Canadian Metalworking Magazine May 2014

May 2014 • www.canadianmetalworking.com

Serving the Canadian Metalworking Industry Since 1905

SUPPLY, MEET DEMAND Three major pipeline projects will move western petroleum

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INNOVATION ENDURANCE PERFORMANCE

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A LOOK INSIDE Vol. 109 | No. 4 | May 2014 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

COVER STORY SUPPLY, MEET DEMAND Three pipeline projects to move Western oil and gas.................................................. 30

FEATURES SKILLS TRAINING PROFILE............................................... 27 George Brown College, Toronto, Ontario

27

BETTER TIMES AHEAD..................................................... 36 Manufacturing grows in the West

ACCURACY, WITH HEAT.................................................... 40 Precise, new generation plasma cutting

STAMPING WITHOUT SPRING BACK................................ 44 HSS performance in automotive sheet

PIPE WELDING: ANYWHERE, ANYTIME............................ 52

36

Efficiency in the field

DONE-IN-ONE................................................................... 56 Hartzell Propeller makes a most critical aircraft assembly “A LOOK INSIDE”, continues on page 8

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52 44

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Amada_5-2

FEATURES cont’d 60

WORKIN’ IT........................................................................ 60 What’s new in workholding products

TAP DANCE....................................................................... 64 Multiple threading options for speed and precision

WHY CUTTING SHOULD BE WET..................................... 68 Power equals versatility in waterjet cutting

APPROACHING PERFECTION............................................ 72 Control charts are a basic, robust core of SPC

CHOOSING COATING ABRASIVES.................................... 84 Get the right grit

64

SIX SIGMA: 3.4 Defects

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72

per Million

68.26%

95.96% -6σ

-3σ

99.73% -2σ

-1σ

1σ

2σ

3σ

6σ

84

99.99966%

DEPARTMENTS

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View From the Floor..........................................................10

Fabricating & Welding News.............................................48

News.................................................................................12

The Business of Tooling....................................................78

Business of Welding..........................................................25

Tool Talk.............................................................................80

Ken Hurwitz on Finance....................................................29

By The Numbers................................................................98

Earlier this year Canadian Metalworking partnered with Makino to launch a new section on our website called the “Productivity Centre”. The goal of the new addition is to give our readers a place where they can find stories and case studies about shop owners who are finding new and unique ways to improve their business. Visit us online at: www.canadianmetalworking.com to find out more, or subscribe to our weekly Machine Shop newsletter to keep up to date with the new stories and videos as they appear!

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no

If you have a question or a comment about our website or the new Productivity Centre, feel free to send me an email at nhealey@ canadianmetalworking.com. I’d love to hear from you!

And don’t forget to follow along and engage with us on social media – look for us on Twitter, Google+, and Facebook!

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Gaston Côté, Director of Sales & Marketing Nancy Côté, Administrative Manager and Stéphane Côté, General Manager

“Leading-edge technology, combined with unmatched service and support are the reasons we chose Amada.”

— Stéphane Côté General Manager Groupe Côté Inox

“It’s The World’s Fastest, Most Productive Fiber Laser.”

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Groupe Côté Inox, with its two divisions, Côté Équipements and Côté Métal, is the most versatile company of its kind in the Québec metal processing industry.

Since 1977, this family-owned business has provided full service sheet metal fabrication as well as design, manufacturing and installation of finished and readyto-use food processing equipment parts. Faced with equipment that could no longer keep pace with everincreasing demands for speed and precision, the company turned to Amada for the optimal solution.

Stéphane Côté, General Manager, reflects on their recent purchase, “Our decision to buy Amada’s Fiber Laser allowed us to regain our competitive edge and to once again provide our thin metal industry customers the superior quality they have come to expect. Furthermore, with the addition of automation on the FOL 3015 AJ, the entire system is now autonomous, it loads raw material and unloads finished parts.”

An 8-station changer automatically changes, cleans and calibrates the nozzle based on material processing requirements.

With all three axes driven by linear drives, Amada’s FOL AJ delivers rapid traverse speeds of 13,380 ipm and a 5G acceleration speed for the entire work envelope — the system’s maximum cutting speed of 9,449 ipm cuts processing time in half !

The FOL 3015 AJ Fiber Laser and ASUL Automation Provide: • Non-Stop Productivity (Cutting 3 to 4 times faster than a comparable 4000 W CO2 laser, the FOL AJ is ideally suited to meet the demands of high volume contracts.

The ASUL automated material storage load/unload system ensures that speed and productivity are mathematically predictable — delivering around-the-clock production).

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• Uncompromising Accuracy (Amada’s 3-axis linear drive system ensures absolute accuracy even at the highest cutting speeds).

• Expanded Capabilities (The system’s resonator generates a laser beam with a wavelength that is approximately a tenth of that produced by a conventional gas laser — expanding processing capabilities to include materials that were previously difficult or impossible to cut with CO2 lasers).

Gaston Côté, Director of Sales and Marketing, adds, “We are very satisfied with the results we’ve obtained. Amada’s Fiber Laser and automation have greatly improved our productivity and increased profits while reducing lead-time and cutting costs.”

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PUBLISHER Steve Devonport 416-442-5125 | SDevonport@canadianmetalworking.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Rob Swan 416-510-5225, cell 416-725-0145 | RSwan@canadianmetalworking.com EDITOR Jim Anderton 416-510-5148 | janderton@canadianmetalworking.com ASSOCIATE 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 9 times per year by BIG Magazines LP, a division of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd. SUBSCRIPTION RATES Canada $55.00 per year, Outside Canada $90.00 US per year, Single Copy Canada $8.00.

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View From the Floor Let’s get sensible about risk

“S

ocial license”. It’s the buzzword of the moment in the main­ stream media, and when you hear the term, you know one thing: someone’s trying to stop a project somewhere. Right now, the programs most likely to be stopped by a non-binding plebiscite or grassroots protest involve moving oil from Alberta and Saskatchewan to the Pacific coast by the new Transmountian project, to central Canada by way of Energy East, or south by Keystone XL. If we try to move oil by rail, there are multiple communities that don’t want the traffic through their towns, especially after the Lac Megantic disaster.

The result is typically Canadian: we do nothing. What we should do is make decisions based on a sensible risk analysis and stop impressing politics on what should be an engineering process. Pipelines do rupture and when they do, the results damage the local environment. But a sensible risk management solution determines an acceptable probability of failure and engineers the solution to meet that statistically determined likelihood of a rupture. What’s the magic number? It’s technically possible to build a system to any reliability level we want, but not affordably. I think an appropriate level would be based on similar risks we experience every day, such as the likelihood of human injury by rail or air accident, in areas where a rupture would affect people directly. In uninhabited areas, a lower risk level is acceptable, perhaps accompanied by a rapid response team to cope with spills.

For decades engineers have designed critical systems using probability and desired “mean time between failures” as a legitimate strategy in safety-sensitive systems like commercial aircraft and pharmaceuticals.

Occasionally planes crash and drugs have unforeseen, damaging effects, but no one argues that air travel or drug therapy should be stopped as a result. The problem is, it’s difficult to drive a mass protest over the mean time between failure of a pipeline .... it’s easier to just say ‘no’. Like it or not, Alberta and increasingly Saskatchewan-derived petroleum is going to market. A sensible form of public discourse is to compare the statistics with other life risks and find an acceptable probability of failure. We do this now, but that report is buried under a snowstorm of committee hearings, public consultation and submitted briefs. Like it or not, the mathematically-derived facts should be the final arbiter of whether a project is environmentally reasonable and adequately safe. This analysis should be delivered in weeks, not months or years, using teams drawn from industry and academe where necessary. Unfortunately, when TV cameras are on the scene, chanting protesters trump engineers every time. We need a more sensible system and we need it now.

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

10 | MAY 2014 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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IN THE NEWS

Five distributors hold Ontario open house The open house featured machine tools and other manufacturing equipment from 19 global builders.

By: Jim Anderton

TORONTO—The ninth annual Joint Open House was held April 9 and 10 at distributors’ Mississauga and Oakville facilities.

DMG/Mori-Ellison Technologies, Elliott Matsuura, EMEC Machine Tools Inc. Ferro Technique and Single Source Technologies featured equipment from 19 global builders. Supporting companies displayed accessories, cutting tools, and new quality technologies.

A free limousine service shuttled visitors between venues, and attendees collected event stamps in a passport format to

qualify for prizes. Snacks, late meals and refreshments were served throughout the day.

Said Frank Bolieiro, vice president of sales and marketing at Elliott Matsuura Canada, “We’ve had a record number of supplier partners and a good turnout, with about 300 customers coming through our facility. “The benefit for attendees is the concentration of effort from management and the application engineering staff who can provide answers any technical questions and offer solutions that they’re looking for.”

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IN THE NEWS

Unifor seeks to add Ontario Toyota workers as members KITCHENER—Despite withdrawing its Labour Board application to become the bargaining agent for Toyota Canada employees, Unifor insists they are actually increasing efforts to unionize workers at the automaker’s Ontario plants.

Unifor, Canada’s largest private sector union, has stated they remain committed to working with Toyota employees to form a union and improve working conditions at the company.

Toyota has provided its employee list to Unifor and the Ontario Labour Relations Board, and says the company has approximately 7,500 employees it believes are eligible to be part of the bargaining unit.

“That is an interesting number because Toyota’s production decreased three per cent in 2013 and is forecast to have lower volumes in 2014,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President.

“We would be surprised if under such circumstances Toyota had hired upwards of 1,000 people. If Toyota is hiring, that’s wonderful. But it would be unusual - so we are going to look at that list carefully.”

Unifor’s president Jerry Dias speaks at the inauguration of the new union, September 2013.

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“Regardless, now we have the number to work from,” said Dias, stressing that Unifor had based its estimation of 6,590 employees on public statements and filings made by the company.

“We had a tough choice to make,” Dias explained. “We can engage in a lengthy legal battle about the employee list - or we can build on the momentum we have and get more cards signed. We’ve chosen the latter.”

At the time of press, Unifor announced they would be delaying a vote to try and get more cards signed so there is no dispute over the numbers.

“We started this week with great excitement,” said Carrie Ann Ostrom, a Toyota team member of 11 years in Cambridge.

“Today I’m just as determined to bring a union to Toyota. There’s no doubt this is a stumbling block, but I’m far from giving up hope. There are still thousands of team members counting on us. We will redouble our efforts to build greater support in all three facilities.” Ostrom said.

“Over 3,000 of us have signed cards at Toyota to join Unifor,” said Ken Cleveland, a 17 year Toyota veteran in Cambridge.

“This is a clear sign that people want a union and even this week, more cards were coming in. The problems facing Toyota team members have not been addressed. With an extra push, I know we’ll be able to succeed.”

14 | MAY 2014 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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IN THE NEWS

United Grinding hosts seminar in Toronto

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Learn more at www.fronius.ca.

(above left) Dan Belliveau, United Grinding Tool Division, explains advances in PCD tool manufacturing. (above right) Doug Emerson, United Grinding Cylindrical Division, outlines the fundamentals of cylindrical grinding.

U

nited Grinding hosted their event, ‘The Grinding Seminar’, over April 8 and 9, at The Country Club in Woodbridge, Ontario.

There was a full agenda of technical presentations from United Grinding, Walter-Korber and partner companies Cool-Grind Technologies, 3M Abrasive Systems, Barnes International, Ebbco and S.L. Munson & Company.

Ted Neckel, director of corporate marketing for United Grinding North America, Inc., stated in a release, “This event enables us to demonstrate and discuss grinding advancements in close proximity to our Canadian customers,” “In today’s competitive marketplace, manufacturers don’t want to spend a lot of time away from their operations, and product showcase initiatives such as this allow our customers to quickly and easily learn about the new technology and then get back to work.”

Some of the topics discussed at the event included fundamentals of cylindrical grinding to aerospace applications and control software.

16 | MAY 2014 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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IN THE NEWS

Canadian manufacturing sector “rising from the ashes”: report Research suggests firms that survived the recession are stronger, leaner, and more productive TORONTO — A recent report from CIBC World Markets suggests the Canadian manufacturing sector is ready to rebound after a slump over the past few years.

In the past decade the number of Canadian manufacturing firms fell by 20 per cent, and the sector’s share of GDP dropped. Howerver, according to Benjamin Tal, Deputy Chief Economist at CIBC, the strong have managed to survive and are positioned for success.

“A different manufacturing sector is rising from the ashes,” Tal says.

“Though some failed to survive, many who did are stronger, leaner and more productive. The long and painful adjustment is starting to pay off, with many industries better positioned to take advantage of the weaker dollar to regain positions in U.S. markets and to better integrate into global supply chain opportunities.”

A report, co-authored by Mr. Tal and CIBC Economist, Nick Exarhos, points out that Canadian manufacturing has seen dramatic ups and downs over the past 25 years.

In the 1990s, when a tumbling loonie lost over 20 per cent of its value, Canada’s manufacturing share of GDP rose dramatically, counter to the trend in other western nations that increasingly saw manufacturing shift to emerging-market countries.

“Only when the Canadian dollar started its march back to, and through, parity at the turn of the new millennium, did the adjustment arrive in Canada,” says Mr. Tal. “Canadian manufacturing saw a nosedive — capped off by the Great Recession — from the relatively elevated levels it had seen in the previous two decades.”

With currency and market conditions improving, the two economists analyzed the sector in order to rank which industries, based on their market characteristics and actions taken during the dark days of the last decade, have best adapted and are poised to outperform in the coming years.

Some industries that were considered to have bright futures were:

• Wood Product • Primary Metal • Machinery • Aerospace • Computer and Electronic • Miscellaneous • Plastics and Rubber • Paper Wood products are expected to be a leader in exports to the U.S., especially with a falling Canadian dollar.

Meanwhile, primary metals ranked second in growth prospects having had the best productivity growth since 2009. The metals industry can also take advantage of the decline in the loonie thanks to its favourable net exports position.

“The industry is also well positioned to take advantage of a stronger U.S. economy, accounting for more than 25 per cent of total U.S. imports,” Tal stated. “At only 2 per cent below its long-term average, however, growth might be limited by capacity constraints, a fact that also suggests a stronger path of capital spending in the coming years.”

Ranked third is machinery manufacturing, which has the strongest net export position in all of the manufacturing subindustry groups. “With the majority of the current market belonging to foreign imports of machinery, it is best positioned to capitalize on a swooning loonie driving up the price of imported competition,” he adds.

“Despite having registered less than stellar productivity gains since 2009, capacity constraints, here too, may mean more capital investment in the near future.”

Aerospace is also a sub-industry group that could benefit from a weaker loonie due to its advantageous net exports and import penetration positions.

Tal says that while talks regarding large scale repatriation of manufacturing activity to North America are pre-mature, the post-recession leaner and smarter North American manufacturing sector is better positioned to stop the bleeding.

The complete report is available online at CIBC World Markets website.

513.860.9900

18 | MAY 2014 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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IN THE NEWS

US cutting tool consumption down 1.2% in February U

.S. cutting tool consumption for February 2014 totaled $157 million, according to a report from the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and The Association For Manufacturing Technology (AMT).

This total, as reported by companies participating in the Cutting Tool Market Report (CTMR) collaboration, was down 1.2 per cent from January’s total and down 6.8 per cent from February 2013.

These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals actually reported by the companies participating in the CTMR program.

The totals here represent about 80 per cent of the U.S. market for cutting tools.

“The trend is certainly on an upward climb as incoming orders have indicated a strong finish for the first quarter of the calendar year,” said Tom Haag, President of USCTI. The Cutting Tool Market Report (CTMR) is jointly compiled

by AMT and USCTI, two trade associations representing the development, production and distribution of cutting tool technology and products. It provides a monthly statement on U.S. manufacturers’ consumption of the primary consumable in the manufacturing process – the cutting tool.

Analysis of cutting tool consumption is a leading indicator of both upturns and downturns in U.S. manufacturing activity, as it is a true measure of actual production levels.

Historical data for the Cutting Tool Market Report is available dating back to January 2012. www.amtonline.org

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TORONTO—The Ontario government says it is proposing to help more businesses save on their electricity costs in an effort to create more jobs.

The Industrial Conservation Initiative (ICI) provides incentives for large electricity consumers to shift their electricity consumption to off-peak hours to save an average 15 to 20 per cent on their energy bills.

Proposed modifications to the ICI would reduce eligibility to companies with monthly peak demand greater than three megawatts, making the program available to hundreds of additional businesses. The program offers companies reduced electricity rates if they expand their operations and create jobs.

Starting this year, the government says broader eligibility for new applications will allow for participation from a wider range of companies.

Ontario-based small businesses will also be offered enhanced conservation programs in partnership with local distribution companies.

20 | MAY 2014 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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Contest runs May 1 - July 31, 2014 For a complete list of qualifying products go to: www.3m.ca/cubitron2winAHarley © H-D 2014. Harley, Harley-Davidson and the Bar & Shield logo are among trademarks of H-D U.S.A, LLC. 3M and Cubitron are trademarks of 3M. Used under license in Canada. © 2014, 3M. All rights reserved. 1403-00572 E BA-14-18722

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IN THE NEWS

Amada innovation on display at HQ

A

mada America’s Digital Innovation Expo was held on April 22nd and 23rd at the firm’s Schaumburg, Illinois Solutions Centre just outside Chicago. The two day program included technical seminars and a series of live machine demonstrations on the floor of the unique, Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired facility. Reshoring, global market trends and manufacturing quality and efficiency were also among the key takeaways. “Americans don’t like to lose” said Mike Zordan, Amada America General Manager, Software, noting that GE and Apple are among major

manufacturers who will invest $US 250 billion over the next decade in US production. “We’re also one of those companies”, he added, noting that Amada manufactures at the firm’s Brea, California facility, building laser and automation equipment. The Brea operation includes research and development. One-on-one demonstrations of hardware and software were held throughout the event, and a new robotic laser welding cell was on display.

The cell will be officially introduced to the North American market in the summer.

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BUILD & WIN! Share what you build for a chance to win a once-in-alifetime experience at three legendary sports venues.

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THE BUSINESS OF WELDING

The labour game

By Ian Campbell, Director of Marketing and New Product Development, CWB ............................................................

I

n the stands or on the field — there’s a place for everyone when it comes to what I call the labour game. Where you end up is really depends on what you personally want to get out of the experience. Sitting in the stands allows you to take everything in, see the big picture and analyze what is going on — but by doing so, you lose direct influence on the outcome. On the other hand being on the field means taking control, contributing as best you can and living with the results.

How does this apply to the welding and manufacturing industry in Canada? Simply put — within our industry there is no escaping the labour game. Everyone, from the welder, to the employer, to the educators and regulatory bodies have a position to play and contribute in their own way. In the game, the collective goal is to create a homegrown pool of talented skilled workers, and enough jobs for all of them right here in Canada. Unfortunately, the game is broken to the point where some work will be involved to fix it. So what are some of the issues?

We have standards, but we don’t collectively adopt them. We have common needs, but don’t always work together across provincial borders and businesses to achieve them. We know what we want, but wait for others to deliver it. We want quality and competency, but don’t want to invest time, dollars and effort to get it. Basically we don’t always pull in the same direction. Thankfully all these are issues that we as Canadians have control over…

So please take some time to consider them and decide if you are a “player” or a “spectator”?

