Mold, Tool & Die Supplement

April 2014

Canadian

MOLD,TOOL &die making

automotive

MARKET outlook

Putting it all together

A skilled trades TRAINING PROGRAM that works

TOOL STEEL How to buy the best

MACHINE TOOLS Cavalier Tool & Manufacturing

CUTTING TOOLS High feed milling rules

MOLDMAKING, SHOP FLOOR COMPONENTS The latest technologies

A supplement to and

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COMPONENTS FOR PLASTICS MOULDS AND

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Cover photo ©Ingram Publishing/Getty Images/Thinkstock Background photo: ©SafakOguz/Getty Images/Thinkstock

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contents

Revving up for the auto recovery

Cover photo ©Ingram Publishing/Getty Images/Thinkstock Background photo: ©SafakOguz/Getty Images/Thinkstock

W

ho would have thought, just a few short years ago, that 2014 would be a good time to be a moldmaker or automotive supplier?

Market analyst IHS Automotive projects that automakers will build 16.1 million cars and trucks in North America this year — up four per cent from 2013, and a ten-year high.

It’s good news and it will likely get better still. Analysts such as Canada’s Dennis DesRosiers are forecasting historic levels of new work that will be up for bids to North American auto parts molders and moldmakers. In service of post-recession pent-up consumer demand, automakers are expected to launch approximately 70 new vehicle models each year for the next five years — compared with about 40 allnew vehicle models launched each year before the auto slowdown and recession — each of which will need new molds for new exteriors and interiors, including new body moldings, new fascia, new lighting, new electronics, and new under-the-hood parts. And it’s more than just unit growth; the auto industry is poised to pick up business from OEMs looking to cut vehicle weight to satisfy upcoming CAFE regulations.

But there’s a problem: the manufacturing sector — and the mold, tool, and die industry in particular — is nowhere near the employment level it should be to take advantage of the automotive growth. In 2006, for example, there were 27,626 workers in the tool, die, and machining field, according to Statistics Canada, a number that plummeted to 18,597 in 2010. And it hasn’t really recovered.

Given that handicap, is the Canadian automotive sector ready for the resurgence? We’d better be because — bet on it — competitors in weaker global markets are going to be swarming in faster than flies at a barbecue.

Jim Anderton, editor Canadian Metalworking

4 Market Outlook: Red light, green light A new vendor tooling study identifies some major obstacles ahead for North America’s auto industry...and a few ways to get around them.

7 Cutting Tools High feed milling rules!

14 Machine Tools Cavalier Tool & Manufacturing is doing it right with big, high value molds.

20 Tool Steel Mold steel considerations for buying the best in performance.

25 Skills Training Valiant Machine & Tool has a training program that works.

Here’s how.

28 Moldmaking, Shop Floor Components Here’s some of what’s new, now.

Mark Stephen, editor Canadian Plastics

A supplement to Canadian Metalworking and Canadian Plastics

Canadian Plastics April 2014

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market outlook

By Mark Stephen, Canadian Plastics

©leszekglasner/Getty Images/Thinkstock

RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT A new vendor tooling study identifies some major obstacles ahead for North America’s auto industry — and a few ways to get around them.

A serious vendor tooling capacity constraint will hit the North American automotive industry by 2018, a new report concludes, and it’s going to affect the entire value stream from vendor tooling suppliers to Tier 1 suppliers to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

According to the 2013 Vendor Tooling Study by Royal Oak, Mich.-based automotive market research firm Harbour Results Inc. (HRI) and the Original Equipment Suppliers Association, in approximately five years the required capacity of the vendor tooling industry will reach US$15.2 billion, with available current supply of only US$9.25 billion. Vendor tooling — tooling purchased by the OEM to be run in Tier 1 or Tier 2 facilities — is a crucial part of the automotive industry and the vehicle development process, accounting for an average of US$550 per vehicle in North America at 2012 vehicle volume.

“Capacity will become a serious challenge for the automotive industry in the near future,” said Laurie Harbour, HRI’s president and CEO. “If the North American tooling industry doesn’t respond to the challenge, someone else — such as European and Asian tooling suppliers — will,” The study — which gathered information from 10 OEMs, nearly 50 major Tier 1 suppliers, and more than 50 global tooling suppliers — identifies several factors that will contribute to the demand increase, including mass customization, increased complexity, European and Asian OEM tool localization to North America, increased vehicle content, a looming skills shortage, and increased price pressure.

THE VIEW THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD The study begins by sketching the current state of North America’s automotive and automotive tooling industries.

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“The global economy has been gradually recovering from the 2009 recession, and near-term global vehicle demand holds in positive territory, but the picture is mixed across the landscape,” the report said. “Sales in North America (rising seven per cent to 18.4 million units) and Asia (rising five per cent to 35.7 million units, driven by China at 11 per cent or 21.3 million units) saw the largest growth in 2013. The balance of the regions remained flat or saw a drop in light vehicle sales. In total, global light vehicle sales increased four per cent to 83.4 million units.”

Forecasts of vehicle production growth indicate that Asia will remain dominant and, specifically, China will continue to be the most rapidly growing area. “From 2012 to 2017, global vehicle capacity will increase from 111.7 million units to 134.7 million units,” the study said.

“Regional production will be driven by emerging growth and mature recovery. Globalization and localization will shape future vehicle production.”

For the first time since 2002, the study continued, North American production hit 16 million units in 2013, which included a four per cent growth in production volume from 2012 (15.4 million units) to 2013 (16.1 million units). North American light vehicle sales will continue with gradual growth for the remainder of the decade. “U.S. growth will be spurred by retail sales, which should outpace expectations,” the study said. “By 2020, the projection is that the North American sales volume will be more than 20 million units — numbers that this market has not seen before — with the largest percentage of growth forecast to come from Mexico, which is expected to grow by 10 per cent.”

The key dynamic in the North American auto industry for the last several years has been the change in con-

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market outlook sumer taste, the study noted. “Vehicle owners are looking for something very different in their automobiles than in the past,” the study said. “These new consumers want customized, exciting new features and technology. This has driven tremendous complexity into vehicle offerings and the need for mass customization. In response, automotive OEMs are designing more models from common platforms and increasing the vehicle mix, while producing fewer vehicles per model. As a result, there will be fewer vehicle platforms with more models, an increased number of trim packages, and more options than ever before.”

The problem? As mentioned above, there’s a capacity constraint coming, and it’s going to put a serious crimp in the industry’s ability to satisfy these projections.

HANDLING THE CURVES So how does the industry rise to the challenge? The report recommends a three-pronged approach. First, Harbour said, the industry would see a 10 to 20 per cent reduction in absolute tool costs if there was more collaboration between OEMs, Tier 1s, and tooling suppliers as early as 36 months before vehicle launch. “Increased collaboration leads to improved manufacturing feasibility, increased input on part design, improved understanding of supplier capabilities, and more,” Harbour said. “Modifying processes throughout the vendor tooling value stream will not only improve tooling cost, but, more importantly, improve capacity needed to offset the impending constraint. OEMs, Tier 1s, and tooling suppliers will need to work together to create more efficient practices and reduce wastes throughout the entire process, from planning through to development, kick-off, production, and beyond to address the entire capacity gap.”

