Industrial Machinery Digest - July 2021

IndustrialMachineryDigest.com

July 2021

MANUFACTURING SHOWCASE:

ABB Robotics & Discrete Automation FEATURED STORIES: Five Questions to Ask When Machining Threads Closed-Loop Validation: Bringing the Real and Virtual World Together Corrective vs Preventive Maintenance: What's the Value of Each Strategy?

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Table of Contents

COLUMNS

10

BUSINESS 4.0 How Cloud Technology Facilitates Workflow Improvements on the Plant Floor By: Bryan Christiansen, CEO of Limble CMMS

14

20

TALKING SHOP Ryan Hiss, Vice President of Sales, Better Engineering

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FEATURES

20

MANUFACTURING SHOWCASE ABB Robotics & Discrete Automation By: Russ Willcutt

22

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

16

Enhancing Education Mastercam Joins Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center R&D

28

By: Emily Newton

NEW TECH Closed-Loop Validation: Bringing the Real and Virtual World Together

By: Rahul Garg is the Vice President for Industrial Machinery & SMB Program, Siemens Digital Industries Software

32 PROCESS

Five Questions to Ask When Machining Threads

36

SAFETY & MAINTENANCE Corrective vs Preventive Maintenance: What's the Value of Each Strategy?

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

42

SURPLUS BUYING AND SELLING Comparing Domestic Forging Equipment to Overseas Catalog Options

DEPARTMENTS

Mating Equipment on an Assembly Line without Suspending Heavy Components

By: Mike Brown, sales operations manager, AeroGo

6 EDITORIAL DIRECTIONS 8 INDUSTRY NEWS 40 PRODUCT SHOWCASE 49 CLASSIFIEDS 50 ADVERTISER INDEX

ON THE COVER

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ABB Robotics & Discrete Automation is a pioneer in robotics, machine automation, and digital services, providing innovative solutions for a diverse range of industries, from automotive to electronics to logistics.

Learn more in IMD's Manufacturing Showcase on page 20.

THE RUDACP-TURNADO: LIFTING REINVENTED.

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A lot can go wrong when lifting heavy loads. If the suspension ring doesn't align into the direction of the force immediately, it can get stuck and has to withstand high transverse loads. If the lift ring then aligns suddenly, it may cause damage to the load, to lifting gear and the crane system. The RUD ACP-TURNADO is the world's first smart lifting point. Thanks to its unique spring mechanism, it doesn't jerk to a stop and therefore sudden kinking is impossible. What comes along: it offers significantly higher working load (WLL) capacities than other centric lifting points of a comparable size. Thanks to the RUD ICE-BOLT tech­ nology and to the optimized design, its bending resistance is unrivaled.

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Editorial Directions SERVING AMERICAN MANUFACTURERS FOR OVER

During the uproar and calamity of change, it’s crucial to stay focused on the primary functions a business requires to survive: sales, diverse revenue streams, increased production, etc. But at some point we’ll regain the capacity to think about other things, such as plant safety programs, ongoing employee training, and rethinking customer and other business interactions.

Another program I’m glad to see coming back has interns working alongside experienced machinists, engineers, and other industrial specialists, gaining invaluable training working with machines and industrial technology on the shop floor. I’ve worked at companies with active Internship Programs, and when they’re done well, they are exciting systems to observe.

Students entering an established, adult work environment are on a steep learning curve. At the same time their curiosity, energy, and enthusiasm reminds seasoned veterans that they still have plenty of things to teach. This is where many mentorships begin, developing into friendships and lasting throughout careers.

And also, as of now, internships would occur during a period of industrial transformation coming out of the pandemic/quarantine capped by the recession.

The interns trained now will be learning in a totally new environment, which will be invaluable as we move forward into a totally new world.

So I’m ready for our broadband width to increase to the extent that we can start paying attention to business holistically again. Not to say that any of you haven’t, but manufacturers have taken a pounding over the past few years – like everyone else – and I’m really happy to see everybody coming back strong.

35 YEARS

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SALES

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William C. Strickland III, National Sales 205-903-9178 | fax 866-826-5918

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CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS IMD, 3590-B Hwy 31 South, Suite 233, Pelham, AL 35124 circulation@indmacdig.com | Fax: 866-826-5918

Russ Willcutt Editorial Director, Industrial Machinery Digest

REPRINTS To purchase article reprints please call 800-366-0676 ext. 103 or email wstrickland@indmacdig.com

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6 IMD JULY 2021

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Industry News IMTS 2022 to Occupy All Buildings of McCormick Place Following the announcements that Chicago’s McCormick place will hold events starting in July and that the state of Illinois lifted capacity limits and social distancing requirements on June 11, IMTS – The International Manufacturing Technology Show continued the positive momentum by unveiling the floor plan for IMTS 2022.

“IMTS 2022 will once again occupy all four buildings and all levels of the McCormick Place campus, as well as continue co-locating with the HANNOVER MESSE USA show in the East Building,” says Peter R. Eelman, vice president and CXO at AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, which owns and produces IMTS. “The demand for in-person events is starting to surge. We credit this enthusiasm to our ability to remain digitally connected with the manufacturing technology community throughout the pandemic with such online platforms as IMTS spark and the IMTS Network.”

IMTS 2022 runs from Sept. 12-17, 2022, and is North America’s largest manufacturing technology event; it attracted more than 129,000 registrants in 2018. In addition to unveiling the floor plan, which is available on IMTS.com.

technical acumen of these cutting tool makers and as a result we are seeing the complexity of cutting tools increase, improving productivity, tool life and functionality.”

“Now in its fourth year, ANCA Tool of the Year has gained significant coverage – raising the profile of cutting tools and those companies who make them. I encourage all cutting tool makers to enter our competition and be recognized on a global stage for your craftmanship and contributions to our industry,” he concluded.

To find the Tool of the Year customers can submit their favorite tool with the winners being judged and announced live at EMO. There will be two competition categories to recognize both the functionality and creativity of cutting tool manufacturers.

American Welding Society Announces FABTECH 2021 Events After almost two years of missed connections and collaborations, FABTECH 2021 convenes in Chicago on September 13-16, 2021. And the American Welding Society is pleased to announce its plans for the four-day event. Attendees looking to maintain their certification or earn PDHs towards their professional license can plan to attend the AWS Welding Track program. Led by industry experts, it focuses on best practices and new developments in the welding and manufacturing industry.

"We're offering our world-class educational programming for you to learn from Subject Matter Experts on a variety of weldingrelated topics," added Gary W. Konarska II, Executive Director & CEO. "AWS will also be showcasing its full suite of products and services to help the welding community, and I encourage you to stop by our booth to learn more about how AWS can support your personal and professional growth.”

Suhner Machining Offers New Video Series

Visit our website or connect with IMD on social media!

Suhner Machining recently filmed a series of maintenance tip and unit assembly videos at the company’s North American Service Center, housed on the campus of corporate headquarters in Rome, Georgia. The presentation of the procedures was done

by Division Manager and longtime Suhner team leader, Lee Coleman. These “hands on” demonstrations would interest any customer or maintenance personnel currently using or planning to employ Suhner automated tools in their shop or production facility. According to Coleman, “We made these videos as the first in a series. Our goal is to help customers and trainers impart the proper procedures for maintenance and assembly of our automated drills, taps and other tools, which are used extensively in automotive and other high-volume production facilities, contract job shops and elsewhere.”

The company is planning a number of videos to assist operators and especially maintenance personnel in the proper care and handling of these high-precision automated tools, many of which typically perform thousands of operations in a single shift on the production line.

www.IndustrialMachineryDigest.com

Grizzly Industrial, Inc. Announces Appointment of COO

2021 ANCA Tool of the Year winners announced live at EMO Milano Patrick Boland, Co-Founder at ANCA comments: “Our industry thrives thanks to grinders’ expertise. Much of what people use and enjoy in everyday life is due to the hard work and ever increasing

CONNECT WITH US ONLINE

Poised for continued, rapid growth over the next five years, Grizzly Industrial, Inc. has announced the promotion of Shabir Balolia to the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO). Balolia will

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8 IMD JULY 2021

IMD – The Industry’s Most Extensive Industrial Publication

support his father, Grizzly Founder and CEO, Shiraz Balolia, in executing the company’s mission to provide high-quality machinery at the lowest prices in the industry.

Balolia joined Grizzly over thirty years ago as a teenager—sweeping, packing boxes, stocking shelves, and even cleaning bathrooms. He worked his way up through the service Shabir Balolia department, accounts payable, call center, and showroom management. At age 30 he took on the role of Corporate Manager, overseeing product design, digital marketing, and in-store retail management. He continued to expand his career and Grizzly’s footprint, becoming involved in S.B. Holdings (Grizzly’s parent company) and working in legal affairs while maintaining his previous duties. Having played a role in nearly every aspect of the company, Balolia’s move to COO is the natural culmination of decades of dedication.

