FALL 2020
THE INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE OF SPRING MANUFACTURE
A Publication of the Spring Manufacturers Institute / Vol. 59, No. 4
Impo r when tant cons i force testing sp derations r syste ms ings with page 33
ck: ight a shb ou m ing 9 a l F w y spr e 3 Ho vent pag pre lures fai
How to do things
Loose el e connect ctrical ion wreak h s can a conveyor voc in ovens page 36
How to and cus prioritize com tomer s m ervice unication page 32
Ho hel w a g cus ped ood pa tome solve neig ge hbo r 3I dile a r mm a
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We Are Here For You. We’ve missed being able to personally see you, shake your hand, and thank you for your continued support. It’s always been the personal relationships that have driven the success of your business and ours. But our service infrastructure is still operating at full steam. There’s no instruction manual for how to feel during a time like this. Our long history of values and relationships move us to encourage you to stay safe, stay healthy and continue to care for each other. And finally, we’d like to salute the unselfish heroes who keep emerging during this pandemic, including first responders, medical workers, and those courageous souls who put their lives at risk to save others. We look forward to seeing you soon. All your friends at The InterWire Group
1-800-699-6633 www.interwiregroup.com
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
How I Learned to Do Things This issue of Springs is focused on the topic of “How To Do Things,” which drove me to reflect on how I learned to do things and how we all learn to do things, picking up different skills and experiences at different parts of our journey. I thought about the various mentors and coaches that have passed through our lives at one time or another, helping us learn and understand the world around us. From recreational sports coaches to professors in college, from professional mentors in our career through learning to be a parent, we have been guided along our journey through life with coaching and mentoring from those that we look up to and trust. Like many of us, my very first mentors were my parents. I was blessed that my father was a graduate from West Point and imparted strong core operating values in me at a very young age. My father’s simple principles of integrity, respect, and continuous learning have stuck with me to this day and have proved to be invaluable lessons. He always taught me to seek out those that are smarter and more experienced, to study and learn from them, to observe what attributes or skills lead to their success. I took this to heart in constantly seeking out mentorship from those older, wiser, and further along in their journey than I, always trying to soak up whatever I could learn from them and their experiences. We have instilled these same core values in our family business here at Precision Coil Spring, with continuous learning and continuous improvement being the foundation of our culture. We want everyone to share in the wealth of knowledge that has accumulated within our individual team members, respective departments, and collective organization over the decades of our springmaking history. We have even built an apprentice program in which our most skilled springmakers pass their knowledge on to future generations, with both the apprentice and the mentor being rewarded at each progressive step in their learning ladder. The clear objective is to use our hands-on experience in metal fabrication to educate and prepare future generations of springmakers for success. It is our sincere hope that the apprentices recognize the value of this mentorship and are able to grow and flourish in learning under the guidance of their experienced mentor. Whether it be technical job skills or how to discipline your first child, we always look to those further ahead on the same journey for advice and direction. Hopefully, we are all lucky enough to have someone we look up to and trust to guide us along the way as we learn from life’s various trials and tribulations. Cheers! Bert Goering
2 / SPRINGS / Fall 2020
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, David DeVoe, Plymouth 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; Fax: (630) 495-8595; Web site www.smihq.org. Address all correspondence and editorial materials to this address. The editors and publishers of Springs disclaim all warranties, express or implied, with respect to advertising and editorial content, and with respect to all manufacturing errors, defects or omissions made in connection with advertising or editorial material submitted for publication. The editors and publishers of Springs disclaim all liability for special or consequential damages resulting from errors, defects or omissions in the manufacturing of this publication, any submission of advertising, editorial or other material for publication in Springs shall constitute an agreement with and acceptance of such limited liability. The editors and publishers of Springs assume no responsibility for the opinions or facts in signed articles, except to the extent of expressing the view, by the fact of publication, that the subject treated is one which merits attention. Do not reproduce without written permission. Cover image: ©iStockphoto.com/anilakkus
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Contents
31 FEATURES 28 How to Do Things By Gary McCoy
31 How a Good Neighbor Helped Solve a Customer Dilemma By David DeVoe
32 How To Prioritize Communication and Customer Service
By John Higgins
33 Important Considerations When Testing Springs with Force Systems 36 Loose Electrical Connections Can Wreak Havoc in Conveyor Ovens By Daniel Pierre III
39 Flashback
The Five Top Causes of Spring Failures and How You Might Prevent Them By Luke Zubek
43 Beyond the Conference Call: 4 Meeting Technologies Every Team Needs By Elise Keith
46 Four Things That Do Not Change for Recruiting and Hiring During a Crisis By Jeremy Eskenazi
48 Insurance Upset: COVID-19 Forces a New Look at Policies
DEPARTMENTS 2 President’s Message
How I Learned to Do Things
7 Global Highlights
By Phillip M. Perry
10 Regional Spring Association Report
COLUMNS
53 Five Questions
13 Be Aware Safety Tips
DIY: Meeting OSHA’s Employee Safety Training Mandates in the COVID-19 Era By Laura Helmrich-Rhodes
17 Dean of Springs
Do You Know Your Quality Numbers? By Dan Sebastian
19 Technically Speaking
Forming Systems, Inc.
55 Springmaker Spotlight
Becoming an Industry Character: A Profile of Damon Kaufman and Stalder Spring By Gary McCoy
61 Book Corner 63 CTE News
Types of Tests Used to Characterize Spring Materials— Part 4: Hardness Testing By C. Richard Gordon
65 Inside SMI
25 Spring Design Tips and Tricks
71 Advertisers’ Index
Black Magic and the Conical Spring Design By Gary Van Buren
4 / SPRINGS / Fall 2020
55
67 Committee Connection 69 New Products
72 Snapshot
Jennelle Carlier, S3 Wireform Inc.
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G 660 Technical Data Wire Diameter Outer Spring Diameter max Spring Length max Spindle Power Grinding Wheel Diameter Wheel Peripheral Speed Loading Plate Speed
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Engineered for What’s Next WAFIOS Machinery Corporation 27 NE Industrial Road, Branford, CT 06405 WAFIOS Midwest Technical Center 9830 W. 190th Street, Mokena, IL 60448 USA www.wafios.us / 203 481 5555 / sales@wafios.us Canada www.wafios.ca / sales@wafios.ca WAFIOS Machinery Corporation is a subsidiary of WAFIOS AG
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Global Highlights North America Maryland Precision Spring has achieved AS9100D and ISO 9100:2015 certification. AS9100 registration is an aviation, space and defense quality standard, based on the ISO9001 quality management system and supported by the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG). “Certification to the demanding standards required by AS9100 proves our commitment to the aerospace market,” explained Mark Caldwell, engineering manager, Maryland Precision Spring. Caldwell states that customers can expect to receive superior product conformity and reliability, highly accurate documentation, and streamlined processes compared to non-certified suppliers. Ultimately, waste is reduced, and overall costs are lowered by utilizing suppliers who are AS9100 certified. “AS9100 certification is a requirement to remain in and to grow within the aerospace and defense markets. Our customers asked us to do this and we listened,” said Caldwell. Maryland Precision Spring has manufactured custom components to the aerospace and general industrial markets for more than 40 years. The company excels at application
engineering support, consignment and Kan-Ban inventory, EDM prototyping production, in-house heat treating/tool shop and special packaging. The company says its rapid response, combined with the quality assurance of the AS9100 certification, ensures its continued position as a trusted supplier within the aerospace and defense industries. Partner, owner and CFO Michael Curran and Sharon Grzyb, accounting manager, officially retired from Mid-West Spring on July 31, 2020. Curran had been with the company since 1995. In 2008, he became part owner along with president C.J. Overmyer and Jeffrey Ellison, who retired in 2016. Grzyb was with the company since 1969, and “faithfully served Mid-West Spring’s accounting needs for 51 years.” With these retirements, Mid-West Spring’s corporate offices have moved from Romeoville, Illinois to Mentone, Indiana. Overmyer stated, “Please join us in wishing both Michael and Sharon a happy and healthy retirement.”
International Janet Smith has retired as a wire specialist after 28 years at Alloy Wire International (AWI). Smith started as a part-time wire technician, responsible for annealing precision flat wire and re-spooling in 1991 and playing an instrumental role in the firm’s growth to a global supplier of alloys to 55 countries across the world. Respected for her knowledge of everything AWI, Smith cites her favorite memories as being part of the team that supported
Janet Smith
the management buyout in 1999 and assisting in the relocation to its current premises in Narrowboat Way in Brierley Hill. She says that she will miss the day-to-day conversations and laughs with other staff members, but will spend time pampering herself, enjoying lots of sunny holidays and cruises and helping out with her two grandchildren. Mark Venables, managing director at AWI, concluded: “Janet was a real ‘mother hen’ figure to everyone in the factory and her loyalty, enthusiasm and sense of humor will be deeply missed. Everyone wishes her a very happy and healthy retirement. She also knows she can always pop in and see us if she misses seeing how wire is being produced!” Alloy Wire International is one of the U.K.’s leading manufacturers of round, flat and profile wire, with its 60-strong range featuring medical suitable materials including Phynox, MP35N, Stainless 316LVM, Nickel 200 & 201 and Inconels. With the implementation of new hygiene and infection protections, Messe Düsseldorf was scheduled to resume trade fair operations at Caravan Salon, the world’s leading trade fair for motorhomes and caravans at its home base in Düsseldorf, Germany from Sept. 4–13, 2020. CEO Wolfram N. Diener said, “We offer all prerequisites for safe and successful trade fairs in times of Corona.” SPRINGS / Fall 2020 / 7
Global Highlights
Following the lockdown in spring, trade fairs and congresses in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) have been able to take place again since May 31, 2020, under certain conditions. Other Düsseldorf events on the agenda for this year include the trade fair duo for wires, cables, pipes and tubes, wire and Tube (Dec. 7 – 11). According to the company, the hygiene and infection protection concept for the Düsseldorf exhibition center enables relevant industry platforms to take place with the greatest possible protection for exhibitors, visitors, partners and employees. It ensures the necessary health precautions, hygiene measures and distance regulations and includes measures for headcount and space management as well as hygiene, technical and organizational measures that the state government has established for the operation of congresses and trade fairs. The basis is the current Corona protection ordinance of the state of NRW. The gradual easing of international travel restrictions is supporting the resumption of trade fair operations. Following the first border openings within Europe, the German federal government has been gradually lifting restrictions on entries from non-EU countries since July 1, 2020. Such initiatives will benefit the world’s leading trade fairs in Düsseldorf, which are characterized by a particularly high level of international participation. In 2019, this was 73.4 percent for exhibitors and 37.1 percent for visitors.
8 / SPRINGS / Fall 2020
Diener, CEO of Messe Düsseldorf since July 1, 2020, emphasizes in particular the significance for the exhibiting industries: “All signs are pointing to new beginnings. Companies now need platforms to present themselves and their innovations, to network and to jointly set the course for the future. With our world-leading trade fairs, we are creating the best conditions for this. Our hygiene and infection protection standards ensure that the safety and health of our exhibitors, visitors, partners and employees are protected in the best possible way. We are ready.” Also organized by Messe Dusseldorf, Tube China, International Tube & Pipe Industry Trade Fair, will be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC) from Sept. 23 – 26, 2020, under strict hygiene and distance regulations mandated by the Chinese health and safety authorities. Since April, almost 100 percent of Chinese industrial companies have resumed production, with trade fairs playing an important role as promoters of national economic growth. So far, 340 international exhibitors have registered for Tube China 2020. Tube China 2020 will feature country group exhibits from Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. For further information contact Messe Düsseldorf North America at 312-781-5180; Email: info@mdna.com; Visit www. tubechina.net/en and www.mdna.com or through Twitter at www.twitter.com/mdnachicago. n
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NESMA News
New Manufacturing Czar
By Jim Mintun, Gibbs
Scholarships Awarded The New England Spring and Metalstamping Association (NESMA) is pleased to announce our 2020 $1,000 scholarships were awarded to two fine candidates from the 2020 graduating class at Bristol Eastern High School in Bristol, Connecticut. Our first award is designated for a graduating senior attending high school in a New England state (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) and pursuing a degree in engineering. The award was presented to Osama Ahmed, who will attend the University of Connecticut in the fall to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. Our second award is granted to a graduating senior, currently enrolled student or student returning to school who is a child or grandchild of an employee or owner of a NESMA member company in good standing. The recipient of this award was Alyssa Lavoie, who plans to attend Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut in the fall to pursue a degree as a physician assistant, specializing in cardiovascular surgery or neurosurgery, and possibly a doctorate in medical science. Alyssa is the daughter of Dennis Lavoie, an employee at Southington Tool and Manufacturing Company in Southington, Connecticut. NESMA would like to thank our partners at Main Street Community Foundation for their assistance in fielding all applications and managing the 2020 scholarship program. We would also like to congratulate the two awardees and wish them many years of success as they pursue higher education.
10 / SPRINGS / Fall 2020
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont has appointed Colin Cooper as the state’s first chief manufacturing officer. The former CEO of the Whitcraft Group, a contract manufacturer of precision parts to the aerospace market, Cooper has been tasked to coordinate state and private-sector efforts to promote growth in the state’s manufacturing sector. Several NESMA member companies planned to attend an informative Oct. 6 breakfast, where Cooper was scheduled to present the State of Connecticut Manufacturing Outlook at The Farmington Club in Farmington, Connecticut.
Pandemic Forces Changes to Planned Events Due to the ongoing uncertainty created with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, NESMA’s board of directors has made the difficult decision to cancel or postpone several activities scheduled for the balance of 2020. Our Spring Winding and Fourslide Machine Technologies classes at Bristol Tech that were scheduled to begin in October may be canceled (no firm decision had made as of press time), due to social distancing guidelines and requirements for remote learning that would jeopardize the hands-on requirements of the curriculum. Our popular Casino Night, originally planned for March 26, 2020, was postponed to Oct. 28, 2020, and with the current restrictions imposed by the Governor for large groups, has forced us to postpone the event until 2021. Sponsors who have paid for the event will be given the choice to be reimbursed in full or to carryover the
©iStockphoto.com/Scott Hirko
Regional Spring Association Report
funds they paid toward the 2021 event. We regret having to postpone the event yet again, as it has been great fun and has helped attendees to network with many member companies. We were informed by the staff at Nuchie’s Restaurant, our host for the 2020 NESMA Holiday Party, of their decision to close the restaurant for the balance of 2020 in hopes that they will avoid any issues with contamination or spread of the virus. In an effort to keep our members safe and healthy, the board elected not to pursue another potential venue this year. We hope that all our member companies stay safe and healthy during these uncertain times. For the latest updates regarding NESMA activities and membership, please sign up to receive our newsletter or consult our expanded website: www.nesma-usa.com.
CASMI Report By Michael Bandy, CASMI Co-Executive Director
SpringWorld 2020 Canceled; Next Event Will Take Place Oct. 5–7, 2022 The Chicago Association of Spring Manufacturers, Inc. (CASMI) board of directors met July 16 in Oak Brook, Illinois, and made the difficult decision to cancel SpringWorld 2020, which was scheduled to take place this October at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. “The COVID-19 situation and the current state of reopening in Illinois
Regional Spring Association Report
made it impossible to hold SpringWorld as scheduled,” says Tony Pesaresi, CASMI president. “We discussed the possibility of postponing the event until the first quarter of 2021, but ultimately we made our decision to cancel and to proceed with SpringWorld 2022.” According to Pesaresi, the reason for canceling came down to three reasons: 1. The Good of the Industry – This industry is muddling through tough times, and the board felt strongly that back-to-back years of SpringWorld would not be good for its members, exhibitors or the industry. People and companies have come to expect SpringWorld everyother-year, and the organization felt it was important to remain committed to this rotation. 2. Concern CASMI Would Be in the Same Boat – COVID19 continues to disrupt personal and professional lives. Given the Governor of Illinois’ comments on Stage 5, or the full reopening of the state, the board felt the organization could end up having to cancel a rescheduled SpringWorld. 3. Trade Show Results – The board was adamant that CASMI needs to provide a strong buyer attendance at SpringWorld. With business travel suffering, it could cause a significant decrease in attendance and the overall quality of SpringWorld.
Annual Holiday Party CASMI’s annual Holiday Party is scheduled for Dec. 3, 2020, Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant, Arlington Heights, Illinois. Details will be available on the association’s website this fall.
CASMI Mourns the Loss of Past President John Tisza, 60, the owner of Zaco Manufacturing and past president of CASMI (1993-1994), died June 3, 2020 at his home in Prospect Heights, Illinois. Tisza founded Zaco Manufacturing in 1989. Tisza is survived by his wife of 35 years, Jan (nee Semtner) Tisza; his sons John S. Tisza, Michael J. (Monica) Tisza and Daniel A. Tisza; his granddaughter Ana Tisza; and by his siblings Tom (Sue) Tisza, Mary (Mike) Biancalana, Karen Walsh and Kathy (Tom) Schmit. Tisza was the proud uncle of 12 nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Gene and Joan Tisza. For updates and registration details for all CASMI events, visit www.casmi-springworld.org. n
The next SpringWorld will take place Oct. 5–7, 2022 in Rosemont. Exhibiting companies that were scheduled to take part in the 2020 edition of SpringWorld will have the opportunity to roll their exhibit space forward into the 2022 event.
