 Fabtech 2011 Chicago, IL www.fabtechexpo.com November 13–16, 2011

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Regional Spring Association Report

NESMA Bolsters Programs to Attract Members Above left: NESMA vice president, George Fournier, with one of two NESMA scholarship recipients. Above center and right: NESMA Night at the Rock Cats.

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by Ted White Over 50 NESMA members and their families turned out in July for “NESMA Night at the Rock Cats.” The Rock Cats, a minor league baseball club for the Minnesota Twins, play in New Britain, Conn., and that night beat the Portland (Maine) Sea Dogs (a Red Sox minor league club). NESMA members gathered at the ballpark’s VIP Picnic location for the game which included an all-you-can-eat buffet. Children under 12 (and a few over 21) were allowed to run the bases prior to the game. Every child under 12 received a Rock Cats baseball. The evening was topped off with a fireworks display after the game. This event was merely the latest in a series of programs designated to help NESMA reverse the recent trend of trade organizations who’ve shrunk their programs because of diminishing membership. So far this year, NESMA has: • Continued its efforts to support the Bristol Tech School. • Reinstituted a scholarship for two worthy students, seeking an education in either engineering or some form of manufacturing, which will continue in perpetuity. It culminated this year in the

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presentation of two scholarships at recent graduation ceremonies (see photo). Created a merged list of members and possible candidates to kick off a membership drive. Completed a project at Imagine Museum in which an interactive display was created using springs as an operating mechanism. Has held several “Eggs an Issue” breakfast where a candidate for Congress spoke to participants. Held an educational symposium on the use of Social Media in the industrial marketplace to help those of us media-challenged managers. Completed a new website. Supported the Bristol Lyons Club in its charity endeavors, as well as many other philanthropic pursuits. Received a special services award from the Central Connecticut Chamber of Commerce. Held a bowling night in which over 60 members and their families participated in an evening of competition and fun that included prizes and pizza.

• Worked on partnering with other manufacturing organizations to expand its table top program to all forms of New England manufacturing. • Worked on an increased lobbying effort designed to support New England manufacturing • And of course, what would a spring trade organization be without a golf outing! The NESMA golf outing was scheduled for September 9.

It is with these desires of noncompetitive social interactions and industry wide advocacy that NESMA pushes forward into this ever-changing new manufacturing environment.

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This is not to say that prior years have been inactive. On the contrary, the dedicated members of the board of directors in partnership with the Central Connecticut Chamber of Commerce have long been active in charitable and member-related activities. However, the recent efforts of Reb Banas, Scott Rankin and Lynne Carr of SMI coupled with the efforts of Mike Nicastro and Cindy Scoville of the Central Connecticut Chamber of Commerce (and Springs’ Gary McCoy’s willingness to publish regional association news), has given NESMA endeavors more of a spotlight than in the past. It is the hope of NESMA that all of these programs coupled with its redoubled effort to attract new members will not only deny the recent trend of declining membership in trade organizations but will actually reverse it. Never has there been a time when manufacturing has to monitor the bills before the various legislatures. Never has there been a time when it is more important for the already overworked small businessman to stay in touch with the political environment. Never has there been a time when the

advocacy of a trade organization is more important. And, never has there been a time when it was so imperative that these trade organizations try new ways (such as lobbying efforts) to represent its member firms.

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CASMI Prepares For SpringWorld 2010 The biennial Spring World Trade Show will be held October 13-15 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. The show presents new technology in the spring and wire forming industries, and brings thousands of industry professionals

to the Chicago area from all over the world. Since the first Spring World show was held in 1959, it has become the largest gathering of the spring manufacturing and wire forming industry anywhere in the world at one time. The Chicago Association of Spring Manufacturers, Inc. (CASMI) produces and hosts each show, which features over

T H E

WCSMA Plans Fall Golf Outing

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Cold-Heading Quality Carbon and Alloy (In-house Processing)

Heat Treated Bar Products Rounds .500" to 28"

A193B7, F1554 GR105, A354BC, A354BD, A449, A434BC, A434BD,P110, L80, NACE MRO175

Your First, Last and Only Bar Supplier. Detroit, MI Dallas, TX 800.877.3830 800.525.7814

800.323.0745 ISO 9001:2000 Certified Supplier • www.kreher.com

16 SPRINGS Fall 2010

150 exhibitors that demonstrate machinery, show raw materials, metal testing equipment, specialized machine programming software and other products and services of interest to the spring manufacturers. For the first time ever, Spring World 2010 will offer exhibitors with the opportunity to hold education sessions for attendees on the show floor. Presentations will last 45 minutes with 15 minutes between presentations for set-up and tear-down by speakers. A complete schedule of education presentations will be available on-site during the show or visit www.casmi-springworld.org.

Houston, TX 800.866.1401

The WCSMA Fall Golf Outing is scheduled for November 11, 2010 at Los Coyotes Country Club in Fullerton, Calif. The outing begins with a shotgun start at 11:30 am. The golf fee for those who register before November 1 is $150, while the dinner only fee is $45. Registration after November 1 is $160 for the golf outing and the dinner only fee is $50. Los Coyotes Country Club (www.loscoyotescc.com) boasts three distinct nine-hole layouts. Originally designed by Billy Bell in 1957 and partially redesigned by Ted Robinson in 1998, Los Coyotes’ 27-hole championship course blends the area’s natural beauty with undulating fairways, well-protected greens and numerous lakes. To sign up for any WCSMA events, contact Mark Tiedeman at (562) 924-8896 or e-mail: Mark@ Tru-Form.com. u

www.fortunafedern.com

Wire Forming and Spring Making Machinery Wire Diameters .001-2.50+ inches Taiwan U.S.A. Austria

Alex Industries Inc.

2190 Oxford Road Des Plaines IL 60018 USA Tel 847-298-1360 / Fax 847-298-6765 / Email sales@alexmark.us

www.alexmark.us See us at booth# 0505 Spring World 2010 - Rosemont, Illinois - Oct. 13-15, 2010

18 SPRINGS Fall 2010

Spotlight

Compression Spring Requirements — The Absolute Basics By Randy DeFord

on the Shop Floor

pring design is a diverse career due to the nearly limitless possibilities of helical spring requirements. One customer may want a spring made from .011" music wire that requires force in ounces or grams, while another assembles a dump truck and needs a suspension design that supports tonnage. This means the designer needs to be savvy on not only forces and material, but the processes needed to produce this enormous range of possibilities. Another skill needed is the ability to review a spring print and determine what makes sense and what doesn’t. It’s quite possible for blueprints and specifications to have incorrect or missing data. The needed design then becomes a puzzle and the engineer will need to fill in the missing data. That said, what is the very basic information that must be provided for a spring designer to analyze, verify and quote a design?

Wire Size, Shape and Size This is the basic need of all springs—the material. However, just the size is not enough. Material is a critical need, based on environment. If a spring is not exposed to the elements or low/high temperature extremes, a good carbon steel such as oil tempered carbon steel will likely do the job. But, if corrosion resistance is needed, then a stainless steel will be needed. If the environment is even more intense, such as salt water, gases or acid, then an exotic material such as Inconel®, Monel® or Hastelloy® will be required. Most spring designs are made from round wire, but the wire shape can be anything required to produce a force at a needed height. Round wire is the best for distributing stress and handling repeated forces, Randy DeFord is the engineering manager at Mid-West Spring & Stamping in Mentone, Ind. He has 35-plus years in the spring industry, and believes that educating both customers and associates is the key to great customer service. Readers may contact him at rdeford@ mwspring.com or phone (574) 353-7611.

©iStockphoto.com/nikamata

but it has its limitations. Square and rectangular wire shapes are very common for die springs where high forces are needed without a lot of travel. Very rectangular material is often used when a spring is required to close to a very thin solid height. Regardless, these specifics are needed because wire is a product that uses a wide range of elements in its chemistry, which makes for extremes in price. Also, round wire has many stock sizes that are available for fast delivery, where special sizes require much longer lead times to the customer. Body Diameter Compression springs, by their very nature, are ideal for fitting over a shaft or inside a cylindrical bore. If the spring is guided in either manner, the size of the shaft or bore should be shown on the print. Aside from just the basic requirement of size, there is another reason for knowing all the diameters. When a compression spring travels, the body diameter increases. If the spring is not guided, or just works over a shaft, this “growth” is not an issue. But, if the spring works in a bore, the bore size must be known to allow for the growth of the spring body during travel. If this requirement is not considered, the spring may come in contact with the bore wall, causing rubbing, wear, and possible failure of the application.

SPRINGS Fall 2010 19

Free Length Free length is a basic geometric requirement. The free length of a compression spring is a direct result of the space between the coils. If the distance is measured from the center of a wire diameter to the center of the adjacent coil, this is called â&#x20AC;&#x153;pitch.â&#x20AC;? No matter which dimension is called out, they both determine how far the spring can travel and how much force will be produced from that travel, either to solid height or any height between the solid height and the free length. Total Coils or Spring Rate If the wire size and body diameter of a spring are known, the total coils are determined by the spring rate in pounds per inch. If the total coils are known, the spring rate can be calculated. Therefore, one determines the other. Spring rate is often very

20 SPRINGS Fall 2010

important, whereas the total coils needed to produce that rate is not critical. However, it is also common for spring blueprints to require a maximum solid height, which is solely dependent on the total coils. As long as the total coils do not breech the solid height requirement, all will be fine. If the maximum solid height is critical, the rate will have to be increased to allow for the removal of some of the coil/coils. Then, wire size or body diameter could possibly be adjusted to obtain the spring rate. Grind or No Grind Springs ends are usually ground, especially if the wire size is large. This allows a very square posture for the spring, both during deflection and at its free length. There are cases where an ungrounded spring will function well and the added cost of grinding isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t needed. But,

most designs need the spring to produce loads faithfully during its travel and grinding the ends flat will accomplish that. There are many other specifics that can be required of compression springs, but the ones mentioned here are the basic needs required for a spring to be quoted and manufactured. If any of these requirements are missing, the engineer will need to contact the customer to be certain that no assumptions are made that could cause malfunction or failure in the application. u

Be Aware

Employee Safety Training is Mandatory Safety Tips

By Jim Wood

e all know that education and training are two of the most important things any employer can do to protect his/her employees from injury. All machinery, tools, equipment and appliances can be dangerous. Some are difficult, if not impossible to guard, but all can be made a lot safer with employee education and training. In fact, did you know that more than 100 current OSHA standards mandate employee training and education? Employee training in Hazard Communication, Lockout/Tagout, Fire and Emergency Evacuation, Bloodborne Pathogens and Electrical Safety Work Practices has been widely publicized. However, there are other mandated training requirements that also pertain to springmakers. Listed below are other common standards in the spring industry that require employee training: • Forklift driving • Crane and hoist training • Eye and face protection • Safety shoes • Gloves, sleeves and aprons • Head protection • Electrical protective equipment • Hearing conservation • Respiratory protection • Flammable and combustible liquids • Storage and handling of LP gases • Medical services and first aid Jim Wood is an independent regulations compliance consultant to the Spring Manufacturers Institute (SMI). A certified instructor of the OSHA Out-Reach Program, Wood conducts seminars, plant Safety Audits and In-House Safety Trainings. These programs help companies create safer work environments, limit OSHA/Canadian Ministry of Labor violations and insurance costs, and prepare for VPP or SHARP certification. He is also available for safety advice and information by phone at (630) 495-8597 or via e-mail at regs@smihq.org.

• • • • • • • • •

Fire protection Fire brigades Portable fire extinguishers Mechanical power press maintenance Die setter training Mechanical power press operation Welding safety Hazardous waste and emergency response Power man lifts and work platforms Employers should keep a record of all safety and health training. Records can provide evidence of the employer’s good faith and compliance with OSHA standards. Documentation can also supply the answer to one of the first questions an accident investigator will ask: “Was the injured employee trained to do the job?” Electrical Safety Work Practices Since the new electrical safety work practice standards went into effect in August of 2007, OSHA has made it a focal point in many inspections. Not only should all employees be trained in general electrical safety, but maintenance personnel, electricians and technicians who work with electricity must have specialized training and use the proper personal protective equipment. The required personal protective equipment depends on the voltage and amperage of the equipment being worked on or serviced. Hazard Risk Categories • Described by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Standard 70E: • The higher the electrical environment, the stronger the personal protective equipment must be, so it is able to withstand an arc flash incident. • Hazard/Risk Category #1 <240 V environment. • Hazard/Risk Category #2 240 V to 600 V. • Hazard/Risk Category #3 High voltage environment (1600 A or higher).

SPRINGS Fall 2010 21

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Personal Protective Equipment for: Hazard/Risk Category #1 (<240 volts) • Flame resistant (FR) pants. • Rubber insulating gloves w/leather over top. • Arc-rates face shield and safety glasses. • FR shirt or jacket covering all exposed skin and ignitable clothing. • Hard hat and hearing protection. • Leather work boots. • No jewelry, keys or watch. • Insulated hand tools. Hazard/Risk Category #2 (240 V to 600V) • FR shirt or jacket covering all exposed skin and ignitable clothing. • FR pants (not denims) or coveralls. • Rubber insulating gloves w/leather over top. • Heavy-duty leather work boots. • Switching hood or a balaclava hood combined with an arc-rated face shield. • Hard hat, hearing protection, and safety glasses. • No jewelry, keys or watch. • Insulated hand tools. Hazard Risk Category #3 (1600 A or Higher) • Full flash suit (jacket, overalls and hood). • Rubber insulated gloves with leather over the top. • Heavy duty leather work boots. • No jewelry, keys or watch. • Insulated hand tools. • Hard hat, hearing protection and safety glasses. In addition to personal protective equipment, make certain that the multi-meter being used is right for the job. Electrical Multi-meter Safety • Check rating of meter to ensure meter specs meet job requirements and a minimum of Cat III double insulated. • Check meter for date of last calibration. If past due, do not use the meter and send in for calibration. • Check meter for CSA or equivalent approval. • Check fuses for continuity. • Check general condition of meter and leads for cracks, bare spots, finger guards, double insulated and category rating.

If the D-Tangler can separate these treble hooks efficiently with no damage, just imagine what it can do with your springs!

DISPENSE WORKS INC 4071 Albany Street . McHenry IL 60050 815-363-3524 phone / 815-363-8089 fax info@dispenseworks.com / www.d-tangler.com

22 SPRINGS Fall 2010

Jim’s Regulatory Tip: Bring the SMI In-House Employee Safety Training Program into your company. We will tailor the program according to your specific needs and around your schedule for minimum production down time. Your work force could be split into two or three groups, with a typical group training session taking approximately three hours. Be prepared. u

Our focus is on quality, precision strip.

For over 25 years, Zapp has been providing the spring industry with the highest quality, best performing products which far exceeded the industry standards. Our stateof-the-art mill facility located in Dartmouth, Massachusetts offers you a convenient supply chain that insures continuity and reliably. At Zapp, no matter how we slice it, our precision quality and outstanding customer service always shines through.

Zapp Precision Strip Inc.

East Coast Service Center, 100 Benton St., Stratford, CT 06615 Tel 203.386.0038 â&#x20AC;˘ Fax 203.502.6681 â&#x20AC;˘ www.zapp.com

SPRINGS Fall 2010 23

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Inconel 601

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To find out more, contact us at wire@elgiloy.com or strip@elgiloy.com or call 847-695-1900.

Inconel 601

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Inconel 718

Monel Alloys

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MP35N

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Alloy L 605

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Monel 400

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Titanium Alloys CP Grades 1,2,3,4,7,9,11

Alloy 20

Elgiloy is a trademark of Elgiloy Specialty Metals MP35N is a trademark of SPS Technologies Haynes 25 is a trademark of Haynes International, Inc.

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“

Spring Suppliers Speak

By Gary McCoy

“

Predictions and Developments in Markets, Materials and Machines

SPRINGS Fall 2010 25

“

ehind every great springmaker are the many different suppliers they’ve built relationships with over the years. This group includes the makers and distributors of raw materials, to those who build and service the ovens, machines, test equipment and other devices that help springmakers do their job day in and day out. You could say that these women and men and their companies represent the “unsung heroes” of the spring industry.

They would be the first to admit that they are not perfect or flawless individuals or companies. However, their overall performance shows a record of faithfully providing what is promised, solving problems on a daily basis and going beyond the call of duty to do “whatever it takes” to help their customers. This issue of Springs is dedicated to suppliers. As a result, we invited the associate members of the Spring Manufacturers Institute (SMI) to answer the following questions: 1) What new developments do you see in the equipment and/or materials you supply to the spring industry? 2) Any areas of concern? 3) Where do you see your business in the next 10 years and do you have any predictions? While we did not receive answers from every company, this issue of the magazine has a variety of supplier-focused articles. Interesting machinery observations can be gleaned from the "Balance Between Capital Equipment and Part Price: Dealing with Cost in a Recession" on page 31 and “The Game Has Changed” on page 33. You will also enjoy our Flashback feature on page 58 as we reprint an article from more than 30 years ago on “Capital Investment Decisions.” Earlier this year we introduced a new regular column, “Wire Forming Wisdom” that will detail the insights of many different authors on the subject. This issue we present the thoughts of Bill Shockey, president, BT Machinery Sales, in “Wire Forming Thoughts from the Road” on page 64. As you read the answers and observations from our survey, we hope it will help you in planning your future as a springmaking company.