Second, there needs to be an industry-wide focus shift away from price and towards cost. “Too often today, the industry is focused on the increased price pressures and the price of tools, rather than the cost created through-

Proportion of tooling available for planned vehicle launches

Credit: Harbour Results Inc.

Projected size of N. American tooling industry

Credit: Harbour Results Inc.

out the entire tooling value stream — OEMs are utilizing a number of different tactics to lower the price of tools and services, including adjustment of payment terms and low-cost country sourcing,” Harbour said. “Seeking lower prices, especially with low-cost countries, is not the answer. The advantage gap for countries like China has been shrinking and will continue to shrink. China is still an option for tools, but high complexity, critical tools will stay here. If the focus does not shift to managing costs, the industry will face incredible challenges as capacity grows in this region.”

And third, the industry has to find, and eliminate, inefficiencies in the value stream. “OEMs, Tier 1s, and tooling suppliers need to analyze the entire value stream to identify key areas of improvement,” Harbour explained. “Inefficiencies, such as multiple or late-in-the-game engineering redesigns, come with a significant cost that could be avoided by adjusting current processes. A majority of the costs associated with the vendor tooling value stream are a result of process wastes and, when improved, can make a considerable difference to the overall cost of the industry.”

THE ROAD AHEAD Getting more specific, the study examines the respective steps that OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and tool suppliers are going to have to take to better adapt themselves to this brave new world.

“OEMs have to decide what needs to evolve within their strategies and tactics to secure their portion of capacity among tool suppliers,” the report said. “Are progressive payments critical to secure capacity? What are the most important modifications of strategic elements that will develop long-term relationships and allow tool suppliers the comfort they need to commit to upfront involvement in the design process? For newer OEM entrants to North America, it’s critical to develop the strategy to break into this tool supply base and create the right relationships.”

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market outlook Tier 1 suppliers, meanwhile, have to decide what role they want to play. “As the middleman, many have actually talked about making their own tools directly and are investigating putting in their own tool shops today,” the study said. “This may or may not be the right decision, and in some cases the OEMs will not be excited about this possibility, but the Tier 1 companies have a difficult role to play between the tool supplier and the OEM. In the end, they have the right to make profit for management of tools, and they have the responsibility to manage that effectively and appropriately.”

And last but definitely not least, the tool suppliers have to decide if they want to evolve and work on what they control, invest more in those relationships, and support this future gap in capacity. “Tool suppliers have to strategically start asking their customers, ‘What is it about you that makes me want to do business with you?’”, the study said.

The key for all three stakeholders — particularly the OEMs — is consistency of strategy, the study said: “If they change after one attempt, why would suppliers and tool suppliers continue to follow them, and how would things actually change in the long run?” Additionally, OEMs

have to focus on a strategy that’s right for them and not try to borrow one from the firm down the road. “Every company has a different culture, and the strategy has to fit the culture of that company,” the report said.

If the findings of the Harbour report strike you as Stephen King-style scary, you can semi-relax: it all ends on a positive note. “If the stakeholders are able to achieve the recommended collaborations, the vendor tool industry in North America will meet the future demand; the industry will keep a large manufacturing base in North America; the skills gap will be minimized, reducing the crisis in the country; OEMs will be able to invest in more products, in particular low-volume models that are typically cut due to high investment budgets; and new technologies, such as aluminum tools, will be able to be implemented,” it concluded.

It might just be the nearest thing to a happy ending the North American auto sector has experienced in years.

MT&D For the full HRI 2013 Vendor Tooling Study, or for more information, contact Harbour Results Inc. at info@harbourresults.com or 248-629-9331.

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cutting tools MOLDMAKING: High Feed Milling Rules

By Nate Hendley, Canadian Metalworking When asked about cutting tool trends on the moldmaking front, industry pundits repeat the words “high feed milling” like a mantra.

“The main tool used in the mold and die industry is high feed milling cutters for roughing. High feed milling works from a chip thinning theory, by using the lead angle of the cutter. This has transformed the way today’s applications are produced. The past method was to take large DOC (depth of cut) with very low feed rates with a 90 or 45 degree cutter. Today the industry has moved to high feed milling small DOC with high feed rates,” says Thomas Hagan, milling product manager, Iscar Canada in Oakville, Ontario.

Hagan does not see shops going back to their old ways: “High feed is definitely the way to go. It increases your productivity,” he says.

It’s a sentiment shared by others in the field.

“We would totally agree with that. A high feed cutter is designed to have very low depth of cut but work at a very, very high feed rate. This usually produces a lot less load on the machine tool itself...doing such a low depth of cut and going very fast tends to be a much better way to machine the part. Overall, it’s usually a much faster metal removal rate than taking a large depth of cut at a slow feed rate,” says Cullen Morrison,

business development manager of threading at Komet of America, in Schaumburg, Illinois.

In terms of other new developments in moldmaking methods, William Fiorenza, die and mold product manager at Ingersoll Cutting Tool in Rockford, Illinois, points to roughing applications.

“As far as milling goes, mold manufacturers and programmers are beginning to push the envelope with regards to roughing techniques which I believe [will save money for] moldshops,” says Fiorenza.

On the same note, Morrison says moldmaking programming technology is improving.

“I’ve seen quite a bit of evolution with CAM systems...for quite some time, the tooling manufacturers were ahead of the CAM programming and now we’re starting to become pretty equal and we can see some pretty good performance with that,” he says.

According to Hagan, the recovery of the moldmaking sector is a good sign for the economy as a whole.

Moldmaking has “definitely picked up from where it was in 2008. Now we’re seeing a huge increase in the mold and die industry. That’s good.

Once you see an increase in mold and die, you know the rest of the industry will pick up too. It’s good all around,” says Hagan.

Here’s a look at what’s new and/or noteworthy in cutting tools for molds: Horn USA Horn USA, of Franklin, Tennessee, has a new DAH25 high feed milling system that includes four end mills with Weldon toolholders offering cutting edge diameters of 12, 16, 20 and 25 mm (0.472 inches, 0.631 inches, 0.787 inches, and 0.948 inches respectively).

The end mill with the 12 mm cutting edge diameter comes with two indexable inserts, while the end mills with 16 and 20 mm cutting edge diameters have three indexable inserts and the end mill with the 25 mm cutting diameter has four. Shanks have internal cooling and the holders have TiN coating. MaxiHorn USA’s new DAH25 high-feed milling system. mum cutting depth

is 0.8 mm (0.031 inches) while the cutting edge corner radius is 0.4 mm (0.015 inches).

Like previous DAH high feed milling systems, DAH25 is designed to boost productivity in roughing operations by “removing material at high feed rates,” says Jason Farthing, marketing and sales coordinator at Horn USA. Horn plans to introduce carbide insert grade SC6A—previously introduced to the DAH62 and DAH37 systems—to the DAH25 system, “later this year,” adds Farthing. www.hornusa.com/

Walter USA Walter USA of Waukesha, Wisconsin has expanded its high performance Titex X-treme DM micro drilling line to include tools with 16xD and 30xD drilling depth ranges. Diameters of 2 – 2.95 mm are now available April 2014

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Our X4 for grooving, profiling and parting-off comes with Jetstream Tooling Duo® – coolant jets directed to the cutting edge from above and below. This gives significant benefits regarding chip control, tool life and productivity.