"Shabir and I have worked together for almost 30 years and I am looking forward to continuing this partnership as he carries on the family legacy," says Robert McCoy, President of Grizzly Industrial, Inc.

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Hypertherm Awards 2021 Educational Grants to 12 North American Schools Hypertherm is excited to announce recipients of its 2021 Spark Something Great educational grant. The grant program, now in its seventh year, is designed to place the latest plasma technology into schools so the next generation of metalworkers can train on the equipment found in workplaces. This year’s winning schools were selected from a pool of 231 applicants representing high schools, vocational schools, and colleges from throughout the United States and Canada. Each of the 12 schools will receive a Hypertherm Powermax45® XP plasma and in-person training from a Hypertherm industrial cutting expert.

“Increasing enrollment coupled with tight budgets means schools are tasked with teaching greater numbers of students with fewer resources,” said Betsy Van Duyne, who manages Hypertherm’s educational program. “Many schools have no plasma systems at all, and others are using machines that are 15 to 20 years old and in very bad shape. Although we cannot award a plasma system to every deserving school, we are thankful that a meaningful number of students now have an opportunity to cut, gouge, and mark metal with a Powermax45 XP.”

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IMD 9

Business 4.0

How Cloud Technology Facilitates Workflow Improvements On The Plant Floor

By: Bryan Christiansen, CEO of Limble CMMS

M

anufacturing operations are experiencing colossal transformations through the strategic integration of technology-based solutions. In the process, companies enhance the quality of their products, cut down operations and maintenance costs, and streamline their workflows. The advent of cloud technologies is revitalizing competition within the manufacturing space, increasing the cognitive power of shop floor equipment, turning facilities into highly reliable and intelligent units.

entities to exploit workflow tools and automate complex plant floor processes.

In the age of smart manufacturing, cloud technology remains an indispensable utility that allows computers, workers, and production devices to communicate effectively in a bid to optimize productivity. The technology is scalable and is available for any size of a manufacturing facility. Cloud technology solutions are available in the form of Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS).

Why Cloud Technology Traditional communication channels required heavy investment in IT infrastructure. However, this has subtly changed as on-demand computing services are administered over the internet. The availability of software and gigantic processing power over the internet of things (IoT) provides an avenue for manufacturing

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Practical Applications of Cloud Technology and How they Impact Workflows Cloud technology provides infinite possibilities with applications ranging from Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Enterprise Asset Management (EAM), maintenance solutions, industrial automation,

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remote control, production and demand planning. Cloud technologies are preferred for their abilities to collect, analyze and store vast amounts of data in real-time, as well as for the ease of access to that data.

Below are key application areas of cloud technology in manufacturing and their impacts on workflow improvement on the plant floor.

Product Planning and Development Product planning and development is primarily the backbone of industrial production. Information regarding the design, quantity, choice of materials, finishing processes, packaging and storage information should be merged into the internal communication channels and tied to the supply chain data. This information is leveraged by production managers to prepare production schedules.

Anchoring this information on cloud-based systems creates corporate visibility and allows the concerned teams to undertake crucial adjustments required to achieve the production threshold.

Product development entails a series of iterative activities like designing, prototyping and testing. Traditionally, product design relied on manual tools and verification processes. Modern manufacturing facilities are expediting the design and prototyping processes by leveraging the power of the cloud. Complex designs and simulations are undertaken using collaborative Computer-Aided (CAD) Software distributed through the cloud. Remote teams work in unison to convert raw ideas into viable designs that are suitable for manufacturing.

Beyond design, companies can develop the least-cost prototypes to facilitate sustainability and safety tests of their products using cloud-hosted Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) Software.

The ability to optimize product quality at the design stage makes it possible for production teams to transition from prototyping to full-scale production smoothly. Other companies host their open-source product designs on cloud systems, allowing interested customers to purchase and download production packages, and replicate them through additive manufacturing processes such as 3D printing. This minimizes the need for companies to invest in heavy production and supply chain facilities

Production, Supply Chains and Production Tracking Production processes require continuous monitoring to retain the quality of the end products. Modern shop floors contain stateof-the-art pieces of equipment that are fitted with conditionmonitoring sensors and automation utilities. These monitoring facilities collect large amounts of data at any given time and require complex IT infrastructure to handle it. To address data storage challenges, companies are systematically migrating to cloud servers.

The servers enhance data processing speeds and free up the physical storage spaces on the production equipment to improve the efficiency of the machinery.

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Decisions on production schedules require frequent and timely updates. Information required to make these decisions has to be readily available and accessible through physical and remote channels. Cloud-based ERP systems provide ample platforms for production teams to match available stocks to actual sales volumes.

ERP applications delivered over the cloud manage price quotations for incoming and outgoing stocks. The software consolidates all incoming customer requests and orders, analyzes them through a series of algorithms and develops a demand forecast. Analytics results from the demand forecast are used to optimize the production schedules and manage the fleet to create a leaner supply chain system.

Collaboration, Mobility and Productivity Management There are production entities that are geographically dispersed with large workforces. The teams continually share information to enhance the flexibility of production operations. Cloud technologies integrate crucial data and information and provide centralized storage points accessible through the multiple platforms approved by the organization.

Cloud platforms ensure that plant operators keep up-to-date and accurate logs on equipment operating conditions. Maintenance technicians have real-time access to operator logs and data collected by condition-monitoring sensors through computerized maintenance management systems and mobile maintenance software platforms. Maintenance teams assess operational variances and advise production teams on possible mitigation measures before corrective maintenance is undertaken.

While companies strive to uphold the quality of their products, instances of isolated defects are likely to occur. It is common practice for organizations to invest in quality and quantity control equipment, a bulk of which use cloud-based comparative analysis software. These facilities reject defective products and generate alerts for re-calibration or change of production tools. Plant floor employees can utilize cloud-based worksheets to feed in their working hours, maintenance summaries, and work-related safety incidents.

Timely communications are vital for re-adjusting business operations to match market demands. Through cloud technology, plant floor employees, senior management and logistics partners brainstorm on transformative business approaches.

technical assistance to ground personnel located in diverse production facilities. Centralized information systems provide unbiased access to production and maintenance metrics by authorized staff and stakeholders from any part of the world, thus improving the transparency of plant floor operations.

Automation and Remote Access Human-operated facilities are prone to errors due to fatigue and repetitive tasks. Automation and intelligent systems have been put in place to complement human effort and eliminate quality issues in production. Several plant floors feature logic controllers, pneumatic and hydraulic systems, robots and cobots that rely on computing power to operate. These automation systems require robust computing power and infrastructure. Cloud systems provide these capabilities and improve the compatibility of automation systems through easy-to-navigate dashboards.

Equipment breakdowns and emergency stops result in huge financial, material and equipment damage. Production entities are embracing predictive maintenance (PdM) programs that remotely monitor the working conditions of equipment to generate production-friendly maintenance schedules. These programs require robust computing architecture possible through connectivity to cloud systems and facilitate timely, cost-effective maintenance efforts.

Lastly, through cloud technology, companies can gain access to invaluable remote consultations from production or maintenance experts. This implies that one expert in a certain field can provide

Final Remarks Cloud technology solutions are perfect tools for multi-team collaboration and enhance the productivity of manufacturing facilities of any size. They are scalable and remotely accessible platforms that will spur the prospects of Industry 4.0 and the implementation of smart manufacturing technologies. They are cost-effective solutions with capabilities to solve a myriad of manufacturing challenges.

For more information, visit www.limblecmms.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Bryan Christiansen is the founder and CEO of Limble CMMS. Limble is a modern, easy to use mobile CMMS software that takes the stress and chaos out of maintenance by helping managers organize, automate, and streamline their maintenance operations.

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IMD 13

Talking Shop

FEATURING:

TALKING SHOP WITH: Ryan Hiss — Vice President of Sales, Better Engineering What are the reasons for investing in parts washing systems to begin with? Are there any regulations or laws pertaining to manufacturing?

How do you go to market in terms of shipping, distribution, etc.? Also, give us an idea of where you’re shipping to.

While there are no U.S. regulations in place, many customers have very specific requirements when it comes to part cleanliness. Parts generally come off the line covered in oil, grease, and other contaminants that need to be removed prior to shipping. Also, many of these parts are going straight into assembly, so you could run into quality issues downstream if you don’t begin that process with clean parts.

All of our manufacturing takes place in Baltimore, Maryland, and we ship direct from that location. We found that working through distribution works best for smaller pieces of equipment, and our lead times are short enough to make direct shipping a viable approach, even with custom items. Although the majority of our customers are based in North America, we do a healthy business in overseas sales as well. We will play whatever role is necessary to guide our customers toward the right choice when it comes to their parts washing needs.

I know that you specialize in aqueous processes that use eco-friendly detergents. Could you expand on these technologies and their applications?