“Cannabis in the Workplace” Is the Topic for CASMI’s November Meeting The November CASMI membership meeting will take place Nov. 12, 2020, at Maggiano’s in Schaumburg, Illinois. Mike Wong, partner, SmithAmundsen’s Labor & Employment Practice Group, will tackle the topic of “Cannabis in the Workplace.” On Jan. 1, 2020, the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act went into effect, allowing adults over the age of 21 to legally purchase and use cannabis products. During this presentation, Wong, who specializes in labor and employment law, will discuss how the legalization of marijuana impacts company policies and procedures, including hiring processes, drug testing, disability accommodations and discipline/termination. Understanding the law itself and different legal provisions which specifically address employers is important, so that you can understand and limit your exposure to legal challenges and take steps to have a healthy and productive workforce.
SPRINGS / Fall 2020 / 11
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Be Aware Safety Tips
DIY: Meeting OSHA’s Employee Safety Training Mandates in the COVID-19 Era By Laura Helmrich-Rhodes, CSP, Ed.D.
A
t the risk of putting myself and other training specialists out of business, it’s important during this COVID-19 era that every employer know what safety training topics need to be covered, even when a safety trainer/consultant is not the best option. Due to travel restrictions and social distancing guidelines, bringing large groups of employees together for education purposes is a challenge! Hazards still exist in the work setting, and as a result, informing employees on how to recognize and control those hazards still needs to be accomplished and documented. All employees must be trained (and/or retrained) on some subjects. We will review those topics and some creative DIY options.
OSHA Required Safety Topics Every employer must provide a place of employment free of recognized hazards, and every employee is required to comply with safety and health standards (OSHA Act). Every employee has to be informed about all hazards associated with their work tasks and how to control those hazards. Training is one portion of the overall safety and health program and cannot be neglected, even in these uncertain times. Specifically, OSHA states that employees must be provided with: • Knowledge and skills needed to do their work safely and avoid creating hazards that could place themselves or others at risk. • Awareness and understanding of workplace hazards and how to identify, report and control them. • Specialized training, when their work involves unique hazards. Keep in mind that federal OSHA is just one agency that may obligate your company to employee training. Other government agencies and state-based OSHA and/or safety/health regulations should also be reviewed for content specifications. Illustration one (page 14) lists the basic required training topics mandated by OSHA for every employer. Many readers will need to sift through the list to determine if those topics apply to their specific operations. For example, some readers may not have any “Permit Required Confined Spaces” in their building, or overhead cranes, but every reader here is likely to have both machine guarding exposures and forklift operations. The same is true of illustration two: List of Toxic and Hazardous Substances (page 15). Most employers will find at least one topic there that requires employee training. For
Many general industry employers are not aware that they may need to include construction safety topics, such as fall protection, in their employee training if their employees are engaged in the definition of “construction.” According to OSHA, construction is high hazard work that comprises a wide range of “activities involving construction, alteration, and/or repair.” example, blood borne pathogens is a realistic exposure in most machine shop type operations, and almost all U.S. employers are required to address “Hazard Communication,” which includes Safety Data Sheets (SDS), labeling, training, and current chemical inventories. However, only a few Springs magazine readers may be exposed to lead or chromium VI. The key is to review the lists and determine which are site specific to your organization. Many general industry employers are not aware that they may need to include construction safety topics, such as fall protection, in their employee training if their employees are engaged in the definition of “construction.” According to OSHA, construction is high hazard work that comprises a wide range of “activities involving construction, alteration, and/or repair.” 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 / Fall 2020 / 13
Construction workers engage in many activities that may expose them to serious hazards, such as falling from heights onto hazardous machinery, being struck by heavy construction equipment, electrocutions, silica dust and asbestos. It is possible that the average spring/wireform manufacturing worker might get pulled into construction work at their industry-based company. For example, interior construction projects, repairs or alterations may be taking place at your company. Any work that is unusual in nature is a higher hazard to workers, especially if it involves working at heights and outside their normal work activities. If shop employees are pulled into such activities, then they must receive construction safety training as well as their ordinary mandated industrial training topics. The bottom line is that employee safety training has to be relevant to their job tasks. Decisions on the topics covered
should reflect hazards and previous accident trends and how those can be prevented.
The Best Training Methods Perhaps skipping a year of large group training is appropriate under the current conditions, so what other education methods might be considered? The key is to formulate meaningful objectives for what you want to accomplish. In other words, what exactly do you want employees to be able to do after the instruction? Assuring that the objectives were met, regardless of the instruction method, is paramount. Many positives have come out of the COVID-19 conditions. Perhaps one is that we think of new ways to accomplish tasks, and employee training is certainly one of those! The instructional method used needs to assure that employees understand the material and will be able to
Illustration 1: General Industry Training Requirements Exit Routes and Emergency Planning • Emergency action plans • Fire prevention plans
General Environmental Controls • Temporary labor camps • Specifications for accident
Powered Platforms, Manlifts and Vehicle-Mounted Work Platforms • Powered platforms for building
• Permit required confined spaces • The control of hazardous energy
Machinery and Machine Guarding • Mechanical power presses • Forging machines
prevention signs and tags
maintenance
Occupational Health and Environmental Control • Occupational noise exposure Hazardous Materials • Flammable liquids • Explosive and blasting agents • Storage and handling of liquefied petroleum gases
• Storage and handling of anhydrous ammonia • Process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals • Hazardous waste operations and emergency response
Personal Protective Equipment • General requirements • Respiratory protection
14 / SPRINGS / Fall 2020
(lockout/tagout)
Welding, Cutting and Brazing • General requirements • Oxygen-fuel gas welding and cutting, Arc welding and cutting
Medical Services and First Aid • Medical services and first aid
• Resistance welding
Fire Protection • Fire protection • Fire brigades • Portable fire extinguishers • Standpipe and hose systems,
(this is for a variety of business types—spring or metal forming is not specifically listed)
Fixed extinguishing systems, Fire detection systems • Employee alarm systems
Materials Handling and Storage • Servicing of multipiece and
Special Industries
Electrical Safety-Related Work Practices • Training • Commercial Diving Operations • Qualifications of dive team Toxic and Hazardous Substances (See separate list)
single-piece rim wheels
• Powered industrial trucks • Overhead and gantry cranes • Crawler locomotive and truck cranes
Construction Work (if being conducted on-site including Fall Protection)
Illustration 2: Toxic and Hazardous Substances (Subpart Z) Training Topics • Asbestos • Carcinogens (4-Nitrobiphenyl, etc.)
• Vinyl chloride • Inorganic arsenic • Lead • Chromium (VI) • Cadmium
• Benzene • Coke oven emissions • Bloodborne pathogens • Cotton dust • 1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane • Acrylonitrile (vinyl cyanide) • Ethylene oxide • Formaldehyde • Methylenedianiline
implement that knowledge. It goes without saying that training needs to happen in their primary language but understanding goes beyond language barriers. Materials need to be easy to read and understand. The reading level and complexity of the language presented in handouts or posted materials should be considered. For example, printing out an OSHA standard and posting it is one method to inform employees, but many employees would not be able to follow, understand and most importantly implement the information. Creating a checklist or a handout with pictures or flow charts might be a great way to assure understanding regardless of literacy, cognitive hurdles or language
• 1,3-Butadiene • Methylene chloride • Ionizing radiation • Hazard Communication • Occupational exposure to hazardous chemicals in laboratories
barriers. A list of potential resources for quality safety training materials created by two different state consultation services are listed in the Helpful Websites on the next page. These include handouts, videos and even sample written programs that most Springs magazine readers need to have in place. Being creative can help employees who learn differently truly enjoy the training events. Some may respond well to DVD/YouTube videos (visual and auditory learners), while some workers might learn best by obtaining a lockout procedure for a machine in his department, and then performing the task with their supervisor and discussing the process (kinesthetic learners).
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Being creative also means when and how often training events occur. For example, you might create a checklist of topics all employees must complete and provide multiple ways to accomplish the checklist. It could be online, handouts, one-on-one conversation with supervisors or even leading a toolbox talk in their department. Create a plan for when the training must be completed and be sure that any new
employees are included in a very specific safety onboarding process. New employees should not be waiting months to receive their safety training.
Who Should Conduct the Training? The importance of your department supervisors and managers in your company’s safety effort, even in the best of conditions, cannot be overemphasized. It is true that these individuals are
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often stretched to the limit. However, no one understands the work better or is more invested in the well-being of the workers. It doesn’t have to be a half-day Power Point. Checklists, handouts, JSA reviews and group discussions are all possible methods, but it is best if they are directed and overseen by department supervisors. If the organization has a safety committee, they could also be engaged in the creation and deployment of safety training materials. Don’t forget to document each training session with a sign-in sheet, along with what was covered and who attended. It is important for supervisors and managers to explain the process for reporting safety and health concerns, as well as injuries and illnesses. This is a prime opportunity to build a safety culture without fear of retaliation. Getting employees engaged in safety is a key to success, and perhaps the COVID-19 conditions provide the perfect opportunity to show them just how much you care with a twist of ingenuity! n
Helpful Websites Recommended Practices Education and Training https://www.osha.gov/shpguidelines/educationtraining.html Job Hazard Analysis (an important and often overlooked training tool) https://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3071.pdf
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OSHA Training Tools https://www.osha.gov/training/library/ OSHA Lockout Tagout Online Tutorial https://www.osha.gov/dts/osta/lototraining/ index.html PA/OSHA Consultation Focal Point Series (free training materials including videos) https://www.iup.edu/pa-oshaconsultation/ focal-points/ Model Safety and Health Written Programs https://alabamasafestate. ua.edu/safety-consultation/ model_safety_and_health_programs/
2/10/20 9:21 AM
Dean of Springs
Do You Know Your Quality Numbers? By Dan Sebastian
What is your cost of quality return rate in dollars as a percentage of sales? What is your defect rate in PPM (parts per million)? Do you know the critical characteristics of the parts you are making? Do you use the statistical measures of the critical characteristics (standard deviation σ)? What is the process potential index (Cp) and what is the process performance index (Cpk)? commitment to the quality of our product. As we looked at our quality measurements, we saw that there was a complete lack of control. At first, I was confused by this issue, as we had some of the best setup people and operators in the business and they were measuring parts and adjusting for out of the center point of the characteristic being measured. We turned to the teachings of Shewhart, Deming and Juran (the Ford quality people pointed us in the right direction).
The Basics The journey to establish a consistent quality process that gave us the parts our customers required started with the basics. As we studied the problem, we realized we did not
0.400.35Probability Density
T
he early 1980s was a turbulent time for the auto industry. Chrysler was being bailed out by the government, while General Motors Corp. and Ford were losing a large share of market to the Japanese auto companies because of inadequate quality from U.S. manufacturers. The problem was deeply rooted and began after World War II. During the war, U.S. manufacturers were pressed into high volume manufacturing to support the war effort. The war boards set up by the Roosevelt administration established the Emergency Technical Committee for American War Standards. They went to W. Edward Deming and Joseph Juran to establish a quality program. Both Deming and Juran had worked with Walter Shewhart of Western Electric (also Bell Labs), who pioneered the use of statistical quality control methods. The programs were enormously successful. After the war, American companies began to be run by non-technical people, who turned to efficiency experts (modern-day lean managers) who saw the time used to perform quality checks as wasted time. In large measure, these quality checks were abandoned, which brought us to the quality crisis of the 1980s. I arrived at the Associated Spring valve spring operation on a cold snowy day in February 1982. My assignment was to “fix a few minor problems with inventory and production issues.” As I began to assess the problems, it was apparent that what we faced was a lot more than anyone anticipated. I went to my engineering roots and formed a Pareto diagram of the many problems we had to address. It started with an evaluation of the inventory issues. As in any good plan, I had to first deal with a significant distrust between managers and union employees. As we began the arduous process of rebuilding trust, we were hit by a notice from Ford that we were being decertified as a vendor. After a series of meetings with Ford quality and procurement people and a serious look at the inventory issue, it was apparent that the root cause was a complete absence of both an understanding and
0.30-
68.27%
0.250.20-
95.45%
0.150.10-
99.73%
0.050.00-
µ-3σ
µ-2σ
µ-σ
µ
µ+σ
µ+2σ
µ+3σ
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 / Fall 2020 / 17
igma Level σ S 1 2 3 4 5 6
Expected Failure Rate 691,462 308,538 66,807 6,210 233 3.4
The work by Shewhart showed that you need to allow normal variation to occur and only adjust when the parts exceeded the control limits. What this meant was our employees’ efforts to simply measure and adjust was causing more harm than good. After we mastered the use of control charts, we made some interesting discoveries. The one that we were not expecting was that anything we measured with statistical methods got better. Use of control charts is simple, and today software can assist you in tabulating the data. Some automated measuring devices can actually adjust the equipment
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(y axis)
UCL
Mean Measurement
understand the normal variation. The data clearly looked like a normal distribution (see page 17). The math to calculate the deviation σ was found on most calculators or with an easy download. As our search to make sure our customer’s requirement for parts in specification (critical characteristics) and life that exceeded 100,000 miles and in some cases 500,000 miles, we realized a simple + or - 3 σ was not good enough. The chart below shows why.
LCL
Time or sequence
(x axis)
UCL = Upper control limit; LCL = Lower control limit
Shewhart Control Chart
using the SPC rules. The “Golden Rule” here is to only make adjustments when you exceed the upper or lower control limit. The upper and lower control limits are the expected tolerances for the characteristics being measured. All the data coming in from the control charts gave us the opportunity to understand process potential, or Cp. In fact, with the information we could calculate the Cp. Mathematically, Cp is expressed as follows: Cp = (USL – LSL) / (6 x sigma σ) Where: USL = upper specification limit LSL = lower specification limit Knowing the potential was great, but we needed to understand how capable we were in meeting our potential. Again, the science of quality production gave us a way to calculate it. Mathematically, Cpk is expressed as follows: Cpk = min {(µ – LSL) / 3 sigma, (USL – µ) / 3 sigma} Where: µ = Mean All this information, as well an extensive training program, changed the manufacturing process in our plant. The commitment to quality paid off. The hard work of our employees resulted in the division being the first supplier of springs to receive Ford’s “Q1” award. Not long after that, we repeated our success becoming General Motors Corp.’s first spring supplier to receive the “Mark of Excellence” award.
Conclusion Our journey toward quality was not over with our success. In fact, it had only just begun. We posted our quality numbers where everyone could see them. More importantly, all the managers would talk to our employees on a regular basis to make sure they were using the tools and understood why. That constant reinforcement was vital in maintaining our quality. Like many springmakers, we were under constant pressure from our customers to meet the latest program for excellence. Whatever program requirements you must meet, there is nothing more important than the quality of the products you make. So, make sure you “know your quality numbers.” n
Technically Speaking
Types of Tests Used to Characterize Springmaking Materials — Part 4: Hardness Testing By C. Richard Gordon
T
his is the fourth Springs magazine article in the series regarding mechanical tests for springmaking materials, the hardness test. Previous articles in the series are the tensile test (Winter 20201), the coiling and wrapping tests (Spring 20202), and the torsion test (Summer 20203). This article includes presentation materials from a Testing and Properties class4 that I have taught for a number of years for the Wire Association International as part of their Fundamentals of Wire Manufacturing program.
In all these techniques, an indenter is forced into the sample of interest by the application of a specific load or force, as shown in Figure 1. The depth or width of the impression left is evaluated to establish a measure of hardness. Force
Overview In general, the testing of materials represents an important part of all quality work. It can include the control of incoming raw materials, materials in production, and produced materials or components before delivery. Many different techniques are used, including chemical analysis; microscopy; nondestructive testing; mechanical tests such as tensile strength, hardness and fatigue; and technological tests such as bending, torsion, coiling, wrap and weldability. In this series of articles, we have focused on mechanical and technological tests used to characterize springmaking materials. In this article, several different types of hardness tests will be discussed. The uniformity of tensile strength and ductility of the wires used to produce springs are critical to successful spring production and end use. The hardness test can be good indicator of tensile strength.
Hardness Testing In general, the hardness of a material suggests a resistance to deformation. For metals, hardness is a measure of the resistance to permanent or plastic deformation. For materials testing, hardness can be thought of as a resistance to indentation. Hardness can be correlated with tensile properties of materials. It is an important quality parameter for assessing the suitability for many wire products and springs. It is included as a specification parameter for many sophisticated product standards worldwide. Hardness testing is a key element in many quality control procedures and research and development work. In this article, several different types of hardness tests will be discussed: Brinell, Rockwell, Vickers, and Knoop.