THINGS FOR PLAYERS TO DO: Support your local Canadian trade associations. In the welding world that’s the Canadian Welding Association.

Did you know that 100% of the time, money and activity within the association is reinvested back into Canada?

As a player, ask yourself the following questions: “If I contribute does my contribution help my team - does it help grow Canada?”

Get involved, be heard. Go to meetings, express your opinions, send emails, post comments on Facebook, participate in surveys - do what you can to get your voice heard. If you say nothing, nothing will change.

Ian Campbell, Director of Marketing and New Product Development, CWB

Express your opinions, leverage your ‘vote’. Let others in industry, government, education and associations know what you need them to do. Participate in the local BIA, sign-up for focus groups, complete industry surveys, call into talk shows, visit with local schools and ask questions. You pay taxes, you contribute to a local economy and you have a voice in how the ‘game’ will be played in the future.

THINGS WE ARE DOING TO HELP OUT: Over the last month or so the CWA Foundation has been very active as a national sponsor for Skills Canada. These events are a combination of tradeshow and competition with everything from animation to welding being represented. Although the number of skills being showcased is an eye opener, what is really impressive is the number of students attending. There are busloads after busloads of them and they are engaged, interested, and represent the future of trades in this country. Clearly there’s no preskilled worker shortage, we just need to do our collective best to get them to go to the next step — picking a trade they will excel at.

The CWA is also hosting another educator’s conference this year– this time in Nova Scotia. It’s the only time welding educators can get together and discuss issues at the national level. In these kind of events progress comes by listening and then acting on what you hear. So, the CWB Group is looking at a range of education programs and assessment tools that will help Canadian welding educators create Canada’s next crop of highly skilled welders. We will be reaching out for your help, are you willing to pitch in?

Player or spectator, student or educator — All are important to the future growth and prosperity of Canada’s welding industry. I encourage you to reach out if you want to help — you can find the CWA and the CWB on Facebook, the web, or by email or phone. As always — we are welding, we are 100% Canadian, we here to help.

THINGS FOR SPECTATORS TO DO: Invest in your business, invest in your employees, invest in yourself. Look for and take advantage of grants and other opportunities to help strengthen your team. Get trained, get certified to Canadian standards, get the knowledge you need to succeed.

Canadian Welding Bureau/Canadian Welding Association www.canadianmetalworking.com | MAY 2014 | 25

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Yo u

a r e

i n v i t e d

t o

OPEN HOUSE

2

0

1

4

Haas Factory Outlet

You are cordially invited to join us for our

Open House on Wednesday, May 28, 2014.

Come see new Haas machines that offer clever designs and fulfill every shop’s need for improved production.

Whether it’s great pricing, high productivity, or increasing profits through good old American ingenuity, Haas builds a solution for you.

If you’re already a Haas owner or user, think of the OPEN HOUSE as just another reason for your continued dedication. If you’re thinking about investing in Haas machines, come to this event and find out all the reasons to become a dedicated Haas customer. Stop by for some food and drink, live demos, and seminars on the latest technology. Be sure to check out new Haas CNC machines and rotary products, too. It’s a great opportunity to discover how Haas can be your partner in affordable manufacturing solutions.

WHEN >>

WEDNESDAY May 28, 2014 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Haas Factory Outlet

WHERE >>

A Division of Sirco Machinery Company, Ltd.

40 Jutland Road, Toronto, Ontario M8Z 2G9 Canada

Register today at sales@sircomachinery.com

+ 401

T-Shirt: Front

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Everyone attending this OPEN HOUSE will receive a limited-edition Haas black T-Shirt

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• Live Cutting Demos • Tooling, CAD/CAM and Industry Partners on Display 427 • The Latest CNC Technology WHAT >> Jutland Rd • Food & Drink • Chance to Win a Flat Screen TV – Valued at $2,500

Haas Factory Outlet 800

A Division of Sirco Machinery Company, Ltd. 40 Jutland Road, Toronto, Ontario M8Z 2G9 Canada Tel: 416-255-3503 • Fax: 416-255-9502 www.HaasCNC.com

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Skills Training

George Brown College, Toronto, Ontario

G

eorge Brown, located in the heart of Canada’s largest city, offers a slew of college courses to students, and metalworking and engineering diploma programs are a major part of that.

The Casa Loma campus in Toronto’s downtown core is home to the school’s Construction and Engineering Technologies program, which encompasses the school’s metalworking-specific courses.

Ylber Ramadani, one of the chairs at the school, spoke about some of the opportunities for potential students of George Brown.

“We’ve recently changed the scope of our tool and die program, because tool and die doesn’t have the appeal it once used to,” Ramadani says. “(The) curriculum has changed, but nobody thought to change the name. CNC and Precision Machining is the official name – that will be launching in September.”

Ramadani has a background in electronic engineering, and began teaching at the school in 1999. Since then, he’s seen a number of changes in manufacturing in this country, and emphasizes the need for teaching practices to keep pace.

“It’s about telling everybody about what we do,” he says, “We have more CNC (computer numerical control), more MasterCam, and a lot more digital stuff than traditional machining.”

However, Ramadani is careful to point out that the basis for the program starts with the fundamentals.

“But we start in a machine shop. Everything starts there — you have to understand what we’re doing.”

George Brown also takes a comprehensive approach to teaching. While there are various streams a student can follow, they get a foundation in a lot of different fields.

“We expose them to machining in general, traditional machining. We expose them to basic electronics, circuits, basic drawing, engineering drawings. The curriculum is streamlined.

“So what happens is, you start mechanical engineering, and you find this may not be what you have actually dreamt of doing...we’re seeing lots of shifts in programs after the first semester without any penalty to students.”

Also, the mechanical engineering and precision machining programs now have the entire first year in common, making the early stages of that program much more in sync than it previously was. This opens a lot of doors for students to find out what they’re good at, and follow through on that. If a student is more mathematically inclined, they may seek to find a more engineering-heavy program or maybe the student enjoys working with equipment, and sees a better fit in a shop floor setting.

George Brown is also planning to adapt as manufacturing changes. The school is considering adding courses in rapid prototyping (3D printing) in the future, and also is in the process of trying to get the necessary accreditation to have some of their diploma programs become degree programs, which would give students greater opportunities upon graduation.

GEORGE BROWN’S PROGRAMS AT A GLANCE LOCATION: Casa Loma campus, in downtown Toronto, Ontario RELEVANT COURSES OFFERED: Mechanical Engineering Technology – Design – 3 years, $3,831.00 (cost for two semesters, not including ancillary costs); Mechanical Technician – CNC and Precision Machining – 16 months (4 semesters) $3,776.00/semester;

Mechanical Techniques (Fast Track) – 14 weeks (2 semesters), $3,517.00 TUITION: Tuitions vary depending on the program (see above). Additional costs for certain course materials can be expected.

For more information on George Brown’s program visit: www.georgebrown.ca/mechanicalengineering/progams

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Designed to maximize rigidity, our 150.10 Jet Blade incorporates a high speed steel blade for parting-off in challenging materials such as stainless steels and superalloys. At the same time, Jetstream Tooling速 Duo technology boosts tool life and allows higher cutting data.

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FINANCING

Preparing for the trade show season

Financing pre-approval lets you make a great deal at the exhibits

By Ken Hurwitz ......................................................................................................................................

I

t’s been a long winter and in some places, much more of a winter than some of us are used to. But as winter turns into spring, the show season for machinery and equipment is upon us. For many of you, it may have already started. By the time of printing you might have already attended FABTECH Canada. This is a relatively new show focused on fabricating, welding, and the metal forming industry in Canada.

The two other main of interest to the machine tool industry are the Montreal Manufacturing and Technology Show (MMTS), taking place May 12 to 14; and the International Manufacturing and Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago the week of September 8 to 13. Each show will provide an opportunity to view some of the latest industry technologies and talk to the most prominent people in the industry.

The experience differs at each show. MMTS is much more of a local event catering to the industry in Quebec.

It’s self-contained in one large room at the Bonventure Hotel in downtown Montreal. Just because it’s a smaller exhibition doesn’t mean there aren’t a few advantages to attending.

First off, it’s an easy room to walk, the booths aren’t overwhelming and the entire show can be covered in a few hours. More importantly, it can be very easy to meet and spend time with all the principles or upper management for every significant seller of machinery in the industry. Larger shows, such as IMTS, tend to be very busy, particularly in years when the market is good. Having a conversation with anyone of significance can be challenging.

IMTS is pretty much the opposite experience to MMTS. It’s the largest exhibition of machinery and equipment in North America. This year will be the 30th edition and will feature 1,900 exhibiting companies occupying 1.2 million net square feet of exhibit space at the McCormick Place complex in Chicago.

IMTS is held every even-numbered year in Chicago and attracts Ken Hurwitz more than 100,000 buyers and sellers from more than 112 countries. It covers metal cutting, metal forming, fabrication, welding, workholding and pretty much every other service and product that can be found in the industry.

Having been in this industry my entire professional career, I’ve either attended or worked hundreds of these shows and each one has always provided unique perspective or experience. One thing I’ve noticed over the years is most manufacturers don’t attend just out of habit. Yes, in many ways the industry is its own little world and it’s enjoyable running into old friends not normally seen on a regular basis.

In reality though, most attendees have a specific purpose in mind. They have a piece of equipment or technology that needs to be upgraded or replaced, or they’re looking for new ideas to become more efficient (and in turn profitable) and remain on the “cutting edge.”

In any case, putting some thought into how these new purchases will be financed is probably a good idea—particularly because financing growth is always challenging.

What I normally tell my clients, if they’re thinking of making a purchase, is to get a pre-approval in place prior to going shopping. This allows me to let them know what type of money will be available (a budget so to speak) so they head to the trade show knowing what they can spend and what the monthly payment will look like.

From there, it just becomes a simple business decision whether to proceed.

Getting a pre-approval in place with any lease financing institution is as simple as filling out a credit application—usually one or at most two pages—and providing either some current financial statements or copies ... continues on page 97 www.canadianmetalworking.com | MAY 2014 | 29

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Supply, Meet Demand Oil and gas are healthy, but moving product to market remains a challenge

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

ENERGY EAST PROPOSAL

Courtesy TransCanada Corp.

I

n Canada’s oil and gas industry and for the economy as a whole, 2014 may become the most important year in decades. Persistently high oil prices combined with strengthening natural gas pricing is driving considerable investment in exploration and development, with one significant bottleneck: transportation. With inadequate pipeline capacity crude oil is increasingly hauled by rail, which after the Lac Megantic disaster is certain to be burdened by increasingly strict safety regulations and local resistance to train routing near population centres. Pipelines are the obvious solution, but a difficult combination of environmental concerns and U.S. politics are conspiring to make new projects difficult to launch.

PRICING DRIVES THE PLAY Like any other industry, in oil and gas it’s all about price and in 2013 pricing was highly supportive of capacity expansion. On the oil side, pricing remained near or above US$ 100 per barrel supported by a recovering global economy and political uncertainty. Gas, after flat to falling pricing since 2004 saw its first year-over-year improvement in 2013, aided by an unusually cold winter and depletion of existing low-cost gas stocks. According

to the Conference Board of Canada, in the last quarter of 2013, the natural gas benchmark in Alberta averaged US$3.4 per million BTU, a 40 per cent increase from the $2.4/mmBtu price in 2012. Prices are expected to retrench this summer, although the Board doesn’t expect a return to the peak gas pricing of the early 2000’s. The ability of fracking to unlock large U.S. shale gas formations has increased U.S. gas production and reduced US ..imports significantly. Oil however, has a more complex pricing environment.

Bottlenecks in pipeline capacity have had an interesting effect on pricing. According to the US Energy Information Agency, the base stock for Gulf Coast refineries (the target market for Keystone XL transported Canadian bitumen) is West Texas Intermediate [WTI] which is predicted to trade at a discount of about $11 per barrel in 2014 compared to benchmark North Sea Brent, reflecting the additional transportation costs in getting North American oil to the refineries. This discount is a significant driver of new rail capacity and a real impetus to approval of Keystone XL. Shipped by either method, Canadian and U.S.-based “tight oil” may have a “knock on” effect of moving currently imported

30 | MAY 2014 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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foreign oil to east coast ports as well as introducing the possibility of Gulf coast upgraded oil and refinery products moving to Canadian eastern markets by sea.

It’s just one factor in an increasingly complex pricing environment for oil. Current unrest in the Ukraine, Syria and ongoing sanctions against Iran are all upward drivers on price, while increasing adoption of fracking technology is opening large reserves of previously inaccessible oil both in Canada and the U.S., depressing prices. The EIA predicts a benchmark Brent crude oil price average of US$105 per barrel in 2014 and US$101 per barrel in 2015 respectively. Oil is globally denominated in US dollars, making the current Canadian dollar weakness a distinct advantage for Canadian producers. Natural gas however, cannot be cost-effectively transported by rail making pipelines essential regardless of regional political and environmental issues.

PIPELINES IN PLAY Moving product from Alberta and Saskatchewan to the major markets is a three-way conundrum. There are disadvantages to direct transport of the petroleum to the large central Canadian markets, while Asia, particularly China, is an expanding and lucrative export market, especially as large-scale liquid natural gas transport by tanker has become economically viable. The southern

OIL PRICE FORECAST: BRENT VS WTI

demand, especially from the Gulf Coast refinery complex continues to grow, adding additional political pressure to a highly charged U.S. debate over Keystone XL. A TransCanada Corporation project, Keystone XL is the final phase of the Keystone pipeline system which is designed to transport bitumen from Hardisty, Alberta to Midwest and Gulf Coast refineries. After President Obama’s 2012 rejection of the XL application due to protests about potential environmental damage in Nebraska, TransCanada changed the proposed route, which was approved by Nebraska governor Dave Heineman in January 2013. More widespread environmental protests

Pipeline maintenance and repair are significant job creators for decades after construction is complete. Image courtesy transmountain.com

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P

TRANS MOUNTAIN EXPANSION PROJECT

Courtesy Kinder Morgan Canada

based on the atmospheric CO2 contribution from Alberta oil sands sources is a major factor in the current U.S. administration’s approval decision. With a chance to wrest control of the House of Representatives from the GOP in this year’s mid-term elections, the Obama administration is playing for time in delaying an approval, avoiding a sensitive issue with the Democratic Party base.

The Energy East Project also proposed by TransCanada is designed to carry 1.1 million barrels of crude oil per day from Alberta and Saskatchewan over a 4600 km pipeline to refineries in Eastern Canada. Like Keystone,

the starting point is Hardisty, Alberta and the project will involve new construction in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Eastern Ontario, Québec and New Brunswick as well as conversion of existing natural gas pipeline for oil transport. The project proposal includes marine facilities to move product to other markets by tanker.

In the opposite direction, Kinder Morgan Canada’s Trans Mountain Expansion Project proposes to move petroleum to Pacific coast port facilities for export to Asia. The company filed a facilities application on December 16 with the National Energy Board. The project

Shell’s NorthWest SeaEagle LNG tanker is a typical modern liquefied natural gas ship, carrying 130,000 cubic meters of LNG. To move LNG to China, politically controversial BC coast facilities will be needed. Image courtesy Shell

32 | MAY 2014 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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PFERD_CM

PFERD INNOVATIONS

Introducing New Products from PFERD CC-GRIND-SOLID Grinding Discs The new CC-GRIND-SOLID offers extremely aggressive stock removal and a large surface contact area. Grind effortlessly and comfortably. Leave a better surface finish.

Twice as aggressive as grinding wheels. Easy control, non-gouging, low grinding angle. 50% less noise, dust and vibration

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POLIFAN®-STRONG-FREEZE Ceramic Flap Discs New POLIFAN®-STRONG-FREEZE drastically reduces heat levels generated by grinding. Now you can achieve high removal rates without thermal overload.  Unique, ultra-cool ceramic abrasive grain, patented disc design  Extremely fast removal rates on stainless steels  Cold grinding with minimal sparks  Extremely long service life

POLIFAN®-STRONG-FREEZE Range:  4-1/2“, 5“ and 7“ Diameters  7/8“ A.H. or 5/8-11 hub  36 and 50 grit Ceramin oxide CO abrasive

Tungsten Carbide Burs STEEL Cut New STEEL Cut Burs provide up to 50% higher stock removal rates for applications on steel and cast steel compared to conventional burs with double cut. Deliver smooth but very aggressive operating action, generating large chips and very high removal rates. Along with increased productivity, users experience better handling, reduced vibrations and less noise.

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is in fact an expansion of the existing Trans Mountain pipeline which if approved would twin the line, increasing system nominal capacity from 300,000 barrels per day to 890,000 barrels per day. The project would cost approximately $5.4 billion to add 980 kilometers of new pipeline and reactivate existing lines as well as add 12 new pumping stations. Existing storage terminals in Burnaby, Sumas and Edmonton would receive 20 new tanks and the Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby would be expanded with three new berths to accommodate increased tanker traffic. The existing line carries multiple petroleum products simultaneously, but the proposed would carry heavier oils with light crude capability. Kinder Morgan has stated that the proposal would include CSA and API specification pipe using specialty steel grades such as X–90 through X–120 along with stringent control of welding processes and NDT. All three pipeline projects face resistance from multiple quarters. Keystone XL is primarily a U.S. political problem as most of the Canadian engineering is already in place, but Trans Mountain and Energy East face opposition from Canadian aboriginal groups, environmentalists and local ratepayers concerned about possible spills and the impact of construction, and more ominously for the long-term, by global warming activists.

At press time, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a new report entitled Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change which states that global emissions of greenhouse gases have risen to

unprecedented levels despite current efforts to reduce emissions. According to the report, emissions levels rose quickly between 2000 and 2010, more than any of the three previous decades. Also in it, 1200 scenarios for scientific literature have been analyzed, generated by 31 modeling teams from around the world and the results suggest that to limit the increase in global temperature to 2°C, greenhouse gas emissions must be lowered globally by 40- 70 per cent relative to 2010 levels by 2050, and to essentially zero by the end of the century.

While natural gas is a widely endorsed intermediate fossil fuel useful for the transition from coal, Alberta oil sands petroleum is widely regarded as CO2 emissions-heavy due to the energy intensive extraction process.

While is not widely known that the majority of petroleum trapped in oilsands formations is relatively inaccessible and will be extracted through steam or solvent injection processes and recovered through wells, surface mining makes Alberta oil a target for the environmental movement globally. If the IPCC report resonates politically in Europe for example, it’s possible that a tax or tariff on oil sands derived Alberta petroleum could be levied. Possible solutions include local carbon capture and storage or a switch to alternate forms of process heat for the extraction process.

Between politics, the environment, aboriginal rights issues and the fragile global economic recovery, for oil and gas in Canada, 2014 is a very interesting year. CM

Modern pipeline construction uses API specified pipeline grade steels and qualified welding processes. Image courtesy transmountain.com

34 | MAY 2014 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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Better Times Ahead Manufacturing in Western Canada is growing, led by Alberta

By Jim Anderton, editor

P

oliticians tend to divide Canada into two realities: Québec and the rest of the country. In terms of a clear understanding of the country’s economy however, it could really be described as Eastern Canada and the West. While energy is the engine of both the Western and Canada’s economies, there’s a lot more going on west of Ontario than many Canadians realize.

Real GDP by Province, 2014 .

N.L

(percentage change*)

.

N.B

.

.I P.E

Alta.