Sure. The first method is spray washing, which is just like being in a shower. This is useful for flat surfaces like sheet metal and parts with fairly simple geometries. Then you have immersion washing, which is a bath. This is better for more complex parts that have deep passages, J-pockets, and such as that. You’ll find this in aerospace and medical applications. You can combine spray washing and immersion washing, and you can also incorporate ultrasonic washing into the immersion process in order to meet the standards of the most stringent specifications.

If I’m a manufacturer who’s interested in getting into parts washing, or upgrading their current system, how do you handle that?

Once that manufacturer has contacted us, we’ll have a “discovery call” in order to learn more about their needs, and to determine if it’s even feasible; describe the range of parts you need to clean, what will the volume be, describe the cell or process line we need to synch with? Plus we need to determine what types of fixturing will be required depending on the washing method they eventually choose. Once these things, and many more, have been determined, we’ll generally make a site visit to tour their operation and discuss what system would benefit them the most. They can choose between turntable conveyor, and drum washers, tumbling and robotic washers, ultra-high-pressure washers, or custom models addressing the machine’s dimensions as well as any other modifications we can make to our stock models.

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Ways and Means Processes: » Spray Washing » Submersion Washing » Ultrasonic Washing

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For more information go online to betterengineering.com.

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Safety & Maintenance

Corrective vs Preventive Maintenance: What's the Value of Each Strategy?

By: Emily Newton

F

or any manufacturer, effective maintenance is essential.

The right approach can significantly extend the lifespan of a machine while reducing downtime, preventing damage and cut down on the need for repairs.

Two of the most common maintenance strategies are corrective and preventive maintenance. The two strategies differ significantly in terms of investment, time needed and potential results.

Knowing the differences between the two will help a manufacturer determine which is best for their business.

Preventive Maintenance Preventive maintenance has long been considered the gold standard for manufacturing maintenance strategies, and is one of

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the most popular maintenance strategies, favored by around 80 percent of all maintenance personnel according to a 2018 Plant Engineering survey.

With this approach, a manufacturer follows a maintenance schedule — either their own or one developed by an OEM. On a regular basis, technicians will conduct repairs, component replacements and maintenance checks that help to ensure the machine is kept in good working order and that issues are caught early.

The exact repairs and checks needed will vary from machine to machine. An industrial press, for example, will need technicians to regularly inspect tool wear, adjust the mechanical assembly for tightness and add lubricant as needed.

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Research on the approach has demonstrated that preventive maintenance can significantly extend the lifespan of manufacturing equipment and decrease maintenance costs over time One 2017 study found that 60 percent of best-in-class operators used the approach, and that, on average, they saw an 11 percent decrease in year-on-year maintenance cost and a 9 percent decrease in year-on-year downtime.

Preventive maintenance also creates a good foundation for cutting-edge maintenance techniques, like predictive maintenance.

This approach uses IoT-based performance monitoring and AI algorithms to predict machine health based on current operational parameters — like heat, vibration, timing and pressure.

Once a baseline of machine performance is established, the predictive system can alert site maintenance staff when a machine is performing unusually or about to fail, helping to further reduce downtime and maintenance costs.

potentially causing damage or reducing machine performance.

Even in cases when checks don’t cause damage, they still cost time and money. Machines need to be properly shut down, then locked and tagged out to be safely inspected. The technician handling the check has to be paid or redirected from other work, and the machine will be out of commission during the inspection, potentially reducing site productivity.

The benefits of the strategy can also vary significantly depending on how it is implemented. Most businesses, for example, will adopt SMART goals or aim to improve a specific KPI. Preventive maintenance also typically requires active and ongoing review of maintenance schedules and the effectiveness of the approach. The specific implementation of the strategy often needs to be adapted over time to remain effective.

This is especially true when a business is adapting to unfamiliar machines or does not have an OEM maintenance schedule to inform their strategy.

Potential Drawbacks of PM The strategy, while widely adopted, is not perfect. For example, issues can easily arise and cause machine failure in between maintenance checks. A preventive approach wouldn’t be able to prevent downtime in this case.

Some maintenance checks can also put a machine at risk of damage. Too much preventative maintenance can expose sensitive components to dust and other airborne particulates. Parts that must be disassembled to be inspected may not be put back correctly,

Corrective Maintenance Corrective maintenance is sometimes used interchangeably with reactive maintenance — a responsive approach where repairs are only ordered when machines fail or begin to behave erratically.

Reactive maintenance is not planned or scheduled, and reactive work orders are only placed once downtime is inevitable because the machine to be repaired is non-functional or cannot function safely.

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IMD 17

The term may also be used to describe a slightly different approach. This corrective maintenance strategy goes beyond the reactive maintenance approach and solves problems as they become apparent, even if they don’t prevent a machine from functioning. A business with this strategy will task technicians to repair components of faulty equipment that is still mostly in good working order and capable of functioning safely.

Combining Corrective Maintenance with a Preventive Approach In some cases, corrective maintenance will be a business’s entire maintenance strategy.

In other cases, businesses use corrective maintenance as a complement to preventive maintenance. For example, a maintenance technician spots a problem during a standard repair — like a loose belt, faulty wiring or leaking hydraulic fluid. They will issue a corrective work order, scheduling repair of that newly discovered problem for some time in the near future. Depending on the nature of the problem, they may begin repairs right away.

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This use of corrective and preventive maintenance together helps to provide additional benefits over either technique alone — reducing emergency maintenance orders, extending equipment lifespan and decreasing equipment-related downtime.

A solely corrective maintenance strategy, like the reactive maintenance approach, will reduce the budgeted cost of

maintenance, but may not necessarily reduce year-on-year maintenance costs.

Reducing maintenance checks means less money spent on paying technicians and less scheduled downtime. The strategy could be effective for equipment that is not essential. However, it’s likely to be risky in any case — businesses that adopt a corrective maintenance strategy should accept that some problems will go undetected until they begin causing noticeable performance issues.

Operational Monitoring and Corrective Maintenance Typically, if a business has adopted a solely corrective approach to maintenance, they won’t plan for regular repairs or maintenance checks as they would with preventive maintenance. They also won’t follow recommended maintenance schedules provided by original equipment manufacturers or developing their own.

The downsides of the approach could be mitigated with certain additional maintenance strategies. With real-time operational monitoring using the internet of things, for example, you could leverage dedicated sensors that continuously monitor for signs of damage and component malfunction.

This could provide additional protection against damage and downtime, even without the regular maintenance checks that preventive maintenance ensures.

Over time, however, a business following the solely corrective approach is more likely to deal with equipment-related downtime, costly repairs and shorter equipment lifespans.

Corrective vs. Preventive Maintenance: Which Is Right for Your Business Both corrective and preventive maintenance are common approaches to machine maintenance.

In general, preventive maintenance will cost more in the short run but provide significant long-term savings compared to reactive or solely corrective maintenance. Running a machine to failure tends to be much more expensive than maintaining it, but those high costs will be deferred — at least, for a time.

Many businesses use a combination of preventive and corrective maintenance to keep their equipment running. Some businesses go further and use new technology — like IoT sensors — to provide operational monitoring and enable strategies like predictive maintenance.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Emily Newton is a technology and industrial journalist. She is the Editor in Chief of Revolutionized.

Learn more at www.revolutionized.com

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IMD 19

Manufacturing Showcase

ABB Robotics & Discrete Automation By: Russ Willcutt

A

BB Robotics & Discrete Automation – part of the global giant ABB Group, which also specializes in Electrification, Process Automation, and Motion – has its U.S. headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan, where it employs some 450 people.

In May 2015, ABB began producing robots in the United States, making it the first global industrial robotics company to fully commit and invest in a North American robotics manufacturing footprint.

This has allowed ABB’s North American operations to offer short lead times to its customers in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.

According to Joe Chudy, general manager of the Robotics Division, who has spent 36 years with the company, ABB

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approaches the industrial market through a series of dedicated business lines. They include Automotive OEMs, Tier 1 Automotive Suppliers, General Industry, Consumer Segment & Service Robotics, and Machine Automation, which designs complete solutions for machine and factory automation through ABB’s B&R Automation unit.

“Our customer outreach involves a dedicated salesforce, along with what we refer to as “value providers,” which is our term for system integrators and full service distributors. We also sell direct, but 65 percent of our sales are channeled through our value providers,” he says.

IMD – The Industry’s Most Extensive Industrial Publication

Known for launching the IRB-6 – the world’s first all-electric, microprocessor-controlled, commercially available industrial robot – in 1974, technological advances have continued to be introduced at a whirlwind pace.

ABB recently expanded its collaborative robot portfolio with the new GoF and SWIFTI cobot families, offering higher payloads and speeds to complement YuMi and Single Arm YuMi in ABB’s cobot lineup.

These stronger, faster and more capable cobots will accelerate the company’s expansion in high-growth segments including electronics, health care, consumer goods, logistics and food and beverage, among others, meeting the growing demand for automation across multiple industries.

In April GoFa was awarded the prestigious Red Dot Best of the Best design award in recognition of its unique design concept to make the new robot more approachable to users with limited robot experience.