Indenter
Sample
Indentation
Figure 1. Schematic representation of hardness testing.
With the Rockwell hardness test, the depth of indenter penetration is measured. With the Brinell, Vickers and Knoop hardness tests, the size of the impression left by the indenter is measured. Figure 2 shows typical indentation marks from various hardness tests. There are essentially two basic types of indentation hardness tests: 1) macro load testing, using loads greater than or equal to 1,000 grams force and 2) micro load testing, using loads less than 1,000 grams force.
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 / Fall 2020 / 19
Figure 2. Indentation marks for 1) Brinell, 2) Rockwell Standard and Superficial, 3) Macro Vickers, 4) Micro Vickers and 5) Knoop tests.
Brinell Hardness Testing (HB or BHN) The first simple indentation hardness test system was developed by J. A. Brinell of Sweden in 1900. It is considered the first widely accepted and standardized indentation hardness test. The indenter was a 10 mm (0.4 in.) diameter hardened steel ball (now a tungsten carbide cobalt ball). The system uses loads of 500 kg (1,100 lbs.), 1,500 kg (3,300 lbs.), and 3,000 kg (6,600 lbs.) to indent the metal surface. The load is applied for 10 to 30 seconds. After removing the load, the indentation is measured. The Brinell hardness is based on the applied load divided by the surface area of the impression. The load to be used is selected so that the indentation diameter is in the range of 25 to 60 percent of the ball diameter5. The indentation diameter at a given load is dependent on the material properties. The Brinell test method is described in detail in “ASTM E10 – 18 Standard Test Method for Brinell Hardness of Metallic Materials.” The test method is specified in “ASTM A125-96(2018) Standard Specification for Steel Springs, Helical, Heat-Treated.” Advantages and disadvantages of the Brinell hardness test are listed below. Advantages • The test is fast. • Minor specimen preparation is required. • There is just one continuous hardness scale. • The indenter shape does not produce a stress riser. • The test is good for annealed and for heterogeneous microstructures. • The test is widely accepted in the U.S. Disadvantages • Thick specimens are required. • The test produces a large indentation. • The test gives only bulk hardness data. • High hardness materials cannot be tested.
The Rockwell Hardness Test Stanley and Hugh Rockwell received their first patent in 1919 for the Rockwell hardness tester while working for a manufacturing company in Bristol, Connecticut. In 1920, Stanley started commercial production of Rockwell testers in collaboration with instrument manufacturer Charles H.
20 / SPRINGS / Fall 2020
Wilson in Hartford, Connecticut. A schematic view of a Rockwell hardness test unit is shown in Figure 3. The Rockwell tester uses the depth of indent after the preliminary load and before the primary load is removed to calculate the hardness number. Because the indent is not measured, the Rockwell test is faster than the Brinell or Vickers tests. The principle of the test is shown in Figure 4. The principal criterion for this tester was to provide a quick method for determining the effects of heat treatment on steel bearing races. One of the main strengths of the Rockwell test was the small area of indentation needed. It is also much easier to use as readings are direct, without the need for calculations or secondary measurements. Because of the wide range of hardness values for various materials, there are 15 regular Rockwell scales which use 10 kg force as the primary minor test load. The superficial Rockwell test was developed in 1932. There are 15 superficial Rockwell hardness scales that use a primary minor test load of 3 kg force. In all, there are five different indenters and six different loads resulting in the 30 different hardness scales. Since Rockwell hardness is dependent on load and indenter, it is necessary to specify the combination used. For most spring materials, the R B and RC scales are used. The RB scale is used for softer metals and utilizes a 1.6 mm diameter steel ball and a 100 kg major load. The range of scale is RB0 to RB100. The RC scale is used for harder metals and utilizes a diamond indenter and a 150 kg major load. The useful range of the scale is RC20 to RC70. The Rockwell test methods are described in detail in “ASTM E18 – 19 Standard Test Methods for Rockwell Hardness of Metallic Materials1,2.” Advantages and disadvantages of the Rockwell hardness test are listed below. Advantages • The test is fast. • Minimal specimen preparation is required. • The test is free from operator error. • The test covers a wide hardness test range. • High hardness materials can be tested. • Specimen thickness is less restrictive than the Brinell test. • The test is widely accepted in the U.S.
(Left) Figure 3. Schematic view of a Rockwell hardness testing unit5. (Above) Figure 4. Principle of the Rockwell hardness test showing a diamond indenter. The same principle applies when using steel ball indenters and other loads5.
Disadvantages • The test has less sensitivity. • There are multiple scales, indenters and load combinations, to choose from when testing materials of unknown hardness. • Conversion to other hardness scales is not easy. • The test gives only bulk hardness data.
Vickers Hardness Test (HV) The macro Vickers hardness test was developed in 1921 by Robert L. Smith and George E. Sandland at Vickers Ltd. as an alternative to the Brinell method, to measure the hardness of materials. The indenter was a square based pyramidal shape made of diamond. The use of a diamond indenter overcame the limitations of the Brinell test for testing harder materials. The Vickers test is often easier to use than other hardness tests since the required calculations are independent of the size of the indenter, and the indenter can be used for all materials irrespective of hardness. The first low-load Vickers (micro) hardness tester was built by Lips and Sacks in 1936. For both the macro (macro HV) and micro (micro HV) hardness testers, hardness values can be calculated directly using the appropriate constant and knowing the load applied and mean diagonal length. Advantages and disadvantages of the Vickers hardness test are listed below. Advantages • Small specimens can be tested. • Indents can be placed precisely. • Hardness changes can be plotted in relationship to faces, depth or geometries.
• The test has high sensitivity. • One continuous scale is used for testing all materials. • The Vickers hardness values correlate well to strength and other properties. Disadvantages • Manual operation requires training and skill. • Extensive specimen preparation is required. • Manual operation is time consuming and arduous. • Equipment is delicate and subject to environmental influences.
Knoop Microhardness Testing (HK) In 1939 Frederick Knoop and his associates at the National Bureau of Standards (now NIST), developed a low load test based on a rhombohedral shaped diamond indenter. The long axis is 7.114 times the short axis. Loads range from 25 to 100 grams. In this test, the Knoop hardness number (HK) can be calculated directly knowing the load applied, the measured long diagonal length and calculation constant. The Knoop indenter is excellent for testing thin coatings and for specimens with a steep hardness gradient. Figure 5 shows a historic Knoop hardness test unit, a schematic of the geometry of the rhombohedral shaped diamond indenter and a typical indentation mark. This was the test method used by Dan Sebastian in his SMI White Paper, “Microhardness Residual Stress Study Effect of Stress Relieving Temperature on Tensile Strength, Residual Stress, and Microhardness6.” In this work, microhardness profile data for spring cross sections was compared to residual stress data measured by X-ray diffraction. Advantages and disadvantages of the Knoop microhardness test are listed below.
SPRINGS / Fall 2020 / 21
Advantages • It is easier to test thin coatings in cross-section compared to Vickers. • Indents in a transverse can be spaced closer to each other. • Good results have been observed in materials with a steep hardness gradient.
Figure 5. A historic Knoop hardness test unit, a schematic of the geometry of the indenter and a typical indentation mark are shown.
Disadvantages • Manual operation requires training and skill. • Extensive specimen preparation is required. • Manual operation is time consuming and arduous. • Equipment is delicate and subject to environmental influences. • Hardness is more variable with test load. • It is more difficult to correlate HK hardness values with strength and other properties. The Vickers and Knoop test methods are described in detail in “ASTM E92-17 Standard Test Methods for Vickers Hardness and Knoop Hardness of Metallic Materials” and “ASTM E384 – 17 Standard Test Method for Microindentation Hardness of Materials.”
Knoop Hardness Testing Example Figure 6 contains a photomicrograph of a case-hardened steel part which shows both core (bottom) and carburized outer case (top) regions. The case is harder as attested by the smaller microhardness indentations.
Modern Systems
Figure 6. Knoop hardness indentations in a case-hardened steel sample7. Magnification 100X.
Today, hardness testing equipment is available which utilizes: • Advanced camera technology for image capture and indent measurement • Programmable computer control for sample positioning (x-y-z), data storage and analysis. With the introduction of these improvements, speed of testing is better and operator measurement errors have been eliminated. Of course, these equipment improvements come at a cost. Many companies continue to operate hardness test equipment manually. Manually operated and automated hardness test units are available from a number of companies8, 9, 10, 11. Universal hardness test machines are also available where multiple hardness tests, i.e., Brinell, Rockwell and Vickers tests can be performed on one machine10. An example of a modern hardness test unit is shown in Figure 7. ASTM test methods for hardness testing discussed in this article are shown in Table 1.
Summary Figure 7. Automated Vickers hardness testing unit. (Photograph courtesy of the Leco Corporation9.)
22 / SPRINGS / Fall 2020
In this article, the Brinell, Rockwell, Vickers and Knoop hardness tests were described. These methods remain the
Table 1. Summary of ASTM Test Methods for Hardness Testing ASTM E10 – 18 Standard Test Method for Brinell Hardness of Metallic Materials ASTM E18 – 19 Standard Test Methods for Rockwell Hardness of Metallic Materials1,2 ASTM E92-17 Standard Test Methods for Vickers Hardness and Knoop Hardness of Metallic Materials ASTM E384 – 17 Standard Test Method for Microindentation Hardness of Materials ASTM E140 – 12be1 Standard Hardness Conversion Tables for Metals Relationship Among Brinell Hardness, Vickers Hardness, Rockwell Hardness, Superficial Hardness, Knoop Hardness, Scleroscope Hardness and Leeb Hardness
standards for quality control and research and development in the metals industry. Equipment improvements have been made over time to increase the speed of testing and to eliminate operator errors.
Moving Forward The bend and reverse bend tests are planned for review in a future article. n
References 1. Gordon, C.R., Types of Tests Used to Characterize Springmaking Materials – Part 1: The Tensile Test, Springs, Winter 2020, p.27 2. Gordon, C.R., Types of Tests Used to Characterize Springmaking Materials – Part 2: The Coiling and Wrapping Tests, Springs, Spring 2020, p. 27.
3. Gordon, C.R., Types of Tests Used to Characterize Springmaking Materials – Part 3: The Torsional Ductility Test, Springs, Summer 2020, p.17. 4. Gordon, C.R., Ferrous Testing & Properties, Fundamentals of Wire Manufacturing, WAI, Fall 2019. 5. Metals Handbook 9th ed, Volume 8, Mechanical Testing, American Society for Metals, 1985. 6. Sebastian, D.R., “Microhardness Residual Stress Study - Effect of Stress Relieving Temperature on Tensile Strength, Residual Stress, and Microhardness,” SMI, 2017. 7. R.W. Hertzberg, Deformation and Fracture Mechanics of Engineering Materials, 3rd ed.,1989 John Wiley and Sons, NY. 8. Starrett https://www.starrett.com/ 9. Leco Corporation https://www.leco.com/ 10. Buehler https://www.buehler.com/ 11. Struers Inc. https://www.struers.com/
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Black Magic and the Conical Spring Design
Spring Design Tips and Tricks
By Gary Van Buren
T
wenty-five years ago, I sat in a spring design class in Bristol, Connecticut taught by Loren Godfrey. There were probably 15 young, eager engineers ready to soak up all the knowledge we could from Mr. Godfrey. In front of us was a bulky keyboard and, as I remember, a 13-inch, four color CRT monitor. For you younger readers, CRT means Cathode Ray Tube. The keyboard and monitor took up a lot of desk space and the onscreen program contained a lot of basic black and white numbers. This was the original DOS (disk operating system) version of the SMI software which was called Spring Designer. Now the SMI software is called Advanced Spring Design (ASD). The original software, commonly called SD2 and its successor SD2.1, helped design three types of springs: compression, extension and torsion. The compression mode allowed you to toggle between straight compression and conical compression. We spent two days learning from one of the best minds in our industry. One clear memory from that time occurred during the conical spring portion of instruction on the final day. Mr. Godfrey said that conical springs were kind of a “black magic.” We could get an output from the software that gave us IDs, ODs, coils, free length and a spring rate. The black magic happened at the coiling machine. The person running the coiler would play with coil diameters and pitches to make our mathematics into a working spring. Back in the old DOS days, the software was not capable of doing the complicated work that today’s ASD7 software can handle. Today’s software puts a tremendous amount of power in our
When all the geometry inputs are supplied, a unique solution is always possible. But when one or more key geometric variable is not provided, the nonlinear equations involved in the design of constant pitch (axial and radial) conical compression springs lead to scenarios where multiple solutions are possible. hands and can help take some of the black magic out of conical designs. Todd Piefer from Universal Technical Systems, Inc. (UTS), the developers of our ASD software, has put together some scenarios to show us the power of ASD7.
increases after that. A three dimensional (3D) image of this spring is shown in Figure 1.
Conical Compression Springs: Multiple Solutions Are Possible in ASD When all the geometry inputs are supplied, a unique solution is always possible. But when one or more key geometric variable is not provided, the nonlinear equations involved in the design of constant pitch (axial and radial) conical compression springs lead to scenarios where multiple solutions are possible. One such scenario is presented here. Inputs: Music wire; ends closed and ground; small coil ID = 0.4”; large coil OD = 1.0”; free length = 1.2”; total coils = 7. Assuming the spring is preset, the stress at solid must be at least 45 percent of the minimum tensile strength (MTS) but no more than 60 percent. We will use an input of 50 percent. ASD iteratively solves the system of equations and computes the wire size as 0.0727”. The load to solid is 37.6418 lbf. The solid length is 0.4341”. The transition load (the point at which the largest coil begins to go solid) is 9.1228 lbf. The deflection at that point is 0.4317”. The spring rate until that point is 21.1337 lbf/in. The rate continuously
Figure 1. 3D image of the first spring design (wire diameter: 0.0727”).
A second solution is possible. That is, there is a second wire size value that will result in the stress percentage at solid being 50. If we remove the input for the stress percentage at solid and input the wire size, ASD’s Incremental Solver tool can be used to repeatedly solve as the wire size changes. Eventually, we would see the second solution. Looking under the hood at the mathematical model in TK Solver, we can see a plot of the stress percentage at solid versus wire size as shown in Figure 2.
SPRINGS / Fall 2020 / 25
Stress % at Solid
Stress % at Solid vs. Wire Size Conical Compression Spring
Figure 2. Graph of the percentage of minimum tensile strength at solid versus wire size (diameter). Figure 3. 3D image of the second spring design (wire diameter: 0.0980”). Wire Size (in)
This plot clearly shows the two solutions where the curve crosses the 50 level – one at 0.0727” and the other at 0.0980”. The second solution has a load to solid of 83.0591 lbf. The solid length is 0.6440”. The transition load is 23.685 lbf at a deflection of 0.3303”. A 3D image of this spring is shown in Figure 3. Although both have the same number of coils, free length and coil diameters,
these are two very different springs. ASD supplied. Keep in mind that a unique uses an internal trigger to determine solution is always possible, but the the initial guess in solving the system results here do not result in a good or of nonlinear equations. Keep in mind bad design, just a different design. n that multiple solutions are possible if key geometry inputs are not inputted “Spring Design Tips and Tricks” is a new feature designed to help those who use the ASD software for conical compression springs. on a regular basis. If you have a question you You can see how ASD was able to would like addressed by Todd Piefer of UTS or Gary solve this spring design issue with Van Buren, SMI’s technical advisor, please contact at gvanburen2@gmail.com. the limited geometry inputs were 217112 that Syntech CasmiVan AdBuren 1_4 Page_26233 J&R Casmi Ad 1_4 Page 5/31/
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26 / SPRINGS / Fall 2020
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SYNTECH Abrasives, a subsidiary of Jowitt and Rodgers Co., has been providing advanced superabrasive grinding products to the spring industry since 1986. Our focus has been and continues to be finding “creative solutions” for finishing ferrous as well as non-ferrous materials. We take pride in serving our customers in innovative ways to assist them in meeting their goals and objectives. We offer both resin and metal bonded diamond and CBN products. For more information contact Syntech Abrasives at 704-525-8030 or email to
sales@syntechabrasives.net
How to do thing s By Gar y McCoy
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A
s I was writing this story, I conducted a Google search for the phrase, “How to Do Things.” The top search result came from Popular Mechanics. In 2008 the magazine compiled a list of “100 Skills Everyone Should Know.” The publication has continued to update and revise the article over the years. The “how to” advice ranges from #1 “Escape a Sinking Car,” #56 “Use a Sledgehammer,” #59 “Change a Diaper,” and #100 “Fold the Flag.” One item that I did not see on the list that has always puzzled me is: “How to fold a fitted sheet.” It’s no secret that we are all drawn to articles with titles like “Five easy steps…” or the “Top 10 reasons…” or “Three secrets to…” This issue provides helpful tips and tricks including how to run better meetings, ideas to prevent conveyor oven failures and four ideas for hiring workers during a pandemic. There is certainly a lot more “tribal knowledge” out there and contained inside the walls of your companies. As you will read in my Springmaker Spotlight article on Damon Kaufman and Stalder Spring (see page 55), Kaufman mentions the value of “institutional knowledge” when manufacturing springs and wireforms. Kaufman says much of that information was passed down to him by both his grandfather and father, who were both lifelong springmakers. As Kaufman explained, “It’s information you can’t replace.” We have several contributions from SMI members. David DeVoe, president of Plymouth Spring in Bristol, Connecticut talks about how a good neighbor helped Plymouth Spring solve a recent customer dilemma. See page 31. John Higgins of Ace Wire Spring provides helpful insights on “How to Prioritize Communication and Customer Service” on page 32. On the technical side, we present “Important Considerations When Testing Springs with Force Systems” from The L.S. Starrett Company on page 33, and “Loose Electrical Connections Can Wreak Havoc in Conveyor Ovens” on page 36 by Daniel Pierre III of JN Machinery. We also look at “The Five Top Causes of Spring Failures and How You Might Prevent Them” in our Flashback feature on page 39 from former SMI technical director Luke Zubek. We also delve into management articles related to our current pandemic on page 48, “Beyond the Conference Call: 4 Meeting Technologies Every Team Needs,” on page 43, and “Four Things That Do Not Change for Recruiting and Hiring During A Crisis” on page 46.