Man. N.S.

Que.

Ont.

B.C. Sask.

*based on 2007 $. Sources: The Conference board of Canada; Statistics Canada.

MANITOBA Bumper crops in the grain and oilseed sectors have been growth drivers in the Manitoba economy in 2013, even with transportation issues in moving product to market, and 2013 housing starts were also strong, following an increase in population growth over the past decade. According to RBC Economics, even with a return to average crop yields in 2014, strengthening in manufacturing activity should keep the 2014 GDP growth rate at a healthy 2.3%. With a predicted positive growth in the ag sector in 2015 teaming up with strengthening manufacturing, RBC predicts GDP growth at a substantial 2.6% in 2015.

After a flat 2013, the bank predicts that manufacturing output will increase 3.5% and 4.0% in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

SASKATCHEWAN At a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.5%, (compared to a national average of 6.9%) Saskatchewan continues to have the lowest unemployment rate in Canada for the 15th consecutive month. As in Manitoba, very high yields in grains and oilseeds are healthy contributors, although the impact of resource extraction is widely misunderstood in the rest of the country. According to the University of Regina’s Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan, the province has approximately three quarters of the world’s potash reserves, of which 95% of the output of this critical fertil... continues on page 38

36 | MAY 2014 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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1 SETUP 5 SIDES 1/2 THE COST WITH MORE STANDARD FEATURES . . .

The choice is simple.

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Standard Features Include: • Full 5-axis machining • 8100-rpm, 30 hp spindle • 40+1 SMTC • Wireless probing with routines for center of rotation measurement • Dynamic work offsets and tool center point control

Find your local Canadian Haas Factor y Outlet: 800.331.6746 • find them online @ www.HaasCNC.com

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... continued from page 36

izer is exported. One quarter of global uranium production comes from Saskatchewan, and the province is estimated to hold 10% of the nation’s known oil reserves, and 25% of currently estimated natural gas reserves. Coal, copper, zinc, gold and other minerals are also significant earners in the Saskatchewan economy. According to Statistics Canada, Saskatchewan’s manufacturing sector employs over 27,000 people and contributes over $15 billion to the economy annually. At press time, the federal agency Western Economic Diversification Canada announced a $2.5 million investment in Western Canada Testing Inc.’s Humboldt facility to improve engineering and development capacity for industrial manufacturers. WESTEST provides manufacturers with testing services with labs for precision farming, mechatronics spray technology and extreme temperature testing. The firm estimates that investment will enable its clients generate $10 million in sales of newly commercialized products within 10 years.

ALBERTA If manufacturing growth in the prairies is a slow-moving freight, Alberta is a bullet train. Alberta leads the country in population growth has generated the majority of new jobs created in Canada in 2013. According to the provincial budget for 2014, Alberta’s economy is expected to grow by 3.7% this year, the fifth straight year over the province’s historic average of 3%.

According to the Alberta Treasury Board and Finance, manufacturing continues an uninterrupted growth trend that began in late 2012. January 2014 shipments are up 7% year-over-year with petroleum, chemical and machinery all up by double digits. Alberta is all about energy, and year-over-year growth in exports includes doubledigit gains in the last quarter, boosted by higher world

oil prices, increasing production and a weakening Canadian dollar.

Capacity utilization in the and gas industry hit 86% in the last quarter of 2013, the highest in a decade. Oil and gas accounts for almost 2/3 of all business investment in the province, and energy products represent three quarters of Alberta’s goods exports.

Statistics Canada has surveyed investment intentions and are predicting oil and gas investments of $55.2 billion in 2014, which the oilsands represents $33.4 billion. An unusually cold winter in North America has also drawn down natural gas stocks, supporting prices and driving further investment.

Oil however, is still the bulk of energy production and as a result of new horizontal drilling and fracking technologies, production has risen in 2012 and 2013, reversing a 40-year downward trend. ATBF predicts conventional oil production to remain stable through 2014.

BRITISH COLUMBIA After growth in 2013, British Columbia is expected to strengthen further in 2014. According to Statistics Canada, last year manufacturing sales in British Columbia rose by 2.4%, a fourth straight annual increase. While industries such as paper (−5.2%) and food (−3.8%) manufacturing registered slower sales during the year, these were offset by a dramatic surge in shipments of wood products, up 23.5%. In comparison, nationally, manufacturing sales slipped 0.5% in 2013.

According to the Business Council of British Columbia’s BC Economic Review and Outlook 2014, the Council expects that inflation-adjusted GDP in BC will increase by 2.3%, a significant improvement over the 2013 1.4% rate. The Council predicts further expansion to 3% growth in 2015. Factors contributing to the improvement are continued Asian market expansion, a weakening Canadian dollar and a rebound in domestic consumer spending. If current political opposition can be addressed, the Northern Gateway pipeline project and associated LNG Pacific coast terminals should lift 2015 numbers to above the national average. CM

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Hot . . . and accurate New generation plasma cutting systems are efficient and precise

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

R

ealistically there are but three main types of high performance cutting systems available to manufacturing enterprises: water jet, laser and plasma. They were all developed more or less at the same time, in the late Fifties to mid Sixties, and have had different maturing periods.

Plasma cutting was a successor to oxy-fuel cutting as it was initially a hand based manual cutting system and the technology was generally portable and easy to set up. Plasma cutting easily made the transition to CNC cutting standards and has a well defined place in the manufacturing landscape. “Generally speaking, plasma cutting provides faster travel speeds, is typically easier to use, particularly for inexperienced/less skilled operators, and provides good quality cuts in thinner materials when compared to other cutting processes,” said Ruben Chico, Global Product Manager, Mechanized Plasma for ESAB Welding & Cutting Products. “Plasma arc cutting is a great process for cutting mild steel plate, offering much higher speeds than oxy-fuel cutting.”

Precision and accuracy in new plasma cutters

(photo courtesy of Hypertherm)

An advantage of a plasma systems is versatility. “It can cut any conductive metal within a wide range of thicknesses from 26 gauge on up quickly and economically, making it the most productive of all metal cutting processes,” said Jim Colt, Applications Technology Manager for Hypertherm. “Plasma is only designed to cut conductive metal, so you would not use it to cut non-metal items such as wood, stone, rubber, plastic etc. Plasma systems do the best work on steel from 26 gauge on up to 2 inches in thickness and stainless and aluminium up to 6-1/4 inches in thickness. You would want to choose a different method when needing to cut anything thicker than those ranges,” he said.

Although plasma will cut through any material that will conduct electricity some materials are easier for plasma to go through than others. “The higher the thermal conductivity the material has, the harder it is to use plasma to cut through it. An example is steel which has a thermal conductivity of .502 watt\cm*K, whereas copper has a thermal conductivity of 3.98 watt\cm*K. Copper is much more difficult to cut,” explained Tim Lux, System Manager at Miller Electric Mfg. Co. The drawback of a plasma system is that it can only cut conductive metals, like mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminium. “Plasma arc cutting is ideal for mild steel plate, offering much higher speeds than other forms of cutting,” said Chico. “Plasma cutting offers a high production rate and a low operating cost. Considering a small machine with a single cutting tool, plasma can cut materials at speeds ranging from 60 to 200 IPM (inches per minute). Laser and water jet are much slower processes. When it comes to operating cost, you have to take into consideration power, gases, consumables, abrasive, and routine maintenance cost. Plasma operating cost is typically estimated at approximately $15/ hour. In comparison, the cost of laser would be slightly higher, typically estimated at around $20/hour. Water jet is usually considered to be the most expensive cutting option, typically estimated at about $30/hour.”

The initial investment in a plasma cutting system “can be significant when compared to cutting technology such as an oxy-fuel torch, the increased productivity of plasma vs. oxy-fuel will pay for the cost of the system in no time,” said Lux. “The biggest advantage that plasma has over water jets and lasers is cost. The other advantages would be portability. Plasma cutters are much smaller and can

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Handheld plasma cutting still has a great role to play in industry. (photo courtesy of Miller Electric) An automated Powermax 125 system in the cut. (photo courtesy of Hypertherm)

be moved around with little trouble, whereas water jets and lasers normally are in an automated fixture of some type.”

The general feeling is that the edge quality of plasma cutting is not up to par with other systems. “There is some sacrifice of edge quality. Edge quality has a sweet spot that, depending on cutting current, generally ranges from about 1/4 inch up to 1.5 inches,” said Esau’s Chico.

“Overall edge squareness starts to suffer when the plate gets really thin, or really thick (outside of this range), even though the edge smoothness and dross performance may still be quite good.” Edge quality has greatly improved with the introduction of high definition plasma systems and a proper setup on the right material will produce excellent cuts. “If you are cutting a majority of mild steel and it is one inch and under, than the cut speeds of plasma and water jet are considerably cheaper than laser,” said Gilles Young, manager at All Fabrication Machinery. “It depends on your power source. Edge quality is quite good up to about three-quarters of an inch, but typically with water jet and laser you are going to get better edge quality. It really depends on what kind of shop you are and what kind of work you are doing.

Water jet and plasma are actually quite similar in price but laser is typically two or three times more. If 80 percent of your work is mild steel under one inch than the plasma is the machine for you.”

A key to producing high quality cuts on a plasma system is to maintain and optimize the system. “Maintain your equipment, pay attention to tip wear. If using compressed air instead of nitrogen make sure your air is bone dry and clean,” said Bruce Clark, Director, Marketing and Export Sales for Lincoln Electric Canada.” Simple steps in plasma cutting can make the difference between a quality cut and something that is destined for the scrap heap. “Almost with any plasma you can get the best results if you use the right consumables and perform routine maintenance on the system,” said JP Kinos,Vice President of Victor Thermal Dynamics Automation. “A lot of people don’t pay attention to the compressed air that goes through the system to make sure that it is clean.

If it is not clean it can cause trouble. Plasma makers have very well tested parameters that if you do not follow these parameters you’re quality of cut will start going down.” Ensuring that the machine operators are properly trained is also instrumental in production efficiencies.

“Too often machine operators rely on tribal knowledge or trial-and-error to setup and operate their systems,” said Chico. “Deviating from the manufacturer’s recommended settings and setups can cause reduced quality and productivity, and increase operating costs. It would be wise to consider having a manufacturer’s service or training representative visit periodically to conduct training and evaluate their process.”

If you have ever used a hand-held plasma jet cutter you will know that controlling the height of the torch is crucial to a proper cut, and to the well being of the torch head. “Not all plasma systems have height control.

Height control is a very significant portion of the whole system,” explains Kinos. “You need to have the correct stand-off from the material to the plasma torch. This also takes into consideration the consumable wear especially the electrodes. Piercing is an important component of plasma cutting, when you make the first cut in the material. You can get melted material into your tips and if that happens that may negatively effect quality.” By ensuring the proper height of the torch in relation to the material being cut you are going to reap savings in speed and quality.

For small shops that might have an existing portable plasma system, hooking it up to a CNC machine is possible but with some important caveats. “Yes manual torches can be used in some automated systems,” state Kinos. “The problem, often times, with manual torches, is that you don’t have the same set of parameters built into those products as you have into those that are meant for automated systems. It might be very difficult to get the proper quality of cut with these torches. You still will be able to cut.”

What is needed to convert a hand plasma to a mechanized one is a mechanized cutting torch. “Instead of www.canadianmetalworking.com | MAY 2014 | 41

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looking a pistol it is a straight up and down barrel that is mounted on the holder on the machine,” said Young.

“Though people have been known to mount a hand-held torch on a table or robot for example, we do not recommend it because you’d have to disable all of the torch’s

safety features,” said Hypertherm’s Colt. “You are much better off buying a torch specifically designed for mechanized cutting. Fortunately, all of our Powermax systems come with a quick disconnect feature to switch between a hand and mechanized torch in seconds.”

LONG REACH TORCH

PORTABLE POWER WITH AIR PLASMA SYSTEM

The Duramax Hyamp torches now offer extended reach cutting.

Designed for hand-held cutting they come in two different lengths, 0.6 meter and 1.2 meter, and two different torch head angles, 45 and 90 degrees. The torches are suitable for scrapping, skeleton cutting, overhead cutting and more, enabling operators to complete jobs more quickly and ergonomically without bending down or climbing ladders. All of the Duramax Hyamp special application torches are made from high impact, heat-resistant materials to withstand the harshest industrial environments. The torches are compatible with the Powermax125, as well as the Powermax105, Powermax85, and Powermax65 plasma cutting and gouging systems and feature Hypertherm’s patented FastConnect technology to make switching between torches easy. www.hypertherm.com

With a recommended cut capacity of 1 ½ inches at speeds of up to 18 inches per minute, this system can sever metal more than 2 ¼ inches thick if needed. It is also strong at gouging, capable of removing more than 27 pounds of metal an hour. The full 100 percent duty cycle guarantees the system can easily hold its own in demanding round the clock work environments. With consumables available for improved drag cutting, gouging, thin gauge cutting, and automated cutting the company estimates that they will last up to four times longer than competitive systems in this amperage range. The Powermax125 comes standard with Smart Sense technology which performs two important functions. It automatically sets air pressure for the best cutting and gouging performance, and turns off power to the torch when the electrode is used up, protecting both the torch and work piece from damage. www.hypertherm.com

HIGH TECH HEAVEN WITH M3

Comprised of ESAB’s next-generation EPP Precision Plasmarc power sources and new XR Series nozzles, the M3 Plasma System features ESAB’s Precision Hole Technology, which automatically processes bolt-ready holes in mild steel up to 1-inch down to a 1:1 hole-to-thickness ratio, eliminating the need for a secondary drilling operation. Smart Voltage Height Control automatically adjusts the voltage height control to maximize consumable life while ensuring consistent cut quality.

The M3 Plasma System also provides SmartCycle Technology for increased productivity through full system integration of plasma, COLUMBUS III CAD/CAM/nesting software and Vision T5 CNC control. www.esab-cutting.com

POWER IN A SMALL PACKAGE

The Cutmaster A120 features a quick torch disconnect on its front panel. Switching between a straight torch for mechanized cutting to a hand torch to cut plate remnants into smaller pieces for easier removal from the table is much easier and can be completed without extra systems. Such flexibility also enables using the same power source for automated cutting in the shop and manual cutting in the field. www.victortechnologies.com

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HIGH DEFINITION CUTTING WITH SPIRIT II

UPDATES FOR SPECTRUM SERIES OF PLASMAS Miller has made some significant changes to the Spectrum Series of plasma cutters to add more automation capabilities, offer easier operation, increased operator comfort, improved cutting speeds and longer consumables life. These upgrades include a quick-connect ground cable that’s easier to position. (available on the Spectrum 375 X-TREME, Spectrum 625 X-TREME); an ultra-quick connect torch cable that allows easy interchangeability of hand-held or machine torches for manual or automated cutting (available on the Spectrum 625 X-TREME, Spectrum 875, Spectrum 875 Auto-Line); long- or short-bodied machinetorch availability (available on the Spectrum 625 X-TREME, Spectrum 875, Spectrum 875 Auto-Line); automated cutting options that feature CNC integration kits for remote trigger, okto-move signal and voltage sensing. Machines can also be used with hand torches (available as an upgrade kit for the Spectrum 625 X-TREME and factory automation ready: Spectrum 625 X-TREME, Spectrum 875, Spectrum 875 Auto-Line); www.MillerWelds.com

Spirit II Series plasma systems feature FineLine High Definition plasma cutting technology that delivers unequaled performance in cut quality at lower costs. It provides the best cut quality over consumable life by achieving the least part taper over the electrode life. FineLine cutting technology with UltraSharp Hole Technology gives you the best hole quality in the industry. The Spirit II plasma cutting and marking systems features three amperage options: The 150-amp Spirit II 150 has the ability to pierce most metals up to 1 in (25 mm) thick, with a maximum capacity of 1.5 in (38 mm). The 275-amp Spirit II 275 can pierce most metals up to 1.25 in (32 mm) thick and has a maximum capacity of 2.5 in (65 mm). The 400-amp Spirit II 400 is able to pierce most metals up to 2 in (50 mm) thick, with a maximum capacity of 3 in (75 mm).

All systems feature Impulse Start Technology to eliminate high frequency starting, fully automated or manual process control, plasma controller delivers automatic controlled process variables through user-friendly, touch-screen display with automatic setting of process parameters to provide ease of operation. www.lincolnelectric.com

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Image courtesy of Volvo Trucks

Stamping without spring back High-strength steel sheet is light and strong, but it’s more difficult to form than conventional steels.

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

A

utomotive production is the key user of high-volume stamped steel parts and in the automotive world, there’s a war on. That war is against weight: mass which reduces vehicle performance and more importantly, fuel economy. Plastics, composites and light alloys are all playing a part in the war on weight, but for high-volume body building the cost king is still steel. Down gauging with high-strength steel is now widespread in auto stamping, but compared to conventional steels, it’s not without its forming difficulties. A major issue is spring back, but fortunately HSS steel forming has been extensively researched. An outstanding example of this research is the work done at the Toyohashi University of Technology in Toyohashi City, in Japan’s Aichi Prefecture west of Tokyo. Prof. Dr. Ken-ichiro Mori has analyzed multiple aspects of the forming of high-strength steel sheet and has summarized the difficulties, including spring back

in detail. Here is a portion of Prof. Mori’s presentation entitled “Forming of high-strength steel sheets”:

High strength and ultra-high strength steels are taking over automotive body construction as a weight saving

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measure, but how do the newer steels compare with conventional stamping grades and the new competitor, aluminum? Since the strength of the part is related not only to the steel properties but also to the gauge selected; aluminum sheet is invariably thicker than steel.

The weight savings in HSS comes from down-gauging, making it difficult to compare the materials. Prof. Mori addresses this by comparing the ratio of strength to specific gravity, which shows that ultra high strength steels are not only competitive with 6061 in the T6 heat treat, but potentially higher in performance.

High-strength steels are stronger than conventional sheet grades, much stronger, but spring back, especially in hat or channel sections commonly used in unibody fabrication can be a serious problem. The high-strength steel example at 980 MPa is essentially double the tensile strength of mild steel sheet but with clearly unacceptable spring back.

Spring back can be expected in many volume stamping operations, but as the diagram shows the introduction to design elements such as stiffening ribs running perpendicular to the axis of spring is an excellent solution, as-

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suming the part design will tolerate the additional surface feature, and the additional forming operation or stage in a progressive die doesn’t add excessive cost. Chamfering is another strategy for reducing spring back, in this case opening a single 90° bend into two oblique angles.

Crash forming is another strategy for minimizing spring back. In both the a) draw bending example and b) crash forming without blank holder diagram, the critical area is the hinge point at the bending/unbending region. Crash forming, sometimes called solid forming or dead hit forming is a relatively uncontrolled process, with a metal punch

in an open cavity below, with no effective control of metal flow and little ability to resist wrinkling or distortion.

This simplified diagram shows how the blank is restrained while the punch effectively wipes the vertical surface of the metal forming it under tension.

Prof. Mori clearly shows the beneficial effect of forming high-strength steels with tension. Simple draw bending is essentially uncontrolled, and while crash forming is a significant improvement, it readily takes the material out of its elastic zone into the plastic region across a larger surface area, reducing spring back.

Another technique is a two-stage process involving drawing followed by restriking. This technique essentially pre-stretches the material in the drawing phase, which unlike crash forming, involves full support of the blank throughout the forming process. With the shape essentially rough formed by drawing, the restriking die than be optimized for plastic flow at smaller, critical regions.