Product delivery lead times easily beat industry averages, even when customization is required, thanks to the robotic arm’s modular design.

Arms can be stocked with a wide variety of options and additions for customers to choose from. It’s a common task for ABB Robotics to customize its arms to meet its customer’s exact specifications.

The R&D leading to these and thousands of additional advancements are achieved via a team of ABB experts located around the world. In the U.S., there are facilities found in San Jose, California, and in Fort Collins, Colorado. Other sites include Sweden, Germany, and China, among others. This strategy provides input from “the best people in the world,” Chudy says, “and it gives us the broad perspective we need to understand and anticipate global trends.”

One recent mega-trend that ABB has identified is construction, where a shortage of skilled labor has led to a crisis. Robotics provides a solution to this dilemma, since robots can be equipped to tackle tasks such as building trusses, floors, walls, ceilings, and a long list of other operations that streamline and improve construction operations. “We’ve seem 20-30 percent growth in the use of robotics in the construction sector, and I expect that to increase significantly over the next few years” Chudy says.

“New challenges and opportunities are constantly crossing our radar screen, and it takes a sharp eye to keep track of them all and make the right determination in terms of whether or not it’s a viable direction to pursue,” he says. “But one thing I can tell you for certain is that people are becoming increasingly hungry for automation.”

Lear more by visiting abb.com/robotics.

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IMD 21

Workforce Development

Enhancing Education Mastercam Joins Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center R&D

C

NC Software, Inc., developers of Mastercam, the world’s leading CAD/CAM software, has announced that they have become a member of the Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center Research and Development (OMIC R&D). OMIC R&D is a collaboration of national and international manufacturing companies and Oregonbased research universities who combine their knowledge, expertise, and resources to find innovative, applied solutions to the challenges facing manufacturing, while creating new opportunities for the future development of manufacturing.

Mastercam is CAD/CAM software designed for innovation, streamlined precision, and efficiency in manufacturing. The software empowers designers and NC programmers across a spectrum of industries, delivering manufacturing solutions for milling, turning, wire EDM, router programming, Swiss machining, plasma cutting, lasers, and 3D design and drafting.

More people use Mastercam than any other CAM software, from secondary school through university instruction and one-person job shops to multinational manufacturing conglomerates. Mastercam users form the world’s strongest CAD/CAM community, pushing product development, machining innovation, and manufacturing advancements on a global scale.

“I am very excited that Mastercam has become a member of OMIC R&D,” said Stas Mylek, Partnership Program Manager, CNC Software, Inc. “We immediately began discussing opportunities for Mastercam to engage in opportunities to introduce students to our premier programming language. This collaboration also aligns well with our dedication to research and development aimed at manufacturing technology. Our partnership will most definitely play a part in setting the tenor for the future of manufacturing.”

OMIC R&D is continually creating, expanding, and deepening its understanding of workforce needs of the manufacturing sector to inspire and more effectively equip the next generation of industry workers and leaders with the skills and abilities they will need to change the face of manufacturing.

Craig Campbell, Executive Director of OMIC R&D said, “We are extremely excited to have Mastercam as a member. CNC Software,

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Inc. will provide us with the ability to add uniform programming language that we can use on our broad range of machines, as well as opportunities in training and workforce development due to their investment in that area.”

Channel Changes to Better Serve Educational Customers Mastercam’s US industrial channel will now also serve its educational customers throughout the country. This move brings the company’s global distribution channel into alignment and supports efforts to bring educational customers and industrial manufacturers closer together for mutual benefit.

Mastercam Resellers outside of the United States have always serviced both industrial and educational customers within their regions, so fully committing to that model in the U.S. brings the channel into alignment worldwide. CNC Software has successfully tested this approach domestically for many years in states such as Ohio, Michigan, and Iowa. Now, the company has moved all states under the same model.

With this change, educational institutions gain the benefit of greater connection with the industrial network of manufacturers using Mastercam. They gain direct access to the industrial channel’s deep knowledge of the Mastercam product, advanced technical support, post integration, training, and onsite assistance. Additionally, the Resellers form a much-needed conduit between educational and industrial customers. This connection will enable better partnerships between schools and their local industry, which can lead to more effective and successful job placement for students.

IMD – The Industry’s Most Extensive

“Our industrial Mastercam Resellers provide a valuable connection between manufacturing firms and educational institutions tasked with preparing students to join the workforce, and they have the talent and expertise to support both. We identified this channel realignment as a way for us to help U.S. schools better prepare students with strong technical skills in CAD/CAM and CNC machining, to meet the immediate needs of industry,” shared Doug Nemeth, Director of Sales for the Americas, Mastercam.

The company maintains an education department dedicated to supporting the educational market through sponsorships and involvement with organizations such as WorldSkills, SkillsUSA, Project MFG, National Robotics League, First Robotics, NASA HUNCH, and SAE International, as well as a partnership with TITANS of CNC Academy. The department also manages the Mastercam

Industrial Publication

Educators Alliance, connecting instructors with each other, training opportunities, and subject matter experts in support of teaching excellence.

“This is the next step in Mastercam’s commitment to engaging with the next generation of CAM users,” said Peter Mancini, Education Product Manager, Mastercam. “We consider the needs of schools and educators teaching Mastercam in all of our business and software development decisions, so that students receive the skills they need to fill rewarding jobs in industry—and industrial users gain a supply of skilled workers for a growing number of vacancies.”

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IMD 23

Customer and Industry Input Drives Development Mastercam 2022 increases machining productivity and reduces overall production costs with faster and more flexible multiaxis improvements, powerful new roughing tools for 2D users, advances in modeling, enhanced intelligence and automation, and much more.

Many of the advancements in Mastercam 2022 are directly driven by Mastercam users and shops. Feedback from Public Beta releases, shop visits, customer surveys, and consultation with our expert industry partners create the practical, shop-driven focus that helps ensure Mastercam users’ success.

According to Mastercam President and CEO Meghan West, “Mastercam is developed by listening to our users and creating solutions for their problems. We adapt to changing needs to ensure that the customer experience is the best it can be as we continue to innovate for improved automation, efficiency, connectivity, and precision. From job setup through job completion, you can depend on our technology to empower productivity.”

Improvements include: » OptiRough Toolpath for 2D Users: The 3D High Speed Dynamic OptiRough toolpath is now available for all Mill and Router product levels. This allows users to machine very large cut depths with a bidirectional cutting strategy to remove the maximum amount of material with the minimum number of stepdowns.

Dynamic OptiRough allows you to create a single toolpath to machine a part, instead of creating multiple 2D operations to achieve the same goal. The toolpath is collision aware of the part, and for complex machining, the toolpath can also be aware of the tool holder. » Faster, more flexible multiaxis programming: As more shops seek the benefits of a single setup, multiaxis cutting strategy, Mastercam 2022 adds new techniques and strategies such as the Unified Multiaxis toolpath which allows you to select multiple pieces of input geometry to generate the toolpath pattern. Using those geometry choices, the toolpath picks the best algorithm to calculate the path. Multi-pass on Deburr toolpaths supports

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flat chamfered and rounded edges which gives the user added flexibility, allowing the Deburr toolpath to create a quality surface finish on larger chamfered or radiused edges. » Modeling advances: Mastercam 2022 introduces powerful mesh creation and editing capabilities that deliver a new class of modeling tools, including the ability to reconstruct models from scanned data. Being able to directly edit wireframe geometry without interacting with the dialog box speeds up design and modification work. And the Overflow UV function allows you to replace multiple surfaces with inconsistent flows with a single surface for flowline toolpaths. You can also simplify surfaces for general modeling. Overflow UV generates a single unified surface with a desired UV flow on a connected set of surfaces. » Enhanced intelligence and automation: A suite of system-wide enhancements helps automate tasks and speed your workflow.

New automatic region chaining uses a “smart” approach to auto-select logical chained areas. Holemaking from imported solids is faster as Mastercam will now automatically extract appropriate information and pre-populate your programming options. Even tool imports have been made more intelligent as Mastercam will infer more tool properties from an incoming tool CAD model.

For more information, visit www.mastercam.com

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New Technology

Closed-Loop Validation: Bringing the Real and Virtual World Together

By: Rahul Garg is the Vice President for Industrial Machinery & SMB Program, Siemens Digital Industries Software

E

nd customer demand for highly differentiated and customized products is driving OEM requirements for customized machines. To ensure today's modern, complex machines meet all their specifications, machine builders need to rely on simulation early and often during the design and verification process. However, to improve speed of innovation and reliance on virtual simulation and minimize prototype and testing, it’s important to correlate the accuracy of these simulations to real-world machine operation in the actual physical environment. Through a closed-loop validation process, Intelligent Performance Engineering provides the ability to verify simulation through real-time feedback from sensor-based machine data.

