Springs, Fall 2019, Vol 58 No 4

Fall 2019

The InTernaTIonal MagazIne of SprIng ManufacTure

a publication of the Spring Manufacturers Institute / Vol. 58, no. 4

Steel City Welcomes SMI eXpo

2019 eXpo Preview 28 Family Business Trusts: Protecting Valuable Assets from Outside Threats 48 Piston Ring Expander Technologies Support Future Vehicle Trends 53

2001 Midwest Rd., Suite 106 Oak Brook, IL 60523-1335 Change Service Requested

Prsrt Std US Postage PAID Newsburyport MA Permit No. 88

President’s Message From Steve Kempf

Springs: The Quiet and Hidden Force Behind Our Daily Lives The Pittsburgh Steelers were originally named the Pittsburgh Pirates, until 1940 when owner Art Rooney decided to change the name. Fans offered suggestions and several proposed the winning name Steelers to reflect the city’s primary source of employment.

In 1962, Republic Steel suggested that the Steelers incorporate the Steelmark design, the insignia used by the American Iron and Steel Institute, as their helmet logo. The Steelmark logo, a circle enclosing three diamonds and the word STEEL, was created by U.S. Steel Corp. to educate consumers about the significance of steel in their daily lives.

The original meanings behind the diamonds were, “Steel lightens your work, brightens your leisure and widens your world.” U.S. Steel did a good job stating their case, and I think we ought to take a cue from them: “Springs lighten your work, brighten your leisure and widen your world.”

All kidding aside, those of us in the spring industry understand that this happens to be true. Understated but powerful, springs are the quiet and hidden force behind our daily lives.

I look forward to seeing all of you at this year’s SMI Metal Engineering eXpo in the great city of Pittsburgh – steeped with so much history that is relevant to what we do. The bi-annual eXpo has proven tremendously rewarding for me. Lee Spring has purchased many machines right off the show floor, after firsthand review by production staff.

At the 2015 inaugural expo in Charlotte, North Carolina, we picked up a large lathe coiling machine which was sent directly up the road to our Greensboro plant after the show. Together with a tub grinder that we also purchased, short runs of larger springs at that facility have become much more efficient. It was our first purchase from that particular machinery manufacturer, and we’ve since bought additional equipment from them­— including a grinder that we committed to at the Hartford eXpo in 2017. We purchased several other machines at each of the two prior shows and look forward to more opportunities in Pittsburgh!

The eXpo is a great time to reflect upon our capital investment plan while reviewing the latest offerings from our suppliers of equipment and materials.

But the value of the eXpo extends beyond the show floor. I also get to reconnect with industry veterans who’ve taught me much over the years; bring together the talented leaders of my company’s production team for strategy sessions; learn and absorb the knowledge shared during the 20-plus technical symposia sessions; and above all, celebrate our amazing industry.

See you in Pittsburgh!

Steve Kempf Lee Spring skempf@leespring.com

2 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

SMI Executive Committee President: Steve Kempf, Lee Spring Vice President: Bert Goering, Precision Coil Spring Secretary/Treasurer: Gene Huber, Jr., Winamac Coil Spring At Large: Don Jacobson III, Newcomb Spring Past President: Mike Betts, Betts Company Executive Director: Lynne Carr, SMI

SMI Board of Directors Kelley Christy, Diamond Wire Spring • Dave Deerwester, The Yost Superior Co. • David DeVoe, Plymouth Spring • Joe Devany, Betts Company • Chris Fazio, Diamond Wire Spring • Linda Froehlich, Ace Wire Spring & Form • Ritchy Froehlich, Ace Wire Spring & Form • Brett Goldberg, International Spring • Agustin Estalayo Ibanez, RPK Mexico SA de CV • Don Lowe, Peterson Spring • Peter Mendel, Kern-Liebers USA • Tony Pesaresi, Winamac Coil Spring • Daniel Pierre III, JN Machinery • Chris and Jeff Wharin, Bohne Spring • Tim Zwit, Michigan Spring and Stamping

Springs Magazine Staff Lynne Carr, Advertising Sales, lynne@smihq.org Gary McCoy, Managing Editor, gmccoy@fairwaycommunications.com Dina Sanchez, Assistant Editor, dina@smihq.org Sue Zubek, Art Director, zubekdesign@gmail.com