SPRINGS / Fall 2020 / 29
To go along with the theme of this issue, SMI reached out to its members to answer the following statement: Please share the best advice you received from someone that helped you personally or in your career/ business. Here is a sampling of the answers we received.
Em pl oy ees “Some of the best employees are the lazy. They will create a way to do it better, faster and more efficient. Talk to them and listen.” Advice from Alfred L. Kerns, the founder of Sound Spring Inc. and the father of Tammy Kerns, operations manager, sales, Sound Spring Inc., Kent, Washington.
“’You know, you can reuse aluminum foil.’ It was a comment made to me by my first girlfriend when I moved to Japan back in 1987, as she picked up a tin foil ball from the garbage where I had just ‘scored a basket.’ She made no other comments about this other than to show genuine concern for the future life of that piece of tin foil. It showed me how wasteful I was for everyday small things. Since then, I am always seeing if I can reuse anything once their intended function is over. All non-sensitive paper printouts at JN get cut into quarter sheets and used as scratch paper for
everyone’s desks. Sensitive paper info gets shredded, then formed into bricks to be used in BBQs and fire pits. Warm exhaust air from the office air conditioning system gets redirected to the heat chambers of ovens that will undergo testing, and it reduces our electrical costs. Some electronic components come in individual boxes with small foam pads to prevent scratching. JN uses these pads under our control panels to reduce heat transfer and vibrations to the panels.” Daniel Pierre III, president, JN Machinery, East Dundee, Illinois.
Mentors “In my 48 years in the spring industry, I have crossed paths with many nice people. I have learned much from them in my development of a person, as well as how to run a spring company. In particular, I would first and foremost mention the late George Underwood, who at one time owned Hardware Products in Boston. I was in my twenties and George was in his forties when we first met. The Torin corporation back in the 70s had a training school to learn the basics of setting up a coiler. George had just bought Hardware Products and I had just finished my time in the Army and was beginning my career in the family spring business, Diamond Wire Spring Co. We both
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attended the school the same week. George and I hit it off right from the beginning. I had many challenges ahead of me and George and I would talk and visit each other in Pittsburgh and Boston. He influenced me to see a situation for what it was, and that everyone has their own challenges, both in business and day to day. He taught me to meet the problem head on. Don’t just talk about it. Just the way he carried himself and how he went about solving a problem was influencing. Even late in life when he suffered from depression, he was so open and told me how things were affecting him. He taught me life can change in a heartbeat, so approach with true grit.
Two other men I would like to mention are Bert Barnes, the past president of Yost Superior, and Dave Morrow, prior owner of Sanborn Wire. What fine men! Both demonstrated integrity and honesty. Bert taught me to help your competitor, because some day you might need help, and Dave showed me how to maintain poise and integrity in the face of adversity. This occurred when his spring company, through no fault of management, fell on hard times. All three of the above men I felt privileged to know and call my good friends and they helped me a lot.” Don Fazio, president, Diamond Wire Spring Co, Glenshaw, Pennsylvania.
Pass it Along Volumes could be written on how to do things. It is our hope that this small slice of instruction is helpful and that whatever you have learned during your career, you will be eager to share it with others. As one of our founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin shared a lot of wisdom with his colleagues. He is widely quoted, and this gem aptly applies to today’s business landscape, “An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.” Perhaps it is time to start an industry list of the “100 Skills Every Springmaker Should Know.” n
©iStockphoto.com/VectorPocket
Reducing Waste
Helpful Advice
©iStockphoto.com/kyoshino
Pictured in the D Beck Company Showroom and Training Center in Wrentham, Massachusetts are (l-to-r): Ian Beck and Jeff Aube.
During my spring industry career spanning more than 30 years, I have found there are fellow springmakers and suppliers who are willing to help out with advice, especially when your back is up against a wall.
How a Good Neighbor Helped Solve a Customer Dilemma By David DeVoe
L
ike many spring companies, we have expanded our business by earning new business from our current customers. After initially earning a customer’s business, we find they become more aware of our capabilities and our commitment to quality, on-time delivery and service. This formula provides the foundation for a trusted and longterm relationship. Recently one of our largest customers asked if Plymouth Spring could help with a project being undertaken through its newest division. As we started investigating the project, we quickly realized we did not have the vision system equipment to properly measure the dimensions required to meet their specifications. Our customer was using a vision system from Optical Gaging Products (OGP) that utilizes SmartScope® SP systems, which are designed for optimum scanning probe performance.
Fortunately, I was able to get in touch with D Beck Company, a distributor that represents the OGP product line. Up to this point I had never heard of this company. I quickly discovered that D Beck is a company that has been in business for more than 55 years and has a reputation as a trusted metrology resource for companies in New England. Because of their work with OGP, they are experts in matching their customer’s inspection requirements with the appropriate machine for the job. When I spoke with Jeff Aube, the company’s Connecticut sales representative, he invited me to visit the company’s showroom and training center in Wrentham, Massachusetts. My nearly two-hour drive paid off and I was able to obtain the correct measurements for this project. Without the help of Jeff and D Beck Company, I would not have been able to complete this job. This new business
would have been left on the table for someone else to complete. While we have vision systems in use at Plymouth Spring, the cost of the OGP machine would have made it cost prohibitive for us to bid on this project. In addition to OGP, the D Beck team also represents the full line of surface, form and roundness inspection machines from industry leader Zeiss. I also learned that D Beck Company services, calibrates, trains and programs, so their customers can feel confident that their inspection needs are met from purchase to service. Good neighbors are often hard to come by, especially ones you don’t know! During my spring industry career spanning more than 30 years, I have found there are fellow springmakers and suppliers who are willing to help out with advice, especially when your back is up against a wall. In keeping with the theme of this issue on “how to do things,” I would advise that if you don’t know how to do something or have the resources within your company: Don’t be afraid to ask! You might be surprised by the good neighbor who is ready to assist you. n
SPRINGS / Fall 2020 / 31
How to Prioritize Communication and Customer Service By John Higgins
A little effort can go a long way
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t Ace Wire Spring & Form, we have learned that customer service is very important, and that a little effort can go a long way in developing a long-lasting relationship with a customer. Ace Wire Spring is a custom spring manufacturer, which means a lot of the work we do is unique to the customer. The customer’s project needs can range from a simple compression spring to a complex assembly. To learn what the customer needs, Ace Wire Spring opens communication between our design engineers and the customer. Our design engineers make it a point to learn from the customer the goal of their project. Sometimes this leads to the Ace Wire Spring’s design engineer going back to the drawing board and working step by step with the customer to redesign and/ or fine tune the product. This is a service that we have learned is very important in achieving customer satisfaction. “I have been in manufacturing for 46 years, and this is a new one to me,” said our design engineer Bob Powner. Last week, he was overheard talking about the need for high IT to achieve
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hook length concerning a new customer’s large diameter extension spring. Knowing this aspect of the project allowed him and Ace Wire Spring’s craftsmen to come up with a solution that fit the customer’s project needs. With this prioritizing of communication, Ace Wire Spring can determine what is right for the project in hand. Sometimes a customer will just send in specifications and ask for the product to be made. A best practice for Ace Wire Spring is to take this information and review how it matches up with the result the customer is looking for. By doing this, and openly communicating with the customer, we have been able to work with the customer in the design phase and fine tune everything needed, rather than just making the item per specification, and then the customer realizing what they wanted made doesn’t work and having to restart the whole process. Once the given parameters have been received and reviewed, our design engineers work around this information and achieve a solution to the project need.
About 75 percent of customers start off the sales process by sending in a need with the specifications laid out. Of this group, about a quarter of them need to be re-engineered. Whether they just need something small tweaked from previous specifications, or a brand-new design because of a change in the overall project and priorities, we would never find this out if it wasn’t for the focus on open communication with the customers. Ace Wire Spring makes customer communication and customer service main priorities. Doing this helps save money for the customer, shortens the project lead time, and achieves a satisfying result for the customer. n Ace Wire Spring & Form Company (www. acewirespring.com) has manufactured custom precision springs for diverse applications since 1939. The ISO Certified/ITAR registered company develops and manufactures a wide variety of compression springs, extension springs, torsion springs, and wireforms. John Higgins serves as the company’s marketing manager. He can be reached at 412-458-4830 or email jhiggins@acewirespring.com.
Important Considerations When Testing Springs with Force Systems By James M. Clinton
S
pring testing is one of the most difficult testing processes. A common misconception is that because springs are viewed as relatively simplistic components in terms of design and function, they must be just as easy to test and verify. There are also many deleterious factors and improper techniques that affect the accuracy and methodology used when testing springs. This article covers critical considerations and basic force testing precautions when testing extension and compression springs.
Testing System Load Capacity Using a load sensor that is suitable for the spring being tested is a major consideration in accurately testing springs for spring rate, spring constant, initial tension, free length, etc. Do not attempt to test a spring with a load rating that is less than 20 percent of the load system’s load cell sensor. For example, if the force system has a 500N (110lbf, 50kgf) load cell, that sensor is acceptable for testing between 100N (22lbf, 10kgf) and 500N.
Load Cell Deflection A load cell sensor must deflect in either compressive or tensile directions in order for the sensor to provide a measured output. Additionally, the entire load string used in the test will have some deflection ‒ for example, the testing fixture, the test frame, the crosshead, etc. Deflection may need to be compensated for when testing springs. Some force testers have a deflection compensation feature within the corrections setting, which is extremely helpful.
Grip String Alignment The grip string is the combined load cell sensor and testing fixture (top and bottom) that is used to test the spring. Hooks are often used for testing extension springs. Platens and specialized testing fixtures that ensure spring containment during compression are used for compression springs. It is absolutely critical that the spring being tested is perfectly aligned to the grip string. The spring should be in the center of the platens to ensure even loading.
Correct Spring Preparation Accurate measurement of spring rate, spring constant, free length and initial tension require that the spring is designed and manufactured correctly. Compression springs should have a perfectly flat surface at both ends (top and bottom). If not, length measurements are compromised, which can lead to inaccurate and inconsistent spring rates. Compression springs with ground ends can often be tested with simple platens. Springs without ground ends can have trouble standing unsupported, and typically require a guide rod that runs through the center of the spring to keep it in place during testing.
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Extension springs, with initial tension, should have loops that are perfectly symmetrical to each other. Extension spring loops should have equal distance between the inside of the loop and the first coil. Extension spring loops should have a common seating location within the loop — for example, when the spring is under load, the position where the loops align should be parallel with each other. Most spring loops such as circular or v-shaped ones will automatically guide a hook into the proper position. For some springs such as the modified or custom types, hooks may be preferred. For example,
the square shaped loop won’t center a round hook. Note that if there are inconsistencies in the spring’s physical makeup, measurements will be affected. If a manual system had previously been used, such as a force gauge with manual test stand, it will be difficult to correlate the data. Force gauges cannot compensate for physical inconsistencies on the spring, and do not have any deflection compensation.
Correct Testing Fixtures Compression springs can be tested using platens as long as the platens are not
oversized to the spring’s outside diameter. Accurate compression measurement suggests that the platen should be no greater than 25 percent of the spring’s outside diameter. Compression springs should use a testing fixture that will contain the spring should the spring “walk,” or move to the point where the spring can shoot out of the platen. When testing an extension spring, there is always some movement of the spring as it is pulled apart. The end loops will typically position themselves to a perpendicular location along the grip string. However, if the hooks used to secure the loops have a rough finish, or
Ap pl ic at ion Ad vi ce • One of the most common problems in testing springs
compression spring. The test fixture should be one
is using a load sensor that has too large a measure-
that captures the spring, and a safety shield is strongly
ment capacity for the spring under test. Do not attempt to measure spring forces that are less than 20 percent if the load cell sensor being used.
recommended for any spring test. • Use the proper testing fixture based on the spring’s physical design. There are special self-aligning platens
• Two-point tests are always preferred for better accu-
that must be used when a spring may not have a
racies versus a one-point test setup. A best practice
perfectly flat surface at its top or bottom. Hooks with
is to use two points (either load or height) that are at
a high-polished finish and low-resistance finish should
20 percent and 80 percent of the spring’s full-scale.
be used when testing extension springs if friction
• Deflection compensation may be used. The testing
affects the measurements.
system and its components will deflect during a
• Friction will affect spring measurements, so consider
compression or extension spring test. This deflection
using a lubricant on the platen surface when testing
may be compensated for or removed for accurate and
Belleville washers. A lubricant or grease can be used
repeatable testing.
on extension hooks to minimize frictional effects.
• The spring being tested must be aligned perpendicular
• Data sampling will affect spring results, so if correlating
to the centerline of the grip string. The top of the spring
data to a previous system that uses RS-232 or a hand-
must be perfectly parallel to a top test fixture. Correct
held force gage, it may be necessary to reduce the
alignment of the spring is critical for proper measure-
sampling rate.
ments of heights, lengths or load rates.
• It is always best to test springs at the lowest accept-
• Loops on an extension spring should promote self-
able speed. Testing at too great a speed can cause
alignments. Both loops should be identical in size
repeatability errors as well as some measurement
and location with respect to the spring centerline.
errors.
Initial tension is on any extension spring with closed
• Hysteresis is found in most springs. Free length is
coils, and it is important to understand what the initial
generally measured when the compression spring is
tension specification is for the spring before testing.
returning from the load target (measured when going
• A compression spring under load represents a projec-
back to its home position, rather than measuring from
tile. Extreme care should be taken when testing a
34 / SPRINGS / Fall 2020
its home position on the compression move).
are too large for the spring, it is common for the loops to exhibit frictional errors that affect accurate measurements of free length and initial tension. Hooks used for extension spring testing should have a low-resistance surface to minimize any frictional effects and should not be oversized compared to the spring loop opening and type.
Friction Effects
tester is not recommended, since velocity is unknown and inconsistent.
Hysteresis Effects There is some hysteresis when checking a compression spring that is not fixtured over a pin. The coils unwind when compressed, and the end coils twist and move on the platen. Platens can be put on bearings to eliminate this effect for extremely precise springs.
A solution for hysteresis is to measure the load while compressing the spring and again on the return move. Take the average of these two readings. This averages out the hysteresis. Make sure to check that the amount of over travel does not cause the spring to set. n James M. Clinton is the product manager, force, material test and special order for The L.S. Starrett Company. Visit www.starrett.com.
Belleville washers are difficult to accurately test. Test fixturing is critical since frictional forces caused by the spring flattening during compression and against the platen surface is highly likely. To eliminate frictional effects, use the proper type of platen, typically a smooth surface with a hardness of HRC60 or higher. Consider using some type of lubricant, such as a fine machine oil on the surface of the platen, to counter frictional loading. A compression spring will unwind slightly during compression, so a small degree of spring movement can be expected. For extension springs, use hooks with a smooth surface also. Applying a small amount of grease on the hooks will help to minimize frictional effects.
Correlating Data When changing or upgrading from one force testing system to another, it is important to correlate the data. Examine existing test methods and system components, including the type of load sensor and testing fixture. Make sure the load resolution is identical to the previous system. If the load resolution is different, different results can be expected for spring rates, free length and initial tension.