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cutting tools

Here’s a great idea for:

Machining composite materials KOMET RHOBEST tool program A range of tools specifically designed for composite materials

for drilling depths in these product ranges.

The Titex X-treme DM micro drills which can be used in die and mold applications, have internal Walter USA’s expanded cooling, optimized point Titex X-treme DM geometry with special cutmicro drilling line. ting edge preparation, and precisely dimensioned flute geometry. The endresult is exceptional chip formation and significant process reliability. Flutes have polished surfaces, which enhances chip evacuation.

Walter USA has “another program” in the works, but it’s “too soon to talk about … it is in the microdrill area, without coolant through,” says Pat Nehls, product manager at Walter USA. As for Titex X-treme DM micro drill handling tips, he says, “Small diameter drills are sensitive to run-out. So use it in a shrink holder.” www.walter-tools.com

Ingersoll Ingersoll has introduced the Hi-QuadXXX—a 30 degree bevel high feed face mill with 13 mm and 19 mm IC insert sizes.

“The Triple X has the ability to operate at lower speed and leverage the depth of cut … depending on the application, you can actually almost triple your material removal rate,” says Fiorenza.

Like its predecessor the Hi-QuadF high feed milling family, the Hi-QuadXXX offers flexibility and a wide application range. The Hi-QuadXXX can be used for aerospace and general purpose machining in addition to die mold work. This versatile mill boasts seven different geometry options and two insert sizes with four indexes per insert.

According to Fiorenza, the most notable feature of the Hi-QuadXXX is its “aggressive ability to leverage a deeper depth of cut while maintaining the free cutting nature of a shallow depth of cut high feed mill.”

As for HiQuadXXX handling tips, he adds, The Hi-QuadXXX 30 degree bevel high-feed face mill from “If I was a moldIngersoll. maker or a lead pro-

The idea: Achieving cutting performance and tool life in highly abrasive materials.

Why it’s great: • Drills and milling cutters with proprietary diamond coating • For machining CFRP, graphite, and aluminum alloys • Engineering and testing capabilities to deliver applicationspecific tools for your unique machining operations Learn more about this and other great ideas.

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

www.komet.com 905-954-0466

TOOLS PLUS IDEAS April 2014 MT&D

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cutting tools grammer in a mold shop, I would be looking at heavyduty MPR inserts.”

MPR inserts are notably strong, with a flat rake face and a large insert radius profile for deeper depth of cut and aggressive operating parameters. www.ingersoll-imc.com

Data Flute “A common problem faced by many machinists is how to solve the issue of varying stock still remaining on a mold after roughing. As a programmer, I have specified the amount of stock I want left for semi-finishing, but as a machinist I can see there is excess material, sometimes in varying amounts, in areas of my mold. Frequently, the only solution is to stand by the machine and slow the feed rate down in these areas or if I am running multiple machines, run The SS-I-4 BN the entire program at a lower solid carbide end mill from feed rate. At Data Flute we Data Flute. have developed a tool that can

be run at 100 per cent feed rate and still handle this varying material when profiling and 3D contouring in all mold materials up to 56 RC,” says Dan Holmes, Canadian sales manager at Data Flute, which is headquartered in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

“The tool to use is the SS-I-4 BN [ball nose] solid carbide end mill. We have taken our variably indexed, four flute, SS-I geometry and added a precision, CNC ground full ball. Data Flutes’s unique end geometry allows for heavier, and varying chip loads at higher metal removal rates for roughing, rest milling and semi-finishing. So rather than slowing down and sacrificing productivity, you can run at full feed rates with confidence,” says Holmes. www.dataflute.com

Kennametal Kennametal’s new Rodeka inserts for indexable milling work well in moldmaking applications, says Kennametal’s new Rodeka Juan Seculi, the Latrode, inserts for indexable milling.

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cutting tools Pennsylvania-based company’s senior product manager, global product management, indexable milling.

“Traditionally, round inserts are the cutting tool of choice for complex 3D shapes such as moldmaking … inserts do make a difference. Kennametal’s Rodeka inserts are double-sided with up to 12 cutting edges and are available in a comprehensive range of sizes and styles, including screw-on, end mills, and shell mill cutters with internal coolant. Three different insert sizes and three topographies per size cover any type of work material and application,” says Seculi.

Kennametal’s –LD style insert is recommended for stainless steel and titanium operations with a honed edge for light to medium machining. The –GD insert style is recommended for medium to heavy machining and is a good choice for general purpose applications.

The Rodeka –HD inserts meanwhile can be used for heavy machining applications and cast iron materials. www.kennametal.com

Iscar Iscar’s Helido H606 double-sided profiling inserts are “an excellent solution for profiling applications that require ramping down or face machining with shoulder milling,” says Hagan.

These inserts can be used in semi-finishing and roughing operations as part of the mold-making process, he adds.

The Helido H606 features a 6 mm radii with 90 degree vertical cutting edge, very positive rake angle to lower power consumption, dovetail rigid clamping, AXT chipformer for steel and cast iron, AXMP chipformer, suitable for austenitic stainless steel and high temperature alloys and a diameter range of 40 - 80 mm.

“The Helido H606 double-sided insert provides 6 x 90 degree cutting edges, both with ramping down capability. We are able to place more inserts on the cutIscar’s H606 double-sided profiling insert.

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ter than a regular button insert. This enables Iscar to provide more productivity,” says Hagan.

Iscar has also introduced the H600 WXCU 070515… insert for roughing, among other mold-related operations. www.iscar.ca

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cutting tools

Niagara Cutter’s MZN410R/510R solid-carbide cutter, as distributed by Seco Tools, LLC.

Seco Niagara Cutter’s high feed cutters excel at mold making, according to Seco Tools, LLC, which distributes the tool.

“Niagara MZN410R/510R solid-carbide cutters from Seco Tools, LLC, deliver high feed machining capability for reduced cycle times in moldmaking applications.

With special designs, the tools transfer cutting forces

axially into machine tool spindles rather than radially. This allows mold shops to use lighter duty machines, yet with the same benefits as would result from using heavier duty machines,” says Larry Lefkof, manager of Niagara Sales at Seco LLC, headquartered in Troy, Michigan.

“The Niagara high feed cutters, offered in inch sizes, provide much tighter and closer access to smaller corner radii at mold cavity floors and side walls. There is less cutting tool pressure (wall contact) than is the case using a ballnose or round inserted tool. Plus, the cutters provide process reliability—in addition to increased metal removal rates—for unattended operation, thus freeing operators to tend multiple machines,” says Lefkof.

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Komet of America Komet’s Quatron hi.feed milling cutter is not new, but it has been undeservedly overlooked, says Morrison.

“It’s an excellent tool for die and mold but hasn’t quite got the popularity and following we were hoping for,” he states.

This product ignorance might be based on the fact Komet had “always been known as an indexable drilling company in boring and reaming” not a manufacturer of milling tools, says Morrison.