Prof. Mori’s presentation describes other techniques for addressing spring back, as well as issues such as fracture, wrinkling, stretch flangeability, shearing, galling and seizure.

The full presentation can be found online at: http://plast.pse.tut.ac.jp/present/cold_stamping1.pdf CM

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FABRICATING & WELDING NEWS

CWA hosts live demonstrations and award night gala

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

Students observe a live demonstration of sub-arc welding at CWA’s demonstration and award event April 1, 2014. (photo: Nestor Gula)

S

tudents and welding professionals gathered at the headquarters of the Canadian Welding Association in Milton, Ontario on April 1, 2014 to see live demonstrations of the latest welding technology. On hand were also representatives of several Ontario colleges that offer welding programs: Conestoga College in Cambridge, Northern College of Applied Arts and Technology in Kirkland Lake and Seneca College in King City which was presenting its underwater welding certificate.

In the demonstration area, on show was ESAB’s E3 plasma cutter and their sub-arc system, Lincoln Electric’s VRTEX mobile virtual reality arc welding training system, ABB with robotic automation, Fronius showed its MIG systems, ITW had MIG and TIG setups that anyone could have a hand at, Victor Technologies showed off its systems and Gullco presented their mechanized melding automation systems.

This session, which opened at 2:00 p.m., was free and open to the public to showcase new technologies present in the welding industry. It also gave attendees a chance for hands on experience with these technologies.

The next seminar, dinner and student awards presentation started at 6:00 p.m. with Mr. Dan Tadic, Executive Director ... continues on page 50

CWA Executive Director, Dan Tadic addressing the assembled. (photo: Nestor Gula)

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FABRICATING & WELDING NEWS

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of the Canadian Welding Association, thanking all present for their attendance and revealing CWA’s new focus on welding education. The campaign, called “Behind the Mask”, features, amongst many other programs, five intriguing posters that are aimed at young Canadians with the goal to entice them to look at welding as a career option. In his opening remarks Tadic stated that one of the goals of CWA is to expand welding education in Canada, “to make it the best welding education in North America.”

The seminar continued with presentations by students.

Christopher Gobbi, an undergraduate student at the University of Waterloo presented Friction Stir Welding of Thick Section Aluminium Alloys. James Medemblik, a student at Conestoga College presented a study on the Commissioning of a New Arc Welding Robot of Aluminium GMAW. Tim Colpitts from Northern College had a fascinating presentation titled Predicting Distortion in Carbon and Austenitic Stainless Steel Welds using VrWeld Computational Weld Mechanics Software.

Two awards were handed out to students who excelled in welding education. The recipients were Kaylie Iserhoff from Northern College of Applied Arts and Technology and Zoë McLellan from Conestoga College.

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Kaylie Iserhoff being presented with her award for excellent academic record in the Welding Engineering Technology Program at the Northern College of Applied Arts and Technology (photo: Nestor Gula)

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FABRICATING & WELDING NEWS

Linde Canada acquires two Quebec-based gases and welding suppliers MISSISSAUGA — Linde Canada Limited has purchased the shares of two Quebec-based industrial gas companies — Oxygene Sorel-Tracy (OST) and Soudure Industrielle du Richelieu Metropolitain Inc. (SIRM).

Both companies are located in SorelTracy, Quebec, and have been supplying industrial gases, welding equipment and services to customers in the area for decades.

OST was established in 1980 and sells gases to heavy industry, while SIRM has 40 years of experience selling welding hardgoods, renting welders and repairing welders, cutting torches and gas regulators.

“This acquisition gives Linde greater presence in that region of Quebec,” stated Chris Ebeling, vice president and general manager for Linde Canada.

“The companies are located just 70 kilometers northeast of the Linde fill plant in Montreal and gives us a competitive edge in serving industrial customers in that market. SIRM’s rental and repair business presents a step out opportunity for Linde. Also, SIRM’s operation is scalable and allows other Linde branches to take advantage of its rental and repair expertise.”

Linde Canada specializes in industrial, medical and specialty gases, as well as welding and cutting equipment and safety supplies, and is an affiliate of Linde North America. www.linde.com

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Pipe welding: Anywhere, anytime

Pipe welding in the field is clean and efficient

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

T

hose that have not seen what modern pipe welding is all about have an image of this endeavour that is truly prehistoric. The image is of rusted pipes scattered haphazardly about the field as burly men weld pipe by hand with cigarettes clamped between their teeth.

This image makes a great movie but doesn’t reflect today’s world. “Pipeline welding operators often face rigorous environments, where weather and wind can be factors. Machines used for pipe welding in the field must be durable, reliable and designed to stand up to the sometimes very harsh conditions,” said Jim Byrne, Manager – Application/Sales Group for Pipe Welding Products at Miller Electric Mfg. Co. “The processes and equipment also need to provide welding operators with the flexibility to work on expansive job sites (e.g. via remote welding controls) and the ability to consistently produce high quality welds that stand up to code requirements. Individual steps to creating a successful weld include (among others), good weld joint preparation, proper filler metal storage, proper adherence to weld parameter and proper welding operator training. These

practices are equally important to creating quality welds on pipe in a fabrication setting.”

We most associate the term pipeline with carrying crude oil. “Pipelines are used to transport may things: water, natural gas, crude oil, gasoline and solids in a slurry solution to name but a few,” said Bruce Clark, Director, Marketing and Export Sales for Lincoln Electric Canada.

“The materials that pipeline are made of range from plastic to high-yield steel, aluminium, stainless steel and special varieties of stainless steel like Duplex and Super Duplex.

The level of quality required for the pipe itself and the welded joint depends on the type of product being piped and the governing body responsible for the safety of the finished line. Suffice to say when transporting products like natural gas, or crude oil a great deal of attention is paid to the soundness of the welds and can require 100% of the welds to be x-rayed. In order to assure successful welds and zero to low repair rates pipelines require all welders to be prequalified before the job starts and from then on they must follow the welding procedures to the letter. To make sure they do there is always a quality control team on site that follows the progress of the pipe from start to finish.”

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FIT UP IS CRITICAL Although pipe that are used to build lines may have the same nominal diameter, they are not all the same. No pipe is round and no pipe is the same the saying goes.

“In the manufacturing process, they will most likely use submerged arc welding to join the seam after the pipe has been rolled,”said Nick Drake, Marketing Manager at Gullco International. “A larger pipe has to be produced that way. You will not find a large pipe that has been extruded and has no seam at all, when you are dealing with pipelines. Because of that process, and submerged arc welding, you get a lot of heat and warpage. This results in inaccuracy in the pipe fit-up in the field.” Due to this minor variance matching up and placing the first welds is a complex and skilled endeavour. “It becomes very difficult to automate the the root pass, which is the initial weld that brings the two pieces of pipe together.

That either gets done by MIG, which is a wire fed welding process, or by stick electrodes. There are some automated carriages that can lay the root but they are very expensive and the pipe set-up has to be very accurate.

So when you get out to the field that becomes less and less possible and therefore you lay the root by hand and the subsequent welds can be automated,” said Drake.

CLEAN THE JOINTS Like all welding, a clean joint is essential in pipeline welding. The image of rusty pipes lying in a field is from a bygone era. Most of the time a pipe is delivered to the site covered with a coating that covers the pipe from manufacturing, during transportation and to the final delivery. “The pipe can be as rusty as anything in the middle it just cannot have rust on the joint,” said Drake.

“Joint cleanliness is critical for producing-defect free

Stick welding is still prevalent in the pipeline industry (image courtesy of Esab)

welds and at a minimum the pipe ends will be cleaned mechanically with abrasive wheels immediately prior to welding,” said Gordon Eadie, Global Pipeline Segment Manager for ESAB Welding & Cutting Products. For some larger projects the procedure is more advanced than a simple grind with an angle grinder. “First of all you have to be able to create the proper welding temperature by preheating for the type of steel that you are using,” said Jack Wallin, Product Manager for Stoody. “If you are outside and you are making a pipeline and it is raining than you better have something that will cover you from the wind and the elements. Then you must clean the deposits by grinding the surface to make sure that you are free of all contaminants such as hydrogen, moisture left on the pipe, hydrocarbons such as oil on the pipe, and rust. You need a clean joint to start with.”

One only has to look at the controversy surrounding the XL pipeline proposal to know that there are great environmental concerns over pipelines. Pipeline construction is subject to rigorous testing by various federal agencies. “Clean joints are extremely important

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GULLCO INTERNATIONAL LTD. 1175 Nicholson Road - Newmarket - Ontario - L3Y9C3 Tel: 905.953.4140 Fax: 905.953.4138 e-mail: sales@gullco.com

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because you won’t get the weld to pass the test if the joint has corrosion or moisture rust in the joint,” said Drake. “A clean joint is imperative to having the weld pass the test that is needed so that work can move on.

They do one of two things. They preheat very often to extremely high temperatures, as much a upwards of 400 degrees Fahrenheit. That helps get rid of all the moisture and that also affects the fit-up because any time you are transferring heat into the material you can cause warpage and can cause the fit up to change again.

Every single weld joint will get X-rayed. They will strap a track on and then an X-ray camera that will run around the weld and they will be able to see any defect that might exist.

Two welders work on a pipe to minimize warpage (image courtesy of Lincoln Electric)

A clean joint when welding reduces the chance of porosity and a bad weld. “Porosity is always present to one extent or another, but there are rules based on scientific studies that state how much and where porosity is acceptable,” said Clark. “Porosity can be avoided by following a number of simple rules. Follow the electrode manufacturers guidelines for the care and storage of the welding electrodes, and if they are exposed to moisture, again follow the manufacturers recommendations for re-drying them.

Although porosity can occur when welding, it is a defect that often can be easily addressed. “Some common causes of porosity include the presence of moisture on the weld metal; contaminants such as dirt or oil on the material surface; nozzles plugged with spatter; and excess shielding gas levels,” said Jim Byrne, Manager – Application/Sales Group for Pipe Welding Products

at Miller Electric Mfg. Co. “Some tips for preventing these issues are: preheating the material to evaporate moisture and proper storage of filler metals to prevent them from becoming damp; cleaning the surface prior to welding to remove impurities; clearing plugged nozzles of spatter; protecting the shielding gas from airflow or drafts that may disturb it and adjusting gas flow so it’s not too high. On the code quality welds required on pipeline applications, porosity can cause failure of x-ray testing, leading to costly and time-consuming rework. In many cases, the downtime for such rework could lead to missed deadlines or potential fines for delays.”

Besides protecting the weld itself, when MIG welding one must ensure that the sheilding gas is not blown away. “All welds are protected from the elements (wind and rain) as loss of shielding gas for wire processes or water ingress into the arc area can potentially result in weld defects,”said Eadie. “All surface breaking porosity would be classed as a defect and should be removed / repaired. Porosity can also increase the risk of cracks due to changes in cross section. Porosity is a permissible defect provided it is within the limits detailed in the applicable acceptance criteria.

AUTOMATION FOR THE PIPELINE Although there is still a lot of hand-held welding being done in the pipeline industry, automation is taking hold.

“New technologies available in some machines designed for field and fabrication shop applications make advanced welding processes easier to use in pipe welding than ever before, though proper training and maintenance remain important,” said Byrne. “Some modified short circuit MIG processes precisely monitor and control the arc with advanced software, which results in a calm, controllable puddle. Such processes are well suited to produce code quality work for the root pass in pipe welding, to help improve productivity and reduce rework.

Some available pulsed MIG and modified short circuit MIG processes can monitor and adjust parameters up to 20,000 times per second to maintain optimum arc conditions. Quick process changeover between available options also helps with productivity in the shop. Some systems in the market even provide push button weld process selection and eliminate the need to swap cables, which helps increase arc time while also accommodating various weld procedures and weld pass progressions.”

Automated pipeline welding has its own complications since a pipe is round and you cannot rotate it to maintain an optimal welding position. “The use of welding “bugs” is on the increase and many regions now have very little in the way of manually welded pipelines,” said Eadie. “Also, the use of AUT (automatic ... continues on page 88

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YOU listEnEd. YOU dEliVErEd. Congratulations ViCtor 100th anniVersary Contest Winners! ®

A

t Victor, we are committed to the future of this industry, not only in crafting better and safer equipment, but to the people that will use them… the next generation of welders. In support of educators and their students, Victor is proud to offer cash awards along with free cutting and welding equipment to winners in the “A Cut Above” contest. In addition, Victor provides educational kits to welding programs located across the country and educational institutions can receive a discount on purchases from qualified Victor Technologies™ distributors.

Congratulations to all the winners!

For more information, visit VictorTechnologies.com

Contact your local distributor or visit VictorEquip.com

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Winning schools receive the Victor Journeyman 450 outfit

Victor is a registered trademark of Victor Technologies™. © 2014 Victor Technologies International, Inc.

3/31/14 5:05 PM 14-04-30 2:25 PM

Shop Gives Props to Donein-one Cellular Manufacturing Hartzell Propeller uses advanced tech to reduce costs and maintain quality in critical assemblies

H

artzell Propeller Inc, with roots tracing back to a relationship with the Wright Airplane Co. (founded by the Wright Brothers) is one shop that gives the utmost proper recognition to manufacturing cells – in particular those that incorporate multi-tasking done-inone machine technology. These special types of cells, over the past few years, have not only allowed the shop to continuously boost its aircraft propeller production output, but do so using less equipment and smaller amounts of manufacturing floor space.

Located in Piqua, Ohio, Hartzell Propeller manufactures propeller assemblies – basically every component from an aircraft’s engine forward to its nose.

The company’s other divisions include Hartzell Engine Technologies that makes aircraft turbocharging systems, alternators, cabin heating systems, starters and fuel pumps; Mayday Manufacturing that produces bushings and components for landing gear; and Hartzell Aerospace makes aircraft environmental system components and noise attenuation devices.

Hartzell Propeller employs 300 people and is a high-volume, high-production shop that runs 24/7. It

puts out between 350 and 400 propeller assemblies per month, and one assembly constitutes about 200 individual parts. Half the shop’s business is producing brand new assemblies, while the other half is support and spare parts.

In the early 1990s, Hartzell installed its first group of manufacturing cells and now has about 16 that it has been continuously transforming into what are referred to as high-performance cells. These cells, based on advanced machine technology, provide done-in-one part processing capability and are self-contained as well as self-directed.

“Precision and quality come first, and our goal is quality products every time, with shorter lead times and at the lowest possible cost,” said Craig Barhorst, manufacturing manager at Hartzell Propeller. “We accomplish this – while also controlling costs and increasing productivity – through advanced manufacturing technology. And when it comes to our high-performance cells – in addition to in-process inspection – the multi-tasking Done-In-One machine tool technology from Mazak has proven to be very effective.”

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As Hartzell continues to incorporate more multitasking Done-In-One machine technology, Barhorst said the shop reduces the amount of machines needed in a cell, increases output per cell operator, completes parts in single simple setups, improves part accuracy and slashes overall part cycle times. In fact, he indicated that, on average, one Mazak Multi-Tasking machine allows his individual operators to each pump out the work equivalent to that of four or five conventional machines.

When adding a new piece of equipment to one of its cells, Hartzell will first prove out the machine at the company’s production simulation facility. Machinists will determine the best part fixtures, setups and tooling to use. Then, they will conduct production test runs of the actual part/parts the machine will be making to fine-tune the sequence of machining operations and achieve the shortest cycle times possible.

Off-line testing, according to Justin Carter, CNC programmer and process development manager at Hartzell, allows the shop to “work out all the bugs” of a new machining process without ...time to FEED disrupting production operations at the main plant. The test facility also provides the perfect place for the machinist that will run the new system to Hig h Feed Milling Cutter actually train on it. And he added that once the production line is up, both the machinist and the new machine are Large Depths instantly productive. of Cut Over the last year or so, Hartzell Propeller set up, tooled up and test ran Wiper Edge several Mazak Multi-Tasking machines that were then installed at Hartzell Engine Technologies. But most recently, Hartzell tested three other advanced General Milling Mazak machine tools for incorporating into high-performance cells at the propeller manufacturing facility. Those machines were a Mazak INTEGREX e-420H-S full 5-axis Multi-Tasking MaProven x PRODUCTIVITY of its Competitors! chine, INTEGREX i-200ST Multi-Tasking up to Machine and a QUICK TURN NEXUS Kyocera’s new MFH-Raptor utilizes a contoured cutting-edge design Scan for More 400-II Turning Center. producing reduced cutting forces and lower vibrations. Choose from 3 Information unique chipbreaker designs to devour a variety of milling applications, The INTEGREX e-420H-S delivers including face milling, shouldering, ramping, helical milling, and plunging.

Done-in-One machining capability via For a limited time, the MFH-Raptor can be purchased as part of a two turning spindles and 12,000-rpm customizable, cost-efficient kit. Call 800-823-7284 for more information milling spindle with 240-degree B-axis or visit americas.kyocera.com/raptor movement. While on the INTEGREX Ky o cera Ind us t rial C eramics C o rp . - C ut t ing T o o ls D iv i s i o n i-200ST, twin turning spindles and

MFH-RAPT R

3

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a 12,000-rpm milling spindle with 240 degree B axis together with a lower turret provide the same capability.

The QUICK TURN NEXUS 400-II features 12-tool turret, maximum machining diameter of 22.8” and powerful 2,500-rpm 50-hp turning spindle.

On both the INTEGREX machines, Hartzell opted for Capto C6 spindle interfaces as well as expanded tool capacities – 80 on the INTEGREX e-420 and 110 (split magazines with 55 each) for the INTEGREX i-200ST. The reason for these larger tool magazines, according to Carter, is that the shop wants to set up tools and forget them.

“We don’t want our machinists wasting time having to pull tools in and out of a machine,” he explained. “Sometimes the tooling is redundant, but in most instances, it’s all different and pre-staged to handle families of parts within a cell.”

One key family of parts that will benefit from Mazak’s advanced machine tool technology is the blades for propeller assemblies. Hartzell estimates that the INTEGREX e-420H-S – loaded with advanced programming software, special tooling and custom fixturing – will slash machining cycle times by as much as 50 percent.

The shop produces over 500 different part number

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blades from a basic group of six different sized largeenvelope forgings – largest size aircraft blade measures 5’ long and a special wind tunnel blade is 7’ long. Blades receive some rough machining on the O.D.s and I.D.s of their shanks – the interface to the hub of the propeller assembly. Then the airfoil contours get machined.

Depending on size, complete machining time can range from 15 minutes up to an hour (for larger sizes). composite blades, that once required turning, milling In machining operations, blades rotate around via the and drilling on separate machines, are now completed machine’s synchronized C-axis motion. in single setup sequential operations. The machine es... continues on page 90 Balance among each blade of a propeller assembly is extremely critical, which is why Hartzell manufactures blades in sets. So for three-blade assemblies, for example, the shop would make the blades in groups of 3, 6, 9 and 12. And for tracking purposes, blades are serialized.

“Even though our manufacturing processes are extremely repeatable, there are several stages in blade set manufacturing when we will check balance,” explained Barhorst. “And when they are complete, we subject them to a digital balancing operation, then again when they are together as a complete propeller assembly.”