Testing Speed Testing speed is generally subjective and dependent on the application. In a production environment, testing speed will be greater for better throughput. In a lab environment, testing speed will tend to be lower. It is always best to test at the lowest speed possible. Spring testing using a force gage and manual
SPRINGS / Fall 2020 / 35
Loose Electrical Connections Can Wreak Havoc in Conveyor Ovens By Daniel Pierre III
A
conveyor oven is not a simple machine. It has high amperage, operates at high temperatures, and has some very fast rotating components. Some oven parts must endure more than one of these things, too. So, placing an oven into production is not a “once and done” task. This article focuses on why vibrations, a sudden in-rush of power and heat/cooling cycles affect threaded studs and cause nuts to loosen, resulting in a burst of energy via an electrical arc (i.e. a mini explosion). There are two areas in an oven with threaded studs that need constant checking and should be part of a regular maintenance program. When a fastener—usually a nut—loosens on
a stud, it creates a small air pocket where electricity can arc and cause an explosion. Such explosions can affect other nearby components, too. What is important to note is, it is not always the outer nut that loosens. A quick twist with a nut driver is not the correct preventative maintenance action, as detailed later in this article.
Studs on Circuit Breakers Usually there are six studs, and they are all close together, making it hard to reach the inner nut. JN’s internal policy is to make sure that inner nut is tight against the wall of the circuit breaker, and it is a specific line item in our testing checklist. However, once testing is over and test power wires
From left to right: a component, a washer or ceramic collar, an inner nut, a washer, a ring terminal, a washer and an outer nut.
This outer nut will not tighten any further, but a gap to the left of the inner nut still exists.
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are removed, there is no way to tell how much vibration the stud endures while in transit to a customer’s plant. It is expected that a licensed electrician will install an oven, but if not, it is imperative that these inner nuts are tightly on the stud before connecting power wires to the oven. The next photo shows how the nuts can look and feel tight, but the inner nut is not against the back wall, as evidenced by the washer sitting at an angle.
Inner Nut Issues on the Tip of an Element There are many ways to terminate a heating element, and each supplier seems to have their preferred method. JN likes a ceramic collar, as the material is immune to temperature extremes and high voltage. Ceramics introduces a brittleness factor, but a controlled torque solves this potential issue. Note: If you crack your ceramic collar, it is a sign that you are relying only on torqueing the outer nut, and that is not good for the element or your oven. It is another line item quality check for JN to ensure the inner nut is properly tightened. So, elements installed in a JN oven will have the inner nut in a safe and tight position. The same cannot be said for replacement elements. While the inner nut is tightened prior to shipment, JN can’t control what happens in shipment or during installation. No matter how carefully one tightens the outer nut, if the inner nut is not hard against the collar (or the end of the element sheath), then after several heat/cool cycles, a gap will probably form and eventually arc and cause an explosion.
How to ensure longevity in tightness in element nuts
Even if all the suggestions in this article are followed, it is important to periodically check the outer nut on your elements as often as once per week. JN consulted four suppliers of heating elements for this information (three are JN suppliers and one who wants to become a JN supplier). This is a blended summary of those discussions.
Torque Matters Across the board, everyone agrees that using just a nut driver to tighten the outer nut is a bad thing. The threaded stud has a torque limit on its attachment to the element itself. It is possible to exceed the torque level and literally break the threaded stud off the element. It is also possible to torque so much that the stud itself breaks in half. Both are permanent damages to the element and are not part of any warranty.
No “One-Handed” Torqueing What is required is neutral torque. While it is possible to tighten the outer nut (assuming the inner nut is already tight) with just a nut driver, it is likely that the element will spin, making you think you’ve tightened the nut. What really happens is the ring terminals rotate and element wire can rip right off the ring terminals*. The important thing is you can rip the element wire off on the far side of the element where you are not looking. [Photo a] To achieve neutral torque, one needs to use two tools. Use a crescent wrench to hold the inner nut steady, and then use a nut driver to tighten the outer nut. [Photo b] Many people will say that it is difficult to reach the inner nut in this manner, and JN cannot agree more. After exhausting the termination options from element suppliers as well as conducting intensive searches in cyberspace, JN ended up “inventing” a special thick nut for this application. [Photo c] All elements with threaded studs leaving JN after July 1, 2020 (whether on an oven or as a replacement) will have this new nut. Furthermore, we put our crescent wrench through an oven and manually bent one end for easier use in this application, too. [Photo d]. With the thick nut and special wrench, you can properly tighten element fasteners in less than five seconds per element.
a
b
c
*If you do rip off a ring terminal, you should replace it with a stainless, high-temp ring terminal and not a cheap zinc-coated ring terminal from a local supply house. d
SPRINGS / Fall 2020 / 37
Permanent Attachment of Element Wire to an Element Some element suppliers offer this option, but it is not feasible for JN to procure elements this way for two reasons: We don’t like the quality of element wire they offer, and JN is not able to inspect the element separate from the wire. If we had to reject an incoming element, then the element wire must get tossed, too. The concept of permanent attachment is a good idea, though. It is estimated that 90 percent of element failures are a result of loosening nuts and not enough checking prior to use of the oven. All JN ovens with a belt width of 12” or wider since the beginning of 2020 have element wire permanently attached to the elements, and the wire path leading to the control panel is accessible to the operator. All future oven builds will have these new elements. The attachment process is with a special butt splice, which also had to be invented by JN (the butt splice is not visible from under the black shrink tubing).
Easy Way to Check for Loose Studs A method JN uses before we test an oven, or before we do any troubleshooting, is to take a thermal image of the power wires and terminals. JN does this when designing a new component to understand the true power needed and the proper size of wire—regardless of what the component OEM recommends for wire sizes. We use the larger wire if there is a discrepancy. A thermal image will light up along the wire if there is a wire size issue, and the terminal will light up if there is a termination issue, including a gap behind a stud. The bright red in this image on the right easily tells us there is looseness at one stud. In conclusion, vigilant monitoring in the way nuts on studs are checked and maintained will greatly reduce downtime and the need to replace elements before their natural end-of-life. Elements are still considered a ”consumable” and there are other factors that affect the longevity of a circuit breaker or an element. The loosening of fasteners might account for most of the failures, but the next largest factor is putting the wrong power to an oven. Increasingly, JN is seeing ovens wired for 240V being put on 208V power.
This can also be fatal to an oven, and will be the topic of our article in the next issue of Springs. n Daniel Pierre III is the president of JN Machinery in East Dundee, Illinois. He can be reached at daniel@jnmachinery.com.
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The Five Top Causes of Spring Failures and How You Might Prevent Them By Luke Zubek, PE (Editor’s note: In this issue of Flashback we reprint a popular “how to” article from a former SMI staff member that originally appeared 10 years ago in the Fall 2010 issue of Springs.)
E
xamining spring failures over the past years has inevitably led to me to recognize many trends in the causes, alloys affected, and commonalities encountered. I have prepared this article in an effort to summarize my observations on the top five causes and, more importantly, to address preventative actions. The causes and preventions reflect my own experience and observations and are in no particular order of frequency or importance. When submitting any defective material for failure analysis it is important to provide the consulting engineer with accurate fabricating details, service conditions and operating details. Failure to supply the correct background information can lead to non-conclusive or inaccurate conclusions.
Number One: Hydrogen Embrittlement (HE) HE occurs when three factors are present:
1. A tensile stress of sufficient magnitude either applied or residual. 2. A susceptible material is being used; the most susceptible spring materials are martensitic steels with high hardness (> 35 HRC), containing specific alloys and residual elements. The “poster child” of susceptibility is ASTM A401 or chrome silicon (CrSi). 3. Hydrogen content above a threshold level (depending on the above two factors only a few parts-permillion are necessary). The source of the hydrogen can be external to the spring like an acid wash. More commonly, the source of hydrogen is already present in the steel; the amount of residual hydrogen in non-degassed steel can be as high as 10 ppm. HE has also been referred to as delayed cracking since the embrittlement process takes time to occur.
Hydrogen atoms diffuse to the grain boundaries that are under tension. As time progresses, the pressure in these areas builds up, ultimately causing the steel to fracture intergranular. After the steel fractures, the detrimental hydrogen is locally liberated and ductility returns to the steel. This mechanism is directly reflected in the fracture features; the transformation from brittle to ductile features is one of the main fingerprints of hydrogen embrittlement. The most common causes of hydrogen embrittlement in springs are a delayed stress relief, skipped bake after plating, and hydrochloric acid cleaning. Knowing these causes can help prevent HE from occurring. Some suggestions to help prevent HE: • Stress relief immediately after coiling and use an in-line oven. • Document coiling times and stress relief times on CrSi grades. • Bake soon after electro-plating. • No hydrochloric acid cleaning on oil tempered grades. • Cautiously use high tensile CrSi grades and use music wire whenever possible. • Use a degassed steel that has intentionally low residual hydrogen (~1 ppm)
Number Two: Surface Quality Most surface quality issues that I have dealt with occur on stainless steel grades like 17-7PH and 302SS. These seams or folds are usually just within the required specification and reduce the operational life by facilitating fatigue cracks to initiate. Sometimes the surface takes on an appearance that is described as looking like a turtle shell or alligator skin. Fatigue typically initiates from one of the deeper folds or seams that are oriented between the grains. These areas are essentially the grain boundaries that are etched out during scale removal. It follows that as the grain size is reduced so is the depth of the seams,
SPRINGS / Fall 2020 / 39
therefore the impact that these seams have on performance is reduced with finer grain size. To mitigate poor surface quality on stainless steel springs, consider the following: • Electro-polishing the surface will remove the high asperities on the surface and essentially reduce the depth of the surface seams. Springs do not need to be passivated after electro-polishing. • Shot peening the surface puts the surface in residual compression. When peened correctly, this process can double the fatigue life on springs. • Use nickel coated wire. • Purchase wire that has a guaranteed finer grain size. • Don’t over-passivate the spring. More is rarely better.
Number 3: Corrosion Problems with corrosion arise when the spring encounters a corrosive contaminant. This can be a one-time or continued exposure. The bottom line is that the choice of material and/ or processing must fit the operating environment. Some suggestions that might help reduce the effects of corrosion: • Properly identify the source of corrosion. Regrettably this is usually done after the spring has broken. Corrosion deposits can be accurately identified by utilizing the detectors, like energy dispersive spectroscopy, on a scanning electron microscope (SEM).
• For exposure to chloride pitting, use stainless steels that contain intentional additions of molybdenum (Mo); the more the better. Alloys 302SS and 17-7 PH do not contain any significant Mo additions; consider using alloys like 316 SS (2.5%Mo), 904L (4.5%Mo), AL-6X (6.5%Mo). • In environments that contain hydrogen sulfide, use grades like Inconel X-750 that stand up better than chrome silicon.
Number 4: Processing Issues I’ve decided to make this category “processing issues,” defined as some of the more common processing mistakes that can cause performance problems. Aside from surface quality problems the two main causes of fracturing during cold forming are: • Cold forming AFTER stress relief. For hard drawn steels like music wire, the stress relief increases the tensile strength of the steel (strain aging). But in the metallurgical world you rarely get anything for free; as the tensile strength increases, the ductility drops. Therefore, as a general rule complete all forming on the spring before the stress relief is applied. • Cold forming too fast. This mainly occurs on wire forms and simple bends. As the strain rate increases, the ductility decreases. Although your new coiler may be able to make 1000 parts an hour, it may be better
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to slow down and make only 800 parts per hour and avoid breaking any parts. Some other frequent processing problems are: • Sharp tooling marks that mechanically deform the wire surface. • Insufficient stress relief from an overloaded furnace.
This covers most but not all causes of spring failures and some of the more practical solutions that may help prevent these problems from occurring. An experienced springmaker will recognize that most of these solutions will increase the price of the spring. In some applications it may not even be possible. There also may be many other solutions to these issues, so please feel
free to send your comments to me at ljzubek@gmail.com. n Luke Zubek, PE graduated with a masters degree in engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology. Zubek has more than 30 years of experience in the metals industry including 10 years with a major steel producer and six years as SMI’s technical director. He currently works for CNH Industrial as senior materials engineer. He can be contacted at ljzubek@gmail.com. This article was peer reviewed when it originally appeared.
Number 5: Fatigue from Overstress This is probably the most common cause of spring failures. For many springs types it is not economically desirable or physically possible to design a spring for infinite life. Springs that fail from overstress originate failure at predictable orientations, where the amount of operational stresses are the greatest. For compression springs, the fracture initiates at the spring ID. For torsion springs, the fracture initiates at the spring OD. And for extension springs with hooks, the fracture occurs at the inside bend of the hook. In general, if the cross sectional area contains about 50 percent smooth fatigue features and contains no material or quality issues, I would consider the failure to be “normal.” The most common example of a “normal” overstress failure occurs on the hooks of an extension spring. The most simple and cost effective solution to lower the operational stresses is to reduce the last few coil diameters along with the hook diameter. I’ve examined many fractures on springs that were unnecessarily designed right at or just above the recommended maximum stress level. Most of these issues can be resolved quickly with the help of a good spring design software, like ASD 7.0. This software produces efficient designs on nested springs, conical springs and springs in series. This Windows-based software can make fatigue life predictions when two operational loads are entered. When knowing the fatigue life becomes critical, there is no replacement for actual testing of the spring, preferably in the same or similar operational environment and assembly.
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SPRINGS / Fall 2020 / 41
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Beyond the Conference Call: 4 Meeting Technologies Every Team Needs By Elise Keith
E
very team meets. Most run their meetings the same way their grandparents and their grandparents’ grandparents did. Meeting records predating the Romans describe a leader pontificating, brief back-and-forth discussion, then concluding with an inconclusive bit of mumbled agreement. Meetings haven’t changed much in thousands of years.
SPRINGS / Fall 2020 / 43
Then, the invention of the phone liberated meetings from the confines of the conference room. PowerPoint and projectors liberated us from stacks of printed reports. What do modern leaders do with this progress? Exactly what their ancestors did, only now their speeches come garbled through conference room phones. It’s time to bring how we meet into the modern era. Alongside the rise of technology, the past century has seen amazing advances in our understanding of how we can best work together in groups. We now know how groups can collaborate, innovate, motivate and make decisions together effectively. (Tip: listening to someone read the bullet points isn’t it.) These four types of augmented meeting technology build on those revelations and make it possible for your team to run more successful meetings.
We’ve become far too comfortable hiding out on mute, where we’re out of sight, out of earshot, and free to put our attention elsewhere. In fact, research shows that people often prefer dial-in meetings precisely because it means they no longer have to pretend they’re paying attention.
1. Video Conferencing Video conferencing beats audio conferencing every time. Most corporate teams have access to video conferencing and recording technology, but few put it to use. We’ve become far too comfortable hiding out on mute, where we’re out of sight, out of earshot, and free to put our attention elsewhere. In fact, research shows that people often prefer dial-in meetings precisely because it means they no longer have to pretend they’re paying attention. We’ve taken the subpar performance of our ancestors meetings and made it worse. For better remote meetings, get a good video conferencing set up and use it. Bonus Tip: turn on video conference recording for important in-person meetings too. Did you finally find a time when all the top execs could meet about your big project? Set up your video conferencing software to record that meeting. Then get the audio transcribed to text. You aren’t going to get all those people together again easily, and this way, you’ll get as much detail as you possibly can out of the time you have. You’ll be better able to focus on the discussion
44 / SPRINGS / Fall 2020
and won’t have to work so hard to take detailed notes. For example, we pair Zoom’s videoconferencing software with a Meeting Owl camera to make sure we get good 360° video of the current speaker. That’s not to say that notes aren’t valuable. In fact, good note taking is critical, which is why teams need:
2. Meeting Management Software Meeting management software makes it easy for teams to collaborate on meeting agendas and capture meeting notes. Teams that collaborate on documenting their decisions and next steps together during the meeting are more engaged, more efficient, and more committed to those results. More importantly, meeting management systems show everyone the best way for teams in your organization to run their meetings. Historically, everyone learned how to run meetings by attending meetings, then copying what they’d seen others do. While research has uncovered hundreds of brilliant techniques for bringing groups together, most people
never see these techniques in practice. They have no idea what’s possible. A meeting management system makes meeting instruction available to everyone. No one has to guess what should be on the agenda, how long the meeting should be, how to lead each part of the discussion, or what needs to get written down. The system spells all that out, making it possible for the organization to bring in a great meeting process, then quickly spread that to every team member. Teeming, BoardVantage, and Lucid Meetings are all examples technologies in this category.
3. Visual Collaboration and Decision Support Many of the most effective, engaging, and productive meeting techniques take advantage of our natural ability to process information visually. Teams can see patterns more easily when they can move data around, draw connections and include pictures. The teams that developed these techniques used lots of sticky notes. After the meeting, they spent time
typing up all those scribbles and cleaning the room—which meant most teams saved these powerful collaboration techniques for special occasions. Visual collaboration and decision support software makes the sticky notes digital. Teams collaborate in real time from anywhere, and no one has to type up anything later. The best tools also provide benefits you can’t easily get using paper. For example, when collecting feedback in a decision support tool, you can make every contribution anonymous to increase the chances of getting honest, useful feedback. Example technologies include MURAL, Stormz, GroupMap, and iObeya.