26 SPRINGS Fall 2010

What’s New Stephen Kraft, marketing manager, Precision Steel Warehouse, Inc., believes the quality of material from mill producers and service center processors has and will continue to improve due to customer demand. “The perfect piece of steel has yet to be made, but continuous improvement is what keeps you in the ballgame,” explained Kraft. Materials continue to follow a volatile pricing schedule, according to Charles K. Stevens, CEO, Amstek Metal. “If global consumption increases again, there’s likely to be another shortage in the market.” Regarding new developments, Jim Schultz, president, Anchor Abrasives Company, said his company is using more engineered ceramic abrasives and super abrasives than ever before. InterWire, one of the world’s largest developers and distributors of specialty wire (round and flat), sees very little development at the moment or in the near future in carbon products. “But [we see] a lot of development in special alloys, especially for the medical industry,” commented Frank Cardile Jr., president, InterWire. Like the old Huey Lewis and the News song, at United Wire Company it’s “hip to be square.” Bob Swanson Jr., president, United Wire Company, says his company has added certain pieces of equipment “in order to expand our capacity on square wire, square edged wire, and shaped wire.” Swanson says there is a big demand in the spring industry for square wire and “we want to be able to offer our customers a great delivery. “We also can offer spring steel material annealed at finish,” said Swanson. “There is a demand on annealed spring steel and the supply is limited.” Oven Developments Daniel Pierre III, president, JN Machinery Corp. believes springmakers will undoubtedly start looking more closely at their actual costs to produce springs. “For the most part, springmakers look at conveyor ovens as capital investments and account for the investment only,” explained Pierre. “However, there are tremendous differences among conveyor ovens of like sizes in terms of operational costs.” Pierre says mid-sized ovens could have a $3,000 difference in sales price, but a cheaper oven could have up to $1,500 in higher operational costs (power consumption, replacement parts, down-time for maintenance, etc.). “Since most springmakers like to use ovens for more than two years, the oven with a higher initial price tag could be the bigger bargain,” said Pierre.

“

Downtime is a cost which springmakers need to minimize. Oven designs will change to allow minimal downtime, and realtime diagnostics can eliminate some downtime completely.

He believes oven makers must concern themselves with the efficiency of their ovens. “In simplified terms, it means an oven must heat quickly and hold in heat as best it can,” commented Pierre. “An oven’s operational cost is the cost to heat the volume of air in the heat chamber and then to replace that heat as it is absorbed into parts. Unnecessarily large chambers cause waste—and it’s not only an oven makers’ concern; springmakers have to select the right-sized oven for any application. Heat loss to the outside shell (i.e. warm/hot shells) is a sure sign that an oven is not operating efficiently.” According to Pierre, components used in conveyor ovens are developing to the extent that it is becoming possible to record all aspects of an oven’s operation: temperatures, belt speeds, percent of time an element contactor is on. He says these are some of the easier aspects that can be recorded. “Downtime is also a cost which springmakers need to minimize,” remarked Pierre. “Oven designs will change to allow minimal downtime, and realtime diagnostics can eliminate some downtime completely.” Another area of development for conveyor ovens said Pierre, is the ability to “talk” to coilers and automatically react to the coiling operation. For example, Pierre says a coiler can send a signal that it is jammed, out of wire, or otherwise finished coiling. “Ovens can detect this, let the current parts in the oven finish their heat-treatment and then go into automatic cool-down/shutdown mode,” he said. One thing that Pierre does not foresee coming anytime soon are touch screen control panels. “These exist already, and although they sound nice and offer unlimited flexibility for controls, they are just not rugged enough for the environment or the way operators need to work,” explained Pierre. He points out that gloved or greasy fingers don’t always activate the screen, screens are too easily scratched or broken when touched with tools, and most importantly, the majority of the touch screen makers don’t really have expertise in the specific functions such as temperature control.

“At the moment,” said Pierre, “the cost of such screens are too high and the benefits do not outweigh this additional cost. Maybe in 10 years these can become a viable component.” Concerns on the Path Ahead Among supplier concerns, Stevens of Amstek Metal remarked, “Automotive build-outs are too low and forecasts are unpredictable.” For Don Gibbs, sales manager, Gibbs Wire & Steel Co., Inc. his major concern centers on the fluctuations his company has seen in the last few years on wire and strip prices. He says this trend seems to be continuing. "This volatility combined with significant ni/cr

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SPRINGS Fall 2010 27

surcharge changes has added a higher degree of risk for both warehouses and springmakers," said Gibbs. Swanson of United Wire Company says his main concern is the availability of raw material. “There are a lot of times when a springmaker needs a good delivery and sometimes we cannot meet their requirements due to the lack of supply of material.” Kraft of Precision Steel Warehouse echoes similar concerns. “The concern is that supply and demand is global. U.S. prices will rise and fall based on the availability of scrap and raw material around the world.” Schultz of Anchor Abrasives shares similar global apprehensions. “We are concerned with the stability of our economy and the loss of manufacturing jobs to overseas markets.” Cardile of InterWire says that since they develop foreign mills and import from mills all over the world, “we are always fearful and apprehensive about supplies. More and more we are unable to purchase from mills in South Korea and China who we have developed relationships with through the years because their pricing has become too exorbitant for the American market. “However, the quality from these mills was absolutely necessary for many, many jobs, especially

28 SPRINGS Fall 2010

automotive and aerospace applications,” Cardile explained. In today’s current climate, Cardile says mills prefer to produce long products which are more profitable to them, in lieu of wire rods to be used to produce all the wires used by the spring industry and other industries. “There is definitely a dislocation of supplies worldwide and this will affect the quality of products in the U.S. that no longer has many good specialty mills in both round and flat wire,” Cardile related. There are two areas of concern for Pierre of JN Machinery. First, he says there will be the inevitable confrontation to finally answer the question: “How to convert ‘batch oven time’ to ‘inline oven time?’” Pierre says just as springmakers like to say that “springmaking” is an art since there are so many factors that determine whether a spring functions properly or not, there are simply too many factors and differences among ovens that one cannot do a simple calculation and find an answer. “A spring that spends 30 minutes at 500F in a batch oven of company A with great horizontal air flow will have different properties than when in another batch oven from company B that has no

“

There is definitely a dislocation of supplies worldwide and this will affect the quality of products in the U.S. that no longer has many good specialty mills in both round and flat wire.

Into The Future Everyone who looks into the future sees some uncertainty ahead. Cardile of InterWire says the company’s crystal ball for the last 57 years has been excellent. “However, the global situation is such that you cannot predict for the next year, no less than 10 years.” Cardile went on to say, “Speaking for InterWire, we are always very optimistic of developing new products and new markets worldwide, not just in the U.S., and therefore we are optimistic for the future.”

“

air flow. The same holds for inline conveyor ovens. The amount of heat pushing down on parts in one conveyor oven will be different than another conveyor oven,” he explained. For this reason, Pierre says the question cannot be answered. Sometimes the inability to answer this question is interpreted as “inline ovens cannot be used. “The real concern here is nobody (person or company) will take on the responsibility to rewrite old specs to be useful for the technology available today,” he explained. “The ‘spirit’ of the spec is to ultimately relieve all the compressive and tensile stresses so a spring can repeatedly achieve its load, position or whatever function is was designed to do.” Pierre believes springmakers should be allowed to spend their time and energy to ‘properly’ stress-relieve a spring and prove it through load-loss or similar test results, rather than to spend time and money to ‘prove’ time and temperature that went into each part. His second area of concern is “new and very restrictive heat-treating specifications that are starting to appear,” such as AMS2750. Pierre explains that, “Again, the ‘spirit’ of the specification is understandable—users of these springs want to make sure a spring is safe and will function as designed. However, the amount of data [the oven is] being asked to collect and the very narrow acceptable range of temperatures will make just about every oven on the planet fail the spec.” He’s not saying that ovens do not need to be improved, because Pierre understands that there is always room for improvement. “But the spec has to encourage good quality equipment and quality processing with no overkill or unreasonable requests for data collection.”

Kraft of Precision Steel Warehouse sees the demand for steel growing with the development of new applications and types of steel. “American technology and manufacturing will be stronger than ever,” he says. “We will grow with it.” Swanson of United Wire says, “In 10 years I see our business being quite successful and profitable. For predictions, I don’t know.” Stevens of Amstek Metal sees a steady, regional supply business continuing for the next several years. “With very little growth in traditional markets, it’s difficult to predict how manufacturing will remain in the United States.” While Pierre of JN Machinery predicts there will not be a recovery in labor, he feels that most companies will look to productivity improvements and labor-saving processing before they hire back permanent workers. No matter the size of the spring or its intended application, Instron® offers complete solutions for a wide variety of spring testing requirements.

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SPRINGS Fall 2010 29

“I also predict another fall in the economy worse than we had in 2008/2009. The next shakeout will see more banks failing and even more companies failing, with no real upward trend in the U.S. economy for the next 10 to 12 years,” Pierre said. “I firmly believe that the U.S. is not where you want to be in the next decade,” he explained. He believes by 2022 or so, “the U.S. is exactly where you want to be!” For those companies that survive the next ten years, Pierre believes they will enjoy tremendous and long-term growth for the next 50 to 60 years. “Based on this prediction, we are positioning our company to operate at half its current size and sales level for the next 12 years—for our current product mix,” he revealed. “Survival for 10 years in this way is impossible, so we will have to branch out to other applications for inline ovens and also get into other products. Luckily, JN has global sales and operations, so we can focus on other regions in the world when things in the U.S. are down. In 10 years, I fully expect that conveyor ovens for stress-relieving springs to be just 10 to 15 percent of our total business.” Looking to global markets is also something that Schultz of Anchor Abrasives anticipates. “We expect to export even more products overseas than we do currently,” he said. “Our exports have increased dramatically over the past few years. We are finding

30 SPRINGS Fall 2010

more ‘global’ opportunities and believe this will continue to increase.” Regarding future predictions, Schultz believes that “more than a decade from now the global economy will become more balanced as the standard of living improves in the countries to whom the U.S. is losing jobs. This will be reflected in the cost of goods and services and the U.S. will see some return in manufacturing jobs.” Pierre made several predictions regarding the future that includes the possibility of a major war in central Asia by 2025 “to the extent that all of Asia will be in turmoil, while the U.S. and European economies enter a boom era.” He also believes Brazil will lead South America to become one of the strongest economies for the next century. He notes that JN is planning to have a production facility in Brazil by 2020. More significantly for springmakers in the U.S., Pierre believes Just-in-time (JIT) production will become the norm. “We will see major changes in supply chain organization. Suppliers will have to locate next to their customers.” u Gary McCoy is the managing editor of Springs magazine and the president of Fairway Communications. Readers may contact him by phone at (847) 622-7228 or e-mail gmccoy@fairwaycommunications.com.

Balance Between Capital Equipment and Part Price: Dealing with Cost in a Recession Digital Vision/Punchstock

ommercial Spring and Tool Company Limited (CST) was founded in 1971 by Frank Martinitz, a tool and die maker by trade. CST’s early beginnings started with manufacturing small clips on four-slide equipment. Over the years the company grew into a predominant springmaker in Southern Ontario encompassing springs, wire forms, stampings, heat treating and coating. CST’s strong tooling and engineering foundation led the way for building custom assembly equipment and specialized tooling for spring manufacturing. The strength of the people at CST allowed it to grow at a steady and consistent basis through the years. In recent years with the worldwide recession, CST has faced new challenges. “We suddenly had to deal with doing business in a new world,” said Gurmail Gill, vice president at CST. “We had smaller production lot requirements, more frequent set ups, higher material costs, currency exchange factors, increase in freight costs, the list goes on; however, these were changes that everyone in our industry would be facing. We had to overcome some of these changes and differentiate ourselves.

We chose to look at it as if the glass was half full and pursue manufacturing excellence in our spring plant.” CST implemented a cost per part program that would require new manufacturing technology wherever possible. If it was not available, CST would need to build it. The company invested in several high-tech machines allowing it to increase its Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), reduce set up times and be competitive on a total cost basis. “In other areas of our spring business we brought to the discussion table some of the best experts in the manufacturing technology sector and built stateof-the-art spiral spring equipment second to none,” explained Gill. “This was a long and trying process but we are clearly positioned for the future,” said Gill. “This was all possible with the company’s grass roots in tool making that Mr. Martinitz had instilled in the business and his commitment to the industry. We clearly see the benefits of the cost per part program that we implemented which allowed us, in automotive manufacturing, to break through the capital equipment dilemma and significantly increase new business opportunities.” u

SPRINGS Fall 2010 31

Photodisc/Punchstock

The Game Has Changed. Have You Changed Your Game? by Robert Tichauer, WAFIOS Machinery Corporation

lobal competition, high labor costs and rising cost of materials have put the squeeze on U.S. manufacturers. With innovative thinking and the right solutions, U.S. manufacturers are finding new ways to remain competitive. By expanding into new industries, tapping into emerging markets and improving equipment and business practices to streamline operations, companies can still compete. Tap Into New Markets Manufacturers need to keep a close eye on business trends in order to identify potential risks with existing customers and opportunities to tap into new markets. Having a diverse customer base serves as a buoy to get through industry shifts. We’ve observed a trend toward customers placing a growing demand for quicker turnarounds and lower pricing. As a result, manufacturers need to assess their equipment inventory and determine whether or not their existing machinery can take on additional volume and serve the needs of a diverse customer base. Tapping into new markets requires strategic planning. First, recognize your company’s strengths and capabilities. Then, identify the types of businesses that would be profitable for your company to have as clients. Assess whether your existing machinery can meet the projected demands of those new prospects. Finally, get the word out by advertising to the businesses you have identified.

Manufacturers need to adjust their businesses to attract new customers. Imagine a business that was established by making springs for the pinball industry. What do you think happened when people started playing video games? Closed shop? Not if you’re Master Spring of River Grove, Ill. Master Spring built their business by making parts for coin-op machines. As that industry waned, they expanded into new industries by applying their strengths to a new customer base and investing in new equipment that would help them meet their objectives. “We’re getting requests with very short lead times, for custom, high precision parts,” explains Jeff Burda, president of Master Spring. “To compete, we have to keep our labor costs down, maintain short lead times and have the capability to make complicated parts that require engineering and design expertise.” To meet the rising demands of customers often means making an investment in equipment. The right equipment can help provide manufacturers with new capabilities that were previously impossible. Invest Strategically By creating efficiencies in the production process, U.S. manufacturers can remain competitive by reducing labor costs, increasing production speed and lowering the cost per part. Nimble technology is one way to achieve production efficiencies. It gives manufacturers the capacity to do more volume in a single day.

SPRINGS Fall 2010 33

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Trusts, “The Clean Energy Economy - Repowering Jobs, Businesses and Investment Across America.” While it may be “in” to go green, that’s not why venture capitalists are in it. They’re in it because that’s where the money is. Venture capitalists are projecting very high returns on their investments and that’s what makes the clean technology sector attractive to them. Manufacturers need to assess their equipment and determine whether it meets their changing needs in order to prepare for expansion. Technology that’s quick and flexible stays with you even when your business needs change. It would make good business sense for manufacturers to follow the money and get into the supply chain of emerging market sectors. Gain a Competitive Advantage Chances are, even if you’re not involved in emerging technologies, companies at the top of the supply chains already are. According to an article in U.S. Business Review, “Greening the Supply Chain,” many Fortune 500® companies have begun a movement to push “lean and green” practices deeper into the supply chain by requiring it from smaller manufacturers who want their business.

Like venture capitalists, businesses at the top of the supply chain are “greening” because it makes business sense. Smaller manufacturers can also realize a quantifiable return on investment with lean and green practices. Some areas of cost reduction include: lower energy usage and overall operational efficiencies, reducing material costs and recycling. With large corporations already seeking manufacturers with sustainable business practices, the biggest opportunity is in increasing sales. Despite a world of change in the manufacturing industry and the growing demands placed on manufacturers for performance at a competitive price, there are still ways for U.S. manufacturers to thrive. The market has changed and, with strategic planning, manufacturers can align their businesses to compete in the new marketplace. As we’ve seen, change is inevitable. Growth is optional. u Robert Tichauer is the president of WAFIOS Machinery Corporation in Branford, Ct. For more information, visit www.wafios.us or phone (203) 481-5555. For more information about Master Spring, phone (708) 453-2570 or visit www.masterspring.com.

