Canadian Metalworking March 2013

March 2013 • www.canadianmetalworking.com

Cruise Control

The automotive market is still surging ahead ... can it last?

More milling axes for more milling options Accuracy vs. Precision: know the difference PM 40069240

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COVER STORY:

CRUISE CONTROL............................................. 26

Will the auto parts sector good times continue?

20

JOB SHOP SNAPSHOT........................................20 Diemo Machine Works Inc.

TAKING THE HEAT OFF LIVE TOOLING..................32 High speeds with coolant fed bearings

MULTIPLE AXIS MACHINING CENTRES GAINING POPULARITY...................................................... 36 More axes for more options

NEW IN NUMERICAL CONTROL..........................40 CAM software evolution continues

SPARK CONTROL................................................48 Manipulate the arc for welding bliss

STAYING COMPETITIVE WITH PUNCHING AUTOMATION...................................................52

32

Looking beyond the simple costs

SMALL AND POWERFUL.......................................54 Air over oil gives big power in a small footprint

PUNCHING FOR PROFITS....................................56 CNC solutions for quality and flexibility

METALWORKING SHOP CLEANING.................... 72 One vacuum doesn’t fit all

HPC TURNING INSERTS......................................76 High pressure cooling offers benefits

40

THE WORLD KEEPS TURNING............................. 78 New products and some major changes in inserts

LAYERED BY LASER.............................................. 82 Laser metal deposition for surface treatment and more

BUYING CERTAINTY........................................... 87 Know the difference between accuracy and precision

72

DEPARTMENTS View from the Floor........................................................... 6 News.............................................................................. 8 The Business of Welding.................................................. 22 Welding News............................................................... 46 Metals Report................................................................. 58 The Cutting Edge............................................................ 60 Tool Talk......................................................................... 66 By the Numbers.............................................................. 90

CONTENTS...

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Vol. 108 | No. 2 | MARCH 2013 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

82

Cover image courtesy General Motors of Canada Ltd.

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PUBLISHER Steve Devonport 416-442-5125 | SDevonport@canadianmetalworking.com ACCOUNT MANAGER Rob Swan 416-510-5225, cell 416-725-0145 | RSwan@canadianmetalworking.com EDITOR Jim Anderton 416-510-5148 | janderton@canadianmetalworking.com ASSISTANT EDITOR Nicholas Healey 416-442-5600 x 3642 | nhealey@canadianmetalworking.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Lisa Wichmann 416-442-5600 x 5101 | LWichmann@canadianmanufacturing.com ART DIRECTOR Sheila Wilson 416-442-5600 x 3593 | shwilson@bizinfogroup.ca CIRCULATION MANAGER Selina Rahaman 416-442-5600 x 3528 | SRahaman@bizinfogroup.ca MARKET PRODUCTION MANAGER Barb Vowles 416-510-5103 | vowlesb@bizinfogroup.ca PRINT PRODUCTION MANAGER Phyllis Wright 416-442-6786 | Pwright@bizinfogroup.ca BIG MAGAZINES LP.........................................................

PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS INFORMATION GROUP | Bruce Creighton VICE-PRESIDENT OF CANADIAN PUBLISHING | Alex Papanou EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER, MANUFACTURING | Tim Dimopoulos HOW TO REACH US..........................................................

Published by BIG Magazines LP, a division of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd. 80 Valleybrook Drive, North York, ON M3B 2S9 Phone: 416-442-5600. Fax: 416-510-5140 CM, established: 1905 is published 8 times per year by BIG Magazines LP, a division of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd. SUBSCRIPTION RATES Canada $55.00 per year, Outside Canada $90.00 US per year, Single Copy Canada $8.00.

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View From the Floor E-commerce hits its stride Few technologies have promised more and delivered less, from an industrial standpoint, than e-commerce.

While eBay and Amazon have changed the way we buy books and porcelain figurines, the ability of the Internet to fill holes in an industrial supply chain like ours has been limited. Until now.

I recently made an online purchase that I think will define the maturity of the Internet as a manufacturing resource. I recently restored a 1952 Delta-Rockwell ¾-inch drill press for my home shop, a unit built with massive nodular iron castings and multiple spindle speed options — great for hobby work.

I acquired the unit for free, mainly because of a shredded upper spindle bearing. Easy enough to replace, right? It turns out that the reason the unit had fallen into disuse was the New Departure roller bearing hadn’t been made since 1966, and no, Delta couldn’t source a new one. I envisioned clocking up the pulley and boring oversize, and maybe pressing a sleeve onto the spindle for the inner race … hardly worth the effort for an old machine.

A quick Internet query however, revealed that there is a Delta-Rockwell old tool subculture out there, with chat rooms and technical data for stationary tools going back to the 1920’s. It turns out that the oddball roller bearing was commonly used in farm implements in the ‘50s and ‘60s and yes, there were replacements available if you had the right number.

The Web community provided the number and a link to an online bearing supplier — 26 bucks later and I was in business. That’s 26 dollars, including taxes and shipping, and the part arrived at my door in three days.

I used to practically live at my local industrial supply, showing up with some greasy machine part and a pair of calipers, trying to jury rig the difference between the right part and the one they had in stock. This created a maintenance nightmare, as shimmed or sleeved SAE bearings wound up on metric equipment and vice versa. This in turn required reams of extra documentation for each machine, as it slowly evolved away from its stock configuration and became a hybrid.

We coined a new verb for the process: “bastardize”. The production manager would demand that the machine be up and running in the hour, and we would “bastardize it” to get it running. A bastardized machine wasn’t a jury-rigged machine … the baling-wire-and-pipe dope jobs were strictly for amateurs.

We took pride in our ability to adapt a readily available replacement part to a machine while retaining full performance and reliability. Now 30 years later, I can install exact fit replacements on obsolete equipment and have them delivered to my door, at reasonable cost.

If I had the advantages of the Internet then, millwrighting would have been a breeze. It also means that there’s little excuse for bodged, improvised repairs in a modern production facility.

Same day FedEx is expensive, but not compared to two hours extra downtime.

JIM ANDERTON, EDITOR

Do you agree? Let me know, and feel free to drop me a line at the e-mail address below, or buttonhole me at a show or event. I’d love to hear from you! janderton@canadianmetalworking.com

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News PM announces investment in Ontario Toyota plant Money will allow Cambridge plant to become Canada’s first producer of hybrid vehicles

By Nick Healey ....................................................................................................................................................

Former Ontario Premier, Dalton McGinty (left) and Prime Minister Stephen Harper (right), visit the Toyota Plant in Cambridge, Ontario to announce a $34 million investment in the facility. (Photo: Government of Canada)

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peaking at the Toyota plant in Cambridge, Ontario, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a $34 million investment for the factory. $16.9 million of the money will come from the Automotive Innovation Fund (AIF) – a five-year, $250 million program with a mandate to improve Canada’s automotive sector through research and development products. The balance of the money will come from the province of Ontario’s Strategic Jobs and Investment Fund.

“Our Government is committed to helping Canada’s automotive sector remain globally competitive and prosperous,” the Prime Minister said in a statement.

“Today’s support will allow Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada to produce a hybrid version of the Lexus Sport Utility Vehicle in Cambridge, the first hybrid model ever built in Canada. This milestone initiative to build greener, more fuel-

efficient cars will advance Canadian innovation and increase our ability to compete internationally, resulting in more highpaying, stable jobs.”

The Canadian Auto Workers Union also praised the deal with President Ken Lewenza saying in a statement, “Both the federal and provincial government recognize the importance of investing in local industry and local jobs. It is crucial though that these investments be part of a larger automotive industrial policy that supports strategic investment, research, and development, maintaining a Canadian footprint and greening the industry.”

It’s expected the project will generate around 400 jobs at the Cambridge facility. A new blended assembly line will be established, allowing for increased production of the Lexus RX 450h hybrid.

Production of the new vehicles is slated to begin in 2014. CM

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News Avcorp ceases litigation with Bombardier over Termination for Convenience VANCOUVER – Avcorp Industries has ceased their litigation against Bombardier, which was commenced in 2010.

The litigation was being heard by the Superior Court of Quebec in connection with Bombardier’s termination of production work relating to the CRJ700 aircraft program.

Avcorp and Bombardier have agreed that each will be responsible for their respective costs and the company is actively pursuing participation in Bombardier’s supply chain for several of their programs.

The company currently produces components for the Bombardier Challenger 605 and Challenger 850 business jets as well as composite floorboards for the CRJ, Q400, and Learjet programs.

Avcorp designs and builds major airframe structures for a number of aircraft companies. They employ over 400 skilled employees at facilities in Delta, BC and Burlington, ON.

Government conducts review of F-35 acquisition process GATINEAU – The federal government has awarded a contract to the management firm Samson & Associates to review the acquisition of Canada’s next fleet of fighter jets.

The contract is worth just over $160,000 and is expected to be completed in the spring of 2013.

The review comes after the much-maligned F-35 deal with Lockheed Martin appears to be in bad shape.

This past spring the Auditor General, Michael Ferguson, criticized the government for not following proper procedure and not being transparent when considering what options were best to replace the current fleet of CF-18s.

The government appears to have conceded that other options might become a reality after the cost of the F-35s began to skyrocket.

As stated in a press release, a goal of the report is to “provide lessons learned and propose recommendations for improvements to current practices and policies to increase the level of due diligence for acquisitions of a similar nature.”

This evaluation of other options comes as part of the government’s Seven-Point Plan, which was launched in response to the auditor general’s report.

Ontario plants reap the rewards from new defence contracts

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LONDON, ONT.—Kongsberg Protech Systems Canada is doubling its workforce at a London, Ont., plant after winning a $100 million contract for work on military tactical patrol vehicles.

Awarded by Rheinmetall Canada for work on the Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle (TAPV) program, the contract will see Kongsberg add 16 jobs to its roster, bringing the total to 32 employees.

Kongsberg will manufacture the advanced Dual Remote Weapon System for the TAPVs, according to the Department of National Defence.

The sub-contract is part of a $603 million deal awarded to Textron Systems Canada in June 2012 for the delivery of 500 TAPVs. The deal includes an additional five-year in-service support contract worth $105 million, bringing the total deal value to $708 million.

The first TAPV is scheduled for delivery to the Canadian Army July 2014, with the last scheduled for March 2016.

Kongsberg’s deal was announced the same day Stratford, Ont.-based SteelCraft, Inc., was awarded a $10 million contract for work on an unrelated Canadian Forces vehicle program.

By Dan Ilika, CanadianManufacturing.com

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News Ontario firm signs $10M deal to pro­vide steel components to LAV overhaul STRATFORD, ONT.—Another southwestern Ontario firm has been awarded work on the Canadian military’s light armoured vehicle fleet replenishment program.

SteelCraft, Inc., headquartered in Stratford, Ont., with operations in Cambridge, Waterloo and and Woodstock, Ont., and Edmonton and Innisfail, Alta., has signed a $10.39-million sub-contract to provide fenders, plates and a host of other steel components for the upgrade of some 550 LAVs. The sub-contract is part of a larger deal awarded to General Dynamics Land Systems Canada in October 2011 to overhaul the fleet of personnel carriers.

General Dynamics was awarded the $1.064-billion deal with a condition the firm re-invest 100 per cent of the contract value in Canadian business.

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General Dynamics Land Systems Canada’s U.S. parent company, General Dynamics, reported a massive fourth-quarter loss to end 2012.

According to the Falls Church, Va.-based defence and aerospace firm, it lost $2.13-billion during the October to December quarter, with revenues falling from $9.15-billion to $8.08-billion.

“Industrial Exception” to be removed from the Professional Engineers Act

TORONTO – The Government of Ontario has approved a change to the Professional Engineers Act eliminating the socalled “industrial exception”.

The change took effect March 1, 2013 and the province also approved a regulatory provision to help employers transition to the new requirement. Those who filed a transition plan with Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) by March will have up to one year to meet the standard.

Going forward, those responsible for professional engineering work related to production machinery or equipment must be licensed by PEO if they do any act within the practice of professional engineering on machinery or equipment used to produce products for their employer in their employer’s facility.

In 1984, when the exception was enacted, requirements existed for Ontario’s Ministry of Labour engineers to approve predevelopment reviews of proposed industrial processes and associated equipment.

This requirement was replaced by Regulation 851 under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. This led to the current standard of having professional engineers approve Pre-Start Health and  WEIGHT OF 8000 KG AND A WORKING Safety Reviews (PSRs) prior to start-up of CAPACITY (SWING) 2000 MM newly installed production equipment or  TORQUE MOTOR HEAD TILTING -+ 120°_ machinery.  2 FRONT TOOL MAGAZINES OF 30 TOOLS EACH FOR QUICK AND SAFE ACCESS If a PSR finds deficiencies in the setup of equipment or machinery, then it can’t be used until the necessary changes are made, and approved.

“Repealing the industrial exception brings professional engineering in again at the beginning of the production process ... continues on page 14

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News ... from page 12

development cycle, so that the requirements under the Professional Engineers Act support and complement the requirements and intent of the PSR process,” said Michael Price, P.Eng., MBA, FEC, acting chief executive officer and registrar of PEO. “Engineering is regulated to serve and protect the public interest, and professional engineers are accountable to PEO for doing just that by maintaining a high quality in their work, and also by considering its overall implications. Bringing this mindset into the design of the production process should be cost-effective for industry by lessening workplace illness or injury and associated workplace insurance claims, and minimizing retrofitting, downtime and equipment replacement,” he continued.

“Repealing the industrial exception in the Professional Engineers Act will improve oversight to help workers and the public stay safe and promote more efficient and productive workplaces,” said Attorney General John Gerretsen.

“I would like to thank Professional Engineers Ontario and its dedicated task force for working with industry, manufacturers and the public to ensure a seamless transition.”

The PEO has also extended its Financial Credit Program, which waives the license application fee for those who applied for a license by March 1, and who are named in their employer’s compliance plan filed with PEO.

PEO will also assist employees through the one-year compliance period by providing application and Engineering Intern Program (EIT) seminars, and administering its professional practice exams at their job sites for groups of at least 20 people.

Instructional webinars and questions and answers about the new requirement are also available on the PEO website.

The PEO governs over 80,000 licence and certificate holders and regulates professional engineering in Ontario. www.peo.on.ca.

Salaries growing at uneven rates across the country; western provinces experience biggest growth

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OTTAWA—The Conference Board of Canada has released the results of its annual compensation planning outlook survey. The report noted that salary gains have been strong in Alberta and Saskatchewan this past year, at approximately four per cent, compared to the national average of three per cent.

“Economic growth is uneven across the country. While employers are feeling the pinch in Ontario and other parts of eastern Canada, the oil and gas sector is pushing up wages in Alberta and Saskatchewan,” said Ian Cullwick, Vice-President, Leadership and Human Resources Research.

“Salaries in oil and gas this year are rising slightly faster than we projected, and labour markets in western Canada are tightening. We have heard from natural resources firms that virtually all of them are having trouble finding the skilled workers they need.”

Salary growth projections have been revised upwards in Saskatchewan (four per cent) and Alberta (3.9 per cent). The projections for Quebec (2.7 per cent), Ontario (2.5 per cent), and British Columbia (2.5 per cent) have been revised downward, and remain below the national average of three per cent.

The Conference Board conducted the survey in December 2012.

14 | MARCH 2013 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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News Qantas orders three Q400 NextGen airliners The turboprop planes will be built at Bombardier’s Toronto facility

TORONTO – On January 17, Bombardier announced that Qantas Airways placed an order for three Q400 NextGen turboprop airliners. The contract for the planes is valued at approximately $98 million US. The smaller, turboprop planes are seen as critical for the company’s plans to expand its network in the Australian market.

They are best-suited for short-haul operations and seat 70 to 80 passengers.

This order will increase the number of Q400 and Q400 NextGen airliners operated by Qantas to 31. The airline also operates two Bombardier Dash 8-200, three Q200 and 16 Q300 aircraft.

“Qantas is a valued and long-time Bombardier customer

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and has undoubtedly contributed much to the Q400 aircraft’s success and popularity in Australia,” stated Mike Arcamone, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.

“Qantas has once again decided to go with the Q400 NextGen turboprop, and this is a testament to the aircraft’s unmatched economics, reduced fuel burn and low operating costs.”

Including the order from Qantas, the company has now taken firm orders for a total of 463 of the Q400 (and NextGen) aircraft.

The Q400s will be built at Bombardier’s Toronto facility. The “NextGen” planes are the most recent iteration of the Q400 aircraft – the successor to Bombardier’s Dash 8/Q-Series family of aircraft. CM

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News Floor Space What’s the longest period of time you’ve worked without taking at least one day off?

“I believe in taking holidays. I guess my longest stretch without at least a day off would be no more than six months.”

— David Foscarini, president, Mecon Industries Limited, Scarborough, ON

“On one project we were required to work 21 days straight in order to meet the customer’s deadline which required us to ship [the finished product] by boat. The whole team worked hard to get the machine to the dock on time. As the saying goes, ‘Don’t miss the boat’—and we didn’t.”

— Marco Gagnon, co-owner, Gagnon Ornamental Works, Grand Falls, New Brunswick

“21 days. We had a huge order that came in with our existing work and we had to keep as many machines running as possible.”

“This is difficult to answer, especially after 30 years in business. However, I can honestly say that even through difficult, challenging or busy times, those occasions of running more than six days a week have been very limited and definitely the exception, not the norm. The longest stretch over the last 30 years may have been two weeks at the very most.”

— Joseph Manzoli, president, Colourfast, Concord, Ontario

“Most [work weeks] would be around six days over the last few years. I can’t remember working on a Sunday in a long time, if ever. I believe it is important for a day of rest and spending time with your family.”

— Chad Plath, shop manager, D-M Precision Products, Dunnville, Ontario

— Larry Stuyt, president, Ontario Laser Cutting, Tillsonburg, Ontario

EXSYS opens Canadian facility

Exsys’ new facility in Brampton will serve as a base to supply the Canadian market.