Springs Magazine Committee Chair, Don Jacobson III, Newcomb Spring • Reb Banas, Stanley Spring & Stamping • Lynne Carr, SMI • Ritchy Froehlich, Ace Wire Spring & Form • Bud Funk, Fourslide Products • Brett Goldberg, International Spring • Tim Weber, Forming Systems • Europe Liaison: Wolfgang Herrmann, VDFI • Technical Advisor: Dan Sebastian, Honorary Member Advertising sales - Japan Ken Myohdai, Sakura International Inc. Head Office: 3F・4FＦ ENDO Sakaisuji Bldg., 1-7-3, Bingomachi, Chuo-Ku, Osaka 541-0051, Japan Phone: 81-6-6624-3601 • Fax: 81-6-6624-3602 Tokyo Global Office: 5F Kamei No. 2 Bldg., 2-17-13, Kiba, Koto-Ku, Tokyo, 135-0042, Japan Phone: 81-3-5646-1160 • Fax: 81-3-5646-1161 E-mail: info@sakurain.co.jp Advertising sales - Europe Jennie Franks, Franks & Co. 63 St. Andrew's Road Cambridge United Kingdom CB41DH Phone/Fax: +44-1223-360472 E-mail: franksco@BTopenworld.com Advertising sales - Taiwan Robert Yu, Worldwide Services Co. Ltd. 11F-B, No 540, Sec. 1, Wen Hsin Rd. Taichung, Taiwan Phone: +886-4-2325-1784 • Fax: +886-4-2325-2967 E-mail: stuart@wwstaiwan.com Springs (ISSN 0584-9667) is published quarterly by SMI Business Corp., a subsidiary of the Spring Manufacturers Institute: 2001 Midwest Road, Suite 106, Oak Brook, IL 60523; Phone: (630) 495-8588; Fax: (630) 495-8595; Web site www.smihq.org. Address all correspondence and editorial materials to this address.

The editors and publishers of Springs disclaim all warranties, express or implied, with respect to advertising and editorial content, and with respect to all manufacturing errors, defects or omissions made in connection with advertising or editorial material submitted for publication.

The editors and publishers of Springs disclaim all liability for special or consequential damages resulting from errors, defects or omissions in the manufacturing of this publication, any submission of advertising, editorial or other material for publication in Springs shall constitute an agreement with and acceptance of such limited liability.

The editors and publishers of Springs assume no responsibility for the opinions or facts in signed articles, except to the extent of expressing the view, by the fact of publication, that the subject treated is one which merits attention.

Do not reproduce without written permission.

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Contents 59

28 C

M

FEATURES 28 Steel City Welcomes SMI eXpo

By Gary McCoy

34 2019 Metal Engineering eXpo Schedule 40 2019 Exhibitor Preview 46 Flashback

The Engine That Drives Our Economy

by Dan Sebastian

48 Family Business Trusts: Protecting Valuable Assets from Outside Threats

Columns 15 Be Aware Safety Tips

Supervisors: Key to Compliance and Culture

By Laura Helmrich-Rhodes

57 Five Questions

21 Dean of Springs

The Yost Superior Company: Continuing a Family Legacy

By Gary McCoy

How Stress Relaxation (Load Loss) Affects Springs

By Dan Sebastian

23 Technically Speaking

Springmaking Materials/ Materials Design Philosophy

By C. Richard Gordon

By Scherdel Sales & Technology

59 Springmaker Spotlight

65 Book Corner 67 CTE News 69 Inside SMI

Departments

73 New Products

75 Advertisers’ Index

4 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

The L.S. Starrett Company

72 Committee Connection

By Phillip M. Perry

53 Piston Ring Expander Technologies Support Future Vehicle Trends

10 Regional Spring Association Report

2 President’s Message

Springs: The Quiet and Hidden Force Behind Our Daily Lives

7 Global Highlights

76 Snapshot

Monica Shaffer, Novi Spring

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“Meet the New Generation”

BOOTH 403 The North American Debut of the WAFIOS BM 36 HS

BM 36 HS FMU 25 FUL 36 Functions autopitch spring2FUL spring+ wire+

Building on our rich heritage of innovation, WAFIOS does it again. The WAFIOS BM 36 HS next-generation offers new standards in performance, flexibility and accuracy.

See the new BM 36 HighSpeed, unveiled and available for demonstration in Booth 403.