However, Barhorst added that with the highly accurate Mazak machine tool technology, the shop eliminates the necessity of machining serialized sets all at one time. Instead, it gains the production flexibility to, for instance, switch from machining blades for a three-blade propeller assembly to those for a four-blade assembly and back again – all on the same machine and without affecting blade integrity, accuracy or balance.

“What this means is that a blade we produce today will be the same fOR USC 21 PIPE THREADING MACHINE as a blade we produce in the future, ALL THREAD TYPES: API & GOST but minus the variation we might have STANDARD AND had in the past, “commented Barhorst.

ALL PREMIUM THREADS “The Mazaks take the variation out of our processes and increase repeatabil1 2 3 ity, allowing us to produce a perfect blade every time, one after the other.”

MODULAR TOP HIGH Along with precision and repeatDESIGN QUALITY PRODUCTIVITY ability, the multi-tasking Done-In-One » Designed for » High rigidity » Efficient capability of Hartzell’s INTEGREX 2-, 4- and 6-axis MINERALIT® production solutions machining polymer concrete with integrated i-200ST gives the shop added processmachine base automation www.emag.com ing power. Parts, such as shanks for

Perfect Thread Cutting

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Workin’ It What’s new in workholding products

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

O

ne of the more interesting aspects of the workholding sector is the extent to which customization still prevails.

“Approximately 30 per cent on average” of Hardinge’s workholding products are custom manufactured for a specific application, says Rick Schonher, workholding products manager at Hardinge in Elmira, New York.

Manufacturers “use a wide variety of workholding applications specific to their products. Workholding applications are always changing and adapting to customer specific processes,” echoes Joe Shouvlin, president at Dillon Manufacturing Inc., of Springfield, Ohio.

“We continue to provide custom workholding solutions—chuck jaws and collet pads manufactured to customer specifications. In fact to simplify the process,

we’ve created a ‘fill in the blanks’ custom quote format in our just-printed catalogue so that customers can easily configure the jaws and pads that they need. And we can quote and manufacture them to spec,” adds Shouvlin.

IT’S NOT ALL CUSTOM PROJECTS, HOWEVER There are new or newly adapted “off the shelf” workholding products on the market, from vises, to emergency collets, jaw change systems, power chucks and power clamps. Of particular interest is a vise jaw system from Italy with unique gripping ability, a new lubricant for manual and power chucks, and a vise that offers a vertical workholding solution for secondary machining.

Here’s a look at what’s new and/or noteworthy when it comes to workholding:

ROHM The DURO-NCSE Flex power chuck from Rohm Products of America, a clamping and gripping technology provider based in Lawrenceville, Georgia, offers a fast and easy way to change out jaws and clamping tools.

The DURO-NCSE Flex power chuck is recommended for machine shops that require frequent clamping tool changes. The power chuck lets machinists switch from mandrels to collet chucks

to face drivers and centers without having to take the power chuck from the machine tool. The DURO-NCSE is also handy for short-bar feeding applications as it offers increased workpiece support at the machine tool spindle.

When in use, the DURO-NCSE works as a standard three-jaw chuck. www.rohm-products.com The DURO-NCSE Flex power chuck from Rohm Products of America

HARDINGE Hardinge has released new 16C emergency collets.

“An emergency collet is the solution for those instances when an odd size, unusual shape or stepped hole collet is required but not readily available,” explains Schonher.

The new 16C emergency collets come in two styles. The first style is a 16C EN2-4 emergency collet that offers a 1/16th pilot hole and a ½ inch straight out extended nose. The second style is the 16C EN1-4, which offers a 1/16th pilot hole and a one inch straight out extended nose. Internal threads are included in both of these collets for positive stops.

Hardinge also recently released several new Swiss collets as standard off-the-shelf products. These include the TF43 headstock collets, STM38 guide bushing and BS38 pickoff collet.

The TF43 headstock collets are machined to precise size and

Hardinge emergency collets

T.I.R. (Total Indicator Reading) while the STM38 guide bushings are carbide lined to keep the stock clean and unmarked. The BS38 pickoff collets meanwhile, are available in standard length or extended nose versions. The extended nose collets may be straight out or tapered to compensate for tooling interference. www.hardingeus.com

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BIG KAISER Late last year, Big Kaiser Precision Tooling Inc., in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, made their flexible, modular Unilock Zero-Point Clamping System available in a kit designed specifically for all Haas 160 mm platter rotary indexing tables.

The Unilock system, boasts Big Kaiser, “virtually eliminates all setup time and replaces it with production time.”

The Unilock Zero-Point Clamping System uses spring pressure to drive multiple clamping pins against a tapered clamping knob. Air pressure compresses the springs to release the clamping pins off the clamping knob. This clamping The Unilock ISM160 has been adapted to the Haas 160 platter size for use on process is achieved by venting air pressure out of the chuck. To trunnions and indexers to allow for quick fixture changes on multi-axis systems.” facilitate palletization, the clamping knob is attached to a base plate, fixture or directly to a workpiece. The end-result is fast and repeatable clamping better than .0002 inches (.005 mm) all with a retention force between 1,100 – 1,540 pounds.

The Unilock chuck can be opened in seconds to allow machinists to swap out the workpiece or fixture.

John Zaya, product manager workholding at Big Kaiser, describes the Unilock ZeroPoint Clamping System as “fairly robust • Available in - Serrated, Acme Key, Square Key, Tongue … the knobs don’t require much special and Groove styles handling … the clamping units themselves

Reversible Hard Jaws

are extremely robust. They are also very simple. Not a lot of external components.” www.bigkaiser.com

• Option of either single or two-step jaws • Reversible - suitable for OD & ID workholding • Accurate gripping and locating serrations • Heat treated and precision ground • Diamond shaped serrations and black oxide finish • Made in the USA

The Pronto Quick Jaw Change System from Schunk

SCHUNK The Pronto Quick Jaw Change System from Schunk, of Morrisville, North Carolina, boasts a change-over time of five seconds per jaw.

The Pronto system provides quick set-up times for all standard lathe chucks with fine serrations of 1/16 inches x 90 degrees and 1.5 mm x 60 degrees. The system is suitable for O.D. clamping of pre-machined and finished parts. Using an interchangeable insert, the clamping range can be increased ... continues on page 62

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 | MAY 2014 | 61

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... continued from page 61

by up to 16 mm without having to reset the supporting jaw.

When it comes to jaw changes, the locking is released with an Allen key after which the jaw is removed and replaced by another jaw, eliminating incorrect positioning. Three supporting jaw variations are available for small, medium and large

clamping ranges. Four hard claw inserts for various diameters and clamping ranges as well as soft interchangeable inserts for finished parts processing are provided. Clamping depth can be varied using a workpiece stop. www.schunk.com

Dillon, maker of standard and customized workholding solutions, has introduced HPG500, a premium lubricant that prevents metal-to-metal contact under high load or slow speed conditions for either high-end manual chucks or power chucks.

HPG500 offers exceptional mechanical stability and high load carrying capacity, as well as excellent water and moisture resistance. The grease also boasts impressive rust and corrosion resistance. This all-purpose industrial lubricant can be used in bearings, bushing, slides, pivots, etc. Dillon recommends using HPG500 in situations requiring high lubricity, EP (Extreme Pressure) properties, mechanical stability, rust and corrosion protection.

Dillon offers several other workholding products, including Soft Blank Top Jaws. These Soft Blank Top Jaws can be removed and reused later for the same operation or machined to grip a new part until the blanks are consumed.

Soft Blank Top Jaws “Jaw points are milled providing location accuracy of the points when turning small diameter parts.

This ensures accuracy and repeatability,” says Shouvlin.

HPG500 lubricant for manual and power chucks from Dillon

Dillon’s DMI Series of extra high chuck jaws boast extended jaw lengths and heights up to 10 inches. The longer lengths are designed to provide greater workpiece stability. The DMI series of extra high chuck jaws are recommended for precision boring, tapping, drilling, finishing, etc.

Dillon also sells Jaw Nuts and Keys, made from 4140 heat treated steel and offering excellent wear and impact resistance, extended jaw nut life and high tensile strength. These Jaw Nuts and Keys are recommended for any workholding application that requires durability and strength, such as high speed machining. www.dillonmfg.com

© 2014 SCHUNK GmbH & Co. KG

DILLON

LEXAIR that mate with walls on the pocket have a five Lexair of Lexington Kentucky distributes workholddegree negative angle on them that corresponds ing products from OML, an Italian manufacturer of with an angle on the walls of the pocket. Thus modular clamping systems, tombstones, indexing clamp force on the jaws translates into a downward tables and precision vises. force on the inserts and workpiece. In addition, the Among OML’s latest wares: SinterGrip vise jaws. mating triangular shapes self-center the inserts “[The SinterGrip jaw system] can fit any vise … to ensure 100 percent clearance-free contact it allows the gripping of a part no more than 3.5 between the workpiece and the vise jaw to absorb, mm in size. So you’re not gripping on a lot of part. not amplify, vibration. Clamp force on the inserts The teeth are designed on the inserts to penetrate spreads diagonally into the jaw, not straight into it,” this material. It’s a pretty tenacious grip. You could explains Lexair literature. do some really heavy milling and not lose the The SinterGrip system was developed to enable part,” says Steve Breslin, national sales manager SinterGrip vise jaws, made by Italian five-axis machining of high-value aerospace and at Lexair. firm OML, distributed in North America by Lexair medical parts in a single setup.

The SinterGrip jaws are available in widths up “In the industry right now, in five-axis workholdto eight inches (200 mm) and can be installed on ing, you have to machine a dovetail on the bottom of the part most vises with mechanical, mechanical/hydraulic or hydraulic and you have a dovetail gripping mechanism. And once you mill clamping systems. the part then you have to take it out and mill the dovetail off of “Each jaw has a series of triangular dovetailed pockets it. So we eliminate all of that,” states Breslin. across the top edge into which serrated carbide inserts are www.lexairinc.com placed, secured by screws. The two vertical edges of the insert

... continues on page 93

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100 % control

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clamping force block

NSR Robot Coupling

© 2014 SCHUNK GmbH & Co. KG

300 kg load bearing capacity

NSA

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100 kN Holding Force

Your automated machine loading.

It’s time to make use of your machine’s full potential. www.ca.schunk.com/machine-potential Jens Lehmann, Brand Ambassador of SCHUNK, the family-owned company

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Tap Dance

Thread forming by tapping and milling moves toward greater productivity

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

T

here’s a brand new tap in town that might cause a stir in tapping/threading circles. Pundits, meanwhile, continue to mull over ongoing sector trends, from thread milling to fast-tapping.

According to its makers, SpeedTaps are the first line of taps that can be used with impact wrenches and/or traditional sockets and wrenches. The goal, as the brand name implies, is quicker tapping.

SpeedTaps are “right up there with the Robertson screwdriver” in terms of great Canadian inventions, claims Dan Cormier, regional sales manager at Vancouver, BC-based SpeedTap Industries, half-jokingly.

Introduced in late 2013, it has yet to be seen whether SpeedTaps will be a hit or miss with machinists and fabricators.

While the SpeedTaps line makes its mark, industry experts weigh in on subjects such as thread milling.

While the latter is gaining in popularity, tapping still reigns in certain settings, say experts.

“For threads that are a longer engagement than 2 x diameter or 2.5 x diameter, tapping is still the best option except for large diameter threads where the cost of the tap can become quite high. That is purely due to the physics of the tool. You get too much bending motion of the thread mill, where you have to make multiple passes. Tapping is still quicker if you get 3 x diameter or 4 x diameter or deeper … I think applications that are not deep holes, however, most of those are going to move towards thread milling,” says Cullen Morrison, business development manager threading, Komet of America, in Schaumburg, Illinois.

“Thread mills are usually fairly short and at times not suitable for deep threads. You don’t usually see many long series thread mills. Then you start to get into deflection and more passes are required. In the thread milling process, usually we start at the bottom of the hole and interpolate the thread which can be time consuming. With a tap, you just travel on one axis down to the bottom and back out. It’s quicker,” adds

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W NE

Walter has introduced Prototyp Prototex Eco Plus, a tap made from HSS-E-PM that can handle through-hole threads up to 3.5 x D. “These taps have a wide application range in steel, stainless steel, non-ferrous and cast iron,” says Pat Nehls, product manager at Walter USA in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

Such versatility is a boon to machinists looking to cut down on tool purchases. The tap boasts a new pre-treatment that enhances adhesion of the THL hard material coating, resulting in better performance and longer tool life.

Walter has also completed their lineup of Xpert taps with the introduction of Xpert K (designed for machining cast iron materials) and Xpert N (a spiral point tap designed for non-ferrous metals, particularly AlSi alloys with up to seven percent Si content or pure copper).

The lineup also includes “Xpert P (for ISO P materials, steel) and Xpert M (for ISO materials M, stainless steel),” says Nehls. www.walter-tools.com

Si ze

WALTER

Tested Trusted

Most Productive

The new Drilling Threadmaster (DTM) from Seco Tools, LLC, “is for high production houses or machine builders or someone that puts a lot of holes and threads in … it does three operations with one tool,” says Don Halas, product manager, threading,

The Original

Since Emuge introduced MultiTAP, the industry’s first highperformance multi-purpose tap, imitators are trying to follow. But MultiTAP users know what works best. MultiTAP is the ONE.

“ MultiTAP is the most productive tool we have.

After 700 holes in A572 plate grade 50, the tap looked new.”

“ After weeks of intensive testing, MultiTAP scored highest in performance and tool life. It is the truest general purpose tap available.”

Also Available in NEW Form Taps!

Learn about our guarantee and see MultiTAP in action.

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McEachern points to other trends.

“One of the things we’re seeing with the tapping industry is that you have to have a really broad offer with taps. Drills and taps to create the right size hole and the right sized thread,” he states.

Taps that cover a broad range of materials and applications are also popular, for obvious reasons.

Versatile taps means less inventory which means reduced costs.

With all this in mind, here’s a look at what’s new and/ or noteworthy in tapping and threading tools:

sA va ila bl e!

Randy McEachern, product and application specialist, holemaking and tooling systems, Sandvik Coromant Canada in Mississauga, ON. Which leads to a related question: is faster-tapping (once dubbed the “Holy Grail of machining” by Canadian Metalworking magazine) still a key priority?

“Faster tapping is always great but I would say a lot of machine shops would love to have a more consistent tool. A tool they can depend on, that always gets 5,000 holes, 500 holes, five million holes or whatever it is,” says Morrison.

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Introducing the EcoLine Fine Boring System by Swiss Tools (Ø1.57 - 3.94” on an ER25 Taper)

Joshua Wheatley, operations director and co-founder of SpeedTap Industries, was toiling as a tradesman in the London, UK subway system when he had an epiphany.

“I worked a job for the King’s Cross underground upgrades [from 2005 – 2010] and they had 40 – 60 guys tapping by hand. I just thought, there’s got to be a better way of doing this,” recalls Wheatley.

Wheatley turned this insight into a personal mission to design and build a better tap. Through trial, error and experimentation, Wheatley developed SpeedTaps, a tapping line which can be

Sy The BR RO ste To m ol i OA T E x ng pe L r ts CH AR in A IN Y G & Lin W L S ITH IN ON EA ET R OO L

thread milling, grooving and MDT (multi-directional turning) and oil field threading with Seco, based in Troy, Michigan.

The three operations in question are drilling, chamfering and threading holes. This three-in-one capability offers several advantages, namely reduced tool costs, reduced need for storage space within machine tools and fewer tool changes when part processing.

“The DTM’s tip drills holes, so no extra depth is required. As the tool reaches the bottom of a hole, it automatically chamfers the top of the hole diameter. Threads are then quickly and precisely milled through helical interpolation,” reads a press release.

“The name of the game is productivity. If you want to get things out faster, this is a way to do it,” says Halas. www.secotools.com ERI America_CMW_05-14.pdf 1 4/25/2014 5:30:57 PM

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Hatch cites several notable features of the Z-Tap: “Z-Geomused with impact wrenches and/or traditional sockets and etry with special relief and rake angles for tough, long chipping wrenches. Made with M2 tool steel, each SpeedTap has a materials, advanced chamfer geometry for optimized tool life, nitrate coating (for extended tap life), a patent pending flared increased number of flutes with high 45 degree helix angle, head (which reduces tangential force while maximizing torque shortened thread section for less friction and unique cutting transfer) and a head size that matches bolt size for single tool geometry and flute form for efficient chip control.” operation of tapping and bolting.

For best results, Emuge recommends using Z-Taps on CNC “What we’re doing is providing the tradesman with a better machines featuring synchronous spindles that use emulsion tool to use,” says Wheatley. coolant lubricant and synchronous tap holders.

Tapping with an impact gun and a SpeedTap is “about 15 www.emuge.com times faster than traditional hand tapping,” he adds.

While the SpeedTaps line has only been on the yg-1_cdn_mw-nov2013_Island-rev_Layout market a few ... 1continues on page 94 1 13-10-03 2:55 PM Page months, the product’s designer is already looking to the future.

“We’re in research and development right now, to get into heavier industrial taps,” says Wheatley. www.speedtaps.com

Combo TAP

EMUGE

ONE TAP All Materials The newly released “Z-Tap” program from Emuge Corporation of West Boylston, Massa­ chusetts is a line of taps designed for use with stainless steels, high strength alloys, tool steels and cast steels less than or equal to 30 HRC. Z-Taps boast a newly developed multilayered coating called GLT-1 which offers “a hard surface coating with anti-friction layer.

The combination of a hard surface coating (3000 HV) superimposed with an anti-friction layer yields decisive tool life advantages. A secondary advantage is improved chip flow,” says Mark Hatch, product director at Emuge.

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Why cutting should be wet The versatility of waterjet cutting is enhanced as power increases

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

T

hick or thin, whatever material you might be faced with – a waterjet system will most likely be able to cut it. “A waterjet can process just about any type of material in virtually any thickness from the thin side to the thick side,” said Scott Wirtanen, regional sales manager for Jet Edge, Inc. “The only thing that you can’t really process is tempered glass.”

Where some metals and materials cannot be easily cut with other systems, a waterjet setup will be able to handle it. “Metals which are detrimental, or not conducive to be used with lasers, such as plastics, aluminium, anything that is reflective, obviously, is detrimental in the fabrication with lasers,” said Steve Szesniak, National Waterjet Product Manager for MC Machinery. “It also gives you the versatility by going much, much thicker than a laser can. For instance, a 6kw laser is pretty much limited to three-quarter or one-inch material, where a waterjet can cut material which is 10 inches thick.”

Faster and more precise, waterjets are evolving at a steady pace. “The advancements of our technologies, the dynamic waterjet, that produce highly accurate parts with finished part tolerances of 1 to 3 thousandths of an inch (+/– 0.001 to 0.003 inch),” said Chip Burnham, Vice President, Global Marketing for Flow International Corporation. “It will also do this two to four times faster than previously.”

With a waterjet, a fabrication shop would have absolutely no processing limitations and could cut any job that was presented to them. “There are two main categories for waterjets and hence the reason for capability limitations and also differences in price. These two main categories are precision and non-precision waterjets and each one has its respective applications,” said Frank Arteaga, Head of Product Marketing, Bystronic Inc. “Non-precision waterjets do not require the accuracy – neither in the motion systems nor in the abrasive

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cutting head to process their applications. These are known as stone and marble waterjet cutters and are used where accuracy is measured in fractions of an inch rather than thousands of an inch. Precision waterjets on the other hand are capable of cutting to exacting tolerances measured in thousandths of an inch. Dense materials such as metals are usually limited to about 6 inches and non-dense materials such as foam to about 8-inches thick depending on the machine.”