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XSYS Tool, Inc. has announced the opening of a new facility located at 18 Strathearn Ave. in Brampton, Ontario. The new operation, which opened February 1st, warehouses the company’s toolholding system and includes office space for sales and administrative personnel. “As an extension of our main facility in Florida, EXSYS Canada will allow us to quickly and effectively meet the needs of Canadian manufacturers by

providing them innovative modular toolholding systems together with local service and applications support,” commented Scott Leitch, of EXSYS Tool Inc. “With local and instantaneous product and application support, we can help Canada’s manufacturers reduce machine set-up times and increase productivity, especially through our PRECI-FLEX System.” The new contact number for the Canadian office is 647-624-3880. CM

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EX

Job Shop Snapshot

Diemo Machine Works Inc. D

iemo Machine Works Inc. provides components for the agriculture, transportation, and mining industries.

Located just north of Arborg, Manitoba, Diemo covers 54,000 square feet in total.

Founded as a repair shop in 1982 by Gerhard Wiebe, Diemo quickly grew into a manufacturing business and is now owned by his son and grandson, Jake and Carlos Wiebe, with over 100 employees. And with 30 years in the industry, Diemo has the history and know-how to complete a wide range of jobs that serve clients like AGCO, and several large mining companies.

A walk through Diemo’s main facility shows their diversity.

The expansive shop floor is packed full of welding stations, CNC

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The front of Diemo, with their 30th anniversary sign.

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sawcutting, CNC machining centres and two CNC laser cutters, as well as many other machines. No machine sits idle, but is constantly in use and many are equipped with automatic pallet changers to further optimize the work. A second facility located nearby is dedicated to building their Stronghaul heavy haul trailers.

When asked about his plans for Diemo’s future, Jake says Diemo is “looking at becoming much more efficient over the next few years.” He stresses optimizing operation over expanding further, even dropping hints toward robotic welding systems and a service system that “IT guys drool over.” www.diemomachine.com/ CM

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Above from left to right: Owners Carlos Wiebe and Jake Wiebe with founder Gerhard Wiebe.

Above left: Diemo’s interior is jam-packed with projects up next or already in progress.

Left: The shop floor is well organized and optimized for fast, efficient production.

ESSENTIAL NUMBERS FOUNDED: 1982 by Gerhard Wiebe OWNERS: Jake and Carlos Wiebe SIZE: 54,000 square feet NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 100 SPECIALTIES: Welding, precision CNC tubebending, machining, and cutting with circular and articulating band saws as well as laser.

MARKETS SERVED: Major transportation, agriculture and mining presence FIRST MACHINE: TIDA TD-7H lathe MOST RECENT ADDITION: Stronghaul trailer shop FUTURE PLANS: Further optimization with possible robotic implementation

20 | MARCH 2013 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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The The Business BusinessofofWelding Welding

Welding – the poster child of the trades?

B

ack in the 80’s I once had a boss who liked to say “you know things are going well, when the phone is ringing”.

He was talking about the impact of marketing on increasing his bottom line, but the saying applies to just about any business “function” from sales to staffing. Thirty or so years later, not much has changed — clearly when you have something in demand, the world has a tendency to let you know.

With that in mind, as of late, my phone has been ringing, and ringing often. Granted, we have been getting the word out about welding for a while, so some interest was not wholly unexpected.

What was unexpected was the amount of interest. In the past couple of months we have done radio interviews, been interviewed for articles in major publications, invited to discussions and hosted politicians — all tied to a genuine interest in getting the “goods” on welding. In the past, welding may have just been another trade, but it’s moving in a different direction. In January we hosted two separate government events. First was a visit and round table discussion with Minister Lisa Raitt (Federal Minister of Labour), which was followed a few weeks later with a CWB Group hosting a “Skills Summit”, put on by Minister Tony Clement (President of the Treasury Board, Minister for the Federal Economic Initiative for Northern Ontario) as well as a returning

and politician’s interest. Welding also a high demand trade, which pays well and represents a career that offers multiple Ian Campbell, Director of paths (welder, supervisor, inspector, Marketing and New Product engineer, R&D, etc.) as well as room for Development, CWB advancement.

So, with our new-found interest what can we do for you? Just to recap: The Canadian Welding Association (CWA), as well as the Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB), is here to help the industry, and that means helping you. In the coming months, we will have many opportunities to discuss welding with all levels of government and industry leaders and we want your input. Is there something that is holding your welding career and/or business back? For example, do we need a central job bank for welders? Maybe higher national standards and testing to ensure welder portability? As someone in the trade or a welding business owner, I would like to hear from you. Take a moment and send me an email or post a note on our Facebook page. Your input is greatly appreciated.

While we are talking about getting involved, have you checked out our latest addition to the CWB Group family? The Canadian Association of Professional Inspectors (CAPI) has a membership of over 7,000 CWB certified visual inspectors and with our expansion

CWB Group hosting a Skills Summit put on by Minister Tony Clement (President of the Treasury Board, Minister for the Federal Economic Initiative for Northern Ontario) as well as a returning Minister Raitt.

Minister Raitt. It would appear that this is just the beginning, and in February both the Canadian Welding Association (CWA) and the Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB) were in Ottawa for several meetings on the hill, with additional meetings both at CWB Group HQ in Milton as well as Ottawa, currently in the planning stages.

What’s being discussed? Well, everything from national welding standards and oversight, to issues around welding in pipelines, to the need for more welders. With all the building going on, welding is now a “visible trade”, one that has gotten the interest of many people. As I’ve been known to say: welding is the “glue” that holds the modern world together. Without welding there would be no cars, trains, planes or busses, no pipelines or bridges, no large buildings or the appliances, furniture and fittings that fill them. Think about it for second: Welding is a critical trade. What’s not to like about welding as a representative of what a truly skilled trade should be?

Sure there are trades options like machinists and mechanics who are equally skilled, but they simply don’t have the visibility of welding – or the “visual punch” (think “arcs and sparks”) to grab the public’s

into the non-destructive testing education and NDE examination services it is rapidly becoming one of Canada’s largest “metal product inspection” focused groups. Find out more at CAPI.info.

Finally, as we move into 2013 I would like to remind you about the CWB QualityMark program. This is a free service for CWB Certified Clients that ties their commitment to maintaining Canadian codes and standards to the CWB Group’s 2013 marketing activities.

Get signed up, get your QualityMark and get promoted.

As usual, if you have any questions, comments or concerns around welding feel free to contact me at ian.campbell@cwbgroup.org.

For m Canadian Welding Bureau/Canadian Welding Association

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22 | MARCH 2013 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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CMTS venue will showcase a European design this fall T he location of the 2013 edition of the Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show (CMTS) – “back at the airport” – has many in the industry talking of big change for Canada’s national manufacturing event. After 14 years in downtown Toronto, CMTS is returning to The International Centre, just a few minutes up the road from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. And the message is simple: EXPECT MORE. But it’s not just the new venue that has the industry buzzing…it’s also very much about how CMTS 2013 will innovate to maximize the venue and floorplan layout that they hope you’ll remember for years to come.

Organizers will showcase technologies by Hall for CMTS, and included in this are four halls dedicated to machine tools, tooling and automation solutions. In addition, as part of their $4.5 million dollar renovation to multiple halls, visitors to The International Centre will find a brand new connection from Hall 4 over to Hall 5 where they will discover wall-to-wall equipment for all of their forming and fabricating needs.

But renovations aren’t the only change The International Centre has embarked on in the past couple years. They recently built a fully adaptable state-of-the-art kitchen within their modern Conference Centre and appointed Chef Tawfik

“We took a pretty bold step with our design for CMTS 2013” says SME Canada Group Show Manager, Nick Samain. “We opted not to use the main entrance of Hall 1 like 99 per cent of shows out there. Instead, we created a more European feel with our adjacent halls that connect in a circular pattern while taking visitors through a dynamic upscale networking link and through two walkways to an outdoor tent equipped with mouth-watering BBQ delights along with refreshments and live music”, Samain added. “We are very excited about the CMTS we are building for the Canadian manufacturing community this fall. And we know our return back to the airport will not just bring back the memories of the ‘80s and ‘90s, but add to them.”

Shehata, whose resume includes world’s finest establishments including Winston’s, Scaramouche, Auberge du Pommier, Boba and Truffles at The Four Seasons, to offer visitors a great dining experience.

Located at 6900 Airport Road, offering complementary parking for 5,000 vehicles and surrounded by more than 10,000 hotel rooms, The International Centre is easily accessible from any point in the Greater Toronto Area.

CMTS is taking shape – and one thing is for sure: Its return to the airport is giving folks lots to talk about. Check out CMTS and all the related programs, attractions and opportunities to participate at cmts.ca or call 888-322-7333. CM

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Cruise control The automotive sector has led the manufacturing recovery. Can the good times last?

by Jim Anderton, Editor................................................

26 | MARCH 2013 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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B

y any measure, these have been good times for the auto sector. Despite the Great Recession, aging vehicle fleets, historically low interest rates, and the return of vehicle leasing, has released pent-up consumer demand and generated four years of strong sales. That’s great, but going on half a decade of growth, can sales continue at this pace in 2013?

It’s not an academic issue for Canada. While we’re regarded as a resource-based economy globally, the fact is Canada’s automotive industry is a key economic driver, contributing 12 per cent of manufacturing GDP and 11 per cent of total merchandise exports. The industry employs approximately 111,000 Canadians directly and another 338,000 indirectly.

Five major manufacturers currently assemble vehicles in Canada: General Motors Company, Chrysler Group, Ford Motor Company, Toyota Motor Corporation, and the Honda Motor Company.

FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS

The outlook is positive, and more importantly, appears sustainable for the near future. The Ottawa-based Automotive Industries Association compiles extensive data on our market, and despite the effects of the US recession, we’re doing very well. Real GDP in Canada grew 3.2 per cent in 2010 and 2.5 per cent in 2011, and unemployment dropped from 8.3 per cent in 2009 to 7.5 per cent in 2011, a strengthening that was reflected in vehicle sales. New car and light truck sales are closing in on their pre-recession record of 1.65 million units set in 2007 with the industry delivering 1.59 million vehicles. Used vehicle sales were significantly higher, however, at just over 3 million units. While some industry experts look at a two-to-one ratio of used to new vehicles as a sign of market weakness, there is another perspective.

Late model used vehicle sales, driven by increasing car and light truck durability, supports off-lease and trade-in values, lowering effective depreciation of new vehicles. This reduces risk and burrowing costs, both for new vehicle financing and leasing, making new vehicles more affordable.

It also creates a mild recession “cushion” effect by preserving more value in vehicles whose owners defer replacement during an economic downturn. The result of low financing costs, deferred replacement during the recession, and higher new car durability is a strong incentive for retail sales despite mixed overall Canadian economic indicators. According to the AIA, 54 per cent of Canadian light vehicles are now over eight years old. Kilometers driven is also increasing at a rate of 0.9 per cent per year and is now 21,995 kilometers per year on average, leading to a Canadian total of 469.8 billion kilometers travelled in 2011. The average Canadian vehicle is retired at 320,000 kilometers, so by the numbers, a large proportion of light vehicles are at the halfway point in their service lives…a prime time to trade and buy new.

While recovery seems solid in the Americas, export potential to Europe will be muted. There, the continued stagnation in most economies has taken a toll on sales. According to ACEA, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, in December, new car registrations declined by a sharp 16.3 per cent in the EU, continuing a downward trend that began in the fourth quarter of 2010. The decline is the steepest recorded in a month of December since 2008. In 2012 overall, demand for new cars reached the lowest level recorded since 1995, totaling 12,053,904 units. The resulting 8.2 per cent contraction of the EU market (year-on-year) is the largest since the 16.9 per cent downturn in 1993. This will result in excess part making capacity in the Eurozone..and hungry suppliers eager to replace domestic demand with exports to North America. With the former Warsaw Pact nations forming a low cost manufacturing zone, the major obstacle to competition from across the Atlantic is the trend for European manufacturers to assemble locally, with short supply chains to their Tier Ones. Chrysler, for example, is adopting Fiat engine technology for North American brands, while the new Fiat 500, is built in Toluca, Mexico. The stamping operations there represent a $44 million (USD) investment in 110 die sets, making the operation independent of European production.

Naturally, the outlook for the parts sector tracks new

R&D STILL LAGGING

With relentless cost pressures for both OEM’s and lower tier suppliers, enhanced R&D spending would seem a given, but in Canada at least, research and development still lags. According to the Conference Board of Canada, in 2011, total business expenditures on R&D were only C$15.6 billion, or about 25 per cent of profits in a typical quarter and less than 3 per cent of cash reserves. Canadian-based businesses would need to more than double their annual spending on R&D to US$35 billion (an increase of US$20 billion) for Canada to crack the top 10 of the OECD rankings for R&D spending as a share of GDP and to equal the business R&D intensity of the United States. Why? Besides the traditional risk-aversion of Canadian business leaders, the branch plant nature of the auto sector and our economy as a whole limits Canadian investment. Only 25 companies account for almost half of the business expenditure on R&D in Canada. Of these, the auto parts sector is represented by only one firm, Magna International Inc. www.canadianmetalworking.com | MARCH 2013 | 27

cmw mar 2013 Auto overview p 26-31.indd 27

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RESOURCES RULE IN NEW CAR SALES

With the auto sector performing nicely in an otherwise difficult manufacturing economy, auto sales are notable for their strength outside of troubled central Canada. Resources are the reason, with Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland reporting record or near-record sales in 2012. According to the Scotiabank Global Auto Report, Alberta is expected to lead the nation in sales growth with an expected 244,000 units in 2013, nearing the 2007 record of 249,000 light vehicles. The reason? An unemployment rate 3 percentage points below the national average (4.5%) and population growth of 2.5% last year, almost triple the national average.

Scotiabank similarly predicts Saskatchewan will climb to a record sales volume of 56,000 units, propelled by strong farm incomes and an expanding minerals sector. And Newfoundland and Labrador, enjoying rebounding oil production as well as strong iron ore output, reported record sales in 2012, although demographic issues may stunt future growth. Even Ontario is recovering, with storing fleet sales and increasing confidence as the auto sector recovers and creates improved job opportunities.

It’s a good time to be in the auto business.

Scotiabank Economics global Auto Report. www.scotiabank.com

vehicle sales. After posting record growth in 2012 Canadian auto parts production is forecast to expand at a more modest, but still strong pace in 2013, according to the Conference Board of Canada’s Industrial Outlook: Autumn 2012 for the motor vehicle parts manufacturing industry.

“The Canadian auto parts industry has been in recovery mode since output fell by a staggering 43 per cent between 2007 and 2009,” said Michael Burt, Director, Industrial Economic Trends. “The parts industry continues to benefit from a turnaround in North American vehicle sales, which are on track to post their best results since 2007. Demand for parts has been so strong, that some parts manufacturers are running six days a week in an effort to keep up with the automakers.”

Canadian auto parts production is forecast to increase by an impressive 22.4 per cent in 2012. Beyond the recovery in North American sales, production has been boosted by the return of Japanese automakers Honda and Toyota to normal operating conditions following last year’s production disruptions caused by the earthquake and tsunami. Going forward, currency fluctuations between the Yen and both the

US and Canadian dollars will drive increased local production of Japanese nameplate vehicles, offering a major growth opportunity for Canadian Tier Ones and Twos. According to the Board, revenues are forecast to increase by 11.4 per cent in 2013 and 7.4 per cent in 2014. In 2012, profits surged by an estimated 37 per cent in 2012 to $1.4 billion. More modest, sustainable growth is predicted for 2013 and 2014.

THE PRODUCTIVITY/VOLUME CONUNDRUM

Compared to other manufactured durable goods, the automotive industry carries very heavy fixed costs. Retooling for a new model can cost several hundred million dollars.. with a product life cycle that’s been compressed to as little as 2-3 model years thanks to competition from Asia and Europe.

According to the Automotive Industries Association, over the last ten years, the average total number of kilometers driven to vehicle retirement has increased by 90,000 kilometers.

With an average annual distance travelled of just over 20,000 kilometers, this increased durability should translate into the ability to run a model over 5 years or more to amortize tooling costs. And Canadian drivers, regardless of consumer intent

CANADIAN LIGHT VEHICLE SALES BY REGION

Scotiabank Economics global Auto Report. www.scotiabank.com

28 | MARCH 2013 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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CANADIAN VEHICLE PRODUCTION AND TRADE BALANCE

Scotiabank Economics global Auto Report. www.scotiabank.com

Light vehicle production in Canada is evenly split between cars and trucks ... but the balance of trade graph shows Canada losing ground to low cost jurisdictions.

The trend is especially notable in auto parts.

will be keeping their vehicles longer. 57 percent of new car sales in Canada were financed at terms of 72 months or longer, terms which readily exceed factory warranties. Most owners can expect to be “underwater”, i.e. driving a car or truck with a lower trade-in value than the remaining amount owed on the vehicle for the last two years of the financing term. The result is a constraint on the ability of Canadian consumers to buy new vehicles before their lengthy loan terms end. With a shorter product life cycle however, the minimum number of units sold by an OEM to break even is fixed. As a result, models that are slow sales starters will be discounted heavily at any point in the product cycle; even new models may carry heavy consumer discounts. From a supplier perspective, this trickles down in the form of greater pressure to reduce tooling costs as well as the trend to sourcing complete assemblies from Tier Ones as a risk-sharing strategy. That strategy will further evolve into demand for flexible pricing and volumes at a time when Tier Ones will need volume/pricing certainty more than ever to address their tooling costs. The good news is that the added flexibility puts offshore part suppliers at a disadvantage, a definite factor in the reshoring trend in North America.

WILL THE GOOD TIMES ROLL?

Will it last? Now more than ever, the future is uncertain, but with “flex line” technology allowing manufacturers to quickly respond to market demands, plus a global convergence in manufacturing costs allowing the export of North American

built vehicles overseas, there should be opportunities in global markets even if demand softens domestically. As more and more sub-assembly tasks are pushed down the supply chain to Tier Ones and Twos, medium-sized business is poised to reap the rewards. Unfortunately, the number of Canada’s mid-sized firms declined by 17 per cent between 2006 and 2010 according to new figures released by the Business Development bank of Canada, with manufacturing declining the most. More than half of mid –sized companies (100-499 employees) disappeared between 2001 and 2010.

These firms represent one percent of the total number of companies but account for 16 per cent of Canadian jobs, 12 per cent of GDP and a surprising 17 per cent of exports.