Also on demonstration, with new and enhanced functionality: • FMU 25 Torsion Spring Coiler • FUL 36 Compression Spring Coiler New functions

Machine types

State of development: • New user interface with operator guidance • Automatic adjustment of displacement Technology preview: • Generation of a WPS program by means of externally measured data Enhancement: • New method for determining an alternative process sequence without collision • Enhanced collision detection State of development: • Finding alternative process sequences if collisions are predicted • Optimization of table movements

FUL series (with EasyWay) FUL series (with EasyWay) FMU series BM series

Engineered for What’s Next Spring Coiling & Forming Machines

WAFIOS Machinery Corporation 27 NE Industrial Road, Branford, CT 06405 WAFIOS Midwest Technical Center 9830 W. 190th Street, Mokena, IL 60448 USA www.wafios.us / 203 481 5555 / sales@wafios.us Canada www.wafios.ca / sales@wafios.ca WAFIOS Machinery Corporation is a subsidiary of WAFIOS AG

Wire Bending & Forming Machines

Wire Straightening, Cutting & End Working Machines

Tube Bending & Forming Nail, Fastener & Chain Machines Machines

Visit us in Booth 403

©iStockphoto.com/DNY59

Global Highlights North America David Galas has joined OMCG, Inc. as national sales manager for North America.

Galas will oversee the sales effort at OMCG, with the task of growing the company. He has over 25 years’ experience with wireforming and CNC machines, and extensive knowledge in the best automation process improvement solutions.

Galas previously worked as regional sales manager for German and French companies selling CNC machines.

The OMCG line of equipment allows Galas to expand and cover applications requiring solutions for 2mm to 18mm diameter wire and narrow strip.

Galas holds a B.S. degree from Miami University in applied science, specializing in manufacturing engineering. He may be contacted at d.galas@omcg.com.

Newcomb Spring Corp. recently announced that Becky Christensen has joined the company as human resources manager. In her role, Christensen will manage benefits administration, employee relations, workers’ compensation, employee safety and payroll processes for the company. Christensen replaces veteran human resources manager Ellen Warthen, who is retiring after 19 years of service with Newcomb Spring Corp.

“We are fortunate to have Becky on board and able to work closely with Ellen, as Ellen transitions into a welldeserved retirement,” says Robert Jacobson, president of Newcomb Spring. “Becky’s vast HR experience in multiple manufacturing environments will continue to provide growth and support to our internal team and external customers.”

Christensen brings extensive HR experience in the manufacturing sector, having worked for a number of multifacility industrial organizations. Most recently, Christensen served as director of human resources for a five-facility manufacturing and shipping company in Georgia. She has previously served as regional HR manager for a multistate automotive supply manufacturer, and as an HR manager for a sizable faucet and fixture manufacturer, as well as other HR roles in the manufacturing sector.

With 10 locations across the United States and Canada, Christensen will oversee human resources for the company, working from Newcomb Spring headquarters in Alpharetta, Georgia. Christensen holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational management from Reinhardt College and lives with her family in Jasper, Georgia.

David Galas

Becky Christensen

On March 15, 2019, Jerry Ashdown purchased the assets of Nichols International Machinery Systems Company (NIMSCO) from Jerry Jacques. Ashdown has been with NIMSCO since 1999, serving as the company’s sales and service manager.

Based in Davenport, Iowa, NIMSCO is an exclusive North American distributor of high-quality spring grinding, spring coiling, wireforming, and spring testing equipment. As a fully integrated sales, service and engineering company, NIMSCO is dedicated to serving the spring processing, wire and strip forming, and non-ferrous billet forging industries of North America. NIMSCO was established in 1977; the company’s products include Bennett-Mahler, SimplexRapid, CAMFART and OMAS. Lee Spring recently announced the acquisition of The Kirk-Habicht Company, a Rosedale, Maryland-based manufacturer of custom springs that was founded in 1907.

“Kirk-Habicht is a great fit for Lee Spring,” said Lee Spring CEO Steve Kempf. “They have a dedicated and talented group of employees that are cross-trained, and a modern facility that will expand our manufacturing capacity in the United States. Lee Spring recently celebrated our 100th anniversary and Kirk-Habicht has over 112 years in business, so it is exciting to have these two long-standing companies moving into the future together.”

Kempf continued, “This combination is great for both companies and for our customers. Kirk-Habicht’s employees

SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 7

Global Highlights

will remain in their current facility which allows for them to continue to provide the same excellent support to their customers, but they will now also have access to a wider range of capabilities through Lee Spring. This acquisition will help serve customers by offering more manufacturing options and capabilities from two very experienced companies.”