In any case, the Quatron hi.feed milling cutter is specifically designed for plunge milling, a machining style for cutting deep grooves and large cavities. A high-performance roughing tool, the Quatron hi.feed can manage high feed rates, up to 2 mm per cutting edge. www.komet.com

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AGGRESSIVE in WINDSOR Cavalier Tool & Manufacturing Ltd. wins in Windsor with big, high value molds.

By Jim Anderton, Canadian Metalworking

When times are tough, there’s only one way for manufacturers to come out ahead of the rest: by being aggressive and forward thinking in their business planning and investments. Cavalier Tool & Manufacturing Ltd. of Windsor, Ontario, took this approach by investing in high speed machining capabilities and has reaped the rewards ever since.

Cavalier Tool, established Cavalier Tool boasts 85 employees, a 50,000-square-foot facility, tools for 250 to 4,000 in 1975, is a global manufac- ton presses, and produces over 200 molds per year. turer of mid-sized to large molds for the automotive, commercial, recreational, door panels. Within these applications, the company medical and aerospace industries. It specializes in appli- uses a wide range of materials but primarily works with cations with high glass content including fans, shrouds, aluminum, P20 and H13. In fact, Cavalier Tool is the radiator intakes, lighting tools, door carrier plates and single largest consumer of aluminum in Windsor.

“It’s important to know the capabilities you’re strong at and those where you could use some improvement,” says Brian Bendig, president of Cavalier Tool. “For the longest time, high speed machining in hardened material wasn’t our strong suit, and as such we relied heavily on outsourcing. However, once the economy took a turn for the worst, we decided it was time to regain control by investing in high speed machining to ensure quality mold finishing on hardened materials.”

HARD MILLING, EASY CHOICE

Investing in new capabilities pays off with short- and longterm benefits in cost-cutting and increased productivity.

The shop that Cavalier Tool was previously using to machine hardened material applications employed a Makino A100 horizontal machining center, and Bendig was impressed with the speeds, accuracy and milling surface finish it achieved. So when it came time to reevaluate Cavalier Tool’s high speed machining capabilities to recapture the hardened work it was outsourcing, Bendig turned his eye toward Makino’s selection of high speed horizontal machining centers.

“We wanted a machine with high-quality milling surface finish capabilities that could manufacture molds

You’ll delive And M possi enab steps even All in make and f

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machine tools quickly, accurately and with high repeatability,” he says.

“We had a lot of work coming through and had been researching machines for a couple of months. We had a relationship with Makino, as we have a Makino SNC 86 graphite mill and have been happy with the results it produced. Another reason we wanted a Makino was longevity and reliability. We knew a Makino HMC would be able to support our business well into the future. Our oldest Makino has been on the floor for 17 years, and still provides reliable high-quality mold finishing.”

In June 2010, Bendig invested in a Makino a92 horizontal machining center based on its similar characteristics to the A100.

The a92’s 10,000-rpm spindle, 1,969 IPM rapid feed rate and 0.4G acceleration/deceleration rates offer Cavalier Tool a whole new level of productivity in its large-part production. Its extra-rigid machine construction reliably provides extremely tight positioning tolerances of ±0.00010 inches, with a repeatability of ±0.00006 inches.

The machine has a 31-inch-by-39-inch pallet and X-, Y- and Z-axis travels of 59 by 49 by 53 inches to handle workpieces up to 59 inches in diameter and height, and weighing up to 4,400 pounds. Its automatic pallet changer allows for a full pallet change in 23 seconds, significantly reducing spindle downtimes that occur during setups on vertical machining centers.

A WELCOMED ADDITION WITH IMMEDIATE IMPACT The a92 was a welcome addition, and Cavalier Tool saw an immediate impact as soon as the machine arrived on the shop floor. One of the greatest advantages of the a92 is its speed.

“A lot of times, the orientation of the glass in the mold finishing process is an unknown during tool

Cavalier specializes in applications with high glass content including fans, shrouds, radiator intakes, door carrier plates, door panels and lighting tools like the automotive turn signal element shown here.

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Cavalier’s Makino a92, a high speed, high torque production machining centre with an X-Y-Z of 1500 mm x 1250 mm x 1350 mm.

production,” says Bendig. “As a result, we have to be prepared to handle any engineering changes from the OEM that occur during our production process. This makes it critical for us to be able to set up and tear down parts as quickly as possible without disrupting our overall workflow.”

The a92’s automatic pallet changer, combined with a rear-clamping FCS fixture system, enables Cavalier Tool to quickly and accurately set up several parts on a single tombstone without interrupting the current high speed machining processes or losing positioning accuracy. The rotary B-axis table provides increased flexibility much like that of a 5-axis machining center but without the inherent reduction in accuracy.

“The combination of Makino’s programmable through-spindle coolant technology, 92-capacity automatic tool changer and B-axis rotary table enable us to perform several types of operations with fewer setups,” says Mike McNaughton, Cavalier Tool’s machining supervisor. “This configuration allows us to do drilling, boring, thread milling, tapping, 2-D and 3-D machining without the operator ever touching the part. With jobs we’ve transferred to the a92, we’re typically seeing a 50 per cent reduction in the number of setups and up to three times the productivity of previous processing techniques.”

Cavalier Tool reports that, in hardened materials, the Makino a92 completes jobs up to twice as fast as

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machine tools A Pulse monitoring system enables Cavalier to gather idle times, feed rates, component name, operation type, operation length and more in an organized daily, weekly or monthly report.

with competitive machines. The shop also tracks spindle utilization through Lemoine’s “Pulse” machine monitoring software.

“All of our machines are monitored day in and day out through our Pulse monitor for performance tracking,” says Bendig. “With this system, we’re able to gather idle times, feed rates, component name, operation type, operation length and more in an organized daily, weekly or monthly report. In each of these reports, the Makino demonstrates exceptional performance with spindle uptimes frequently in the 90 per cent range.”

ACCURACY IS KEY Speed and uptime are nice, but they are insignificant if the machine isn’t accurate. Of course, the goal of any machine shop is to process at a level of mold finishing quality that no longer warrants secondary machining operations or benching procedures. The Makino a92 provides that capability to Cavalier Tool.

“The rigidity of the a92’s Z-axis has allowed us to significantly reduce the time we spend performing secondary gun-drilling operations,” says Bendig. “With the ability to accurately and reliably drill up to 10 inches deep, we’re able to complete primary gun-drilling operations on the a92, saving us from wasting costly time performing two setups on our gun-drilling machine.”

The a92’s horizontal configuration and coolant management technologies have enabled Cavalier Tool to avoid recutting of chips for the highest level of accuracy and milling surface finish achievable.

“Even the slightest inaccuracy in some of our applications can

cause huge problems down the road,” says McNaughton. “If a single blade in one of our fan tools is off by even 0.001 inch, this could cause a slight imbalance in its use that would ultimately reduce the fan’s life span. With the a92, we’re able to dramatically exceed required specifications

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machine tools with tolerances under plus or minus 0.0001 inch for perfect seal-offs and little spotting.”

