Springs, Spring 2021 Vol 60 No 2 by Spring Manufacturers Institute

SPRING 2021

THE INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE OF SPRING MANUFACTURE

A Publication of the Spring Manufacturers Institute / Vol. 60, No. 2

Advances in

Springmaking page 22

Collaborative Robots on the Rise 27 Advances in Springmaking Materials 30 Five Manufacturing Trends to Watch 32

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A YEAR IN REVIEW

1981

Ronald Reagan is sworn in as the 40th President of the United States The first IBM PC was invented Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off Delorean Motors delivers its first car to the consumer

And the one that changed the direction of the world... Interwire Products opens for business

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President’s Message From Bert Goering

SMI Executive Committee President: Bert Goering, Precision Coil Spring Vice President: Gene Huber, Jr., Winamac Coil Spring Secretary/Treasurer: Don Jacobson III, Newcomb Spring At Large: David DeVoe, Plymouth Spring Past President: Steve Kempf, Lee Spring Executive Director: Lynne Carr, SMI

SMI Board of Directors

Witnessing the Warmup Act for Springmaking Advances This issue of Springs explores the topic of “Advances in Springmaking.” With 37 years of experience, I am now one of the “elder” statesmen of this esteemed industry. I’m not sure how that happened so fast, as it was just a blink ago when I was 24 years old, embracing the new world of spring manufacturing. As I reflect back on the technology and processes in 1984 versus today’s Internet of Things (IoT) revolution, it is really mind boggling. I believe that this is a direct correlation with the computing power advances that have taken place in the last three decades. I can recall the “quantum leap” when SMI rolled out the Texas Instruments TI-74 that had a removable chip. It could run basic rate and stress calculations, which meant we could put away those slide rules and long hand calculations on our calculators! We then welcomed in the software era, with SMI’s initial disk operating system (DOS) program that was capable of solving simultaneous equations, allowing the designer to back solve to a desired variable. Then came the GUI generation of the GSDS software. Today we offer an ever-improving subscription based software, Advanced Spring Design (ASD), where the user can enjoy on-the-fly upgrades and enhancements that are based on refinements and input from our SMI technical committee, advances to our SMI encyclopedia, and most importantly, from end-user feedback and requests. In addition, this computing power bonanza catapulted how we tracked and ran our business operations. From Pacific Coil Springs’ (PCS’s) first computer system for our accounting systems, Quantel (or as we lovingly called it “Can’t-tell” back in the early 1980s), where the data was stored on huge reel-to-reel tapes that were carried off-site on a regular schedule. It was the Flintstones version of off-site data backup! Today, we thrive on endless data reports from our cloud-based ERP systems. These advances are also evident in the raw materials that support the products we manufacture. The advancements in continuous cast processes and clean steel techniques have resulted in improved chemistry control and cleanliness of our wire products. These advances have motivated the SMI technical team to explore the potential impact/improvements to historical fatigue life assumptions that were based on decades old wire production practices. This ever-evolving computing power has facilitated our manufacturing equipment technologies over the decades. For us dinosaurs of the group, we grew up marveling at cam driven coilers and torsion winders like the classic Sleeper and Hartley torsion winders. Then we launched into the numeric controlled generation of CNC coilers and CNC formers (albeit initially CNC cam driven for the motions). Our ever-creative equipment manufacturers then brought us the CNC servo generation machines. Even our ever-trusted cam driven fourslide equipment has turned the corner to a CNC servo driven forming center. Now when we take into account Moore’s Law that our computing power doubles at a rate of every two years, that is crazy exponential growth. Potentially we are just witnessing the warmup act of some incredible advances of how we run our businesses; stay tuned, this should be fun to witness! Cheers! Bert Goering 2 / SPRINGS / Spring 2021

Jennelle Carlier, S3 Wireform • Kelley Christy, Diamond Wire Spring • Dave Deerwester, The Yost Superior Co. • Joe Devany, Betts Company • Chris Fazio, Diamond Wire Spring • Linda Froehlich, Ace Wire Spring & Form • Brett Goldberg, International Spring • Agustin Estalayo Ibanez, RPK Mexico SA de CV • Don Lyons, JonSpring • Peter Mendel, Kern-Liebers USA • Rob Meyers, RK Trading • Alex Melnikow, Midstate Spring • Tony Pesaresi, Winamac Coil Spring • Daniel Pierre III, JN Machinery • Keith Porter, Newcomb Spring • Chris Witham, Motion Dynamics Corp. • Tim Zwit, Michigan Spring and Stamping

Springs Magazine Staff Lynne Carr, Advertising Sales, lynne@smihq.org Gary McCoy, Managing Editor, gmccoy@fairwaycommunications.com Dina Sanchez, Assistant Editor, dina@smihq.org Sue Zubek, Art Director, zubekdesign@gmail.com

Springs Magazine Committee Chair, Keith Porter, Newcomb Spring • Reb Banas, Stanley Spring & Stamping • Lynne Carr, SMI • Ritchy Froehlich, Ace Wire Spring & Form • Tim Weber, Forming Systems • Europe Liaison: Wolfgang Herrmann, VDFI • Technical Advisor: Dan Sebastian, Honorary Member Advertising sales - Japan Ken Myohdai, Sakura International Inc. Head Office: 3F,4F, ENDO Sakaisuji Bldg., 1-7-3, Bingomachi, Chuo-Ku, Osaka 541-0051, Japan Phone: 81-6-6624-3601 • Fax: 81-6-6624-3602 Tokyo Global Office: 5F Kamei No. 2 Bldg., 2-17-13, Kiba, Koto-Ku, Tokyo, 135-0042, Japan Phone: 81-3-5646-1160 • Fax: 81-3-5646-1161 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) 495-8588; 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 image created using imagery from ©iStockphoto.com/Nordroden

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Contents DEPARTMENTS 2 President’s Message

Witnessing the Warmup Act for Springmaking Advances

7 Global Highlights 10 Regional Spring Association Report 43 Five Questions

WAFIOS Machinery Corp.

45 Springmaker Spotlight

Leadership Lessons from COVID-19 By Gary McCoy

51 Book Corner 53 CTE News

FEATURES

55 Inside SMI 19 Technically Speaking

22 Advances in Springmaking

What's a Good Number? That's a Good Question By C. Richard Gordon

By Gary McCoy

27 Collaborative Robots on the Rise By Gary McCoy

21 Spring Design Tips and Tricks

30 Advances in Springmaking Materials

Understanding Initial Tension By Gary Van Buren

By C. Richard Gordon

32 Five Manufacturing Trends to Watch By Al Cervero

35 Flashback

President's Message October 1994 By Pete Peterson

36 2021 Metal Engineering eXpo Moves Forward 39 Biden Versus Trump on Reshoring: A Review, and a Critique By Harry Moser

C OLUMNS 13 Be Aware Safety Tips

Will OSHA Be Obama 2.0? By Laura Helmrich-Rhodes

17 Dean of Springs

Understanding Wahl Correction Factors By Dan Sebastian

4 / SPRINGS / Spring 2021

59 Committee Connection 61 New Products 63 Advertisers’ Index 64 Snapshot

Craig Watterson, FENN

“New Advances in Spring Making”

FUL+ Series Technical Data Wire Ø (WM >4) RM Wire Ø (WM >4) RM Outer spring Ø Max. feed speed 4-speed (option)

FUL+ Series

FUL 26+ 0.2 - 1.6 2,300 0.2 - 1.8 1,900 45 240 600

mm N/mm² mm N/mm² mm m/min m/min

FUL 36+ 0.5 - 2.8 2,3000 0.5 - 3.0 2,000 65 220 500

mm N/mm² mm N/mm² mm m/min m/min

The FUL line just went into overdrive. Introducing FUL+, the next generation in high-speed WAFIOS Spring Coiling Machines. Available in two sizes, the FUL 26+ and FUL 36+ offer impressive speed. Need more? The optional 4-speed versions – with a water-cooled drive system and innovative wire accumulator system – enable feed speeds up to 600 m/min. •Pay-off

“New 4-speed package”

units of the AHT and AHP line with an increased load-bearing capacity and designed for wire feed speeds of up to 600 m/min, safely process wire from coils and from spools • The new wire accumulator system compensates for fluctuations between the wire coiling machine in start/stop operation and the pay-off unit in continuous operation. The wire enters the connected machine free from tension. • Highest performance due to new, water-cooled drive technology, increases output and reduced unit costs • Innovative and modern machine design with enhanced ergonomics

With our innovative iQ-functions, you are given the opportunity to further improve major attributes of your WAFIOS machine. •

• •

control: Measures the spring, using high-resolution cameras during the coiling process, to make corrections before the process is completed. Advantage: Increased process reliability through self-learning control autopitch: Automatically corrects spring pitch and diameter to match stored reference spring target geometry. Advantage: Faster set-up due to automatic calculation of correction values bestspeed: Determines the optimal infeed speed. Advantage: Optimizes the output while maintaining the desired quality of parts

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Global Highlights North America Lee Spring, a global leader in stock and custom springs, recently acquired Michigan-based M & S Spring. M & S Spring, located in Fraser, Michigan, specializes in rapid prototype custom springs that require quick turnaround, with quantities ranging from a single piece to higher volume pilot runs. Steve Kempf, CEO of Lee Spring, commented that “the acquisition of M & S Spring expands our manufacturing capabilities in support of continued growth, particularly within the quick prototyping side of the spring business. M & S Spring has an outstanding reputation for fast turnaround of high-quality parts earned over 60 years of operation. They have a highly skilled team of employees that specialize in engineering, design and spring manufacturing. Their expertise in short-run prototyping of custom springs and their extensive knowledge of flat springs are a great fit with our business.” Kempf continued, “M & S Spring will continue to serve customers from their existing facility in Fraser, Michigan, plus they will now also have access to a wider range of capabilities through Lee Spring’s global manufacturing operations. This acquisition enhances the offering available to Lee Spring customers worldwide with this manufacturing and expertise expansion.” Apex Spring and Stamping was recently awarded the prestigious Gold Supplier Award from Herman Miller, an industry-leading manufacturer of office furniture and related technologies and services. To qualify, Herman Miller suppliers must meet rigorous performance standards in the areas of product quality, on-time delivery, cost savings, diversity, sustainability, business compliance and company culture. This is the fourth time in the past five years that Apex Spring and Stamping received the Gold Supplier Award. “We are thrilled to be recognized again for our high-performance standards that our team works extremely hard to attain each year,” said Dennis Bhaskaran, CEO of Apex Spring and Stamping. “We share these same values and believe this award will serve as further evidence of the value, service and commitment that Apex Spring and Stamping brings to each of our customers.” George Fournier, longtime employee at Acme Monaco Corporation in New Britain, Connecticut, was honored with a special recognition award by NESMA at the association’s annual meeting in December 2020. Fournier, a former NESMA president and board member, officially retired from the company as vice president of engineering in May 2020, after nearly 40 years of service. Lucas Karabin, co-president at Acme Monaco, said, “It was hard for George to step back and hard for us to stop running into

his office. He did a great job of mentoring his team, and it really started five years earlier. So, he left his department in able hands.” Karabin said Fournier was always a community-oriented guy, “So NESMA was a great fit for George, who was always looking to help.” Fournier was the subject of a Springmaker Spotlight in the Spring 2016 issue of Springs, as he celebrated 50 years in the spring industry. At the time, he said, “It’s been a rewarding career. I don’t think I would change a thing. I did it the way I wanted to do it.”

International In addition to the wire China trade fair held in Shanghai every two years, Messe Düsseldorf Shanghai and their longstanding regional partner SECRI (Shanghai Electric Cable Research Institute Co., Ltd) expanded their cooperation to organize the WireShow — China International Wire & Cable Industry Exhibition, taking place in the uneven years, alternating with wire China. The twelfth staging of the WireShow will be held from August 31–September 2, 2021 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). With this addition, Messe Düsseldorf Shanghai and SECRI will offer trade fairs for the global wire and cable industry every year in Shanghai. In addition to the live exhibits at the fairgrounds, the WireShow 2021 will feature interactive online showrooms for companies not able to travel to Shanghai. At the last staging of the WireShow in 2019, 419 Chinese and foreign exhibitors showcased their products on 25,000 square meters of exhibit space to 14,360 visitors from 41 countries. For further information, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America at 312-781-5180, Email: info@mdna.com, visit www. wireshow.com and www.mdna.com or follow them on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mdnachicago. Due to the continued effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including worldwide travel restrictions challenging national and international participation, the organizer Messe Düsseldorf India decided to postpone the concurrently held trade fairs wire India, Tube India, METEC India and India Essen Welding & Cutting to September 8–10, 2021 at the at Bombay Exhibition Center in Mumbai. The events were originally scheduled to take place from March 25–27, 2021.

SPRINGS / Spring 2021 / 7

Global Highlights

New directors at Alloy Wire International are pictured (l-to-r): Adam Shaw, Tom Mander, Mark Venables and Andrew Du Plessis.

The decision to reschedule the events toward the later part of 2021 was made together with all partners and key industry stakeholders after careful evaluation of the situation. Messe Düsseldorf India remains dedicated to creating important business opportunities with significant participation from both domestic and global exhibitors, visitors and delegates. The September 2021 staging will ensure maximum participation given the internationality of metal trade fairs, allowing all stakeholders to plan their participation carefully and efficiently, with emphasis on their safety and health. For further information, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America at 312-7815180, Email: info@mdna.com, visit www.wire-india.com, www.tube-india. com, www.metec-india.comm, www. iewc.com or www.mdna.com, or follow them on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ mdnachicago. Alloy Wire International (AWI), one of the U.K.’s leading manufacturers of round, flat and profile wire, has strengthened its senior management team with three key appointments. AWl, which celebrates 75 years of manufacturing in 2021, has promoted Tom Mander, Andrew Du Plessis

8 / SPRINGS / Spring 2021

and Adam Shaw as managing director designate, technical director and finance director, respectively. The trio will work with the current senior management team to help the company in the next stage of its development, as it looks to maximize its recent investment in material, new drawing machines, spooling equipment and office/factory improvements. AWI has remained open throughout the pandemic, utilizing its Emergency Manufacturing Service to supply wire to customers supporting the build of Nightingale Hospitals and other COVID-19 efforts across the world. Mark Venables, managing director of AWI, commented: “We have built an incredible business that is a world leader in the supply of exotic alloys and it is vital that we have a succession plan in place well in advance, so we can build on recent growth and take advantage of new opportunities in both the U.K. and overseas.” Alloy Wire International currently supplies more than 5,000 customers involved in automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, nuclear, oil and gas and renewables. The Japan Society of Spring Engineers (JSSE) held its semiannual Lecture Meeting, including a poster session and

a ceremony of JSSE Awards via Zoom, on November 5, 2020. Eight general lectures were presented prior to the meeting via network to 114 applicants, including 73 participants to the question-and-answer session, via Zoom. Before an opening speech, an expression of condolences to Dr. Akira Ueno, vice chairperson of JSSE and professor of Ritsumeikan University, delivered by Dr. Masao Hayakawa, JSSE president and chairman of the Researcher of the National Institute for Materials Science. The opening speech was delivered by Haruhiko Shiba, vice chairperson of JSSE and managing director of Chuo Spring Co., Ltd. Titles of general lectures and presenters were as follows: “Effect on Mechanical Properties and crystal texture of Fe-Mn-Si Shape Memory Alloy by Rolling and Annealing,” by Dr. Mitsuo Notomi of Meiji University. “Calculation of the H∞Optimized Design of a Single-Mass Dynamic Vibration Absorber Attached to a Damped Primary System,” by Dr. Toshihiko Asami of University of Hyogo. “Cam Functions That Simultaneously Suppress Two Vibration Modes in Spring for Rest-To-Rest Motion,” by Dr. Shigeo Kotake of Mie University. “L attice Defe ct Evaluation Using Positron Annihilation Lifetime Measurement,” by Dr. Masato Yamawaki, senior researcher of National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). “Prediction of Bending Fatigue Limit of Spring Steel Containing a Surface Defect,” by Dr. Koji Takahashi of Yokohama National University. “Verification of Surface Characteristic Prediction After Shot Peening,” by Shuji Hayashida of Sintokogio, Ltd. “Analysis of Large Deformations in a Net Structure (Towards Deformation Analysis in a Medical Device: Stent) by Synchrotron Radiation,” by Dr. Atsumi Ohtsuki of Meijo University. “Unique Development of Vaulting Pole by Spring Manufacturer,” by Masaru Imamura, assistant to manager of NHK Spring Co., Ltd.