Because of a waterjet’s diverse capabilities a waterjet system is a perfect tool for a job shop that services many clients with diverse needs. “It fits perfectly into a shop that keeps an “open door” policy on any and all types of business that might come through the door,” said Mark Trimper, Senior Regional Manager at OMAX Waterjets. The new control systems mounted to all waterjet systems bring the flexibility one step further.

“It puts all the expertise into the software, making fast and easy turn-around a constant feature on a waterjet, perfect for the typical fab shop. Set-up time is minimal compared to many other machines you might find in a fab shop, so short runs, one-off parts, changing on the fly, etc.. all become very advantageous for our tables,” he said. “A precise waterjet will many times provide you with the finished part, thus no secondary operation may be needed and therefore reducing your overall part costs by saving time, machine time, labour, and ultimately money.”

“Waterjet provides the best edge. There is no heat, there is no stress. You end up with a satin smooth surface,” said Burnham. “It is regarded as the best edge in

metalworking. Without any heat and without any stress you are you are basically back to a virgin material that retains all the original properties such as tensile strength, hardness, etc.”

The reason for the waterjets ability to produce clean and accurate cuts which need no secondary operation to get ready for welding or painting is in the process itself.

“Waterjet cutting doesn’t produce a HAZ (heat affected zone) and it minimizes the local stresses induced in thicker material,” said Daniel Austin, Sales and Marketing Manager at MultiCam Canada. “Fabricators, particularly, appreciate this capability when cutting thicker parts, where an abrasive jet can be used to outline the final shape of a milled pocket, for example, before a mechanical tool removes the central material. In this way, a very narrow rib around the pocket can be left undistorted by the stresses imposed by the mechanical tool.”

The system controls of the waterjet help ensure that the cuts are clean. “When the material and thickness is chosen we are automatically generating the proper feed rate so that you are not producing a part that needs secondary processing. If you are cutting at the proper speed, you will not need secondary processing,” said Wirtanen.

THE PUMP IS THE THING The pressure that the waterjet systems operate with are rising. That’s a good thing. “From 1971 to about 2007 the cutting pressure was about 55,000 to 60,000 psi and that is how much pressure it took to have the water come out at Mach 2,” said Bob Pedrazas, Marketing Manager for KMT Waterjet systems. “In 2008 we launched 90,000 psi cutting and it basically gives you

Clean intricate and accurate cuts can be made in a variety of materials.

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Bleed

Trim

Live

A waterjet system can do accurate and clean cuts in thick material and thin.

An operator at a NASCAR facility stands with a Jetege X5 waterjet cutter

from 50 per cent to 100 per cent faster cutting than the conventional waterjet systems that are out there today.

“Pressure equals productivity,” states Burnham. “As you take your pressure up, the system becomes more efficient. The industry used to run at 30,000 psi, and over the years it has moved up to 40k, 55, 60, now it is run up as high as 87,000 psi. As you go up in pressure a few things happen - one is the stream gets smaller, the abrasive usage is less and the abrasive goes much faster.

You are able to be more productive. The abrasive is the largest component of machine operating cost. When you take your pressure up, your abrasive usage goes down, the stream goes faster, you cut faster.”

The thickness you can cut and the speed with which you can do this typically goes hand-in-hand with the pressure that you have available at the pump.

“With the higher pressures of today’s waterjets and pump manufacturers you have customers going as high as 12-inches thick,” said Szesniak. “If you are doing a lot of aluminium, if you are doing 6kw laser with 3/8 thick aluminium, that machine will cut it a about 30 inches a minute whereas I can go as fast as 80 inches a minute with a waterjet at 90,000 psi or 6,000 bar of pressure.

The advantages depend what you are cutting and when you go to ultra-high pressure which is 90,000 psi.”

The added pressure not only means more speed and thickness. With today’s higher pump pressure you can run more than one cutting head, exponentially increasing your production. “Precision waterjets often have the capabilities of using multiple cutting heads so you can cut two pieces in the time it takes to cut one piece, said Arteaga. “When comparing feed rates of multiple head waterjets be sure to include the added capability of the second head. So if your feed rate is 80-inches per minute with one head, your effective feed rate is 160-inches

per minute including the second head.” A well designed system does not have to stop at just two heads. “We can put up to six or eight cutting heads on a machine, said Jet Edge’s Wirtanen.

CAN WE AUTOMATE? If a shop does a very high volume of work automation of material handling can be justified. “If one is referring to an automated assembly, few shops have the capability to use robots to place material onto the machine, cut the parts, and then have a robot remove the material,” said Multicam’s Austin. “However, this could be something that will be become more developed in the future.”

Very few waterjets have material handling according to Flow’s Burnham. “On thick cutting of ½ inch to 10 inch, we make one pass and the part is done. The material is down on the table for a long enough period of time that loading and unloading is not a major factor of the part cycle time. Where material handling comes into play in a fab shop, is with sheet metal. When a sheet goes down, the parts are cut, then removed in preparation of the next sheet loading – the cycle time is fast on some machines like a laser. And another sheet goes down and is cut.

Here material handling makes sense because you are cutting the parts quickly. On a waterjet it is often a different scenario. When you are talking about sheet metal the reason that a waterjet usually does not require material handling even for thin sheet metal is because we actually usually stack the sheets to approximately half-an-inch thick and cut them up simultaneously. Something that is not practical with many processes, such as a laser. Here again, the material handling portion of cycle time is not significant because we are cutting slower and producing many parts off the stacked sheets.” ... See what’s new on page 96

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Approaching Perfection Control charts are a basic tool for achieving six-sigma production

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

I

n the November 2013 issue of Canadian Metalworking, the basics of the normal distribution and the origin of “Sigma” and standard deviation were introduced.

This month we’ll look at the most basic way that the measurement of actual production attributes contribute to quality production: control charts. Control charts are not a new part of quality control. They were invented

by Walter A. Shewhart at Bell Labs in the 1920s, but became famous when his concepts were widely spread

by W. Edwards Deming in Japan in the 1950s and ‘60s.

The real reason for control charts is not simply to monitor that a process is producing results close to specification … the true value of control charts is the ability to differentiate between common causes of varia-

tion, like machine wear or predictable drift in machine setting over time, and uncommon or special causes of variation. These are the faults that come out of left field like one-time voltage spikes, effects from unseen vibration, or random operator error.

That’s important, because common causes of variation are controllable and more importantly, are predictable, allowing corrective action before the process risks the production of nonconforming parts. Uncommon or random causes are usually more difficult to control and can be very difficult to analyze but the control chart highlights them graphically and lets the user know where the production process problem occurred.

There many ways of establishing a control chart, but a

– X CHART V

OUT OF CONTROL

Units of Measurement

Upper Control Limit UCL X– – X

Lower Control Limit LCL X– 0

Sample Group Number

R CHART Largest and Smallest Measurement

UCL R R

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common one is the so-called “X bar R chart”. It’s actually two charts, with the X bar chart measuring the variation in the average value of the samples and the R chart the range of measurements within each subgroup: THE BASIC X-R CHART In this chart (previous page), the important point to remember is that the horizontal axis isn’t time, it’s a progression of part samples, with each point representing a group of measurements. This means that each data Pencil and paper still works, but affordable software allows many more attributes to be point on the X chart is actually an averbrought under SPC without slowing production efficiency. age value of a small sample of part measurements. How many parts are measured for each data point? There is a mathematical way to determine that iMachining Technologytoo, but in many cases it’s an arbitrary Wizard number chosen to give a meaningful average without an inconveniently large sample size.

For a manual process, an operator or inspector might draw a small number of parts, perhaps a dozen out of the process on a regular schedule as the run continues and plots the average of the measurements as a single point on the X chart. What determines when he or she takes the sample? It could be by time, or by part count.

Finally, a CAM system that REVOLUTIONIZES This sampling strategy reduces unmachining to make any CUTTER, on any CNC needed metrology, without hiding the MACHINE, DEVOUR any MATERIAL! underlying information about trends that we’re trying to determine. On the SolidCAM’s iMachining Provides you with: other hand, the single outlier might Cuts Cycle Times by at Least Half — be a defective part, which the average or Your Money Back GUARANTEED! could allow through ….which is where UNMATCHED Tool Life the R comes in. The “R” means range PATENTED Speeds & Feeds Wizard and on this chart the inspector plots the range between the largest and smallest measurement, making it easy Join our Webinar to watch us cut through 1018 steel like to spot one-time or random outliers. butter with iMachining – LIVE! for Automatic Feeds and Speeds

UCL/LCL : THE LIMITS That establishes what to plot, but what about the actual limits? Graphically, it’s the spread above and below the central line that matters, but what does that line represent? It’s commonly assumed that the central X line in the X chart is the target specification measurement that’s desired, but it doesn’t have to be. It may be the average of the plotted points, an “average of the averages”, or it could be an average

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of the measurements of the whole sample population, taken from every measurement of every part sampled.

The central line is important because it’s the reference point from which the upper and lower control limits are chosen. Control limits can be chosen with strategies as varied as complex mathematics, or a simple judgment call; limits set at plus and minus 3 sigma are commonly used. 3 sigma limits mean that we’ll expect 997 out of every 1000 data points to fall inside the limits. The R chart operates similarly, although with few data points, statistical techniques may not be needed or even useful in setting the control limit. Note that range is an absolute value; there’s no “lower” control limit.

TRENDS, NOT ATTRIBUTES The most important takeaway from any discussion about control charts is that they’re not a direct measure of

age of attribute measurements … The readings that form each data point can be widely scattered; if there are the same number of low and high readings, the average of the measurements will give the same X line as a tightly controlled process. In this case, the R chart will tell the story, although in either case, if the process stays inside the control limits, the process is running well.

It’s important to note that a well-designed charting system should show data points above and below the central line … this is the area of natural variation, compared to outside the limit readings, which are the red flag that action is needed. If the chart is a flat line at or near the central line, the resolution of the measuring technique is too coarse, or the attribute doesn’t need extensive sampling for controlled quality. Tool wear is easily tracked with an X and R process. As wear increases, for example, an external dimension will cause a climbing

SIX SIGMA: 3.4 Defects per Million

68.26%

95.96% 99.73% -6σ

-3σ

-2σ

-1σ

1σ

2σ

3σ

6σ

99.99966% product quality, or even of specific attributes….they measure trends in the process not the parts. Upper and lower control limits aren’t specification limits: UCL and LCL are normally much narrower that the actual specification, which is the point of the exercise: to show a process that’s trending out of control so you can do something about it before you make bad parts.

It’s also important to note that the upper and lower control limits are based on a central line that’s an aver-

chart while and internal process like a bored hole will show a diameter decrease.

Monitored correctly, the charting can not only show when scheduled tool changes should be programed but also the economic tool life. When changing tool types or brands, the cost effectiveness of the new product can be measured by comparing the charts, for example.

What about that standard deviation bell curve? A straight sigma-type analysis is an after the fact meas-

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X and R charts show how the attribute is trending, allowing corrective action long before a defective part shuts down a process. urement of the characteristics of a large number of parts …it’s based on averages, so one-time events and outliers can disappear. That doesn’t mean it’s not valuable. Overall, the sigma level sets the number of defects allowable for a given production run.

As the drawing shows, a one sigma or one standard deviation subset of a sample population covers 68.26% of the sample, while the three-sigma level embraces 99.73%.

A six-sigma distribution represents 99.99966% of the data under the curve. In manufacturing terms, a sixsigma process produces 3.4 reject parts per million parts produced, or more accurately, 3.4 out of spec attributes per million attributes measured.

For small to medium run manufacturing, it’s essentially zero defects.

It’s a great way to show diagrammatically that you’re a competent part maker, but how about real time monitoring? For decades, tracking the process as it runs rather than historically with standard deviation calculations, has been about control charts. Modern systems can generate these charts automatically, but even if it’s performed machine side with a pencil and paper, X and R charts show how the attribute is trending, allowing corrective action long before a defective part shuts down a process.

It’s not fortune-telling, but it’s a timetested, simple way to avoid shop floor crises. CM www.canadianmetalworking.com | MAY 2014 | 75

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PROCESS IN CONTROL UCL – X

LCL

PROCESS OUT OF CONTROL UCL – X

LCL v

Action needed but part may still be in specification limit Out of control ... what then?

The principle of using control charts to track a process is to keep an attribute within a range of values that triggers corrective action long before the part goes out of specification. Upper and lower control limits are moving targets. As the process gets more precise and more accurate, the limits close up, and if the graphical scale is adjusted accordingly, there should be a visible randomness or scatter to the X-bar trace. That’s a good thing; there is always observable randomness in measurement at a sufficiently small scale, so if the charting process is a flat line, it’s useless as a quality tool. The key to dealing with an out of control attribute is to use a plan of action, not a guess about the cause. Take a bored hole that’s out of control in concentricity, for example. Is it the insert, toolholder or workholding device? Consider the insert alone. Is the correct type and grade for the job? Was it installed correctly? Is it running near the edge of its performance envelope for the application? Was the insert changed recently, either the grade or brand? Is it damaged? Can the toolholder lock it down firmly? Is it worn? That’s seven possibilities for the insert alone, with at least that many as the investigation

moves closer to the spindle. To avoid unnecessary guesswork, it’s important to ask three initial questions: Has this type of failure occurred before? Were the conditions similar to this failure? This is important to determine if the out of control data point is a random or controllable event. Has the process been changed since the last run of this process? If so, then past experience may lead the investigator astray. Is the process capable? If there’s no capability study, it’s a judgment call about the ability of the process to stay in control. No amount of adjustment of the toolholder, for example, will compensate for a worn out spindle or a machine driven past it’s recommended ratings. A quick solution is often to fit a backup tool/toolholder (especially if this is a familiar issue) to get in-control production up and running, allowing the inspector or manager to track down the problem without interrupting production. If this works, a thorough understand of the root cause may not be necessary in the short run … but if the process is worth controlling by statistical means, it’s probably not a short run.

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THE BUSINESS OF TOOLING

Competitive Advantage

By John Mitchell, General Manager of Tungaloy Canada ..................................................................................................

C

ompetitive advantage is what all shops use to gain more business. The advantage could be the price of the product a shop sells to its customer. It could also be the quality of the product or the lead time.

However, generally it is all of the above. The question is how do we gain a competitive advantage and how do we maintain it?

There are many ways for today’s machine shops to gain a competitive advantage. It could be with new state of the art multi-axis CNC machines, highly skilled quality machinists, and fast turnaround times to name just a few.

The focus of this article however will be related to creating and maintaining a competitive advantage through the use of cutting tools.

Imagine a shop producing a cavity in a steel block from solid. The cavity is 48” square by 6” deep. Some older cutting tool technology would suggest using a round insert “button cutter” to produce this part. A 4” diameter cutter, taking a 0.100” depth of cut (DOC), 500 surface feet per minute (SFM) and a feed rate of 0.014” per tooth. This would take the customer 2 hours and 42 minutes to produce this cavity.

Another company moved to high feed milling. Same speed, same number of teeth but .040 feed per tooth.

That’s 153 PM but the travel is further. Since high-feed has a maximum depth of 0.06” per pass. The time required to produce the cavity using this high-feed milling is 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Today’s generation super high feed cutters would be capable of producing this cavity in only 38 minutes.

For this example let’s assume all three companies are quoting on a 200 piece order. With a shop rate of $100 per hour. Company one would quote $53,800, company two would quote $25,000 and company three would quote $12,500.

Who will be awarded the contract?

The first company will require over 13 weeks to complete the job. The second company will be able to complete the job in just over 6 weeks and the last company can complete the job in just 3 weeks.

Company one could reduce its price to $23 per hour to compete, however they would still be at a disadvantage due to the lead time required.

The reality is company one would likely charge less than $100 per hour and company three would likely charge more than $100 per hour. Therefore by embracing new technology machine shops can make more money and put more business through their shop with less equipment.

However this advantage is fleeting. Any of those companies could switch to super high-feed milling and level the playing field.

John Mitchell, General Manager of Tungaloy Canada Unfortunately many shops can be stubborn or close-minded. An attitude of “this is the way we have always done it” is a recipe for obsolescence. Technology is changing quickly and those that embrace the change will thrive, while those that resist change will perish.

When a new cutting tool technology is introduced shops embrace it in categories as described in the diagram below.

The innovators, early adopters and early majority shops are those with a competitive advantage. These companies tend to win more contracts and make more money.

It’s not just super high-feed milling. Many shops are still grinding hardened parts when they could be using CBN, or replaceable tip end-mills instead of solid carbide end mills just to name a few.

To create and maintain a competitive advantage today’s machine shops need to become innovators and early adopters of technology. This requires changing the culture of your shop to one that is open minded and willing to change and experiment with new technology.

Technology is changing exponentially. Advances in technology enable faster advances in technology.

At one time shops could rely on trade shows to keep up to date on the latest technologies. However, attending a trade show once every two years will not suffice.

Technology is moving faster than that.

One way to gain a competitive advantage is to invite your cutting tool sales person into your shop and ask them to make suggestions for improvements. Progressive shops will invite all cutting tool suppliers not simply the one you have always used. These factory trained reps are up to date on the latest in cutting tool technologies and are more than willing to bring in tools to try on your spindle. Best of all is this is a free resource.

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TOOL TALK

European Council supports manufacturing But needs to be more active on industrial policy: CECIMO BRUSSELS — The European Council held a summit on 20-21 March to discuss issues of industrial competitiveness, and were asked by the European Commission to signal a clear political commitment to re-industrialization.

The Commission also called on the European Council to endorse their goal of increasing the contribution of manufacturing to 20 per cent of the EU GDP by 2020 and to set out an implementation framework for the consistent and coordinated application of policy actions in the realm of a European industrial policy.

“CECIMO welcomes the attention given by the EU to the manufacturing industry at the highest political level. By recognizing the European industrial base as a key driver of economic growth and jobs, the summit conclusions rightly point to manufacturing as the main building block of future European economy,” stated Jean-Camille Uring, CECIMO President and CEO of Fives Group.

“We are particularly pleased to see that the summit conclusions make a clear reference to key enabling technologies, which includes our industry as provider of advanced manufacturing technologies, being the backbone of industrial competitiveness.” Uring continued.

“Technological edge is the most important asset for Europe to remain competitive in global markets and it builds on a highly skilled workforce.” Uring said.

The summit conclusions set out policy priorities with a focus on innovation and skills, but it remained vague on how to implement those priorities.

Filip Geerts, CECIMO Director General, said in a statement, “It is very positive to see that the European Council sends a clear signal on its intention to make industrial competitiveness a priority… however, it does not provide clear guidance on how to put it into practice.” He added, “The EU needs to reassure industry that re-industrialization ambitions are accompanied by an industrial policy with sharper teeth.”

CECIMO is the European Association of the Machine Tool Industries, and bring together 15 national associations of machine tool builders. CECIMO covers 98 per cent of total machine tool production in Europe and about 34 per cent worldwide. It accounts for almost 150,000 employees and a turnover of over €22 billion in 2012. More than 83 per cent of CECIMO production is shipped abroad, whereas almost half of it is exported outside Europe. www.cecimo.eu

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TOOL TALK

Renishaw acquires US-based metrology specialist been a distributor of Renishaw’s CMM and gauging products, including REVO®, PH20 and Equator™. ACE has A2LA lab accreditation.