SPRINGS Fall 2010 35

Study of Conical Springs with Non-Constant Pitch by Manuel Paredes

onical springs are often exploited to store energy when the axial length has to be reduced. A cylindrical spring simultaneously has a constant axial pitch, a constant helix angle, a constant stress at solid and a full linear load-length relation whereas only one property can be achieved at a time with a conical spring. The most common conical springs are those with a constant pitch. They have been precisely studied for example by Wolansky1-3, Wu4, Rodriguez5-7 and Paredes8. But other types of conical springs can be manufactured. Depending on the way the coils are distributed along the conical shape, one can obtain conical springs with a constant helix angle, a constant stress at solid or a full linear behavior. This article is dedicated to the analytical study of those various kinds of conical springs. Moreover, depending on their dimensions, conical springs can telescope, offering an axial length close to the wire diameter. This article focuses on conical springs that are able to be fully telescoped. First, the conical spring parameters exploited in this article are described. Secondly, the conical spring with a constant angle is studied and the load-length relation for a telescoping one is described. The third section of the article is dedicated to the study of a conical spring that leads to a constant stress when fully telescoped. The next section focuses on studying a conical spring that is expected to have a linear load/length relation until fully telescoped. Finally, an example is presented to illustrate the differences between those conical springs.

Description of Theoretical Models Parameters of a Conical Spring A conical compression spring with circular wire is studied. Its design can be defined by six parameters (see Fig.Â 1). D1 2

Figure 1: Parameters of the studied conical spring

end coils

+ d

active coils

end coils

+ D2 2

36 SPRINGS Fall 2010

free length

Nomenclature a current helix angle q angle that defines

the position on the conical helix d deflection d1 deflection of the part of the spring that is free to deflect (from D1 to DL) d2 deflection of the part that is at solid (from DL to D2) t uncorrected stress ti constant uncorrected stress at solid d wire diameter D1 minimum mean diameter D2 maximum mean diameter DL diameter that defines the limit between coils that are free to deflect from coils at solid for a given load P G Torsional modulus La active length Lf free length Na number of active coils pe elementary axial pitch P axial load PM load when all the coils come to solid (when DL=D1) PT load from which the spring starts to come to solid (when DL=D2) r current helix radius R initial spring rate Re elementary rate

Na represents the active coils of the spring. In order to make the load as close as possible to an axial load, two end coils are added, with one at the top and one at the bottom of the spring. When end coils are correctly defined7, they do not influence the behavior of the active coils. For this reason, the present work refers essentially to the active coils of the spring. Helix Geometry The geometry of the conical helix can be defined as follows:

a) Conical Shape

dr La

b) Top/bottom view

dθ

dl = rdθ

dz dz = dr

2 La D2 – D1

c) Side view

(D2-D1)/2

dz dz = tana dl

Those relations enable to define the global equation of the spiral:

dl = ∫ ∫ r D1 D1

θ ( Radius) =

Ra dius

dθ =

Ra dius

∫

dz = r tan α ( r ) 

Ra dius

2 La dr 2 − D1 ) r tan  α ( r )  (1)

∫ (D

2 2 2 2 where tan[a(r)] depends on the type of the considered conical spring.

To be able to fully telescope, the next equation must be satisfied:

Radius(2π ) −

D1 ≥d 2

(2)

SPRINGS Fall 2010 37

Nomenclature a current helix angle q angle that defines

Stress Calculation The stress in an elementary coil defined by its radius r and submitted to load P can be calculated by using the formula proposed by Wahl9: τ

64 rP π d3

(uncorrected stress of a coil that is free to deflect)

(3)

Characteristics of a Conical Spring with a Constant Helix Angle Initial Geometry and Initial Stiffness A conical compression spring with a constant helix angle leads to a logarithmic spiral:

2 La θ ( Radius ) = ( D2 − D1 ) tan α

Ra dius

∫

D1 2

 2 Radius  2 La dr = Ln  r ( D2 − D1 ) tan α  D1 

(4)

 D2  = 2π N a ; equation (4) enables to calculate tan a: Knowing that θ   2 

tan α =

D  La Ln  2  ( D2 − D1 )π N a  D1 

D 2

( )

θ 2 π Na

(5)

D  Ln  2  D 

1 Now equation (4) can be reversed: Radius θ = 1 e

The initial rate can also be determined.

Gd 4

64 ∫ R dn

π Gd 4

4 D13

2π Na

∫ 0

 θ Ln  D2    e 2 π Na  D1   dθ  

(6)

D  3Gd 4 Ln  2   D1  = 3 8 N a D2 − D13

(

)

(7)

Deflection of a Full Telescoping Conical Spring with a Constant Helix Angle Such a spring much satisfy equation (2). This leads to satisfy: 1

 D2 

D1 Na Ln  D1  D1 2

−

(8)

≥d

For a given diameter, the elementary axial pitch equals to: pe and the elementary rate equals to:

Re =

Gd 8D3 4

= � D tana;

For a given load P, the limit between the coils that are free to deflect and the coils that are at solid is obtained for

pe = P

π tan α Gd 4

This enables to define the associated diameter: (9) DL = 8P Now the transition load PT and the maximum load PM can be calculated. PT is the load from which the spring starts to come to solid (when DL=D2). PM is the load when all the coils come to solid (when DL=D1). 4 4

PT =

38 SPRINGS Fall 2010

π tan α Gd 8 D22

PM =

π tan α Gd 8 D1 2

Nomenclature a current helix angle q angle that defines

For a load lower than PT, the deflection curve is linear thus:

δ ( P ≤ PT ) =

(

)

3 3 P 8Na D2 − D1 P = D  R 3Gd 4 Ln  2   D1 

For a load between PT and PM, the deflection of the spring can be expressed as the addition of two deflections: the deflection of the part of the spring that is free to deflect (from D1 to DL) and the deflection of the part that is at solid (from DL to D2). Thus

with

with δ1 = δ ( PT ≤ P ≤ PM ) = δ1 + δ 2 with

D  Ln  L   D1  N L = Na D  Ln  2   D1 

δ 2 = La

thus

δ1 =

( D2 − DL ) ( D2 − D1 )

(

)

8 N L DL3 − D1 3 P

(

D  3Gd 4 Ln  L   D1 

)

8 N a DL3 − D1 3 P D  3Gd 4 Ln  2   D1 

DL is calculated using equation (9).

Conical Spring with a Constant Stress at Solid Initial Geometry and Initial Stiffness An elementary coil situated at a radius r and submitted to a load P induces an elementary deflection of: 64 Pr3 (10) dδ = dn (when it is free to deflect) 4

When the elementary coil comes to solid, the following equation is obtained:

dδ π 2 rdn

tan α =

(11)

Combining equations (11), (10) and (3) enables to calculate the value of the helix angle.

tan α =

2τ r Gd

(12)

Thus equation (1) becomes:

θ ( Radius) =

Ra dius

2 La dr 1  Gd La  2 = −  τ i ( D2 − D1 )  D1 Radius  2 − D1 ) r tan α

∫ (D D1 2

(13)

Where ti represents the constant stress at solid.

 D2 

= 2π N a thus the constant value of ti can be But we know that θ   2  calculated: Gd La π N a D2 D1

τi =

(14)

SPRINGS Fall 2010 39

Nomenclature a current helix angle q angle that defines

Equation (13) can be simplified:

Radius (θ ) =

And

1 1 − D 2 Radius θ ( Radius ) = 2π N a 1 1 1 − D1 D2

1 2 D2 − D1 θ − D1 D2 D1π N a

(16)

Equation (16) is exploited to calculate the initial rate. 4 4

π Gd

2π Na

∫ 0

Ra dius 3 dθ

(15)

Gd 4 N a D1 D2 ( D1 + D2 )

(17)

Deflection of a Full Telescoping Conical Spring with a Constant Stress at Solid Such a spring much satisfy equation (2) and (16). This leads to satisfy:

D1 D2 N a − D ≥ 2d D2 N a − D2 − D1

(18)

The spring is expected to have a constant stress at solid ti. This means that it is designed so that an elementary coils come at solid when its stress is equal to ti. Thus equation (3) can be exploited to calculate, for a given load P, the diameter that separate the part of the spring that is free to deflect from the part that is already at solid: π τi d3 (19)

DL =

Now the transition load PT and the maximum load PM can be calculated. PT is still the load from which the spring starts to come to solid (when DL=D2). PM is the load when all the coils come to solid (when DL=D1).

PT =

π τi d3 La G d 4 = 8 D2 8 D1 D22 N a

π τ i Gd 3 La G d 4 PM = = 8 D1 8 D2 D12 N a

For a load lower than PT, the deflection curve is linear thus:

δ ( P ≤ PT ) =

P 4 N a D1 D2 ( D1 + D2 ) P = R Gd 4

For a load between PT and PM, the deflection of the spring can one again be expressed as the addition of two deflections: the deflection of the part of the spring that is free to deflect (from D1 to DL) and the deflection of the part that is at solid (from DL to D2).

40 SPRINGS Fall 2010

Thus

δ ( PT ≤ P ≤ PM ) = δ1 + δ 2

with

1 1 − D DL N L = Na 1 1 1 − D1 D2

with

δ1 =

4 N L D1 DL ( D1 + DL ) P Gd 4

Nomenclature a current helix angle q angle that defines

δ 2 = La

( D2 − DL ) ( D2 − D1 )

DL is calculated using equation (19).

Conical Spring with a Linear Behavior Initial Geometry and Stiffness To obtain a full linear behavior, any elementary coil situated at a radius r should come to solid for a same load PM. The elementary deflection has thus to be equal to the elementary axial pitch. Thus 32 PM r 2 (20) tan α =

π Gd 4

Thus equation (1) becomes:

 4 2 La dr 1  G d 4 Laπ = − 2 ∫  32 ( D2 − D1 ) PM  D1 Radius  (21) D1 ( D2 − D1 )r tan α

θ ( Radius) =

Ra dius

But we still know that be calculated: 4

θ(

D2 ) = 2π N a 2

 1 1  G d La PM = − 2 2  16 N a ( D2 − D1 )  D1 D2 

thus the constant value of PM can (22)

There is no transition load for this kind of conical spring.

Equation (21) can be simplified:

And

Radius(θ ) =

1 1 − 2 D 4 Radius 2 θ ( Radius) = 2π N a 1 1 1 − 2 2 D1 D2

D −2 − D2−2 2 D1−2 − 1 θ 2π N a

(23)

(24)

Equation (24) is exploited to calculate the rate. 4 4

π Gd

2π Na

∫ 0

Ra dius dθ 3

( D1 + D2 )

16 N a D12 D22

(25)

Being fully linear, this kind of spring is the only one to offer a conical shape at any compression state.

SPRINGS Fall 2010 41

Nomenclature a current helix angle q angle that defines

Example We are going to illustrate the presented study by exploiting the following example. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s consider various conical springs that all have the same design parameters. d

100.00

81500

MPa

Initial Geometry The equations (6), (16), (24) detail the relation between the radius and the angular position. They enable us to compare the obtained spirals to the one for conical spring with constant pitch. They all have the same number of turns (coils) and the same value of D1 and D2.

It can be seen that for the studied conical springs, the radial pitch is no longer constant but increases with radius. The full linear conical spring is the one that presents the smallest radial pitch. It will thus be the one for which the full telescoping property will induce the most design constraints. Deflection of Full Telescoping Conical Springs All the considered conical springs have the same free length and solid length. The several equations detailing the deflection of conical springs are exploited to present the load/length curves for each one. The equations related to conical springs with a constant pitch can be found in references [5] and [6]. We can note that the proposed conical springs all have an initial rate that is greater than the one of a conical spring with a constant pitch but also all have a lower maximum load (when compressed at solid).

42 SPRINGS Fall 2010

Conclusions The proposed analytical study has enabled us to define the theoretical geometry of the spiral in order to obtain a conical spring with a constant angle, with a constant maximum stress and with a full linear load-length relation. The load-length relations for each type of conical spring have also been described. We can note that all the initial rate formulae (7), (17), (25) for conical springs lead to the standard rate equation for a cylindrical compression spring9 when replacing D1 and D2 by D. This analytical study still has to be compared to experimental results or to a finiteelement study in order to be able to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed formulae.

References 1Wolansky,

E. B., 1995, Fundamental Frequency, Springs, September, pp. 61-66.

2Wolansky,

E. B., 1996, Conical Spring Buckling Deflection, Springs, Winter, pp. 63-68.

3Wolansky,

E. B., 2001, Lateral Loading of Conical Springs, Springs, April, pp. 95-98.

4Wu,

M. H., and Hsu, W. Y., 1998, Modelling the Static and Dynamic Behavior of a Conical Spring by Considering the Coil Close and Damping Effects, ASME Journal of Sound and Vibration, 214(1), pp. 17-28.

5Rodriguez E., Paredes M., Sartor M., 2006, Analytical Behavior Law for a Constant Pitch Conical Compression Spring, Journal of Mechanical Design, Transactions of ASME, vol. 128, pp 13521356, http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/1.2338580 , ISSN 1050-0472. 6Rodriguez E., Paredes M., 2007, Exploiting Analytical Laws for a Constant-Pitch Conical Compression Spring, Springs, Vol. 46, n°1, pp 33-37. 7Rodriguez E.,

pp 32-36.

Paredes M., 2005, Ends effect on conical spring behavior, Springs, Vol. 44, n°4,

8Paredes M., Rodriguez E., 2009, Optimal design of conical Springs, Engineering With Computer, An International Journal for Simulation-Based Engineering, Springer, Volume 25, Issue2, Page 147 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00366-008-0112-3 9Wahl

A. 1963, Mechanical Springs, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, Subsequent printings, Spring Manufacturers Institute, Oak Brook, IL.

Manuel Paredes is associate professor, Université de Toulouse; INSA, UPS; Mines Albi, ISAE; ICA (Institut Clément Ader);135, avenue de Rangueil, F-31077 Toulouse, France; phone +33 561 55 99 56, fax +33 561 55 97 00, or e-mail : manuel.paredes@insa-toulouse.fr.

SPRINGS Fall 2010 43

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SMI Offers Seven “Street-Fighter” Rules to Help Curb Your Health Insurance Costs photosindia/Punchstock

by Henry Trevor

ealth care costs are rising. This isn’t news to anyone who opens a newspaper, or turns on the television or radio. Health care reform goes into law, but the battle continues to be played out. We may see an increase in the number of those insured, but little help on the cost side. It’s going to take “street-fighter” mentality to keep costs down. Even with the passage of health care reform, it will take three to four years of increased taxes before any type of affect on covering the uninsured takes place. However, the government didn’t wait for reform measures to go through before imposing costly mandates. Mental Health Parity, part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) removes limits in place for mental illness, making the condition covered the same as any other illness, which will add costs. COBRA allows for terminated individuals to involuntarily pay only 35 percent of the COBRA premium. Health care costs for COBRA participants tend to be greater than those actively at work. When you get your renewal notice, you’ll be fortunate to find information on why your rates are going up an average of 10 to 15 percent. Three general areas drive costs in insurance: Trend (health care inflation), demographics and risk. Medical trend is running at about 12 percent. What causes this trend to go up so high? There is no single cause. Cost drivers are imbedded in the system. According to the Center for Medicare Services (CMS), from 2003 to 2008, costs of hospital care have gone up 33 percent; for physician care, 34 percent. Utilization of health care is also rising in volumes. According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, for the decade up to 2006/7, MRI/CT/PET scans tripled. Hip replacements are up by a third. Knee replacements are up by 70 percent. Kidney transplant rates have risen by 31 percent. Liver transplants rates are up by 42 percent. Statin drug usage is up nearly tenfold.

SPRINGS Fall 2010 47

Demographics account for changes within your group in regard to age, gender and location of your business. If your group is getting older, then your rates would undergo an increase. Part of the reform argument centers on the need to bring in competition; that insurance carriers are making too much profit. Name an industry that is making outrageous amounts of profits that can’t get enough competition? In Illinois, Unicare left the group insurance market in 2009, reducing employer options.

Doing nothing is not an option. The hope that government intervention will lead to reduced costs is not a reality we can expect to experience for at least three to five years. Groups should be working with someone who is fighting on their behalf to initiate programs to reduce costs.

Not All Good News, Is It? Employers also need to adopt the street-fighting attitude to have any impact on these growing costs. Doing nothing is not an option. The hope that government intervention will lead to reduced costs is not a reality we can expect to experience for at least three to five years. Groups should be working with someone who is fighting on their behalf to initiate programs to reduce costs. Here are some ground rules the health care cost street-fighter needs in order to survive:

Rule #1

Go to market every year. Make sure your broker is turning over every rock to find you quality care at the most affordable price. Know what your options are. Make sure your broker gets you a quote from the Spring Manufacturers Institute’s (SMI) insurance program. This is a quality program with a carrier who has worked with associations for more than 50 years. By making your options as broad as possible, you’ll understand what’s available in the ever-changing employee benefits world. Only one third of employer groups go to market every year. Why only one third? They think they have the best deal. Their broker may have told them so. It takes some work, but so does everything else. Work with someone who wants to go to market every year on your behalf.