“The overall milling surface finish produced on the a92 has substantially reduced spotting and benching times as well,” says Bendig. “Every tool coming out of the a92 is pre-tapped, chamfered, engraved and with mold finishing and milling surface finish that require little to no manual labor. Instead of starting at 80-grit benching procedures, we can move straight into 200 grit. And in many cases, it actually takes longer to put the tools in the press than it does to spot them.”

Cavalier Tool’s a92 offers nearly three times the productivity compared to their previous technology.

GROWING IN A DOWN ECONOMY Cavalier Tool has proven a shop doesn’t have to be at the mercy of the economy. The company took steps to add capacity in order to acquire more business and regain business it was outsourcing, and the PowerUpAd-CanMetal1113_layout 10/9/13 11:19 AM Page 1

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machine tools efforts are paying off.

“We’ve acquired a lot of new customers and continue to grow,” says Bendig. “We’ve become successful because of how we machine. We leave the simple stuff to other shops. Everything we do is complex.

From high speed machining to milling surface finish capabilities and mold finishing, Makino has helped us deliver.””

How well is the company doing? So far, its best year was 2009. While other companies were laying off staff and closing their doors, Cavalier Tool had its best year ever. The company isn’t satisfied, however. It recently opened a 20,000-square-foot facility in El Paso, Texas, to serve the Mexican market.

“The a92 has added more versatility to our operation,” says McNaughton.

“The Makino has reduced our setup time, costs and handwork. It’s helped us increase production even though we removed seven machines from the shop floor.”

Of course, Makino isn’t the only factor in Cavalier Tool’s success. Bendig believes in order to be successful, a shop needs to focus on three things: people, processes and equipment.

Cavalier Tool has done just that for 36 years, and it won’t be changing its approach anytime soon.

Cavalier Tool & Manufacturing Windsor, Ontario www.cavaliertool.com

Courtesy Competetive Mold Maker. www.makino.com See more at: http://www. moldmakermag.com/articles/hardmilling-cavaliertool/#sthash.Wc6jxPV2.em5sW3Dh.dpufw

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tool steel

By Jim Anderton, Canadian Metalworking

SMART

STEEL Mold steel considerations for buying the best in performance Modern rouging tools using advanced inserts like these Iscar products can hog out a rough cavity very quickly, even with pre-hardened materials.

There are a thousand ways to spell “trouble” in plastic mold manufacturing and when it strikes, the finger pointing begins in earnest. The material is always a suspect, which is natural when dealing with defects, but there’s a lot going on in a cavity or block between skinning the steel and final benching. Here are some problems and causes of common issues:

SOFT AREAS ON THE MOLD SURFACE Soft regions in the mold surface post heat treating can affect all performance aspects of the mold, but in particular lower wear resistance and reduced life are the biggest. Some basic causes are: •P oor or no surface preparation prior to heat treating • I ncorrect or inadequate heat quench cycles •W rong or contaminated quenching medium •M ismatch between desired hardness spec and steel or process.

How can we prevent these problems? Oxygen is the enemy of most processes that alter material properties, and mold steels are no exception. Oxide layers are a bad thing and should be removed, and optimal heat treatment should occur either in a vacuum, or controlled atmosphere oven. Wrong or inadequate heat/quench profiles occur due to two primary factors. The first is

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specification related. Most mold builders have a desired surface hardness they need for achieving polishability, but rarely specify a particular heat treat methodology.

Lead times are short these days, and the need to turn around mold parts quickly results in pressure to cut corners in cycle times or substitute marginal processes to meet delivery deadlines. Done properly, there’s no way to cut corners in heat treating; switching suppliers to a treater or that promises very ambitious turnaround time may suggest that they’re shaving minutes or omitting entire steps in a process that often takes tens of hours.

The other issue is based on material selection. The mold maker may have a desired hardness, and even specify a particular heat/quench profile, but if the chosen alloy is non-uniform, dirty, or is marginal in its hardenability to the desired level, problems are highly likely.

Even a contaminated or incorrectly chosen quenching medium can have a major effect. It’s important to establish a good working relationship with the treater to understand the variables.

CRACKING Large or small, cracks on extensively machined mold part are frustrating and expensive. The nature of the heat treating process is that the soak at a specified ele-

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tool steel vated temperature develops and homogenizes a desired microstructure, which is then frozen in by quenching.

The key factor in quenching is that the rate of cooling is critical, rather than the final temperature. This is why different steel grades and different hardness levels require a variety of quenching media. Steels are crystalline solids, and the rapid rates of cooling associated with hardening seriously stress the material. Even worse, mold parts are not perfectly uniform, so varying section thicknesses cool at slightly different rates, introducing stresses that can both crack and distort the part. Some causes are: •C old plastic deformation and residual stresses in the part •C omplex part shape than consistent cross-sectional thicknesses • f ailure to remove the white layer on EDM parts • i ncorrect heat/quench profile for the steel chosen • i nadequate or no stress temper before heat treatment All machining processes deform the steel to some extent, and residual stresses have to be relieved to prevent later cracking or deformation, especially if machining processes are aggressive and/or the material selection is susceptible to stress cracking. Modern

Figure 1

alloys are harder, more complex and high productivity mold making uses very aggressive cutting profiles with high feeds and speeds all of which combine to put considerable stress into the part. Cavities are more complex than ever with little consistency in wall thickness, making it impossible to achieve exactly the same quenching conditions uniformly throughout the part. Experienced heat treaters will spot this problem before they treat, and can compensate to some extent (by damming or plugging holes for example), to slow heat soak and cooling in some critical areas. Similarly, a good heat treater will spot a mismatch between the requested specification and material selection and part shape. Sometimes it’s simply not possible to safely achieve the hardness requested without a serious cracking risk. A stress relieving heat is a good practice, as is mold design that takes steel grade selection and heat treating into account. And like the soft spot problem, clean, uniform material is essential.

PROCESSES FOR CLEAN, CONSISTENT METALS

Multi-cavity and family molds can be very large, representing a major upfront investment. In-machine welding is tempting, but done properly, the mold should be removed and properly prepared for a weld repair.

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Great molds always start with highly uniform and homogenous metal alloys. One process that helps achieve super clean steel is electro slag remelting or ESR. Electro slag remelting is deceptively simple. In a water cooled ingot, a consumable electrode is re-melted in contact with a molten slag bath inside the crucible.

Electric current passing through the electrode provides the heat source, and as the electrode melts and the molten metal passes through the slag layer, pro-

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tool steel duction of sulfur and oxygen occur chemically. Another process, vacuum arc remelting is similar. In VAR, a source electrode is also melted by electric current in a crucible, except under a high vacuum. The crucible is water cooled and the ingot grows from the bottom up as the arc zone melts away the source electrode. The vacuum allows strong degasification before the metal solidifies resulting in very homogenous clean metal with minimal oxide content. Both processes give better hot and cold workability superior mechanical properties. Disadvantages to the processes are a limit to the size of bar due to size constraints on the crucible, and some waste as the ends of the ingot are often sawed away to ensure complete uniformity throughout the block (Fig. 1).