Responding To Complexity: Intelligent Performance Engineering Consumers increasingly demand a packaged system of integrated products and services customized to meet their individual needs. As a result, machine builders must be prepared to offer a much broader range of customization options for their off-the-shelf machines that satisfy their customer’s unique requests. At the same time, market demands for improved throughput and performance, energy efficiency, quality and safety have given rise to more complex machines that integrate advanced technology to create smart connected systems.

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These systems bring together mechanical, electrical, controls, and other capabilities to assist OEMs in producing highly customizable and adaptable machines that are reliable and efficient for their customers.

Simultaneously, machine builders are increasingly under threat from low-cost competitors globally. For top-performing manufacturers to thrive in this environment, they must embrace digitalization to drive innovation, differentiation, and cost competitiveness, setting themselves apart from peers. Intelligent Performance Engineering (IPE) offers a path forward, helping OEMs to discover better designs faster and boost productivity.

IPE enables teams to efficiently evaluate the many variations required for next-generation machines in a virtual environment, efficiently achieving an optimal balance of cost and performance and other vital requirements while achieving maximum reliability.

IPE offers three key differentiators to assist machine builders: multiphysics simulation and testing, integrated design and simulation, and closed-loop validation. Multi-physics simulation and testing balances multi-attribute engineering to deliver a broad range of physics and disciplines under one umbrella to optimize the increasing complexity of industrial machines. Integrated design and simulation allow designers and simulation engineers to use the same model in one system, helping to drive innovation and boost productivity through simulation. Simulating these smarter machines in early design phases

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leads to shorter development time with less risk. Finally, closed-loop validation, the focus of this article, confirms simulations by capturing and testing the relationship between requirements, functional layout, logical implementation, and physical implementation.

Bringing Test and Simulation Together Closed-loop validation gives machine builders the ability to move seamlessly through design, commissioning, and machine operation in the field and back again. This methodology is built around the machine’s digital twin, helping design, simulation, and test understand and predict the performance of the physical machine under a variety of conditions before, during, and after committing to a physical prototype.

The foundation of the comprehensive digital twin is integrated design and simulation, where all the many engineering disciplines capture simulation and validation results in a centralized repository.

Now teams can evaluate the capability and limitation of product variations most efficiently due to the integration between designers, analysts, and live data; all focused on improving key design metrics.

Digital threads also help automate sharing information between engineering teams, analyst production, test teams, and service engineers. With a digital twin supported by digital threads, machine builders increase their design flexibility, boost productivity, and improve innovation processes to build the next generation of smart industrial machines.

During the design and simulation stage, validating the virtual machine using a digital twin allows the team to verify designs earlier, test multiple configurations rapidly, and understand the impact of variables on one another without the need for an expensive physical prototype. However, these simulations require a simplification of reality based on very educated assumptions. The virtual digital twin can lack some of the true criteria and true environments that the machine will encounter when operating in the real world. To make sure the simulation assumptions have not overlooked key behavior and that the design has not been oversimplified, it is critical to test and validate the machines in the real environment. And that’s where the closed-loop validation process comes into the picture.

Closing The Loop to Deliver Optimal Machines Once the machine moves to a physical prototype and eventually to real production, it can now be used for test-based and run-time validation. The machine builder can harness and wire out the appropriate sensors to collect real operational machine performance data in real-time, complemented with virtual sensors. Through intensive scrutiny of how a machine is performing, closed-loop validations provide a real sense of how the machine meets the customer's needs. Data on variables such as the production rates, noise, and vibration deliver real-time feedback, gathered and looped back into the digital twin to validate and improve the accuracy of test criteria for future simulation models. This process effectively connects simulation data to the design object, ensuring that the simulation models are accurate, giving machine builders greater insight into the validation process and enabling them to fine tune parameters and improve future design and engineering.

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Furthermore, closed-loop processes can validate simulations by capturing and validating the relationships between requirements, including the functional layout of the machine, the logical implementation of the automation code, and the physical implementation of the module. Improved validation can lower the cost of ensuring the changes will work as intended before pushing to production.

Benefits Over the Machine Lifecycle » For predictive maintenance: Closed-loop validation continues to deliver value over the entire lifetime of a machine. It can be used to apply smart analytics to machine operational data to discover new insights and create better products. For the machine end-user, knowing the real usage of the machine, they can anticipate maintenance before it transforms into a critical downtime issue. By combining real-world data and the digital twin, they can predict different conditions under real loads. It is feasible to verify how the machine performance is evolving and how the machine behaves to anticipate problems and plan maintenance when needed, thus avoiding the critical condition of an unexpected problem or a downtime situation.

This enables predictive maintenance for machine servicing when required, addressing threats to machine performance before they escalate into major issues that can impact the manufacturing line. » For machine performance changes: Bringing the simulation environment together with testing also promotes greater machine adaptability. By applying real-world data to the simulation environment, the machine user can explore how changes to the actual usage of the machine will impact specific performance goals. For example, a machine motor at 100 RPM might be leading to throughput issues and generating too much heat. The machine operator could use the digital twin of the machine that has incorporated real-world operational data to quickly evaluate a variety of ‘what if’ scenarios and find that running the motor at 70 RPM still delivers the desired throughput without impacting the overall performance of the machine. » For onsite commissioning: When the machine is ready for customer delivery, the closed-loop validation guarantees shorter commissioning times. The digital twin can support virtual commissioning prior to the actual physical installation on the customer shop floor, virtualizing a large portion of the verification and optimization process required in commissioning.

Now engineers can virtually commission the programmable logic controller (PLC) to the machine’s simulation model lowering the risk and time needed for training and real commissioning. » For machine engineering: As for the machine builder, closed-loop validation over the lifetime of the machine operation significantly benefits the quality of their future products. They can leverage the power of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to collect product performance data from the field in real-time into a centralized and safe environment. This information is then incorporated back into the digital twin to improve the accuracy of the models over time by analyzing data from the equipment’s

performance. Incorporating this wealth of data into the digital twin, the machine builder can leverage it to improve performance and production for the next generation of machines. » Evaluate machine component performance: This data also reduces follow-on development costs by giving machine builders and their suppliers the ability to virtually validate component performance in parallel to design when it is cheaper and more effective. That helps ensure that customized variations work as they are intended to, before going to production.

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Closed-loop validation brings real-life data and environment into the design engineering environment to improve the overall performance, design, and capabilities of next-generation machines to quickly address customer issues over the machine’s lifecycle.

When combined with the other powerful capabilities offered

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IMD 31

Process

Five Questions To Ask When Machining Threads

T

here are many elements to consider when threading a workpiece. When is a solid carbide thread mill better than an indexable? How does the workpiece material behavior impact thread milling? Understanding your program as well as diagnosing issues that arise are just as important.

Luckily, thread milling can be better understood by asking five specific questions.

When would you want to thread mill instead of tap?

There are many instances where you would want to consider using a thread mill instead of a tap. In numerous cases, this comes back to one common issue: taps break. Because the tap is the exact same size as the hole, there is a lot of pressure when you are are forcing the threads into the hole—even more so in difficult-to-machine materials. Additionally, a tap’s cutting edges

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are constantly in the cut, thus generating more heat. A thread mill on the other hand has little contact with the material, and the heat generated is much lower—an added benefit in any manufacturing process. Finally, when using a tap, chips are more difficult to form and remove.

All of these things mentioned above lend themselves to tool failure. When the tap breaks off, it often results in a scrapped part, so using a tap works better when it is an inexpensive part being made.

If it is a more expensive part and the tap breaks, you are now faced with the challenge of trying to remove the tap and salvage your part.

This is a time consuming operation that impacts your part’s quality and manufacturing cost.

Not only would you want to thread mill whenever the part is expensive, but you would also want to thread mill when working with a large hole diameter.

IMD – The Industry’s Most Extensive Industrial Publication

Of course, a tap is just as large as the hole, so for a four inch thread diameter, you need a four inch diameter tap. Instead of buying this expensive, large piece of metal or storing taps for every thread size, you could buy an off-the-shelf thread mill and interpolate the thread into multiple thread sizes including those large diameters. Lastly, thread mills consume significantly less power from your machine in the instance of large diameters.

Other advantages of thread mills include the ability to hold tight tolerances by controlling the tool’s cutting path. As the tool shrinks slightly from wear, you can easily compensate this at the machine by using tool diameter offsets.

Nevertheless, there are occasions where tapping may be the better choice over thread milling. For example, you would want to use a tap when machining long lengths of thread. Due to the lack of radial load, there is no concern about the tap’s stability or tool deflection.

In addition, when speed is preferred over thread quality, taps are again the better choice. In many applications, a tap will have a shorter

cycle time than a thread mill. However, this still comes with the risk of breaking the tap and spending your valuable time to get it removed.

When should you use solid carbide thread mills vs. indexable thread mills?

In choosing to thread mill, you have the option of solid carbide or indexable thread mills for your application. This choice often comes down to the needs of the application in terms of quality, repeatability and flexibility.