They’re also big enough to leverage government programs like the recently renewed federal Automotive Innovation Fund (AIF), a five-year, $250-million investment that was first introduced in Budget 2008. The fund is intended to support leading-edge, innovative projects in automotive manufacturing and R&D, both in new products and manufacturing processes to develop advanced and greener products and processes. To date, the Federal government claims that the fund has leveraged up to $1.6 billion in investments in Canada’s auto sector. Whether Canada’s small business Tier Ones and especially Tier Twos can take advantage of programs like the AIF may determine their ability to win and maintain contracts in the long run. For smaller shops, the path forward is clear: target growth and aim to reach mid-size status to survive. CM

30 | MARCH 2013 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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Taking the Heat Off Live Tooling for Longer Life in High-Cycle Operations Live tool with coolant-fed bearings can run at high speeds and high duty cycles without the accuracy and failure frequency problems of conventional bearings

A

s live tooling becomes more popular in many CNC turning centres, the use of tooling with sealed bearing performance is becoming a challenge for shops that produce components in high volumes or with lengthy cycle times.

Today, most common live tooling designs use sealed bearings that may be contaminated or overheat under heavy, repetitive use. This can diminish machining precision, reduce the service life of tools, and result in frequent and costly maintenance that compromises productivity.

“If a shop produces items that are high cycle or high volumes, then thermal growth will usually occur in the tool head,” explains Mike Thompson, Lathe Supervisor at MicroTronics, Tempe, Arizona, a precision machine shop that produces metal valves and related products for the aerospace and automotive industries. “This is because the sealed bearings in the tool head tend to overheat during continuous use or under heavy loads, and that can cause serious problems.”

Among the problems that Thompson had experienced with sealed bearings on live tools was thermal growth causing offset deviations that adversely affected workpiece tolerances. In another instance, metal chips entered and fouled the tool head bearing after the bearing seal had failed.

To avoid such problems Thompson’s company recently acquired a unique type of tool holder for each of its new Okuma LB300 lathes – a tool holder with a coolant-fed, or externally cooled, bearing assembly from Planet Products, Inc. (PPC).

PPC has developed a patented live tool design for turret lathe applications that utilizes a continuous flow of filtered machine coolant to lubricate and cool the bearings, eliminating many of the existing failure modes.

Unlike conventional bearings, coolant-fed bearings do not rely on seal integrity or the lubricant packing to keep bearings operating normally under even stressful conditions. Instead, the filtered coolant that is used to externally cool and lubricate the live tools and workpieces is directed to flow through the tool, keeping the bearings cool - thus maintaining accuracy.

Conversely, conventional tooling is designed to prevent coolant from contacting bearings because in the event that coolant contacts the bearing’s grease packing, a sludge is formed that will hinder bearing functionality and eventually cause failure.

Thompson notes that in some cases, when bearing seals fail, foreign objects such as metal shavings from the workpiece can contact the bearing and cause failures. With the externally cooled and lubricated coolant-fed bearing design, this danger is virtually eliminated because the coolant will wash any metal chips or other contaminants away from the bearing assembly.

PUSHING THE LIMITS

In addition to standard coolant-fed live tools for turret lathe applications, PPC has also developed a line of “speeder” overspeed heads. These heads feature a gear-up ratio that allows the tool to spin faster than a turret drive. For example, if the user

32 | MARCH 2013 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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has a 4,000 RPM turret, they may be able to get 12,000-15,000 RPM with a sped-up ratio. This increased speed, along with the coolant-fed bearing feature, is advantageous for lathe operations with high-cycle, high-volume requirements, enabling them to process components considerably faster with dramatically increased tool service life.

Manufacturers such as Buku Performance Products (Gambrills, MD), a small business that manufactures aftermarket high-performance components for radio-controlled vehicles, can speak to the benefits.

“We compete directly against overseas manufacturers located in lower-cost environments, so production costs are always a concern for us,” says Dave Maslar, Buku CEO. “Making

an investment in new tooling is a serious one that we consider carefully to ensure that we are improving the efficiencies of our existing production equipment.”

When Maslar heard that PPC offered an over-speed live tooling head for his model of turret lathe, a Daewoo (now Doosan) Puma 240MB, he decided to see if that head could enable Buku’s operation to improve production throughput of its aluminum components.

“Our cycle time was approximately six-and-a-half minutes and over four of those minutes were holding a 3/32 end mill in machining aluminum and cutting deep slots,” Maslar explains.

“The live tool turret on my machine is limited to 5,000 RPM. That was the limiting factor for the time that it was taking to produce these components. So, the over-speed appeared to be a good way to address that issue.”

By using the over-speed head Maslar was able to reduce the cycle time by more than two minutes. Tool cutting reliability and accuracy were maintained, even though the cycle time placed a heavy demand on the tool.

“The bearings are running fast and they are running for a long time,” says Maslar. “But having the coolant lubricate the bearings eliminated any concerns we could have had regarding overusing a live tool for that amount of time.”

Maslar adds that when bearings are externally lubricated and cooled, as with the PPC over-speed tool, the bearings tolerances can be tighter, which will improve the runout characteristic in the bearing.

There is an upper limit to the how tight you can make bearings if you are going to run the tool it’s in for a long time, he says.

Yet, he experienced a significant improvement in runout that he attributes to the active, external cooling and lubrication of the bearings in the tool head.

“That’s a very important result because I’m running a 3/32-inch three-flute end mill, and the feed-per-revolution is distributed among three cutting teeth,” he explains.

“Even the slightest bit of runout can cause one tooth to substantially overcut, wear faster, and the tool will fail more quickly than it should. From a tool cost that may be no big deal; but from a production downtime standpoint, that may be very expensive. So far, we’ve not broken one end mill, and that reflects cutting times of 20-30 hours on a single end mill.”

Maslar adds that, while Buku’s operation is cutting aluminum, which is a soft material, shops that are cutting very hard materials should have an even greater appreciation for the tool runout improvements, because runout is usually a very significant issue in pushing the limits of a machining operation. CM For more information, visit Planet Products Corporation at www.planet-products.com

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Multiple Axis Machining Centres Gaining Popularity A move towards multiple axis is the hot trend of the moment, say industry experts.

By Nate Hendley ..................................................................................................................................................

“I

t is clear that more and more customers are looking for more advanced capability in terms of productivity and automation. This is making 5-axis machines more popular in areas they were not previously so common such as mould making,” declares Ray Buxton, general manager at Mazak Canada, in Cambridge, Ontario.

“Direct drive technology for the fourth and fifth axis, collision avoidance software and HMI software features are making multi-axis machines more productive and easier to use for operators,” adds Vince D’Alessio, vice-president of Elliott Matsuura Canada, in Oakville, Ontario.

“There is an emergence of multiple axis machine tools, aimed at reducing part cycle times by combining operations,

and reducing part handlings ... higher spindle speed [is another trend] ... Part of this development is driven by changing tool materials and coatings, and part is being driven by machining techniques, such as high-speed, hard-milling, etc. ... user friendly controls [are another trend] ... control hardware (i.e. touch screen) and software have increased the control capabilities while providing user-friendly, efficient PC-like capability for data management, and editing,” notes William Howard, vertical product line manager, at the Mason, Ohio-based branch of Japanese firm, Makino.

Here’s a look at what’s new and noteworthy in machining centres:

MATSUURA MORI SEIKI

Japanese firm Mori Seiki’s new NHX6300 horizontal machining center boasts “unparalleled rigidity and agility,” according to the company.

The machining center is part of the NHX series of highprecision, high-speed horizontal machining centers.

The NHX6300 “is specifically designed for a No. 50 taper spindle with a pallet size of 630 x 630 mm ... the spindle bearing diameter is increased by 20 percent to 120 mm ... to ensure the high rigidity necessary for heavy-duty cutting,” explains the company.

The distance between the spindle nose and the pallet center has been reduced to 50 mm, enabling the use of shorter tools, resulting in chatterless machining and enhanced finished surface quality. The pallet has a load capacity of 1,500 kilograms (3,300 pounds). A rapid traverse rate of 60 m/min reduces non-cutting time and boosts productivity.

Mori Seiki began taking orders for the NHX6300 in January 2013. www.moriseiki.com

The Matsuura Machinery Corporation of Japan unveiled two new vertical machining centres, the VX-1000 and VX-1500, in August 2012.

“The new MAXIA 15,000 rpm spindle from Matsuura Japan is the ‘heart’ of these machining centres,” says Frank Bolieiro, vice-president, sales and marketing, Elliott Matsuura Canada.

The VX-1000 has an x, y, z axis stroke of 1,020, 610 and 610 mm, table size of 1,200 x 600 mm, loading capacity of 500 kg, and a working surface of 1,200 to 600 mm.

The VX-1500 has an x, y, z axis stroke of 1,524, 700 and 610 mm, table size of 1,700 x 700 mm, a loading capacity of 2,000 kg, and a working surface of 1,700 to 700 mm.

The VX-1000 and VX-1500 both have a spindle speed range of 15,000 rpm. www.elliottmachinery.com

OKUMA

Okuma America Corporation released the MU-10000H 5-axis high-speed, horizontal machining centre at IMTS 2012 in Chicago.

“Notable features include accuracy, power and speed for

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large complex parts typically found in the power generation and aerospace industries. The 5-axis trunnion table on the MU-10000H allows for better processing through-put, reduced cycle times, and an increase in quality,” says Kyle Klaver, 5-axis, FMS product specialist at Okuma America (which is based in Charlotte, North Carolina with a parent firm in Japan).

Okuma also unveiled the MB-10000H and the Millac-33TU at IMTS. “As with the MU-10000H, the most notable features of the MB-10000H and Millac33TU are their accuracy, power and speed within a relatively compact footprint. The combination of boxin-box construction, roller way systems and minimal moving mass offer a ‘tried and true’ platform to create an extremely rigid base. This rigidity allows the spindle power to be delivered to the workpiece without chatter or compromising feed rates,” says Jim Endsley, Okuma machining centers product specialist. www.okuma.com

MAKINO

Makino recently expanded its F-Series of vertical machining centres to include the F8 and F9.

“The F8 and F9 machines dramatically increase the machine travels, work zone and payload capability relative to the smaller F3

Factory automation

Questions?

and F5 machines. The larger F-Series machines are designed to meet the divergent manufacturing needs of both large part production, and big die and mould component markets,” says Howard.

The F8 is the smaller of the pair, with x, y and z-axis travels of 51.2 inches, 31.5 inches and 25.6 inches, a 61-inch-by-31.5 inch table and a maximum workpiece size of 61 inches long by 31.5 inches wide by 21.7 inches tall. The larger F9 has x, y, z-axis travels of 63 inches, 31.5 inches and 25.6 inches, a 72.8 inch by 31.5 inch table and a maximum workpiece size of 72.8 inches

long by 31.5 inches wide by 21.7 inches tall. Both VMCs have a payload capacity of 5,510 pounds and feature a 30-tool capacity automatic tool changer.

“High performance linear roller guideway technology provides high rigidity, extremely precise, anti-friction motion. In addition, pre-tensioned, dual supported, large diameter ballscrews and powerful, direct-coupled, digital servo motors provide the stiffness and rigidity for the most challenging applications. Temperature controlled lubrication maintains and controls the thermal stability of the ballscrew bearing mounting area, ensuring stable, long cycle time cutting accuracy,” says Howard. www.makino.com

call Fastems

First!

Maximizing productivity requires more than the latest-and-greatest machine tools.

It also means flowing work through your manufacturing system as efficiently as possible, whether you have one CNC or acres of machine tools. Of course, there are many questions to ask when considering factory automation: • Can one system accommodate various kinds and brands of machine tools, or different size pallets?

• How easily can I expand the system as my needs change?

• How can I control all the machines and accessories?

• Who handles installation, service and support?

• When will I see the payback?

To get the answers call Fastems first.

Simply call 513-779-4614 or email Richard.Bodine@Fastems.com for a no-cost discussion about your unique situation.

9850 Windisch Road, West Chester OH 45069 www.fastems.com www.canadianmetalworking.com | MARCH 2013 | 37

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MAZAK

Mazak released several new machining centres in 2012, including the VCU400 Series, the VCN530TT and HCN8800 MEGA. The VCU400 “can be configured as a basic 3-axis, 3-axis with pallet changer or a 5-axis version. The VCU400 comes with a generous travel range for the size of the machine, x is 500 mm, y is 400 mm and z is 510 mm. A 12,000 rpm, 25 hp spindle motor is available,” says Buxton.

The VCN530TT vertical machining centre “has a unique table concept, which allows the customer to efficiently produce production runs with the pallet changer but also have the flexibility to make larger components by combining both pallets to make a single large table,” continues Buxton.

The HCN8800 MEGA, meanwhile, was “specifically designed for roughing titanium, and stainless steels ... this machine boasts a main continuous spindle output of 100 hp and 1050 Nm of torque,” he adds.

Asked what advice he would give to machinists using Mazak machining centers, Buxton says “we encourage all customers to ensure they take into consideration how they will hold the part. This is a critical factor for part support, accuracy and tool clearances.” www.mazakcanada.com

HAAS

California-based Haas Automation began taking orders for their new UMC-750 universal machining centre at IMTS 2012 in Chicago.

“In standard configuration, the UMC-750 is a full 5-axis machine with 30 inch x 20 inch x 20 inch travels, 40 + 1 tool side-mount tool changer, 30 hp inline direct-drive spindle and

the Haas Wireless Intuitive Probing System. The machine is designed for both 3 + 2 (5-sided) machining and simultaneous 5-axis machining,” says Bryan O’Fallon, Haas product technical specialist, mills.

“It has a generous work cube with good Z-axis clearance, which can be an issue when putting a dual-axis rotary on a standard VMC. The UMC-750’s integrated dual-axis trunnion table provides +100/–35 degrees of tilt and 360 degrees of rotation for excellent tool part clearance and large part capacity.

The 630 x 500 mm T-slot platter offers plenty of room for parts and fixtures, and features a precision centre bore for locating fixtures. The UMC-750 really isn’t aimed at any specific industries. Rather, it was designed for small and medium job shops and contract manufacturers.

These shops typically encompass all industries, including aerospace, automotive, telecom, medical, motorsports and everything in between,” says O’Fallon. www.haasCNC.com

MITSUI SEIKI USA

Mitsui Seiki USA unveiled their Vertex 550-5XB 5-axis CNC vertical machining centre at IMTS 2012 in Chicago.

This VMC “is designed to manufacture turbine blades ... [it’s] mainly aimed at the energy and aerospace markets,” says Tom Dolan, vice-president of Mitsui Seiki USA, which is based in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey with a Japanese parent company.

Mitsui Seiki’s new machining centre doesn’t require much floorspace, says Dolan, who notes “geography is quite important these days.”

The Vertex 550-5XB has a footprint of only 65 square feet, an x, y and z working envelope of 550 mm x 600 mm x 500 mm and rapid traverse rates in all linear axes of 48 m/minute. The A and B axes are represented in a rotating/ tilting table. The A-axis tilts from +45 to –90 degree angles while the B-axis features infinite positioning points. www.mitsuiseiki.com

HURCO

Repair/Service for GMN & most other makes and models Spindle support systems Manufacturing & servicing spindles for over 85 years

Joe Poulin, Canadian sales manager for Indianapolis, Indianabased Hurco, compares the new VMX42SRT 5-axis machining centre to, “A Swiss Army knife. For me, it’s our most versatile machine.”

The VMX42SRT has a direct-drive C-axis rotary table and x, y, z travels of 42, 24 and 24 inches, a 12K spindle standard, 40-station swing-arm automatic tool changer, x, y, z rapids of 1,378, 1,378 and 1,181 inches per minute, and integrated Hurco control with both conversational and NC programming modes.

Hurco also unveiled the company’s new patented “UltiMotion” technology for 5-axis machining centers at IMTS. “Typically on a machine tool, you have parameters in your drive system which dictates the motion … UltiMotion is software based … the software manages the drive,” explains Poulin.

First used on 3-axis mills, UltiMotion improves surface finish quality and reduces cycle time by up to 40 per cent, claims Hurco. www.hurco.com CM

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New in Numerical Control CAM software continues to evolve to meet the competitive challenges facing international manufacturers

By JeannĂŠ Naysmith ..............................................................................................................................................

Using CAM software to simplify the programming of complex MTM machines is viewed as the dominant trend by NC software providers. Here, GibbsCAM is used to center drill a part on the main spindle while another part is being turned simultaneously on the sub-spindle with a tool from the rear gang.

A

lthough NC programming systems date back to the 1960s, and are relatively mature, the NC or CAM Software market remains viable, and the underlying technologies employed continue to evolve. As a result, users are able to effectively support more complex and advanced machine tools, increase their productivity and produce higher quality parts.

The fundamental driving force for the growth in the industry over time is the intense worldwide competitive environment faced by manufacturers. It commands continuous improvements in processes, operations, methodology, technology, and a culture that meets and exceeds expectations. There are also demands on producers for product innovation and aesthetic appeal; increased product functionality, performance, usability, and a longer, useful maintenance-free life for products.

Concurrently, the number of skilled and experienced workers is on the decline, and at the same time, owners and

shareholders insist on steadily increasing revenues and profitability. Manufacturers are caught in this confluence of forces that places an onerous squeeze on shop owners, managers, planners, and workers to effectively compete in a global economy.

One way in which producers are addressing this demanding environment is to increase their purchases of more advanced and complex machine tools to lower costs, improve quality and shorten turnaround times. As manufacturers add more advanced and complex tools, and while programming is being performed more by casual users including machine operators, the requirement for efficient and effective software to control these tools continues to increase.

The primary objective in CAM software is to improve user productivity and product quality by producing software that is easier to learn and use, is more automated, more

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an avoidance of electrical discharge machining (EDM) that eliminates the need for electrodes, and in-process inventory can be reduced. Moreover, the price of 5-axis machines is declining, and newer 5-axis programming software is easier to learn, and is more automated.

Modules like VoluMill, here running inside Siemens PLM’s NX CAM, optimize high performance toolpath generation for high speed machining applications.

process-oriented, and more tightly integrated with other elements of PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) such as product design, PDM (Product Data Management), digital manufacturing, and factory automation software. There are no revolutionary changes being introduced; all existing NC software products will produce acceptable results, but the evolution in technology continues. Ten of the key industry trends, as observed by CIMdata, are summarized below:

Trend 1. Greater Use of Multi-Task Machines — Machine tools are now often multi-functional, multi-spindle, multi-turret, and/ or multi-axis. CIMdata is aware of machines in production with as many as 22 axes. These tools are becoming increasingly complex to program and utilize. The introduction, acceptance, and support of this type of machine tool are viewed by most NC software providers as the single most dominant trend in the industry.