4. Meeting Feedback and Performance Tracking We estimate that there are over 55 million meetings every day in the U.S. alone. On average, executives spend 72 percent of their time each week in meetings.
We estimate that there are over 55 million meetings every day in the U.S. alone. Very few organizations track the performance of this time. Can you think of any other business process that consumes this many resources but isn’t tracked or measured in some way? Meeting feedback and performance tracking technology gives organizations insight into this massive investment. Some technologies automatically calculate meeting costs based on calendar data, creating the hard numbers leaders need when making decisions about how to meet. Other technologies use AI to analyze meeting feedback and then, based on the emotions of participants and historical patterns, predict whether a project will succeed or if a sale is likely to close. Technologies in this category include MeetingQuality, Gong.io, and Inspirometer.
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Better meetings are possible. Great meetings require changing the way we organize and run those meetings, which in the past meant you needed lots of facilitation training and blank wall space. Not anymore. With these four technologies, great meetings are possible for everyone working from anywhere. n Elise Keith is the cofounder of Lucid Meetings and the author of Where the Action Is: The Meetings That Make or Break Your Organization. For more information, please visit, www.jelisekeith. com, www.lucidmeetings. com and connect with her on Twitter, @EliseID8.
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Four Things That Do Not Change for Recruiting and Hiring During A Crisis By Jeremy Eskenazi
W
hether it’s a health concern, a business concern with vendors, customers and/or employees, or an economic concern, unfortunately it looks like we will always need to deal with crises. While companies spend time in their “war rooms” making important decision about customer, vendor and employee interactions, there is an important audience that requires your focus and planning as well: job candidates. The candidate experience has likely been mapped out and refined by your human resources or hiring manager team and is both an art and a science. Representing your brand from the very first interaction, through interviews and onboarding, is all about the relationship. In the turbulent times you have ahead of you, it becomes even more important to bring your candidate experience to life, even if it’s done from afar. As you think about your strategy to keep the hiring engines on and bring in the talent your organization needs for the future, here are four key elements of the experience that should not change during any crisis.
46 / SPRINGS / Fall 2020
1.
Communication
You will need to communicate in new ways and through different channels, but do not let your touchpoints or interaction with candidates go quiet! It’s even more important now to stay connected through phone, video, text, chat or carrier pigeon – whatever you use as your remote tool. Consider doubling your efforts to reassure candidates your hiring engine is not going to be turned off during this period.
Set Clear Expectations
2.
In your communication, one area to be clear, consistent and sure about is expectations. If your company has suspended all travel and banned visitors to your office, that is a reasonable business move at this moment. Not telling candidates that you’ve made this move is not! If you had shared with a candidate that they will eventually be invited for an in-person interview and that can’t happen anymore, be clear about the contingency plan, if the hiring will be paused based on the nature of the role, and when you will take a next step.
Keep Interviewing Video interviewing is not new – but not every company is using it. You don’t need a fancy tool; it can be any two-way video chat that you use to establish a visual connection to your candidates. If you do have a video interviewing tool in place, you can continue to scale your hiring efforts and build a talent pipeline – but make sure you keep communication and clear expectations at the forefront of your efforts. If you are not entering a hiring freeze, talent acquisition teams should continue as much of their usual operation as possible.
3.
It’s a daunting time to worry about your health and the health of those you care about. There are complexities from manufacturing and retail roles that are only done in person, to trying to work in new ways to get a sense for who someone is in more corporate roles without being able to meet them. Companies are asking candidates if they feel comfortable coming to a business location for interviews knowing there might be some risk, and both sides trying to navigate the pros and cons in the effort of having the best matched talent in each role. Through all the uncertainty and differing opinions on the best approach forward, remember that the candidate experience must remain top of mind. It is your differentiator, and how you treat candidates now will impact your ability to hire for the foreseeable future. If you don’t know the answer to timelines and travel guidance, or your office policies are in flux right now, that’s OK! Many companies are making decisions every day in real time as new information comes to light. Communicating badly, not being clear about expectations, stopping your talent acquisition engines, and keeping your recruiters or HR teams in the dark is not OK! Many locations may be in a state of change for the foreseeable future. It is not a place anyone wants to be in, but everyone is, so you have to make sure to keep focused on engaging with candidates. Show them that, regardless of any external factor, your company is great place to be. n Jeremy Eskenazi is an internationally recognized speaker, author of “RecruitConsult! Leadership,” and founder of Riviera Advisors, a boutique recruitment/talent acquisition management and optimization consulting firm. Eskenazi is not a headhunter, but a specialized training and consulting professional, helping global HR leaders transform how they attract top talent at some of the world’s most recognized companies. For more information on Jeremy Eskenazi, visit: www.RivieraAdvisors.com.
Be Re ad y
4.
Recruiters are the face of your company for most candidates. Arming them with the latest updates, decisions, business impacts, and positive steps your company is taking during this crisis is very important. Much like you would share a new product release, award, or new executives named at the company, updates about your safety and productivity efforts should be available for recruiters to share with candidates, who will likely have questions about how your organization is protecting employees, the financial impact that might change the company’s outlook, or leading efforts to keep communities safe.
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Insurance Upset COVID-19 Forces a New Look at Policies ©iStockphoto.com/NancyEdmonds
By Phillip M. Perry
Businesses face many questions about insurance coverage for the costly damages incurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. What unexpected exclusions are only now becoming apparent? What litigation should be expected? And how can businesses retool their policies to reflect the increased risk in the months and years ahead?
48 / SPRINGS / Fall 2020
T
he risk of legal action is very real. “There will no doubt be more lawsuits alleging liability against businesses where customers, vendors or employees contract COVID-19,” says C. Thomas Kruse, partner and chair of the Litigation Practice Group for Texas in the Houston office of Baker McKenzie. These risks are expected to remain high as the effects of the pandemic continue to be felt. In this article, attorneys and insurance consultants address the most important concerns in the areas of commercial general liability (CGL), workers’ compensation, and employment practices liability insurance (EPLI). A sidebar covers business interruption insurance.
CGL Insurance A business may be sued by customers, vendors or visitors who contract COVID19 while visiting a facility. “The next step in lawsuits will likely be third parties on the premises who contract COVID-19, especially if the business has not followed all guidelines for protecting against the disease from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or state and local authorities,” says Kruse. Such guidelines can include the availability of masks, maintaining social distancing, and provision of hand sanitizer and related gear. “Indeed, such lawsuits are already starting to pop up around the country.”
Suppose you are sued and lose: Will your damages be covered by your CGL policy? Such insurance is intended to cover bodily injury and property damage caused to third parties on an insured’s premises. “Provided the particular policy does not exclude coverage for virus exposure, it is conceivable that a CGL policy could provide bodily injury coverage for liability arising from the infection of a customer or vendor,” says Robert M. Travisano, an attorney in the litigation practice of Epstein Becker Green. If that “conceivable” word raises alarm bells in your mind, you are not alone. For more than one reason, uncertainty surrounds this topic. One problem is that in many policies, coverage for a virus is either carved out or requires a specific endorsement. Another problem is that legal liability is required to trigger coverage. The infection must have arisen from some breach of care on the part of the insured business, and what constitutes such negligent conduct is still unsettled. “There are numerous lawsuits boiling up as to what actions or inactions could possibly lead to legal liability due to the coronavirus,” says Tony Sardis, president of the management consulting firm Withum. He points to the following possible scenarios: 1. Remaining open following an order by a civil authority to close 2. Failure to adhere to required health and prevention guidelines 3. Allowing an employee who is known to be infected with the virus to continue working 4. Not screening or refusing service to customers with the virus
the law becomes more defined, as lawsuits work their way through the pipeline.”
Workers’ Compensation Workers’ compensation insurance reimburses employees for medical costs and lost wages stemming from employment-related injury or illness. Will such insurance cover personnel affected on the job by a COVID-19 infection? The answer is yes, at one level of analysis. “If someone can show they have been infected at the workplace, then workers’ compensation is probably their remedy,” says Bob Gregg, co-chair of the Employment Practice Law Group at Boardman and Clark LLC, Madison, Wisconsin. That word “if” suggests the sticking point. Just how would causation be proven? “The hardest part is the employee showing that COVID-19 was actually contracted while at work and not, for example, during the commute or going to the grocery store,” says Emily P. Harbison, a partner in the Houston office of Baker McKenzie. Workers’ compensation does not cover routine community-spread illnesses like a cold or the flu because they usually cannot be directly tied to the workplace. Conceivably, employees can contract the disease at work even if it cannot be proven. “Some states such as California are enacting legislation that provides a presumption that an employee was infected with COVID-19 at work and puts the burden on the employer to avoid workers’ compensation
Whatever the nature of the negligent conduct, it must be the actual cause of the injury to the third party for insurance to kick in. And that brings up yet another problem: The difficulty of proving causation. “It may be extremely difficult to prove the virus was contracted at any one site or location, and that it arose out of the insured’s operations,” says Sardis. “The infected individual would need to prove that he or she only went to that location over the past 5 to 14 days (based upon today’s knowledge of the infection transmission), prove it was something the business should have known about and should have taken some preventive measures.” Contact tracing or other means of establishing the spot of infection may be extremely difficult. Businesses can defend themselves from such lawsuits if they can show that they did, in fact, provide a reasonable care to third parties. “These businesses will claim that if they comply with the applicable guidelines, such as the CDC protocols, they exercised ordinary care and should be immune from suit,” says Kruse. As the above remarks suggest, much of the law is currently unsettled. “Given the unique predicament we now find ourselves in, there isn’t a whole lot of law surrounding the nature of the duty of care to a customer or vendor for coronavirus exposure,” says Travisano. “We can expect that CDC guidelines will fill in the blanks for such duties until
SPRINGS / Fall 2020 / 49
liability,” says Paul Evans, a partner in the Employment and Compensation Practice Group in Baker & McKenzie’s New York office. In some cases, state laws require that the employee be diagnosed within a certain number of days of performing work outside of the home. In those cases where a direct linkage can be found between the workplace and the COVID-19 infection, workers’ compensation insurance would be in effect. Employer negligence, if any, would not normally be a factor determining coverage. “Generally speaking, workers’ compensation is a no-fault system,” says Harbison. “In other words, it doesn’t matter whether the illness was caused by the negligent acts of the employee or the employer, the employee would still be entitled to receive benefits as long as the illness occurred while performing the job.” Intentional acts, on the other hand, may be a different matter. If the employer commits a gross act that deliberately puts people at risk, such as hiding important health
information, workers’ compensation might not reimburse the employee. “If it is determined that the illness is not covered by workers’ compensation, then the employee can pursue tort causes of action against the employer,” says Harbison. “There are two exceptions in Texas, for example, where a sick or injured employee can sue under common law negligence. The first is where an employee’s death is caused the employer’s gross negligence. The second is where the injury or illness is due to an intentional act. Other states have different exceptions.”
Employment Practices Liability insurance (EPLI) When bringing work-at-home employees back to the workplace, or when rehiring furloughed or fired employees, businesses need to avoid unintentional discrimination by any category protected by federal, state and local laws. These include age, race, sex, religion, and national origin. The same discriminatory caution applies to decisions
Business Interruption Insurance Will your business interruption insurance reimburse profits
subject of several pending lawsuits, and is sure to be hotly
lost from the COVID-19 pandemic? Maybe not.
debated over the next several months and years as the true
“The general principles of law would lead the aver-
economic impact of the pandemic unfolds.”
age business owner to believe there is coverage,” says C.
Indeed, litigation is starting to pile up. “Lawsuits have
Thomas Kruse, partner and chair of the Litigation Practice
begun to be filed in states from California, to Texas, to
Group for Texas in the Houston office of Baker McKenzie. “Yet,
Louisiana, probing the limits of denials of coverage,” says
the insurance industry released statements early in March
Kruse. One recent lawsuit asserted that a denial by prelimi-
announcing the opposite position. Most notably, the Ameri-
nary letter was tantamount to breach of a policy that even
can Property Casualty Insurance Association announced its
included a pandemic provision. The insurer had relied on
members’ position that there was no business interruption
a lack of specific coverage for the COVID-19 strain. “More
coverage for COVID-19 losses.”
such lawsuits will follow.”
The pandemic has put a spotlight on the exclusions buried
What will the courts decide? “One key factor will be
in commercial insurance policies. “Over a decade ago, most
determining the true cause of losses suffered by insureds,”
U.S. insurers added exclusions to their commercial property
says Kruse. “Was it the contamination of the premises,
policies to resolve this issue,” says Kruse. The policy section
rendering them unfit for business, or was it the government
is often labeled “Exclusion for Loss Due to Virus or Bacteria.”
orders requiring shutdowns?”
Some policies might not address the pandemic topic at all.
When checking your own policy for coverage, peruse the
“For businesses whose policies may be silent on the whole
fine print. The terms of each insurance policy differ, and a
issue, this is an opportunity to argue that the absence of
maze of exclusions and endorsements must be navigated
the exclusion, despite its common presence in the market,
to determine coverage.
evidences an agreement to cover an event caused by virus or bacteria,” says Kruse.
Some insureds may wish to increase coverage. “Businesses can purchase insurance that responds specifically
A second problem is the unseen nature of the damage
to a viral outbreak,” says Travisano. “Such coverage largely
incurred. “In the context of COVID-19, many insurers are
came on the scene following the SARS outbreak in 2002-
taking the position that they do not cover virus-related
2004. However, given COVID-19’s prevalence and virulence,
closures because there has been no ostensible damage to
it is now likely that insurers will attempt to limit their risk by
property,” says Robert M. Travisano, an attorney in the litiga-
offering virus and disease coverage that is markedly more
tion practice of Epstein Becker Green. “This very point is the
expensive or excludes COVID-19 outright.”
50 / SPRINGS / Fall 2020
granting or withholding leave for reasons related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unintentional discrimination can occur for a variety of reasons. Suppose a well-intentioned employer decides that people who are at special risk of serious effects from a COVID-19 infection should be told to remain home rather than return to work. That group includes older employees. Those individuals may have a cause of action against the employer—either because they are not paid an amount equivalent to younger people as a result of their failure to be brought back to the workplace, or because they lack the opportunities for advancement that can only be enjoyed by physical proximity to colleagues and supervisors. The costs incurred by such discrimination may well be covered by EPLI. Such insurance is intended to cover employers against lawsuits brought by employees under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other employment related statutes. “Most EPLI policies include coverage for discrimination based on certain prohibited categories such as age, race and sex,” says Harbison. One caveat: Many insurance policies will not cover damages that are incurred by intentional acts that exhibit “wonton, willful, reckless or intentional disregard” for the law. That can present a problem in the case of lawsuits. “Discrimination claims are usually based on intentional conduct,” notes Harbison. “And such claims may not be covered by insurance.” Most EPLI policies exclude coverage for violations of the wage and hour provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, decisions by the National Labor Relations Board, the costs of complying with accommodations mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act, and claims arising out of facts or circumstances that are known by the employer prior to the effective date of the policy. Also not covered by the typical EPLI policy are violations of The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act or similar state laws which require advance notices for mass closings. EPLI policies also do not provide coverage for violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or of the provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Employers should take particular note of the latter exclusion. “Resulting from COVID-19, thousands of OSHA claims have already been filed across the U.S. with employees alleging their working conditions are not safe due to a lack of precautions taken by their employer against the coronavirus,” says Sardis. These precautions typically include the establishment of hand-washing stations, provision of enough room to work and to maintain social distancing, and the supply of sanitizers and protective gear. While claims such as these are unlikely to trigger coverage under the standard EPLI policy, such coverage would likely be triggered to the extent an employee is discriminated against, harassed, terminated or otherwise retaliated against for refusal to go to work as a result of poor safety conditions. These guidelines offer some insight into the usual EPLI coverage, which can vary widely among insurers. “I would
advise all employers to document their reasoning behind their hiring and firing decisions,” says Sardis. “Employers should also consult with their EPLI carrier prior to any major staffing decisions to ensure all proper steps are followed.”
Review and Renew The interpretations in this article are based off what is typically seen in standard policies. Many carriers enhance, reduce or even eliminate common coverages. “Insurance policy terms and conditions vary greatly from carrier to carrier, and even standardized coverage often has the meaning of key terms changed by endorsement,” says Sardis. “There is no hard and fast rule as to whether any particular type of claim will be covered.” Given the fluid nature of the risks posed by the COVID19 pandemic, employers need to take a fresh look at their insurance coverage. Rather than consider the information in this article as legal advice, readers should utilize its ideas as a framework for discussions with qualified attorneys. “Moving forward, business owners should consult with knowledgeable insurance professionals to understand what is and what is not covered in their policies,” says Sardis. “Then they will have to decide whether to retain uncovered risks within their organizations, transfer those risks to other insurance products, or manage them by another method such as contractually.” n
SPRINGS / Fall 2020 / 51
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©iStockphoto.com/tostphoto
Five Questions
Forming Systems, Inc.