Global Highlights

Six technical posters were displayed also over network prior to the meeting. Answer sessions were held by a representative of each poster based on questions collected via network. The top two posters were selected based on the participants’ voting. The first-place poster was “Influence of Laser Peening on the Fatigue Strength of 3D Additive Manufactured Maraging Steel,” by Shiori Tsuchiya of Yokohama National University, et al. The second-place poster was “Surface Texturing of Stainless Steel by Laser Etching,” by Ryoji Shinbori of Tokyo Denki University, et al. The award of JSSE was announced after the lecture meeting. The winners of Ronbun-prize, Gijutu-prize and Kosekiprize were also announced. Ronbun-prize (among papers submitted to JSSE): “Effects of Small Surface Defect on Fatigue Limit of Spring Steel,” by Takehiro Ishii and Dr. Koji Takahashi of Yokohama National University and Dr. Hideki Okada of NHK Spring Co., Ltd.

Gijutu-prize (among other papers or articles): “Influence of Low Temperature Annealing in Uniaxial Mechanical Properties of Cold Rolled Stainless Steel Strip for Springs,” by Dr.Takayuki Koizumi of Polytechnic University of Japan; and “Improvement of Fatigue Properties and Making Surface Defect Harmless for High Strength Steel by Ultrasonic Shot Peening,” by Dr. Koji Takahashi of Yokohama National University and Dr. Hideki Okada of NHK Spring Co., Ltd. Koseki-prize (among honorable achievements): Shuzo Ichi (Togo Seisakusyo Corporation); Dr. Yoshiyuki Furuya (National Institute for Materials Science); and Dr. Akira Ueno (Deceased, Ritsumeikan University). A technology exchange meeting was held online by Remo platform with 24 participants. The meeting was held after the closing speech, delivered by Dr. Masao Hayakawa, JSSE president and chairman of the Researcher of National Institute for Materials Science. Haruhiko Shiba,

vice chairperson of JSSE and managing director of Chuo Spring Co., Ltd. made an opening speech. This was followed by the guest speech by Masahiko Nakatani, executive director of the Japan Spring Manufacturers Association (JSMA). Dr. Katsuji Tosha of Meiji University made a toast to the development of the spring industry and the participants’ good health. After plenty of mingling and exchanging of information, the banquet was over with “Sanbon-Jime,” which consists of three times of three sets of three claps and one final clap, led by Dr. Takayuki Sakakibara, director of JSSE and project general manager of Chuo Spring Co., Ltd. n SMI members get priority placement of their company, personnel and events announcements in Global Highlights. News releases should be roughly 50 to 100 words and may be accompanied by color photos (HiRes .JPEG at 300 dpi preferred). Send to dina@smihq.org.

SPRINGS / Spring 2021 / 9

©iStockphoto.com/Scott Hirko

Regional Spring Association Report Changes at NESMA By Jim Mintun The New England Spring and Metalstamping Association (NESMA) held its annual meeting Dec. 4, 2020, at the Doubletree Hotel in Bristol, Connecticut. With coronavirus concerns and guidelines issued by the state of Connecticut, the meeting was simulcasted via Zoom to allow for a larger group to attend. NESMA’s president, Lynette Nadeau of Southington Tool & Manufacturing Corporation, discussed several accomplishments that the board and members were able to achieve during a very difficult year due to the pandemic: • First publication of the NESMA Press mailed to membership • Partnered with CT Manufacturers Collaborative (CMC) to receive the latest information on safety, PPP loans and grants • Webinars on PPP loan forgiveness application and 180 Skills program and other grants, as well as the State of Connecticut Manufacturing given by Colin Cooper, Connecticut’s chief manufacturing officer • NESMA received $2000.00 in grant funds from CMC to promote manufacturing in grades K-12 • CT Apprentice Program outline and members with job position open moved to website • Added COVID-19 resource page outlining government guidelines, executive orders, travel restrictions, etc. • Added six new members • Awarded two annual scholarships • Held annual golf tournament with 96 golfers • Continuous Operation Awards were presented to Southington Tool & Mfg. Corp for 50 years and JonSpring for 35 years. This was the final meeting for several hard working members of the NESMA board of directors: 10 / SPRINGS / Spring 2021

Top left, William Waselski; Top right, Lucas Karabin; Bottom, Lynnette Nadeau and George Fournier.

• Lynette Nadeau, outgoing president, Southington Tool & Mfg. Corp. • John Dellalana, Rowley Spring and Stamping • Alan Ortner, North American Spring Tool • William Waseleski, Century Spring Mfg. Co., Inc. • Special recognition award: George Fournier, Acme Monaco NESMA would like to thank Lynette for her leadership, especially helping us to navigate through the pandemic, and John, Allan, and Bill for all their hard work and years of service on the board. We also would like to recognize our new leadership and new board of directors:

• Brian Fries, NESMA president, Atlantic Precision • Lucas Karabin, NESMA vice president, Acme Monaco • Tom Barnes, Riverside Investments • Laura Currier, MW Industries, Economy Spring Division • Ryan Cutter, Fenn, LLC • David DeVoe, Plymouth Spring • Ted Lucas, Marcum, LLP • Al Mangels, Lee Spring Company • Jim Mintun, Gibbs Wire & Steel Company, LLC • Allen Nadeau, Southington Tool & Mfg. Co. • Charlie Radcliff, Radcliff Wire • Bob Swanson, United Wire Company

Regional Spring Association Report

• Andrea Tarantino, Napcon Communications • David Waseleski, Century Spring & Mfg. Co. • Jake Youmans, Connecticut Spring & Stamping

Additionally, the association plans to host “An Evening at the Ballpark” at the Chicago Dogs stadium in Rosemont, Illinois in August 2021.

We would like to recognize our partners at the Central Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, who have worked tirelessly on NESMA meetings and activities: • Cindy Bombard, president, Central Connecticut Chamber of Commerce • Dee Babkirk, NESMA’s secretary

SpringWorld Is 72 Percent Sold; Will Take Place in 2022

We thank all of these volunteers for their time and dedication to serving NESMA and its members. For more information on becoming a NESMA member or a posting of upcoming activities and events, please visit our new and improved website: www.nesma-usa.com.

CASMI Report By Michael Bandy, CASMI, Co-Executive Director

CASMI Scholarship Program Opens for 2021 The Chicago Association of Spring Manufacturers (CASMI) is proud to announce the 2021 CASMI College Scholarship Program to benefit employees and children of the employees of CASMI primary (spring manufacturer) and associate (supplier) member companies. In 2021, CASMI plans to award a total of 19 $1,500 undergraduate scholarships and one $2,500 scholarship for postgraduate study (primary members only). Since the program’s inception, CASMI has provided $850,000 in scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students. CASMI would like to thank Rosemont Exposition Services (RES) for sponsoring the Terry & Jerry Reese postgraduate scholarship in the amount of $2,500. Also, the organization is grateful to the Joseph H. Goldberg Family Foundation and International Spring Co., who are providing $3,000 in funding for undergraduate scholarships in 2021. Details are available on the organization’s website at www. casmi-springworld.org.

SpringWorld 2022, which takes place Oct. 5–7, 2022, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, is 72 percent sold, representing 22,400 square feet of exhibit space. “We’re extremely pleased with this strong show of support for CASMI and SpringWorld and wish to thank our exhibitors,” said Tony Pesaresi, president, CASMI. “We are looking to put COVID behind us and move forward with a strong business event and opportunity for our members and the industry in 2022.” CASMI was forced to cancel SpringWorld 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Call 630-359-4273, or email info@ casmi-springworld.org. Information will also be posted on the organization’s website, www.casmi-springworld.org. SpringWorld, which is presented by CASMI every other year, provides a unique opportunity for spring manufacturers, wireformers, OEMs and their suppliers to network, including one-on-one discussions with colleagues to share challenges, discuss solutions, and provide new insights for business. n

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Will OSHA Be Obama 2.0?

Be Aware Safety Tips

By Laura Helmrich-Rhodes, CSP, Ed.D.

t is no secret that the Democrats are considered more worker/ union friendly, and prefer regulations and citations over offering more employer compliance assistance. President Biden has been quoted as saying he will be the “strongest labor president.” As administrations change, one must wonder what the next era of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will look like; specifically, what will be the inspection priorities and where will budget dollars be spent compared to a more conservative approach?

Top-Down Approach

The Trump administration did not nominate an assistant secretary of labor for OSHA during his term of office, relying instead on political appointments. Lauren Sweatt continued operations and stepped down in January. As this article was being completed, it was announced that James Frederick, a former environmental health and safety (EHS) technical advisor for the United Steelworkers (USW), would become deputy assistant secretary at OSHA. Frederick will likely work under Marty Walsh, President Biden’s nominee for secretary of labor, who worked closely with MassOSH, labor unions and community groups and is a card-carrying union member from his younger days as a laborer (Industrial Safety and Hygiene News magazine, Jan. 14, 2021). Walsh is a past labor union president and a supporter of the “Protecting the Right to Organize Act,” a bill introduced by congressional Democrats in 2019 and reintroduced in February 2021. An interesting twist, and an expansion of government operations, is an additional OSHA administrative role created during the first days of the Biden Administration. The “OSHA COVID-19 Advisory Board” includes Dr. David Michaels, former assistant secretary of labor for OSHA during the Obama administration. A highly educated epidemiologist with OSHA experience, Dr. Michaels is well qualified to fill this add-on to the bureaucracy.

Increased Regulatory Oversight?

Typically, when the administrations flip to a more liberal president, there is a call for the emphasis on increasing the number of regulations and employing more compliance officers. (Do you recall President Trump’s emphasis on eliminating two regulations for every one passed?) Such is the rallying cry in 2021 as well as increased OSHA regulations and enforcement. What remains to be seen, at the writing of this article, is if there will be an OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for COVID-19 protections. Surely, with the addition of Dr. Michaels, it will happen quickly. EHS Daily Advisor

predicts there “will be a National Emphasis Program (NEP) with increased whistleblower protection, and regulation by shaming.” That translates to OSHA media drawing widespread attention to serious/repeat violators. OSHA has levied citations and issued large fines against employers for COVID-19 protection violations. Those initial actions have been well published in the media; however, the court cases or the success/failure of those cases have not been well published. Furthermore, most of those cited have been health care related and meatpacking entities. For OSHA to be more likely to prevail in court, a specific standard would serve them better than stretching current requirements (for example, a written respiratory protection program) or using the General Duty Clause of the Act to cite employers. Several U.S. senators have said the fines that have been issued have not been high enough and will not have an impact on protecting workers. On that note, increased penalties were announced and went into effect Jan. 16, 2021. The maximum penalty for serious and other-than-serious violations is now $13,653 per violation, up from $13,494. The maximum penalty for a willful or repeat violation is now $136,532 per violation, up from $134,937. It is reported that penalties have risen 80 percent since 2016. Other changes include an increased effort to collect fines.

What to Expect with COVID and OSHA Compliance

Per OSHA, under certain limited conditions, the agency is authorized to set Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) that take effect immediately and are in effect until superseded by a permanent standard. OSHA must determine that workers are in grave danger due to exposure to toxic substances or agents determined to be toxic or physically harmful or to new hazards, and that an emergency standard is needed to protect them. OSHA then publishes the ETS in the Federal Register, where it also serves as a proposed permanent standard. It is then subject to the usual

Laura Helmrich-Rhodes, CSP, Ed.D., is an independent regulations compliance consultant to the Spring Manufacturers Institute (SMI). A former member of PA/OSHA Consultation, she is an associate professor in the Safety Sciences Department at Indiana University of Pennsylvania where she teaches graduate and undergraduate classes on topics such as OSHA standards, safety communications, workers’ compensation and human relations. Rhodes is available for safety advice and information. Contact SMI at 630-495-8588 or laurahrhodes@gmail.com.

SPRINGS / Spring 2021 / 13

procedure for adopting a permanent standard, except that a final ruling should be made within six months. The validity of an ETS may be challenged in an appropriate U.S. Court of Appeals. Perhaps a COVID-19 Protection ETS will be pushed through, forcing all employers covered by OSHA regulations to formalize protocols (remember, the term 'employer' has very broad coverage, ranging from low hazard employers such as real estate offices, up to private space exploration with many hazards!) with more specific requirements than are already in place for respiratory protection, personal protective equipment, infectious material, etc. Major corporations with robust safety programs probably won’t blink, but this will be particularly difficult for small employers to comply with the documentation requirements. In the meantime, the best strategy is to look to the published federal “OSHA Guidance for COVID-19” and to the OSHA state plan states which have already enacted full regulations. Decide if your organization has addressed

14 / SPRINGS / Spring 2021

these items and areas where you need to improve. Several states have helpful websites that can be used as a framework for formal programs and even some sample employee training programs (see “My OSHA COVID-19 Compliance Check Up” on page 16). Some may find of interest that the EHS Daily Advisor (Jan. 11, 2021) reported that California’s ETS was being challenged in a lawsuit filed by several employers. That outcome will be both informative to our readers and influential on a federal standard.

Will the Number of Compliance Officers Increase?

There is no doubt there is a need for more inspectors. The number of federal compliance officers has dwindled during the previous administrations to less than 800 in the field, and there are still highly hazardous operations, especially construction sites where workers are dying daily. A solid understanding of what injuries are occurring has still not evolved despite changes in recordkeeping.

The hiring of compliance officers to increase inspections will be the easy part for OSHA (though as of this writing, there are no posted openings for Federal OSHA compliance officers). They will find many qualified candidates; however, the normal extensive training needed before their deployment as officers will take some time, and likely more time than usual, due to COVID-limiting training opportunities for new inspectors. Inspectors are highly trained in not only the OSHA standards, but also policies and procedures such as investigating catastrophes, taking photos, preserving evidence, interviewing techniques, dealing with grieving families and exactly how to make a citation hold up in court, to name just a few topics! The previous Democratic administration created the online, check the box, formal complaint form that significantly increased the obligations for compliance officers. This was a sudden change from the written, signed and mailed formal complaint letter. When you add the new electronic reporting of amputations,

loss of eye and hospitalization of one employee (versus three in a single incident) as triggers for on-site inspections, you can see that the current staff will be very busy. Further complicating the matter is the protection of their own OSHA employees from contracting the virus. According to Safety and Health, a publication of the National Safety Council, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General is to conduct an audit of the protection of OSHA inspectors’ health during the pandemic. Piling on the workload with the inclusion of increased whistleblower protection may slow the inspection process, too. Many citizens are unaware that OSHA handles twenty-some agencies’ whistleblower complaint investigations, in addition to workplace hazards. Some safety news outlets predict that the anti-retaliation protections will increase in the pandemic/infectious disease era, thus further increasing the OSHA office workload.