Another high-tech process getting lots of attention today is powder metallurgy. Powder technology works by compacting superfine metal powders and then firing the green compact in an oven to center the particles

into a solid mass. With a very fine very uniform particle size, grain boundary growth is also consistent, producing a block with essentially identical mechanical properties throughout. Sintered powder processes are popular for carbide materials, but advancements in vacuum and electroslag processes make remelted product a cost-effective alternative for even demanding applications like lens and die casting molds.

HARDENING IS STILL KEY The hardening process is still key to the production of long life molds, regardless of the starting metallurgy or machining processes. Despite its importance, the hardening process is still not well understood by many mold makers. Michael Schmidt, Division Manager, Bohler-Uddeholm Thermo Tech relates: “heat treaters have to be conscious of the geometry of the part and how it was machined. Heat treatment almost always results in some form of dimensional change. Our rule

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tool steel be in the tens of hours, days really, meaning time in a vacuum oven is apportioned by a strict schedule. It’s important to work with the treater to allow adequate lead time to get critical parts through the process and into the finished mold in time to meet delivery schedules.

It’s also important for the mold maker to thoroughly understand effective heat treating on their material. According to Schmidt, “There are grades that may be more susceptible to movement, some more susceptible Small, shaped inserts like these Seco tools, allow fine machining on small scales with hard materials, or at very high speeds with conventional grades. to shrinkage and some to growth….these are of thumb is typically one and a half-thousandths per variables that must be factored in. For customers that do inch, per side… that should be the minimum amount repetitive work, they may experiment with the first few left on the steel when it comes for heat treat. This tools or components and see what the trend is after heat should provide adequate stock to allow for proper treating, then adjust all subsequent orders accordingly.

Some companies for example know how much a hole clean up afterwards.”

In the 1990’s surface hardness was commonly 28- will change in size for a given heat treat process based on 32HRC, but today its common to harden to 34 HRC the historical data, so they leave a very specific amount of or higher. The higher surface hardness improves polish overstock for finish machining based on that knowledge.”

Prehardened material can eliminate many of these ability, but over polished surfaces are still at risk of pitting due to carbide pull out during the final stages of problems, and with modern insert technology, it’s posbenching. Higher core hardness is another reason for sible to machine very hard materials cost effectively, higher Rockwell numbers; today’s tools are larger, more but prehardened metal doesn’t always eliminate the complex and necessarily more expensive, so mold life is need for post treatment. Schmidt adds, “I think it’s a more important than ever. As molding toolmakers de- balancing act depending on the job itself and to some mand higher and higher through hardness, heat treat- degree how much money you have in that job. Iners now commonly use vacuum and a multiple stage serts and modern cutting tools can definitely machine heat treating process involving step heating with hours through hardened steels better, but there’s a definite long hold times at preset temperatures, as well as inter- difference between a hardened H 13 which may be 46 rupted quenching cycles, freezing intermediate micro- HRC, versus D2 or high-speed steel at a 60-62 HRC, structures than reheating and quenching again to a final, the latter being much more difficult. A P 20 with a fine microstructure. These processes are more involved, mid-30s hardness naturally is easier to machine, somemore expensive and just as importantly in a fast turn- thing that should be taken advantage of. Where it gets around shop environment, take time. For step heating tricky is when you work with hardness’ entering into and interrupted quenching processes, cycle times can the high 50’s (HRC) and above.”

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skills training Turn the “Skills Gap” into your COMPETITIVE EDGE Mike Ouellette (right) on the shop floor with a student.

T

he job skills gap has been an ongoing subject of controversy. The problem is that while unemployment is high, many jobs remain unfilled because workers don’t have the skills to fill them. I am convinced that if we keep blaming things on external circumstances, we’ll prevent ourselves from creating the change we want and need.

The conversations around the skills gap are astounding to me, in that very rarely do I hear anybody putting a positive spin on this much-publicized challenge.

Most companies clearly know what they don’t want, don’t have, and don’t like, and unfortunately this is also

By Karin Lindner, Karico Performance Solutions where their main focus and attention goes. But what would you think if I told you that this gap actually presents you with an excellent opportunity to stay ahead of your competition?

Some companies are already refusing to accept the status quo. The companies that really get it have stopped blaming, moaning, and whining. And by doing something about it, they’re leaving their competitors in the dust.

AN EXAMPLE THAT WORKS If you’re looking for a shining example of what’s possible when you put your mind to it — set right here

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skills training in Canada, no less — here it is. The “Earn While You Learn” training program of Windsor, Ont.-based Valiant Machine & Tool Inc. is certainly unique in its own right.

It all started about five years ago with Valiant having a vast need for skilled workers. However, instead of complaining about it, they took action. With an aging workforce looking to retire and not enough young people to fill the gaps, they knew that they had to do something to overcome this tremendous challenge. This 46-week paid program provides students with a first class learning environment that combines theoretical knowledge and practical applications. The Valiant Training and Development Centre’s success is based on relevant industry experience, very much like the well-established apprenticeship programs in Europe. The really admirable thing about this is that Valiant is challenging the status quo by educating young people in the shortest possible time to bring skill, talent, and value to their organization. Times have changed, our young people are different, and we have to meet current needs. We have to make learning the skilled trades — dare I say it — “sexy” for our next generation. A shorter program with greater quality is a win-win situation for everyone involved.

The man behind the scenes at Valiant who makes it all happen and who has contributed tremendously to this success story is training coordinator Mike Ouellette. With over 35 years of experience in the industry, Mike knows what it takes to make a quality product to the highest possible standards. As soon as I met Mike two years ago, I recognized something special in him — he’s not only a “people person”, but one who actually appreciates young people (compared to others who have nothing but negative things to say). Can you see how much perception matters? Mike makes sure that his students don’t only learn technical skills, but also basic life skills along the way, and he certainly leads by example. Young people have to understand the value of showing commitment, being responsible, and taking initiative. Great communication skills and a good attitude will help them to go wherever they want. Mike isn’t shy about expressing his belief that our youth are the future in North America, and that, if we believe in these young people, they won’t disappoint us. The energy, time, kindness, and patience that Mike invests in his students on a daily basis guarantee a payback as

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soon as they enter the work environment.

Since the initial launch, 140 students have gone through this training program and 120 of these students were placed within Valiant. Valiant invests approximately $50,000 per student for the first year without any kind of contract. How amazing is that? In other words, they are free to go and work somewhere else if they want to. Valiant is demonstrating that they do their part to develop new talent for the benefit of making our industry strong again. Now that Valiant has fulfilled their own immediate needs, they are exploring next steps on how to help other companies — yes, even their competitors — to train students for them in the Valiant Training and Development Centre. They have just opened their doors to a second such centre in Windsor. And with more than 2,000 inquiries, it definitely won’t lack new applicants. The next challenge is to introduce a provincial standard curriculum to the government, so that the students can receive the proper accreditation for their accomplishments.

So what’s the difference between your shop and Valiant? Nothing, really — you are only one decision away from taking the bull by the horns, as Valiant has done.