Rule #2

Take advantage of tax-advantaged plans. There are three types you ought to know about: FSAs, HRAs and HSAs. • Flexible Savings Accounts (FSAs). Every single reader should participate in a Section 125 plan. The most basic is a premium-only plan, in which the premium contributions made by employees are on a pre-tax basis. It’s easy to do and saves you and your employees money. Your payroll taxes are reduced since the taxable payroll is reduced. If your broker has not tried hard to convince you on to this, you must have a good reason not to opt for it. The next step, if you are not doing so already, is to expand the Section 125 into a full-fledged FSA. This allows employees to put away for planned expenditures

48 SPRINGS Fall 2010

for healthcare and dependent child care, on a pre-tax basis. Why do this? It further reduces your payroll tax. In an economic environment that limits pay increases and often times reduces them, ways for your employees to save money are needed. • Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) allow for an employer to purchase a higherdeductible plan to help with increased costs employees face. For example, a move from a $500 deductible plan to a $2,500 plan will save about 15 to 20 percent on premiums. The employer can help employees with the $2,500 deductible, if the employee has claims. We see employees using 30 to 40 percent of the savings, and the employer realizing 70 to 60 percent premium savings. Your broker should be stepping up to the plate to help with communication and education issues. The SMI plan has arranged for no-cost administration on HRA plans integrated with the offered insurance plan. HRAs can be combined with FSAs to allow for employees to plan for expenditures that may arise on their portion of the higher deductible plan. Some employers offer a drug card and office visit co-pay along with the high deductible to reduce the cost impact on their employees. Depending on the structure of the firm, HRAs may not be allowed for owners, who would then put funds into an HSA. • Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) allow for reduced premiums and a way to establish a tax-advantaged savings account. If you understand 401(k)s and how they operate, a Health Savings Account is practically the same thing – a medical 401(k), so to speak. FSAs for medical expenses are not allowed alongside an HSA. Owners and higher-wage earners like the HSA because it allows them to place more money away in tax-advantaged plans, on a pre-tax basis. Banks that service HSAs have made it easy to use related debit cards or checks. There is no reason not to consider these plans.

a significant impact on that number. Your broker should be helping you navigate wellness alternatives, from posters at the workplace to events to encourage wellness. Flu shots for employees and their families can reduce lost days at work when either the employee or his or her children get sick. Often paid by the annual wellness visit benefit, onsite health screenings include a health-risk assessment. Employees answer lifestyle questions and receive a score. The onsite program should also include blood pressure screens and blood draws to measure key health risk measurements such as blood sugar levels, cholesterol and other healthrelated factors. The employees get a letter sent home with their results and the employer gets an aggregate report on the overall health of the employees. Behaviors are patterned-based. The first step to changing behavior is to recognize there is a problem. Many times, when we implement a program, the few who participate in the beginning act as sirens, signaling all the other employees to take action. Some have spouses who get to see the wellness score and help encourage the employee to be more health conscious. I have been to health fairs during which an ambulance was called to take an employee with such high blood pressure that it was imperative to treat them immediately to save their life.

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Rule #3

Promote wellness. One significant area of impact is how you include an atmosphere of wellness at the workplace. A majority of everyone’s day is spent at the workplace. Activities and choices made by employees are contagious. Nearly every plan in the insurance marketplace offers an annual wellness visit to a primary care physician, internist, pediatrician, OB/GYN. The SMI insurance program offers an annual wellness benefit. Only seven percent of the population with access to this benefit takes advantage of the annual free physical. Seven percent is very close to none. An employer can make

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SPRINGS Fall 2010 49

Rule #4

Use carrier programs and websites. Carriers have a very strong desire to keep their members as healthy as possible. Carriers often have web-based programs that allow employees to save money on prescription drugs, vision care discounts and concierge services to help them understand claims and pinpoint care providers. The SMI program has these and more to offer your employees.

Rule #5

Offer voluntary benefits. If you put any of the above four rules into practice, you will either engage your employee through a financial incentive, or a health-based incentive through more coverage. A way to offer more benefits without cost increases to your bottom line, and which in fact reduces payroll taxes, is by offering voluntary benefits. As deductibles increase, employees and their families face more risk of needing to pay it. A voluntary accident protection program can reduce risk by providing cash on hand to pay the deductible if an accident happens. An important part of a voluntary group offer is giving your employees access to financial planning options that they would not have access to on their own. Statistics show that employee satisfaction with an employer is higher when a voluntary benefits program is offered. Make sure your broker is helping you understand the important role of voluntary benefits.

Rule #6

Don’t be married to your HMO. HMO products can be a good benefit selection. However, they are losing doctor and hospital membership due to the economics of healthcare. With reduced providers and costs rising faster than PPO products, HMOs are adding more inpatient deductibles for hospital stays and specialist visits, looking more like a PPO with a reduced provider listing. By offering a blend of the above products, you can eliminate your dependence on HMOs, help your employees protect themselves and save money while doing so.

Rule #7

Protect your flank. Employer laws in place are starting to become policed. Many employers assume the insurance carrier is taking care of these because they are related to the plan they purchased. Many brokers fail to help clients thinking they are needed for more than to just find a carrier. If you are in a street fight and with someone who’s not going to help you, then you need to count on someone new. One employer law that has become more complicated is COBRA. COBRA requires notices to be sent out both when an employee is hired and when leaving employment; and not only to the employee, but to the spouse as well. The COBRA Subsidy adds to the employer risk of non-compliance. Your broker should be looking out for you by offering COBRA assistance. HIPAA (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) has become more complicated due to ARRA. There are now requirements for reporting HIPAA violations that might occur through electronic transmissions. There should be certain manuals in place at your office for dealing with HIPAA. Note that Medicare Part D reporting and notice requirements must be complied every year. Significant liabilities are at stake if you are found to be non-compliant. When you choose to be part of the SMI insurance program, you can be sure that your best interests are being looked after. This membership organization was put into place to focus on the welfare of its members. As your broker, I’m here to help you. If you are not getting the assistance you need in any of the details above, please call me for help in regard to your plan. u

Henry Trevor is a senior sales executive at ProSource Financial, LLC, with nearly 25 years experience in the health insurance industry. He has experience in working with employer groups of all sizes, including affinity organizations that bring health plans to their member groups. He is a licensed insurance agent in many states, has a MBA from DePaul University, and can be reached at (708) 223-3338 or e-mail henryt@pro-source.com

50 SPRINGS Fall 2010

The Top Five Causes of Spring Failures and How You Might Prevent Them By Luke Zubek PE

xamining spring failures over the past years has inevitably led to me to recognize many trends in the causes, alloys affected, and commonalities encountered. I have prepared this article in an effort to summarize my observations on the top five causes and, more importantly, to address preventative actions. The causes and preventions reflect my own experience and observations and are in no particular order of frequency or importance. When submitting any defective material for failure analysis it is important to provide the consulting engineer with accurate fabricating details, service conditions and operating details. Failure to supply the correct background information can lead to non-conclusive or inaccurate conclusions. Number One: Hydrogen Embrittlement (HE) HE occurs when three factors are present: 1. A tensile stress of sufficient magnitude either applied or residual. 2. A susceptible material is being used; the most susceptible spring materials are martensitic steels with high hardness (> 35 HRC), containing specific alloys and residual elements. The “poster child” of susceptibility is ASTM A401 or chrome silicon (CrSi). 3. Hydrogen content above a threshold level (depending on the above two factors only a few parts-per-million are necessary). The source of the hydrogen can be external to the spring like an acid wash. More commonly, the source of hydrogen is already present in the steel; the amount of residual hydrogen in non-degassed steel can be as high as 10 ppm. HE has also been referred to as delayed cracking since the embrittlement process takes time to occur. Hydrogen atoms diffuse to the grain boundaries that are under tension. As time progresses, the pressure in these areas builds up, ultimately causing the steel to fracture intergranular. After the steel fractures, the detrimental hydrogen is locally liberated and ductility returns to the steel. This mechanism is directly reflected in the fracture features; the transformation

When submitting any defective material for failure analysis it is important to provide the consulting engineer with accurate fabricating details, service conditions and operating details. Failure to supply the correct background information can lead to non-conclusive or inaccurate conclusions.

from brittle to ductile features is one of the main fingerprints of hydrogen embrittlement. The most common causes of hydrogen embrittlement in springs are a delayed stress relief, skipped bake after plating, and hydrochloric acid cleaning. Knowing these causes can help prevent HE from occurring. Some suggestions to help prevent HE: • Stress relief immediately after coiling and use an in-line oven. • Document coiling times and stress relief times on CrSi grades. • Bake soon after electro-plating. • No hydrochloric acid cleaning on oil tempered grades. • Cautiously use high tensile CrSi grades and use music wire whenever possible. • Use a degassed steel that has intentionally low residual hydrogen (~1 ppm) Number Two: Surface Quality Most surface quality issues that I have dealt with occur on stainless steel grades like 17-7PH and 302SS. These seams or folds are usually just within the required specification and reduce the operational life by facilitating fatigue cracks to initiate. Sometimes the surface takes on an appearance that is described as looking like a turtle shell or alligator skin.

SPRINGS Fall 2010 51

Fatigue typically initiates from one of the deeper folds or seams that are oriented between the grains. These areas are essentially the grain boundaries that are etched out during scale removal. It follows that as the grain size is reduced so is the depth of the seams, therefore the impact that these seams have on performance is reduced with finer grain size.

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52 SPRINGS Fall 2010

Number 3: Corrosion Problems with corrosion arise when the spring encounters a corrosive contaminant. This can be a one-time or continued exposure. The bottom line is that the choice of material and/or processing must fit the operating environment. Some suggestions that might help reduce the effects of corrosion: • Properly identify the source of corrosion. Regrettably this is usually done after the spring has broken. Corrosion deposits can be accurately identified by utilizing the detectors, like energy dispersive spectroscopy, on a scanning electron microscope (SEM). • For exposure to chloride pitting, use stainless steels that contain intentional additions of molybdenum (Mo); the more the better. Alloys 302SS and 17-7 PH do not contain any significant Mo additions; consider using alloys like 316 SS (2.5%Mo), 904L (4.5%Mo), AL-6X (6.5%Mo). • In environments that contain hydrogen sulfide, use grades like Inconel X-750 that stand up better than chrome silicon. Number 4: Processing Issues I’ve decided to make this category “processing issues” defined as some of the more common processing mistakes that can cause performance problems. Aside from surface quality problems the two main causes of fracturing during cold forming are: • Cold forming AFTER stress relief. For hard drawn steels like music wire, the stress relief increases the tensile strength of the steel (strain aging). But in the metallurgical world you rarely get anything for free; as the tensile strength increases, the ductility drops. Therefore, as a general rule complete all forming on the spring before the stress relief is applied. • Cold forming too fast. This mainly occurs on wire forms and simple bends. As the strain rate increases, the ductility decreases. Although your new coiler may be able to make 1000 parts an hour, it may be better to slow down and make only 800 parts per hour and avoid breaking any parts. Some other frequent processing problems are: • Sharp tooling marks that mechanically deform the wire surface. • Insufficient stress relief from an overloaded furnace.

Number 5: Fatigue from Overstress This is probably the most common cause of spring failures. For many springs types it is not economically desirable or physically possible to design a spring for infinite life. Springs that fail from overstress originate failure at predictable orientations, where the amount of operational stresses are the greatest. For compression springs, the fracture initiates at the spring ID. For torsion springs, the fracture initiates at the spring OD. And for extension springs with hooks, the fracture occurs at the inside bend of the hook. In general, if the cross sectional area contains about 50 percent smooth fatigue features and contains no material or quality issues, I would consider the failure to be “normal.” The most common example of a “nor mal” overstress failure occurs on the hooks of an extension spring. The most simple and cost effective solution to lower the operational stresses is to reduce the last few coil diameters along with the hook diameter. I’ve examined many fractures on springs that were unnecessarily designed right at or just above the recommended maximum stress level. Most of these issues can be resolved quickly with the help of a good spring design software, like ASD 7.0. This software produces efficient designs on nested springs, conical springs and springs in series. This windows based software can make fatigue life predictions when two operational loads are entered. When knowing the fatigue life becomes critical, there is no replacement for actual testing of the spring, preferably in the same or similar operational environment and assembly. This covers most but not all causes of spring failures and some of the more practical solutions that may help prevent these problems from occurring. An experienced springmaker will recognize that most of these solutions will increase the price of the spring. In some applications it may not even be possible. There also may be many other solutions to these issues, so please feel free to send your comments to me at luke. zubek@exova.com. u Luke Zubek, PE graduated with a masters degree in engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology. His 25-plus years of industrial experience includes 10 years with a major steel producer and six years as SMI’s technical director. He’s currently working for Exova conducting failure analysis and consulting. He can be contacted at (630) 221-0381 ext. 76222 or Luke.Zubek@ Exova.com. This article was peer reviewed.

SPRINGS Fall 2010 53

Become a Working Capital Wizard By Mark E. Battersby

©iStockphoto.com/Pali Rao

ew within the spring manufacturing industry fully understand working capital, how important it is for every spring manufacturer and supplier, how it is measured or how to obtain needed working capital. To many owners, managers and executives, working capital is simply the cash the operation has on hand to pay its bills. Others understand that working capital is more than just cash. It includes accounts receivable, inventory and other current assets of the spring operation. In other words, working capital is the life blood of a business. Working capital is one of the most difficult financial concepts to understand. In fact, the term means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. By definition, working capital is simply the amount by which the spring manufacturing operation’s current assets exceed current liabilities. Too little working capital means a manufacturer will soon be unable to pay its bills. Too much working capital means that the spring operation is passing up the opportunity to put excess working capital to work elsewhere in the business or even to invest those unneeded, excess funds somewhere to produce extra income for the business. Liquidity How adequate are the spring manufacturer’s current assets when compared to its current liabilities? While working capital usually refers to cash or assets that can be quickly converted to cash, it is those easily convertible assets that are said to give a business its liquidity. A business is said to be liquid when the spring operation can satisfy its maturing short-term debt. Liquidity is important in carrying out any business activity, especially in times of adversity. If liquidity is inadequate to cushion such losses, serious financial problems may ensue. Poor liquidity can best be compared to a person having a fever — it is a symptom of a fundamental problem. The liquidity of a business is particularly important to creditors. If a spring manufacturer or supplier has a poor liquidity position, it may represent a poor credit risk, and perhaps be unable to make timely interest and principal payments. Thus, measuring the liquidity of the business is an essential element when analyzing the operation’s working capital requirements now and in the future. A higher, working capital balance is usually needed when the spring manufacturer or supplier has a problem borrowing on short notice. As

54 SPRINGS Fall 2010

already mentioned, an excessive amount of working capital may be bad because those funds could be invested in non-current assets for a greater return. Measuring Working Capital Any spring manufacturer, supplier, business owner or manager who performs the calculation, current assets minus current liabilities, will arrive at the amount of working capital in the operation. However, not much will be accomplished insofar as determining the spring operation’s future working capital needs or, more importantly, how to meet them. Comparison of the amount of working capital today with the amount at an earlier date will indicate the amount and direction of change, which can be significant. All of which leads to the need for working capital analysis. A useful tool employed by many manufacturers as a part of that all-important working capital analysis is the “operating cycle.” The operating cycle analyzes the accounts receivable, inventory and accounts payable in terms of days. In other words, accounts receivable are analyzed by the average number of days it takes to collect an account. Inventory is analyzed by the average number of days that it takes to turn over the sale of a product (from the point it comes in the door to the point it is converted into cash or an account receivable). It’s a similar story for inventoried supplies. Accounts payable are analyzed by the average number of days it takes to pay a supplier invoice. Most spring manufacturers cannot finance the operating cycle (accounts receivable days + inventory days) with accounts payable financing alone. Consequently, more working capital is often needed.

hold off some supplier payment until the customer’s payments are received. If your business, like the majority of manufacturing operations, experiences a need for short-term working capital, the most important thing is to plan ahead. To get caught off guard may mean missing out on one big order or one big sale or one great opportunity. Here are five of the most common sources of shortterm working capital: Equity. Many manufacturers today must rely on equity funds for short-term capital needs. These funds might be injected from the owner’s personal resources or from a family member, friend or thirdparty. Usually, equity financing results in a diluted ownership interest. Trade Credit. A spring manufacturer or supplier that enjoys a particularly good relationship with or has established a good relationship with trade creditors may be able to solicit their help in providing short-term working capital. A business that has paid

Finding Working Capital While some businesses have enough cash reserves to fund their seasonal working capital needs, it may be rare. Fortunately, working capital can be created from a variety of sources. Where does a spring manufacturer or supplier get working capital? From retained earnings derived from prior profitable time periods, or from loans, which seem to be harder and harder to get. Fortunately, careful planning can often reduce the need for working capital. Some industries require a deposit with an order (typical in large, single-purpose capital goods items). That helps. Some businesses can negotiate extended terms with suppliers and even

SPRINGS Fall 2010 55

on time in the past may be able to negotiate extended terms to help the spring operation meet a big order. Factoring. Factoring is another resource for shortterm working capital financing. Once an order has been filled, a factoring company buys the accounts receivable and then handles the collection. This type of financing is more expensive than conventional bank financing. Line of Credit. Lines of credit are given to wellcapitalized, well-run spring businesses that show promise. A line of credit allows a manufacturer or supplier to borrow funds for short-term needs as they arise. The funds are repaid once the business collects the accounts receivable that resulted from the shortterm sales peak. Lines of credit typically are made for one year at a time and are expected to be paid off for 30 to 60 consecutive days sometime during the year to ensure that the funds are used for short-term needs only. Unfortunately, unsecured lines of credit are not readily available in today’s economy.