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Expected Priorities

Historically, OSHA’s top priority for inspection is an “imminent danger,” a situation where workers face an immediate risk of death or serious physical harm. An example would be the report of workers in a trench without shoring, or on a roof without fall protection. A second priority goes to any fatality or “catastrophe,” which is an accident that requires hospitalization of one or more workers. A third priority is employee complaints and referrals from other agencies. Lower inspection priorities include inspections targeted toward high hazard industries (National Emphasis Programs), planned inspections in other industries and, finally, follow-up inspections to determine whether previously cited violations have been abated. One can see that the lowest priority is the “follow-up;” however that may change under the Biden administration. An annual report of OSHA and MSHA operations published in November called for “attention to confirming that abatement of hazards had occurred”

(which translates to more follow-up inspections to check hazard correction/ abatement) and to “improve employer reporting of severe injury and illnesses” (which translates to increased emphasis on the prompt and correct recordkeeping/reporting of injuries and illnesses). EHS Daily also predicts the following: Advancement of the Protecting America’s Worker Act, a legislative act reforming OSHA that would, among other things, increase civil penalties, expand the circumstances that would result in criminal charges for egregious workplace safety failures, and expand the rights of workers and survivors and their involvement in workplace safety cases. OSHA's published Unified Regulatory Agenda has not been updated, but a labor driven group is getting press regarding their own agenda. The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (COSH) has listed 1) Increased enforcement, 2) Strengthened anti-retaliation protections, 3) Increased worker participation, to name a few. The OSHA agenda continues to include items such

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as lockout/tagout for modern machines, forklift design per ANSI, silica exposure prevention/ protection, and reducing beryllium exposures. For more information and to stay updated go to https:// www.osha.gov/laws-regs/unifiedagenda/ currentagenda

Conclusions

Under the current administration, employers need to be ready for a much higher likelihood of OSHA inspections, a greater

emphasis on worker health and safety and an expanded reach of OSHA. It will take time to get new OSHA workforce addons ready, so employers should take this lag time as an opportunity to make sure all paperwork and mandated training programs have been completed/documented and increase diligence in all areas of safety and emergency preparedness. (See “Quick Pre-Inspection Check Up” below.) Will it be Obama 2.0? No, likely much more than we have seen in decades. n

My OSHA COVID-19 Check Up OSHA Guidance Document Published February 2021 https://www.osha.gov/coronavirus/safework CDC Guidance for Manufacturing https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ community/guidance-manufacturing-workersemployers.html Mask Selection and Employee Training Completed for COVID-19 https://www.lni.wa.gov/safety-health/ safety-topics/topics/coronavirus Hazard Assessment Completed https://www.osha.gov/coronavirus/hazards

Implemented Hierarchy of Controls per OSHA

• Eliminating the hazard by separating and sending home infected or potentially infected people from the workplace; • Implementing physical distancing in all communal work areas [includes remote work and telework]; • Installing barriers where physical distancing cannot be maintained; • Suppressing the spread of the hazard using face coverings; • Improving ventilation; • Using applicable PPE to protect workers from exposure; • Providing the supplies necessary for good hygiene practices; and • Performing routine cleaning and disinfection.

Quick Pre-Inspection Check Up

• Injury/illness records up to date and posted? • All mandated OSHA safety training up to date? • Lockout/tagout program and procedures up to date? • Hazard Communication Program up to date? • Forklift certified operators up to date? • Respiratory protection program up to date? • COVID protocols, per OSHA guidance, in place and documented? • Machine guards in place and enforced? • Electrical wiring appropriate and suitable for environment? • Emergency Action Plan up to date? 16 / SPRINGS / Spring 2021

Dean of Springs

Understanding Wahl Correction Factors By Dan Sebastian

e all know that setting a spring to solid adds to the apparent strength of a spring. It is also well known that this process adds residual stress to the spring, which is the why we see this “strengthening.” A.M. Wahl’s book “Mechanical Springs” is the basic standard from which most of our basic algebraic equations are derived. In his book, he shows how the residual stresses are formed, and the result (indexes from 4 to 12) is seen below. Plastic

During preset

Elastic

Residual (after preset)

Loaded (after preset)

In the “Encyclopedia of Spring Design,” the equations for stress contain a “Wahl” correction factor which is based on the index of the spring. The correction is for the curvature effect of the spring, which is why it is index (C) related. Kw1 = (4C-1)/(4C-4) + (0.615/C) This is an accurate representation of applied stress. A second correction factor for pressed springs is shown as: Kw2 = 1 + 0.5/C This is not the actual stress but the resultant stress as the result of residual stresses. Kw2 is at best an approximation of the magnitude of the residual stress. The actual is dependent on material type and the stress at solid to which it is pressed. The actual and corrected stress for tight index springs (<4) cannot be used reliably and requires additional calculations. Most springmakers have had to deal with the complaint that when a customer inspects a set-out spring, the loads are off. Most times, if the set-out spring is compressed to solid before testing, the questionable loads are in specification. The culprit is the residual stresses from set-out, which experience some stress relieving as a result of the vibration occurring during handling and shipping.

D Kw1 between Kw2 Index

Kw1

Kw2

D % Decrease

2.06

1.25

39.2 percent

1.58

1.17

26.2 percent

1.40

1.13

19.9 percent

1.31

1.10

16.1 percent

1.25

1.08

13.5 percent

1.21

1.07

11.7 percent

1.18

1.06

10.3 percent

1.16

1.06

9.2 percent

1.14

1.05

8.3 percent

1.13

1.05

7.6 percent

1.12

1.04

6.9 percent

The use of set-out stresses for the purpose of fatigue life frequently is limited. It is not uncommon in fatigue testing, especially at evaluated spend for the set-out stress to partially stress relieve. The reduction of the beneficial residual stresses increases the effective stress range, which can cause premature failure. Setting out a spring is a useful tool for a springmaker’s toolbox, especially in static applications. In dynamic applications and/or where temperatures are above ambient, it is at best a limited margin of safety. In my years in the spring industry, I have seldom used the set-out stress in critical life applications unless it is a highly controlled environment. The Kw1 stress calculations are very reliable and should be the primary thing you use. n

Dan Sebastian is a former SMI president and currently serves as a technical consultant to the association. He holds a degree in metallurgical engineering from Lehigh University and his industry career spans more than four decades in various technical and management roles. He may be reached by contacting SMI at 630-495-8588.

SPRINGS / Spring 2021 / 17

Technically Speaking

What's a Good Number? That's a Good Question By C. Richard Gordon

receive occasional inquiries from spring manufacturers who are having issues with spring breakage that occurs at a bend. Anecdotally, I have received comments from several SMI technical committee members that the minimum bend radius should be equal to or greater than the wire diameter. In fact, looking at the “Designer’s Handbook: Steel Wire,” published by AISI in 19691, we find “As a rule of thumb, many wire fabricators say that that the minimum bend or radius should be equal to the wire diameter.” The article goes on to say that sometimes products are designed with the bend radius less than the wire diameter, and satisfactory performance is related to the ductility of the wire. There are guidelines for minimum bending radius for round wire and for strip materials. I will focus on round wire in this article. As we have seen in several past articles on wire properties, there are several wire ductility tests. Ductility parameters include percent reduction of area and percent elongation in the tensile test and results of the wire wrap test, the torsion test and the reverse bend test. In this article, the geometry of a bend will be examined and related to ductility by the technological wire wrap test. Material standard specification limits will be reviewed, which can be a guide for bend radius recommendations. In the wrap test, the amount of stretching, fiber straining, or elongation during bending a wire around an arbor depends on the wire diameter (d) and the arbor diameter (Da). When the wire is bent over the arbor, it is reasonable to assume that the length of the wire centerline is unchanged and the outer surface fibers are stretched (elongated) and the inner fibers are compressed. It can be shown that the percentage elongation in the outer surfaces fibers (δ) can be calculated using the following equation2: δ = (d/(Da+d))*100 Relating this to the bending guidelines discussed above, that is, setting the minimum bend radius equal to the wire diameter, Da = d/2, we find δ = 33 percent elongation at the wire surface.

Wrap Test

The coiling and wrap tests were described in the Spring 2020 issue of Springs3. The arbor diameter Da or mandrel size used in the wrap test was shown to vary by wire diameter and grade of material being tested. In the limiting case, the arbor diameter

Table 1. Bend Radius — Surface Elongation by ASTM Spring Wire Standard

Standard/Class

A227/A227M-174/ Class 1 A227/A227M-174 Class 2

A228/A228M-185

A401/A401M-186

A313/A313-187

Wire Diameter (in.)

Mandrel SizeA

(δ) Outer Surface Elongation (%)

0.020 – 0.162

50%

> 0.162 – 0.312

33%

0.020 – 0.162

33%

> 0.162 – 0.312

20%

<0.028

50%

0.028 – 0.256

33%

>0.256 – 0.283

25%

to 0.157

50%

> 0.157 – 0.315

33%

to 0.162

50%

>0.162

33%

A - X represents the diameter of the wire.

was equal to the wire diameter. For this case, Da = d and δ= 50 percent elongation at the wire surface. Table 1 shows the calculated minimum outer surface elongation (δ) values for popular ASTM standards 4) 5) 6) 7) and grades (class) by wire diameter and mandrel size. In the majority of the cases, we see that our criteria of “the minimum bend or radius should be equal to the wire diameter” (mandrel size equal 2X) or δ = 33 percent is met.

Rick Gordon is the technical director for SMI. He is available to help SMI members and non-members with metallurgical challenges such as fatigue life, corrosion, material and process-related problems. He is also available to help manage and oversee processes related to failure analysis. This includes sourcing reputable testing labs throughout North America, forwarding member requests to the appropriate lab and reporting results and recommendations. He can be reached at c.richard.gordon@gmail. com or 574-514-9367.

SPRINGS / Spring 2021 / 19

It is possible to use a tighter bend radius for wire products where a 1X mandrel standard is specified. You may need to use a larger bend radius for products where a 3X or 4X mandrel standard is specified. For example, ASTM A227/A227M-174 Class 2 cold drawn spring wire for diameters > 0.162 in. specifies a 4X mandrel, and ASTM A228/A228M-185 music spring wire for diameters > 0.256 in. specifies a 3X mandrel. This is an indication that the guideline was based on the technological standard wrap test as an acceptance criterion for spring wire products. It should also be kept in mind that the table values are specification minimums and actual product ductility may exceed these values. As a final thought, the spring wire standards were developed in the past and specification limits were based on the then current production methods. The advances in steelmaking, rod rolling and wire drawing practices over the years have likely resulted in improvements in ductility. When it comes to ductility, higher is better. Thus, the specification minimums in the standards may be conservative.

In this article, I have shown that the wire bending guideline can be related to the wire wrap test requirements included in spring wire standards. n

References 1. Designer’s Handbook: Steel Wire, AISI, 1969, p.47 2. Per Enghag, Steel Wire Technology, 3rd Ed. (2003) Wiley-VCH 3. Gordon, C.R., Types of Tests Used to Characterize Springmaking Materials – Part 2: The Coiling and Wrapping Tests, Springs, Spring 2020, p.27 4. ASTM A227 / A227M-17, Standard Specification for Steel Wire, Cold-Drawn for Mechanical Springs, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2017, www.astm.org 5. ASTM A228 / A228M-18, Standard Specification for Steel Wire, Music Spring Quality, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2018, www.astm.org 6. ASTM A401 / A401M-18, Standard Specification for Steel Wire, Chromium-Silicon Alloy, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2018, www.astm.org 7. ASTM A313 / A313M-18, Standard Specification for Stainless Steel Spring Wire, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2018, www.astm.org

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Spring Design Tips and Tricks

Understanding Initial Tension By Gary Van Buren

Torsional stress (uncorrected) caused by initial tension (10' psi)

The next area up is the preferred area. This 300 – area is easier for your setup person to obtain Difficult 40 275 – to attain and hold. The ASD7 software 250 – 35 always defaults to the 225 – middle of this calcu30 Available lated zone, as shown 200 – upon special below. When using request 175 – the ASD7 software, 25 you can change the 150 – initial tension value 20 125 – once you uncheck Preferred range the “Use Mean IT as 100 – 15 Default Value.” Small adjustments here will 75 – 10 Difficult allow you to zero in 50 – to control on the customer’s 5 requested load. 25 – 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 Any number under Index the “Min Obtainable IT” will fall in the Figure 1 lower area of the chart above. Any number above “Max Obtainable IT” will fall into the upper two areas of the above chart. There will be times when you get a customer blueprint that calls for a great deal of initial tension. It’s possible the design engineer doesn’t understand it and the computer can do the math. It happens. So, when going above the “Max Obtainable IT” you should check Figure 2 with your setup personnel to see what their equipment is capable of. Some “Spring Design Tips and Tricks” is a feature machines can achieve higher initial designed to help those who use the ASD softtension then other. ware on a regular basis. If you have a question Feel free to contact Rick Gordon, you would like addressed by Todd Piefer of SMI’s technical director, or me with UTS or Gary Van Buren, SMI’s technical adviany technical needs you might have at sor, please contact Van Buren at gvanburen2@ gmail.com. c.richard.gordon@gmail.com or gvanburen2@gmail.com. n Torsional stress (uncorrected) caused by initial tension (MPa)

hile preparing for the spring design training class Extension Spring Design 202, I thought it might be a good idea to share some of the class content here. Those who are new to the industry sometimes have trouble understanding initial tension with extension springs. What is initial tension? It is the load on an extension spring at free length with no deflection. This is the amount of force required to start the spring’s movement. Initial tension can be affected by several issues like index, material, manufacturing methods and applied treatments. Find initial length by applying load on the spring until there is no slack, but the coils do not separate. Extend the spring to some deflection (f1) and measure the load (P1). Extend the spring to twice the deflection (2f1 or f2) and measure the new load (P2). Calculate the initial tension with Pi = 2P1 − P2. Let’s walk through how you measure the initial tension. To make it easy, we’ll pick two deflection lengths like .100" and .200", or .250" and 500", or even .500" and 1”. Measure the load at both points. Let’s say we measured load 1 at 3 pounds and load 2 at 5 pounds. Per our formula, here we multiply load 1 times 2, then take that result and subtract load 2. In this case we have 2 x 3 pounds (6 pounds) minus 5 pounds = 1 pounds. We need to make sure when we pick our two points, we are not exceeding the elastic limit of the material. There are four areas on the above chart. The lower area shows the initial tension as difficult to control. When your initial tension is too low and hard to control, you have greater variation on the needed load at length, thus needing greater tolerance on the required load.

SPRINGS / Spring 2021 / 21

22 / SPRINGS / Spring 2021

Advances in Springmaking by Gary McCoy

ooking back on advancements in the spring industry over the past 50 years, it is not an overstatement to brand it as “revolutionary,” especially with machinery improvements dominating the landscape. In the last two decades, advancements have primarily centered around digital technology, both in the office and on the shop floor. This article explores some of the changes that have taken place to advance the spring industry forward. Articles that are also part of the advancement theme includes a focus on the area of robotics. You can read more about “Collaborative Robots on The Rise” on page 27. You will also find "Five Manaufacturing Trends to Watch" on page 32, that offers a glimpse of broader manufacturing trends that may impact springmakers. On the materials side, C. Richard Gordon looks at “Advancements in Springmaking Materials” on page 30. Finally, our Flashback article on page 35 is a reprint of a President’s Message from A. H. “Pete” Peterson, SMI president from 1993-1995, from the Oct. 1994 issue of Springs. Peterson makes the convincing argument that management techniques should be considered in any discussion of technology breakthroughs. This area is not covered in this issue of Springs, but it is a point worth pondering in any discussion about advancements.

SPRINGS / Spring 2021 / 23

Historical Perspective

Dan Sebastian, (aka “The Dean of Springs”) was a student intern at Associated Spring in the summers of 1968 and 1969, as he worked toward earning a degree in metallurgy and material science at Lehigh University. After graduation in February 1970, he started working full time for the company. Sebastian, a former SMI president and current technical consultant to the association, remembers when the Barnes Group bought its first mainframe computer with a scientific package attached. “It was the first time we were able to use computers to do linear regression analysis to confirm the data we were producing,” said Sebastian. Before that, Sebastian said, you had to allot 20 minutes to use a pad of paper and a slide rule in order to make the same calculations. This later evolved to using a Texas Instrument scientific calculator, and finally culminating in the usage of personal computers with ever increasing speeds.