“We are very excited at becoming a part of the Renishaw Group, which is globally respected in the metrology industry,” said Ken Bergler, Founder of ACE. “This is a great opportunity to From left, Jeff Keller, Jeremy Holbrook, Ken Bergler, Kristin Monahan, Jason Christensen, Kurt VonLinsowe. expand our existing operations, and I believe that we can make a significant contribution to HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. – Renishaw Inc. has purchased Renishaw’s U.S. operations.”

Advanced Consulting & Engineering, Inc. (ACE), a US-based Leo Somerville, President of Renishaw added, “This is an supplier of dimensional measurement products and services excellent acquisition for Renishaw and further underlines our focused on the automotive industry. commitment to invest in the development of our metrology ACE, based in Rochester Hills, Michigan, is a family owned business. We have known Ken and his team for many years, company. The acquisition will give Renishaw specialized over which time ACE has built an excellent reputation for programming capabilities, and will help to support Renishaw’s delivering high quality measurement solutions, particularly for sales of co-ordinate measuring machine (CMM) probing demanding applications in the automotive sector. systems and Equator gauges in the USA. “As Renishaw continues to focus on supplying end-user For over 15 years ACE has provided a range of in-house metrology solutions, including CMM retrofits and installations and on-site measurement services to its customers including of our Equator gauge, the specialized programming and contract inspection, CMM fixture design, machine retrofits, applications knowledge of the ACE team will be particularly CMM programming, training and full turnkey solutions from valuable.” concept to completion. Since 2011 the company has also

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TOOL TALK

Kyocera consolidates their North American cutting tool operations K

yocera has announced the formation of a new wholly-owned subsidiary, Kyocera Precision Tools, Inc., effective April 1, 2014.

The subsidiary, which is headquartered in Hendersonville, North Carolina, has been formed to consolidate North American cutting tool operations in the indexable, micro-tool, and printed circuit board (PCB) cutting tool markets.

Kyocera Precision Tools will carry the company’s full line of micro-tool and PCB cutting tool products, formerly supplied under the name Kyocera Tycom Corporation (KTC).

The consolidation is expected to be completed by July 1, 2014, and the full line of indexable cutting tool products currently supplied by the Cutting Tool Division of Kyocera Industrial Ceramics Corporation (KICC) will be merged into the new company as well.

The president of the new enterprise will be Koichi Nosaka, the former general manager of cutting tools at KICC, and Jim Good, former president of KTC will be vice president.

All existing cutting tool sales and production facilities will continue to remain operational, and the company is expecting a smooth transition with no interruptions in service.

The new combined entity will unify cutting tool resources and integrate both organizations as Kyocera’s overall cutting tool-related business in North America.

Kyocera makes specialized cutting tools for the aerospace, medical, automotive, general machining, power generation, printed circuit board and steel markets.

During the year ended March 31, 2013, the company’s net sales totalled approximately USD $13.6 billion. www.canadianmetalworking.com | MAY 2014 | 81

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TOOL TALK

Partners in THINC announce Sandvik Coromant as ‘Partner of the Year’ CHARLOTTE, N.C.–The Okuma America Corporation has announced that Sandvik Coromant was chosen by Okuma distributors as Partner of the Year among all the members of Partners in THINC. Okuma distributors ranked Sandvik highest among the 40+ members, based on their commitment to customer service and manufacturing productivity.

Sandvik Coromant’s timely responsiveness to customer inquiries, in addition to their availability and involvement at distributor-sponsored training events, earned them the distinct honor. Okuma distributors and partners work closely together to find the most effective solutions to customer’s production issues. This partnership comprises the largest, cross-company collaborative network in the metal working and machining industry.

Sandvik’s tooling solutions include: Metal cutting training — free e-learning programs to help

workers stay aware of the latest techniques and technology at www.metalcuttingknowledge.com Application Centres — high tech facilities providing total component solutions Productivity Centres — worldwide centres offer hands-on training from skilled experts on state-of-the-art machines Tooling systems for machine type — a comprehensive guide to find the right tooling systems for machine type “Sandvik Coromant is a very highly respected supplier of cutting tools and machining solutions and this is validated by them receiving the highest overall rating from all of Okuma’s Distributors in 2013. Congratulations to Sandvik Coromant for receiving the highest rating among all of our extremely valued Partners.” said Jeff Estes, Director of Partners in THINC. For more information visit www.okuma.com/ partners-in-thinc

3M’s new vitrified wheels for camshaft and crankshaft grinding ST. PAUL, Minn. — 3M has released their Cubitron II vitrified wheels for grinding and finishing powertrain components. The new wheels can give engine manufacturers up to three times the wheel life of other conventional wheels for applications including gear grinding, camshaft and crankshaft grinding, cylindrical grinding and centerless grinding.

Comprised of uniformly sized triangles of ceramic material, 3M Precision-Shaped Grain is designed to fracture as they wear, continuously forming sharp points and edges that slice through metal, instead of rubbing or plowing. This prevents heat from building up in the workpiece and allows the abrasive to stay cooler and sharper and increase its life.

• Camshaft and Crankshaft Grinding: The wheels are useful for automotive and truck applications, including camshaft lobes and journals, crank pins, mains and thrustwall; and enable aggressive grinding without thermal damage to the part.

•G ear Grinding: Wheels are available for threaded, single rib and spiral bevel configurations, and can be used in automotive applications; pinion shafts; planetary; spur; hollow and pinion gears.

• Cylindrical Grinding: The wheels can be used for tool steel, case-hardened steels and HSS. In OD cylindrical grinding, Cubitron II wheels can provide up to 5 times more material removed than a traditional vitrified wheel.

• Centerless Grinding: The wheels are suitable for use on carbon steels, tool steels and high alloy steels. They produce optimal results with high infeed rates, high grinding pressures and high material removal rates. www.3M.com/PrecisionPPR

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Here’s a great idea for:

TOOL TALK

Mitutoyo Canada hosts their 2014 Mentoring Workshop

Thread making KOMET JEL and BASS thread milling and tapping tools A complete range of tools for all your thread making needs

By Jim Anderton ..................................................................................

John Dewar, sales manager Mitutoyo Canada.

(Photo: Jim Anderton, Canadian Metalworking)

The idea: Providing solutions that will enhance your performance and maximize tool life.

Why it’s great: • Innovations such as 3-in-1, drilling, chamfering & threading tools.

• Solid carbide, carbide-brazed, PCD, and HSS-E tools to fit your needs and budget.

• Engineering and application support for special tools.

Learn more about this and other great ideas.

M

itutoyo Canada hosted their 2014 Mentoring Workshop on April 17th at the firm’s Mississauga, Ontario headquarters.

Mitutoyo Canada sales manager John Dewar introduced the event, which covered verification and calibration of precision measuring tools, including frequency of calibration, repeatability and reproducibility as well as quality standards.

The free half day event was filled to capacity with 28 registrants and Mitutoyo added an afternoon session due to the increased volume.

The next event in the series covers gauge repair and maintenance on May 15.

Registration details are available at www.mitutoyo.ca

Go to www.komet.com/greatideas or scan this QR code.

www.komet.com 905-551-1743

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C T

Choosing Coated Abrasives Coated abrasives offer many advantages, but how do you choose ... and specify your type?

Norton Abrasives simplifies the process.

HOW TO READ A COATED ABRASIVE SPECIFICATION

A coated abrasive product is made up of three basic raw materials: an abrasive mineral, the backing onto which the abrasive is applied, and an adhesive bond.

The Norton Abrasives coated abrasive marking system includes both a

generic and a technical marking. The generic markings identify the abrasive type, bond, backing, and any special features and/or tradenames.

The technical markings identify the actual components which make up the product. Technical markings consists of up to 10 parts.

Coated Abrasives

R 9

BACKING / BOND

8

PRINCIPAL ABRASIVE

1 COATING

RANDOM

A = Lightweight Paper (A-D wts.) excluding Waterproof

1 = Aluminum Oxide

1 = Openkote

Designates different

F= Fiber

2 = Aluminum Oxide

2 = Closekote

products within the

H = Heavy Paper / Resin Bond (E and F wts.)

3 = Layered Aluminum Oxide

3 = Openkote

same product group.

K = Cloth / Glue Bond (J and X wts.)

4 = Silicon Carbide

4 = Closekote

PB = B-wt. Paper with Resin Bond and Latex

5 = Garnet

5 = Openkote

Q = Various (e.g. Screen-Bak and Film)

6 = Crocus & Emery

6 = Closekote

R = Cloth / Resin Bond (H, J, X and Y wts.)

8 = Zirconia Alumina

7 = Openkote

T = Waterproof Paper (A, C wts.)

9 = Norton SG – Ceramic Aluminum Oxide

8 = Closekote

U = Lightweight Waterproof Paper / Resin Bond

9 = Openkote

0 = Closekote

ABRASIVE TYPES Emery Emery is a dark gray, round-shaped grain which tends to polish rather than abrade a work surface.

• For polishing and cleaning metal only Garnet Garnet is reddish brown in colour. This natural abrasive is medium hard and relatively sharp, but not as durable as synthetic abrasives.

• For use on wood only • Particularly good for soft woods such as pine • Produces an excellent finish Silicon Carbide Silicon carbide is the hardest and sharpest of the manufactured abrasives. Because of its extreme sharpness, this bluish-black abrasive grain permits fast stock removal and cool cut.

• Cast iron • Non-ferrous metals, i.e. Brass, aluminum and bronze • Non-metallics, i.e. Glass, rubber, plastic and stone • Final finish on wood and stainless steel • Abrasive planing particleboard

Heat-treated Aluminum Oxide Heat-treated aluminum oxide is a tough but cool cutting abrasive which gives both long life and freeness of cut on a wide range of materials.

• Ferrous metals • Wood sanding Zirconia Alumina Zirconia alumina is an ultra-tough, synthetic abrasive which provides a free, cool cut for high stock removal applications. It is tougher and sharper than aluminum oxide. It has a micro-crystalline structure which allows for controlled breakdown and self-sharpening.

• Heavy-duty snagging and grinding of all ferrous and non-ferrous metals • Abrasive planing of wood, plywood and particleboard • Grinding fiberglass, rubber and plastics

W f c i S

Ceramic Alumina The sub-micron structure of ceramic alumina allows each grain to continually expose sharp cutting points, resulting in a cooler cutting action and an extended life.

• All ferrous/non-ferrous metals, carbon steel and exotic alloys

e

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COME TOGETHER. roBert DavID Operations Manager Kitagawa-NorthTech yearS atteNDINg ImtS 20 goaL for ImtS 2014 I’m all about gathering information – on machines, products, processes, you name it. I believe the more info you can gather, the smarter you will be. There’s no better place to do that than IMTS. Coming from a company that’s focused on productivity, I have an appreciation for how much can be achieved in a week at IMTS.

LEAVE INFORMED. Where else can you meet the minds that are moving manufacturing forward? Nowhere but IMTS 2014. With a focus on success through cooperation, the week will be filled with technology, education, and ideas that we can all benefit from. Join us at McCormick Place Chicago, September 8–13, 2014. Learn more at IMTS.com.

earLy BIrD PrICINg eNDS auguSt 8 • ImtS.Com

Come together.

Leave your mark.

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Photo Courtesy, Norton Abrasives

P

BACKING TYPES Backings are the base for the abrasive minerals and, combined with the adhesive bond, support and anchor the abrasive mineral. The backings used in the manufacture of coated abrasives are: Paper: Paper is used for a variety of operations from hand sanding to mechanical sanding. It is the least expensive backing. Due to the fine surface of paper, a consistent finish is produced. Paper weights include A, B, C, D, E and F weights with A being the lightest and most flexible and F being the heaviest and least flexible. A, B, C and D weight papers are used for hand sanding and light mechanical operations in the form of sheets, Grip-On and Stick-On discs and Stick-On rolls. E and F weight papers are primarily used for more aggressive mechanical operations in the form of belts and discs.

Cloth: Cloth backings used for coated abrasives are identified by weight.

Cloth backings are filled or “finished” with a variety of materials, glues or resins, to create various backing characteristics, most notably flexibility.

There are three basic weights of cloth: J-weight or “jeans” is the lightest and most flexible. X weight or “drills” is a heavier cloth that ranges in flexibility, strength and durability and is used on the broadest range of applications. Y-weight is a heavyweight drills cloth used on heavy-duty, high stock removal operations. Several cloth types are used: cotton, polyester, and polyester/cotton blends.

Fiber: Vulcanized fiber (cotton fibers which are chemically treated and then pressed under temperature and pressure to form a very durable backing) is used exclusively as the backing for resin fiber discs.

Film: Polyester film backing comes in 3 mil. and 5 mil. thicknesses, which have high strength and surface smoothness. They are used primarily in disc and roll applications requiring consistent surface finish.

COATING TYPES

C

There are two types of abrasive coatings used in the manufacturing of coated abrasives; open coat and closed coat.

Open Coat

Closed Coat

With an open coat, 50% to 75% of the coated abrasive surface is covered by abrasive grain. There are evenly spaced voids between the particles of grain, helping reduce the effect of loading caused by wood dust or metal particles.

With a closed coat, the entire coated abrasive surface is covered with abrasive grain, with no voids between the particles. This is the most typical coating, permitting the greatest degree of stock removal and longest product life.

OPEN COAT (1/3 LESS GRAIN THAN CLOSED COAT)

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

PA AN

CON TRA

FR

CLOSED COAT

TH

BOND TYPES

An adhesive bond system is required to secure the abrasive mineral to the backing. All coated abrasive products are made with a two-stage bonding process. The first layer of bond applied to the backing is called the make coat.

The make coat provides the adhesive base between the abrasive mineral and backing.

The second coat is the size coat, which is applied over the abrasive mineral and make coat to anchor the abrasive mineral and provide the desired physical strength of the finished product.

Glue, urea resin, and phenolic resin are the three basic bonding agents most commonly used. There are many size coat and make coat combinations, such as glue over glue, urea over glue, and resin over resin. Glue over glue is the most flexible bond while resin over resin bond is moisture-resistant, harder, less flexible, heat-resistant and has superior grain retention.

Courtesy, Norton Abrasives

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ultrasonic testing) that historically was only used on off-shore pipelines is now more common on land-based pipelines.” These “bugs” are tracked control units that hold the the tip for the wire in the proper position and can even control the weld parameters. “The carriage we designed has a wire feeder integrated with the carriage so that eliminates part of the transportation as you move from joint to joint,” said Drake. “It will hold a 12 pound spool of wire which is generally enough to do an 8-hour shift. It is remote control where the welder adjusts the voltage, the wire speed and the carriage speed using the remote as the carriage moves around the pipe.” These carriages are not a fire and forget solution as you still need an operator to monitor the arc. “You start upside down and move from 6 o’clock to

WELDING CARRIAGE FOR AUTOMATED PIPELINE WELDING

Incorporating Gullco’s highly versatile “G Type” control, the Gullco Flex KAT is used to automate a wide variety of welding and cutting operations. It is a rugged, reliable precision travel carriage designed for use with flexible track which enables it to operate on straight or curved surfaces. Gullco manufactures several systems and accessories designed for use with the Flex KAT, making it a versatile piece of welding/ cutting automation equipment.

Welding guns or cutting torches mounted on the KAT carriage move along flexible Gullco Flex Track at precisely controlled speeds along the desired path in forward or reverse direction. It enables welding guns or cutting torches to operate with precise motion from start to finish regardless of the number of passes or the work pieces involved, improving the quality, efficiency and repeatability of the process. The self-aligning wheel system of the carriage grips the top and bottom of the track, enabling it to travel along any plane.

The adjustable wheel assembly keeps the carriage snug to the track, while allowing it to be easily mounted and removed from the track at any point. www.gullco.com

PIPEWORX PIPE WELDING PROCESSES GOES PORTABLE

The new PipeWorx FieldPro System is designed for on site pipe welding in the refinery, petrochemical, power generation and HVAC industries. The system comes with traditional Stick, TIG, MIG and Flux-Cored processes, and can run the advanced Regulated Metal Deposition and Pulsed MIG processes with the addition of the FieldPro Smart Feeder.

12 o’clock position. Usually they will use two carriages and they will stagger them at the start so that they do both sides at the same time. This also helps to reduce the amount of warpage in the pipe as you are applying the arc to both sides simultaneously,” he said.

With higher and tighter criteria, manual pipeline welding is falling out of favour because they “cannot achieve the required acceptance criteria. “For field applications, remote control technologies available in some systems also allow the welding operator to adjust parameters with the touch of a button and have point-of-use control (without a control cable) up to 200 feet from the power source, increasing safety and productivity and preventing the welding operator from settling for less than optimal welding parameters,” said Byrne.

W

Y i p

The PipeWorx FieldPro System also brings advanced remote control capabilities to the welder at the joint, eliminating travel to and from the power source, optimizing uptime, simplifying process changeover and helping to improve overall weld quality and productivity. The system simplifies cable management by eliminating all of the communication cables that cause clutter and hassle on the job sites. Controls are labelled in common welder terminology to make it simple and intuitive to use. Weld processes can be easily saved through memory cards, helping to ensure process and parameter consistency. www.MillerWelds.com

DIESEL DRIVEN WELDER

Suitable for pipeline, construction and maintenance welding applications, the new, high-efficiency Classic 300 HE and SAE-300 HE diesel engine drive welders have a traditional, pure DC generator that produces the welding arc preferred by pipeline operators and contractors, providing precise arc control for stick, TIG, MIG, flux-cored and gouging processes in demanding code applications. Both systems deliver 3,000 total watts of AC power from a 120V or 240V duplex receptacle for power tools and lights.

The engine drives feature a 3-cylinder, water-cooled, 1,800 RPM engine that are suitable for installation on truck beds, have fuel gauges on the control panel to easily monitor fuel levels, with additional engine gauges to indicate oil pressure and engine temperature. All-day welding is possible thanks to a 16-gallon (60.6 litre) plastic fuel tank. www.lincolnelectric.com

F

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Untitled-7 1

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TM

Introducing XCAVATOR™, the newest and most powerful member of Walter’s innovative family of high performance grinding wheels. The XCAVATOR™ delivers heavy-duty performance, the highest level of removal rate in steel and stainless steel and can confront some of the industry’s toughest metals, from tungsten carbide to quenched and tempered steel.

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... continued from page 59

sentially doubles production and significantly reduces machining cycle times.

Shanks are made from mostly stainless steel forgings, but some are aluminum or titanium. The parts go from raw forged weights of 14 lbs to 5 lbs after machining.

Previously, the part took over 2.5 hours to complete and required multiple machines. The Mazak machines the part complete in less than 30 minutes and the shop expects to further reduce that time.

“We opted for the lower turret on the INTEGREX i200ST because the shank parts involve a lot of turning, both I.D and O.D.,” said Carter. “Plus, we wanted to perform simultaneous operations – machining at both the main and second spindles at the same time. So basically, we get two parts machined for the time it used to take to do one and we do so with one machine setup.”