F
ive 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 Dan Bagwell, Vice President, Forming Systems Inc.
1|
Can you tell us about the history of Forming Systems?
10.88”
Forming Systems started in April of 2002 with a partnership between Tim Weber and myself. Our vision was to be a one-stop location for all things springmaking and wireforming. Over past 18 years, we have created cooperative agreements with world class suppliers to bring the best products to the North American marketplace. We now offer springmaking machines with wire ranges from .002 inches up to .630 inches (0.06mm–16mm), ovens of all shapes, sizes and configurations, payoff reels of all sizes, spring length gauges, parts washers, spring grinders, 2D and 3D wire formers, and a full range of spring testing equipment including compression and extension testing, LVA, torsion testers, vision systems, fatigue testers, and many custom applications.
2|
What are the latest trends in springmaking and wireforming equipment?
Production speeds and accuracy are important, but also the speed and accuracy that the parts can be set up on the machine. Customers want a machine with easy setup, easy predictable adjustments with software that helps bridge the gap between the mechanical and the CNC portions of the machine. This is also true with testing equipment; the customer wants a tester that has the ability to take functions that normally would be done by hand and have the tester software do the calculations for them.
3|
Forming Systems represents several different machinery and accessory manufacturers. What advantage does that provide to springmakers?
Forming Systems provides unique project solutions because we can offer different machine types based on the products required. In some cases, a spring machine may be a great solution for a wireforming project because of the increased flexibility to use other bending techniques, like servo winders, coiling tools for large radius, support tools when bending, etc. In other cases, we can offer a turnkey solution when a customer wants a complete work cell with payoff, machine, gauge to measure length and OD, stress relieving oven, and final inspections gauges for dimensional, force output, or cycle life.
4|
How have you utilized video to help promote and sell equipment?
We have a YouTube channel where you can see the variety of machines we offer. We can send brochures with videos embedded to demonstrate how the machine functions, speeds, etc. This is a useful tool for customers with special requirements. With digital video, we can get the video from the manufacturer by email and forward it on to the customer. We rarely send videos as an attachment because the files can be exceptionally large. With an email link, the video transfer to the customer is quick and simple. We also use online video demos of the spring tester functions and software; we can easily show the customer how to program these machines for their exact applications, the reports available, the raw data (in real time) and they have the ability to ask questions and see those answers right on their screen.
5|
Can you tell us about a recent challenge that you were able to solve for a customer?
With our unique ability to offer many solutions, in many cases we can offer a possible solution to a problem that the customer did not expect. For example, we had a customer who was building a work cell. The customer was simply out of room for this cell and needed to find ways to cut the space required. After a few meetings by phone and email with our suppliers, we came up with a special oven with a built-in cooling system for their parts. The original design called for a separate cooling system, but with this manufacturer’s design and building capabilities, we could offer a solution they did not expect. In another case, a customer needed a torsion tester for long springs. Once again we contacted our supplier and came up with a simple solution for a machine to test these springs. n Forming Systems Inc PO Box 694 Schoolcraft, MI 49087 Phone 269-679-3557 dbagwell@formingsystemsinc.com www.formingsystemsinc.com
Dan Bagwell SPRINGS / Fall 2020 / 53
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Springmaker Spotlight
Becoming an Industry Character: A Profile of Damon Kaufman and Stalder Spring By Gary McCoy, Managing Editor
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ike many in the spring industry, Damon Kaufman was born into his life’s work in a career that now spans 52 years. Kaufman is the longtime president of Stalder Spring in Springfield, Ohio. Looking back on his time in the industry, Kaufman says he enjoys what he does and it’s a feeling that continues to this day. “I’ve made a lot of friends in the industry,” he said. “I’ve ruffled a lot of feathers, but I’m sort of a feather ruffler anyway. If I’ve got something to say, I say it. I know the right thing to say, but I usually say something else.” Since its founding in 1946 by Kaufman’s maternal grandfather, Delmar L. Staldler, Stalder Spring has specialized in producing custom compression, torsion and extension springs, along with wireforms and a few specialty flat parts. In 2021 the company will mark 75 years in business, but Kaufman says there are no current plans to celebrate. “We run things a little differently here. We try to take care of our family. We try to take care of our employees,” explained Kaufman. “We do what we can to make it work. So, we don’t do a lot of celebrating other than that.” Kaufman says that as a fourth-generation family-run business, “Business has always been kind to us. That’s why my grandfather started the company and he always wanted family to run it.”
Damon Kaufman
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Five Men and the Ohio Spring Industry Delmar Stalder was among five men who were mainstays at The Yost Superior Co. in Springfield. Many of these men shared the experience of working at the company during the Great Depression. Between 1943 and 1948, four of the men branched out from Yost to start their own companies. In addition to Stalder, Pyrl E. Van Horn, Sr. started Ohio Wire Form and Spring in Columbus, Ohio, Hugh Hill formed Capital Spring also in Columbus and Ray McIntire established Tremac and Dayton Coil in Xenia, Ohio. The fifth member of the group, Bill Craig, remained at Yost and logged more than 50 years with the company. Kaufman says it was remarkable how all five of the men stayed in touch over the years. Kaufman says Stalder Spring began in the basement of his grandfather’s house with two coiling machines, a Torington W-11 and an old, “beat up” Sleeper and Hartley #2. Kaufman says one of his grandfather’s early customers was the Lima (Ohio) Register Company. “They used to wind a double torsion spring by hand for this customer,” explained Kaufman. “Every month they would produce 30,000 of these springs for a heating register.” To keep up with the demand, Stalder Spring hired high school students to work at the company when they got out
Dana Kaufman
56 / SPRINGS / Fall 2020
of school in the afternoon. Remarkably, they continued to produce the part by hand until the early 60s. Kaufman’s grandfather owned the house next door to his, and when business started to expand, he tunneled between the two basements to accommodate all the work. In 1954, they moved out of the two houses and bought a working farm on the south side of Springfield. “They moved the equipment into the basement of the barn,” said Kaufman. He said the original plan was to put up a building on the lot beside the barn in the nearby pasture. “They never did get that building erected, and we pushed out the building into that area when we added an addition in 1989,” said Kaufman. No longer a working farm, Stalder Spring is still located at that same address with 16,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space and 2,000 ft. of office space. “People see a barn and a white house and don’t realize how large our operation is,” explained Kaufman. Stalder Spring became ISO 9001 certified in the mid-90s. Over the years, quality auditors have arrived at the company and would see the barn and the white house. “They couldn’t figure why they needed to do a two-day audit,” said Kaufman. “It’s always fun to see the look on
Family is an important part of Stalder Spring, including (l-to-r): Daniel Kaufman, Dana Kaufman, Sue Exelby-Kaufman, Damon Kaufman and D.L. Kaufman.
their face when they discovered that we are larger and more sophisticated in the quality area than they anticipated.”
Doing What Can’t Be Done Proving people wrong has always been something that Kaufman has enjoyed. When the company needed a computer system, Kaufman ended up doing it himself. He originally programmed the system in dBase 2 using an IBM PC with a five-megabyte hard drive. He even printed invoices on an old Olympus typewriter by hooking up the computer system to the serial port on the typewriter. “Over the years, I have kept doing things like this that people said couldn’t be done,” said Kaufman with a laugh. “That’s why when I come to work, I come to play.” Kaufman said he really enjoys what he does and working with his customers. “A lot of my customers have become personal friends over the years and it’s the same thing with my suppliers,” said Kaufman. “It’s all customer service. That’s what we’re doing on everything.” Kaufman said Stalder Spring focuses on solving a customer’s wants, desires and needs. “When you do that, it’s pretty easy to sell springs, even when you don’t have a sales force.”
“It’s always fun to see the look on [the auditors'] face when they discovered that we are larger and more sophisticated in the quality area than they anticipated.” With a laugh, he continued, “Our sales force is one engineer telling another engineer, ‘Hey, call Stalder. They can do something like that.’”
All in the Family Family is important at Stalder Spring. Out of the company’s 12 employees, five are family members. Kaufman’s brother, Dana, is the company’s vice president of manufacturing, and has worked at the company since 1977. His wife, Sue Exelby-Kaufman, initially joined the company in 2004 in secondary operations and now runs the office. The couple got married in August 2005.
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Travis Riggs 58 / SPRINGS / Fall 2020
Kaufman places a high value on institutional knowledge. “It’s stuff you’ve already paid for,” he explained. “A lot of times people just want to toss out the old stuff.”
His oldest son, D. L. Kaufman, has been on and off with the company since 2001 and helps with sales and marketing. Kaufman’s younger son, Daniel, started in 2005 after graduating from high school. He oversees coiling operations and CNC machines. “Daniel really took an interest in the business about five years ago, so I have been grooming him and his brother so they can someday take over the business,” said Kaufman with pride. D.L. has two sons and a daughter, while Daniel has a son. “My sons are the fourth generation of the business, and in a few years their kids could be part of the fifth generation,” Kaufman said. Kaufman says there are a couple of other employees who have practically been adopted into the family. “They are almost like my kids.” Kaufman’s father, Damon Kaufman Jr., was married to his mother, Corella (daughter of Stalder Spring founder Delmar Stalder) for 54 years before his death Oct. 13, 2005. Kaufman’s dad had worked with his father-in-law until 1963, when he left the company to work at another spring company in Detroit. Corella Kaufman worked in the secondary department at Stalder Spring while in high school. She later rejoined the company in the early 80s and became secretary/treasurer in 1982. Affectionally known as GG, she died Dec. 30, 2018, at the age of 88.
“Business was off about 50 to 60 percent due to COVID, so it has [taken] a hit,” explained Kaufman. “Other than one employee getting sick, we’ve gotten through this remarkably well and things are coming back.” He comments further, “I feel like there’s always a market for what we do. I think we are going to come through this fine, just like we did with everything else.”
Making it Hard to Replace Kaufman says he has seen the booms and the busts over the years, whether it was the oil shortages in the 70s or the most recent Great Recession in 2008. Kaufman said there was a time when their workforce numbered nearly 35 in the late 80s. “Sometimes it takes a recession to shake companies out,” explained Kaufman. “Those who have problems don’t survive it.” “The only way to survive is to be very good at what you do and to be very tenacious at what you do.” He advises that companies must never think that a customer can’t make it without you. Kaufman has found that anyone is replaceable. He says it comes down to how much time, money and effort a company wants to spend to replace you as a supplier. “So, I try to make it real hard to replace me,” Kaufman said with a chuckle. “I know they can do it, but I’m not going to make it cheap for them.”
Business During the Pandemic Like many spring companies, Stalder Spring has been challenged during the current COVID-19 crisis. One employee in their shipping department tested positive for the virus. Kaufman said she only felt sick for three days but did quarantine for two weeks, and so far no one else has tested positive at the company. Stalder Spring was never required to shut down during the pandemic because they fell under the definition of a critical infrastructure business. Kaufman said several of his customers did have to shut down for a long as eight weeks, primarily those manufacturing in Mexico or sourcing parts from Mexico and Canada.
SPRINGS / Fall 2020 / 59
Looking back to the late ‘80s, Kaufman says a customer challenged him with seven issues at Stalder Spring that needed to be fixed, “which was essentially every aspect of my business.” He said the buyer told him that if Stalder Spring didn’t fix those issues, they would have to re-source their business to other suppliers over the next 10 years. They advised Kaufman, “You’ll slowly lose our business.” Kaufman said after that wake-up call, the company dedicated 40 percent of its sales to upgrading its quality standards. “We did that, and in two years we were up to the quality standards the customer wanted.” It was through that impetus that Stalder Spring became ISO certified. In terms of equipment, Kaufman says Stalder Spring was slow to adopt computerized equipment. “With family involved and everyone making decisions, you don’t always make the right equipment decisions,” Kaufman admitted of a culture that resisted change. Stalder Spring added their first CNC machine in 2005, and later added more in 2014 and 2019. The company still has three forming machines in its equipment inventory, along with several machines for secondary operations. “We still run some of the automatics in our business, but not the old knuckle-busters we used to have,” said Kaufman.
More recently, the company decided to exit the fourslide business.
Valuing Institutional Knowledge Stalder Spring is working toward becoming somewhat paperless. “We are taking all our old estimate books and everything most people throw away, and we’re scanning it into the system,” explained Kaufman. He says it’s a project that will probably cost up to $70,000 to complete. Eventually they will have all the company estimates from the 50s, 60s and 70s to the present scanned into the company’s computer system so they can be easily identified. “Is it something I need? Probably not,” explained Kaufman. “What I’ve found is that with a number of things we’ve thrown out, the institutional knowledge is the one thing that we cannot replace.” Kaufman said he’s especially noticed this with the passing of his dad and grandfather. “I would always go to them for pearls of wisdom, such as: ‘You know I’m fighting this, what’s it doing?’” He remembers the help he received from his dad on a part Stalder Spring was making for a farm equipment manufacturer that was suddenly breaking prematurely. He called his dad and got wisdom about how to run the job. “If I hadn’t heard this old thing from my dad in the 1980s, I probably would have never figured it out.” Kaufman places a high value on institutional knowledge. “It’s stuff you’ve already paid for,” he explained. “A lot of times people just want to toss out the old stuff.” Kaufman admits that often it is information that can be tossed, but he says sometimes you have to look at what you have and decide if it’s worth the effort to keep it. With the low cost of disk drives, Kaufman decided it was worth the overall effort and cost to scan the estimate materials just in case they might someday need that information. Still Having Fun When asked about retirement, Kaufman joked that he plans to stay at the company until “they bury me.” “I say that strictly because when I first started running Stalder, I thought: ‘You know I’m going to keep doing this as long as I have fun,’” Kaufman explained. “I’ve got a good group of people I work with. I’ve got a very loyal, wonderful customer base and they give me challenges almost every day. As long as I’m having fun I’m going to keep doing it.” In reflecting back on his career, Kaufman says he’s enjoyed all the “characters” he’s known in the spring industry and admits, “I’ve grown up to be one of them!” He says that is probably one of the best things he’s done in his life, “to grow up to be one of those characters that I always looked up to. They had the stories and they didn’t take themselves too seriously. They enjoyed what they did and enjoyed their life.” n
60 / SPRINGS / Fall 2020
Book Corner ©iStockphoto.com/kertlis
Where the Action Is: The Meetings That Make or Break Your Organization Reviewed by Gary McCoy
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y goal with this book is to change the way you think and feel about meetings, so you can master the ones that drive your world,” writes J. Elise Keith in the introduction to her book “Where the Action Is.” She further states, “I’m going to share a new perspective on meetings and teach you how to approach them in a more nuanced way.” According to a news release about the book, “Every day in the U.S., there are anywhere between 36 and 56 million meetings. Leaders overwhelmingly agree that meetings are critical to success, yet many still struggle to engage workers, accelerate productivity, and not lose revenues in the process. The cost of these ineffective meetings totals more than $37 billion annually.” Keith, co-founder of Lucid Meetings, reveals strategies companies can use to structure beneficial meetings, create a healthy workplace culture, and propel overall team momentum. If you want to take a deep dive into how to plan and run successful meetings, this book is for you. The book is organized into four sections: Part 1: Breaking the Doom Loop shares how Keith formed her beliefs about meetings, then invites you to take a look at your own beliefs, question why people meet in the first place and explore why people react to meetings in all the contradictory ways that they do. Part 2: Mastering the Work in Meetings covers the kind of work that happens in meetings and the factors that contribute to a meeting’s effectiveness.
“Leaders overwhelmingly agree that meetings are critical to success, yet many still struggle to engage workers, accelerate productivity, and not lose revenues in the process. The cost of these ineffective meetings totals more than $37 billion annually.”