Lee Spring is a global manufacturer of mechanical springs and related products. Lee Spring carries a line of more than 25,000 stock springs, and manufactures custom springs made to customer

specifications. Established in 1918, Lee Spring is an ISO 9001:2015 certified company headquartered in Brooklyn, New York with multiple locations in the United States, as well as locations in Mexico, Europe, China and India.

Obituary Springs regrets to report the passing of Antonio (Tony) Pisa, 88, an employee of Diamond Wire Spring from 1974 to 1998. He died April 12, 2019, in Havervill, Massachusetts. He is survived by his wife, Angela, and four daughters and their families.

Pisa bega n h is ca reer a s a springmaker at the company’s Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania plant. In 1982 he and his family relocated to southwest Texas to help the general manager, Alphonse Fazio, at the Diamond Wire Spring facility in Tyler. In 1985, Pisa became general manager of the plant and remained at the company until his retirement.

Pisa was described as “a gentleman, family man and devoted worker” whose motto was “there is always a way” to help customers with special requests.

International

OCTOBER 1–3, 2019 • PITTSBURGH

We frequently purchase large pieces of equipment right off the show floor because we can compare manufacturers’ offerings in real time and engage our production staff in the decision-making process.

Steve Kempf, President, SMI CEO, Lee Spring

EDUCATION AND EXPERTISE FOR THE ENGINEERED SPRING AND PRECISION METAL COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES.

Presented by

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8 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

Oriimec Corporation of America officially announced that its parent company, Orii and Mec Corporation, c h a nged it s cor por ate n a me to AMADA ORII CO., LTD., a whollyo w n e d s u b s id i a r y of A M A DA HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan.

AMADA HOLDINGS CO., LTD. transferred the stamping press business from AMADA MACHINE TOOLS CO., LTD. to AMADA ORII CO., LTD. AMADA ORII employs 539 workers worldwide, including those at the Erlanger, Kentucky-based Oriimec Corporation of America.

AMADA ORII develops, manufactures, sells and services stamping press machines, coil feed lines, transfer systems and spring machines.

The Japan Society of Spring Engineers (JSSE) held its semiannual lecture meeting, including a poster session, and annual general meeting at Meiji University in Tokyo June 4, 2019.

Eight general lectures and one special topic lecture were presented to 143 attendees in a hall on the Tokyo Surugadai Campus of Meiji University.

The opening speech was presented by Haruhiko Shiba, a vice-chairperson of JSSE in charge of research activities and a managing officer, member of the board of Chuo Spring Co., Ltd.

Global Highlights

Titles of general lectures and presenters included: 1. “Hydrogen Embrittlement Resistance of Ti -B Added High Strength Steel for Leaf Spring,” by Hiroaki Suzuki of Aichi Steel Corporation.

2. Effect of Mo on Nitriding Kinetics of High Carbon Steel Wire Rods,” by Masato Yuya of Nippon Steel Corporation.

3. “The Characteristics of Stainless Steel Wire for Springs

by Using Duplex Stainless Steel,” by Hiroyuki Enokida of Suzuki-Sumiden Stainless Steel Wire Co., Ltd. 4. “Phase Transformation of Austenitic Steel 316L on Micro Shot Peening Process,” by Dr. Hatsuhiko Usami of Meijo University.

5. “Improvement in Fatigue Limit by Ultrasonic Shot Peening for High Strength Steel Containing Crack-like Surface Defect,” by Dr. Hideki Okada of NHK Spring Co., Ltd. 6. “X-ray Triaxial Residual Stress Measurement of Spring Steel with Shot-peening by The Cos(α) Method,” by Tomohiro Yamazaki of Mitsubishi Steel Mfg. Co., Ltd. 7. “Nonlinear Analysis of Large Deformation in a Flexible Thin Circular Ring (In the Case of Lower End Support),” by Dr. Atsumi Ohtsuki of Meijo University.

8. “Influence of Crystal Structure of Nitrided Compound Layer on Torsional Fatigue Strength of SCM435,” by Yoshitomi Yamada of Isuzu Motors Limited.

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The Special Topic Lecture was “Railway Bogie - Suspension System and Recent Development,” by Takuji Nakai of Nippon Steel Corporation.

Six technical posters were displayed in the same hall.

A brief explanation was given by a representative for each of the posters on the speaker’s platform for the lecture meeting, followed by a question and answer session at the posters. The top two posters were selected based on the participants’ voting.