Trend 2. 5-axis Machining — Simultaneous 5-axis machining has been used for many years in applications such as aerospace and turbine blade manufacturing. However, its use is increasing significantly across many application areas, including moldmaking, as it is replacing the use of 3-axis milling in a number of situations. This is occurring because with 5-axis machining, more complex geometries can be machined, the number of setups and tool changes can be reduced, shorter cutting tools can be used to reduce vibration and tool breakage, manual positioning can be eliminated, there can be

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Trend 3. High-Speed Cutting and Use of Advance Toolpaths — High-speed machining has become accepted, as most shops now employ this technology. The software to support this capability must provide for fast and efficient transfer of data, smooth tool movement that minimizes any sudden change in direction, a constant chip load to maximize the life of the cutter, tangent surfaces without gaps or overlaps, and support of those machine tool features necessary to produce gouge-free, high surface finish parts.

Machining is sometimes done on actual surfaces as opposed to tessellated surfaces to obtain a higher quality output.

However, quality problems sometimes occur with high-speed machining, as the material can overheat, cracks can develop, and the material can move. Nevertheless, use of high-speed cutting has become necessary for shops to remain competitive and all CAM software providers offering products to these industry segments, such as mold and tool and die, must effectively support this technology.

Trend 4. Further Utilization of Feature Technology — To enhance programming automation, feature technology — a knowledge-based machining methodology — is becoming increasingly common. Features not only define shape, but also include associative operations that describe the preferred method for cutting and inspecting the features on CNC machines. By employing this technology, part features — such as faces, splines, various types of holes, bosses, slots, profiles, and pockets — can be created in design, automatically recognized, and then automatically machined and dimensionally inspected. Feature technology improves the ease of use by having decisions made within the software rather than by a user.

Feature recognition software is a relatively new and important capability to automatically examine a design model, identify individual features and their associated attributes, convert design features into manufacturing features, and extract the features for subsequent operations. Machining intelligence can be built into a CAM system and a predefined set of machining rules and user preferences can be applied to a feature. By evaluating part geometry and material, the software selects

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the most appropriate tools and operations, establishes the operational sequences for a specific feature, recommends machining strategies, calculates feeds and speeds, and then automatically generates the NC code for cutting and the CMM code for inspection.

Software is also able to capture processes and learn the preferred methods for manufacturing different parts, and then apply these techniques to the programming of subsequent parts or part types. As such, a user’s NC programming preferences are utilized by invoking these sequences when a feature is recognized. A CNC programmer can also fine-tune a program as desired. If a design change occurs, the revised model can be imported, and automatic feature recognition software will associate the new model with the original features. When features are revised, changes are made only to the specific machining parameters that are different from the original solid.

increasingly common. They allow users to work with wireframes, surfaces, and feature-based 3D solids within a single environment.

A hybrid approach takes the burden from the user, since a user does not see a difference between a surface and a 3D solid.

Trend 7. Advanced CMM Software — Use of CMMs (Coordinate Measuring Machines) for dimensional inspection is relatively common. Initially, all programming was manual, but over time CNC systems, software, and other capabilities have been introduced to automate the process.

PAS CMM is a new software product that offers further automation by employing feature technology, automatic feature recognition, and the use of advanced analysis tools to evaluate

Trend 5. Introduction of ProcessFocused Software — NC programming software is evolving from the use of basic instructions to being more process-focused. A processfocused approach considers the full needs of a specific type of user. A complete solution encompasses the machine tool, controller, modeling functions, machining strategies, and comprehensive post-processors.

To create application processes, programming wizards are available to lead a user through the necessary programming steps. Each solution incorporates different machining strategies and parameters appropriate to the task. Processes can be viewed as a feature and much of the feature-based methodology can be applied to processes. Users can also customize the software to enhance a process.

As part of a process, CAM software permits manufacturers to capture and re-use their best practices. Libraries of machining strategies tailored to best practices can be established from machining rules, templates, knowledge, and feature-based machining. A set of machining rules can be defined by users based on the material, part geometry features, and the operations to be performed. Alternatively, strategies or processes can be captured, catalogued, and stored as templates, and then applied to current and future machining tasks. By utilizing best practices, machining methods can be kept consistent, process variables are minimized, quality is enhanced, lead time is shortened, and programming time can be reduced substantially.

Trend 6. Modeling Enhancements — Evolution in modeling technology continues as it does in NC programming. For example, hybrid modelers are becoming www.canadianmetalworking.com | MARCH 2013 | 43

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Feature Based Machining is increasingly being implemented in CAM software to eliminate the manual processes involved in identifying features for programming milling and drilling operations on solid parts.

a CAD part model. Code is generated in standard CMM formats, such as DMIS, so that hard coding for every machine is avoided.

The three basic steps in PAS CMM are automatic feature extraction, automatically defining the inspection process based on the features, and use of an annotation tool to specify the form of the report required for specific features. The CMM program can be simulated and verified in a virtual machine environment and then transferred to a CMM inspection machine.

Trend 9. Provider Consolidation — The CAM market continues to be highly fragmented and competitive with more than 50 providers worldwide competing for market share, but the herd is thinning. In the recent past, companies such as Cimatron, Delcam, and Planit Holdings have acquired other CAM software companies to gain market share, broaden their product offering, obtain unique technologies, and increase their sales distribution network.

Trend 8. Emergence of More Realistic Simulation — Significant

Trend 10. CAM as a Component of PLM — PLM has emerged

improvement is being made in software for machine simulation, toolpath verification, and rendering. Realistic simulation of the entire machining process including the machine tool, holders, machine components, cutting tools, and stock can be made to provide a user with a complete picture of a machining operation.

Simulation of a toolpath is provided to verify its accuracy.

Collisions, gouges, undercuts, and any discrepancies between the target part and the machined part are shown. By comparing an in-process model with the designed part, the amount of remaining material can be displayed. Rendering software provides for photo realistic images of the machined part. The verification and simulation software is becoming more highly integrated with the toolpath generation software. Visualization of processes is becoming increasingly important for programmers, planners, and machinists.

Additionally, as machine tool controllers become more powerful, more functions including simulation can be performed in a controller. Machine simulation can occur during actual machining and a look-ahead function can be provided to detect collisions before they occur so machining can be halted.

as a broad-based and rapidly growing software technology that now encompasses a number of technologies that were once viewed as independent entities, such as CAD, CAM, CAE, PDM, and digital manufacturing. CAM and CAD/CAM are now often considered by users as a component or components of a broader PLM implementation, and this has led to further data integration among PLM components. The major PLM providers (Dassault Systèmes, Siemens PLM Software, and PTC) all offer CAM within their PLM environment. CAM, CMM, and other factory floor software systems are also included within digital manufacturing solutions being used by manufacturing engineers. www.cimdata.com

Jeanné Naysmith is the Manufacturing Practice Manager for PLM research firm, CIMdata, with extensive domestic and international P&L experience in software and services companies in the mechanical computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) industries. CM

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Welding News LINCOLN ELECTRIC ACQUIRES TENNESSEE RAND

Lincoln Electric Holdings has announced the recent acquisition of privately-held automated systems and tooling manufacturer, Tennessee Rand, Inc. Tennessee Rand designs and manufactures tooling and robotic systems for welding applications. They specialize in equipment for the automotive and metal fabrication industries.

“Tennessee Rand brings extensive tool design, system building, and machining capabilities that will enable Lincoln to further expand its welding automation business,” said Christopher L. Mapes, CEO of Lincoln Electric.

The addition is a compliment to Lincoln’s purchase of Wayne

Trail Technologies (in May 2012) – another manufacturer of automation and tooling systems.

“Lincoln’s market strength and worldwide reach enable Tennessee Rand to expand its business and support customers with global deployment strategies,” stated Don Peters, President of Tennessee Rand. “We are pleased to now be a part of Lincoln Electric.”

Tennessee Rand’s headquarters and manufacturing operations are based out of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The company has annual sales of approximately $35 million. www.lincolnelectric.com; www.tennrand.com CM

MILLER INTRODUCES OXY-FUEL KIT

Using this oxy-fuel kit, welders can weld up to 1/8 inch and cut up to 5/8 inch of mild steel. The kit comes with a medium-duty torch handle, medium-duty cutting assembly, an acetylene cutting tip, a welding tip, a acetylene heating tip, Smith Series 30 oxygen and acetylene regulators, safety glasses with shade 5 lens and blue frames, a torch lighter, a 20-foot “R”-grade twin hose, two reverse-flow check valves and a safety and operations manual. The torch and regulators are covered by a three-year limited warranty and feature brass and stainless steel torch construction with an in-tip gas-mix torch design for safety and extended torch life. www.millerwelds.com

Oxy-Fuel kit has everything you need but the tank and gas

MICROSITE HELPS YOU BOOST PRODUCTIVITY

AristoRod microsite shows how to increase MIG weld quality and productivity

Improving MIG welding productivity and quality is a never ending quest in manufacturing. ESAB has developed a new microsite that will teach MIG welding operators how to increase productivity and weld quality by explaining the benefits of the company’s non-copper coated OK AristoRod MIG wires. The site details how the wires’ Advanced Surface Characteristics (ASC) result in trouble-free, high-productivity welding in robotic, mechanized and manual applications. There are video animations available in 24 languages, high-speed arc recordings and scientific data.

Visit the microsite at: www.esabna.com/aristorod

TORCHES AND REGULATORS FOR OXY-FUEL

The 400 series of oxy-fuel torches from Victor Technologies are two-piece torches that incorporate a patented handle design with a cutting attachment for better ergonomics, a clearer view of the cutting path, visual cues for easier use and enhanced safety.

Designed to improve safety during use, the G Series regulators use a combination of colours on the gauge face to provide clarity for reading needle position, while a scale and red tick mark indicate actual service pressure of the regulator. They also uses ergonomic contoured color-coded knobs to indicate gas type and for better comfort when adjusting gas pressure. When sold as part of the Medalist 250 and 350 outfits, Victor’s new G Series regulator accompanies the 400 Series torch. www. victortechnologies.com

(l) New regulators provide reading clarity; (r) Two piece oxy-fuel torches have improved ergonomics

46 | MARCH 2013 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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Spark Control Manipulating the weld arc leads to welding bliss

By Nestor Gula .....................................................................................................................................................

Y

our shop might not have a new welding power supply in its arsenal, but you do need one - you just might not know it yet.

There is a welding skills shortage in the labour market that might never be fixed, so by steadily evolving their power supplies, welding companies are confident their machines can bridge the gap in skilled labour.

“One of the things that is happening with welding technology today, at least at ESAB, is that we are developing processes that make it easier for the welder to be good,” said Greg Stauffer Vice President for Sales Support and Standard Equipment at ESAB. “We make a new welder productive and a skilled welder even better. That is where the technology is taking you. How do you take something you are doing today and make it better tomorrow?”

Matthew Albright, Product Manager — Welding Equipment for Lincoln Electric said, “Instead of having to train 50 or 100 experts you can train one. A shop should have one person responsible for the welding process and that person would be there to set the welding equipment.” In essence, the individual operators of the welding power sources do not need to know as much about welding because the machine is compensating.

In order for a welder to change operations from one joint to another - or from one thickness to another - they have to understand the intricacies of welding. They need to know wire feed speed and voltage effect spatter, penetration, deposition and other factors. With microprocessor controlled power sources machines can be set-up so that the procedures are stored in them and the operator just has to punch in the correct code to access the parameters for the job at hand. “If I can take someone who knows how to weld but does not know how to set the machines, that may not know the relationship between penetration and deposition rate, and all those other complex issues and how it effects the process, I can get someone into the shop faster and compensate for the lack of skilled labour that I have funnelling through my environment,” said Albright. “You need someone trained to set the machine. I can take all that knowledge that takes time to train somebody to have them become the decision maker.”

MANIPULATION AND CONTROL

Whereas the sparks used to literally fly off the end of a welding gun or rod, power source manufacturers want to control the spark. By controlling the spark they can then manipulate it to do what it is meant to do — weld metal more efficiently.

Variables commonly manipulated include voltage, amperage, the relationship between them (volt/amp curve) frequency, amplitude and time, such as the rate of change (current ramp) or duration of a steady state (pulse width). “There is manipulation of the frequency and amplitude with Pulsed MIG but there is more to it,” said Ken Stanzel, Product Manager for Miller Electric. “The wire comes down and touches a workpiece.

Once it breaks, a power peak occurs. A ball pinches off of the wire and accelerates across the arc column into the puddle.

Then you drop down into a background level. What it’s doing is conditioning the end of the wire and getting it ready for the next ball at a high rate of speed. The power source is applying and creating heat that is helping maintain the puddle on the workpiece and preparing for the next pulse. Another ball shoots across the column as the process continues.”

How a power source controls the arc depends on the welding process selected and the condition at hand. The variables being manipulated, and the manner of manipulation, depend on the process, situation and power source. “Manufacturers such as Victor Technologies incorporate microprocessors and microcontrollers into welding power sources so that they can create the most predictable welding arc possible, as well as controlling the power source’s response to unpredictable events,” said Tom Wermert, Senior Brand Manager for Victor Technologies. “Among other factors, superior control improves arc starts, a common point of weld failure, accommodates variations in arc length — whether that’s human hand shake, poor fit-up or running over a tack weld, minimizes or eliminates wasteful spatter and helps reduce over-welding.” Wermert states that their Thermal Arc Fabricator 252i samples the welding voltage and current four times every 50 microseconds. “The system brings reference signals into the microcontroller, applies the appropriate algorithms and adjusts the welding output current once every 50 microseconds,” he adds. Updating the welding output 20,000 times per second it can detect, react to and

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control an unpredictable welding event.

It is worth noting that all arcs can be modified. Stick electrodes, sub-arc, MIG, flux-core wires and metalcore wire and even TIG arcs can be manipulated to get the perfect arc. “You are talking about DC currents and you are changing the response times of the machine, you are changing waveforms, you can get them to pulse, you can slow the current rise and you can speed up the current rise. There are really a lot of things you can do to change the arc,” said ESAB’s Stauffer. “Some of our advanced systems have 200 pre-programmed welding conditions for different filler materials different wire diameter and shielding gases.

So instead of you sitting down and trying to figure out how to make the machine do what you want we have taken the work out of it for you.”

By setting up different arc profiles in the machine, a weld operator can move from material to material, from job to job, quickly, and with less errors. If you want to short arc stainless steel for a specific job after completing a different job, the weld operator would have to punch in the correct code to reset the arc to be ideal for stainless steel. Since stainless does not like to melt, the proper arc characteristics would be to slow down the current rise so you can get a little more arc time before it short

arcs. That way you can wet the puddle out and get less spatter.

Manipulating and controlling the welding arc is a fine line between art and science according to Lincoln’s Albright. “We have very comprehensive programs and engineers who spend their entire day and careers manipulating the arc. We have proprietary technology to control the arc in our machines.” Manufacturers can do things with waveforms that they were not able to do five years ago primarily because of all the welding data that has been collected and analysed over the past many years. “Now we have access to the data pertaining to welding, which was typically hard to get,” he said. “Due to the fact that power supplies can now generate and send data packets to collection systems in order to help companies get a comprehensive view of what is happening in their system from a welding standpoint.”

EFFICIENCY AND SAVINGS

At the end of the day, the manufacturer must see positives to its business when new technology is introduced to the shop floor.

All industry is concerned with quality and productivity. Large conglomerates and small fabrication shops all need to be as

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efficient as possible to compete with not just shops next door, but with ones half way around the world. The benefits from this advanced technology means that set-up time is reduced, the welding process is quicker, and fewer parts end up in the scrap heap. “It allows us to have higher travel speeds, and reduce spatter and secondary clean-up operations without reducing function and weld soundness,” said Miller’s Stanzel. “It helps ensure that the work is done right the first time. Aesthetically,

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you find better bead appearance, and a nice looking weld is important in a number of industries.”

“Advanced technology power sources increase welding speed and precision while helping compensate for human limitations,” said Victor Technologies’ Wermert. “They enable people to ‘weld it right the first time’ while eliminating activities that compensate for a less-than-ideal weld, noticeably grinding and rework.”

Although welding will never shed its image as a powerhungry manufacturing activity, the new power sources are more efficient. Using advanced inverter technology these machines are putting more energy into the arc while drawing less at the plug. “Modern machines are more power efficient,” according to Stanzel. “Manufacturers have found $100-200 per machine savings per year in electrical use when converting form an older phase control machine to a new inverter.” Inverter-based technology generally offers a 10 to 25 per cent energy efficiency advantage. “Inverters can also lower primary amperage draw. Circuit breakers are sized to match equipment requirements,” said Wermert.

“Using an inverter can enable connecting more pieces of equipment to the same size breaker, eliminate, or reduce, nuisance trips and reduce the size and cost of electrical system upgrades.”

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While welding is an extremely complex process, and a necessary process in manufacturing, welding manufacturers can provide power supplies to industry segments that can compensate or control the behavioural habits of the operator. Besides helping streamline production, “It gets someone proficient faster,” said Lincoln’s Albright. “They streamline production by allowing the quality and assurance department to verify procedure and follow through faster. They often times increase productivity because of travel speeds, depositions rates. The new power sources reduce spatter so post weld cleaning is reduced. After weld visual inspections can be reduced.”

When looking to the future, the one main concern is the skilled labour shortage that exists will continue to get worse. “I think the number one question to ask as we develop machines into the future is how can we make it so the operators can be less skilled but still receive a high quality weld?” asks Miller’s Stanzel. “What we will see is a trend to take and make the arc welding process more user friendly. More and more robust algorithms built into the machines to overcome operator deficiencies. The user-friendly machine will compensate more, acting for the operator and protecting the finished weld.