According to Carter, half of the part’s operations are done at the main spindle, then the remaining ones at the second spindle. Once the first part moves to the second spindle, a new part loads into the main, and the machine is then producing two parts simultaneously. “Our goal is that at least 80% of the time during a machining cycle, all the aspects (spindles and turret doing turning, milling drilling and tapping) of the machine are working.”

For propeller assembly hubs, Hartzell’s recently acquired QUICK TURN NEXUS 400-II Turning Center provides much needed positioning accuracy, speed and power to improve output. The machine performs rough boring, turning and facing operations, as well as hard turning after a heat-treating process.

The steel hubs, on which propellers are mounted, are quite challenging. Certain angle locations must be held in relation to other part features, and the sequence of operations must be completed in a specific order – three prior to heat treating, then afterwards four finishing ones.

Continuous improvement is critical to Hartzell’s part processing operations, as well as to its high-performance Done-In-One cells. And as part of that strategy, the shop is currently incorporating the MTConnect common protocol to monitor machine uptime and cell output. In fact, the shop’s newer Mazaks came from the factory already equipped with the capability (as is the case with all Mazaks). And with its older equipment, Hartzell has completed retrofitting them for the protocol as well.

“Consider a three-machine cell, and the question arises of whether or not to add a fourth machine,” said Barhorst. “In these situations, we’ll use the MTConnect data to determine if we do in fact have the production for it and that the existing machines are actually at full capacity. Our high-performance cells have everything needed to produce completed parts. But, to get to that next performance plateau requires deeper levels/layers of data concerning situations and/or conditions that are hindering or even stopping the production of that cell.

This is the detailed data we will harvest from MTConnect. And the fact that Mazak makes all its machines MTConnect compatible is a big benefit for us.”

Courtesy, Mazak Corporation

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Oilfield technology components: High quantities of the highest quality

G

lobal demand for crude oil is increasing at a phenomenal rate. With estimates that the annual demand will reach over 16,000 megatons by 2030, compared to just 12,000 megatons required in 2010.

This shifts the focus to oilfield technology production processes, where there is a need to both increase efficiency levels and cut component costs. Success, in great part, depends on the machine tools used in the production of components such as coupling sleeves.

With an important role to play in crude oil and natural gas production, these components are manufactured in enormous quantities. Efficiency levels in the production of coupling sleeves can be raised considerably with the EMAG VLC and VSC series of machines. Although the coupling sleeve is a relatively small component, a great deal depends on its faultless performance.

These sleeve or tool joints are used to precision-join the casings and delivery pipes with a perfect screw fit, providing an absolutely leak-proof and durable connection of the highest precision while bearing the weight and considerable flexural stresses of the pipes.

Production errors or large tolerances on the coupling sleeve can endanger the whole resource delivery process. Thus, the main focus is on efficient mass production techniques, with the key question being how an extremely high quality of the production process for coupling sleeves can be guaranteed, especially when the job calls for a single production facility to manufacture millions of these components each year.

AN INTELLIGENT CONCEPT PROVIDES A COMPETITIVE EDGE The specialists at EMAG provide a very precise answer to this question. For decades, the company has specialized in the machining of oilfield components such as coupling sleeves, tool joints and rock bit cones, as well as casings and delivery pipes.

The production of coupling sleeves, in particular, shows how demanding this sector can be, with a multitude of processes from the actual threading operation to the cleaning process and from visual inspections to final plating.

It also features a marking that details the component data (i.e. charge, material, manufacturer, machine, cycle time). This multi-layered production process benefits greatly from the intelligent EMAG machine concept, where process integrity and precision are built-in.

Coupling sleeve production lines use machines from

The automation system can be configured to suit customer requirements.

the VSC and VLC series. They are equipped with a pickup spindle that not only collects the workpiece from the incoming conveyor belt, but firmly holds it vertically while it is complete-machined in the tooling zone.

This is of particular advantage where large quantities of these sleeves are to be machined, as Dieter Fischer, Managing Director, explains: “The component can be produced in a much shorter time, as the various processes are carried out one after the other in cycle times counted in seconds.

These processes do not only cover machining, but also additional operations such as cleaning or measuring.”

When it comes to the mass production of coupling sleeves, in particular, the time savings add up to a considerable competitive advantage for the user, as shorter machine runtimes lead to a massive reduction in component costs. In addition to these advantages, the process chain also guarantees a consistently high component quality. For one, all machining processes are fully automated, circumventing errors that occur when using an unnecessarily large number of workhandling processes.

The vertical machining concept also provides for optimal chip flow conditions, preventing the build-up of chips in the machining area, which can interrupt the production process.

The different frame sizes of the VSC and VLC series machines allow for the complete-machining of coupling sleeves of a multitude of diameters and machines are capable of cutting all types of threads — an important factor in the oilfield industry, as Fischer explains: “It is, of course, possible to machine coupling sleeves with threads to API and GOST standards, but proprietary threads can also be generated. Larger oilfield technology producers have their own thread standards and we can equip our machines to perfectly suit these requirements.” CM

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... continued from page 62

FORKARDT

The SideWinder distributes clamping force evenly and precisely across the full jaw surface. The vise has a robust, porosity-free, 80,000-PSI ductile iron body.

The SideWinder Vise “works with most six inch vises as the copy-cat competitors have copied our bolt hole spacing,” he adds. As for the future, “We are working on some new products for [the five-axis workholding] market and hope to have something by IMTS … we will be releasing a new VersatileLock family of eight inch vises this summer,” says Kane. www.kurtworkholding.com

OmniGrip Collet Systems from Forkardt, a machine tool accessory manufacturer in Traverse City, Michigan, boast flexible, sealed collet heads that interchange in seconds and are available with spindle mounts for most CNC lathes.

The OmniGrip system has an accuracy of .0004 inches TIR (Total Indicator Reading) on A and D styles and a .0008 inches TIR on the DL style. The OmniGrip Collet Systems have the same gripping capability as conventional collets while using less draw bar force. The Systems are available in 42, 65 and 80 mm sizes and are recommended for machines that feature multiple changeovers on a daily basis and where stock variations occur.

Machinists can change a collet in under 10 seconds with an OmniGrip Collet System, claims Forkardt. www.forkardt.us

KURT

Greater Efficiency SGS has designed specific cutting tool technologies that combine substrate, geometry, edge preparation and coating to withstand the complex conditions of Composite applications requiring minimal fiber breakout and delamination.

The Kurt Manufacturing Company of Minneapolis, Minnesota has several current workholding offerings and is planning on releasing new products later this year.

The SideWinder Vise is one of Kurt’s flagship workholding products. It mounts to all new and existing Kurt six inch vises and offers machinists a vertical workholding solution for second operation machinery in the same set-up. Essentially, the SideWinder Vise makes all six inch vises two vises in one.

DEFINING HIGH PERFORMANCE MILLING

DRILLING

ROUTING

www.sgstool.com 330-686-5700 Manufactured in the USA

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... continued from page 67

T

YG-1 The flute geometry of YG-1’s new Combo Taps has a special design to improve thread quality, enhance chip evacuation and prevent chip clogging, says Michael J. Hannan, executive vice-president of YG-1 Canada based in Burlington, Ontario.

A thread configuration with a unique, patented design, meanwhile, prevents over-feeding, thin thread and pitch diameter oversize.

Combo Taps offer “excellent performance on various work materials including stainless steels, carbon steel, alloyed steel, tool steel, etc.,” says Hannan, adding that the taps “reduce inventory requirements.”

YG-1 Co. Ltd is a manufacturer based in South Korea. www.yg1usa.com

SANDVIK COROMANT Sandvik Coromant released the CoroTap-XM line of cutting taps for flexible production in March.

“This tapping line can handle holes that are up to 2.5 times diameter. The reason for that, it’s a general purpose tap that will be suitable for customers who use it in low to medium batch runs that really need to utilize it in their shop in different materials. This provides customers a lot of flexibility and enhances their machine utilization,” says McEachern.

CoroTap-XM boasts a spiral flute design which secures a constant rake angle for continuous cutting and can be used on through and blind holes. Sandvik Coromant offers three grades with the XM line: C150/B150 (uncoated) for reduced adherence in soft materials, C145/B145 (steam tempered) for protection and prevention of the build-up edge and C110/B110 (AlCrN coated) with high wear and heat resistance offering long tool life and speedier cutting.

“One of the reasons we introduced this line—one of the trends we saw, customers want to minimize their overall costs. They want to reduce inventory on their shelf, not only of their product before they ship it, but inventory of tools that are available to them and that’s one of the reasons this XM line will be beneficial to them. They can use one line of taps across their shop,” says McEachern.

Asked if he had any handling tips for tap users, McEachern says, “The process of tapping is a controlled balance of radial and axial movement of the tool, to prevent damage. We always recommend using good quality chucks. For example, we have a CoroChuck 970 which compensates for positional deviations and reduces pressure on the tap flanks. That is a really good productivity booster in terms of the customer’s tool life.” www.sandvik.coromant.com

ARBITRARY SPEED THREADING ADDA OPTIONS FANUC America Corporation has introduced an arbitrary speed threading option on 0i-TD & 0i Mate-TD CNCs for new turning machines.

Arbitrary speed threading enables the operator to adjust the spindle speed during thread cutting to control chatter, and it also provides the functionality to quickly rethread or repair existing threads.

This makes it ideal for oil & gas industry pipe and fitting thread maintenance. Arbitrary speed threading allows the operator to adjust the spindle speed during a threading cycle to eliminate vibration and chatter. This is useful for thread repair as chatter is more likely to occur with the small amounts of material typically being removed. Without arbitrary speed threading, the spindle speed override is inhibited during threading.

This prevents damage to the part, as a change in thread lead would occur.

The arbitrary speed threading function ensures that the cutting tool remains

coordinated with the spindle speed at all times during threading to produce the programmed lead.

Arbitrary speed threading also provides the functionality to pick up and repair an existing thread. The process of repairing threads can be simplified further for operators by using FANUC’s MANUAL GUIDE i conversational programming, which doesn’t require a knowledge of G-code.

Arbitrary speed threading can be used with constant lead threading, threading cycle and multiple threading cycle. In addition to repetitive machining, the same thread shape can be machined even if the spindle speed is changed between roughing and finishing passes. Cs contour control is required for this function. Arbitrary speed threading was previously introduced for the FANUC Series 30i-B and 30i-A CNCs. www.fanucamerica.com

94 | MAY 2014 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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064-067,094-095 cmw may 2014 Tapping p 064-067,094-095.indd 95

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14-05-01 11:33 AM

... continues from page 70

MWX4 LEAPS IN PRECISION WATERJET TECHNOLOGY

MORE CAPABILITY REDUCES COST PER PART

With multiple axes cutting the MWX4 combines speed and precision for shops looking for accuracy and reliability. With the MWX4, Mitsubishi and MC Machinery introduce the new Taper Control System. This is a servo motor-driven system with greater A Axis tilt angle and unlimited rotating angle C Axis to allow for straighter parts in thicker material. The system features the Mitsubishi M730 CNC controller with 3-Axis joystick positioning and full keyboard, and a standard Garnet Removal System. www.mcmachinery.com

On thicker parts a dual head ByJet Smart can produce the part for less overall cost because the capital investment is much lower and the dual heads are competitive with laser part throughputs.

The high efficiency pump has service intervals that are longer than average.

High precision cutting heads combined with abrasive metering and constant automatic nozzle height sensing delivers part precision and consumable efficiencies. www.bystronicusa.com

SMALL, VERSATILE

CUTTING WITH THE FLOW

Priced like a new 4X4 pickup truck and not requiring special electrical service the FARM-JET system includes a 40”x40” (1m x 1m) waterjet cutting table and a Jet Edge Eco-Jet PTO direct drive water pump that utilizes a tractor’s PTO shaft to produce 1 gpm of 55,000 psi water.

The system includes one abrasivejet cutting head and a motorized Z axis with 5 inches (513 mm) of travel. Controlled with a Windows PC it uses a FlashCut Pro-Series Stepper Controller and FlashCut CNC software. www.jetedge.com

The Mach 4c modular design allows for unique configurations and customization to meet a variety of individual needs. This waterjet includes the exclusive HyperPressure Technology, as well as the advanced Dynamic Waterjet XD technology for faster, more accurate bevel and 3D cutting. It has an accuracy of up to .005-inches and an X- and Y- axis traverse speed of up to 900 ipm. The unique design allows the Mach 4c to accommodate up to four cutting heads. www.flowwaterjet.com

3000 SERIES WATERJET

KMT PUMPS POWER PRECISE WATERJET SYSTEMS

The MultiCam 3000 Series Waterjet cutting system is an affordable, easy-to-use, production cutting solution designed for manufacturers that want the ability to cut a wide variety of materials or who are dealing with materials that require zero Heat Affected Zones. Moving gantry with dual side, brushless digital AC servo drives, a rapid traverse and maximum cutting speed of 1,500 IPM, integrated PC with 19” LCD monitor, and MultiCam EZ control / EZ suite software are some of the many standard features. www.multicam.ca

KMT offers a full spectrum of products, from Streamline S-30, 30 hp/60,000 PSI waterjet pumps for economical system integration to the massive power and maximum cutting speed of the 125hp/90,000 PSI Streamline PRO pump.

KMT Waterjet cutting heads with the Autoline abrasive nozzle are rated the best in independent testing by the University of Missouri/Science & Technology. www.kmtwaterjet.com

HIGH-SPEED PRECISION CUTTING

The 80X JetMachining Center paired with the latest Intelli-MAX Software Suite includes advanced system monitoring functionality. The bridge-style 80X JetMachining Center features an X-Y cutting travel of 13 feet 4 inches x 6 feet 8 inches, making it suitable for cutting large-scale components or multiple-part projects. The 80X is also capable of machining complex parts from pre-existing CAD drawings or .DXF files using a wide range of materials, including metal, plastic, glass, ceramics, stone and composites. www.omax.com 96 | MAY 2014 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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FINANCING ... continued from page 29

ADVERTISERS INDEX ADVERTISER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE ADVERTISER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE

of recent tax returns. An efficient leasing company can review this information and turn it around in a matter of a few hours or depending on the transaction size, a day or so.

The leasing company can provide information on what an approval will look like or a complete pre-approval subject to the final equipment selection and seller information. A standard lease pre-approval is normally good for up to 60 days, but in most cases 90 days, so there’s no time pressure.

In my experience, if the client is serious the deal will close within 30 days. Most importantly, there is no obligation to proceed. If the client likes the terms and conditions — great. If not, it will just lapse automatically after the 60 or 90 days.

The most common theme a manu­facturer and/or potential buy­er will come across at one of these exhibitions is a “show special.” I can tell you from firsthand experience, sellers spend inordinate amounts of money to decorate their booths and stock them with new technology and people so there’s an immense amount of pressure to move product.

Going to a show with a pre-approval in hand may provide an opportunity to negotiate a great deal on a new piece of technology and if that’s the case, it certainly will have been a productive use of time. CM Ken Hurwitz is the Senior Account Manager with Enable Capital Corp., an asset-based lending company in Toronto. Ken has years of experience in the machine tool industry and now works to help all types of manufacturers tap into their own capital to optimize their operations.

Contact Ken at (416) 614-5878 or via email. Learn more at www.enablecapitalcorp.com

3M Canada – Abrasive Systems Division . . . . . . 21

Lincoln Electric Co. of Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Amada Canada Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Mazak Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

AMT Machine Tools Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,19

Methods Machine Tools, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Benz Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Miller Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Bohler-Uddeholm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Multicyl Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Cincinnati Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Natex Tools & Natex Machinery Group . . . . . . . . 80

CWB Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Okuma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Dillon Manufacturing Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Ontario Power Authority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

DiPaolo Machine Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

PFERD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Elliott Matsuura Canada Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 EMAG L.L.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Emuge Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 ERI America Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 FRONIUS Canada Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Gullco International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Haas Automation Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Henkel Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Heule Tool Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Hiwin Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Horn USA, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Hougen Manufacturing Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Powerhold Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Renishaw Canada Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Retention Knob Supply & Mfg. Co. Inc. . . . . . . . 97 Sandvik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,5 Schunk Intec Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Scientific Cutting Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Seco Tools Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 SGS Tool Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Sirco Machinery Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26,37 Skills Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 SolidCAM Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Hurco USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC

Star CNC Machine Tool Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

IMTS 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Thomas Skinner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Ingersoll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

TRUMPF Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC

Iscar Tools Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OBC

Tungaloy America Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

ITI Tooling Company Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Victor Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Kinetic Cutting Systems Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Walter Surface Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Koma Precision, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Walter USA, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Komet Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Wilson Tool International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Kyocera Industrial Ceramics Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . 57

YG-1 Canada Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 8CMM20186 01/07/2008 08:19 AM

Page 1

Sales Professionals Needed Tungaloy is a manufacturer of premium quality cutting tools.

Based in Canada and Head quartered in Japan. Tungaloy is looking for cutting tool sales people for the Calgary area. If you have an engineering / business and or machining back ground and are interested in a career with a rapidly growing cutting tool company, please send your resume to jmitchell@tungaloycanada.com

IN STOCK American Standards and specials.

Japanese Standards inch or metric.

FOR FAST DELIVERY: Contact your local tooling dealer or order direct.

TEL 937-686-6405 FAX 937-686-4125 www.retentionknobsupply.com Retention Knob Supply Company P.O. Box 61 Bellefontaine, OH 43311

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By The NUMBERS One Measure of Economic Recovery Business Investment, Canada billions of dollars 850 – 800 – 750 –

Net direct investment position

700 –

Canadian direct investment abroad

650 –

Foreign direct investment in Canada

600 – 550 – 500 – 450 – 400 – 350 – 300 – 250 – 200 – 150 – 100 – 50 – 0 –

1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013

D

irect investment, both investment in Canada, and Canadian direct investment abroad, is a good indicator of business sentiment in two ways: Canadian firms’ optimism about global markets, and the world’s confidence in the Canadian economy. Statistics Canada tracks this essential metric, which showed that Canadian direct investment abroad grew by 9.4% in 2013, reflecting both increased investment activity as well as the upward revaluation effects of a weaker Canadian dollar. The level of foreign direct investment in Canada (+9.5%) advanced at a similar pace during the year, led by investment from the United States. In dollar terms, Canadian direct investment abroad increased by $66.7 billion to $779.3 billion in 2013. Foreign direct investment in Canada increased by $59.5 billion to $686.3 billion over the same period. It’s no surprise that the majority of the increase in Canadian direct investment abroad occurred in the US and the United Kingdom. The investment position in the United States increased by $28.6 billion to $317.7 billion in 2013. Canadian firms

added $9.5 billion to their direct investment position in the United Kingdom for a total position of $86.0 billion. A weakening Canadian dollar relative to other currencies is also had an upward effect on asset valuations.

Manufacturing was a major target of Canadian foreign investment in 2013 increasing by 17.6% to $72.8 billion. Overall, the share of Canadian investment abroad going into the manufacturing sector has fallen from a peak of 31.9% in 2000 to 9.3% in 2013. Where do the majority of Canadian investment dollars go? The finance and insurance sector, with 40.2% of overall Canadian direct investment abroad. For investment flowing into Canada, a full two-thirds of the growth in foreign direct investment in 2013 was directed ito the manufacturing and mining sectors. Manufacturing was number one, with a 30.5% share of overall investment, followed by mining and the petroleum industry with 20.3%. The “financialization” of capital continues, but with the global recovery driving resource demand, Canada is well placed for a manufacturing resurgence.

98 | MAY 2014 | www.canadianmetalworking.com

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