The first place poster was “Evaluation of Effect of Small Defects on Fatigue Limit of Spring Steel,” by Takehiro Ishii of Yokohama National University, et al. The second place poster was “Vibration Isolator Using Foldable Structure and Air Spring,” by Kazuya Inamoto of Meiji University, et al.

Four certificates of Spring Technological Heritage were presented to four parties to express JSSE’s appreciation for their preservation of springs and machines of historical value. The awarded springs and machines are as follows: 1. Coiling Process Controller, SCD-5, owned by Itaya Engineering Ltd. 2. Coiling Machine, VF-712ST, owned by Shinko Machinery Co., Ltd. 3. Spring Clamps for Liquid Lines, manufactured by Togo Seisakusyo Corporation.

4. Karakuri Puppets, Bow-Shooting Boy and Calligrapher Doll, owned by Kurume City.

The annual general meeting was held after the closing speech of the lecture meeting presented by Dr. Yuji Nakasone, JSSE chairperson and a professor of Tokyo University of Science. The meeting was led by Yoshiharu Sugawara, a director of JSSE and a technical director and sales procurement director of Horikiri Inc. During the meeting, six proposals, 2018 Annual Business Report, 2018 Settlement of Balance Report, 2019 Annual Business Plan, 2019 Budget, Recommendations of Honorary Members and Re-election of Officers were approved.

A reception was held after the annual general meeting in a hall in the same campus. Dr. Masao Hayakawa, a new chairperson of JSSE just approved by the general meeting and a head researcher of National Institute for Materials Science, made the opening speech, followed by the guest speech by Masahiko Nakatani, an executive director of the Japan Spring Manufacturers Association (JSMA.) Dr. Akira Tange, an honorary member of JSSE, made a toast to the development of the spring industry and the participants’ health.

The reception concluded with a closing talk by Noriyasu Kaga, a director of JSSE and a manager of Mitsubishi Steel Mfg. Co., Ltd. after a leaving speech by Dr. Motoaki Osawa, former vice-chairperson of JSSE and a professor of Tokyo Denki University. n

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SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 9

CASMI Report

By Michael Bandy, CASMI Co-Executive Director

CASMI Golf Tournament CASMI hosted its 2019 Golf Outing June 18 at the Bloomingdale (Illinois) Golf Club.

It was a gorgeous day as nearly 110 CASMI members and SpringWorld exhibitors took part in the 18-hole, best-ball tournament and dinner. The event included lunch for golfers, and the tournament was followed by a reception, dinner and the presentation of awards. Awards were presented for the first and second place teams in two divisions (four total), as well as closest to the pin, longest putt, and longest drive for both women and men.

Additionally, several “wine and beer” gift baskets were awarded as door prizes.

CASMI designated charity support to Chicago Veterans, a nonprofit community of military veterans who share a common passion for helping fellow veterans, whether it’s veteran homelessness, PTSD awa reness, trauma, benefits or camaraderie building. A total of $1,227 was donated by participants to support this worthwhile cause.

CASMI’s 2020 Annual Golf Outing will be held next June at a location to be determined.

SpringWorld Kickoff Dinner Scheduled for Oct. 17 All CASMI members, SpringWorld 2020 exhibitors and suppliers who are considering exhibiting are invited to

10 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

attend this dinner to kick off the 2020 SpringWorld Trade Show, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019 at Maggiano’s in Schaumburg, Illinois. The event will feature an update on the 2020 SpringWorld Trade Show, the opportunity to secure exhibit space, network with industry colleagues, and learn from a dynamic keynote speaker.

Mike Veeck, visionary and co-founder of Fun Is Good, will present “CreatMike Veeck ing Joy and Passion in Your Workplace and Career.”

Veeck says when we find our joy and SpringWorld takes place Oct. 7-9, 2020, passion, great things happen, in both at the Donald E. Stephens Convention our work world and in our personal Center in Rosemont, Illinois. lives. He says it makes sense, yet it’s To register for the kickoff dinner, or so hard to put into practice. Veeck will to reserve space for SpringWorld, visit show attendees how to discover what www.casmi-springworld.org. brings us joy and then “live it” in all that we do.

Veeck has so much experience Upcoming CASMI Events developing his operating teams into well-run organizations that care about • SpringWorld 2020 Kickoff Dinner, Oct. 17, 2019, Maggiano’s, their customers. He operates his busiSchaumburg, Illinois nesses with passion, joy and creativity, knowing that these characteristics • Monthly Membership Meeting/ Dinner, Nov. 21, 2019, Maggiano’s, have been so successful for his employOak Brook, Illinois ees and customers alike. Veeck will stress the importance of leading by • Annual Holiday Party, Dec. 11, 2019, Cooper’s Hawk Winery & example, and cite a number of stories Restaurant, Arlington Heights, where both he and his business partIllinois ner Bill Murray have made wonderful things happen by being creative and having fun. After hearing all these inspiring stories, you will leave with an open mind and embrace new ideas, policies and projects. And we know for sure an “infamous” Chicago story or two will be shared.