OLD “SOLUTIONS” WON’T CUT IT Recently, I’ve heard conversations again about importing skills from overseas to address what one individual called “a more immediate solution”. Brilliant — and while we’re at it, we might as well just travel back in time to the 1950’s and 60’s. We’ve done this before, in other words, and it hasn’t solved the problem in the long run. Importing talent and skill is obviously an easy way out that doesn’t require any creative and innovative thought.

Ask yourself these questions: Can we really afford to ignore our high unemployment rate? Would importing talent and skill help the population in North America to increase their standard of living? Does this encourage our organizations to take a bigger step towards social responsibility? How can we just stand by and do nothing while a global message is being conveyed that North America doesn’t have the talent, skill, and creativity within its own borders to succeed?

I grew up in Austria and — like many immigrants — have always looked at Canada and the U.S. as places of endless possibilities. There was something magical about these countries: people were able to make things happen

......stay connected with

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Photo Credits: All photos courtesy of Valiant Machine & Tool Inc.

skills training that they want to replace the lack of skill and education with process improvements.

In Germany, companies incur the costs of their apprentices before they reap the benefits, and that’s exactly what Valiant has done. We need more companies in North America that are Apprenticeship students and staff outside the Valiant Training and Development Centre. willing to invest in their current and future emas long as they put their hearts and minds to it. Have we ployees. Many times I have noticed that employers don’t want to pay appropriate wages to recruit people with really lost the magic?

Just recently a business owner said to me, “I’m not needed skills. If this is the case, we shouldn’t define it as in the business of training people, I’m in the business a skills gap — it’s actually a mindset gap.

In the end, a business must know what it stands for, of making money.” In his own way, he’s right. Making money is his reality — the lens through which he sees and so must the employees who work there.

Every day we each have countless opportunities, all the world. But it’s unfortunate that he cannot see that there is a tremendous need for companies to provide dictated by the choices we make. Many times, the smallon-the-job training and education if they want to stay est shift in thinking or doing can create the biggest oprelevant. In the wider sense, it is indeed in his interest portunity. What could this mean for you?

These days, it’s essential to challenge your beliefs to see that young people are being trained in the skilled trades. How else can he — and we — keep up with a about what you can and can’t do; to shift your focus and energy from complaining to taking action; to spot and constantly changing world?

There is no shortage of data suggesting that although attract talent and skill, no matter what it takes; and to many companies continue to complain about the so- get into the heads of our Millennials As someone once put it, “Some will hear, but not liscalled skills gap, few are taking steps to fix it. The CareerBuilder survey of 1,648 U.S. hiring managers and hu- ten. Some will listen, but not understand. And some will man resources professionals, released in November 2013, understand, but not act. But the ones who hear, listen, found that nearly 80 per cent of managers are at least and act will go places.” somewhat concerned about the skills gap, but only about It’s something to think about.

MT&D 40 per cent are doing anything to alleviate the problem.

According to a recent Adecco telephone survey of Karin Lindner is a business college graduate from Aus500 top executives, 92 per cent said there’s a job skills tria, and the author of the book “How Can We Make gap. And of that overwhelming majority, nearly half Manufacturing Sexy? A Mindset of Passion and Purpose believed the gap was in “soft skills” — communication, from the Production Floor to the Executive Suite”. After critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. moving to Canada in 2003, she worked for auto parts Some companies may be hurting because they can’t maker Magna International Inc. Since founding Karico find the right technical help, but I’m certain that a lot Performance Solutions, a Richmond Hill, Ont.-based emmore will suffer if they can’t find people with basic ployee engagement and motivation consulting company, communication skills. she works as a trainer, facilitator, coach, and inspiraCan it be that our organizations don’t spend tional speaker. She is also an instructor at the Faculty enough on productivity and infrastructure? I believe of Applied Science and Technology at Sheridan College.

cted with aCEtronic ......

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moldmaking / shop floor Increased stock of DIN metric components DME has increased its stock of DIN metric components by 40 per cent, giving moldmakers more access to North American-style products supported with same-day shipping.

The expansion is designed to accommodate an increased demand from North American moldmakers who want DIN metric dimensions.

The component line features metric measurements with a familiar North American design.

All metric-sized components are in stock and ready to ship. Orders placed by 5 p.m. Eastern Monday through Friday will ship the same day.

The component line includes: • Bronze-plated wear plates — Manufactured with a long-lasting wear surface for bronze-plated molds requiring slides, cams or flat surfaces where frictional wear is a factor.

• Self-lubricating L-Gibs — Featuring a long-lasting wear surface for high-production molds. L-Gibs are easy to machine and can be shaped to any configuration, requiring no special tools.

• Leader pins — Metric guide pins are precision made of high-quality steel, and are hardened and finished ground to close tolerances.

• Bronze-plated shoulder bushings, ejection bushings, and self-lubricating guided ejection bushings — Made of precision-ground steel with oil grooves and a true bushing surface that extends the full length of the bushing. Bronze bushings perform smoother and longer than plain steel, as lubricant is distributed throughout the bearing surface by the figure-eight oil groove system.

DME of Canada Ltd. (Mississauga, Ont.); www.dme.net; 800-387-6600

High-performance general purpose forming tap Emuge Corporation has introduced MultiTAPForm, a forming tap designed to deliver performance increases in a wide range of materials including carbon steel, steel alloys, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, brass, and bronze.

In lab tests, MultiTAP-Form demonstrated four times the life compared to a leading brand form tap. MultiTAP-Form is also uniquely designed to produce threads within both 2B and 3B classes of fit, eliminating the guess-

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work of calculating H-limits.

MultiTAP-Form features a new innovative geometric design, a proprietary grade of high speed steel (HSS-E) and is TiN-coated for long life and versatility. A short chamfer lead of 1.5 — 2 Pitch is ideal for bottom tapping, and lubrication grooves allow coolant flow-to-form action for holes requiring long thread length.

The forming of threads offers many advantages over conventional thread cutting. A formed thread is one where the material has been displaced instead of cut, which provides excellent thread surface quality and increased static and dynamic strength of the thread. Additional benefits include eliminating the risk of poor threads due to axial “miscutting”, and the ability to increase tapping speeds.

All MultiTAP-Form Taps are made with Emuge’s trademark long shanks, which are DIN length and designed for extra reach. Tap sizes include a range for UNC or UNF threads, from #4-40 to 3/8-24 inch sizes, to metric sizes from M4 x 0.7 to M10 x 1.5.

Emuge Corporation (West Boylston, Mass.); www.emuge.com; 508-393-1300

Fast hole EDM drilling Makino has released the EDBV8 fast hole EDM drilling machine for the production of film cooling holes and shaped diffuser holes in blade and vane segments.

The EDBV8 is well-suited for large turbine engine component machining for the aerospace and powergeneration markets, and it is equipped with a two-axis rotary table for enhanced workpiece positioning.

The EDBV8 offers X-, Y-, Z- and W-axis travels of 800 mm, 600 mm, 750 mm, and 500 mm (31.5 inches, 23.6 inches, 29.5 inches, and 19.7 inches) respectively. The machine is also equipped with a twoaxis rotary table that can accommodate a maximum workpiece size of 500 mm (19.7 inches) diameter by 635 mm (24.96 inches) long, and a maximum payload of 150 kg (330 lbs). Its rotating C-axis head features an EROWA compact chuck that enables automatic changing of electrode diameters from 0.2 mm (0.008 inches) up to 6.0 mm (0.236 inches), with rotation speeds up to 1,000 rpm.