When an operator doesn’t have the skills for optimum welding the machine will compensate and the machine will help him complete the job at a high level.” CM

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Staying Competitive with Punching Automation HACO Canada’s Hanif Esmail on looking beyond the cost of punching

Haco Canada’s Q Series punching machines with high-speed hybrid servo/hydraulic punching head, use fast torque motors for tool indexation, and a 60” Y-axis for flexible CNC turret punching. The models can process plates as large as 60”to120” before repositioning - depending on the model. The latest version is the Q5 (for punching, nibbling. louvering, rolling, and bending) and comes in 22 or 30 ton models, has a turret punch press with an automatic tool changer (12 to 20 stations with indexable tools) to punch through up to 6.5mm steel thickness providing up to 1,200 hits per minute. “Tools can even be changed while the machine is punching,” says Hanif Esmail, Haco Canada’s General Manager. “Haco’s Q2/Q3/Q5 Series punching machines are the most flexible CNC turret punching machine on the today’s market.” In terms of its high-speed qualities, “these models are integrated with punching, bending, forming, tapping and rolling solutions and have been improved with a high speed index axis using torque motors,” says a release for the Q Series. The release also points out that they offer the “fastest tool changes in the industry,” which is “achieved with the external tool turret. With a rotating punching head, all tools can be indexed, reducing the number of tools as well as tool changes to produce the part.”

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or Canadian metalworking operations, foreign competition customer,” says Esmail. “Also of importance is the flexibility of is a constant and this has many firms looking to greater the automation system as automations are sometimes built for automation in all areas, especially punching, as a means of a specific product. Having an automated system that is flexible, remaining competitive, and retaining current clients. easy to program and allows for quick set-up time is essential.

Haco Canada Inc. has embraced this concept and is translatManipulation of big sheet sizes require multiple operators ing the needs of metal shops into a variety of machinery and and this can be avoided with the use of loading and unloading models that are helping to reduce costs, such as it’s Q Series. systems.”

“Canadian manufacturers must look beyond reducing CNC punching machines, he says, run automatically. their production cost of punching a part,” says Hanif Esmail, “But If the loading and unloading is still manual” he says, “an Haco Canada’s General Manager. “With versatility in the latest operator is required to be next to the machine, especially when punching technologies they can also reduce the price of the punching out small programs. Sometimes only a short period of final end product. Our machines are equipped with options that time is required to complete a program. If the operator has to allow operations such as bending, tapping, forming & rolling, load/unload the machine it does not make sense to give him a thus rendering unnecessary, a secondary operation at another second job (e.g. welding, bending) if he will be distracted every machine and less secondary manipulations (which equates to) few minutes.” lower price/part costs.”

When upgrading the shop, the choice of new equipment Elements that can extend the lifespan of various tools is never an easy decision due to the many product offerings, include regular regrinding and automatic tool lubrication. but also crucial is the timing of bringing in new machinery and Esmail also stresses that cutting edge programming software ensuring a smooth transition to minimize production delays and is also essential, pointing out that Haco’s HACOPunch Pro and the learning curve. management software module includes advanced auto-nesting Esmail notes that a system upgrade may be necessary if: capability.

• increased labour costs occur from equipment mainten“Software can eliminate expensive set-up costs, and ance/failures, and product corrections/rejects. minimizes wastage,” he says. “Using a machine with an auto • increased production costs occur from equipment maintenindex punching head that rotates all the tools is one of the key ance/failure, downtime and wastage, and reductions in orders or benefits of reducing the production costs.” revenues “because these may now may be going to the competiEsmail explains that the majority of conventional turret tion with modern versatile automated systems,” says Esmail. punching machines that can be purchased “use only a few auto “Delays in completion and deliveries are factors that need to be index stations - for example, a 4-auto index,” and notes that considered.” CM For more information visit: www.hacocanada.com HACO Q series are designed automatic tool changers (ATC) and a single punching head with an auto index system that rotates all the tools at high speed.

These design elements make a difference, he says, because “rotating all tools reduces the number of tools for a job from 40 up to 70 per cent and there is also much more flexibility in the use of the tooling.

“If the designer wants to change the punch part,” he adds, “he just programs another angle and it’s done. Due to indexation of all the tools, all programs can be rotated under every angle during nesting and that translates into less scrap material, maximum sheet usage, and once again reducing production costs.”

According to Haco, single head punching machines with ATC features require “less maintenance in comparison to conventional turret punching machines.

This includes reduction/elimination of periodic alignment of the upper and lower turret; replacing the spring packs on the tooling with positive clamps; and replacing the tool guiding bushings inside www.JesseEngineering.com | tel 253/922-7433 | fax 253/922-2536 | the turret.”

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www.canadianmetalworking.com | MARCH 2013 | 53

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Small and Powerful A smaller press might be the right fit for many operations.

By Todd Bryson, Multicyl Inc. ..................................................................................................................................

B

ig presses are impressive. If you walk around at a trade show like FABTECH and see these massive machines clanking away, delivering several hundred tons of force with each stroke, you can’t help but be impressed! But when you stop to think about it, smaller presses are often pretty remarkable too. Here’s why small presses can be impressive and why they might be the right addition to your manufacturing floor: While several tons of metal standing tall and producing 100 tons of force, and banging out parts is a sight to behold — and in many ways a symbol of our industry — think of something weighing only 40 pounds that puts out 10 tons. Think of a complete turn-key punching solution that weighs less than 100 pounds, fits in a 12-inch square footprint, and which an operator can punch out holes in parts with all day long. And the best part, this can often be had at a mere fraction of the cost of larger press. That seems pretty impressive too, yes?

Let’s think about what we need when we decide to buy a press. Do we really need a towering machine putting out 100 or more tons? Well, the short answer is it depends. In some cases we surely do, they are a cornerstone of our industry for a reason. But other times, perhaps a smaller press can do the job, and might even be a better fit. If we take the time to think about it, we can see that small presses offer many advantages for the right applications; they are often safer, more efficient, more ergonomic and operator friendly, and sometimes more suitable for today’s manufacturing environment.

Using the Multicyl press, shown as an example, let’s explore some of these claims. As for safety, this one is really a no brainer. The unit shown can be set up with no pinch points over ¼-inch making it extremely difficult if not impossible for an operator to get a hand or finger into danger. For additional safe guards a simple two-hand anti-tiedown control can be used.

Efficiency? This unit runs on shop air using a simple air valve for minimal energy use. It requires only a single unskilled operator with little to no set-up time and pushes out six tons of force at a rate of up to one stroke per second. Sounds pretty efficient, right? However, the area in which small presses can really shine is the way they fit into today’s lean manufacturing environment.

JIT manufacturing, cellular work stations, and lean manufacturing processes dominate the needs of today’s manufacturing environment; however larger presses don’t always contribute to these ideals. A small foot print, minimal set-up time or dedicated work stations, and flexibility are key components.

Lastly, let’s look at the cost. Small Multicyl single hole punching packages such as the one shown here are typically in the $2,500 to $5,000 range for a complete solution.

Large presses are an important part of our manufacturing environment, and as I noted earlier can be very impressive machines. But as I also noted smaller press packages shouldn’t be overlooked. As they say, sometimes big things come in small packages. CM

This Multicyl air/oil press provides 6 tons of force while sitting in a 4.5” x 13” footprint and weighs less than 100 pounds.

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Punching for profits CNC punching presses offer quality and flexibility for short and long runs

By Nestor Gula .....................................................................................................................................................

P

utting holes in metal is no easy feat. A common method is to use a punch-and-die system. The “punch” is the piece of hardened metal meant to go through another metal, while the “die” is a piece of contoured metal that mirrors the punch and is located below the work surface. Depending on the model of press, up to 500 tonnes (or even more) of pressure is needed to penetrate a slab of steel. The process of putting holes in metal takes but a fraction of a second. This process is ideal for high production runs, where millions of pieces are required to be made, but for short runs, the cost of engineering and manufacturing the punch and die are usually prohibitive.

CNC punching solves this dilemma because it’s designed for short run and avoids the upfront costs of the traditional stamping procedure. Using computer control technology, a set of instructions tells the machine where to punch holes. The traditional stamping press creates all the holes in a part in a single hit, while these CNC punch presses create the holes individually with many rapid hits. A tooling storage centre, sometimes called a turret, houses the punch and dies that are then fed, when needed, to the press to make the holes. This procedure is very quick, a single hole can be made in a tenth of a second but since parts often need to have multiple holes, the creation of the whole part will take longer on the CNC machine than on a traditional stamping press.

Often considered a low-value operation that is easily offshored, traditional stamping needs long runs to stay competitive. CNC punching offers flexibility, not just of performing short runs as economically as long runs, but performing functions that would ordinarily be done in secondary operations.

These machines can tap holes up to 0.375-inch diameter, bend flanges up to 1-inch high, deburr parts, and provide shear cut edges on punch parts. The high quality parts produced by CNC punches put Canadian manufacturers in a competitive position when looking at offshore manufacturers that still have to perform multiple secondary operations to achieve similar quality.

“Canadian manufacturers must look beyond reducing their production cost of punching a part. With versatility in the latest punching technologies they can also reduce the price of the final end product,” said Hanif Esmail, general manager Haco Canada Inc. Their Haco Q Series punching machines are equipped with options allowing operations like bending, tapping, forming, and rolling, thus rendering unnecessary a secondary operation at another machine and less secondary manipulations.

Automation of material handling can benefit both short and long run part production on CNC punch presses. “Job shops can benefit through automation as long as the level of automation is realistic to the needs of the customer,” he said.

“Another aspect is the flexibility of the automation system as automations are sometimes built for a specific product.

Having an automated system that is flexible, easy to program, and allows for quick set-up time is essential. Manipulation of big sheet sizes requires multiple operators and this can be avoided with the use of loading and unloading systems.

CNC punching machines run automatically. If the loading and unloading is still manual, an operator is required to be next to the machine, especially when punching out small programs.”

TRUMPF TRUPUNCH 3000

Working without producing a scrap skeleton, the TruPunch 3000 is a resource-efficient universal machine that intelligently handles small parts. It can process sheets up to 6.4 mm thick virtually scratch-free while offering an average of 10 per cent higher material utilization and additional process reliability.

This compact machine can be comprehensively automated and features an electric punching head technology that averages electrical consumption of about 5 kW. Working without scrap skeletons increases the work safety and makes the machine more user-friendly, material efficient, and also more process reliable. Finished parts can be removed with ease while cut-up metal scraps simplify the logistics and can be sold at higher prices. Using a minimal amount of floor space, the TruPunch 3000, with its 4-ft. x 8-ft. format, offers innovative small part sorting and tabbing. www.us.trumpf.com

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When you need dependable tooling solutions designed to solve your toughest fabrication challenges, turn to Wilson Tool Canada. For 45 years you’ve known us as Exacta Precision and Exacta Fabtool. As Wilson Tool Canada we’ll continue to offer all the standard and custom tooling solutions you’ve come to rely on, plus the Wilson Tool line of tooling with shorter lead times and reduced shipping costs.

Whatever your tooling needs, choose Wilson Tool Canada. Call 800.268.5573 for stamping or punch press tooling. Call 800.268.4180 for press brake tooling. Or visit www.wilsontool.com today.

C A N A D A

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f

ARTFORM. HACO CANADA Q2/Q3/Q5

Using a hybrid servo/hydraulic punching head with 18, 22 or 30 tons of force, Haco Q2/Q3/Q5 Series machines use fast torque motors for tool indexation. Depending on the model, they can process plates as large as 60-inch to120-inch before repositioning. The rotating punching head allows for all the tools to be indexed, reducing the number of tools as well as tool changes to produce the part.

Based on over 50 years of experience in manufacturing of CNC punching machines the Haco Q5 is a flexible CNC turret punching machine that features an over dimensioned mecano-welded frame that is stress-relieved by thermal treatment before machining. The userfriendly graphical programming system offers openness, flexibility, a uniform structure for operation, programming and visualization, and optimum integration into networks. Providing a system platform with functions for punching applications offers everything a user will nee to fit the high demands in contemporary punching. Driven by high performance PC-based hardware, it allows fast processing of data and highly accurate calculation of punching operations. The 15-inch colour TFT display, with an available touch screen option features a Windows type user interface with an unlimited graphical tool database and a simple user-interface that allows direct access to the desired functions, thus creating optimum operator convenience. www.hacocanada.com

LVD STRIPPIT VX-SERIES

CREATIVE CHALLENGE. CREATIVE SOLUTION. From architecture as art, to everything in between and beyond, Mate Special Application tooling provides fabricators with the solutions needed to get the job done.

Mate Precision Tooling. Forming the future since 1962. Find out more by calling 1-800-328-4492 or visiting mate.com.

Designed for fast processing of thin sheet materials, LVD Strippit’s VX-Series of high-performance CNC turret punch presses combine a high-speed 20 tonne hydraulic ram with a 48-station turret. The innovative table design provides high productivity output while the new generation punch press employs an energy-saving hydraulic press drive and motor system, which delivers fast axis speeds of up to 530 hits per-minute on 1-inch (25 mm) centres, and up to 1750 strokes per minute. Workpieces up to 3.5 mm are efficiently handled at high speed. Equipped with three programmable, re-locatable work clamps, which can be programmed to a position on the X carriage and individually relocated to a new position within the part program. This feature reduces or eliminates no punch zones meanwhile increasing material utilization and providing significant savings when punching stainless steel and aluminum. The VX-Series punch presses contain a new energy reduction system that reduces energy consumption by up to 15 per cent (versus previous models) throughout the operating day by efficiently managing power consumption. They feature an innovative table design with the capacity to handle sheet weights of up to 150 kg and the full brush table minimizes noise and part scratching and permits economical changeover or replacement of individual brushes. These punch presses can be equipped with a compact tower for loading, unloading, and storage of raw material and finished parts. www.lvdgroup.com

58 | MARCH 2013 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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Cutting Edge

Power Wave site is loaded with tech I

f you are considering purchasing a Lincoln Electric Power Wave welder or you are already an owner of one of these advanced machines, a new microsite has been developed that will serve as a resource. Besides product specifications the site, (www.lincolnelectric.com/pwresources) contains advanced process white papers and application guides, support software, upgrade paths, savings calculators, videos and customer success profiles. Available at any hour and on any day, this site provides access to a number of tools and provide fabricators with the details they need in their process application. The latest versions of Power Wave firmware and welding waveform software for specific materials, shielding gases and applications will be available as will the Power Wave Manager, used to manage the power source operations, and CheckPoint, the mobile-ready, cloud-based production monitoring solution. www.lincolnelectric.com/pwresources CM

The resources page hosts information for Power Wave owners or those considering purchase of these welders.

Technifor helps auto industry meet traceability demands T

echnifor is helping the auto industry meet demands for speed and quality marks in manufacturing identification with its XF510 series of marking heads.

The XF510, available in dot peen, scribe and electro-magnetic, is designed to integrate into any manufacturing process. Its weight and dimensions allow for marking in any position, making it a suitable match for robotic, articulating arms, rotary tables and custom installations.

With a long service life it is able to deliver consistent deep marking on most metals, some plastics, and before and after treatments.

With bidirectional marking delivering 10 characters per second, the XF510 will mark: alphanumeric text strings, logos, and human/ machine readable codes such as barcodes, 2D, and DataMatrix.

The controller is multilingual and compatible with any keyboard and widely used control platforms. www.technifor.us CM

ww

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Invented by Salvagnini, Perfected by Salvagnini Continuous improvement and technological leadership have propelled and sustained Salvagnini’s dominance of the fiber laser cutting market – a product category it created in 2007.

The L5 Laser Cutter Able to cut through both plastic films and reflective materials at warp speed, the Salvagnini L5 uses its patented carbon fiber Compass® drive to achieve a 5g acceleration with a level of accuracy, smoothness and quiet never seen before on a laser of any type.

Seamless integration

Salvagnini Experience With more fiber lasers in the field than all competitors combined, Salvagnini has not only the technological expertise, but also the application experience to get you up and running quickly and with cost per part reductions of up to 50%.

And of course, like all products from Salvagnini, the L5 fiber laser cutter can be equipped with the industry’s most innovative automation technology for loading, unloading and part separation.

Salvagnini fiber lasers. The first. And the best.

www.salvagnini.com

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Cutting Edge

TRUMPF opens microprocessing lab TRUMPF has opened a new, fully equipped laser micromachining applications laboratory at company headquarters in Farmington, Connecticut.

With the new lab, the company will be able to demonstrate the latest laser micro-processing technology for customers, solve specific application requests and support integration into customers’ production lines.

“The new space and state of the art equipment will enable us to provide the means for quick, flexible and more accurate sample processing, with focus on increased applications support for our North American manufacturing customers,” said Sascha Weiler, in a statement. Weiler is a Program Manager of Micro Processing at TRUMPF. The new lab is equipped with the latest technology in

micro-processing, including the TruMicro Series 5000 and 7000 that are prepared to run infrared, green, and UV laser wavelengths for applications in drilling, cutting, ablation, and more.

The lab also has a diagnostic station with a high-resolution microscope, where the company’s application engineers can analyze and document feasibility tests, time studies, and invent new solutions suited to customers’ individual applications. www.us.trumpf.com CM

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Cutting Edge

Bystronic’s Technology Twins High-speed cutting meets high-speed bending

B

ystronic has introduced their Technology Twins – the BySprint Fiber 3015 laser cutting machine and the Xcite 80 E electric press brake.

The BySprint Fiber, which has a higher cutting speed in the thin-sheet metal range when compared to a CO2 laser, demands equally high-speed performance from bending technologies to truly take advantage of its increased throughput capabilities.

The Xcite 80 E is the company’s solution for the economical bending of sheet metal parts in the thickness range up to 1/8-inch thick. It is up to 2.5 times faster in speed and acceleration compared to a conventional hydraulic press brake, and can perform at high speeds without compromise to safety and accuracy. The press brake is easy to operate and uses the Bystronic ByVision bending control with 22-inch touch-screen and the integrated Fast Bend+ safety bend system.

Bystronic Inc. provides innovative laser cutting, waterjet cutting and press brake systems, system software and comprehensive customer training and support. www.bystronicusa.com CM

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To find a dealer in Canada, contact: William Brennan Company, 2135 Jetstream Road, London, Ontario N5V 4H7 • Call 519-455-7100 • Fax 519-453-4589 • sales@brennan.ca In the USA Call Toll Free 1-800-843-8844 or Call Direct 605-859-2542 • Fax 1-800-843-5545 or 605-859-2499 • www.scotchman.com • info@scotchman.com • Scotchman Industries Inc., P.O. Box 850, Philip, SD 57567

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Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show

EXPECT

MORE Canada’s Premier Manufacturing Event!

Back in the Perfect Location!

Expect more from CMTS 2013 than any previous edition. We’re building the MUST-ATTEND North American manufacturing event for 2013. With more audience, more social and networking activities, more live demos and more innovation and influence.

ThE INTERNATIONAL CENTRE – MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO

SEPTEMbER 30 – OCTObER 3, 2013 Sign up to attend, exhibit, or sponsor today!