24 / SPRINGS / Spring 2021

Spring Design

Over the years, SMI has developed spring design booklets and manuals and offered numerous training programs, all of which continue today. In addition, numerous articles in Springs have been devoted to the subject. Former SMI president Chuck Pepka at Renton Coil was instrumental in bringing the first spring design software package to use among SMI members. “It was a great program, but it could not handle complicated simultaneous equations,” explained Sebastian. SMI later discovered TK Solver™ from Universal Technical Systems, Inc. (UTS), which had the ability to readily solve simultaneous equations. The program could dramatically reduce design hours, production costs and speed time to market. A partnership between UTS and SMI resulted in Advanced Spring Design (ASD) software that combines engineering expertise with customized calculations to help users design quality springs.

“With things like ASD and overall computer speed improvements during the last 20 years, the industry has experienced a digital revolution,” explained Sebastian. “Technology has allowed us to plug into AutoCAD design programs making it easier than ever to design springs.” “With things like ASD and overall computer speed improvements during the last 20 years, the industry has experienced a digital revolution,” explained Sebastian. “Technology has allowed us to plug into AutoCAD design programs, making it easier than ever to design springs.”

The introduction of computer numerical control (CNC) coilers in the late 70s helped bring automation to the spring industry. CNC machines are operated by computers executing pre-programmed sequences of controlled commands. CNC machines are essentially the opposite of “old-school” mechanical coilers, which are manually controlled by hand wheels or levers, or mechanically automated by cams alone. Sebastian says the early CNC coilers utilized electrical stepping motors to provide greater precision compared to a regular DC motor. A stepping motor is able to break down a complete revolution into a couple of equal steps to make it suitable for operations where precise and small movements are needed. Sebastian says the late 80s introduced hydraulic servo control technology to work in tandem with the stepping motor. He says the evolution of the servo motor provided the ability to achieve more horsepower and torque. “The first CNC machines were all coiling machines, but with the advent of technology in the early 90s you could apply the same servo control improvements for forming machines,” explained Sebastian. “Things have just gotten better from there as technology has improved.” Further developments came with the introduction of multi-axis coiling and forming machines. This type of machining was originally performed mechanically on large complex machines that operated on several axes, which were controlled individually via levers that rested on cam plates. The cam plates offered the ability to control the tooling device, the table in which the part is secured, as well as rotating the tooling or part within the machine. Due to the size and complexity of the machine, it took extensive amounts of time to set them up for production. When multi-axis CNC machines were introduced they provided a faster, more efficient method to coil and form parts. Today’s coiling machines come with 2-12 axes, and forming machines can handle 2 to 16 axes. Multi-axis machines provide increased speed and higher quality parts.

©iStockphoto.com/ sandsun

Machinery Improvements

Looking Back, Looking Forward Al Mangels is president of Brooklyn-based Lee Spring. When reflecting back upon his 38-year career in the spring industry, he provided his list of 20 advances (in alphabetical order) that have impacted springmaking. 1. Additive manufacturing (3D printing) 2. Automatic length gauges with sorting devices for coiling machines 3. Automatic setting, testing and sorting machines 4. Bar coded packaging, and accompanying systems 5. CAD drawing software 6. Ceramic/diamond type grinding abrasives 7. CNC controlled downfeed grinding machines 8. CNC wire EDM machines 9. Computerized vision inspection systems 10. Computerized spring design programs

11. Conveyorized stress relieving ovens 12. Digital (load cell equipped) load testing machines 13. Digital office systems (networks, email, faxes, etc.) 14. Environmentally friendly cleaning and finishing chemicals 15. Industrial robots/cobots 16. Laser cutting machines 17. Laser probing devices 18. Multi-axis CNC coiling machines 19. Multi-axis CNC wireforming (slide forming) machines 20. Vibratory bowl feeders

“The biggest changes have been in the application of digital technology, both on the factory floor and in the office,” explained Mangels. “If I had to pick between these two, I’d say that at this point, digital office technology has had a larger effect than digital manufacturing technology. That’s only because I feel that, for the office, it is more advanced; digital manufacturing technology in our industry is not yet quite as advanced as it is in other manufacturing industries.” As Mangels looks forward to additional advances he expects that robotics/automation will be the next biggest change. “Although it will be challenging in the spring industry, due to the nature of our products,” said Mangels. He explains that generally it is more difficult to automate springs than other products, such as machined parts or plastic injection molded parts. “Additive manufacturing is another area, but the extra-high strength of most spring materials also makes that difficult,” he said. “Other more esoteric technologies are nanotechnology and graphene.”

SPRINGS / Spring 2021 / 25

“What once required multiple setups now can be executed in only a few, if not one setup, reducing steps and decreasing the opportunity for error,” said Sebastian. Not to be forgotten is the beloved fourslide machine, which is used for the high-volume manufacturing of smallstamped components. Recent years have seen the introduction of servodriven fourslide machinery, promising quicker tooling changes and higher productivity versus the traditional mechanically-driven machine. Other production accessories have also improved, such as inline conveyor ovens for stress relieving, spiral ovens, box ovens, part collectors, payoff reels, grinding machines, to name just a few.

Vision Systems

The introduction of vision systems technology to spring coiling and forming machines came on the scene in the past 10 years. “It allows us to make physical adjustments to the part as it is being produced on a three-dimensional scale,” explained Sebastian. Essentially the vision control system on board the machine takes pictures to make real-time adjustments to make sure the part is being produced within set tolerances. Using this technology on the machine leads to a reduction in waste, because fewer parts are scrapped that are out of tolerance. It also provides consistency in part production and better quality. Stand-alone vision inspection systems are also being deployed in the quality department of springmakers for final inspections to meet quality standards, such as ISO9000. It is also used to provide customers with performance and inspection testing results.

Environmental Changes

Spring manufacturers have worked hard to curtail the amount of waste produced. Sebastian said initially going “green” was more of an economic decision, such as installing more efficient furnaces (as a result of energy price hikes). Later, he said, springmakers realized the benefits to the environment by utilizing earth-friendly cleaning and finishing chemicals and providing scrap materials for recycling.

26 / SPRINGS / Spring 2021

“It used to be if you wanted a good spring coiler you looked for the person who worked on their car all the time. Today you look for the kid who’s the best at video games.”

3D Printing

The introduction of additive manufacturing (3D printing) to the spring industry has primarily involved using it for small lots and prototypes. Sebastian says one of the problems with using 3D printing for mechanical components is a metallurgical gap. “The actual raw materials you use for a 3D printer are not the same metallurgically strong materials that springmakers work with,” he explained. “Imagine making a spring with a thousand little pieces versus one solid piece of wire. So far there hasn’t been a revolution yet that helps break that barrier.” Until improvements come about, the use of 3D printing in the spring industry will be limited.

ERP Systems

Owing to improvements in the front office, enterprise resource planning (ERP) software has greatly improved in the past 20 years and is now primarily cloud-based. Software packages provide manufacturers with systems for quoting, shop management, scheduling, inventory, accounting, quality control, customer relationship management (CRM) and much more. Spring manufacturers benefit from real-time inventory accuracy, improved on-time delivery, lower administrative costs, increased sales and improved customer service. Daily production schedules, productivity scorecards and other reporting capabilities have made ERP systems a valuable management tool.

As a result of new ERP systems and other changes within the office, many have or are in the process of moving toward a paperless environment.

Conclusion

There are numerous other developments that have moved the spring industry forward. The ones listed in this article are some of the most important. See Al Mangels reflections in a related article on page 25. Sebastian points out that one of the benefits of advancements in the spring industry is to help bridge the skills gap. “It’s changed the way we recruit people and how the people we hire do their work,” explained Sebastian. “It used to be if you wanted a good spring coiler you looked for the person who worked on their car all the time. Today you look for the kid who’s the best at video games.” Another change that advancements have brought about is how capital is invested. “With sophisticated technology comes a higher price,” explained Sebastian. “You have to make sophisticated decisions as to which machine you are going to buy and the money that’s involved in it.” He says the decision comes down to how the machine will increase the speed of your operations, the quality, or both. “Therefore, your throughput goes up and you get more return on your investment for what you spend.” Sebastian says overall quality has increased because of the changes. “When you marry the quality measurement techniques that are available with the available equipment we have now, the products are much better than they ever were,” said Sebastian. “Why? Because we’ve taken out the greatest element of error, which is the human being. You still need a human being to make sure the computer is doing the right thing. But when the computer functions properly and makes all the adjustments in an intelligent fashion, everyone wins.” With the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) upon us, who knows what the next 50 years will entail, as robots, automation, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart manufacturing gain a foothold in the industry. n

Collaborative Robots on the Rise By Gary McCoy

Photo courtesy of RR Floody/Universal Robots

magine robots working side by side with humans, and without a safety cage. That’s the reality for some spring manufacturers, who have begun using collaborative robots (cobots) in their manufacturing operations. “Collaborative robots are complex machines which work hand in hand with human beings. In a shared work process, they support and relieve the human operator,’’ according to the German trade association IFA. The Robotics Industries Association reports that cobots provide manufacturers with safe, versatile, easy-to-use automation that supports human laborers. “Ergonomically-designed machines serve a wide variety of human needs and offer a broad range of capabilities. Cobots are actually improving working conditions and empowering humans to have more fulfilling jobs in manufacturing industries.” According to Eron Harvey, a sales engineer at RR Floody in Rockford,

“Cobots ... are used on more mundane tasks, like machine tending or pack-out applications that have high turnover or are affected by labor shortages.” Illinois, cobots came on the scene about 10 years ago, and the adoption rate has risen in recent years. “The prevalence of cobots has definitely increased,” explained Harvey. “That goes all the way from the largest corporation to the smaller mom and pop shops.” According to the “World Robotics 2020” report from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), the adoption of human-robot collaboration is on

the rise. IFR’s most recent data saw cobot installations grow by 11 percent.

Cobots Versus Traditional Robots

“Cobots are not faster or more accurate than traditional robots,” said Harvey. “They move at a rate similar to human cadence. They are used on more mundane tasks, like machine tending or pack-out applications that have high turnover or are affected by labor shortages.” Harvey says traditional industrial robots, those that are caged off to protect workers, are faster and more precise. “If you are looking for increased cycle times, then the cobots are not the way to go,” he explained. “Cobots are more valuable for consistency of production.” According to the publication “Collaborative Robotics Trends,” industrial robots are typically large, fixed equipment designed for high-volume, extremely highaccuracy and high-speed production. Because of the speed of the robot’s arm movement, industrial robots can present

SPRINGS / Spring 2021 / 27

“Cobots are ideal for manufacturers with low-volume, highmix production or who need to safely automate processes alongside human workers,” said the publication. “That might include automating a repetitive task and handing a part off to a human for inspection, or to complete a complex assembly process.”

safety risks to human workers, so they usually require safety measures such as a cage to keep humans out of the robot’s work envelope. The integration of the robot and its safety caging can drive costs up substantially, as can the need for professional services to program these complex robots and integrate them with other production equipment and machines. “Cobots are ideal for manufacturers with low-volume, high-mix production or who need to safely automate processes alongside human workers,” said the publication. “That might include automating a repetitive task and handing a part off to a human for inspection, or to complete a complex assembly process.” It should be noted that cobots are limited based on their reach. Manufacturers offer a wide variety of sizes to accommodate multiple reach options. End configuration options are almost endless, including welding, gripping, threading, tapping and even inspecting. Speed is also variable, depending on the amount of reach required for a particular application. For those concerned about safety, cobots come equipped with safety sensors along the body of the cobot. To immediately prevent damage or injury, the sensors will shut-off if the cobot comes into contact with someone or something.

Cobot Costs

Cobots typically have lower upfront costs and are easy to program with no previous experience, so they offer a fast ROI. Harvey says it typically costs between $30,000 to $50,000 per cobot. He says most cobots do not require the use of a third-party integrator. Harvey

28 / SPRINGS / Spring 2021

says if you do need to utilize an integrator for things like parts presentation, linking the robot to machinery or sensors/ conveyors, then the total cost can double. “Many of our customers are so strapped for time that they hire an integrator to get the work done in a timely manner,” commented Harvey. Overall, Harvey says the total cost of ownership for a cobot is typically much less than an industrial robot.

Flexibility

Cobots are small and lightweight enough that they can be easily moved and redeployed to automate different processes throughout a manufacturing facility. Programming a cobot is much simpler than a traditional robot. As Harvey explains, “A lot of them are initially programmed by physically moving the arm and pushing a button.” He gives the example of moving a part off a conveyor and into a box. “You move the arm to the part at a pick location on the conveyor and push a button to close the gripper on the part. Then you move the arm to the drop location in the box and push a button to release the gripper and place the part in its final location. What you are doing is laying down the rudimentary part of the program. You can fine tune the desired movement with the software, but it’s very simple to walk through it just by manually manipulating the arm.” Regarding cobots and their application to spring manufacturing, Harvey says it could be as simple as having the spring coiling machine send a signal to the cobot when it’s done making a spring. The machine tells the cobot to unload the part and put it into a box or bin. This type

©iStockphoto.com/Thomas-Soellner

of function does require some programming, so the cobot is integrated to the machine. A much simpler application is having the robot pick up the box full of springs and placing it on a pallet. One of the newer technologies being deployed is the usage of bin picking cameras, which are tied directly to the cobot. It basically gives eyes to the cobot to precisely pick a part and place it in a bin. Harvey says there are limitations with the camera when it comes to picking flat parts.

Are Robots Taking Jobs? The Future

Cobots are here to stay and are already helping springmakers. Look for the adoption rate to continue to grow, where cobots can be used to perform monotonous activities that free up employees to take on more challenging tasks. With the user-friendliness and affordability of the cobot, and its compact size and mobility, even the smallest companies in the spring industry will begin to take a look at bringing this technology to their shop floor. n

As robot installations become more common on the production floor, more plant workers worry about their job security. However, with the proper training and education, these workers could learn new skills and move on to a more advanced position within the company, rather than being outright displaced. That is the thesis of a white paper, “Robots Aren’t Taking Jobs: Uncovering The Real Crisis In Manufacturing” from the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). The paper argues that automation creates jobs and examines the myths on the use of robots in manufacturing. To download a copy of the white paper, visit: https://www.a3automate. org/a3-white-paper-robots-arent-taking-jobs-uncovering-the-realcrisis-in-manufacturing

SPRINGS / Spring 2021 / 29

Photograph courtesy of Charter Steel, Inc.

Advances in Springmaking Materials By C. Richard Gordon

(Editor’s note: Rick Gordon’s article was developed as part of the overall theme of “Advances in Springmaking.” With so many developments to discuss, this is the first of several articles to come in future issues of Springs. Gordon will also discuss these advances as a part of his presentations during the 2021 SMI Metal Engineering eXpo.)

dvances in the production of springmaking materials over time have resulted in improvements in spring performance. Since the majority of springs are produced from carbon and alloy steels, production methods of these materials will be described here. Production improvements have occurred in the areas of steelmaking, continuous casting, rod rolling, wire drawing and wire processing. Improvements in springmaking machine technology will be treated separately.

30 / SPRINGS / Spring 2021

One important performance characteristic for springs subjected to cyclic loading is fatigue life. As the SMI technical committee looked at available spring fatigue data, it was discovered that spring fatigue data available from ASM International was developed prior to the publication of their “Metals Handbook, 8th edition” in 1961. More recent data was published by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) in their 1997 publication, “Manual on Design and Application of Helical and Spiral Springs (HS-795).” The SAE manual data is included in the Advanced Spring Design software (ASD7). These advances in springmaking materials motivated the SMI technical committee to explore the potential impact/improvements to historical fatigue life, assumptions that were based on decades-old wire production practices. This project is currently underway. The improvements in steelmaking, rod rolling, wire drawing and wire processing technology will be briefly described below and are planned to be presented in detail in two technical sessions at the the 2021 SMI Metal Engineering eXpo in September.