Space sales for SpringWorld are brisk, with 72 percent of available space already sold as of July 8, 2019.

©iStockphoto.com/Scott Hirko

Regional Spring Association Report

Regional Spring Association Report

Participants in the optional tour at Charter Steel in Valley View, Ohio.

SMI Roadshow Comes to Cleveland The SMI Roadshow ca me to t he Pittsburgh/Ohio regional meeting May 30-31, 2019 in Cleveland. The event started with a reception and dinner on Thursday, May 30, at the Punch Bowl Social Cleveland in the Flats East Bank area of the city.

The group met Friday, May 31, at the Aloft Cleveland Downtown hotel to hear about SMI and the Metal Engineering eXpo coming to Pittsburgh in October. After greetings and remarks

by SMI executive director Lynne Carr

and SMI president Steve Kempf, presentations followed by SMI staff members.

SMI technical director Rick Gordon and SMI technical advisor Gary Van Buren talked about the valuable technical services available from SMI, including the association’s failure analysis program. They also provided an update on training programs, technical standards and spring design courses that are now available from SMI. SMI regulatory compliance consultant Laura Helmrich-Rhodes brought the

group an update on the current issues surrounding OSHA and an assessment of ANSI Z10, a standard that defines minimum requirements for an occupational health and safety management system. The primary purpose of this standard is to provide a management tool to reduce the risk of occupational injuries, illnesses and fatalities.

Following lunch, some of the meeting attendees participated in an optional offsite tour of Charter Steel in nearby Valley View, Ohio.

NESMA: Rain and a Roadshow

Th e Ne w E n g l a nd Spr i n g a nd Metalstamping Association (NESMA) board of directors would like to recognize and thank the Vanguard Committee for their hard work in organizing their first significant and successful event, an evening at Dunkin’ Donuts Park, home of the Hartford Yard Goats, Major League Baseball’s Double A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. NESMA set a lofty goal of 100 tickets, with the hope that a new fun event would help promote networking with fellow members. With help from sponsorships from exclusive

member for insurance, Starkweather & Shepley, and Gibbs Metals, ticket prices were reasonable, and the committee reached their sellout goal!

Unfortunately, the wet spring we had in the Northeast continued as a major thunderstorm threw a wet curve to the evening, and the game was eventually called due to the weather. Despite the forecast, many members braved the weather and were treated to a great, albeit short-lived, evening, thanks to the Dunkin’ Donuts stadium crew.

We hope to include an evening at the ballpark in our future events

By Jim Mintun, Gibbs

SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 11

Regional Spring Association Report

planning and are sure it will continue to be popular.

In July, the SMI Roadshow came to NESMA. The roadshow is a regional meeting to promote new programs and initiatives the association has developed to help members in the industry.

Steve Kempf, president of SMI and president of Lee Spring (a strong supporter and member of NESMA)

and Lynne Carr, SMI executive director, introduced the team responsible for technical, educational and regulatory compliance. Rick Gordon, SMI technical director, outlined several programs available to members, including failure analysis and work on industry material standards. Gary Van Buren, SMI technical advisor, updated the status of several spring design courses available

via the SMI website. Dr. Laura Helmrich-Rhodes, regulatory compliance consultant, outlined many services SMI can provide to help members with safety, OSHA visits/audits and ANSI Z10 Risk Assessments. Many NESMA members report they are finding some benefits already after using some of these programs.

NESMA has long recognized the need to help member companies attract potential and current employees looking for skills needed to enter into a long-term career in manufacturing.

We have partnered with Naugatuck Valley Community College (NVCC) to sponsor an introductory course in spring coiler set up to teach basic springmaking concepts. The 10-week course, which began Oct. 1, 2019, is limited to 10 students and utilizes a NESMA-validated curriculum developed in part with assistance from SMI. The class is open to students with either current manufacturing experience or the equivalent technical school training. The cost of the open enrollment fee may be funded up to 50 percent by the Connecticut Department of Labor for qualifying Connecticut manufacturing companies, and several NESMA member companies have students enrolled in the class. Past initiatives with NVCC on similar introductory fourslide setup classes have proven to be beneficial to members. We are confident the class will be very successful and lead to the development of advanced classes in the future.