Solid carbide thread mills: Quality and performance are key advantages of solid carbide thread mills. Solid carbide thread mills run and cut faster every time. Having a constant surface footage between two different diameters will result in a different RPM. Due to their smaller cutter diameter, solid carbide thread mills will run at a higher RPM. In combination with typically having more flutes, this

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IMD 33

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will result in a faster penetration rate (in/min or mm/min) and improved cycle time.

These tools typically outperform indexable thread mills in terms of quality because threads are being ground at the same time. This improves the consistency of threads. With a smaller cutter diameter, there is less contact with the workpiece, resulting in less heat generation and deflection as well.

Indexable thread mills: Most users are attracted to indexable thread mills because they provide the ability to change out thread forms frequently. You can take one body and change out inserts, and the machine is up and running with different forms or pitches rather quickly.

Ultimately,this makes indexable thread mills better for low production batches as well as job shop type of work with a lot of change over and variation in the manufacturing. This again comes back to the flexibility of the tooling. You have a one-time purchase of the body and then switch over the inserts as needed.

All in all, a thread mill is simply milling a thread form and a pitch and can usually be used for both left and right-hand threads, internal or external, multiple start threads and various tolerances.

How does the material impact a thread milling application?

Material removal in threading is no different than any other manufacturing process like boring or turning. There are always two things to consider: » How much material is being removed? » What is the material like to machine?

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The first question can be answered by the thread’s pitch.

While a fine pitch does not require much material to be removed, a course pitch requires a lot of material to be removed.

The combination of these two questions will also help you determine whether your material can be removed in one pass or not. Regardless of how many passes you use to remove the material, just like with boring or turning, a finish pass can be used for improved quality. This is often referred to as a spring pass.

If needed, you should refer to the technical section of your manufacturer’s catalog or an available thread mill programming software like InstaCode to choose the number of passes that are right for you.

IF YOU HAVE AN EDGE… WE HAVE A TRIM! What are the best practices for programming?

As mentioned above, a thread mill can create a variety of threads like left or right-hand, internal or external by simply manipulating the program/tool path. Writing a program in incremental movements instead of absolute is always preferred. In doing so, you are able to insert your code for the threading portion as a sub-program or sub-routine. This is beneficial when threading multiple holes because it provides a single place for program edits. This also allows you to quickly complete a test run above the part to prove out the program. In addition to writing this in incremental movements, an arc-on and arc-off movement will improve the quality of the thread and extend the life of the thread mill.

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Because thread mills have radial cutting forces, deflection should always be kept in mind. Factors mentioned previously like how much material you are removing and what the material is like to machine can be battled by adjusting the number of passes to remove the material as well as the combination of speed and feed. Additionally, consider the tool holder you are using. Because of the radial forces and potential deflection, it is necessary to use tool holders such as milling chucks, hydraulic chucks or shrink fits that minimize deflection. Ultimately, these tooling solutions are more rigid and, therefore, improve the quality of the thread you are machining.

It is also necessary to understand if the programmed tool path is based off of the center of the thread mill or outer diameter of the thread mill. This changes how wear offsets should be applied in the machine.

While you may encounter additional challenges when machining threads, asking these five questions aids in building the foundation for a successful application. For additional thread milling tips, check out this Thread Milling Pocket Guide or call Allied Machine’s application engineering team at 330.343.4283 ext. 7611.

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IMD 35

Industry Insight

Mating Equipment on an Assembly Line without Suspending Heavy Components By: Mike Brown, sales operations manager, AeroGo

A

tractor sub-assembly was suspended overhead, ready to be joined to its other half during the vehicle’s assembly process. Workers positioned themselves between the two halves, each one weighing around 30 tons and measuring nearly 15 feet long, to manually position the assemblies together and slide the massive pin into place. Even though they had done it hundreds of times, it was the part of their job that made them most uncomfortable.

Lifting such massive structures always heightens risk. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, dozens of industrial workers die each year from fatal injuries when loads suspended from cranes either fall or swing out of control--an average of 42 deaths per year between 2011 and 2017.1 Clearly, everyone must be aware of safety hazards when using cranes, but there’s another very important caveat for companies to consider along with safety. It’s hidden costs.

Manufacturers cannot ignore these major expenses when using cranes. Rigorous safety protocols take time to implement and follow, particularly when attempting to safely mate two assemblies with a crane. The task must be undertaken with slow, painstaking care. A tractor manufacturer, for example, can expect to routinely take two hours or more to complete this single step.

There has to be a better, safer and more cost-effective way—and there is.

This tractor manufacturer, for example, was able to reduce risk to its workers and simultaneously shorten the process time from hours to just 10 minutes by removing cranes from the process.

The solution: floating the sub-assemblies instead of lifting them.

What is Equipment Mating and Who Uses It? In manufacturing assembly, two halves of a multi-ton machine

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36 IMD JULY 2021

are precisely joined in a process called equipment mating. With traditional crane use, major components are suspended and lowered to line up one component with another. Both components could be the size of houses and weigh as much as 50,000 lbs. There is an element of danger here because workers have to position themselves between and under multi-ton steel parts to move suspended components into place to mate the sub-assemblies.

The mechanics of the mating process can vary. Manufacturers have to join subassemblies for most large vehicles: tractors, airplanes, spacecraft, tanks, and more. These vehicles may use pins, bolts, or even welding in the actual joining, but at some point during the manufacturing process, large sub-assemblies have to be joined or mated to form a complete vehicle.

How Does Floating on Air Replace Lifting Assemblies Into The Air? Manufacturers are no longer limited to cranes for equipment mating.

Instead, they can use ground-based transporters in combination with air casters, which are donut-shaped inflatable bags that affix to a skid, pallet, or other platform where the sub-assembly sits. As the bags inflate with standard compressed air, they lift the sub-assembly a few inches. Then, when the bags reach maximum extension, excess air leaks underneath until the equipment floats on an ultrathin film of air – around 0.003 inches to 0.005 inches—the thickness of a business card.

Air-powered vehicles can significantly vary in shape, size and form to accommodate awkwardly shaped loads. Some may use wheels in addition to air casters for guidance or added maneuverability while others rely on power drives or human power for load movement.

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What they have in common is ease of use while keeping the load close to the ground. Pallets and transporters powered by air casters can typically maneuver in any direction including rotating in place.

They require few operators; indeed, a load of 5,000 pounds or less might require only a single operator exerting less than 25 pounds of force depending on floor surface conditions. No special certification is required to operate these vehicles.

How Air Casters Work in Mating Equipment Sub-Assemblies The film of air reduces the friction coefficient to less than one percent, so operators can move even ultraheavy, multi-ton loads with only a fraction of the force required using a traditional wheeled solution. They also have a natural shock absorption effect, which helps accommodate the heft of the equipment while maintaining the delicacy of the assembly process. Air casters and air bearing tools are ideal for equipment mating because they easily accommodate huge sizes and weights.

The previously mentioned tractor mating process begins with two sub-assemblies. One rests on a stationary surface while workers physically maneuver the other sub-assembly into position. Instead of

a crane, the manufacturer floats one-half of the final assembly on an air transporter guided by human operators.

Five Step Process 1. Drive the floating load and position it near the stationary half.

Most air vehicles can move omnidirectionally, but the vehicle can incorporate guide wheels or follow a specific track or path

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IMD 37

depending on the needs of the manufacturing process. In the tractor-building process, a small team of operators is all that is needed to guide the air transporter into position.

2. Streamline instructions.

Instead of relaying instructions to a distant crane operator, air transporter operators can make positional adjustments required for precise alignment.

3. Inflate or deflate the air pallet.

In final position, the air pallet can be inflated or deflated as needed to bridge any gap. In fact, pressures can be mismatched at different corners of the load enabling left, right, forward, backwards, up, and down movements, but also to create tilt if necessary.

4. Mate the two assemblies as appropriate.

In this case, workers can mate the two sub-assemblies with a pin connector. Risks associated with swinging or falling loads are eliminated.

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38 IMD JULY 2021

5. Complete the move.

Operators can continue moving the fully assembled vehicle on the air transporter through the manufacturing process.

An air-powered approach enables greater precision when maneuvering heavy components, unlike cranes that limit operator control of hanging loads. With cranes, the load’s center of mass swings under the hook, so even slight movements of a suspended load can cause it to oscillate much like a pendulum. Operators must wait for the load to settle before they can continue, another reason why equipment mating via crane can be so time consuming.

Production Workflow Impacts When integrating air vehicles into manufacturing, it is advisable to reassess the entire workflow rather than the point where machinery will be mated. That’s because an air caster system can have ripple effects throughout the entire workflow even if the focus of attention by the manufacturer is improving a single step in the larger production line.

The manufacturer might only want to improve step 5 in its production process, but could well realize improvement in nearly all steps.