Short-term loans. Although not every spring manufacturer or supplier can qualify for a line of credit from a bank, the operation might be successful in obtaining a one-time short-term loan (less than a year) to finance any projected temporary working capital needs. A manufacturer or supplier that has established a good banking relationship might be able to benefit from a short-term note for an order or for seasonal inventory and/or accounts receivable buildup. More Working Capital Financing The current chaos in the commercial lending industry has had a significant impact on virtually all new small business financing. Because banks have been forced to tighten their lending policies, business funding of any type is difficult to obtain. Even if the bank does offer the business a loan, most banks are requiring more collateral. Furthermore, it will probably be a so-called “recourse” loan, meaning the bank will go after the owner’s personal assets (like his or her home) if loan payments are not made. If the spring operation can borrow from the government however, it will probably get great terms, low interest rates and long repayment terms. In addition to providing guarantees for working capital loans, the U.S. Small Business Administration offers several “microloan” programs to provide small amounts for such things as working capital. Working Capital Management Businesses hold cash for a variety of reasons, reasons that can be labeled as for the purpose of speculation, for the purpose of precaution and for the purpose of making transactions. All three of these reasons stem from the need for businesses to possess liquidity. Working capital management is concerned with making sure the spring operation has the right amount of money and lines of credit available at all times. The actual management of working capital involves managing inventories, accounts receivable and payable and, of course, cash. When it comes to managing cash, the goal is to maximize the benefits from holding it and wait to pay out the cash being held until the last possible moment. Consider a springmaker that invests $500 into liquid investments rather than placing it in a checking account that does not pay interest. Assuming the business is allowed to maintain a $0 balance, the springmaker can write a $100 check to

56 SPRINGS Fall 2010

©iStockphoto.com/Pali Rao

a supplier and then transfer funds from the investment to the checking account in a Just in Time (JIT) fashion. Employing this strategy allows the business to earn interest on the entire $500 until it is needed to pay the supplier. The goal of cash management with sales is to shorten the amount of time before the cash is received. Businesses that make sales on credit are able to decrease the amount of time that their customers wait until they pay by offering discounts. With inventory, the goal is to put off payment of cash for as long as possible and to manage the cash being held. By using another JIT strategy, this one an inventory system, a spring manufacturer or supplier can avoid paying for the inventory until it is needed while also avoiding carry costs on the inventory. JIT is a system where raw materials are purchased and received just in time, as they are needed in the production lines of the operation.

for all publicly-traded companies. Since 1970, the Securities and Exchange Commission has required this statement as part of the annual registration information for all companies listed on organized stock exchanges. It must also be included as part of the accounting information for firms whose financial statements are audited by public accounting firms. As its name indicates, the statement of changes in financial position is designed to explain the financial changes that occur in a business from one period to the next. It is sometimes referred to as the “where got, where gone” If your business, like the statement because it presents the majority of manufacturing financing and inventory activities of operations, experiences a the spring manufacturing operation need for short-term working from one operating period to the next. capital, the most important The statement of changes in thing is to plan ahead. To financial position reflects the get caught off guard may manufacturer’s ability to meet its mean missing out on one operating expenses and to purchase big order or one big sale or additional merchandise for resale. one great opportunity. The focus of this statement is on increases or decreases in working Measuring Your Working Capital capital — the difference between The financial information of a spring manufacturer current assets and current liabilities. In effect, or supplier is usually summarized on three key working capital represents the source of assets to accounting statements provided by the operation’s keep the business operating during the months ahead. bookkeeper, accountant or computer bookkeeping By now it should be obvious that working capital system: the balance sheet, the income statement, has a direct impact on the cash flow of any spring and the statement of changes in financial position. manufacturer or supplier. Since cash flow is the name The balance sheet can be best described as a of the game for all businesses, the owners, managers, photograph showing the assets, liabilities and owner’s and executives of every spring manufacturer and equity in the business at one point in time. supplier should have a good understanding of working The income statement can be thought of as a capital -– at least if the success and survival of the motion picture designed to show the profitability of venture is important. u a spring operation over a period of time such as a quarter or a year. The income statement reveals the amount of profit (or loss) for an accounting period. The statement of changes in financial position explains the financial changes that occur from one accounting period to the next. It focuses on the sources and uses of funds in the business. The so-called “statement of changes in financial position,” which is of more recent origin than the income statement and the balance sheet, is required

SPRINGS Fall 2010 57

Flashback

fStop/Punchstock

Capital Investment Decisions by Barnard E. Smith (Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s note: This article, which looks at the challenge of financing new equipment to improve productivity, was originally published in October 1979. With this issue focused on spring suppliers, we ask Springs readers the question: How does this compare to todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s environment for acquiring new equipment? Send your replies to Gary McCoy, managing editor at gmccoy@ fairwaycommunications.com).

58 SPRINGS Fall 2010

t a recent conference I asked how many persons were currently using equipment over 20 years old. The response was overwhelming. Nearly everyone is currently using very old equipment. There are several plausible reasons. Spring making machines have not changed much in 20 years. Most improvements such as load measuring devices can be fitted to older machines. This combines with conservatively designed machines which either refuse to wear out or are economical to rebuild. The slim evidence we have suggests that the spring manufacturers are adding equipment at a rate slower than the growth in demand. Analysis of the annual spring survey shows that reinvestment may be lagging by three percent per year. This can prove costly to a firm which is attempting to compete through overuse of capacity such as extra shifts or excessive overtime. For the industry it may be a cause of slow growth of about two percent in productivity against four percent for manufacturing in general. Capital investments in plant and equipment or a computer require careful analysis. Ideally, several alternative machines should be compared under different assumptions about the future. These alternatives would then be compared in terms of a single criterion such as rate of return, present worth or annual cost. The alternative which satisfied the job requirements and had the best financial rating would then be chosen. With the pressure of other matters the analysis is most often rather casual. Even worse, we wait until a decision is forced on us and then choose from the few remaining solutions. I find this to be true in the largest as well as the smallest firms.

Balance Sheet December 1, 1977

Cash Accounts Receivable Inventory Other Current Assets TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS Fixed Assets Other non-current assets TOTAL ASSETS

20,000 Accounts Payable 215,000 Loans and Notes Payable 150,000 Other Current Liabilities 15,000 TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 400,000 Debt 200,000 Net Worth 50,000 TOTAL LIABILITIES & CAPITAL $650,000

80,000 75,000 70,000 225,000 125,000 300,000 $650,000

Income Data

Net Sales Cost of Goods Sold Gross Profit Other Expenses Profit Before Taxes

Part of the problem has been that financial analysis was difficult and slow. The small hand-held calculators have changed all that. (See Springs, May 1977, pp. 55-63). With a small calculator such as the Texas Instruments MBA, most calculations take only a few minutes. The time and effort involved is repaid by the peace of mind that comes from a decision based on careful analysis. A regular decision in a growing firm is when and if capacity should be added. If plant space is added in small amounts, then the cost per square foot is likely to be higher than if one large addition were made. However, large additions will likely not be fully used right after the addition. The decision can be further complicated by a variable growth pattern, inflation, different methods of financing or frequent changes in equipment design. The manufacture of springs uses a reasonably stable technology which leads to a relatively high resale value. This analysis is based on a spring company near the average size for the industry. Case Study: Kool Spring, Inc. Sales orders have been running about twenty percent over last year when $1.5 million was sold. Even though the company has been selective in which orders they take, the backlog has grown to $500,000 or about four months work for the 20 spring machines. Along with this, the promise dates are moving further out to over six weeks even for small orders. The 37 production workers are paid an average of $7 per hour and are working two shifts and 48 hours per week per shift. Fringe benefits are 15 percent of payroll.

1,500,000 1,125,000 375,000 250,000 125,000

The balance sheet and income statement are shown above. The debt of $125,000 is a long term bank loan at 10 percent. For financial purposes, equipment is charged off by straight line depreciation over 10 years assuming no salvage value but, for tax purposes, declining balance depreciation is used

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SPRINGS Fall 2010 59

over the same life. The marginal rate of income tax is 48 percent. The company management is considering the purchase of a #1 coiler. It will cost $14,450 with tools, cams and feed. Attachments will add on $1,935 and shipping charges will be $185. Analysis Before Income Taxes We will first calculate the payback period but later we will show that this can lead to the wrong decision. However, it is quick and easy and will use many of the same steps needed in the longer method. In this analysis, sales are assumed to continue to grow so that all output can be sold at current levels of profitability. Further, we will assume that inflation will change all costs in the same way so that the effects can be ignored.

Each of the present machines handles $1,500,000 = $75,000 of sales per year. 20

The profit on these sales before taxes is 8.33 percent or $6,225. The cost of the equipment is: Basic Price Attachments Shipping Installation (estimated)

$14,450 1,935 185 + 200 $16,770

to which must be added the additional working capital necessary to support the additional sales. The working capital is now:

Current Assets Current Liabilities Working Capital

400,000 – 225,000 $175,000

for $1.5 M in sales. Therefore an additional 75,000 new sales X

175,000 = $8,750 1.5 M

in working capital is required. The payback period is then Payback = Capital Required = $16,770 + $8,750 = 4.1 yrs Period Annual Return $6,225

1 or roughly 4.1 = 24.4 percent return before taxes and 12.2 percent after taxes. The manager of Kool Spring would probably not make this investment if other projects were paying back their first cost in two or three years.

60 SPRINGS Fall 2010

After Tax Analysis The decision to purchase the machine would affect income taxes in several ways. Depreciation will spread the first cost of the machine to several years for tax purposes. Also, the investment tax credit will reduce taxes in the first year. As we will see, these may change the relative attractiveness of the machine. Your accountant can tell you how the machine will change your taxes but can’t make the decision for you. On the next page is a worksheet showing the tax consequences in greater detail. For year zero is shown the installed cost, the change in working capital and the investment tax credit. The investment tax credit of ten percent assumes that the machine qualifies for the maximum credit. (All costs are assumed to occur at year end.) For each subsequent year is shown the extra profit from sales and the additional depreciation. The depreciation is based on the declining balance method at double the straight line rate. 2 (i.e. 16770 X 10 = 3354).

The income taxes are based on 48 percent of the increase in taxable income. The depreciation is included to calculate the effect on taxable income but is not a cash flow item itself. At the end of the tenth year the machine is sold for its residual book value of $1,801* and the additional working capital is recovered. Since no profit or loss results there will be no effect on taxable income due to the sale. (*A very pessimistic assumption given today’s prices of used equipment.) The last column gives the cash flow after taxes, that is, the actual out-of-pocket costs and incomes year by year. If we expect an after tax profit of say 12 percent on our investment, we could discount this stream of revenues to the present (year 0) and determine the present worth of the cash flow. If it were positive then the investment pays more than 12 percent. This is easily done with the MBA calculator. However, the MBA calculator has another feature which may be more convenient. It will discount the cash flow repeatedly until it finds the rate of return which just brings the present worth to zero. In this way it calculates the so called internal rate of return. This is not the same as the return-on-investment which treats depreciation quite differently. In this case the rate of return which sets the present worth of the cash flow after taxes to zero is 14 percent. Fourteen percent is a respectable return which is clearly higher than the cost of borrowed money. It is also higher than the Kool Spring return on total assets. Further it is higher than the rate of return implied by the payback method. Quite probably we should go ahead with the purchase.

KOOL SPRING COMPANY

Analysis of the Proposed Purchase of a Torin W11A

Year 0

Net Cash Flow Before Taxes -8750 WC -16770 FC

Effect of Outlay on Taxable Income

Effect of Outlay on Cash Flow for Income Tax

—

-1677 Inv. tax credit

Write Off of Initial Outlay for Tax Purposes

Cash Flow After Taxes

Present Worth of $1 at 14%

-23843

6225

-3354

2871

-1378

4847

.877

6225

-2683

3542

-1700

4525

.769

6225

-2147

4078

-1958

4267

.675

6225

-1717

4508

-2164

4061

.592

6225

-1374

4851

-2329

3896

.519

6225

-1099

5126

-2460

3765

.456

6225

-871

5354

-2570

3655

.400

6225

-703

5522

-2650

3575

.351

6225

-563

5662

-2718

3507

.308

6225 8750 WC 1801 SV

-450

5775

-2772

3453 8750

.270

WC – Working Capital

FC – First Cost

SV – Salvage Value

However, an investment must do more than pass some arbitrary minimum rate of return. It must also compete successfully against other uses of funds. A healthy firm will have dozens of proposals for expansion or cost savings vying for funds at any moment. In allocating your capital you will choose those projects which have the highest return after taxes. If this proposal to purchase a machine is ranked at the top of all project proposals and exceeds our capital costs then we should go ahead with the project. The assumptions we have made are realistic in that we assume average sales and return for this machine. However, events may not work out this way. Springmakers may not be available to fully utilize the machine or a downturn could cause sales to drop so that new capacity would not be fully utilized. We would check the consequences of lower sales revenue by rerunning the analysis at the lower sales figure. The difference between these represent the risk that management must bear. Alternate Proposal Based on Leasing the Machine An alternative form of financing is to lease facilities. If purchase of a piece of equipment is financially attractive, then it may be attractive to finance the purchase through leasing. These are distinct and separate decisions and require separate analysis. No matter how favorable lease arrangements

SPRINGS Fall 2010 61

KOOL SPRING COMPANY

Analysis of Proposed Lease of Torin W11A Year

Effect of Equipment on Cash Flow (excluding lease costs)

Lease Payments

Cash Flow Before Taxes

Effect of Equipment use on Taxable Inc.

Effect on Income Taxes

Cash Flow After Taxes

Present Worth of $1 at 19%

-385 -8750

-2966

-12101

-3351

+ 1639 + 1608

-8853

6225

-4449

+ 1776

853

+ 923

.840

6225

-4449

1776

853

923

.706

6225

-4449

1776

853

923

.593

6225

-4449

1776

853

923

.499

6225 -819

-1483

3923

4742

2276

1647

.419

6225

—

6225

5979

-2870

3355

.352

6225

—

6225

6053

-2905

3320

.296

6225

—

6225

6103

-2929

3296

.249

6225

—

6225

6141

-2948

3277

.209

6225 8750

—

16776

6166 1663

-798

13018

.176

may seem, it is necessary to first justify the purchase on other grounds. The fact that the extra operating funds are available through a lease of a particular piece of equipment is largely incidental. Lease agreements currently call for payment of about 0.022625 of the first cost per month for a minimum of five years. The first and last two month payments may be due in advance. For the W11A this would mean $16,385 X 0.022625 = $370.71 per month with $1,112.13 paid in advance. Ordinarily the lessor will accept five percent of the first cost for the equipment at the end of the lease period. However, by IRS regulations this cannot be a formal part of the lease agreement. At the top of this page is a work sheet for the leasing of the same machine. The lessee is assumed to pay for shipping and installation and to expense these costs. The investment tax credit on the remainder is assigned to the lessee. Monthly lease costs are accumulated to the closest year end with the last two months being paid in advance. After purchase of the machine in the fifth year for five percent of the first cost the equipment is depreciated by declining balance at 1.5 the straight line rate for five years. At the end of 10 years the machine is sold for the book value it would have had if purchased. Therefore the excess over the true book value ($1801 -$137.69) is taxable income.