The EDBV8 uses a rigid guide-arm assembly to hold, locate, and support the die guide, which can be alternately used as a programmable axis (W-axis) that runs

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moldmaking / shop floor parallel to the Z-axis. An integrated “middle guide” system is also contained within the W-axis, and is used with long small-diameter electrodes to prevent whipping, bending, and vibration of the electrode.

The EDBV8 has been designed for easy operation, and it offers the operator easy access to the work tank with its three-sided, rise-and-fall work tank. The EDBV8 is also capable of on-machine probing to determine workpiece locations and offsets. Electrical touch-sensing probing or a conventional mechanical touch probe can be used to capture location data points. The standard configuration of the EDBV8 includes a 24-station tool carousel and 24 tool assemblies to fully stock the machine for maximum productivity.

And as with any scissor lift table, EnKon’s engineering team can customize the lift for a specific application to answer a customer’s need.

EnKon Systems (Walled Lake, Mich.); www.enkon.pro; 800-444-4351

Makino (Auburn Hills, Mich.); www.makino.com; 800-552-3288 Single Source Technologies (Mississauga, Ont.); w ww.singlesourcetech.com; 905-565-6886 (St. Laurent, Que.); 514-333-5793

hotspring Coil Heater

hotslot Nozzle He

Versatile scissor lift table EnKon Systems has introduced the new LSBD04 off-the-shelf electric belt drive scissor lift table designed to provide high-duty cycling, static positioning, and repeatability for more efficient manufacturing and automation applications.

Designed with a high safety factor, the LSBD04 is powered with a mechatronics drive system using a single belt, multi-pulley design, powered by a standard 480 volts 3 phase. This innovative lift design holds a static position to ±0.06 inches indefinitely, can fulfill 120,000-plus duty cycles in a year, has a capacity of up to 2,000 lbs, and is 40 inches wide by 59 inches long.

Easy to use, the LSBD04 integrates well with conveyors and robotics within advance manufacturing systems, and does not require hydraulic fluid. hotspring Coil Heater

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Hotset® Germany has specialized in the development and production of heating solutions since 1973. hotcontrol T rehotrod SensorCartridge Temperature Heater Nozzle/Sealed Heater in hotcast Sprue HotsetTemperatu America provides local service and support the®US andHeaters Canada with ourStandard high quality Nozzle Strack Mold products.

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Hotset ® is an industry leader developing and producing heating elements since 1973.

Hotset provides exceptional support and service in Canada and the US using only its own high quality products.

Feel free to contact us at usa@hotset-worldwide.com or call 912-289-1844 www.hotset-worldwide.com/us

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moldmaking / shop floor Flat air nozzle saves space and money The new Flat Super Air Nozzle from Exair Corporation produces a flat one-inch (25 mm) wide airstream with a strong blowing force of 9.8 ounces (278g) when mounted 12 inches (305 mm) from the target, and the unique design of the nozzle makes it a good fit for both tight spaces and tight budgets.

The air nozzle maximizes entrained airflow while reducing noise levels. The airstream pulls in surrounding room air to produce a wide, forceful stream of high velocity, laminar airflow. Air consumption is 10.5 SCFM at 80 PSIG. The 75 dBA sound level is below the limits of the OSHA maximum allowable noise exposure standard 29 CFR 1910.95(a). Force and flow may be easily adjusted by installing different shim thicknesses.

Exair Corporation (Cincinnati, Ohio); www.exair.com; 513-671-3322

Ejector sleeve with DLC coating Ejectors are some of the parts that are subject to the most stress in the mold — and with its extensive range of ejector elements, Hasco offers individually-tailored solutions for functional component removal from injection, compression molding, and die-casting molds.

Hasco is supplying the first standard sleeve range

Advertiser’s Index ADVERTISER

PAGE

WEBSITE

AceTRONIC.........................MT&D 26-27... www.acetronic.com AMT Machine Tools Ltd.......MT&D 17......... www.amtmachine.com Blaser Swisslube Inc..........MT&D 19......... www.blaser.com Bohler-Uddeholm Ltd..........MT&D 21......... www.bucanada.ca DME...................................MT&D 2........... www.dme.net Eriez Magnetics.................MT&D 18......... www.eriez.com Hotset America..................MT&D 29........ www.hotset-worldwide.com/us ITI Tooling Company Inc.....MT&D 12......... www.indexingtechnologies.com Komet Canada...................MT&D 9........... www.komet.com/greatideas Kyocera Industrial .............MT&D 11......... www.americas.kyocera.com/ Ceramics Corp. raptor Makino Inc.........................MT&D 15......... www.makino.com/diemold Metalworking Magazine.....MT&D 31......... http://www.canadianmetal working.com Schmolz + Bickenbach.......MT&D 32........ www.schmoltz-bickenbach.ca Scientific Cutting Tools.......MT&D 23......... www.sct-usa.com Seco Tools Inc....................MT&D 8........... www.secotools.com SME – MMTS......................MT&D 31......... www.mmts.ca Sorel Forge Co...................MT&D 6........... www.sorelforge.com SST Canada.......................MT&D 10......... www.singlesourcetech.com/FCS Synventive Molding ...........MT&D 25......... www.synventive.com Solutions

Z457 with DLC coating. In combination with ejectors Z400, the advantages of the DLC coating can now also be optimally used for ejector pins and sleeves. The DLC coating combines a high hardness with the very best tribological properties, thus keeping friction and wear down to a minimum.

The new sleeves are especially suited to use in the food and medical sectors, since production can be run without lubricants, making it compatible with a cleanroom environment.

Hasco Canada (Toronto); www.hasco.com; 416-293-5044

Accurate rotary axis calibrator The new XR20-W calibration system from Renishaw measures the angular position of rotary axes to within ±1 arc second, wirelessly, for testing the accuracy of lathes, multi-axis machine tools, millturn machines, trunnion tables, and spindles.

The XR20-W works in conjunction with XL-80 or ML10 laser interferometers, as the system combines the readings of the rotary calibrator and laser to determine positioning errors in axes under test.

The rotary axis calibrator is generating positive feedback from the field with its advanced, compact design, allowing for easy setup and use. Application flexibility is extended by the addition of new off-axis rotary software that allows the XR20-W to be used even when it cannot be positioned directly on the rotary axis under test.

The software calculates true position and records axis performance and errors when compared to the intended target. The test takes about 10 minutes, and results are sent to a PC via Bluetooth connection.

The XR20-W is lightweight — at just over two pounds — and wireless the operation allow fast setup and also eliminates safety hazards created by cables. It attaches to a rotary axis via a flexible mounting ring assembly, and is centred within ±1 mm (0.04 inches) using a visual aid. Flexible mounting options include an adapter plate for rotary tables with unsuitable centre recesses, and a chuck adapter for lathes.

Mo

Renishaw (Canada) Ltd. (Mississauga, Ont.); www.renishaw.com; 905-828-0104

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