The reason: once the assembly is situated on the air vehicle, operators can move it from station to station without having to wait for a crane operator. Though the crane may still be used for loading and unloading the vehicle from the air transporter at the beginning and end of the process, its overall use and working envelope are greatly reduced, confining the safety hazard zone to a very limited space instead of the full assembly line

An Ideal Equipment Mating Option

Operational Impacts

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

For manufacturers, there are important benefits of using this technology. They include, shortened mating times, improved safety and increased flexibility.

Mike Brown, Mechanical Engineer, is the Sales

Heavy equipment manufacturers have found that the air-caster transfer cart is a gamechanger in terms of flexibility, reduced assembly time and hazard reduction since overhead suspension necessitated via cranes is no longer needed. Using radio controllers, multi-ton components can be precisely driven to another component with no hands-on assembly required. The self-contained transfer cart can pick up and transport components in multiple pieces up to 200 tons. The result is a vastly improved manufacturing process that is safer, faster, and far more efficient.

Operations Manager at AeroGo, Inc., Seattle, Washington, USA. AeroGo manufactures

1. Increased Throughput.

Safety considerations require crane operators to move more slowly when positioning heavy assemblies. The process can be even slower and more laborious because instructions must be carefully relayed to a crane operator some distance away. The wait time can be even longer if the crane is not immediately available. Workers simply have to wait until the crane becomes available. Contrast that with an air caster-equipped transporter. It significantly speeds up the overall process by shrinking required time from hours to minutes. The manufacturer now has a conveyance system that transports more vehicles through the plant. The result is an increase in throughput and productive capacity as a previously painstaking process turns into an easy, simple workflow without sacrificing quality or safety.

heavy load equipment utilizing hovercraft technology for moving heavy, awkward or delicate loads.

Tel: 206-575-3344 Email: info@aerogo.com.

For more information, please visit www.aerogo.com SOURCE: https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/cfoi/cranes-2017.htm

2. Improved Safety.

By removing cranes from the mating process, manufacturers can avoid suspension failure. The value here should not be underestimated. In a suspended load situation, should one cable break, the load will behave in an erratic fashion, potentially swinging and possibly crushing the worker. In the worst possible scenario, the crane could fail completely and fall, damaging surrounding equipment and tools and endangering the lives of many workers.

The failure mode with an air caster is far less threatening for employees and equipment because the air pallet will gently settle down one inch even should one occur when a worker reaches in to manually manipulate the load and hand-tighten bolts.

3. Increased Flexibility.

With air vehicles and skids, the multi-ton vehicle can stay on the air transporter throughout the whole manufacturing process and is never suspended above workers’ heads, giving the manufacturer added flexibility with the plant layout. Individual stations can be adjusted, moved, reconfigured, added or removed without the need for crane accessibility. In many cases, the manufacturer can decide to make wholesale changes to the vehicles, the structures to be assembled or even the facility itself can continue to use air transporters will little-to-no modifications required. The load can be driven off the line for maintenance.

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IMD 39

Product Showcase

PRODUCTSHOWCASE WANT TO BE FEATURED? Send your latest product information to editorial@indmacdig.com

IMD's Monthly Product Showcase features the latest from some of the manufacturing industry's top suppliers.

See Live, Working Demonstrations at Fabtech 2021 for Scotchman Cold Saws, Ironworkers, Pipe Notchers, and Hydraulic Presses Scotchman will perform live product demonstrations continuously throughout all four days of the show featuring the benefits of the latest equipment for general to heavy-duty metal fabrication. The CPO 350 AutoLoader circular cold saw with new, Clear Awareness Barrier with safety interlock switch provides extra safety for sawing while allowing the operator to visually monitor the saw in-action.

Don’t miss seeing the Scotchman 5014-ET Ironworker, the world’s first and only 50-ton hydraulic ironworker with a 3-station turret. » For more information, visit www.scotchman.com

char-lynn hydraulic products low speed high-torque motors… The Char-Lynn

motor range consists of three major types based on the valving used to distribute fluid through the Orbit gear set (geroler or gerotor), Spool Valve, Disc Valve and VIS (Valve-in-Star). A variety of displacement sizes are available in each of the three motor types to provide a wide range of speeds and torques.

steering control units… offer these advantages: • Minimal steering linkage reduces cost, provides design flexibility.

• Complete isolation of load forces from the control station.

• Continuous, unlimited control action with low output torque.

• Wide selection of control circuits and meter sizes.

• Works with many kinds of power steering pumps or fluid supply. gear pumps… Eaton Series 26 gear pumps with 13-tooth gears minimizes flow ripple to reduce noise and vibration.

Bearing lubrication system uses inlet oil rather than high pressure oil, improving volumetric efficiency and power output. The 13 available displacements and many mounting configurations provide for an easy retrofit. Other series available.

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40 IMD JULY 2021

Suhner Technology at An Affordable Price MADE IN AMERICA Suhner introduces the ECONOmaster® line of drilling units, affordably priced at under $3000 for the basic unit, in stock for immediate delivery or customizable to suit the particular operation.

This economical solution is ideal for multiple materials such as light metal, wood, composite, plastic and foam. Because these units are entirely produced at the Suhner factory in Rome, Georgia, response times for delivery and customized construction are minimal, according to Division Manager Lee Coleman. “We recognized the need to bring our global technology to a local level, here in America, and the ECONOmaster® is a key step in that process.” » For more information, visit suhner-machining.com

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KHK USA Inc. Announces Extensive Line of Metric Internal Ring Gears Internal gears, also known as Ring gears, are cylindrical disks which have involute shaped teeth cut into their interior face. KHK internal ring gears are offered in carbon steel. All KHK internal ring gears allow for secondary operations such as adding through or tapped holes in the face. KHK’s quick customized products can be ready within 5 business days. KHK Steel Internal Gears (SI), are a low-cost option that is suitable for many applications. KHK Steel Ring Gears (SIR) are larger in size and number of teeth and can be cut to make segment gears and corner racks.

COXREELS® Exceeds Industry Recommended Salt Spray Testing Hours

» For more information, visit www.khkgears.us

Due to its numerous properties and, specifically, its corrosion resistance, powder coating is used for many applications in the industrial sector. The salt spray test is the oldest corrosion resistance test and the most widely preferred to evaluate anti-corrosion coatings.

COXREELS is proud to announce that they recently exceeded 20% more hours than the recommended industry standard for salt spray testing. The independent lab test performed measured the corrosion and UV resistance of COXREELS’ powder coated materials and results indicated that COXREELS’ products ranked in the top tier of the grading system for both UV and corrosion resistance. » For further information, visit www.COXREELS.com

C-FRAME PRESSES

Caldwell Beam Completes Automated Lifting System Illinois Electric Works oversaw installation of a 2-ton capacity monorail crane system at a heavy truck manufacturer, featuring a 1-ton capacity twin-hook Caldwell lifting beam.

The end user sought a material handling solution for separating frame rails in preparation for its assembly line process. Handling Systems International (HSI), led the engineering phase of the project, while Electrolift designed a 2-ton capacity twin-hook hoist with a rigid (lug) mount to the beam. The final piece of the system was the all-important 353-in.-long beam that holds the magnets that are used to lift the material. Align Production Systems was the integrator that built everything around the system. » For more information, visit www.caldwellinc.com

• Heavy Gauge Steel Design • Press Bed bolted on, not welded, to prevent distortion.

• Large press bed to accommodate a variety of tooling other than just punching.

• Pump, motor, valve and reservoir are all easily accessible for maintenance.

• Large rectangular tubes used at base of machine to give safe, instant portability.

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IMD 41

Surplus Buying and Selling

Comparing Domestic Forging Equipment to Overseas Catalog Options

U.S.-based suppliers can optimize processes, uptime, and cost for the long haul with responsive expertise and readily available parts and service By: By Ken Copeland, president of Ajax-CECO-Erie Press.

P

urchasing new forging equipment from a “low cost” overseas supplier that offers a limited number of standard options from a catalog can be very costly in the long run. In the notoriously high impact forging industry, standard “one size fits all” equipment often will not fit the application without some level of customization, and inevitably will require spare parts and service that can be difficult to find years later.

When production depends on the reliable operation of forging equipment, the problem can be even more severe. If overseas catalog equipment (such as forging frames, presses, or hammers) breaks down or fails due to part shortages, production bottlenecks, or logistical delays, then late delivery of parts to customers can

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42 IMD JULY 2021

occur. Sub-par forging equipment can also become obsolete and must be prematurely retired or replaced if it is purpose-built for one specific project and cannot be adapted to meet future market demands.

As a result, instead of purchasing from inflexible overseas catalog suppliers, a growing number of manufacturers in North America are turning to domestic OEMs that can adapt and customize forging equipment. When needed, such firms have necessary parts and service readily available for customers utilizing well-established quality brands.

To future-proof an investment in new forging equipment today, manufacturers should consider some key issues.