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The internal rate of return on investment is about 19.2 percent. Comparing this to the 14 percent return if purchased suggests that leasing is more advantageous in this situation. The reasons for the advantage are (a) The lease is made at about 12.75 percent which is under the operating return on the machine. Therefore there is also a financial return, (b) The lease agreement effectively allows the machine to be charged off more quickly for tax purposes. This means you have the use of the tax money for more years before it is eventually paid. Conclusions To maintain productivity and to meet market growth it is necessary to purchase new plant and equipment. Capital decisions should be based on careful analysis which help determine the best timing, type of equipment and method of financing. The procedure outlined here is quite straightforward. A few facts from your accountant should be all that is necessary to permit anyone to make a similar analysis. With the new calculators the time need not exceed a few minutes. Leasing was shown here to be an attractive way to finance a machine which had already been justified. This will not always be the result. Much depends on your tax treatment, the lease agreement and alternate sources of investment funds. u

“We quickly discovered that the WAFIOS FMU 1.7 not only performed at the capacity we were told it would, it exceeded our expectations!” S. Skolozynski, Gen. Mgr. Master Spring, River Grove, IL

Get In Shape with WAFIOS! Now for .059” - .315” Wire! WAFIOS CNC Spring & Wire Forming Systems FMU Series 0.7 – 6.7

Rapid Set-up and Change-over Eliminate Subsequent Operations Zero-defect Manufacturing Broadest Product Range Most Efficient Universal Bender Superior Production Capabilities Lower Your Cost Per Part!

Live Demo at Springworld! See WAFIOS Machines Performing for Yourself! Donald E. Stephens Convention Center Rosemont, IL WAFIOS Machinery Corporation 27 Northeast Industrial Road Branford, CT 06407, USA Phone +1-203-481-5555 Fax +1-203-481-9854 sales@wafios.us, www.wafios.us

P r e c i s i o n M a c h i n e r y f o r W i r e a n d Tu b e SPRINGS Fall 2010 63

Wire Forming Wisdom Wire Forming Thoughts from the Road by Bill Shockey, BT Machinery Sales

ack in the 1950’s, I grew up on a small farm in southwestern Iowa. Little did I know then that bending a piece of wire to make a hay hook or forming it to make a centered eye to put a mounting screw through, I was preparing myself for 30 years of work in the wire forming industry. Then it was a matter of grabbing whatever wire and tools I could find to make something close to what I had pictured in my mind to do the job. I certainly did not care about the “why and how” the wire bent, or stayed where I bent it. It just did. Now, a number of years later, I can truly say the “why and how” are important. Whether you chose to “bend” or “form” the wire, one rule must always be honored. It takes three points of contact to bend or form the wire. If you are making a spring and using a single point spring coiler, your three points of contact will either be the upper or lower side of the groove in your wire guide, the mandrel, and the coiling finger. If you are making the same spring with a two point coiler, your three points of contact will either be the upper or lower side of the groove in your wire guide, and the two coiling fingers. If you are making a wire form using a Diacro or similar bender, you will have a rear clamp, a mandrel, and a pressure pin or roller. If you are using a CNC wire former, you again have the upper or lower side of the wire guide groove, a mandrel or bending nose, and a pressure pin or roller. If you are using a hard tooled fourslide or multiple

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slide machine, you are again (typically) using a tool to clamp the wire, using the edge of the clamp tool to bend around, and a tool to bend the wire—again, three points of contact. Okay, enough is enough. By now I think you understand the rule of three points of contact being needed to bend or form wire into a specific shape. When asked which is the best type of machine for making wire forms, the answer is: “It depends!” In the early days of CNC wire forming machinery, there were very distinct differences between machine manufacturers. However, in today’s market those lines have been severely blurred. We have the so-called “air benders” that bend without fully constraining the wire and typically use only wire size specific, not part specific, tooling. These include the “nose benders” which will bend on the nose (radiused outgoing edge of the wire guide), the “mandrel benders” that bend around a specific size mandrel or roller, and the newer “hybrid” or “blended” machines that can do both. We also have “hard tooled” CNC machines using part specific (or at least family specific) tooling that are multiple slide machines with fully programmable, independently operated, bending units or slides. But, be careful, don’t get tied strictly into the CNC mindset as the traditional fourslides and cam driven multiple slide machines still have their place in wire form manufacturing. If “it depends” is the answer to the question on how you decide which style of machine to buy, my advice is easy: “Ask!” Ask all the machinery suppliers you know who provide wire forming machinery to explain their machinery. Ask about both features and limitations—no machine can do everything. Help them help you, show them the part drawing or drawings for the entire family of parts. Provide realistic annual production needs as well as individual run sizes: • Are you going to run the job once a year and inventory what doesn’t ship immediately? • Or, will you be setting up the job once, twice, or more times a month and running small lots? Consider how important tooling costs are: • Can you use wire size specific tooling or must you use part specific tooling? • Ask if an “air bender” can provide parts repeatedly within your required tolerance specifications, or must you use a “hard tooled”

machine? (Always keep in mind an “air bender” is much more susceptible to wire variations than a “hard tooled” machine.) Also, be sure to ask about specific part production rates and about tooling changeover times. Ask, ask, ask! The wire forming machinery being offered today is expensive. It is a large investment. Machinery suppliers, more than ever, understand this. But, the investment they have made in today’s technology to help you become more efficient, more cost effective, and more productive is also large. Together, wire formers and wire forming machinery manufacturers can be successful even under the most stressful of times. But, again, if the answer is “it depends” to your question: “Which wire forming machine should I buy?,” then my response is always: “ask, ask, and ask again.” u Bill Shockey is president of BT Machinery Sales, LLC. He may be reached at (563) 285-5115, e-mail: bill@btmachinery.com, or visit www.btmachinery.com.

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66 SPRINGS Fall 2010

Spring World 2010 October 13–15, 2010 Rosemont, Ill.

Admiral Steel Admiral Steel is an ISO 9001:2000 & ISO 9002 certified custom manufacturer of stainless steel alloys including stainless, spring & tool steels & other alloys. Types of steel alloys include cold & hot rolled, pickled, alloy, bar, carbon steel, cold finished, blue tempered spring, structural & tempered steel alloys and more. Industries served include architectural, automotive, aircraft, military, agricultural & commercial. At Admiral Steel we believe that some things are more important than the bottom line. We’ve carefully invested in people and technologies that help us to better serve our customers. Booth 1033

Alex Industries Inc.

Alex Industries Inc. and Fortuna Federn GmbH will demonstrate nine new machines including the Fortuna Federn WIM-20 CNC lathe coiler up to 20mm (0.785”) wire. Fortuna Federn can produce machines with capacity greater than 2.5” (63mm) if requested. Alex Industries will also display Taiwan machinery for spring coiling and wire forming up to 8-axis CNC. Booth 0505

Alloy Wire Our Precision Shaped Wires division is a specialist in the manufacture of flat, square and special shaped wires in most materials used by the springmaker: Stainless steel; Music wire; Phosphur-Bronze; Carbon steel; Brass; Copper; Nickel alloys; Aluminum; and more. Come and see us, and have a great show. Booth 1021

Bennett Mahler/NIMSCO

Bennett Maxicoil spring coiling lathes have been manufactured for over 30 years and have been exported to over 40 countries. This year Bennett Mahler will be exibiting a servo driven Maxicoil MC-25 which allows compression, extension and torsion springs to be manufactured in spring steel wires from 5mm - 25mm and in annealed wires to 31mm. The range of Bennett Mahler’s spring end grinding machines now covers wire diameters from 0.2mm up to 40mm. Examples of their crash/crush grind, downfeed horizontal spindle and water cooled grinders will be exhibited. Booth 905

Elgiloy “Elgiloy®," a non-corroding watch spring material with an infinite lifespan, was born after World War II servicemen complained that their watches could not take the punishment of war. Because of its durability, the demand for Elgiloy grew and expanded to aerospace, medical devices, and petrochemical applications. Today Elgiloy produces more than 40 high performance alloys. At our Elgin, Illinois facility we are able to serve the small quantity and R&D requirements of our customer base. We operate our 13" and 8" mills to serve your strip needs. As for our wire and bar customers, we continue to provide a wide array of alloys and sizes. Booth 1132

Show Preview

Spring World 2010 will feature informative booths from the following advertisers. Use this guide to plan ahead and get a sneak peek at their exhibits.

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Forming Systems, Inc.

Forming Systems,Inc. is a full service distributor providing the latest global technologies for springmaking and wire forming. Companies represented include: HTC Spring Machinery, HSI Ovens & Payoffs, OMAS 3D formers & Ring Machines, OMD Spring Grinders, TBE Multibend machines for complex wireforms, Whitelegg Machines Ltd. 2D form and welding systems, Jaykase tabletop programmable benders and SAS Spring Testers and Vision Systems. If you form wire, FSI has the solution. Booth 515

Gibbs Wire & Steel Within the metalworking community, Gibbs is considered to be a worldwide leader in the supply and processing of wire & strip. Our network of service centers, strategically located throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and our commitment to technology and innovation, enable us to provide our customers with a level of quality and service well beyond traditional expectations. Gibbs has been meeting the needs of the growing North American metalworking community for some four decades. We are continuously upgrading and replacing slitting, edging, and oscillating equipment, and adding to our already extensive stocks of wire and strip. Booth 1114

HSI - Huei Shang Industrial Co. Ltd. / FSI

HTC - Hsin Tong Chen Machinery Ltd. / FSI

HTC, a world leader for springmaking and wire forming equipment, will introduce and exhibit the all new 16 axes 20XU spring and wire forming machine and 8 axes XR series of spring formers. HTC will also exhibit the CF series of CNC spring coilers ranging from 1mm to 12mm capacity. Booth 515

Instron

Furnace Fixers

Furnace Fixers will demonstrate how to make your company one step closer to full automation with our Touch Panel Furnace Systems (AMS2750D & CQ9 Certified). Â The PLC based furnaces enable you to streamline your work flow by integrating the: dereelers, coilers, furnaces, conveyors, and final packaging equipment. Booth 1121

68 SPRINGS Fall 2010

HSI, a world wide supplier of springmaking and wire forming accessory equipment, will exhibit their power payoff reels as well as their complete line of conveyor ovens. Informaton will be available for their complete line, including conveyor ovens, box ovens, payoff reels, part collectors, parts washing systems, free length gages, and cooling conveyors. HSI will also demonstrate their new CQI9 AIAG automotive heat treat specification conformance for wireless temperature recordng for HSI ovens. Booth 515

Instron, a leading provider of testing equipment designed to evaluate mechanical properties of materials and components, will be showcasing its SF1243, motor-driven spring testing system. Designed to perform testing on tension and compression springs and other spring-type products, the user-friendly SF Series is ideal for spring manufacturers and end-users. Booth 833

Kiswire

Our huge inventory of more than $24 million worth of high quality ferrous and non-ferrous wire, special temper wires and spring wire gives us a decided edge in filling even the most difficult wire orders. InterWire is committed to providing the highest quality wire products and services which will exceed all customers requirements. InterWire assures complete customer satisfaction through our state-ofthe-art quality management system and “Just-In-Time” delivery scheduling. Booth 1331

Kiswire Group Ltd. will assist springmakers with their spring wire needs, including piano wire, music wire, shaped wire, highcarbon spring wire and oil tempered wire. In addition, the company focuses on product development through joint ventures with automobile, machinery and construction companies. Kiswire also manufactures bead wire, steel cord and hose wire, galvanized steel wire and strand, wire rope, and PC wire and strand. Booth 733

JN Machinery With more than 4000 ovens operating worldwide, JN has the expertise and experience to handle your stress relieving requirements. JN’s electric conveyor ovens are used for heat treatment and stress relieving springs, especially for heat treating stainless steel and carbon steel wire. Another use is with JN’s TRC paint system. There are virtually unlimited uses of our conveyor ovens beyond heat treating metal. Our conveyor ovens are also being used for rustproofing, tempering metal, baking, oiling, drying, and sterilization. Booth 1012

Lapham-Hickey Steel Lapham-Hickey Steel is a full-line Steel Service Center, offering state-of-the-art “value added” services. Our “value added” services include: laser cutting, press brake forming, punch/plasma cutting, plasma cutting, oxy flame cutting, sawing and de-burring, slitting and edging, shot blasting and stretch leveling. We offer total supply solutions: distribution, fabrication, logistics, and inventory management. Booth 1131

Larson Systems

Jaykase Mfg./FSI

Jaykase Mfg. is a manufacturer of servo controlled table top wire bending and springmaking equipment, with two sizes of machines. Jaykase will exhibit the JK 625 bender for wire sizes up to .625”. Jaykase provides a cost effective alternative for producing low volume and prototype work. Booth 515

Coiler operators don’t need to understand capacitance measurement - the Tiger® Spring Gage from Larson Systems does it for them. Programming is not required; anyone familiar with Larson’s Lynx or Panther gages will be able to operate it in minutes. The Tiger is compatible with all LSI probes and sorters. Booth 1121

Maguire Machinery Maguire Machinery provides outstanding sales and service as the distributor of OKUNO spring, clip, ring and wire forming equipment for the Americas. Maguire will display some of the many products manufactured with Okuno machines at Spring World. Stop by and meet us. Booth 521

Show Preview

Interwire

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Microstudio/NIMSCO

Microstudio is pleased to show the MC54 automatic setting and testing machine. The MC54 is a high performance, high speed machine, useful for automatic presetting and testing of ground compression springs. This modular machine is composed of a rotating table with brushless motor, presetting station, testing station and sorter, designed for maximum test flexibility. Three different models cover different load ranges and dimensions. Booth 909

OMD/FSI

OMD is a world leader in design and development of spring grinding equipment, forming machines, and coilers. OMD will be exhibiting their new MA10/1E downfeed grinding machine. The spring grinders are available for downfeed, crush, and wet grinding applications, covering wire sizes up to 100mm. Booth 515

Precision Quincy

Omas s.r.l./FSI

Precision Steel Warehouse Precision Steel Warehouse Inc. is an ISO 9001:2000 Certified Steel Service Center founded in 1940. We specialize in flat rolled steel products including: Brass, Phosphor Bronze, Stainless Steel, CR Sheet Steel, CR Strip Steel, High Carbon Annealed Spring Steel, High Carbon Tempered Spring Steel, Electrolytic Tin Coated Steel, Electro-Galvanized Sheet Steel, Long Terne Steel, Aluminized Sheet Steel,Galvannealed Sheet Steel, Martinsite and 4130 Alloy Strip Steel. Custom processing includes: Slitting, edging, cutto-length, blanking, oscillated coils and special packaging. Booth 1113

Proto Manufacturing Inc. Proto Mfg. Inc. specializes in the development, manufacture and sales of x-ray diffraction instrumentation and related testing services. With the successful development of an 18 kg portable device, automated residual stress mapping, simultaneous residual stress and retained austenite measurement, pioneering field and inline applications, highspeed x-ray diffraction and more, these innovations have placed Proto products and services at the forefront of x-ray diffraction technology worldwide. Booth 927

Pyromaître

Omas a world leader in the production of 3D single point wire forming machines, ring making and welding machines and high speed slide forming machines will be on hand with information about all of the product solutions they have to offer. Omas has the ability to weld rings with a standard butt welder as well as with an integrated TIG welder. Booth 515

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Precision Quincy supplies standard and custom-designed batch ovens, truck/cart ovens, and conveyor ovens to support a variety of industries and applications. All oven models are available in both gas and electric, and are capable of temperatures up to 1250° F. A wide selection of custom options are available. Booth 1310

Over the past 15 years, Pyromaître has developed a process and equipment to stress relieve spring wire at very high speed. Pyro process was approved seven years ago for automotive valve springs in America and is now well known as the current standard in the spring industry. Pyromaître offers a complete range of standard and regularly custom design models to accomodate all kinds of different applications. Booth 1325

RK Trading RK trading is proud to represent the Bobbio and Herdon lines of machinery. The Bobbio Excel Series, technically advanced and extremely user friendly, is available in a wide range of sizes and configurations. Herdon will introduce the all new CSX-10 Hybrid and CSX-35RS, new additions to the popular Herdon family. Booth 707

Radcliff Wire

Shinko Machinery

Simas/FSI Radcliff Wire, synonymous with quality and reliability, produces flat, square, and special shaped wire in forty different metals and alloys. Our wire is precision made to customer specifications. Providing manufacturers with hard to locate shaped wire, Radcliff is known the world over as a major wire supplier to the Spring Industry. Booth 800

Simas produces a world class line of shaped wire retaining ring equipment to satisfy your shaped wire ring needs. Simas has the ability to produce shaped wire rings with notches, angle cutoff, and special shaped ends. Booth 515

Simco Spring Machinery Co. Ltd.