We look forward to hitting the road and seeing fellow members at the SMI Metal Engineering eXpo in Pittsburgh.

NESMA members, please keep the following dates open on your calendar for future events: • Dec. 6, 2019: NESMA Holiday Party • Dec. 7, 2019: NESMA Annual Meeting NESMA is pleased to help direct its members toward a wide variety of resources designed to assist their employees and businesses. Please visit our new and expanded website: www. nesma-usa.com for more information. n

12 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

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Be Aware Safety Tips

©iStockphoto.com/Django

Supervisors: Key to Compliance and Culture

By Laura Helmrich-Rhodes, CSP, Ed.D.

E

veryone can agree that the supervisor’s role has expanded significantly. During economic downturns, it can expand to the point of diminishing returns. Despite the changes and additions to the role of supervisor (perhaps they are called team leaders in your organization), they are still the conduit between ownership and employees, and thus play a vital part in both regulatory compliance and creating a safety culture. In previous articles, we have looked at the six parts of OSHA’s Guidelines for Safety and Health Programs (see below) and the importance of consistent discipline. The supervisor plays a key role in each of these components. I want to share some new insight into this subject.

OSHA's Guidelines for Safety and Health Programs • Management Leadership • Worker Participation • Hazard Identification and Assessment • Hazard Prevention and Control • Program Evaluation and Improvement • Communication and Coordination for Host Employers, Contractors and Staffing Agencies

Specific Accountabilities for Supervisor’s/Team Leader’s Role for Compliance The importance of the supervisor’s obligations to manage day-to-day activities in a “safe and healthful work environment” (General Duty Clause Section 5(a)(1) of the OSHA Act) cannot be overemphasized here. Each workspace is different and the variations in worker abilities are

too exhaustive to list. For those two reasons alone, the supervisor must fully understand the work being done (routine as well as non-routine tasks) and know his/her subordinates’ cognitive and physical abilities. In my 35 years of experience as a safety professional, and especially over the last several years working directly in the spring industry, I have some very specific insight.

1. Hazard ID and control — Supervisors should conduct daily as well as regular (OSHA does not consider daily and regular as the same) workspace evaluations (these can be formal and/or informal), and correct hazards within their authority by completing work orders and/or notifying upper management of hazards not within their control.

Many spring companies are using “lean manufacturing,” which, in part, assures that tools and materials are

Laura Helmrich-Rhodes, CSP, Ed.D., is an independent regulations compliance consultant to the Spring Manufacturers Institute (SMI). A former member of PA/OSHA Consultation, she is an associate professor in the Safety Sciences Department at Indiana University of Pennsylvania where she teaches graduate and undergraduate classes on topics such as OSHA standards, safety communications, workers’ compensation and human relations. Rhodes is available for safety advice and information. Contact SMI at 630-495-8588 or laurahrhodes@gmail.com.

SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 15

returned to their designated space. This kind of work process can reduce housekeeping and reduce hazards due to careless placement. Supervisor’s assurance that employees are not creating new hazards is also key here.

2. Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and updated chemical inventory — Part of knowing the hazards in the department is understanding the chemicals in use. This means a supervisor should know every chemical being used, its hazards, personal protective equipment required, first aid procedures, spill containment and firefighting requirements. Supervisors are the first line of defense when it comes to signs and symptoms of chemical overexposure. For example, a worker in secondary operations complains of a rash on her hands. A savvy supervisor would consider the chemicals (as well as the types of gloves) to assist the employee in determining if they have a chemical sensitivity. (See 29 CFR 1910. 1200 Hazard Communication.) It is only by the supervisor knowing the chemical characteristics that this mystery might be solved in a timely manner. Quick, appropriate action for a fire or spill is a significant obligation of the department supervisor too!

3. Training employees on department specific hazards — Supervisors must explain hazards to employees during

16 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

new employee orientation and retrain existing employees when necessary (post-accident or change of duties).

Establishing this rapport early in the employment process sends a strong message about the company’s concern for employee safety and environmental compliance. It also assures the employee that the supervisor understands the department operations and is likely to ask questions when they arise. Training employees on the specific hazards to which they are exposed is an OSHA requirement.