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If overseas catalog equipment does not meet the requirements of the process, extra steps and labor may be necessary, and manufacturing certain parts may not be feasible. For example, if a 1,000-ton press is purchased and 1,200 tons is required, the equipment may not be able to make the part. Issues can also occur if the press bed or daylight is too small and unable to accommodate a new tool set. Alternatively, if the forging process dictates that a machine must change velocities multiple times within an inch, a catalog purchase may only be capable of one forging speed.

Some manufacturers may select forging equipment for a specific project without thinking long term about the availability of spare parts or service years, or what will happen when the current project is completed and new parts need to be made.

Higher quality forging equipment Any manufacturer purchasing forging equipment today needs to consider if spare parts and service will be available over the next 10-20 years. Given that quality forging equipment can operate much longer – up to 80 years in some cases – longevity must be considered.

The ability to adapt the equipment to meet future demands is also important. Manufacturers should give themselves some flexibility to cover the unknowns, including how the equipment can be adapted to make other parts in the future.

Overseas Limitations Overseas forging equipment suppliers from China or India may provide standard machines, but are often unwilling or unable to make any required modifications to their standard offerings. The

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IMD 43

Surplus Buying and Selling

quality of the forging equipment’s control components can also be a concern as well as the use of component parts that are essentially “knockoffs” of U.S. brands.

Although European forging equipment is more on par with domestic offerings in terms of quality, replacement parts still must also be sourced from there. Long lead times for replacement parts, limited phone support (due to time zone differences), onsite customer support response time and shipping times, as well as customs delays, can result in extended production downtime.

The Domestic Advantage The ability to expedite service and repair for a variety of equipment types commonly found on North American manufacturing floors was one of the considerations behind merging the leading brands Ajax Manufacturing, Chambersburg (CECO), and Erie Press Systems under the parent company Park Ohio (NASDAQ: PKOH).

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44 IMD JULY 2021

The U.S.-based company, Ajax-CECO-Erie Press, a manufacturer of forging equipment since 1875, is now the largest OEM forging equipment supplier in North America. This includes horizontal and vertical forging presses, mechanical and hammer forging presses, and hydraulic presses for a variety of applications.

Founded in 1895, Erie Press Systems offers custom hydraulic presses for a variety of applications including forging (closed die, open die, and ring preforming), metal forming, carbon extrusion, composite presses, stretch forming machines, legacy hammers, and a line of standard mechanical forge presses.

The merger means manufacturers that over the past hundred years have utilized one or more of the brands in the same plant now have a single source OEM for equipment, parts and service.

“With the companies combining, we have additional resources to share, so we can respond to support requests faster and have more field service technicians available. Our investment in R&D and new

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technology has also improved due to the merger,” says Bill Goodwin, Vice President of Sales and Engineering, Erie Press Systems.

When replacement parts are required, Goodwin says Ajax-CECO-Erie Press offers stocking programs for long lead time items such as main gears, eccentric shafts, rams, etc., that most customers do not stock due to the cost. In this type of program, the part is held in inventory for the customer. The customer pays a percentage of the cost and then the balance when they take possession of the part – even if years later.

“A custom stocking program with minimal up-front investment can eliminate months of down time due to long lead time parts,” says Goodwin. “Instead, multiple machines with parts of similar size and design can have the parts manufactured to a semi-finished state in preparation for use with any of the machines. When needed, the exact dimensions for the down machine can be provided so the part can be completed to spec, ready to install.”

Information such as the design specifications, including critical data on high-wear parts, the material grade of the steel, the heat-treating process that was used, and the required clearances that were used in the engineering of that particular forger are usually all needed for a quality repair or certainly a rebuild.

The same design expertise, gathered over more than a century, enables the company’s forging equipment to last many decades.

Some of the company’s forging equipment, in fact, has successfully performed for nearly a century with refurbishment and any necessary updates.

“If a manufacturer needs a part for a hundred-year-old hammer, Ajax-CECO-Erie Press probably has the prints for it, so we can supply replacement parts or provide a good substitute. That is just not possible from the overseas options that were not even in business 10 years ago,” says Goodwin.

Lastly, domestic OEMs provide forgers with an opportunity to take advantage of the most advanced automation and diagnostic options available today. Entire forging line “cells” can be created that include sophisticated communications that report production rates and machine performance back to company networks.

Ajax-CECO-Erie Press has also developed an online diagnostic system for remote monitoring and support through a remote Ethernet diagnostic connection provided on all Erie Press machines.

The Ethernet-based control system provides Erie Press engineers a platform to remotely view the machine’s health as it is operating.

Although manufacturers may be tempted to buy forging equipment from overseas catalog suppliers based solely on the lowest initial price, those that select a domestic partner that can customize to their specific requirements and rapidly respond with any needed parts and service may gain significant, long-term advantages that save them money in the long run.

For more information, call Erie Press Systems at 814-455-3941; visit them online at www.eriepress.com; contact them via mail at 1253 West 12th Street, Erie, PA 16512; or call Ajax-CECO at 440-295-0244; email info-sales@ajax-ceco.com; or visit them online at www.ajax-ceco.com.

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IMD 45

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Self PoweredHour Meter LCD Vibration Self Activated LCDPowered Counter/Timer LCD Counter/Timer With Service Alerts

L3/L4Series Series L3/L4

HOURMETER T56E MADE IN THE U.S.A

MADE ININTHE U.S.A MADE THE U.S.A e-mail:

customerservice@enmco.com

e-mail: e-mail: TOLL FREE 888-372-0465 customerservice@enmco.com customerservice@enmco.com TOLL FREE 888-372-0465

TOLL FREE 888-372-0465

INDUSTRIAL MACHINERY DIGEST.COM

MADE IN THE U.S.A

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Ad INdex Actek Manufacturing and Engineering Inc. — www.actekmfg.com ............................................ 31 ATTCO, Inc. DBA Syclone ATTCO Service — www.skyhookmfr.com ......................................... 15 Betenbender Manufacturing, Inc — www.betenbender.com ......................................................... 7 Burr King Mfg Co. — www.burrking.com ......................................................................................... BC

SERVING SERVING AMERICAN AMERICAN MANUFACTURERS MANUFACTURERS FOR OVER FOR OVER

35 34

Carell Corporation — www.carellcorp.com ...................................................................................... 19 Clamprite — www.clamprite.com .......................................................................................................45

YEARS YEARS

COXREELS — www.COXREELS.com ..................................................................................................... 9 DCM Tech — www.dcm-tech.com .....................................................................................................49 Denver Breaker & Supply — www.denverbreaker.com .................................................................. 47 Design-2-Part Shows — www.d2p.com ............................................................................................39 Dynabrade, Inc. — www.dynabrade.com ................................................................................... 26, 27 Eagle Bending Machines — www.eaglebendingmachines.com ................................................... 19 ENM Co — www.enmco.com ..............................................................................................................49 Essex Structural Steel Co. — www.essexstructuralsteel.com ........................................................48 FABTECH — www.fabtechexpo.com ..................................................................................................29 Formdrill USA Inc. — www.formdrill-usa.com ................................................................................. 33 H&K Equipment, Inc. — www.hkequipment.com ............................................................................48 HMI div of Betenbender Manufacturing — www.betenbender.com ........................................... 41 HYPNEUMAT, Inc. — www.hypneumat.com ....................................................................................... 3 IMDauctions.com — www.IMDauctions.com .................................................................................. 47 Kanetec USA Corp — www.kanetec.com ..........................................................................................48 KHK Gears — www.khkgears.us ......................................................................................................... IBC L&L Special Furnace Co., Inc. — www.llfurnace.com .....................................................................49

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MacMillin Hydraulic Engineering Corporation — www.macmhydraulic.com ...........................40 Motion+Power Technology Expo by AGMA — www.MotionPowerExpo.com ..........................11 Northwest Machine Tool EXPO — www.machinetoolexpos.com ............................................... 25 Perfection Industrial Sales — www.perfectionindustrial.com .......................................................43 Pro-Line — www.1proline.com ............................................................................................................49 Royal Products — www.mistcollectors.com .....................................................................................49 Schweiss Doors — www.schweissdoors.com ..................................................................................49 Scotchman Industries, Inc. — www.scotchman.com ..................................................................... 13 Select Equipment Company — www.selectequipment.net ..........................................................46 Standard Direct.com — www.Standard-Direct.com .......................................................................48 Stor-Loc — www.storloc.com ........................................................................................................... IFC The Caldwell Group, Inc — www.caldwellinc.com ........................................................................... 5 Tormach — www.tormach.com ...........................................................................................................17 Trim-Lok — www.trimlok.com ...................................................................................................... 34, 35 Wisconsin Manufacturing & Technology Show — www.wimts.com ........................................... 37

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sed. dness is determined by production condition. ted hardness value is informed in a quotation of gears.

r precision grade table : oned equivalent grades are for reference only. s completely match each other.

Largest selection of

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15/05/21

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PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID BOLINGBROOK, IL PERMIT NO. 467 3590-B Hwy 31 South PMB #233 Pelham, AL 35124

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