SAS - Spring Analysis Systems, Inc. / FSI

SAS MFG is dedicated to find solutions to your tough spring and wire form measurement problems. SAS will provide information related to their complete line of automatic spring testing systems, including: Vision inspection and testing for springs, fatigue testers, torsion testers, and pitch tracing systems. SAS will be exhibiting the latest developments in spring testers with the introduction of their newest dual load cell tester, the CTV-2000 vision system and the new T-20 torsion tester. Booth 515

The Seneca Wire Group The Seneca Wire Group, consisting of Seneca ˉ Wire & Manufacturing and FENIX, LLC, produces high carbon and alloy round, flat, square and shaped tempered wire supplying the springmaking and wire forming industries. Founded in 1905 in Ohio, Seneca expanded its capacity and capabilˉ ity in 2005 through investment in FENIX, LLC, a state-of-the-art, globally competitive tempered wire facility. Employing the latest ˉ in tempered wire technology FENIX, LLC utilizes lead-free induction tempering, inline Eddy Current testing and high volume output to produce high carbon and alloy tempered wires. Booth 1225

Simco Spring Machinery Co Ltd. and Gibraltar Corp will demonstrate our latest innovations in spring & wire forming machinery, including our W-1065 8-axes CNC coiler with high speed output and quick setup times. Our CSC-680N 6-axes coiler features innovative user-friendly Windows based touch screen control. Also new to the North American market is our CNC-1308, a 13-axes forming machine with high speed forming and coiling of complicated wire forms and springs. Our CSC-508 is a 5 axes high speed coiler for your small wire precision compression or torsion springs. Gibraltar will also feature our carbide spring tooling. Stop by and visit us and register to win an Apple iPad! Booth 721

Show Preview

Shinko Machinery of Japan will exhibit its CNC Coiling Machine Model CG-60; Universal Former Model UF-35 & UF-70; and Hybrid Coiler, Model VF-830MFT. Shinko also produces other compression, extension, and torsion machines, along with ring and oval spring coilers. Booth 1213

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Simplex-Rapid/NIMSCO

Simplex-Rapid will exhibit the following coilers for compression springs: Type MC15 with P-5 payoff; type MC-30 with P-5 payoff; NEW! Type MC-50 with MIR-1500 payoff; and the spring coilers for torsion and non-round section springs, type MT15-R. The MC-50 coiler is particularly state-of-the-art, with technology developed by Simplex-Rapid for the production of compression springs and will be shown at Spring World for the first time in the U.S. market. Booth 1005

Suzuki Garphyttan Suzuki Garphyttan is a provider of proprietary and innovative solutions to the global vehicle industry. Suzuki Garphyttan develops and manufactures advanced spring wire made of various alloys for use in combustion engines and transmissions. The main applications include valve springs, transmission springs, piston rings and springs for fuel injection systems. Suzuki Garphyttan has a leading-edge position in the development and production of advanced valve spring wire that meets the continuingly rigorous demands of the vehicle industry. Booth 1026

tolerances in strip and foil. Ulbrich’s cold rolling and annealing processes produce tensile strength, yield strength and hardness levels to exact specifications. We offer a wide array of pancake and oscillate wound coils. Booth 1212

United Wire United Wire is a specialist in manufacturing flat, square, and shaped wire in stainless steels, carbon steels, copper bases, nickel bases, and aluminum. From 25 lbs. to 25,000 lbs., fully annealed to spring temper, we do it all. Booth 1030

Whitelegg Machines Ltd./ FSI

TBE - T. Butler Engineering Ltd./ FSI

Spring Manufacturers Institute (SMI) SMI is an association of companies that manufacture springs, and their associate suppliers. The members of SMI work together to meet the key issues of the industry worldwide: quality, materials, technology, and government regulations. SMI promotes and protects the interests of springmakers in North America. Visit our booth and drop in your business card for your chance to win an Apple iPad. Booth 621

TBE machines provide leading edge automation technology for complex wire forms and assemblies. TBE provides the expertise to automate complex wire forms normally requiring costly secondary operations. TBE can provide automated solutions for parts requiring costly secondary operations such as swedging, flattening, coining, threading, welding, and in some cases assembling right on the machine. Booth 515

Whitelegg Machines will provide information related to their CFM series of 2-D CNC wire forming and welding machines and ring forming and welding machines. Production product examples include 2-D components, frames, welded frames, rings, welded rings, and headrests. Booth 515

SPX Precision Components/Fenn

Tool King

Zapp Precision Strip, Inc.

Since 1976 we have supplied the Spring Industry with top quality narrow width flat rolled high carbon and stainless steel in all tempers. Our custom edged products can be provided in both ribbon and oscillate wound coils. With our seven slitting lines and three skiving lines, we can give you the “on-time” delivery you need for today's just in time environment. Booth 933

Ulbrich Stainless Steel and Special Metals, Inc. SPX Precision Component’s Torin® CNC Spring Coilers incorporate all the features that spring manufacturers expect from a machine; ease of use, quick set-up and change over, reliability and quality that Torin® has symbolized for over 70 years. Contact us with your application and let Torin® solve it for you. Booth 1224

72 SPRINGS Fall 2010

Ulbrich Stainless Steel, with 13 global locations, supplies stainless steel and special metals alloys rolled to precision

As technological leaders, Zapp is familiar with new challenges. We are not only experts in the complex process of cold forming, but also intensively involved in the development of new applications in every industrial and innovative sector. Our precision and bimetal strips, made in Ergste Westig, far exceed market standards. With them, you will have even highly complex applications firmly under control. The objective is to achieve reliably consistent precision at all times and at the highest level. Booth 1124 u

Springmaker Spotlight

Hale Foote inspects Scandic's new solar roof that was installed earlier this year.

A Profile of Hale Foote, Scandic by Gary McCoy

ustainability is defined as “the capacity to endure.” At Scandic, a maker of coil springs, fourslide stampings, precision progressive stampings, and CNC wireforming, the company is trying to model what it means to be a sustainable company. Company president Hale Foote acknowledges that Scandic has taken many steps to be sustainable from an environmental standpoint, but he believes sustainability goes even further. “Whatever you’re doing today, you want to be able to repeat it and improve it over time,” Foote explains. “Rather than going for the quick buck or the flash in the pan, I’ve always tried to invest in the business by buying the better class of machine that will last 20 years; hiring people that have potential, because I’d like them to stay. It’s usually better to keep an employee than to have any kind of turnover.” He believes you should run your business in such a way that people want to stay. For Foote, a sustainable business means: “eliminating the waste and using business practices that make it more likely that your business will endure.” From a practical standpoint, he believes it means borrowing what you need and doing it prudently so that when you have a business downturn, like the last couple of years, “you’re not so leveraged that it’s going to take you out. So you might miss some of the high spots, but you’re not going to crater in the low spots, either.”

SPRINGS Fall2010 2010 73 SPRINGS Spring

Scandic had another payback by installing skylights. Not only has it helped eliminate rows of top lighting and the resulting electricity needed to power them, it has also provided a better work environment. “It has a better feel. Morale is up,” Foote said of the payback. “Employees come into my office and say, ‘Thank you so much. It feels great.’ And I hadn’t really counted on that, but boy, it’s nice.”

Powered by the Sun Based in San Leandro, Calif., Foote says being in “The Golden State” makes it easier and more necessary to be an environmentally-friendly company. He says there have been several cases where they’ve adopted certain measures, because they made economic sense, but they also resulted in a surprise payoff later. He cites the company’s most recent venture of installing a new solar roof that covers the entire southern and western portions of the company’s roof. This new 93 kW photovoltaic system supplies about 85 percent of the power for the company’s 23,000 sq. foot facility. “I put in the photovoltaic system because it’s going to make money for us,” said Foote. “But just the year before we put a brand new roof on the building, because the old one was worn out. Especially on the south and western exposures, where the sun hits. Well, guess what? That new roof now will have an almost infinite life because it’s not seeing any sunlight.” In the process of putting in the photovoltaic system, Foote learned there’s a break-even point where sticking up more panels won’t benefit the company. “I think the other 15 percent (of the company’s power needs) I can eliminate just by working smarter — better motors, better lights, more skylights and reduce our consumption down to what we’re also producing,” Foote explained. He’s had another payback by installing skylights. Not only has it helped eliminate rows of top lighting and the resulting electricity needed to power them, it has also provided a better work environment. “It has a better feel. Morale is up,” he said of the payback. “Employees come into my office and say, ‘Thank you so much. It feels great.’ And I hadn’t really counted on that, but boy, it’s nice.” Foote cites Wal-Mart as a company that has invested a lot recently in sustainability. He pointed

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out a story about the company gaining sales by being sustainable. “Wal-Mart found that by putting skylights in their stores, they actually increased their sales per square foot.” Other environmentally-conscious programs Scandic has undertaken involve recycling about 3,000 pounds of scrap metal per month and allowing employees to work flexible hours to avoid rush hour traffic in an effort to save fuel, time and money. In addition, the company’s water jet uses a closedloop filtration system. “We would be using hundreds of thousands of gallons of water each year if we didn’t have a closed loop system,” said Foote. “I put the closed loop system in for our water jet because it can purify and chill and make the water better conditioned for using.” Foote said a side benefit of having this system is that by having “super-conditioned” water, his machines lasts a lot longer.

Learning From Neighbors Scandic is currently participating in a “Sustainability Circle” under the direction of Natural Capitalism, Inc. The goal is to reduce costs while at the same time embracing sustainable business practices. In addition to consulting with Scandic, Natural Capitalism has organized a group of seven local businesses that meet about every six weeks over the course of seven months to share ideas and to hear presentations on various sustainability practices. All the companies are within a few miles of each other and are non-competitive businesses. The meetings are all-day sessions that rotate among the participating businesses, giving everyone the chance to tour each members’ facility. “It’s a communal environment where you learn other good business practices,” explained Foote. “It’s an expert-guided process where the presenters are giving you a standard to shoot at.” Foote said the group’s work is almost complete. “At the end of which, each company should have their own definition of sustainability as it applies to their company and their industry,” he explains. Scandic is apparently ahead of the curve, said Foote, “because we were already doing a lot of things that they were going to recommend, which is nice to hear, but we’ve also learned an awful lot in the process.” Branding Changes One of the things Foote has learned along the way is about branding. He said a commitment to being a green, sustainable business can make your business more desirable to customers and employees. He cites the example of a recent meeting with a potential customer. “From a brand name perspective it was really good. It made them think: ‘Scandic is kind of hip, they’re investing for the future, they’re going to be around.’ It made it a little bit more simpatico.” Foote does caution that with green branding initiatives, spring manufacturers must avoid what Natural Capitalism refers to as “green washing.” Green washing is a term describing the deceptive use of green PR or green marketing in order to promote a misleading perception that a company’s policies or products are environmentally friendly. Foote says if you claim to be “green,” you better back it up. While most in the spring industry know the company as Scandic Springs, Foote says he shortened it to Scandic many years ago as they became more involved in stamping than springmaking. “Coil springs are a big part of what we are known for, and it’s a wonderful entrée into new customers as a door opener,” said Foote. But, he says, their company has found stamping to be more profitable and a bigger growth area than straight coiling. As a result, changing the name was an intentional choice on Foote’s part to rebrand the company.

Taking the Back Door to the Industry Foote’s pathway to the spring industry is an unusual one. He grew up in central Louisiana with a family of lawyers and judges. He naturally followed in their footsteps and headed off to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. for undergraduate studies and law school. He practiced commercial litigation in D.C. until 1991. That’s when he moved to California to take over his wife’s family’s spring business. Scandic, legally known as Scandic Springs, Inc., was organized in 1969. Foote’s father-in-law, Richard Lind, came into the business as an owner in 1971. Over the years Lind bought out his partners, who were engineers, and the company is now entirely familyowned. Foote said like many spring businesses, Scandic is an outgrowth of an older, larger company, and he says in turn, “we have spawned at least four or five companies of our employees.” Foote said he met his wife, Beth, in college and later got married. “Years and years later I realized that running a spring factory might be a fun thing to do instead of commercial litigation.” He admits that his decision was quite a switch. “I was a really good defense lawyer, but I knew nothing about manufacturing or engineering or springs. Like most people, I had no idea that springs were everywhere in daily life.”

TIGER™ UPGRADE

WITH A

FUTURE

TIGER™ GAGE The latest generation of the legendary Lion gages, the Tiger™ Gage is faster, smarter and easier to use than its predecessors. Its digital system requires no programming or PC interface — just plug it in and start sorting springs directly through your coiler’s electronics. And you don’t have to understand capacitance measurement because the Tiger does it for you. With powerful, smart scrap-reduction intelligence, it’s the new “king of beasts.”

An Upgrade with a Future. Put Tiger software in your old Lion 300-9 series gage case, get all-new electronics for the price of a repair job, plus the ability to ugrade to a fullblown Tiger in the future!

Unleash the power and speed of a Tiger! Larson Systems Inc. 10073 Baltimore St. NE Minneapolis, MN 55449

Fax: 763-780-2182 Toll Free: 1-877-780-2131 www.larsonsystems.com

SPRINGS Fall 2010 75

Foote worked alongside of Lind for a couple of years before taking over the business. “He was active for a couple of years after we got here,” said Foote of his father-in-law. “But he was planning to retire, so the timing was good for all concerned.” Foote says Richard and his wife, Dorothy, are “excellent” in-laws and he’s thrived in taking over the business. He’s the only family member currently involved in the business. Beth is an ordained Episcopal priest; they have three children, Andrea, 22, Colby, 20, and Hannah, 16. In his spare time he enjoys photography, travel and cooking, which he owes to his Louisiana heritage. “People are really into food down there,” he makes clear regarding his background. “I cook a lot.” At a gut level, Foote knew when he took over the family business that he had a lot to learn. “And that is one of the fun things about this...I’m constantly learning. I think like anybody in business, if you do it successfully, you’re constantly learning and you need to like to learn.” Foote said his background as an attorney has actually helped. “If you’re doing litigation, every case is different and you’re constantly learning new sets of facts and processes and things,” explained Foote. “If you like doing that, it serves you well in business, especially in a job shop environment where

every customer, every project, every job, every day is different. But I enjoy that. That’s fun.” Keeping the Eggs In Many Baskets Going hand in hand with Foote’s desire for variety, he has purposely tried to keep Scandic from becoming focused on one particular industry. “My strong preference has been not to be too dependent on one industry, one customer, or one region of the country. We certainly were when we started years and years ago.” Where the company once was heavily dependent on high-tech companies like IBM or HP, they are now diversified into many different industries such as medical and hardware. Foote likes the variety that comes with being a job shop. “I like constantly learning about new customers, new industry sectors, new opportunities. It’s very dynamic.” He says when he gives people plant tours, he always tells them: “If you come back tomorrow, it’s going to be different. We’ll be making entirely different parts.” Foote likes the challenge of trying to master and learn a lot of different processes and applications. He tells his 36 employees that he never assumes that something can’t be done. “I always assume there’s a way to figure it out. You throw enough smart people at it, a little bit of money, enough time and you will figure it out.” Foote has learned to not be afraid to a take a risk in terms of trying to produce new parts for customers and investing in new equipment to make it happen. As a result, he’s given his employees permission to push the boundaries and break rules. “They can experiment, with absolutely no bad repercussions.” Sustainability Can Make You Money Foote is passionate about the cause of sustainability and urges other SMI members to take a closer look at it. “Most SMI members tend to be a bit more conservative and may not be as environmentally focused as we might be here in California. It’s just that it’s not a frame of mind for them,” he explained. He says that, unfortunately, sustainability has often been dismissed as a liberal environmental cause. Foote believes that premise is false. “It is a set of business practices that will make you money,” he implores. “So my pitch to people is: ‘Whether or not you believe in global warming, whether or not you believe in saving the whales, you ought to do this because it will make you money.’” u Gary McCoy is the managing editor of Springs magazine and the president of Fairway Communications. Readers may contact him by phone at (847) 622-7228 or e-mail gmccoy@fairwaycommunications.com.

76 SPRINGS Fall 2010

Inside SMI

After a successful event in 2008, SMI will once again host an industry-wide cocktail reception immediately following the opening day of Spring World 2010 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. The cocktail reception will be held on October 13 from 5 pm to 6:30 pm and is open to all attendees and suppliers at Spring World. In addition, SMI will be giving away an Apple iPad during Spring World. Stop by the SMI booth #621 and drop off your business card for a chance to win. SMI recently published its 2011 SMI Membership Directory and Reference Guide. This valuable resource includes all member companies, associate members and breaks them out geographically.

SMI Cocktail Reception at Spring World 2010

Additional copies of the directory will be available at Spring World. Membership directories are an exclusive member benefit. SMI’s booth will include information about a variety of SMI programs, including SMI’s Regulatory Compliance Program, Safety Audit and In-House Safety T raining programs through industry consultant Jim Wood.

Wood will be at the SMI booth to answer questions. S M I s t a f f L y n n e C a r r, general manager, Dina Sanchez, administrative coordinator, and Gary McCoy, managing editor of Springs will also be at the SMI booth to provide you with assistance.