Part 3: Mastering the Meetings at Work looks at how meetings function as part of an organization’s larger operating system and the levels of performance that can be achieved when an organization improves the maturity and skill with which it manages meetings. Part 4: The 16 Types of Meetings That Work describes the 16 major types of specific meetings and, by knowing each type of meetings, makes it easier to achieve clarity. The book was too long for my taste at nearly 400 pages, but it does contain some good tips. I particularly enjoyed the “Core Competencies of High-Performing Meetings,” where Keith advises readers to train everyone who meets in your organization in these effective habits:
1. Know the meeting’s purpose and desired outcome. 2. Structure meetings to achieve the desired outcome. 3. Respect the time invested. 4. Structure meetings for engagement. 5. Take visible notes. 6. Publish meetings records where everyone can find them. This book was written before the coronavirus pandemic and makes me wonder if the author will put together a revised version on how to meet effectively when sheltered in place. 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 / Fall 2020 / 61
wongwean/Shutterstock.com
Global CTE News Highlights
Survey: The “New Normal” Hasn’t Dampened Teens’ Interest in Becoming Entrepreneurs
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new survey for Junior Achievement (JA) by research firm ENGINE Insights shows that teens remain open to becoming an entrepreneur and starting a business despite the impact of COVID-19 on U.S. small businesses. Two-thirds (66 percent) of teens between the ages of 13 and 17 said they were “likely” to consider starting a business or becoming an entrepreneur as an adult. A similar survey conducted in 2017 showed that nearly the same percentage of teens (69 percent) were likely to start a business then. The 2020 survey of 1,000 teens was conducted from May 14 to 20, 2020. “Small business is the backbone of the American economy and the driver of job growth,” said Tom Staab, executive vice president of development and operations at Junior Achievement of Chicago. “Despite the effects of the COVID-19 shutdown on the business community, it is encouraging to see the next generation still interested in considering entrepreneurship as a career path. We must encourage that interest going forward.” Other findings of the survey include: • Nearly a third of teens (29 percent) said their greatest concern about starting a business is that it’s “too risky,” while a quarter (24 percent) don’t believe there’s “enough money in it.” Fewer (18 percent) said it didn’t “fit my personality/skills.” • Most teens (52 percent) said they need “someone to invest” in their business to consider being an
52% said they need someone to invest in their business to consider being an entrepreneur
51% said they need more information on what it would take to be successful
34% said they would need a role model who is a business owner
entrepreneur. Nearly as many (51 percent) said they would need “more information on what it would take to be successful” and (47 percent) said they would need “support from parents and family.” Around a third of teens
(38 percent) would need “friends with similar interest” to team with them, and a similar amount (34 percent) would need “a role model who is a business owner.” The survey was conducted in support of a virtual event in May featuring entrepreneur and Shark Tank “shark” Mark Cuban. Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have volunteered to participate in online surveys and polls. The data have been weighted to reflect the demographic composition of the 18+ population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to multiple sources of error, including, but not limited to sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students of kindergarten through high school age knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. This year, JA will reach 620,000 students in 12 countries. Visit www.jachicago.org for more information. n
SPRINGS / Fall 2020 / 63
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Calendar of Key Events for the Global Spring Industry 2020 Nov. 12 CASMI Membership Dinner Meeting Maggiano’s Little Italy, Schaumburg, Illinois. www.casmi-springworld.org Dec. 3 CASMI Annual Holiday Party Cooper’s Hawk, Arlington Heights, Illinois www.casmi-springworld.org Dec. 4 NESMA Annual Meeting Double Tree Hilton Hotel, Bristol, Connecticut www.nesma-usa.com
SMI Mourns Passing of Member It is with deep regret that Springs announces the passing of Katherine I. Magrini, 77, June 3, 2020 following a long illness. Magrini was the owner and president of Gardner Spring, Inc., Tulsa, Oklahoma. Magrini was a longtime member of SMI and numerous other manufacturing trade associations, as well as the Committee of 200. Magrini was the sole owner of Gardner, a 113-year-old stock spring company, for more than 40 years. She previously was a regional manager for Barnes Group, and was the first woman to be a member of the Tulsa Manufacturers Association. Magrini’s granddaughter, Katherine Rothe-Skinner, is Gardner’s new president. A private service was held on June 26, 2020.
2021 April 24-27 SMI Annual Meeting Hyatt Regency, Scottsdale, Arizona May 10-13 WAI InterWire Atlanta, Georgia https://wirenet.org/events/interwire Sept. 6-8 International Committee on Spring Technologies – ICST – 2 Hotel Nikko Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany www.icst2020-germany.de/ Sept. 28–30 2021 SMI Metal Engineering eXpo South Point Resort and Casino, Las Vegas www.metalengineeringexpo.org Sept. 30–Oct. 1 ISO/TC 227 – Springs South Point Resort and Casino, Las Vegas www.iso.org/committee/369318.html Oct. 8 11th International Congress of Springs Spain (location TBD)
SPRINGS / Fall 2020 / 65
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• How you manage inventory: Grainger can help you determine the right amount of inventory to keep on hand. Having the right supplies helps you maintain a productive environment, avoid costly downtime from stock-outs and reduce expensive overstock. • How you manage safety: Get the products, services and resources to help keep your people and facilities safe. Grainger can help you reduce injuries, facilitate compliance, manage risk and increase productivity. • How you operate sustainably: Grainger offers environmentally preferable solutions to help you manage your energy consumption, conserve water, reduce waste and improve air quality.
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Committee Connection Manufacturing Day During a Pandemic
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ne of SMI’s strategic goals during the past few years has been to engage in programs to help increase awareness of the industry in an effort to recruit future workforce participants. One of the key initiatives has been to encourage SMI members to participate in Manufacturing Day (MFG Day), which is held annually in October. MFG Day 2020 is forging ahead, but it could look a lot different this year due to COVID-19. That was the message that emerged from a webinar on MFG Day 2020 that was held in June and led by Julia Asoni, senior director of youth engagement for the Manufacturing Institute (MI). Asoni started her presentation by highlighting the continuing need to fill 4.6 million manufacturing jobs between now and 2028. Due to a shrinking talent pool, she said manufacturers will continue to struggle to fill the 2.4 million jobs that are currently unfilled.
Julia Asoni
America Will Always Need Creators
In-Person, Virtual or Hybrid Events Recognizing that across the U.S. there are differences in facility and school status at the regional, state, district and school level due to COVID-19, Asoni advised that manufacturers should seek guidance from their local departments of health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and area school districts. Depending on where you are located, Asoni said there is the potential for hosting both in-person and virtual events, or a hybrid of the two.
Creators Wanted Serving as the new online home for MFG Day, CreatorsWanted.org is designed to provide resources for
in the United States by 600,000, expand the number of students enrolling in technical and vocational schools or reskilling programs by 25 percent and increase the positive perception of the industry among parents to 50 percent, from today’s 27 percent. Chrys Kefalas, vice president of brand strategy, also participated in the webinar. He encouraged manufacturers to share the “Creators Wanted” message with students, teachers, parents, and other key audiences. He said manufacturers should build off these key messaging pillars: Modern manufacturing is creating the future, with creators rallying to our nation’s need, making a difference, and aiding the country and the world’s response to COVID-19.
manufacturers who need help hosting a virtual event. It is also the site where manufacturers can register their event and to download a new MFG Day logo that was unveiled earlier this year. Back in February, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and MI, the workforce and education partner of the NAM, unveiled their “Creators Wanted” campaign, an unprecedented, nationwide effort to reshape America’s perception of manufacturing and confront the industry’s growing skills gap. By 2025, the impact of “Creators Wanted” aims to reduce the skills gap
By 2028, manufacturers will need to fill 4.6 million jobs. Kefalas also advised manufacturers to share stories on social media of creators who are passionate about their manufacturing careers, using the hashtags #MFGDay20 and #CreatorsWanted. He also encouraged manufacturers to engage with @TheMfginstitute and @ShopfloorNAM on Twitter; the Manufacturing Institute and NAM on Facebook and LinkedIn; and @ ShopfloorNAM on Instagram. “We can amplify your content,” remarked Kefalas. He also said, “Capture photographs and videos of in-person or virtual MFG Day events and encourage participants to share their experiences.” For more information and to register your MFG Day 2020 event, visit CreatorsWanted.org. n
SPRINGS / Fall 2020 / 67
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New Products ©iStockphoto.com/hüseyin harmandaglı, morkeman, PeskyMonkey
WAFIOS Introduces G 660 Spring End Grinding Machine WAFIOS has introduced the G 660 singleand dual-plate spring end grinding machine, to complete the G 450 series presented in 2017. The G 660 is equipped with grinding wheels of 660 mm diameter and loading plates of 740 mm diameter to allow a smooth grinding of spring ends of up to 13 mm wire diameter. The G 660 is installed with the latest version of the WAFIOS WPS EasyWay 3.2 control program, which is easy to use and boasts a high level of operational safety. This control system is ready for operation in future Industry 4.0 applications, such as “Predictive Maintenance” or “Smart
Machine.” Successful features of the G 450 machine have also been adopted and refined, including iQtemperature. The machines also include the WAFIOS patented particulate deflector that consists of a special coating of the extraction channel that effectively reduces soiling, grinding deposit, and other dirt to a minimum, thereby reducing both maintenance and upkeep costs. A newly developed modular loading system optimizes the spring end grinding process for batch sizes from 5,000 springs. The latest software option iQbestload increases productivity by optimizing the use of the machine and loading unit. The basic
scope of the G 660 has also been enhanced in comparison to the previous model so that even the standard version now constitutes a fully functioning machine capable of carrying out the majority of applications commonly required in the industry, including spring length measurement, active process cooling and VPN access to the machine. While the former measures the uncoiled spring lengths at the end of the grinding process to guarantee the minimum batch tolerance, active process cooling ensures the safe removal of the grinding deposit in the grinding room.
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New Products
Rockford Systems Introduces PROTECTOR™ Series Shields Rockford Systems LLC, has introduced PROTECTOR™ Series Shields for safeguarding cutting and turning machines, such as drills, mills, lathes, grinders and more. The company says the patent-pending product line improves the safety and productivity of operators working with dangerous machinery. “We have learned that customers are not happy with machine safety shields available on the market today,” said Matt Brenner, vice president of machine safeguarding services for Rockford Systems, LLC. “Operators complain that safeguarding shields limit their visibility and impede their work, supervisors report that shields can be bypassed or disabled, making machines unsafe to operate, and EHS leaders need to demonstrate a positive return on investment (ROI) by maximizing safety while minimizing expenses. PROTECTOR Series Shields solve all of those problems.” PROTEC TOR Series Shields are constructed of 14-gauge powder-coated
steel and thick 3/16” shock-proof, scratchresistant polycarbonate, creating an extremely tough, rigid and durable safety shield that protects operators from flying debris, lubricants, coolants and swarf. They incorporate cool, bright LED lighting into the shield frame to yield superior visibility of the work area, thereby improving the safety and satisfaction of the operator. Additionally, PROTECTOR Series Shields are offered in both non-interlocked and interlocked versions; the interlock disengages power and prevents a machine startup when the shield is not in the correct work position,
thereby solving the bypassing problem. The safety-rated interlock switch is enclosed in a NEMA 4 tamper-resistant housing with an optional safety monitoring relay, which monitors the interlock switch for failure or damage. Further, PROTECTOR shields are modular in design and easily configurable to tailor a custom fit for any machine application, thereby optimizing employee safety and generating a positive ROI. PROTECTOR Series Shields are modular in design so that shield shape, size, mount, arm, offset, lighting, interlocking and safety monitoring can be configured to provide the best solution for even the toughest machine guarding challenge. PROTECTOR Series Shields can be upgraded with a safety interlock switch or switches, dependent upon application. Interlocking shields exceed OSHA regulations and ANSI standards, and are considered a best safety practice. For more information, visit www.rockfordsystems.com/product/PROTECTORseries-shields.
The Grieve Corporation Rolls Out New Website
The Grieve Corporation, industrial manufacturer of ovens and furnaces for more than 70 years, launched an updated website at www.grievecorp.com. “As our company continues to grow, we look for our new website to offer the digital tools necessary to better serve our customers,” said Tony Caringella, COO. The website details Grieve’s entire selection of
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ovens and furnaces in a digital catalog that is easy to navigate. Customers can search by part type to find equipment replacement parts and order directly from the website. The Grieve team will verify the item with the customer’s equipment to ensure compatibility. Grieve works with sales representatives throughout the country (as well as globally) to support customers that would
like assistance at their workspace to determine the best equipment for their needs. A local sales representative can be located using the Locate a Rep tool. Explore these features, as well as additional information on all of Grieve’s products, processes and services at www. grievecorp.com.
New Products
SPC-100 Parts Collector HSI Machinery and Forming Systems, Inc. (FSI) announce the addition of the new SPC100 Parts Collector and auto bin stack-up combination. Features include an automatic bin stacking system for space savings; maximum 20 bins, suitable for larger quantitities and longer collecting times; and applications for springs, stamping, screws and plastic parts. For additional information, contact FSI at info@formingsystemsinc.com or 269-6793557. n
Advertiser's Index A & D Trading (440) 563-5227. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Admiral Steel (800) 323-7055 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Alloy Wire International (866) 482-5569. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Anchor Abrasives (708) 444-4300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Diamond Wire Spring Co. (800) 424-0500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Dispense Works (815) 363-3524. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Fives Group fivesgroup.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Forming Systems Inc. (877) 594-4300 . . . . . . . . . . back cover Gibbs Wire & Steel Co. Inc. (800) 800-4422 . . . . inside back cover Gibraltar (847) 383-5442. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9, 68 Industrial Steel & Wire (800) 767-0408. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Interwire Products Inc. (914) 273-6633. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
JN Machinery (224) 699-9161. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 John Evans’ Sons (215) 368-7700. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Jowitt & Rodgers/Syntech (704) 525-8030. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Kiswire (201) 461-8895. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Larson Systems (763) 780-2131. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Maguire Machinery (609) 266-0200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Mapes Piano String Co. (423) 543-3195. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 NIMSCO (563) 391-0400. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 North American Spring Tool (860) 583-1693. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Proto Manufacturing (800) 965-8378 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Radcliff Wire (860) 583-1305. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 RK Trading (847) 640-9371. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3, 52
Shanghai SFK Precision Co. sfkppd@163.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Simplex Rapid (563) 391-0400. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Spring Manufacturers Institute (630) 495-8588. . inside front cover, 66 Starrett starrett.com/springs. . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Suzuki Garphyttan (574) 232-8800. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Tool King (847) 537-2881. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 United Wire (800) 840-9481 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Vinston (847) 972-1098. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Vulcan Spring & Manufacturing Co. (215) 721-1721. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 WAFIOS (203) 481-5555. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Zapp Precision Strip (203) 386-0038 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
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Snapshot
Best times of my life: Growing up on the farm. Hometown dances and dancing with my grandfather and father to old-time music. The weekends at the Saskatchewan Landing with my family and friends, with good food, laughs and a board game or two while all the kids go wild.
Name: Jennelle Carlier Company: S3 Wireform Inc., Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada. Brief history of your company: S3 Wireform Inc. has been designing and manufacturing custom steel springs for agricultural OEMs since 1966. We have specialty engineering, process, and application knowledge, in addition to the capacity and expertise to include sub-assemblies and a powder coating facility. Job title: Production Manager. Spring industry affiliations: SMI board, Canadian representative. Birthplace: Val Marie, Saskatchewan. Current home: Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Family: Husband, Curtis Thingvold, daughters, Aspen, 9 and Sage, 6. We will be getting a new puppy in January. We also have many house plants that are treated like family. What I like most about being a springmaker: Getting to know the customers, understanding their needs and helping them design and find solutions have always been things I enjoy. Solving problems and finding new ways to make production more cost-effective is my main focus, and I really like a challenge. Favorite food: As a foodie, it’s hard to pinpoint a favorite. I’m from a ranch family, so I love to cook up a good steak. I love poke bowls, anything with fresh avocado, yummy cheeses
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The one thing I can’t stand is: Clutter. You’d never know by my office desk, however. My most outstanding qualities are: Finding the good side in people. I don’t let the crowd sway me if I feel strongly about doing the right thing. Problem-solving abilities. and am a bit of a kettle-popped buttered popcorn junkie. Red wine. Favorite books/authors: “The Power of One” by Bryce Courtenay; “Pride & Prejudice” and pretty much anything Jane Austen. Currently reading “No Friend but the Mountains” by Behrouz Boochani. I’m presently part of a sponsorship group to bring two Iranian Kurdish refugees that are incarcerated in Papua New Guinea to Canada. Behrouz went through a similar journey and wrote his book via text message on a smuggled phone. Favorite song/musician: Anything I can sing along to! I seem to like a more relaxed vibe lately. Missy Higgins, Sara McLachlan and Andrea Ramolo. Hobbies: Volleyball, acrylic painting, reading and wake surfing. Favorite places: Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park where we lease a campsite. It’s our happy place. Australia, where I lived for five years, and Quebec, where my mother’s entire family lives.
I knew I was an “adult” when: I worked through summers to pay my own university tuition and supplies, and then to fund international travel. If I weren’t working at S3 Wireform Inc., I would like to: Learn more about different manufacturing companies: what and how they track for metrics, different quality and ERP systems. Role models: My father; he’s a champion for others and my go-to for advice. My mother, who battled cancer and won just this year. Joe Gallant, the general manager, LEAN manufacturing guru and the person who schools me on how to get things done and to hit targets I didn’t think imaginable. I would like to be remembered in the spring industry for: Showing that young women have a place in management of the production floor and be great at it! But people will probably remember me for: Being a jack of all trades, always smiling and pushing to learn. Maybe being a little bossy…but definitely a team player: let’s get it done!
©iStockphoto.com/Tryfonov Ievgenii, nicholas belton
Jennelle Carlier S3 Wireform Inc.