Steelmaking and Continuous Casting

Improvements in steel manufacturing processes have yielded advancements in the purity of steel for higher-quality

end-use products such as springs. Clean steel is produced by judiciously controlling parameters in melting, refining, degassing and casting operations. As we look at the steel production process, there are two primary production methods used today: the integrated steelmaking process and the minimill process. In the integrated steelmaking process, molten iron produced in a blast furnace is refined in an oxygen steel making furnace to produce steel. A typical furnace charge is 85 percent blast furnace iron and 15 percent scrap. The quality of the scrap is an important factor in the quality level of the steel being produced. Steel produced using the integrated steelmaking process can have very low levels of residual elements, which is desirable for high quality materials used to produce springs. In the minimill process, steel is produced in an electric arc furnace where 100 percent steel scrap and scrap substitutes, such as direct reduced iron (DRI) pellets or briquettes, hot briquette iron (HBI), or pig iron, are melted. Scrap used in both processes is available in different quality levels, where residual elements such as copper, nickel, chromium and molybdenum vary by scrap type. Historically, steel produced using the integrated process was preferred for high quality grades due to the low residual element composition (copper,

nickel, chromium) and low nitrogen levels produced. Minimills have been successful in producing high-quality spring grades by increasing the quantity of high-quality low residual scrap and scrap substitutes. In addition, improvements in slag practices and pouring techniques have enabled the production of steels with lower nitrogen levels. Once the steel is refined in the furnace and the temperature and chemistry are determined, the batch or heat is poured or tapped into a ladle where materials are added to arrive at the desired end point chemical composition. In the past, steel was then poured into ingots or sent directly to the continuous caster. Sequencing of continuously cast heats was challenging at times, due to temperature variation. Today, the use of the ladle arc furnace has made it possible to produce over 90 percent of steel using continuous casting. A key process improvement making this possible for both types of steelmaking processes was the ladle arc furnace.

Often thought of as a secondary steelmaking process, ladle arc furnaces were installed between the primary melting furnace and the continuous caster. The ladle arc furnace includes electrodes for heating (temperature control), argon stirring via a porous plug for flotation of inclusions, alloy additions for fine tuning chemical composition, deoxidation and desulfurization capability. In addition, some producers have installed vacuum degassing equipment for the removal of hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen for production of the highest quality level products. Also, at the continuous caster, improvements have been made to prevent reoxidation of the molten steel through the use of ceramic tubes between the ladle and the tundish and the tundish and the mold (ceramic entry nozzle pouring). Electromagnetic stirring in the mold is used to improve surface and internal structure and to minimize chemical segregation in the cast section, whether

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it be a bloom or billet. Some producers have installed additional electromagnetic stirring units below the mold to further improve uniformity of the cast section. These improvements in steel manufacturing processes in combination with advancements in the science of steel evaluation have resulted in significantly improved steel quality. The quality improvements include chemical composition uniformity, resulting in improved property uniformity and improved refining methods which raise the purity of steel. This high level of purity is what the industry refers to as clean steel. Clean steels contain limited nonmetallic inclusions in terms of size, shape, composition, distribution and frequency. As a result, clean steels are capable of outperforming other materials and excel in spring products. n C. Richard (Rick) Gordon serves as SMI’s technical director. He has more than 45 years of experience in the steel and wire industries. You can contact him at: c.richard.gordon@gmail.com.

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Five Manufacturing Trends to Watch By Al Cervero

oth the immediate and longterm future of the manufacturing industry will be defined by the development of a number of ever-evolving and prominent trends. These trends are poised to have a significant impact during the rest of 2021 (and, in many cases, beyond), so it’s critically important for manufacturers to develop a keen understanding of what they are, how they will grow over time, and how they will impact the industry and the customers it serves. With that in mind, let’s look at five manufacturing trends to watch:

COVID-19 and Employee Safety

It almost goes without saying that workplace safety and compliance with CDC guidelines and OSHA regulations (along with local safety measures) will remain front of mind for manufacturers as 2021 gets underway. With COVID-19 cases on

32 / SPRINGS / Spring 2021

the rise in many parts of the world, organizations will need to continue to be vigilant in their efforts to protect employees. Doing so, however, requires a significant investment of time, effort and resources on the part of company leaders. While an efficient rollout of an effective vaccine for COVID-19 would bode well for an eventual return to normalcy for the manufacturing industry, the impact of such a rollout won’t be felt for some time. In the interim, organizations will need to continue practicing social distancing in the workplace, restricting visitors to facilities, encouraging the practice of good hygiene, and ensuring employees are healthy and fit for work before allowing them on the job. It’s been more than a year since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in the U.S., and it remains a major challenge for manufacturers across the country and around the world. While companies

do have plans and protocols in place to combat the virus, adhering to them and ensuring the health and well-being of employees is—and will continue to be— no small task.

Connected Workforce

The desire to equip workers with technology capable of allowing them to connect and collaborate from a distance has long been a trend on the rise within the manufacturing industry. As older generations continue to leave the workforce and are replaced by younger employees, and the rise of the big data era in manufacturing takes shape, finding tools and technologies to make an increasingly spread-out and remote workforce as productive as possible is a top priority for companies today. As a recent article from McKinsey explained, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increased reliance

on digital collaboration to establish and maintain a connected manufacturing workforce. An increased emphasis on safety and changes to work processes, in an effort to maintain social distancing and minimize physical contact, has led organizations of all types and sizes to adopt cutting-edge ways to allow for workers to communicate and interact virtually. While the widespread impact of the pandemic has caused this trend (and the adoption rate of related tools and technologies) to grow, it remains critical for manufacturers to provide training and resources to employees as they try to maximize productivity from afar. Why? Because doing so is poised to pay off over time. According to McKinsey, “by digitizing processes to improve equipment management and optimize physical assets, digital collaboration tools give manufacturers ways to boost productivity while enhancing quality.” And those who do it first—and well—will achieve a significant competitive advantage.

an effort to increase efficiency and positively impact their bottom lines. According to a recent study conducted by the MPI Group, approximately 31 percent of manufacturing production processes now incorporate smart devices and embedded intelligence. Furthermore, more than one-third of manufacturers have established plans to implement IoT technology into their processes, while 32 percent plan to embed IoT technology into their products. IoT technology offers both remote monitoring and predictive maintenance capabilities (see page 34 for more on predictive maintenance), making it even more valuable for organizations

looking to maintain visibility of equipment performance from afar. With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to impact the industry in 2021, IoT technology will continue to be a go-to for manufacturers looking to maintain efficiency and productivity.

Localized Production and Near-Sourcing

The rise of customization and personalization has given way to large opportunities for manufacturers willing, and perhaps more importantly, able to succeed in a localized economy. By rethinking the way products get out to the public, organizations can craft an ecosystem of smaller,

Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things (IoT) has long been a trend to watch in manufacturing, and this year is no different. As it continues to grow in prominence and becomes more and more widespread over time, IoT technology will drive value for the industry by allowing organizations to make measured, informed decisions using real-time data in

©iStockphoto.com/vm

As it continues to grow in prominence and becomes more and more widespread over time, IoT technology will drive value for the industry by allowing organizations to make measured, informed decisions using real-time data in an effort to increase efficiency and positively impact their bottom lines.

SPRINGS / Spring 2021 / 33

flexible factories located near existing and prospective customers. Manufacturers are used to thinking on a global level. However, shifting their focus to a local level, they may be better able to meet the ever-changing needs, wants and preferences of the markets they serve. Consumers are making it abundantly clear that authenticity matters, and a localized approach to manufacturing is proving to be among the most effective ways to for organizations to respond accordingly. The impact of COVID-19 also cannot be discounted. The pandemic has led manufacturers to re-evaluate and reconsider sourcing, largely due to supply chain disruptions (especially in the earliest days of COVID-19). As a result, manufacturers have made a concerted effort to bring their operations closer to where their offerings are sold, and there has been an increasing desire on the part of many companies to source raw materials from domestic suppliers. All of this is being done in an effort to

avoid pandemic-related disruptions and support the U.S. economy during these uncertain times.

Predictive Maintenance

It’s no secret the ability for manufacturers to predict impending equipment failures and—more importantly— prevent equipment downtime is incredibly impactful to their bottom lines. Advancements in technology now allow organizations to do just that (and much, much more). The benefits, according to a recent blog post from EAM-Mosca Corporation, showcase why predictive maintenance (PM) is so valuable to organizations today. PM helps companies: • Reduce costs • Experience fewer failures • Minimize scheduled downtime

Optimize Parts Delivery

Effectively conducting predictive maintenance is no easy task, however. Adopting a successful predictive maintenance model requires manufacturers to gain insights

into the variables they are collecting, and more importantly how often those variables present themselves on factory floors. Therefore, it’s imperative for manufacturers to possess accurate and relevant knowledge about their equipment. They must know what previous failures have taken place, and they need to make decisions around lead time, because, as the closer to failure a machine is allowed to go, the more accurate the prediction will be. n Al Cervero is senior vice president of technology content for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). AEM is the North America-based international trade group representing off-road equipment manufacturers and suppliers with more than 1,000 companies and more than 200 product lines in the agriculture and construction-related industry sectors worldwide. The equipment manufacturing industry in the United States supports 2.8 million jobs and contributes roughly $288 billion to the economy every year. Visit www.aem.org.

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Flashback

President's Message October 1994 By Pete Peterson

(Editor’s note: The Oct. 1994 issue of Springs was centered on the theme of “Evolving Management Techniques.” A. H. “Pete” Peterson, SMI president from 1993-1995, argued nearly three decades ago that management techniques should be considered in any discussion of technology breakthroughs. Ponder Pete’s message in light of this issue of Springs and its focus on “Advances in Springmaking.”)

ear SMI member, we need to take a couple of lessons from two very different examples: the dinosaurs and our Founding Fathers. We can learn from the dinosaurs that failure to adapt means failure in general. From the patriots and constitutionalists who formed our country, we can learn that some acts and philosophies can have a very broad and long-lasting impact on the future. Now here’s why these two lessons are germane to this issue of Springs magazine. Our industry was founded years ago by metalformers who simply coiled wire into helical shapes and added some rudimentary end finishing operations. Today, we are adapting to manufacturing technologies that hold wire position to extremely close tolerances. Although we’re traveling the road to adaption better than the dinosaurs did, our brains are stuck back in the tar pit. You see, while all we know about technology is becoming more important in our industry, most of us include under the exciting heading of “technology” only those developments that pertain to new machinery and equipment and the software for programming it. We don’t think of management techniques as technology.

The most important single change that can be made by the owner or management people of a spring company would probably be to change his or her perception of the role of management. This can hurt us badly. The most important single change that can be made by the owner or management people of a spring company would probably be to change his or her perception of the role of management. Unfortunately, this change in thinking won’t come easily, as it runs against some pretty important psychological baggage those people are carrying around. If we’re not excited about the prospect of our own extinction, however, we need to get in tune with the new philosophies of management’s role. As you read about the management practices of the past and the present, and think about the challenges in your company’s future, consider what the role of management will need to become. n

SPRINGS / Spring 2021 / 35

2021 Metal Engineering eXpo Moves Forward

s the state of Nevada announced a loosening of restrictions in February due to a reduction in the spread of the coronavirus, SMI is moving forward with plans for the 2021 Metal Engineering eXpo (MEE) at the South Point Resort and Casino in Las Vegas from Sept. 28-30, 2021. “We are pleased to see that the governor of Nevada and health care experts are optimistic that meetings and conventions can safely be held in Las Vegas throughout the balance of 2021,” commented SMI

36 / SPRINGS / Spring 2021

president Bert Goering. “Nevada continues to show a slowing down of the virus and an increase in vaccine distribution, which is good news for events like ours.” Under the city’s “Vegas Smart” health and safety plan, Las Vegas and its resort partners continue to implement stringent health and wellness protocols to keep visitors safe during their time in the city. SMI is working closely with officials at the South Point Resort to ensure the health and safety of eXpo attendees.

Show Number Four

The 2021 eXpo marks the fourth time the event has been held as the premier global trade show and educational event for springmakers, metalstampers, wireformers and suppliers to the precision spring manufacturing industry. The 2021 eXpo is being led by chairs Joe Devany,

Las Vegas and its resort partners continue to implement stringent health and wellness protocols to keep visitors safe during their time in the city. SMI is working closely with officials at the South Point Resort to ensure the health and safety of eXpo attendees.

Preliminary Speaker Roster

The 2021 eXpo educational symposium will be held from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on both Wednesday, Sept. 29 and Thursday, Sept. 30, just prior to the opening of the trade show floor. The format includes two 50-minute sessions, with a ten minute coffee break between sessions. Presenters will cover both technical and practical business content from manufacturing, technology, materials and testing to business best practices, workforce solutions and marketing. Attendees can choose topics falling into three tracks 1) Business Trends and Best Practices; 2) Manufacturing, Technology and Innovation; and 3) Materials and Testing. The South Point Resort and Casino consists of a 24-story hotel tower and casino and a 90,000 sq. ft. convention center. The property is located on a 60-acre site along Las Vegas Boulevard, just 10 minutes south of the Las Vegas Strip. In conjunction with the 2021 eXpo, the international ISO/TC 227 committee will be meeting from Sept. 30 to Oct. 1 at the South Point Resort (see related article in Committee Connection on page 59). For hotel registration and information on exhibiting or attending the 2021 eXpo, visit www.MetalEngineeringeXpo.org. n

©iStockphoto.com/LPETTET

Betts Company and Daniel Pierre III, JN Machinery Corp. In addition to the trade show floor, where leading industry exhibitors will display and demonstrate their latest solutions, the eXpo will once again feature some of the most in-depth and diverse technical and business content in the industry.

Preliminary Topics and Speakers WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 29

THURSDAY, SEPT. 30

Selling with the Latest Tech! Danny Bozart, Valbruna Stainless

Report on the Progress of the SMI Fatigue Study Jason Sicotte, Associated Spring

What Does the Spring Industry Want From Machinery Communications? Panel discussion of machinery manufacturers led by Ryan Cutter, FENN Empowering Your Employees to be Fiscally Responsible Cliff Hawkins, Hilltop Wealth Solutions Effects of Nitriding Springs Representative of IST What Makes Up Our Supply Chain? Step 1 – Rod Rick Gordon, SMI What Makes Up Our Supply Chain? Step 2: How Tempered and Cold Worked Materials Are Produced Rick Gordon, SMI Impacts of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) in Manufacturing Representative of SAS Updates in Monitoring and Sorting Technology Representative of Simplex Rapid The State of the Economy Representative of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Fransisco Application of the Latest Grinding Stone Technology Speaker TBA Experiences Leading a Family and International Business Dr. Rudolf Muhr, Mubea Corporation

Current State of the Wire and Rod Industry Panel discussion with Alice Stengel, Gibbs; Dan Foster, ISW; and a representative of Interwire The Science of How Heat Treating a Spring Works Dan Sebastian, SMI How to Avoid the Traps in Running a Family Business – Part 1 Gaia Marchisio, Cox Family Enterprise Center, Kennesaw State University and Carol Butler, Goering Center, University of Cincinnati How to Avoid the Traps in Running a Family Business – Part 2 Gaia Marchisio, Cox Family Enterprise Center, Kennesaw State University and Carol Butler, Goering Center, University of Cincinnati Latest Technology Developments Dr. Uwe-Peter Weigmann, WAFIOS How Your Relationship With OSHA Will Be Altered by COVID and Other Factors Dr. Laura Helmrich-Rhodes, SMI The Art That Makes the Science of Heat Treating Work Daniel Pierre III, JN Machinery Corp.

SPRINGS / Spring 2021 / 37

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By Harry Moser

ince 2010, companies have brought over 700,000 manufacturing jobs to the U.S., the sum of reshoring by U.S. companies and FDI (foreign direct investment) by foreign companies. This surge is responsible for about half of the 1.4 million manufacturing employment increase from the March 2009 Great Recession valley to the December 2019 pre-COVID-19 peak. At a given level of U.S. goods consumption, the only ways to increase manufacturing are to export more or import less, i.e., reshore/FDI. Importing less is far easier due to the economic advantages of selling locally. Balancing the goods trade deficit will increase U.S. manufacturing by 40 percent, or 5 million jobs, President Joe Biden’s goal. Reaching this goal in even 20 years will require increasing the rate of annual reshoring/FDI from the Obama and Trump averages of 56,000 and 144,000, respectively, to about 450,000. President Biden’s humanitarian and ecological goals will all be much more affordable if this rate of reshoring occurs. The purpose of this article is to learn from the Trump experience and offer guidance to President Biden.