PRODUCED BY:

Visit CMTS.CA or call Julie Pike, Event Manager 1-888-322-7333 ext 4471.

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Cutting Edge

New Bend app for smart phones and tablets

T

True Bevel leaves nothing to chance.

E

L

VD Strippit has released a new Bend app for smart phones and tablets to help users with bending calculations and tooling information for press brake set-up and part production. The app also offers company news and product updates.

Users can access bending calculations, provided in metric system dimensions, and including bending force estimation and bend allowance and the ability to select key variables such as vee opening, plify the programming of complex MTM machines is viewed as the dominant trend by NC flange length and internal bend GibbsCAM is used to center drill a partminimum on the main spindle while another part is being e sub-spindle with a tool from the rear gang. radius in metric mode settings with inch n standard CMM formats, Trend 10.to CAM as a Component of PLM—PLM has emerged mode follow. every machine is avoided. as a broad-based and rapidly growing software technology Bend app can obtained asthata were free automatic feature extracthat The now encompasses a number of technologies tion process based on the once viewed as independent entities, such as CAD, CAM, CAE, download on the iTunes store, and the to specify the form of PDM, and digital manufacturing. CAM and CAD/CAM are now s. The CMM program can often considered users as a component or components of a Google PlaybyStore. machine environment and broader PLM implementation, and this has led to further data The LVD manufactures ofproviders a range machine. integration amongGroup PLM components.

The major PLM (Dassault Siemens PLM Software, machine and PTC) all offer of sheetSystèmes, metal/plate working tools Simulation—Significant CAM within their PLM environment. CAM, CMM, and other and solutions, including laser e for machine simulation, factorysoftware floor software systems are also included within digital ealistic simulation of manufacturing solutions being used presses, by manufacturing engineers. cutting systems, punch press g the machine tool, www.cimdata.com brakes, guillotine shears and mid-level tools, and stock can be e picture of a machining Jeanné Naysmith issystems. the Manufacturing Practice Manager for PLM automation provided to verify its research firm, CIMdata, with extensive domestic and international For more information: s, and any discrepancies P&L experience in softwarewww.lvdgroup.com and services companies inCM the

ned part are shown. By he designed part, the isplayed. Rendering mages of the machined oftware is becoming th generation software. increasingly important nists. ollers become more mulation can be performed n occur during actual an be provided to detect ing can be halted.

CAM market continues e with more than 50 rket share, but the herd is such as Cimatron, Delcam, r CAM software companies duct offering, obtain sales distribution network.

mechanical computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) industries. CM

Our next issue of will feature a cover story on the country's energy and resources sector. We're asking readers to give us their thoughts:

True Bevel™ technology for HPRXD® plasma systems is a new performance application for mild steel that’s factory‑tested and scientifically‑adapted to take guesswork out of the plasma bevel‑cutting process. With True Bevel, setups for new jobs are quick and results are accurate.

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True Bevel is available as part of the Hypertherm Built for Business Integrated Cutting Solutions and from our partners.

Do you think Canada needs a National Energy Policy?

Visit www.canadianmetalworking.com to let us know your thoughts!

PlaSma | laSeR | WaTeR JeT | auTomaTIoN | SofTWaRe | CoNSumaBleS

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Tool Talk

Looking Ahead Sandvik Coromant’s 2012 Trends Report predicts sweeping changes for the future

U

rbanization is a megatrend for the coming decade. Today, half of the world’s population – 3 billion people – live in urban areas. Close to 180,000 people move into cities daily, adding roughly 60 million new urban dwellers each year. Over the next 15 years, the makeup of the group of top 600 cities will change as the center of gravity of the urban world moves south and, even more decisively, east. By 2025, it’s expected that 136 new cities will enter the top 600, all of them from the developing world and a large number (100 new cities) from China. But China is not the only economy to contribute to the shifting urban landscape. India will contribute 13 newcomers. Latin America will be the source of eight cities.

We need to ask ourselves which cities, and where, will offer the most promising prospects for the business and how should we best position ourselves to capture these market opportunities through our activities and relationships.

URBAN CONSUMERS

Urban consumers tend to be more risk taking, more liberal, more tolerant, more experienced, more prone to trying out new products and services, which results in shorter product lifecycles. In emerging markets, these effects tend to be even more pronounced, with new arrivals finding themselves distanced from traditional social and familiar structures, while constantly exposed to a wider range of alternatives. Serving these urban consumers obviously requires brands to tailor products and campaigns for the urban audience. With this in mind it is important to understand customer needs and behavior in order to provide the best offers to the market.

ENVIRONMENT

As we know power consumption in the world long term will increase, there will be an opportunity for alternative sources of energy and also an opportunity to focus on development of products that consume less energy. Lately the discussions have been on how safe nuclear power stations really are and what would be the alternative to nuclear energy. Before there will be any radical change in policies and commercially viable alternatives, the demands on safety and extremely high material and component quality will be significant. This will put demands on component and material manufacturers and this in turn puts high demands on the solution provider.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

It is believed that the increase of greenhouse gases (GHG) is the main reason behind global warming. IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) forecasts that GHG will increase 45-110% by 2030. According to IPCC, the global surface temperature is likely to rise 1.5 to 1.9 °C during the current decade. Our way of living has to change radically if the trend is to be changed. The transportation industry has the biggest influence on GHG emissions. Huge investments and restructuring are needed. The technical solutions today and tomorrow will be alternative materials like composites and

high strength materials in order to save weight and reduce environmental impact. The aerospace industry has already started this journey and automotive is following. The challenges are to find productive solutions that consume less energy, not only at the end customer using the products, but also to be able to show total environmental impact from design to finished product. The materials are getting tougher to machine and the demands on tolerances and products with near net shape constantly challenges tool manufacturers.

AN INTERESTING FUTURE

We are heading into an interesting future: new materials, new ways of designing and manufacturing components, demands on higher productivity, extremely high energy-, and raw material prices. Where does it all end? Where is the limit of machinability? What are the alternatives? There are no clear answers to these questions. However, alternative energy sources, alternative fuels, alternatives to the combustion engine are knocking on the door and will set the world’s future agenda.

ECONOMY

The increase in APT prices (Tungsten powder), that started in 2005, has continued during 2010 and 2011. The price has increased by 330% between 2004 and 2010, while the increase in production is only 10%. This impacts on profitability levels. Due to the expected reduction of imports from China in the coming years, the future gap between global supply and demand of tungsten is expected to increase. Accordingly, APT prices are also expected to increase even further. Given this market situation, the recycling of inserts will become even more important.

ALTERNATIVE POSSIBILITIES

Recycling is of course a very important part of the carbide industry. Therefore it is of importance to find profitable ways to use and reuse existing tungsten carbide. Other alternatives are to find ways of using less tungsten carbide in the cutting process, but also to find new business models that give better opportunities to have better control of the main resources/ raw materials. Even if 100% of all tungsten carbide is recycled, will that be enough for future demands on productivity and environmental impact? What will out-compete carbide usage in machining? Technologies? Use of digital data and CAD/CAM? Digital solutions are entering the metal cutting world. Much of today´s manufacturing is equipped with sensors monitoring movements and activities during the production process. There is a lot of data to interpret and analyze in order to optimize the processes. Several CAM companies are deeply involved in these projects and in how to use digital data in development of CAD/ CAM services to the end customer.

The benefits of using digital data are: optimized processes by simulation and knowledge sharing through networking when making production preparations. This opens up the use of digital products, which now turns into a competitive advantage.

As a result, competence is moving from the shop floor into

66 | MARCH 2013 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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Tool Talk • High strength steels including hardened steels • Higher wear resistance materials • High temperature alloys/materials • Composite materials (metals and non-metals) • Bi-/Tri-metals The challenges for a tooling supplier are many. Tougher materials, demands on productivity and cost reduction, increased environmental regulations, machine design and more all effects development processes in a tooling company. Parallel to the materials development component, development is also evolving. A lot of research is put into finding new ways of forming components, in order to save manufacturing time and reduce the number of manufacturing steps. Different methods are tested in how to produce a finished component. There are techniques like continuous casting, 3-D printing, and direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) as examples.

When these technologies are mature they will influence the whole manufacturing industry, how they look at design of products to what manufacturing technology to use. This will of course affect the tooling industry by opening up new possibilities but it is also a direct threat to the traditional way of machining components. Some products might not need any machining due to these new technologies or just need some finishing. This will radically change the market place for insert usage. As a result it will also change the machine industry. Shorter batch sizes and products that are made in one go in fewer machines will impact on the market. Where will tomorrow’s profitability areas be?

computers. Technicians with both machining competence and CAD/CAM competence will be a critical resource within manufacturing companies. This will be a competitive advantage for those who take control of the “digital world”.

The driving force for this development is the constant chase to increase the productivity. IT-systems and usage of digital data enable this. Increasing productivity means building up processes that can guarantee the running-time of the production equipment. Components are getting more and more advanced, hence it is vital that they are 100% right from the beginning. This leads to new ways of designing and manufacturing components.

An example of this development is what we call “Functional products”, where partners and collaborators take full life cycle responsibility for the customers’ final products. This way of working is somewhat revolutionary, because this means that you have to share ideas, production- and technologyknowledge already during the design of a product to be able to make money on the end products made by the end customers.

Digital data also enables new ways of manufacturing products.

Examples are 3-D printing and direct cast components.

Not everything is about digitalization. In order to deal with the growing demands in increased efficiency in engines, production processes and higher quality demands, material development is one of the major influences in the manufacturing industry.

Products with higher strength, higher finish and tolerances are common in almost every industry. The usage of advanced materials spans from sporting equipment to space shuttles. Examples of materials that have become more common are:

The trend report and accompanying video is available at: www.sandvik.coromant.com/us/lookingahead

THE CUTTING EDGE We use Premium Micro grain solid carbide for longer tool life and increased feeds and speeds.

Tools are stocked uncoated and ALTiN coated.

Designs for threading, grooving, PCD, and CBN-tipped inserts

Solid carbide grooving, boring and threading tools.

Set includes boring bar, 5 inserts, 5 screws, and a torx plus key

Threadmills

Available in coated AlTiN or uncoated sub micrograin carbide

Port tools

Hardened steel head features proprietary mechanical attachment... no annealing from brazing heat Pocket keeps chips away from machined surface Fits into SCI standard QHC coolant tool holders Inserts lapped and ground to fine finish for maximum chip flow Available in right-hand and left-hand versions Bars stocked with or without locating flat...

Low profile screw keeps chips flowing

SCIENTIFIC CUTTING TOOLS, INC. 110 W. Easy Street / Simi Valley, CA 93065 / 800-383-2244 / 805-584-9629 [fax] info@sct-usa.com / www.sct-usa.com www.canadianmetalworking.com | MARCH 2013 | 67

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Tool Talk ELLIOTT MATSUURA ADDS TWO NEW STAFF TO SERVE WESTERN CANADA

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lliott Matsuura Canada has announced that Lindsay Harris has joined the company as the Regional Sales Manager for BC. Harris comes to Elliott with prior machine tool experience having worked at Ellison, and as the owner of Harris Manufacturing Solutions. Harris has provided technical advice to a number of machine shops in the Vancouver area.

Also, Darcy Lytle has joined Elliott Matsuura Canada as

the Regional Sales Manager for Manitoba/Saskatchewan. Lytle has worked for A.W. Miller and for EMEC in the past and has extensive experience in the machine tool industry.

Elliott Matsuura now has four regional sales managers in Western Canada. www.elliottmachinery.com CM

SANDVIK COROMANT LAUNCHES ONLINE DRILLING KNOWLEDGE HUB

S

andvik Coromant has unveiled their Online Drilling Knowledge Hub at www.drillingknowledge.com. The website is designed to optimize the drilling process and customize results for the specific needs of the user.

Because hole-making is such a common metalworking application operators’ productivity and profitability are important to monitor. Sandvik’s new site helps users maximize their productivity to by guiding them through application-specific questions.

The resources on the site include a cost-per-hole calculator and a drilling product selector meant to match appropriate drills to any application. Users can also browse events and training opportunities.

Also, a full drilling resource library acts as a compendium of articles, case studies, webcasts, and videos depicting common drilling obstacles and solutions. CM

HAAS AUTOMA­TION OPEN HOUSE A

s part of the company’s 30th anniversary celebration, Haas Automation, Inc. will host an open house at its headquarters and manufacturing facility in Oxnard, California.

The show, dubbed HaasTec 2013, is scheduled for April 9 through 12, from 8 am to 5 pm daily. It will include machine demos, factory tours, a catered lunch, and more.

Visitors to the show will see the company’s latest CNC technology up close with 19 machines on display, including the new UMC-750 universal machining centre, which is designed for 5-sided (3+2) and full 5-axis machining. There will be guided factory tours to see how Haas machines are built; and representatives from major tooling, workholding, and CAD/CAM manufacturers will be on hand to share their insight and show their products.

There is no cost for the open house, and those interested in registering should visit www.HaasCNC.com and click on the HaasTec 2013 banner. CM 68 | MARCH 2013 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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Tool Talk METHODS MACHINE TOOLS WINS TOP 2012 FEELER SALES AWARD

M

ethods Machine Tools announced they received an award for highest sales of FEELER machines in 2012 at FEELER’S annual awards banquet held in Taichung, Taiwan, where 600 attendees gathered on January 28, 2013.

The award is presented by FEELER to the importer, distributor or agent in the world with the highest annual sales volume. Methods is the first in the U.S. to earn this distinction. Since Methods took on the role of exclusive North American importer for FEELER in April of 2010, nearly 600 machining centres and lathes have been sold across the continent.

“We are pleased to present Methods with the sales award. They have done mplify the programming of complex MTM is viewed as the job dominant

by NC anmachines outstanding oftrend utilizing their GibbsCAM is used to center drill a part on the main spindle while another part is being applications expertise, incredible support he sub-spindle with a tool from the rear gang. team, and knowledgeable sales staff to n standard CMM formats, Trend 10. CAM as a Component of PLM—PLM has emerged help us aggressively penetrate North every machine is avoided. as a broad-based and rapidly growing software the technology automatic feature extracthat now encompasses a number of technologies were American marketplace,” said Mr. that Jimmy tion process based on the once viewed as independent entities, such as CAD, CAM, CAE, Chu, Chairman and CEO of FFG. l to specify the form of PDM, and digital manufacturing. CAM and CAD/CAM are now “Methods Tools or iscomponents honoured es. The CMM program can often considered byMachine users as a component of a machine environment and broader implementation, and this has led to further to earnPLM this award from FEELER,” saiddata machine. integration among PLM components. The major PLM providers Mr. Bryon Deysher, and CEO (Dassault Systèmes, Siemens President PLM Software, and PTC) all offer Simulation—Significant within their Machine PLM environment.

CAM,Inc. CMM,“FEELER and other atCAM Methods Tools, re for machine simulation, factory floor software systems are also to included digital has been a great addition our within product ealistic simulation of manufacturing solutions being used by manufacturing engineers. line, enabling us to offer North American g the machine tool, www.cimdata.com g tools, and stock can be manufacturers a wider selection of precite picture of a machining Jeanné Naysmith is the Manufacturing Practice Manager for PLM sion machining solutions. We look forward provided to verify its research firm, CIMdata, with extensive domestic and international to to build a long, rewarding s, and any discrepancies P&Lcontinuing experience in software and services companies in the ined part are shown. By mechanical computer-aided design (CAD) and CMcomputer-aided relationship with FEELER.”

he designed part, the displayed. Rendering mages of the machined oftware is becoming ath generation software. g increasingly important inists. ollers become more mulation can be performed n occur during actual can be provided to detect ning can be halted.

CAM market continues e with more than 50 rket share, but the herd is such as Cimatron, Delcam, r CAM software companies duct offering, obtain sales distribution network.

manufacturing (CAM) industries.

CM

Our next issue of will feature a cover story on the country's energy and resources sector. We're asking readers to give us their thoughts:

Do you think Canada needs a National Energy Policy?

Visit www.canadianmetalworking.com to let us know your thoughts!

g.com

www.canadianmetalworking.com | MARCH 2013 | 69

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Tool Talk MAZAK CANADA ANNOUNCES NEW “LUNCH AND LEARN” SERIES The free educational sessions will be held throughout the year, and explore process-optimizing technologies for Mazak machines.

TORONTO – Mazak Corporation Canada is hosting their new “Discover More Technology Lunch and Learn Sessions” at their headquarters in Cambridge, Ontario.

The shows will be put on in collaboration with several supplier partners, with the first session taking place on March 1 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. EST. Ray Buxton, general manager of Mazak Corporation Canada says the company is is seeking to provide customers with manufacturing solutions by partnering with cutting tool, work holding and automation companies.

“The objective of our new lunch and learn sessions is to demonstrate process optimization and explore complementary technologies for Mazak equipment,” Buxton said.

At the first session Sandvik Coromant demonstrated how its

Silent Tools can improve productivity and silence vibrations on a Mazak SLANT TURN NEXUS 600 Turning Center with a steady rest as it cut an oilfield-style component.

The following is a schedule of the rest of the company’s series throughout the year: • April 5 – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET Featured Supplier Partner: Renishaw Topic: How and Why to Use Probes in Machining Operations • May 3 – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET Featured Supplier Partner: JMP Engineering Topic: Automation Systems and Machine Tools • May 31 – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET Featured Supplier Partner: Emuge Topic: Threading Operations • Sept. 6 – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET Featured Supplier Partner: Kennametal Topic: Hard Turning and Machining Tough Materials • Nov. 1 – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET Featured Supplier Partner: Sandvik Coromant Topic: Capto Spindle Integration • Nov. 29 – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET Featured Supplier Partner: Seco Tools and Delcam Topic: Strategies for Pocket Milling in Aerospace Applications Each of the sessions will follow the same format, which is: • A presentation from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., • Machining demonstrations from 11:30 a.m. to noon, • A catered lunch served at noon, • A question and answer session from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Manufacturers interested in attending the sessions must register in advance at: www.mazakcanada.com/lnl/ CM

Visit Canadian Metalworking online: www.canadianmetalworking.com follow us on twitter: @CdnMetalworking visit us on facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/ Canadian-Metalworking-Magazine 70 | MARCH 2013 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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Tool Talk FASTEMS FLEXIBLE PALLET CONTAINER FOR LARGE LOAD CAPACITY

F

astems, LLC has announced the addition of the FPC-7500 to its line of “Flexible Pallet Container” type automation systems.