SMI Provides Education on ASD 7.0 UTS and SMI recently announced the release of Advanced Spring Design (ASD) 7. ASD 7 meets the needs of springmakers in a single program by including a variety of spring types: compression, extension, garter, torsion, spiral, constant force, washer, beam and snap ring. The program combines engineering expertise with customized calculations created in TK Solver’s collaborative environment to help you design quality springs. Todd Piefer of UTS recently hosted a series of free webinars to help educate SMI members on the program. “The software has so many nice little features that are useful

in designing springs,” said Piefer. “These webinars provide us with the opportunity to help users get more out of the software.” Expected topics for upcoming webinars, which are anticipated to be held once a month, will include information on how to design compression and torsion springs. Piefer said he also plans to have a webinar on fatigue life for springs and how the software works with that variable. Watch for announcements from SMI on future webinars dates and topics. Piefer provides each webinar attendee with a written paper on the topic being covered. In addition, Piefer will be in attendance at Spring World 2010

on Thursday, October 14. He will host two seminars at 10 am and 2 pm to provide an overview of ASD 7. This will include a basic introduction to the program and the 47 different spring types from which to choose in the program. He will also be at the SMI booth #621 to answer questions. If you are not able to make it to his Spring World presentation, Piefer is available “on demand” to provide an overview of the software. Contact Piefer at (815) 9632220, or e-mail: todd.piefer@uts. us.com.

SPRINGS Fall 2010 77

Cost Saving Tips for Shipping an Exhibit SMI members enjoy customized discounts on trade show shipments with YRC. Here are some helpful tips from YRC, especially for those who are exhibiting at Spring World 2010. Shipping to the Show • Ship your booth to the show earlier. Most shows offer 30-day free storage. • Make sure your bill of lading and shipping labels are clearly marked with exhibitor name, booth number, and show name. • Be creative about how you mark your packaging when you are shipping to a show. • Use packaging that can be identified from a distance (i.e., different colored shrink-wrap). • Drop your business card into each shipping container. This helps identify any loose piece(s) that may have been separated from the shipment. • If the inbound shipment is going directly to the show site, advise YRC of the show’s contractors “move-in” hours. Let them know if your shipment is a targeted booth for a specified “move-in” date or time.

At the Show • Check with the desk before leaving the show to confirm that the shipping arrangements you have made with YRC have been properly communicated so your exhibit is picked up and taken to its next destination.

Shipping From a Show • Most general contractors require that you use their bills of lading or Material Handling Agreement (MHA) when shipping from a show to ensure you have a clear invoice. If you bring your own bill of lading, make sure that you correctly transfer all information, including YRC as your transportation provider. Remove all old shipping labels (i.e., empty stickers) before shipping from a show. Each shipping unit should have a minimum of two shipping labels. • Prepare for move-out. When you are packed and ready to ship, complete an outbound bill of lading and specify YRC as the transportation provider to move your goods. Return the bill of lading to the service contractor and take a copy of the bill with you. If you haven’t made previous arrangements, call the expo-line (800) 531-EXPO to let us know when your exhibit will be ready for pickup. • Specify on the MHA whether the destination delivery requires an appointment, liftgate service or inside delivery when shipping from a show. This will help YRC make the required arrangements while the shipment is enroute, so delivery is not delayed. For more information on SMI’s YRC shipping program, visit www.enrollhere.net, phone (800) 6473061, or e-mail: Associations@yrcw.com. u

Precision Quincy / 1625 West Lake Shore Dr. / Woodstock, IL Made in USA / 800.338.0079 / www.precisionquincy.com

78 SPRINGS Fall 2010

SMI Mourns Passing of Members It is with deep regret that Springs announces the passing of Patrick (Pat) McGrail, 77, founder and president of Patrick Manufacturing, on July 18, 2010, after a three-year fight with colon cancer. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Jeanette, his four daughters, Susan McGrail, Kathie (James) Griffith, Judith (the late William Lang) and Pattie (Stephen) Lane. McGrail was a graduate of the Ford Motor Aircraft Division Tool and Die apprenticeship program. His trade became the cornerstone of his career, which resulted with him starting Patrick Manufacturing in 1984. According to McGrail’s family, “His business is successful due to

his vision to see opportunities, his courage to take risk and as always, the hard work ethic he and his Patrick team demonstrate every day.” His wife Jeanette, daughters Susan, Judy and Pattie have been dedicated to the success of the company in the day-to-day operations of Patrick Manufacturing starting at its inception. He leaves behind a very loyal team of employees who have stood behind him over many years. While his dedication to the business did not allow for many pastimes, he had a love of cars and pursued this interest. He and Jeanette enjoyed participating in car shows with cars that McGrail modified.

Contributions in memory of McGrail may be made to Living Well Cancer Resource Center, 1803 West State Street, Geneva, IL 60134. It is with deep regret that Springs announces the passing of John D. Drabczyk, 67, of Hudson, Ohio, on July 20, 2010. Drabczyk was born in Detroit, Mich., and retired from American Spring Wire in 2006 with 30 years of service. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Annie (Nicoll), son John, daughters Maria (E.J.) Wise, Natalie (Lee) Simunek, Jean (Jeff) Capps; grandchildren Alex, Spencer, Libby, Abby, Catherine, Madalyn, Alyssa and Owen.

SPRINGS Fall 2010 79

80 SPRINGS Fall 2010

Cautionary Tale: Resonance by Mark Hayes

Spring Technology

t is well known that springs will resonate if activated fast enough, which means they will be subject to dynamic stresses higher than expected from calculation. The calculated stresses apply under static conditions. Additional dynamic stresses are a factor that may help to explain why a spring has failed when all calculations show that it’s not at risk. The natural frequency of a spring is the speed at which it will move if the constraints on that spring are suddenly removed — i.e. when a loaded spring is allowed to “go twang.” This speed depends upon a number of factors as shown in the formula for calculating natural frequency of compression springs.

Fe = 3560d nD2

√ρ

Natural frequency (Fe) depends upon wire diameter (d), number of active coils (n), mean diameter (D), torsional modulus (G), and density (ρ). (Please note: In the U.S. the formula used for wire diameter is 3507.) Mark Hayes is the senior metallurgist at the Institute of Spring Technology (IST): The International Independent Centre of Excellence for Spring Technology. He manages IST’s spring failure analysis service, and all metallurgical aspects of advice given by the Institute. He also designs and delivers the majority of the spring training courses that the IST offers globally. Readers are encouraged to contact him with comments about this cautionary tale, and with subjects that they would like to be addressed in future tales. Contact Hayes at (011) 44 114 252 7984, fax (011) 44 114 2527997, or e-mail m.hayes@ist.org.uk.

Figure 1: Jig detector by center coil

IST often undertakes tests to validate results obtained from calculation; one example of this is a new test jig that enables measurement of natural frequency. This jig has shown that the calculation is reasonably accurate, but the measured values are usually lower than the calculated ones by a few percentage points. The difference in calculated and measured results lies with the true number of active coils. In other words, an active coil does not suddenly

SPRINGS Fall 2010 81

Figure 2: Jig detector near end coil

Figure 3: Showing damping at small end of a conical spring

82 SPRINGS Fall 2010

“Unbelievable”

— Tom Lusinski (Plant Manager/Spring Division), Spring Estimator, Stanley Spring & Stamping

Advanced Spring Design has always lived up to its name Advancing spring design to the next level Saving spring designers time • Reducing the margin for human error

Version 7 meets more of your spring design needs in a single program, combining engineering expertise with customized calculations, helping you design the highest–quality springs possible Designs can be “backsolved”for any variables—input whatever you know or require Context–sensitive help linked to the illustrated SMI Encyclopedia of Spring Design Produces clear and concise reports with notes, drawings and plots— now including fatigue life plots with default or user–defined S–N curves Systems of compression springs in series or in parallel— including variable pitch and diameter on single springs New “Enterprise”option available for sharing designs across networks

2001 Midwest Road, Suite 106, Oak Brook, IL 60523 +1 630–495–8588 • www.smihq.org

become completely inactive when it contacts the end tip. A comparison of the resonant wave, in which the detector on the jig is placed near an end coil and then by a central coil, is shown in figures 1 and 2. The calculated natural frequency for this spring was 343Hz, but the measured value in both figures 1 and 2 was 321Hz. Note that damping from the end coil does not change the natural frequency at all. After actuation, the spring keeps vibrating, this means that near the end coil the stress profile seen in the middle coil will interfere with the wave reflected by the end coil, resulting in the more complicated waveform shown in figure 2. Sometimes the input and reflected wave will combine to create a higher stress range than elsewhere.

Visit www.smihq.org & www.uts.us.com For Free Product Trials, Information, and Video Tutorials

47 Spring Types

202 West State Street, Suite 700, Rockford, IL 61101 +1 815–963–2220 • www.uts.us.com

This may explain why compression springs nearly always fail on fatigue tests near the end — often at 1.5 to 2 coils from the moving or static end. The jig can be used with springs having more than one pitch, springs with various degrees of pre-load, conical springs and other configurations for which calculation of natural frequency is more difficult. An example is shown in figure 3. In usual operational mode it is the axial natural frequency that is measured, as shown in each of the examples here. However, recent tests have shown that lateral natural frequency can also be measured, which is different from the axial result, as one might reasonably expect, and the jig works well in this mode also. u

SPRINGS Fall 2010 83

New Products

Pinpoint Introduces Laser Alignment Kit for Industry Pinpoint Laser Systems has introduced the new Pinpoint Proline Alignment Kit, a visual laser system for checking and measuring straightness, flatness, squareness, parallelism, leveling and many other tasks. This kit combines the features of a transit, an infinitely long straightedge and laser alignment system all in one compact, portable, versatile product. It makes precision laser alignment for production, maintenance, and plant engineering projects easy. The Proline Laser produces a crisp, collimated laser reference beam that forms a bullâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s-eye pattern for easy visual alignment and precise measuring. This

innovative laser is enclosed within a precision machined housing, ensuring that the laser reference beam is parallel to the side and base surfaces within 0.003 degree, or <0.030 inch at 50 feet. This level of accuracy is ideally suited for setting straight machinery runs, aligning production equipment, transferring mechanical points, locating shafts and bearing mounts, aligning belts and pulleys, and countless other industrial tasks. A finely ruled target and magnetic base are easily moved around for checking alignments, allowing one person to perform the work of several. The

kit includes a leveling base so the laser can measure flat planes and machined surfaces. A 90-degree laser prism is useful for squaring machinery and checking the parallelism of rails, tracks and guides. A growing line of versatile targets, mounts and attachments expands the versatility of the Proline Laser and any task, however specialized. The Proline Laser and all of its attachments are stored in a durable carrying case for convenience and easy transport. For more information, contact Pinpoint Laser Systems, Inc. at (800) 757-5383, or cjlord@pinlaser.com.

Accu-Lube Gel Paste is Natural-Based Metalworking Lubricant Accu-Lube Gel Paste from ITW ROCOL North America is a unique, natural-based lubricant that is environmentally-safe and made from renewable resources. This workable lubricant is ideal for horizontal applications because it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t run or drip. The gel texture of this non-toxic product makes it easy to apply to small and large tools with a soft brush without risk of damaging the tool. Accu-Lube Gel Paste is designed to eliminate the mess and waste causes by other lubricants. No

84 SPRINGS Fall 2010

cleaning is required before heat treating and it is great for short-run machining, reaming, tapping and drilling. This dark blue gel is a neutral product that does not cause contamination or discoloration of products and is safe for use on all metals. Since it is biodegradable and non-hazardous no special disposal is required. Accu-Lube Gel Paste is supplied ready to use and is available in 8 ounce jars and 5 gallon pails. For more information, visit www.rocolnorthamerica. com.

WIM CNC WCS 5AX WIM CNC automatic servo-controlled spring lathe coilers can be equipped with the patented WCS system for catching the 1st coil on the chuck, and with 5-servo controlled axis for production of right and left coiled cylindrical and conical compression, extension and torsion springs, as well as for production of various bending parts. The 5-servo controlled axis (5AX system), allows higher productivity with lots of possibilities for production of wire forms. The machine pulls in, coils and cuts completely automatically. Through the use of the WCS system, compression and extension springs are produced automatically and without scrap. This system is priced competitively with a quick and easy setup. The HMI CNC control unit is very user friendly and has many possibilities. Through the use of these new features, the principle of this machine makes it even easier to “set up, start, and walk away.” View WIM CNC products and watch the new machine’s video at http://www.fortunafedern.com. Contact Fortuna Federn at +43 (0) 3465 2949.

SPRINGS Fall 2010 85

Springs 117x173 (Chic) Summer 10

9/8/10

11:56

Page 1

sizes range: 0.827”- 0.001” quantities: from 10ft profile: available in round, flat & shaped wire

Alloy Wire International 205 Hallene Road, Unit 317C, Warwick, Rhode Island, RI 02886 USA

Call Toll Free: 1-866-48-ALLOY 1-866-482-5569 fax: 401-384-6757 email: sales@alloywire.com

See us on Booth 1021

Spring World 2010 Chicago - Oct 13th to 15th

Pig Corporation Creates Absorbent Solution for Extreme-Traffic Walkways New Pig Corporation has introduced the highly durable Pig® Traffic Mat® Rug to keep extreme-traffic walkways dry and safe, especially in areas prone to overspray and drips. The 100 percent polypropylene Pig® Traffic Mat® Rug is heat-fused and needle-punched for greater durability, allowing it to withstand even heavy forklift traffic without balling or fraying. Available in 300’ L x 36” W rolls, the rug absorbs and retains oils, coolants, solvents and water. Its dark gray color hides grime so that it can stay on the job longer. A flame-resistant material keeps the Pig® Traffic Mat® Rug from burning immediately like cellulose mats. In addition, the Rug can be incinerated after use to reduce waste or assist in fuels blending. For information on how the Pig® Traffic Mat® Rug can aid in compliance with 29.DFR 1910.22(a)(2), visit www.newpig.com. To download technical information on the Pig® Traffic Mat® Rug, go to http://bit.ly/trafficmat.

86 SPRINGS Fall 2010

Inconel X750 Inconel 600 Inconel 601 Inconel 625 Inconel 718 Incoloy 800 Incoloy 800HT Incoloy 825 Incoloy A286 Monel 400 Monel K500 Nimonic 90 Nimonic 80A Nimonic 75 Nickel 200 Nickel 201 Nickel 205 Nickel 212 Nickel 270 Nispan / C902 Nilo 36 Nilo 48 Nilo 52 Nilo ‘K’ Hastelloy B-3 Hastelloy C-4 Hastelloy C-22 Hastelloy C-276 Hastelloy C-2000 Hastelloy G-30 Hastelloy ‘X’ Haynes 25 Haynes 214 Phynox MP35N RENE 41 Nitronic 60 Alloy 20 Cb3 Beryllium Copper Waspaloy

Advertiser’s Index A Admiral Steel (800) 323-7055 / 52 Alex Industries (847) 298-1360 / 17 Alloy Wire International (866) 482-5569 / 86 C Century Spring, Division of MW Industries (800) 237-5225 / 20 Chicago Association of Spring Manufacturers Inc. (630) 369-3772 / 32 D Diamond Wire Spring Co. (800) 424-0500 / 11 Dispense Works, Inc. (815) 363-3524 / 22 E Elgiloy Specialty Metals (847) 695-1900 / 24 Exova (888) 263-9268 / 79 F Forming Systems Inc. (877) 594-4300 / inside front cover, back cover, 66, 85 Furnace Fixers (630) 736-0670 / 65 G Gibbs Wire & Steel Co. Inc. (800) 800-4422 / inside back cover Gibraltar Corp. (847) 769-2099 / 12, 46

I Industrial Spring Steel (215) 426-7000 / 50 Instron (800) 564-8378 / 29 InterWire Products Inc. (914) 273-6633 /1 J JN Machinery (847) 439-0866 / 34 K Kiswire (201) 461-8895 / 13 Kreher Steel (800) 323-0745 / 16 L Lapham-Hickey Steel (800) 323-8443 / 30 Larson Systems (877) 780-2131 / 49, 75 Little Falls Alloys (888) 532-9473 / 35 M Maguire Machinery (609) 266-0200 /5 Mapes Piano String Co. (423)543-3195 / 27 N NIMSCO (563) 391-0400 / 9, 28 P Precision Quincy (800) 338-0079 / 78 Precision Steel Warehouse (800) 323-0740 / 15 Proto Manufacturing (800) 965-8378 / 55 Pyromaître Inc. (800) 231-7976 /53

R Radcliff Wire (860) 583-1305 / 76 R RK Trading (847) 640-9371 / 44, 45 S Seneca Wire/FENIX, LLC (419) 435-9261 / 88 Shinko Machinery Co., Ltd +81 6 6794 6 6610 /3 Simplex Rapid (563) 391-0400 / 80 Spring Manufacturers Institute (630) 495-8588 /83 SPX Precision Components/ Fenn (860) 594-4300 / 10 Suzuki Garphyttan (888) 947-3778 /6 T Tool King (800) 338-1318 / 59 U Ulbrich Stainless Steels (203) 239-4481 / 18 United Wire Co. (800) 840-9481 / 56 V Vulcan Spring & Manufacturing Co. (215) 721-1721 /61 W Wafios (203) 481-5555 /63 Z Zapp Precision Strip (203) 386-0038 / 23

Congratulations to Spring World on their 50th Anniversary.

SPRINGS Fall 2010 87

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