Trump in Review ©iStockphoto.com/mj0007

Biden Versus Trump on Reshoring: A Review, and a Critique

President Trump started strong on reshoring. The number of reshoring and FDI jobs announced coming to the U.S. surged from 75,000 in 2015 to 115,000 in 2016 and 193,000 in 2017. Major driving factors included reductions in corporate tax rates and regulations, and a generally business-friendly environment. The annual rate then fell off to 154,000 in 2018 and 117,000 in 2019, driven by business uncertainty over the unpredictability of tariffs and other trade war actions. Reshoring picked up in 2020 because of COVID-19, with many PPE investments and increased corporate understanding of risk mitigation through shorter supply chains. President Trump’s haranguing companies to reshore or not offshore did not

SPRINGS / Spring 2021 / 39

©iStockphoto.com/izusek

work. Patchwork, unpredictable tariffs were ineffective. Imposing tariffs on steel products put U.S. manufacturing, other than steel producers, at a competitive disadvantage. Placing tariffs on China caused work to shift to other southeast Asian countries. Tariffs that are uniform across all countries, all products, and time probably would be much more successful. At the macro level, the U.S. nonpetroleum goods trade deficit grew from $679 billion in 2016 to $854 billion in 2019, clearly not a successful result. The Broad Dollar Index averaged 10 percent to 15 percent higher than during the Obama terms, a strong headwind against reshoring and trade balance. But President Trump took no action to reduce the value of the USD. U.S. manufacturing employment did better, increasing from 12.4 million as of 12/31/16 to 12.9 million as of 12/31/19, a strong result, especially late in a recovery.

Conclusion

President Trump successfully alerted the nation to the dangers of a huge

40 / SPRINGS / Spring 2021

and growing trade deficit and China’s economic threat. He failed to attack the root cause of the problem, uncompetitive U.S. manufacturing costs because of an overvalued dollar and inadequate skilled workforce. He did not have an effective industrial policy. He therefore failed to make meaningful progress in overcoming the trade deficit and China’s economic threat.

Critique of Biden’s Reshoring Plans President Biden brings new plans and hopes. Some are well founded; others will not achieve desired goals. Below, we itemize Biden’s plans on various issues, shown in bold type, followed by our critique and suggestions for improvement. Our critique and suggestions are based solely on the plans’ ability to achieve a strong start toward balancing the goods trade deficit, reshoring the 5 million manufacturing jobs that Biden has promised. Such a balance will require an approximately 20 percent

reduction in U.S. manufacturing costs versus offshore and increasing our skilled workforce’s quantity by 20 percent and its skills to the German level.

Biden Plans That Will Accelerate Reshoring

Add 5 million manufacturing jobs. Reshoring Initiative’s take: We agree. Five million has long been the Reshoring Initiative’s goal to balance the U.S. $800 billion/year goods trade deficit. Buy American for government purchases: Increase the difference in price required to justify foreign sourcing and use Manufacturing Extension Partnership Programs (MEPs) for scouting to find domestic sources. RI take: It’s a good idea to include the use of MEPs. However, changing the metric from price to TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) might double the amount of work reshored without raising the government’s total cost. Directly drive reshoring by Made in America tax credit: Use subsidies, federal matching, and tax incentives to

make American products more competitive and incentivize companies to reshore and expand here. RI take: OK, but this plan is complicated and will be a boon for the lawyers and accountants needed to qualify companies for the incentives. Too often, U.S. manufacturing costs are 20 percent above Europe’s and 40 percent above China’s. A much more efficient approach would lower the USD 20 percent to 30 percent and making huge investments in skilled workforce to cut those price gaps. Ten percent offshoring tax penalty on overseas production sold in the U.S. RI take: OK, but this plan does not appear to apply to products purchased from other companies abroad. We recommend a change from a profit tax to a tariff, which then will also apply to purchased products and to products imported by non-U.S. companies. The impact on consumers will be the same. Public health effort of $400 Billion for vaccinations, testing, PPE, etc.

RI take: Good. This will make it easier to staff U.S. manufacturing. Strengthen the Affordable Care Act. RI take: Good. Put more emphasis on reducing the cost of medical care, which raises the cost of U.S. manufacturing. Cutting the U.S. cost to the German level would cut U.S. goods prices about 4 percent and reshore about 400,000 jobs. $50 billion to apprenticeship and other training programs. RI take: Agree. Most of the dollars should be in the form of apprenticeship grants or loans, not funding to bureaucratic programs. The training should prioritize the manufacturing skills the country needs more than the skills that a trainee wants to acquire. Change the government message to show that the career opportunities and income with an apprenticeship are as good as those with a university degree. The required recruitment will not occur if free university education is an alternative. Made in America product labeling: Crack down on false claims. RI take: Agree 100 percent.

Cutting the U.S. cost to the German level would cut U.S. goods prices about 4 percent and reshore about 400,000 jobs. Tax companies that are parking income in tax havens offshore. RI take: Agree. The key is to improve the system by which income is ascribed to different countries. Income needs to be taxed where products are made and sold, not where assets such as trademarks and other IP are stored. China and steel tariffs staying for now: Steel tariffs on allies likely to come off sooner. RI take: Agree, but it would be better to replace tariffs with a VAT (value added tax) on all imports as almost all other countries do.

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We have severe skills shortages, and 30 percent of all university degree holders are in jobs that do not need a degree. Biden Plans That Will Hinder Reshoring:

Strong U.S. dollar: Treasury Secretary Yellen: “The United States doesn’t seek a weaker currency to gain competitive advantage” Eliminating the USD’s approximately 20 percent overvaluation would drive 1 to 2 million manufacturing jobs to the U.S. Announce a gradual reduction in the value of the USD. Either buy other currencies or apply a Market Access Charge to foreign funds stored here in the form of USD. Raise minimum wage to $15/hr.: This will make some work not reshorable and will reduce the motivation for

low-paid service workers to seek more highly compensated manufacturing careers and for workers to obtain the training now needed to earn a $15 wage. It will increase automation. The Congressional Budget Office projects a 1.3 million job loss. As an alternative, we suggest massive expenditures to provide manufacturing skills training via apprenticeships, certificates and community colleges. Motivate many high school students to choose tech skills training instead of liberal arts university degrees. Raise the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent: This will decrease the ROI on U.S. capital investment, shifting investment offshore and will make inversions—moving headquarters offshore—look appealing again. It would be better to maintain the 21 percent rate or cut it further. Instead, raise the rate on individuals who make more than $1 million/year to recover the lost tax revenue. Companies are much more flexible in their plant location decisions than are individual taxpayers in their citizenship. Repeal right-to-work laws: The 27 states that have right to work laws were

responsible for 69 percent of the reshoring from 2010 to 2019. Do we want more jobs or fewer, but more union jobs? Lower eligibility for Medicare to 60: This will cause more workers to retire early, increasing the forecast shortage of 2 million mfg. workers. Instead, gradually raise eligibility to 70. Make college free for low-income families ($125,000 or less): Will shift more smart students from skills training and engineering to liberal arts degrees. We have severe skills shortages, and 30 percent of all university degree holders are in jobs that do not need a degree. Instead, offer free tuition for degrees in short supply (e.g., engineering and manufacturing) and apprenticeship loans to make apprenticeships affordable to companies and apprentices. Do nothing about products outsourced offshore: Biden’s plans all seem to deal with companies’ owned factories offshore. Most of the imports, especially from China, are produced by foreign OEMs or contract manufacturers. Solution: Make U.S. contract manufacturers more competitive via currency, skilled workforce, low tax rates or a VAT.

Conclusion

President Biden has the right objective: Add 5 million manufacturing jobs. He believes the objective is achievable. “Biden believes that American workers can outcompete anyone, but their government needs to fight for them.”* The Biden plan does not, however, include the elements to make his belief real by reducing U.S. costs by 20 percent versus offshore and assuring universal use of Total Cost of Ownership. Competitiveness requires a lower USD and motivating many more students to choose a manufacturing apprenticeship or engineering degree instead of a liberal arts degree. Unless he takes these actions, Biden will repeat Trump’s failure. The Reshoring Initiative is available to provide data and analysis to refine the Biden plan. n ©iStockphoto.com/ciricvelibor

Harry Moser is the president of the Reshoring Initiative. For more information on the organization and the total cost of ownership (TCO), visit www.reshorenow.org.

42 / SPRINGS / Spring 2021

Five Questions

WAFIOS Machinery Corp. Five Questions provides an opportunity for SMI associate members to tell the spring industry about the products and services they offer. In this edition, we talk with Bob Ackermann, vice president of engineering, WAFIOS Machinery Corp.

Can you tell us about the history of WAFIOS?

WAFIOS has been in business for more than 125 years and had its beginnings in 1893 when Ernst Wagner begin producing fence machines. This grew to include springmaking equipment with the introduction of the first 2-finger spring coiler in 1912. Later years brought expansion into tube bending, wire forming, chain, cold forming, wire straightening and thread rolling. WAFIOS offers a broad line of machine types, with many well outside the traditional springmaking arena. While many of these other products do not relate to springmakers, the broad expertise in wire forming allows knowledge acquired in other areas to be applied to springmaking.

What types of machinery do you offer to springmakers?

Bob Ackermann

WAFIOS has a wide range of products and offers springmakers machines that will manufacture compression, extension, torsion and other bent spring forms. We also offer equipment for grinding and testing of springs.

This issue of Springs revolves around advances in springmaking. What advances has WAFIOS been a part of over the last decade?

WAFIOS continually improves its machines. Over the past decade, WAFIOS has dramatically increased the speed of the spring coilers, added high performance camera systems for inspection, and developed the IQ series of add-in features to improve production and quality. We recently introduced the new “plus” series in our flagship FUL series coilers. This new model incorporates the latest control systems and offers the option to increase performance by using newer water-cooled drives and systems, to allow wire

feed speed up to 500 meter/min. This includes a payoff incorporating a CNC axis to ensure the wire is delivered to the machine with constant tension. We have continued to improve our camera technology, so that even at these speeds, measurements can be made to ensure quality. Another area of development is the IoT gateway and smart factory initiative. We are developing enhancements to our machines to allow easy monitoring and maintenance of machines, allowing customers to keep their machines running optimally and with less supervision.

Why did you establish the WAFIOS Midwest Technical Center just outside of Chicago?

We wanted to provide a centrally located and easily accessible location, to showcase our machines. The Chicago area provides both of these, and allows us to have customers easily travel from both coasts and Canada to see the latest innovations, work and train on actual machines and attend in-house “mini” shows that display the latest machines from the entire line of WAFIOS technologies.

Can you tell us about a recent challenge that you were able to solve for a customer?

The movement in the auto industry toward e-mobility will result in a paradigm shift in components required for automobiles in the future. As the internal combustion engine is replaced by electric motors, the parts required will change. WAFIOS has been watching this trend and has been developing new machinery to address this. A good example is the development of a “hair pin” forming machine for the stators of electric motors. We have retooled the FMU series of torsion spring machines, to allow production of these wireforms. This machine is very similar and familiar to existing customers and will allow easy transition into these new markets. We are also working on adapting our other machines to allow production of buss bars and fasteners for the automobile and battery industries. n WAFIOS Machinery Corp. 2700 Northeast Industrial Road Branford, CT 06405 203-871-2072 BobA@wafios.us www.wafios.us

SPRINGS / Spring 2021 / 43

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Springmaker Spotlight

have the time right now since we have several people out with COVID and we are trying to keep our customers happy.” In light of that, this edition of Springmaker Spotlight focuses on the pandemic, which has forced everyone to change how they do business. While everyone is still producing springs, wireforms and stampings for their customers, they have had to put together procedures to ensure the safety of their workforce. What was once unheard of is now commonplace, such as workers wearing masks, having their temperature checked on a regular basis and being socially distanced from their colleagues. Leadership has always been important when a crisis occurs, be it a fire, a market collapse, a customer setback or a pandemic. Considering that, I asked a few springmakers to answer the question: “How has the COVID-19 pandemic influenced your approach to work and leadership?”

Firmer on Rules

Leadership Lessons from COVID-19 By Gary McCoy, Managing Editor

ormally in this space we profile a spring manufacturing company in our industry. It’s an opportunity to tell the unique story about how and when the business started and the growth that has occurred. With COVID-19 having a crippling effect on our industry, it has been a challenge to put these articles together. The sentiment has often been, “I’d like to do help you, but I just don’t

When this first started to hit everyone in March 2020, we were fortunate that we did not have any cases impact our employees until the end of October. From October through the end of November, we had 21 positive cases out of 155 employees. One of the 21 people died. From the beginning, we have had staggered lunches and breaks, adjusted the start times for second shift to minimize the overlap of employees, purchased temperature monitoring devices and allowed employees to come and go through two main doors, closing off the other doors from outside access. I also have eliminated my weekly updates with all employees, reducing this down to just the supervisors and facilitators weekly. This is the hard information on changes. As far as my approach, it has caused me to be firmer on rules and

SPRINGS / Spring 2021 / 45

requirements. A lot of people do not want to wear masks, but it is not an option here. It has also caused us to increase the level of inventory we carry to ensure we can meet customer expectations. Chris Witham, President, Motion Dynamics Corporation, Fruitport, Michigan

A New Set of Leadership Skills It has been an interesting year for all of us. “We are all in this together” is the least correct statement I hear. Since each state is making up its own rules, it makes it very difficult for us to find common ground. And, with ever-changing rules and suggestions that are masked as rules, it takes the team time to figure out the correct moves on a weekly, if not daily, basis. So, when it comes to the working environment we must find a way to allow people to stay safe, but also allow them to have the freedom they wish for and need. You can put up absolute rules, but that can conflict with the culture of our business and team. It can conflict with the core values of the company. My job has changed to making sense of new rules and sorting out what can work and what can be harmful. Within our own state, the rules are different for each type of manufacturing. It depends on who has the most influence with our politicians. It has nothing to do with it being safe or helpful. In leading our team we have had to look at so many issues that we have never thought of in our space. Some of these are helpful because we have to consider so many variables. With a diverse workforce, there is so much to consider. The age of people seems to set the fear level set up by the media and our government. You would think the older people would have more fear, but the younger ones are equally fearful. It seems the more people watch the “news,” the more fear they feel and the more distrust they amplify. How do you use all of this? We have pushed our marketing plan to its highest

46 / SPRINGS / Spring 2021

To be a leader right now takes a new skill set that many of us have never had to use. We are running a business and navigating a political and world reality that is new and everchanging. We have to be strong and sensitive and intuitive and open to complete this new challenge. We must be stronger and smarter than we ever imagined.

level. Now is the time to get back our customers who have moved to foreign companies. We have to be there for our customers who have been forced to close. Once they reopen, we have to work with them to solve their issues of catching up with their production.We have to know that this could be a short-term “fix,” but we work to make their businesses come back to life. For the companies that have closed for good, we are working to help find new vendors to take on the old products. As far as raw materials and supply chains, we are all working harder than ever to find materials for our customers’ products. With so many mills and other suppliers working to capacity to keep up, it is going to be a hard road ahead to fill the needs of our customers. And with rising prices, it will take a new level of education for us and our customers as to what is the new reality. To be a leader right now takes a new skill set that many of us have never had to use. We are running a business and navigating a political and world reality that is new and ever-changing. We have to be strong and sensitive and intuitive and open to complete this new challenge. It is said it takes 21 days to form a new habit. We have been at this for far too many 21-day periods. Now we have to figure out what new habits are real and useful,

and what is dangerous and controlling. This isn’t over yet. Whatever it is we are moving toward is still a mystery. We must be stronger and smarter than we ever imagined. Scott Rankin, President, Vulcan Spring, Telford, Pennsylvania

Rethinking the Way We Do Things To say the COVID-19 pandemic has made operating a business very challenging may be the understatement of the year. More than 40 years of experience could not have prepared us for what was coming. Considered by our government to be an essential service, manufacturers such as ourselves had to quickly adapt in March 2020 to protect employees while continuing production. This certainly presented new management challenges every day, as we were scrambling to keep up with public health advice. Some of our largest customers in the automotive industry shut down for 12 weeks, so we quickly went to a four-day workweek to avoid layoffs. Eventually we were approved for the formal work

sharing program so our employees could collect EI on their days off. We were fortunate that nobody became ill and that the protocols we had put into place seemed to be working. We had to manage through several key employees having to stay home and self-quarantine when they came into contact with family members who returned from overseas or who did test positive. Every day we have to exercise caution and monitor our employees’ health while encouraging anyone who can work from home to do so. Thanks to our information technology department, we were able to quickly adapt to work at home [beginning] in March 2020, and this has continued and is even more important during the “second” wave. We have really had to think about the way we do things and ensure that our employees are practicing safe distancing, wearing masks and reporting to us if they don’t feel well. We developed a COVID19 policy which allows employees 50 percent of their salary if they need to stay home due to COVID-19. We believe this is going to be an ongoing challenge until everyone is vaccinated, and that could take 10 months or longer.

transmission in our facility, we have lost more than three production days in total due to infections and quarantining. Key employees being out really highlights training needs. We are reviewing each employee’s training to identify opportunities and gaps. Our employees have been willing to work in a variety of areas to do whatever it takes to keep parts going to suppliers.