The company’s standard line of FPC’s is a progressive alternative to outdated “pallet pool” technology and provides end users and machine tool builders with a complete FMS installed in a “container”.

Like the FPC-3000, introduced at IMTS 2012, the FPC-7500 is a single-level flexible manufacturing system specifically designed to handle pallets with a large load capacity.

Fastems has replaced the typical crane-style pallet changer with a new, dual-rail guided pallet change vehicle sporting a unique low-profile design. This system accommodates loads up to 7500 kg, heights up to 2300mm and diameters up to 2300mm.

The system comes equipped with the latest Fastems Manufacturing Management System (MMS) Cell Controller. The MMS5 software can extend from a single manufacturing cell to a full featured shop-wide system, integrated with other manufacturing plant software, such as ERP and MRP systems and is fully compatible with MT Connect.

“The immediate success and positive customer feedback we have had with the FPC-3000 also indicated that there was strong demand for a larger pallet size and capacity container” said Richard Bodine, Fastems VP Sales & Marketing.

“We are very excited about the FPC-7500 and believe it fills an important need in the marketplace.”

Fastems, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fastems Oy Ab, in Tampere, Finland.

The company also has its North American headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. www.fastems.com/fpc7500 CM www.canadianmetalworking.com | MARCH 2013 | 71

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METALWORKING VACUUM CLEANERS – ONE TYPE DOES NOT FIT ALL Think vacuum cleaning in the metalworking industry is a no-brainer? Think again ... as the metalworking industry becomes more specialized so does the equipment that cleans it.

By David Kennedy, General Manager, VAC-U-MAX vacuum cleaning division ..............................................................

A

s diverse as the metalworking industry is, it should come as no surprise that there is no single vacuum that does everything within the metals market. Even when separating applications into wet and dry, there is no one vacuum that can handle all the wet, or all the dry. Whether for fluid management, protecting equipment from carbon fiber dust, or in finishing operations, employing the right metalworking vacuum can increase uptime, preserve product quality, enhance plant safety, and extend the lifespan of expensive equipment and materials.

In metalworking facilities it is not uncommon to see general purpose vacuums, like the shop-type wet/dry vacuums found on the shelves at hardware stores, however, they just don’t cut it in the manufacturing arena. Those vacuums tend to be utilized in more of a janitorial sense for picking up small puddles or small debris. The difference is between cleaning out a sump with 50 gallons of oil in less than a minute with an industrial vacuum, or taking four times as long with a shop-type vacuum that will die in short order

because it cannot withstand such tasks day to day.

When looking to clean a machining centre, machine tool or water jet cutter, it is necessary to look at solutions that are much more specialized because vacuums are used day in and day out. Often users know they want something industrial but they don’t know what that is.

To better understand the diversity in metalworking applications and thus vacuum cleaning solutions, it is beneficial to examine some of the most common vacuum types used in the metals industry and regularly encountered debris.

CONTINUOUS DUTY

Continuous duty vacuum cleaners are designed to withstand 24/7 operation and to handle some of the toughest materials including heavy steel shot or mounds of fine powders.

Powerful enough to pick up a bowling ball, portable continuous duty vacuums are available with motors ranging from 5 hp to 30 hp with add-on intercept vessels to expand collection capacity and improve material handling.

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COMBUSTIBLE DUST VACUUMS

Combustible dust vacuums are completely grounded and bonded to meet the NFPA 70 requirements. These vacuums also meet the definition of an “intrinsically-safe system”. Although some combustible dust vacuums are available with electric motors, air-powered vacuums do not use electricity and do not generate any heat from operation. Combustible dusts in a metalworking environment include powder coatings, aluminum, and magnesium dust.

STATIONARY VACUUMS

Stationary vacuum cleaning systems eliminate the need for chip carts and manual emptying, allowing operators to clean workpiece holders, parts carriers and T-slots quickly. One common stationary system consists of a vacuum pump and specialized receiver to collect chips and discharge them into a floor-level or below-grade chip conveyor for disposal, totally eliminating the need to empty a collection drum or hopper which enables operators to focus on making more parts. Another type of stationary vacuum system automatically collect chips

mechanism outside the drum, allows the drum to fill to 99 per cent its volume. Tank kits are well suited to clean out parts washers.

The range of industrial vacuums available for specific metalworking applications and debris, coupled with tools and accessories tailored to application needs, have advanced the equipment beyond general housekeeping and safety uses, and into production tools that increase uptime and improve product quality. Following is a list of common debris encountered in the metalworking industry and industrial vacuums types suited to tackling them.

COOLANTS

For vacuuming coolants and chips away from a machining centre, specialized liquid recovery vacuums, equipped with chip baskets and liners, preserve the integrity of the coolant and permit recovered fluids to be pumped back into the system. Use of these vacuums reduces the amount of accumulation of chips and fines in the sump reducing bacterial and fungal growth, thus keeping workers safer.

These systems are also ideal for larger metalworking jobs, such as high-speed milling of aircraft wings, where fluid must be removed from cavities in order to take precision measurements.

SLUDGE & SWARF

Dust and dirt around electric motors is a definite fire hazard.

from individual machine tools that are equipped with drag or screw conveyors, and delivers the chips to a central location.

This eliminates the need for chip carts and manual emptying.

METALWORKING LIQUID RECOVERY VACUUMS

Sometimes called “pump-in, pump-out vacuums”, metalworking liquid recovery vacuums pick up liquids at 4 litres per second.

In addition to the ability to pick up 100 per cent liquids, these vacuums also recover liquids with solid particles, such as chips, and are equipped with a lever that converts the unit from vacuum mode to pump-out mode to discharge filtered liquids from the drum at a controlled rate.

INDUSTRIAL WET/DRY VACUUM

Intended more for one way vacuuming of metalworking liquids and debris, wet and dry, these multi-purpose vacuums outperform vacuums found at home improvement stores and janitorial catalogues.

TANK KIT VACUUMS

Tank kit vacuums are air-powered liquid recovery vacuums designed to handle materials that are more viscous and can be used with closed top drums. Placement of the vacuum

Removal of sludge from sump pits and water jet cutting tables is another common application for vacuums in the metalworking industry.

This sand-like semi-solid material forms when residual particulates and chips settle in the bottom of a sump. This sludge is an ideal breeding ground for harmful bacteria and fungus that endangers workers’ health, shortens the life of metalworking fluids, interferes with machine function and can eventually plug fluid lines. According to tool manufacturers, dirty machine coolant can cause a loss of as much as 10 per cent of the cost of tools each year.

Some shops still clean sump pits manually. Because this is a nasty job, sometimes pits don’t get cleaned as often as they should causing unnecessary wear on machinery and extended periods of downtime during sludge removal. Using a continuous duty vacuum that facilitates high volume recovery of up to five tonnes per hour, not only reduces the downtime necessary to remove sludge, but also protects workers from ergonomic issues associated with shoveling masses of sludge.

Metallic filings or shavings removed by cutting or grinding tools should be cleaned with an industrial wet/dry vacuum. In addition, vacuums are utilized to suck swarf from trays and dump it into briquetting machines.

CHIPS

In wet cutting, chip baskets in liquid recovery vacuums capture and separate chips from metalworking fluids. In dry cutting, dry vacuums are used to remove debris from machine centres.

Abrasion-resistant hoses are important when vacuuming chips.

TURNINGS

Turnings, the longer byproducts of lathe machines, can clog vacuum hoses and therefore are not a good candidate for industrial vacuuming.

PUNCH-OUTS

Waste metal formed by punching holes in sheets can be collected with dry vacuums and nozzles or with high volume continuous duty vacuum systems that suck the punches from trays or pick up points on a continuous basis and dump them into collection containers. www.canadianmetalworking.com | MARCH 2013 | 73

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META MET ME TAManufacturing LMANUFACTURING LWORKING WORKING&& W PrODuctiOn PRODUCTION Expo EXPO

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May 7, 2013

Coquitlam, British Columbia

A one day table-top show targeted to the manufacturing & production audience in the greater Vancouver market. n Meet face-to face with knowledgeable product and application engineers n Get hands-on experience with the latest products and solutions on display n Learn about processes in industries including automotive, aerospace, energy and resources, medical, transportation and tool-die moldmaking.

FEAturEd produCtS And tEChnoLogiES inCLudE: the latest machine tools, cutting tools, software applications, automotive, fabricating and welding technologies, And MorE! SponSorEd BY:

AdMiSSion iS FrEE Register to attend at: mmpshow.com Registration also grants you access to Design Engineering Expo.

Two great shows under one roof!

Presented By:

cmw mar 2013 Vacuum p 72-75.indd 74

PrODuctiOn PRODUCTION Expo EXPO

LiMitEd ExhiBit SpACE AVAiLABLE Business Information Group

Leading the Way Since 1905 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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tel: (416) 510-5225 info@CanadianMetalworking.com www.canadianmetalworking.com

13-03-06 11:11 AM

Heavy particulates need large, powerful units for effective cleaning.

MILL SCALE

The flaky surface of hot rolled steel when scattered about, is effortlessly picked up with a dry vacuum, but when in piles, a heavy duty continuous duty vacuum is better equipped for the job.

SLAG

These granular or irregular shaped abrasive chunks, a byproduct of submerged arc welding, generally need a heavy-duty continuous duty solution. It is fairly common to automate the process of removing slag with a vacuum cleaner.

FLUX

This fine powder is a source for fugitive dust that comes from large scale automated welding processes and needs a dry vacuum for fine powders. With specialized vacuum accessories, flux powder is recovered and reused.

GRINDINGS

The debris from manual grinding metals is difficult to capture and becomes a fugitive dust problem. Depending on the material, dry vacuums are sufficient to clean up grindings at the end of the shift.

However, as materials dictate, a combustible dust vacuum may be necessary to remove grindings immediately.

SHOT-BLAST MEDIA

Shot peening and abrasive blasting are slip hazards and ergonomic issues. If machines leak or the media lodges in parts and falls out in the plant, it is like walking on ice, and because the material is heavy, manual cleaning methods carry the risk of back injury. Continuous duty heavy-duty vacuums, capable of generating 12”Hg, are necessary for cleaning this media. VAC-UMAX actually produces a vacuum cleaning solution to suck the

media into a collection vessel and then deposits the media back in the blast machine for reuse, without operator handling.

ABRASIVE MEDIA (DRY)

Non-destructive abrasive media like corn starch, walnut shell products and plastic grit are combustible dust hazards and require vacuums designed for use in Class 2 Div II areas. The dust may also contain hazardous materials such as cadmium or silica requiring the use of a Hepa-filtered vacuum.

ABRASIVE MEDIA (WET)

Abrasive Flow Machining (AFM) media has viscoelastic or rubber-like properties. A heavy-duty vacuum eliminates the need to shovel the media as well as collecting the media for reuse.

CARBON FIBER

Dust created from machining carbon fiber is fine, slippery and conductive. It can be harmful to electronics and can create slippery conditions thus requiring frequent vacuuming. The best vacuum for cleaning carbon fiber dust would be a grounded and bonded air powered with a high-efficiency static-conductive filter and provision to collect the debris in a polybag liner.

There is no single industrial vacuum that does everything in the metals industry, but there are vacuum cleaning solutions appropriate for nearly every application. Consulting with an industrial vacuum specialist about machine centre needs will lead to ideal solutions to increase uptime, create a healthier workplace and preserve expensive equipment and materials.

For more information about industrial metalworking vacuums or industrial combustible dust vacuums visit www.vac-u-max.com. CM www.canadianmetalworking.com | MARCH 2013 | 75

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New high-pressure turning inserts have been developed to “collect” the coolant-jets to form an even more effective fluid-wedge. The MMCand SMC-type inserts have improved the effect of the coolant jets and eliminated some of the shortcoming experienced with the conventionalgeometry of turning inserts. Very positive effect on tool-life as well as chip control has been experienced when turning stainless steel, superalloys and steel.

NEW TURNING INSERT DEVELOPMENT OPTIMIZES USE OF HIGH-PRESSURE COOLANTS

With the widespread availability of high-pressure coolants in today’s CNC-machines, putting new coolant-jet technolgy to use is an easy step to achieve several benefits. New, dedicated turning inserts should be part of the set-up as they make the most of the process.

By Christian Richt, Sandvik Coromant ......................................................................................................................

M

ost machines have a supply of coolant at some pressure, or can have it added easily, which means that there is a potential for better machining available.

In fact, some 25 per cent of today’s lathes/turning centres have coolant pressures of 70 bar while 80 per cent of top-end machines have this facility. Half of all turning machines have at least 12 bar. And there is a clear trend for pressure-levels to rise. Pressure-coolant technology is now also available with the most common type of tools: shank-type holders, and these can now cope with very high pressures as well as to make use of any available low coolant pressures, even down to about 5 bar. But it is — above all — the ability to reap the benefits of coolant pressures from 30 to 70 bars that the new technology is interesting for the majority of machine shops - and where new turning inserts come into the picture.

Modern high-pressure (HP) coolant technology involves a strategically-directed laminar coolant-jet in the chip-formation process. This is not as dramatic, complex, and specialized process as its name and reputation make it out to be, and its application has never been as straightforward and simple as it is today. Nor has it brought so many benefits.

Creating an even more effective hydraulic wedge through the combination of high-pressure-coolant nozzle technology and dedicated turning inserts has proven to be especially advantageous in turning. New inserts, dedicated to high-pressure-coolant turning utilizes more fully what the process has to offer.

GO WITH THE FLOW

In the absolute majority of cases, this is a technology that is achieved with standard tooling that can be part of the original machine equipment or be easily retro-fitted. There is a clear trend towards the use of HP-coolant, with a five-fold increase

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over the past five years. The scale of coolant pressure that today has some effect on machining is wide, ranging from 5 to 295 bars. It started out as problem-solver for superalloy turning, with a focus on chip control. Today, however, with steel, and stainless steel being part of the area, tool-life has also emerged as a major benefit from HP-coolant application.

The speed and size (flow) of the jet has a direct effect on chip formation, with today’s HP-technology now going a step further.

A new dedicated insert-geometry assists the jets in targeting the right spot, in a more concentrated way. In some cases, the use of HP-coolant jets in combination with some conventional insert-geometries meant a shorter tool-life. The new inserts have solved this problem and considerably improved performance.

New turning inserts for use in machining with HP-coolant have a geometry designed to work with the laminar jets. This gets the most out of the effect of coolant penetrating the cutting zone between material and cutting edge. With coolant pressures of 30 bars and above (with an optimum effect at 70 bars), an effect in high-pressure coolant turning not experienced before takes place, using the combination of nozzle technology, and the MMC- and SMC-type turning inserts.

These inserts have been developed to “collect” the coolantjets to form an even more effective fluid-wedge. This has proved to have a very positive effect on tool-life as well as chip control when turning stainless steel and superalloys (and some steels). The actual chip formation is performed entirely by the HP-coolant jets.

HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY, LONGER TOOL LIFE

The chipbreaker-geometry on the dedicated inserts has been designed with an edge rounding that gives equally good performance for medium and finish turning. In this way, the new inserts overcome the previous limiting effect that could be experienced when applying high-pressure coolant with inserts designed for a conventional flow of coolant or dry machining.

The dedicated inserts are also optimized for use in the range of HP-toolholders with internal coolant supply available for different machines.

Turning with high-pressure-coolant can be introduced to many and varying applications and for turning various materials where the benefits really matter.

New nozzle technology for producing effective jets and inserts with geometries dedicated to the application are part of both standard shank tools as well as modular tool holders such as the Coromant Capto.

Coolant that is forced into the cutting zone, transporting heat away. But coolant at low-pressure (from 5 bar) does not penetrate the barrier to the same extent as at high pressure ( 70 bar or more) to have a more profound effect on the cutting action and chip control. The low coolant pressure only helps to stabilize the component temperature. The high pressure coolant, not only leads to longer tool-life and a higher cutting data potential but also improved part-quality control and better chip control, resulting in more productive machining.

Optimization with the combined technologies of HP-coolant turning leads to higher productivity, longer tool-life, improved chip control and more consistent component quality. In one typical case of turning stainless steel, the first step was to raise the coolant pressure in the machine to 70 bar and then introduce HP-coolant nozzles on the tools and then the dedicated HP-coolant turning inserts. This led to the tool-life being doubled and chips changing from long, badly-managed spirals to short comma-formed chips. With the cutting data already being high for the type of material being machined, the main problems of the operation were eliminated.

In another operation, in a machine where coolant pressure was limited to 32 bars, turning stainless with regular MR-geometry inserts provided a tool-life of 55 minutes.

Changing to the MMC-type insert for turning with HP-coolant increased the tool-life by 46 per cent.

MULTIPLE BENEFITS

Today’s turning with HP-coolant, using standard tools, utilizes researched nozzle technology that is based on decades of HP-coolant experience. It is the precision and design of the jets these nozzles produce that make the difference. Fixed, pre-directed, high-precison nozzles mounted on the tool direct the jets at the right angles into the cutting zone of the new, dedicated inserts. No setting with trial-runs are needed, performance and security is built in, with only normal tool maintenance needed.

The coolant facility in a machine is a potential for improved productivity where the benefits are direct and achievable with very modest added investments. Verified tests and applications show that cutting speeds in demanding materials can often be increased by 20 per cent. Tool-life can in many applications be increased by 50 per cent or more — especially when using 70 bar coolant pressure. In addition, chip-control improvement eliminates a lot problems — from the machining zone to the chip conveyor.

Applying coolant at high-pressure, using the combined latest technologies for turning, can provide some major benefits in manufacturing : — shorter machining times, — fewer machine stoppages, — more stable machining process — better component quality, — higher machining security. CM www.canadianmetalworking.com | MARCH 2013 | 77

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New products and major changes for some of the industry heavyweights for 2013

By Nate Hendley ..................................................................................................................................................

D

ale Hill, applications engineer, technical service at Greenleaf Corporation, has some straight-forward advice on getting the most out of his company’s turning inserts.

“It’s all about selecting the right tool grade for the job and then maximizing speed, feed and depth of cut. Nothing new here!” says Hill, whose company is based in Saegertown, Pennsylvania.

In terms of plant floor trends, industry pundits point to a spirit of experimentation and a move towards cutting at higher speeds.