Finally, our team has kept a positive attitude and been resilient every day. It truly takes us all to be successful — their hard work every day is appreciated. Rick Eitel, Chief Executive Officer/President, Duer/ Carolina Coil, Greer, South Carolina

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Creating a Post-COVID Business Plan What will your business look like once COVID-19 has passed? That question is the premise of a recent Harvard Business Review article by Dev Patnaik, Michelle Loret de Mola, and Brady Bates. The article summary states: “To plan for a post-pandemic world, businesses must understand what your stakeholders’ behaviors will look like after the pandemic. Some behaviors will return to their pre-crisis state; others will be transformed; and others will disappear entirely. Drawing on research into habit formation, technology adoption and behavioral economics, the authors offer a framework to help companies make reasonable predictions on what happens next.” It’s an article you might want to circulate and discuss with your leadership team. Visit https://hbr.org/2021/01/creating-a-post-covid-business-plan

Concern, Confusion and Contemplation My approach to COVID-19 was confusion, concern and contemplation. When the shutdowns began, my initial response was confusion. Are we essential? Are we not essential? Employees want to stay home, should they? Are we all going to die if we come to work? It didn’t take long to be told by multiple customers that we were essential, but there were still questions about whether the city, state and federal government and our employees felt the same way. My concern came from my responsibility for protecting and considering my

48 / SPRINGS / Spring 2021

employee’s health versus trying to keep the business running and not sacrificing our customer’s need for parts. After getting past the initial knee-jerk reaction, we were able to accomplish both well. Initially we didn’t mandate masks, we just monitored temperatures daily, stayed as distanced as possible, restricted visitors, etc. This worked well for many months. We had our first positive case in December 2020 and it was not contracted at work. We had our second case in January 2021 and it was also not contracted at work. It was then that we decided that the two cases were too many and we mandated masks. We have several employees with major underlying

conditions, so keeping everyone as safe as possible is my No. 1 concern. My contemplation was a result of all of the above. Your customers need, expect and, in some cases, make you feel it is required that you continue to service whatever their needs are, but in the long run, it is your people that matter most. My approach to leadership during this whole thing has just been to do my best to make wise decisions for my employees first and my customers second. Some of those decisions have been the hardest I have ever made. I say this because the information we were given almost changed daily, so you always questioned whether your leadership was right or wrong. I know one thing, I’m ready for it to be over! Phil Jones, President, Industrial Spring Corporation, North Kansas City, Missouri

Communicate Your Story We have been mindful of the basics, making sure that we continue to communicate our “story” to our employees, customers and suppliers. Relationship management is paramount. We’ve always communicated well with all these groups, but since COVID we have doubled down on this. Prior to COVID we had quarterly, all-employee meetings to go over where we are as a company and where we are headed. Since COVID came on the scene, we have held more meetings with employees, simply to reassure them that we are paying attention to their concerns and looking out for them. We’ve always had a clean workplace, but now it is even better post-COVID. We’ve invested a lot of money to help provide a safe workplace, emphasizing hygiene. Tim Bianco, President and CEO, Iowa Spring Manufacturing and Sales, Adel, Iowa

Respond, Evaluate, Get Ahead

Communication is Critical

Tough question, when there are no “How to Conduct Business during Pandemics for Dummies” books laying around. We have relied on discussions between our leadership team and trusted business advisors to plan for and manage difficult times. By talking through what we believe may be the best practice for the current situation, we came to a couple of bullet points that act as a very broad guideline on work and leadership. Respond: Grip the current situation with understanding and acceptance. Aim to make good decisions that bring steadiness and stability. Evaluate: What decisions are working, what haven’t we thought of that needs addressed, do we need to go in another direction or maintain our current heading? Get ahead: Did taking the necessary steps halt the impact of crisis? With luck and sound decisions, the pandemic may bring opportunity that you hope creates further value, rather than maintaining status quo.

Located in western Pennsylvania, Ace Wire Spring & Form Co., Inc. felt the impact of the pandemic early in 2020. Our governor declared a state of emergency on March 6, followed by school closures on March 16, and then a business closure/ stay-at-home order effective March 19. The business closure news had quickly spread through the manufacturing sector. After all, teleworking in our industry is as rare as a unicorn. We think we are essential, and we were fortunate that many of our customers agreed and made their thoughts known. We received emails right away stating unequivocally that “you are an essential supplier to us and we need you need to stay in operation.” We quickly scrambled to obtain masks, and we made the decision to stay open and support our customers and protect our employees. We quickly received a Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency letter designating us as essential. We made the announcement to all employees that we would stay open, and we authored and distributed “essential worker letters” for employees to carry. As head of our company’s COVID-19 team, I reinforced that communication with employees is always important, and it became critical during the heights of the pandemic, critical to maintaining a

Chris Fazio, President, Diamond Wire Spring Company, Glenshaw, Pennsylvania

Some employees wanted to go home, some out of fear of being infected, some because they had children at home, and some, just because. Balancing the need for manpower with empathy for employees and their families was, and remains, one of the biggest challenges of this period.

workforce and critical in assuring that management is paying attention. Critical to morale. Employees were confused. What were they supposed to do? Bits and pieces of information swirled through the plant floor. Some employees wanted to go home, some out of fear of being infected, some because they had children at home, and some, just because. Balancing the need for manpower with empathy for employees and their families was, and remains, one of the biggest challenges of this period. Leadership requires a team. A team whose trust comes through communications and actions that display sound reasoning, perseverance, flexibility, and compassion. Since the epidemic began, commercials, banners, and posters began appearing with phrases like “we’re all in this together” and “we’ll get through this together.” These became popular and optimistic phrases during difficult times. With the focus on lessons learned regarding work and leadership, after some thought it came back to the realization that teamwork, combined with proper leadership, leads to success, not just during a pandemic but throughout life in general. The implied/intended message is that yes, we are all in this (the pandemic) together. And that we have been in this (life in general) together for a long time. The formula for success hasn’t changed. Brian Durkin, Quality Manager, Ace Wire Spring & Form, McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania

Springs is always interested in what readers have to say about important industry topics. Let us know how COVID-19 has influenced your approach to work and leadership. Send your comments to gmccoy@fairwaycommunications.com. n

SPRINGS / Spring 2021 / 49

Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen Reviewed by Gary McCoy

“

o often we find ourselves reacting to problems, putting out fires, dealing with emergencies. We should shift our attention to preventing them.” That quote from the author of “Upstream,” Dan Heath, is a good summary of the book. This sounds like a quote about COVID19, but this book was written before the pandemic hit. I don’t think the approach he advocates for in the book would have prevented the pandemic. In fairness, I’m not sure anyone could have anticipated COVID19 and how to successfully deal with it. While I enjoyed this book and the more than 300 interviews the author conducted to source his material, I thought it fell short in its promise to solve problems before they happen. He gives numerous examples of ways people have applied simple concepts at upstream points to prevent downstream problems. A lot of the anecdotes did not always connect with me. Some of the approaches didn’t necessarily solve the problem or prevent it ahead of time, but instead helped put a dent in it. Living in the Chicago area for more 30 years, Heath cited the example of the Chicago Public Schools (officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299), where graduation rates were once below 50 percent. He tells the story of a team that identified factors that eventually elevated the graduation rate to 65 percent. That’s quite an accomplishment, but it still means 35 percent did not graduate. I agree with the author that having an “upstream thinking” mindset can help prevent downstream problems. He cites three barriers to overcome: Problem blindness (I don’t see the problem or, it seems inevitable), lack of ownership (that’s not my

problem to solve) and tunneling (I can’t deal with that right now). He cites seven questions to ask yourself to move to an upstream position. 1) How will you unite the right people? 2) How will you change the system? 3) Where can you find a point of leverage? 4) How will you get early warning of the problem? 5) How will you know you’re succeeding? 6) How will you avoid doing harm? 7) Who will pay for what does not happen? I was not familiar with Dan Heath before I read this book, but apparently he’s written several bestselling books with his brother, Chip. My quick scan of other reviews of “Upstream” showed that most people thought the book fell short and they

enjoyed other books co-written by the brothers such as “Decisive,” “Switch,” and “Made to Stick.” While “Upstream” fell short for me in its practical applications, it’s still a book that most will enjoy, and a deep dive into the authors seven questions will get you thinking about ways to solve problems before they start. n

Have a favorite business book you would like to tell us about or review? Send your suggestions to Springs managing editor Gary McCoy at gmccoy@fairwaycommunications.com.

SPRINGS / Spring 2021 / 51

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Global CTE News Highlights East Texas Program Helps Bridge Skills Gap

rograms have sprung up across the U.S. to help bridge the manufacturing skills gap. Not only do career technical education (CTE) training programs cater to recent high school graduates, but they also offer training to adults who are seeking a new career. The East Texas Manufacturing Academy (ETxAMA) in Longview, Texas serves as a training center for local industry by providing a gateway to industry certifications, associate’s and bachelor’s degrees, as well as an adult education center for retraining the workforce. Kilgore College (KC) announced in January 2021 that it would add a basic machine shop course at the ETxAMA to its continuing education offerings.

The 96-hour course, offered through the KC Continuing Education program, covers the use of precision measuring tools and blueprint reading, as well as basic lathe, mill and grinder usage. Cost of the course is $350. A news release issued by the organizations said the collaboration between key stakeholders and ETxAMA, KC and the Longview Chamber of Commerce have brought about increased utilization of the ETxAMA as an adult education delivery site, to bridge the gaps with employers and academia. In 2020, this collaboration began developing strategies and tactics to address these gaps. “These are skillsets that will enable graduates to be qualified for good paying

jobs, enabling a good life in our community. The objective of this collaboration is to grow manufacturing skills to supply capabilities for the existing East Texas Industry base, attract new industry and provide students with pathways to industrial jobs that will earn competitive wages,” said Kelly Hall, president/CEO of the Longview Chamber of Commerce. To learn more, visit etxama.org. n

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54 / SPRINGS / Spring 2021 ®Trade name of Special Metals Group of Companies. †Trade name of Aperam Alloys Imphy. ˘Trade name of Haynes International. *Trade name of SPS Technologies.

Safety Webinars with Dr. Laura Helmrich-Rhodes

MI’s regulatory compliance consultant Dr. Laura Helmrich-Rhodes was scheduled to present four webinars during 2021 to assist the spring industry. Two of the webinars were already conducted, in February on “OSHA under the President Biden Administration: Back to the Future or a Whole New Era?” and in March on “Creating Your Own In-House Training Programs in the COVID Era.” Still to come this year is “Advanced Accident Investigation Techniques,” on Tuesday, April 27. This webinar is appropriate for safety coordinators/managers, and engineers/technical employees. “This will focus on what your company needs to do to formalize the accident investigation process, retention of evidence and records,” explained Helmrich-Rhodes. “An overview of pros and cons of more advanced investigation techniques such as Root Cause Analysis, Barrier Analysis, and Fault Tree Analysis will be presented.” The Tuesday, May 18, webinar will tackle “Leading and Lagging Indicators.” “Measuring your safety, health

and environmental efforts to determine if you are meeting or exceeding your goals are necessary, but what metrics have real meaning in those areas, and which can help you to lead your organization to the health and safety culture you aspire?,” said Helmrich-Rhodes. Helmrich-Rhodes is a former member of Pennsylvania OSHA Consultation. In addition to her work with SMI, Helmrich-Rhodes is an associate professor in the Safety Sciences Department at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she teaches graduate and undergraduate classes on topics such as OSHA standards, safety communications, workers’ compensation and human relations. The registration fee per webinar is $129 for each computer terminal for nonmembers. All webinars are complimentary for SMI members, but registration is required. All seminars are scheduled for one hour and begin at 1 p.m. Eastern, Noon Central, 11 a.m. Mountain and 10 a.m. Pacific time. For complete details and to register, contact Dina Sanchez at dina@smihq.org.

SMI Annual Convention In Arizona Will Be Held in 2022 Due to the ongoing challenges related to COVID-19, the SMI executive committee announced in January that the 2021 SMI Annual Convention would be postponed until 2022. The meeting will be held at the Hyatt Regency Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale (the original 2021 location) from April 22–April 26, 2022. “While disappointing, we felt this is the best decision for SMI,” said SMI executive director Lynne Carr.

SPRINGS / Spring 2021 / 55

Inside SMI

Spring Design Training Update Virtual training classes continue to be a popular option for students as COVID-19 challenges the way business is conducted. SMI’s spring design training program is off to a good start in 2021. Already in 2021 the 203 Torsion Spring Design class was offered online in January, the 202 Extension Spring Design class in February and the 201 Compression Spring Design class in March. Two advanced classes, 301 Springs – Fatigue and 304 Springs – Dimensioning, Tolerancing and Testing are currently being developed by members of the SMI Technical Committee. Basic (200 series courses) and advanced (300 series courses) future class offerings include: • 203 Torsion Spring Design April 22, 2021 • 202 Extension Spring Design May 20, 2021

SMI Mourns Passing of Joe Goldberg

56 / SPRINGS / Spring 2021

• 201 Compression Spring Design June 24, 2021 • 301 Springs - Fatigue Spring – Summer 2021 • 304 Springs - Dimensioning, Tolerancing and Testing Spring – Summer 2021 It is recommended that students complete the 200 level courses before signing up for the 300 level advances courses. SMI’s training program consists of three fundamental, seven basic, and four advanced spring design training classes. Fundamentals courses were developed with new hires and non-technical staff in mind. Basic classes are designed to meet the needs of production and technical staff, including engineers, designers, and inspectors. Advanced courses address a higher level of expertise for engineers, designers, and other technical staff. The SMI technical committee, in conjunction with Rick Gordon, SMI’s technical director and Gary Van Buren, SMI’s technical advisor, have worked together to develop these programs.

SMI mourns the death of Joseph H. Goldberg, age 91, March 7, 2021. Goldberg was the husband of Sheila R. Goldberg; father of Steven, Rick, Brett and Judd; grandfather of nine; great-grandfather of one. Goldberg loved his golf game, and anything related to his 84 years as a member of Twin Orchard Country Club in Long Grove, Illinois. Goldberg was the owner of International Spring Company in Morton Grove, Illinois for more than 52 years and an active member of SMI and CASMI. Goldberg served on both boards of directors and is a former CASMI president. In a Summer 2016 Springs magazine “Springmaker Spotlight,” Goldberg said the business philosophy he followed is what he described as “simple.” “We make high-quality products at competitive prices with an on-time

Two fundamentals training modules, “Spring Fundamentals” and “Overview of Springmaking Materials,” are available to the public on the SMI website: www. smihq.org. Courses are organized as focused, realworld spring design training programs combining basic spring design content for each spring type with practical handson use of SMI’s world-famous Advanced Spring Design 7 (ASD7) software. For each spring type, students will learn: • The seven-step spring design process • Definitions and terminology • Design theory • Design stress analysis • How to input engineering design data into the ASD7 software • Important ASD7 tolerancing criteria Classes benefit students by increasing their spring design knowledge, and benefit their company by having an SMI trained associate as part of their team. For more information, visit www. smihq.org or contact Dina Sanchez at dina@smihq.org. n

delivery record. We treat all our customers as if they are part of our team and our company, and we are fair to all of our employees, all the time,” explained Goldberg. “It’s very simple, ‘Treat people as people.’” Goldberg started college scholarships for young employees at Twin Orchard Country Club, and was influential in getting scholarship programs started at both SMI and CASMI. At SMI, Goldberg sponsored the International Spring Scholarship, which annually awards two students $2,000 each. Goldberg also initiated a special needs program at Temple Jeremiah in Northfield, Illinois. In his obituary, the family said, “Joe will be in heaven creating a new Twin Orchard Country Club for all his friends who will eventually arrive. He was a great guy and will be dearly missed.”

Inside SMI

Calendar of Key Events for the Global Spring Industry 2021

Oct. 7–9 11th International Congress of Springs Barcelona, Spain www.federnverband.com

June 8–10 wire Russia Moscow, Russia www.wire-russia.com

October 26–27 WAI InterWire Atlanta, Georgia https://wirenet.org/events/interwire

Sept. 22–24 wire Southeast Asia Bangkok, Thailand www.wire-southeastasia.com

2022

Sept. 28–30 2021 SMI Metal Engineering eXpo South Point Resort and Casino, Las Vegas www.metalengineeringexpo.org

April 22–26 SMI Annual Meeting Hyatt Regency Gainey Ranch, Scottsdale, Arizona www.smihq.org

Sept. 30–Oct. 1 ISO/TC 227 – Springs South Point Resort and Casino, Las Vegas www.iso.org/committee/369318.html

May 9–13 wire and Tube 2022 Düsseldorf, Germany www.wire-tradefair.com/en

Oct. 5–7 Wire South America São Paulo Expo Exhibition & Convention Center, São Paulo, Brazil www.wire-south-america.com

Oct. 5–7 SpringWorld 2022 Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, Illinois www.casmi-springworld.org

Send Us Your News SMI members get priority placement for their product, company, personnel and events announcements in the magazine. Your news releases should be roughly 50 to 100 words and may be accompanied by color photos (high-resolution JPEG photos at 300 dpi preferred). Send to dina@ smihq.org.

Spring Tooling for All Machines Complete line of carbide and steel tooling for the spring industry. Machines • Fenn (TORIN) • Itaya • MEC • Samuel • Sleeper & Hartley • Additional Machines – A.I.M. – ASAHI – Bamatec (Schenker) – Baird – Bobbio – E.N. Machine (Ming) – Simplex – Wafios

naspringtool.com 860-583-1693

Line of carbide and steel tooling include… • Arbors/Mandrels • Block Guides • Body Tools • Caps • Coiling Tools • Cutting Tools • Feed Rolls • Guides/Liners • Pencil Arbors • Pitch Tools • Quills

169 WHITE OAK DRIVE BERLIN, CT 06037

SPRINGS / Spring 2021 / 57

One Source. Many Solutions.

Gibraltar.

SAS SPRING TESTERS Gibraltar is now representing SAS Spring Testers! SAS specializes in the design, manufacturing, and support of a full line of spring testing equipment. SAS is big enough to offer a full line of testers, but is small enough where the support is provided by the owners.

SAS T-20 TORSION SPRING TESTER

SAS CT-2000 COMPRESSION SPRING TESTER

DELTA 8 AXIS CNC COILER SERIES 8 AXES CNC COILER

DELTA DOWN FEED GRINDER SERIES

D-808 .004-.039”/0.10-1.00mm D-826 .039-.118”/1.00-3.0mm (Shown)

Single and double down feed grinders from 7”-36” grinding stones

Michael Shapiro, Janet Montes, Yuval Terem mshapiro@gibraltar8.com | 847-383-5442 1945 Techny Road, Unit 5, Northbrook, IL 600062

Committee Connection ISO/TC 227 – Springs Meeting Scheduled for This Fall

lans are continuing for SMI to host the 2021 ISO/TC227 Springs meetings in conjunction with the SMI Metal Engineering eXpo from Sept. 30 to Oct. 1, 2021 at the South Point Resort and Casino, Las Vegas. SMI serves as the technical advisory group to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for ISO/TC227. The role of the U.S. delegation is essential to ensuring that the interests of American spring manufacturers, designers, and consumers are represented in international standards development. In the past, attendees from the nine producing-member countries (China, Germany, Italy, France, United Kingdom, United States, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand) have attended the meetings. The three active working groups include: Working Group 2 is responsible for the development of the new ISO standard “Springs – Measurement and Test

Parameters – Part 1: Cold Formed Cylindrical Helical Compression Springs.” Working Group 3 is responsible for the development of the new ISO standard “Springs – Measurement and Test Parameters – Part 2: Cold Formed Cylindrical Helical Extension Springs.” Working Group 4 is responsible for the development of a new ISO standard “Springs – Measurement and Test Parameters – Part 3: Torsion Springs.” The delegation from China is leading the development of this new standard. Due to COVID-19, the 2020 ISO/TC 227 meetings were held virtually for the first time from Sept. 16-18, 2020. The U.S. delegation for the ISO/TC 227 meetings is led by Tom Armstrong, chairman of Duer/Carolina Coil and Rick Gordon, SMI’s technical director. Anyone interested in participating in the ISO standards process should contact either Gordon at c.richard.gordon@ gmail.com or Armstrong at toma@dccoil.com. n

FIVES, A LEADER IN SPRING GRINDING ABRASIVE TECHNOLOGY GARDNER ABRASIVES: — Custom engineered — Consistent manufacturing process — Higher speeds & stock removal rates — Advanced bond technology — Over 110 years of abrasive expertise Visit us at th smi me e tal enginee ring exp o Booth 6 19 www.fivesgroup.com — Cutting Tools | Abrasives E: cuttingtools.abrasives@fivesgroup.com - Concord Twp., Ohio - South Beloit, Illinois - USA

Fives_.5 p. _hor_.25 bleed_.25_margin_2019 Summer.indd 1

4/23/2019 4:55:59 PM

SPRINGS / Spring 2021 / 59

Thinking Wave Springs? Think

All Around Spring Machine Manufacturer

The pen tells the story:

Okuno Machine Co.

• One of the most respected names in spring making • SUCCESFULLY making wave springs for over 20 years • Third generation high speed machines! • All sizes wave springs and wave washers • Set and Forget – long run accuracy • Quick, Easy Tooling Set Up

Call or email for your free copy of our complete product DVD Outstanding Sales and Service in the Americas:

106 Ninth Street North Brigantine, NJ 08203 USA Tel: (609) 266-0200 Fax: (609) 266-9079 www.MaguireMachinery.com Jim@MaguireMachinery.com

Okuno Machine Co., LTD 48-2, Sakamoto-cho, Izumi-city Osaka, Japan 594-0052 Tel: 81 (725) 43-7111 Fax: 81 (725) 45-3111 www.Okunomc.co.jp

AVR300 Multi-Sensor Vision System The L.S. Starrett Company has enhanced its AVR300 Multi-Sensor Vision System with a 0.14 magnification lens featuring the largest field of view to date for Starrett on the AVR Series at 2.36” x 1.90” (60 mm x 48 mm). For greater efficiency and accuracy, more of the part can be viewed in every image on the new AVR-FOV 0.14X system. Due to “superimage” technology, which allows multiple images to be stitched together to form one larger image, together with the system’s touch probe technology, the AVR-FOV 0.14X can accurately inspect a wide range of features on large or complex parts, as well as on multiple small parts. The AVR-FOV 0.14X automated parts program deliver accurate results to the

micron level in a matter of seconds with “Go/ No-Go” tolerance zones, and data are provided in one easy-to-interpret report. These features allow metrology users in manufacturing facilities or QC labs to produce accurate, fast and repeatable results. Equipped with the M3 software package from MetLogix, a traditional mouse as well as a touch screen monitor make user interaction easy and intuitive. Auto part recognition enables creating a part measurement program that comprises the desired features of a part for inspection, which can automatically be saved in the system or to a network. Programmable light output options can be built into the

program as defined steps, including being called up as the part recognition program initiates. Once the program is created, placing that part within the camera’s fieldof-view allows for the saved program to initiate and run the inspection. A Renishaw Touch Probe may also be utilized for quick acquisition of discreet points along a part’s profile as well as Z-axis measurements. The AVR-FOV 0.14X has an X-Y-Z travel of 12” x 8” x 8” (300mm x 200mm x 200mm). The Starrett AVR-FOV 0.14X Multi-Sensor Vision System is made in the U.S. Visit www.starrett.com/metrology/ product-detail/AVR-FOV%200.14 for more information or view a video at https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=ZRFEhlxxYLQ.

SPRINGS / Spring 2021 / 61

New Products

DataSure® 4.0 Starrett has also introduced DataSure® 4.0, an advanced wireless data collection system for acquiring precision measurement data. The system features unprecedented range and data security, multiple gateways, compact size and high speed. “Using the very latest technology, our new DataSure 4.0 system enables manufacturers to leverage digital manufacturing for Industry 4.0 by reliably utilizing measurement data to the fullest extent,” said Emerson Leme, vice president, Industrial Products, North America at Starrett. The new Starrett DataSure 4.0 System operates on the latest wireless networking technology that uses short-wave radio frequencies to interconnect cell phones, computers and wireless electronic devices, enabling much faster speed, greater bandwidth and longer range for higher data throughput. For more information on Starrett DataSure 4.0, visit www.starrett.com/datasure4. n

PCR50 Rotary Parts Collector HSI Machinery and FSI announce the addition of the new PCR50 Rotary Parts Collector. a The PCR50 utilizes a rotating swing chute to collect springs, stampings, screws, bolts or other small parts into different cartons or bins. Features of the PCR50 include automatic lot control for defective parts; scheduled bin changing by quantity or time (by weight is also possible); connection with the manufacturing machine for automatic operation; applications for springs, stamping, screws and plastic parts; and a swing chute that rotates 360 degrees to collect and load the parts into different cartons or bins. For additional information, contact Forming Systems, Inc. at info@formingsystemsinc.com or 269-679-3557. n

62 / SPRINGS / Spring 2021

New Products

Send Us Your News SMI members get priority placement of their product news. News releases should be roughly 50 to 100 words and may be accompanied by color photos (HiRes .JPEG at 300 dpi preferred). Send to dina@smihq.org.

Advertisers Index A & D Trading (440) 563-5227. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Admiral Steel (800) 323-7055 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Alloy Wire International (866) 482-5569. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 CASMI www.casmi-springworld.org. . . . . . 44 Diamond Wire Spring Co. (800) 424-0500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Dispense Works (815) 363-3524. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Fenn (860) 259-6600 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Fives Group www.fivesgroup.com . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Forming Systems Inc. (877) 594-4300 . . . . . . . . . . back cover Gibbs Wire & Steel Co. Inc. (800) 800-4422 . . . . inside back cover Gibraltar (847) 383-5442. . . . . . . . . . . . . .12, 58

Industrial Steel & Wire (800) 767-0408. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Interwire Products Inc. (914) 273-6633. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 JN Machinery (224) 699-9161. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 John Evans’ Sons (215) 368-7700. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Larson Systems (763) 780-2131. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Maguire Machinery (609) 266-0200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Mapes Piano String Co. (423) 543-3195. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 NIMSCO (563) 391-0400. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 North American Spring Tool (860) 583-1693. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Proto Manufacturing (800) 965-8378 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Radcliff Wire (860) 583-1305. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

RK Trading (847) 640-9371. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Simplex Rapid (563) 391-0400. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 SMI CA, Inc (562) 926-9407. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Spring Manufacturers Institute (630) 495-8588. . . . . inside front cover Starrett starrett.com/springs. . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Tool King (847) 537-2881. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 United Wire (800) 840-9481 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Vinston (847) 972-1098. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Vulcan Spring & Manufacturing Co. (215) 721-1721. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 WAFIOS (203) 481-5555. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Zapp Precision Strip (203) 386-0038 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

SPRINGS / Spring 2021 / 63

Craig Watterson FENN Name: Craig Watterson Company name, city and country: FENN, East Berlin, Connecticut. Brief history of your company: FENN is a 120-year-old manufacturing company that designs and builds metalforming machinery for a wide range or industries and applications. Job title: Sales Manager. Spring industry affiliations: SMI, CASMI, PMA.

The Watterson family (l-to-r): Rosie, Craig, Nicola, and Isla.

Birthplace: Aberdeen, Scotland.

Favorite song/musician: My favorite band is the Stone Roses, but my favorite song is “Whatever” by the band Oasis.

being positive about how we can do something rather than how we can’t do something.

Current home: North Haven, Connecticut.

Hobbies: Golfing, snowboarding and cooking.

If I weren’t working at FENN, I would like to: Play golf.

Family: My wife Nicola, who is also from Scotland, is a kindergarten teacher in New Haven. I have two daughters, a 5-year-old, Isla and a 10-month-old, Rosie.

Favorite places: I love Southeast Asia, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. I was lucky enough to live in Australia for a period of time, which was a great experience. I also lived in Holland; I love Amsterdam. In the U.S. I took a golf trip to Oregon; the Pacific Northwest is unbelievable.

The most difficult business decision I ever had to make was: Not necessarily a business decision, but a career decision to take a job in another country.

What I like most about being a springmaker: Unfortunately, I am not a springmaker. I wish I had that level of skill and technical aptitude. However, I am enjoying getting to know and learning from some of the springmakers in our industry. Favorite food: I guess I should say Haggis (which I love), but probably Indian food. Favorite books/authors: With golf being a passion of mine, I am a big fan of John Feinstein, who has written some great golf books. I also really like the book “A Course Called Scotland” by Tom Coyne, and I like reading some self-awareness books. 64 / SPRINGS / Spring 2021

Best times of my life: Becoming a father. It’s a cliché, but true. I am also grateful for getting the opportunities to live in different places, travel extensively, and meet a lot of different people from different walks of life. A really great evening to me is: In the summertime, getting to play golf. But currently, it is getting the baby off to sleep, which is not always successful. My most outstanding qualities are: I think I’m pretty good as a team player, fostering relationships that are beneficial to both parties. I’m good at

I wonder what would have happened if: I had not decided to relocate to the U.S. Role models: My dad. I have also been lucky enough to have numerous past bosses and mentors. I had a college roommate, who went on to represent Ireland in triathlon at the Olympics. I was so impressed by the level of commitment and dedication he showed and the mental strength to come back again and again from any setbacks. I would like to be remembered in the spring industry for: Selling lots of Torin spring coilers. But people will probably remember me for: My strange accent and my perfect attendance at the golf outings.

A MEMBER OF

Springs, Spring 2021 Vol 60 No 2

Articles inside

New Products

Book Corner

Inside SMI

Committee Connection

CTE News

Snapshot

Biden Versus Trump on Reshoring: A Review, and a Critique

2021 Metal Engineering eXpo Moves Forward

Five Manufacturing Trends to Watch

Dean of Springs

Advances in Springmaking

Advances in Springmaking Materials

Collaborative Robots on the Rise

Be Aware Safety Tips

Flashback

President’s Message