“Shops are more willing to experiment with things … seems

photo courtesy Sandvik Corporation

The World Keeps Turning like there’s more willingness to try different approaches and different cutting materials to try and address their productivity,” says Kurt Ludeking, product manager for turning products, Walter USA, based in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

Machinists are trying to get “the shortest cycle time by cutting at high SFM ... the industry is also looking at PCD to machine titanium (a popular aerospace material) at high SFM,” adds Atul Sharma, technical specialist for Seco Tools Canada, a Clifford, Ontario-based branch of the Swedish tool giant.

Here’s a look at what’s new and noteworthy in turning inserts:

ISCAR

“For 2013, we’re releasing a lot of new products for turning applications ... we’ve separated our turning inserts into key categories — you have your carbon and alloy steels, you have your stainless steels, you have high-temp alloys. These are the big areas we’re focused on,” says Steve Geisel, senior product manager at Iscar Canada, based in Oakville, Ontario.

This isn’t company hype: headquartered in Israel, tool firm Iscar is releasing a slew of new turning inserts and grades.

New releases include M3M, a turning insert for medium machining of stainless steels, inserts for steel (called the F3P, M3P and R3P), three brand new grades for stainless steel (6015, 6025 and 6035), and revamped grades for carbon and alloy steel (8150, 8250 and 8350). On top of all this, Iscar also has a brand new grade for high-temperature alloys (IC806), a new ceramic insert (IS6) and a line of 5000 series coatings (grades 5005 and 5010).

The IC806 grade, which Geisel describes as “the ultimate for machining Inconel” can run at spindle speeds up to 240 SFM and boosts tool life.

The stainless steel 6000 series coatings can handle spindle speeds of 600 – 1000 SFM, thus “drastically reducing how long it’s going to take to machine your workpiece and how much it cost to machine your workpiece,” he notes.

According to Geisel, the IS6 ceramic insert is ideal for “machining cast iron.”

“We’re also coming out with whole new CBN lines to specifically target hardened materials such as hardened stainless, hardened carbon and alloy steels, hardened high-temp alloys,” he adds. www.iscar.ca 78 | MARCH 2013 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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WALTER USA

photo courtesy Sandvik Corporation

Walter USA — a branch of a German parent company — has just released four new insert geometries for its Tiger-tec Silver family. The geometries — MP5 for medium machining, MP3 for low carbon steels, FP5 for finishing and RP5 for roughing — are designed to boost productivity and reliability in steel turning applications.

MP5 is “the general purpose medium machining geometry … this one has new chip breaker features near the nose of the insert that provide excellent chip control at low feed rates,” says Ludeking.

MP5 maintains strength in both continuous and interrupted cutting even at high depth of cut and feed rate, he adds.

Ludeking describes MP3 as “a unique geometry for long chipping alloys … the bullet design and relatively tight chip

groove works to force the chip to fold in two directions causing it to break much more quickly … this really gives you excellent chip control where it was nearly impossible before.”

MP3 “was first designed as a geometry for titanium, which is notably tough to break chips … we tried it on some steel and found, ‘Wow! This works great!’ … we tweaked it a bit towards steel, but the basic design came out of titanium development,” he explains.

The FP5, meanwhile, has a double V chip breaker, which gives reliable chip control during turning operations from a 0.008-inch depth of cut.

The RP5 geometry has a high depth of cut and feed rate, and an open, deep and wide chip breaker groove. www.walter-tools.com/us

GREENLEAF

“Greenleaf has not developed any new insert styles (geometries, shapes, etc) but continues to develop new grades, both in carbide and ceramic technologies. Recently, Greenleaf introduced new carbide grades,” says Hill.

“Carbide grade G-5135 was developed for the heavy turning of forged steels and ductile/nodular irons at moderate cutting speeds ... carbide grade G-9230 was developed for medium to heavy turning and milling on exotic alloys like HSRA’s, stainless steels and the like,” says Hill.

“Greenleaf’s long running whisker reinforced ceramic WG-300 saw two new coated whisker reinforced grades join its ranks …

Grade WG-600 was introduced several years ago and is being quickly accepted. The grade is capable of a 20 to 30 per cent speed increase and in most applications, a tool life increase of two times or more compared to uncoated whiskered ceramics,” he states.

“Last year saw the introduction of WG-700 whisker reinforced ceramic ... WG-700 boasts a newly optimized ceramic whisker substrate that delivers much improved toughness, making it better suited to heavier depths of cut, resistance to interruptions and heavily scaled surfaces. In addition, WG-700 is further enhanced by the addition of a proprietary coating, engineered to provide lubricity in high heat environments, allowing for improved chip flow,” Hill continues.

According to Hill, the development of coated ceramic grades has allowed Greenleaf to branch out “from our traditional machining markets like HSRA alloys (aerospace) and hardened materials (steels and irons) into more mainstream markets. R&D efforts are focusing on the development of better chip control for ceramic tools. Once accomplished, it is anticipated that our ceramic products will begin to displace carbide tools in the general machine shop environment, especially considering the continuing escalation in carbide pricing.” www.greenleafcorporation.com

www.canadianmetalworking.com | MARCH 2013 | 79

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INGERSOLL

Ingersoll of Rockford, Illinois has released Black-Rush, a new series of cast iron ISO turning grades.

The TT7005 and TT7015 Black-Rush grades are CVD-coated and boast a stable substrate, strengthened coating layer and special post-coat treatment, designed to maximize chipping resistance.

“With respect to performance, the Black-Rush grades are particularly effective in nodular cast iron applications. In this material most coated carbide inserts experience fast de-bonding between each coating layer and/or between the coating layer and the insert substrate,” says Ed Woksa, marketing manager for turning and holemaking at Ingersoll.

“We have found that Black-Rush grades TT7005 and TT7015 provide [a strong] bond between the substrate and the multiple coating layers, thus greatly reducing chipping and de-bonding of the coating. In addition, a specially developed Al203 coating layer provides maximum hardness while simultaneously adding toughness and thermal stability. These properties play a role in preventing mechanical shock and heat-related wear characteristics at high speeds ... the post-coat surface treatment technology eliminates surface irregularities on the insert, resulting in more reliability, consistency and extended tool life,” adds Woksa. www.ingersoll-imc.com

TUNGALOY

In April, 2012, Tungaloy of Japan introduced new chipbreakers for its T9100 series of CVD coated turning inserts.

New chip-breakers added to the T9100 series extend across the complete turning range. For finishing, Tungaloy introduced NS & TS chip-breakers to complement the existing ZF and AFW types. For high-feed machining of steel at small depths of cut, Tungaloy introduced the AS chip-breaker to complement existing ASW wiper inserts. For heavy cutting of steel with a fluctuating depth of cut in medium to heavy turning, Tungaloy offers the THS chipbreaker.

Tungaloy has also released new ‘all-round’ DM and S type chipbreakers. ‘All-round’ chip-breakers can reliably support both continuous and interrupted machining. The DM chip-breaker has excellent fracture resistance while the S chip-breaker boasts a sharp cutting edge and simple design for premium chip control and increased productivity.

The T9100 series of turning inserts includes grades T9105, T9115, T9125 and T9135. www.tungaloy.co.jp/us/

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WIDIA

Widia of Latrobe, Pennsylvania recently launched the Victory line of high-performance turning grades.

The series includes 10 different grades and 14 different geometries, including five new chipbreaker designs. Victory inserts feature coating technology that boosts wear resistance and allows for high-speed feed capabilities. An additional postcoat treatment increases cutting-edge toughness in order to lower the depth of cut notching and lengthen tool life.

Widia says the new Victory turning grades will increase productivity, improve surface finish and extend tool life across steel, stainless steel, cast irons and speciality alloys. www.widia.com

Full Grip Jaws • Aluminum, Steel, or Cast Iron - diameter size range from 6-inch to 36-inch • Jaw heights range: 2-inch, 4-inch, and 6-inch • Close tolerances and concentricity easily maintained.

• Allows for complete gripping of the work piece

SECO

Seco has been having “huge success” with its Duratomic grade TGP25 for turn groove applications, says Sharma.

When run in combination with Seco’s patented Jetstream tool holder, the TGP25 grade outperforms competition “by more than 60 percent in terms of tool life and productivity,” boasts Sharma.

Intended for steel machining, TGP25 can also be used in cast iron and stainless steel.

Duratomic is a new insert coating technology “that allows tailored design of the grade for optimal performance in every area of metal cutting” and improved wear resistance, flexibility in cutting data and versatility, says Seco literature.

“Shops can reduce their cycle time significantly by using TGP25. It can cut at high SFM, 30 per cent over conventional grades. Using a Jetstream [tool holder], we can run 50 per cent higher SFM, achieving better productivity, surface finish and tool life,” states Sharma.

Seco also recently released Duratomic grades TK2001 and TK1001 for cast iron. www.secotools.com/ca CM

• Special oversized jaws available • Excellent for gripping thin-walled parts without distortion • Machine and tool life extended due to lighter weight jaws, reducing mechanical stress.

• Made in the USA

ISO 9000 Certied QMS

DillonManufacturing, Inc. Peter Seessle | Expertech Dist. & Tech. Inc. 44 Goodfellow Crest | Bolton, Ontario Phone: 647-960-4478 | Email: peteseessle@rodgers.com www.canadianmetalworking.com | MARCH 2013 | 81

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A laser beam melts a metal powder and a shallow surface layer of metal substrate into a melt pool, creating a strong metallurgical bond, essentially alloying the two metals at the interface.

LAYERED

BY LASER

Laser Metal Deposition casts metal surface treatment in a new light 82 | MARCH 2013 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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E

lectric arc welding and plasma spray techniques have been used for years for hard surfacing and to build up worn shafts and housings on machine parts, but modern laser technology has added a new twist to the process of

adding layers to a metal substrate. Trumpf has done extensive research on the technology and has developed equipment capable of very precise control of the process.

WHY LASER METAL DEPOSITION?

Laser Metal deposition has several useful applications: • Improved wear resistance • Improved corrosion resistance • Cost reduction through lower priced substrates and high performance coatings • Ability to repair and surface modify damaged parts

ADVANTAGES:

• Reduced thermal load and part distortion • Precise process control • High powder efficiency • Near net shape processing

WHAT CAN YOU DEPOSIT WITH THE TECHNOLOGY? • Many useful, high performance coatings • Anti-corrosion • Austenitic steels • Nickel alloys such as NiCr, NiCrMo

WEAR REDUCTION: This Trumpf Technology Package interfaces with Trumpf lasers to create a complete LMD system

• Martensitic steels • Nickel alloys such as NiCrBSi

84 | MARCH 2013 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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Cutting blades are a natural application for LMD technology, replacing flame techniques and increasing the blade’s operating life

LMD technology isn’t restricted to surface modification; 3-D structures can be built

• Cobalt alloys such as Stellite • Carbides, such as WC and TiC

energy and petrochemical sectors. Medical instruments and aircraft turbine blades are also candidates for the process.

There’s a lot more to report on Laser Metal Deposition…watch Canadian Metalworking for ongoing coverage of this emerging technology. www.trumpf.com CM

Obviously, the ability to precisely apply a hard wearing, corrosion resistant surface on a low cost metallic substrate has multiple applications. Agriculture and construction equipment as well as the automotive industries can benefit, as can the

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Page 1

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www.canadianmetalworking.com | MARCH 2013 | 85

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Buying Certainty 86 | MARCH 2013 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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In-house or outsourced, quality assurance begins with accuracy, plus precision

By Jim Anderton, Editor ..........................................................................................................................................

T

here’s no doubt about it: if you measure something, there’s Remember the golf balls; there’s always uncertainty in the doubt. That uncertainty, which is part of any measured measurement, so which ball represents the true distance to the quantity, from the wavelength of light to a pint of beer, hole? It’s the same for any measured quantity in metalworking, is inherent. If you can’t see it then your measuring instrument simply can’t resolve it. That can actually be a good thing; part of successful metrology is knowing which instrument is the right tool for the job. Even that knowledge however, requires a basic understanding of uncertainty.

Measure the length of 100 pins with a steel rule and chances are they will report as having the same length. Use a micrometer or CMM however and the measurements are likely to be different. So how long is the pin? An average is guaranteed to accurately represent the length of at most one of the pins. The average, plus or minus the difference between the average length and the longest and shortest pins, is better. Better still is an error term that’s an average of the difference of each of the pins from the average, which is the classic standard deviation so familiar to statisticians and scientists everywhere.

The beauty of statistical techniques is that by increasing the number of measurements, (a term universally called “n” in the mathematics), we increase the certainty that the standard deviation is a true picture of the quantity you’re trying to measure. Just like a public opinion poll, the more measurements the merrier.

On the surface this would suggest that to get better accuracy, you simply need to take more measurements. “Accuracy” is the key word here. Strictly speaking, accuracy is a measure of how close a measurement is to a known or desired value. If you’re on the driving range with your pitching wedge, 50 yards from the green, it’s easy: the centre of the hole is the desired target and you can measure Let our measurement experts help you adjust your fixture to meet spec. how far the ball is from it readily. To get a true measure of your performance, however, you would hit many balls. A widely scattered group all around the cup may have an average position that’s very close to the flag, but with lots of uncertainty because of the scatter of the shots.

On average, they ‘re close to the centre, so it’s possible to call the process “accurate”.

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“T he terms “accuracy” and

“precision” are used so loosely in most shops that they’re commonly considered to be the same.

”

from part weight to bore diameter. The more important quantity, from a production standpoint, is precision. The terms accuracy and precision are used so loosely in most shops, it’s commonly accepted that they mean the same thing. Precision is another word for repeatability, the ability of many measurements to be very close to every other. A high precision process doesn’t have to be accurate. A tightly spaced group of golf balls all below and to the left of the hole is a high precision outcome. They’re all misses, but the process is repeatable with each shot landing very close to the others. Compared to the scattered balls all over the green, guess which of the two outcomes is easier to correct? Clearly, the consistent, repeatable, precise golfer only needs to aim up and to the right to be nearly perfect. The golfer with the widely scattered shots may be missing for a number of reasons, which the average golfer will tell you are difficult to track down.

A major reason why it’s so tough to fix the scattered shotmaking is that there may be several causes for the missed shots, and even combinations of causes interacting with each other.

The tightly grouped, precise golfer can correct his problem easily, without outside help. The imprecise duffer needs lessons from a pro.

It’s exactly the same with any measured quantity in our industry. Chances are the customer has a print spec for every measured quantity, and if the production run is significant you’re likely using a Statistical Process Control system to

monitor quality. SPC and its derivatives are the backbone of mass production, but at the core, use the same deviation from the average measurement strategy of the pin length example above. Upper and lower control limits are a sure indicator of precision, which is useful, but accuracy is still important. Why? Because it’s very possible to have very tight control limits and produce out-of-tolerance parts. Like the golfer, just because you can do something consistently doesn’t mean you are doing it correctly. Also like the golfer however, a well-controlled process is much easier to get back into tolerance, since the tight limits of a capable process have few if any random error sources. There are simply fewer possible issues to track down.

From a cost perspective, great quality doesn’t always flow only from an accurate, precise process. If the part requires multiple forming or machining steps, it may be cost effective to use a downstream stage to correct out-of tolerance parts produced upstream. For example, a low capability stamping press might be acceptable if a coining station is an easy add-on to a “second op” or progressive die. Similarly, a roughing machining operation that’s very precise may reduce secondary machining or honing time, but what if that precision requires half a million dollars of upgrade to the roughing process? The key point is, that the goal is good parts at the customer’s door how you manufacture them is up to you. The lowest cost, most productive method can only be found if you know the difference between accuracy and precision. CM

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By The NUMBERS GLOBAL MACHINE TOOL INDUSTRY SIGNALS RECOVERY A ccording to the World Machine Tool Output and Consumption Survey conducted by U.S.-based Gardiner Business Media, 2012 saw global machine tool manufacturers leveling off their output, which was down 1% compared to 2011, a major improvement over the 30-plus percent fall from 2009. The survey shows that in 2012 a total of $93.2-billion dollars’ worth of machine tools was produced globally, down slightly from the $94.3-billion in shipments from those same 28 countries in 2011. The total in 2010 was $68.8-billion, the start of the recovery from 2009 when output had crashed to $56.0-billion. China showed a slight decline in output but remains by far the largest supplier. China has been the world’s biggest consumer of factory equipment since 2002, heavily relying on imports; in recent years its domestic machine-

producing industry has steadily expanded to fill that local demand. Japan ranks second with no change in the amount produced from the year before, and it is followed by Germany, which saw an export-driven gain. The output from those top three account for 64% of 2012’s total shipments measured in the World Machine Tool Output and Consumption Survey.

On the consumption side, China’s appetite for machine tools continues to make it the largest consumer, with $38.5-billion worth of equipment installed in 2012, a 1% decrease from 2011. Moving up to second place by virtue of gains in imports and in local production is the United States, which saw installations increase 19%. The next countries on the purchasers list, Japan and Germany, had virtually no change in their consumption last year.

MAJOR PURCHASERS MACHINE TOOL CONSUMPTION, $US-MILLIONS

1.

China 2.

United States 3. Japan 4. Germany 5.

South Korea 6. India 7. Italy 8. Brazil 9. Taiwan 10. Mexico

2012 (est.)

2011 (rev.)

$38,510.0 8,722.5 7,462.8 6,400.2 4,646.0 2,286.0 2,172.0 1,867.2 1,844.0 1,360.9

$39,090.0 7,321.3 7,417.7 6,901.8 5,244.0 2,556.4 2,762.9 2,385.7 1,989.0 1,360.9

Source: Gardner Business Media, Inc. www.gardinerweb.com Apparent Consumption = Domestic Production, Plus Imports, Less Exports

TOP PRODUCERS MACHINE TOOL SHIPMENTS, $US-MILLIONS

1.

China 2. Japan 3. Germany 4.

South Korea 5. Italy 6. Taiwan 7.

United States 8. Switzerland 9. Spain 10. Austria

2012 (est.)

2011 (rev.)

$27,540.0 18,252.9 13,622.9 5,705.0 5,667.7 5,430.0 4,983.2 3,199.3 1,060.3 1,032.0

$28,270.0 18,326.6 13,373.7 5,754.0 5,912.6 5,160.0 4,676.7 3,607.0 1,072.6 971.1

Source: Gardner Business Media, Inc. www.gardinerweb.com

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