4. Administer authority over permits for highly hazardous task — Hot work, confined space, lockout/tagout, working at heights, and electrical repairs within the department are all examples of OSHA requirements. Each of these standards outlines management and supervisor obligations in the prevention of injury. Permits can be equated to standard operating procedures, which prevent deviations from standard practice. Supervisor sign off prior to high hazard tasks reminds every one of the magnitude of a potential injury, as well as assures that steps are followed.

5. Courage to implement consistent discipline — It is human nature to let some things slip by, and if we have friendly relationships with co-workers, we tend to preserve those relationships. Some supervisors/managers rate themselves

high on relationships, while some rate themselves high on task completion. The key is to find a balance and prioritize safety of all subordinates above the task. Failing to consistently implement discipline is a liability to the company in many ways: Unemployment referees may reinstate dismissed employees, labor unions may file grievances, it negatively impacts employee morale, and there may be post-accident litigation decisions, just to name a few.

Consistent and progressive discipline for safety infractions should be equal to any other misbehavior. (I equate stealing copper and failure to follow safety rules as stealing, because both can result in losses to the company.) On a positive note, consistent, documented discipline may be used to show OSHA that a company has been addressing an ongoing safety concern (PPE is a good example) if an inspector spots a violation and discipline documentation is presented there is a possibility (emphasis!) that the violation could be removed.

6. Convey safety commitment to any contractors working within their department — This is a component that OSHA did not have in their original guidelines, but has become a necessity due to the change in the way we do work.

For example, in many small companies it is best to use a contractor to complete permit-required confined space entry due to the extensive OSHA training and equipment necessary. This does not completely relieve a company of the hazards. A good example is the cleaning and repair of grinding dust collectors. Despite the contractor entering the space, the workers in the grinding department may be exposed to hazards created (repairs using hot work or electrical tools, for example). Under the Construction Multi-employer Citation Policy, your employees still must be protected. Although this policy is not often used in general industry, it becomes a possibility with the use of contractors. Another real example is the need for the supervisor to be aware and communicate chemical information from the Hazard Communication Program (yours as well as the contractor’s). One more real world example is injuries to temporary employees. In addition to the human resources department, each supervisor should also be keenly aware of the injury recordkeeping process of temporary employees. Investigating and then communicating with HR about contractor and temporary employee accidents should be part of the supervisor’s assigned obligations.

Building Blocks of Safety Culture or Culture Change Similar to the department manager, front line supervisors are the eyes and ears of ownership. It is proven that safety culture comes from top management (owners, boards of directors, plant managers) but it can be lost if it doesn’t filter down to the shop floor, every day, during every task.

For this reason, there are specific activities that supervisors must carry out in order for a positive, caring safety culture to exist.

Supervisors must explain hazards to employees during new employee orientation and retrain existing employees when necessary (postaccident or change of duties).

Establishing this rapport early in the employment process sends a strong message about the company’s concern for employee safety and environmental compliance. It also assures the employee that the supervisor understands the department operations and is likely to ask questions when they arise.

1. Setting an example — it’s more than just safety glasses! As you know, many supervisors do tasks alongside employees, describe operations, or simply demonstrate how to perform a task. These coaching moments are the golden opportunity to share management’s commitment to product quality, employee injury/illness prevention and protection of the environment. The use of a written Job Safety Analysis or JSA (sometimes called a Job Hazard Analysis or JHA) is an excellent tool in these moments. They help the visual learner to see tasks in a progression and document the process for multiple other uses. The JSA is an outline of all the job steps, the hazards and the required safeguards. Using a JSA in training, retraining, accident investigation, and even new employee interviews is an extremely valuable investment of time and energy. Showing the employee a JSA, performing a task with proper PPE and using established processes eliminates error (another name for an accident). Being a great safety leader is more than just wearing the proper PPE in the plant, it’s part of every decision and action made by the supervisor. (See the helpful resources below for an excellent resource for implementing JSA/JHA in your organization!)

SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 17

2. Employee engagement (communications) – Supervisors need to be available and approachable to discuss employee safety and health concerns. Listening is a key attribute to a good supervisor, as well as acting on those employee concerns. There have been some excellent suggestions for safety improvements in the springmakers I have visited — all by shop floor employees. Supervisors should recognize those who are contributing too, so that other employees do the same.

When complaints fall on deaf ears, employees turn to OSHA. A statistical review of OSHA cases from July 2018 through July 2019 shows 15 spring companies (NAICS 332613 Spring Manufacturing) were inspected. Onethird of those (5) were employee complaints. Two (2) of those complaint cases resulted in five OSHA citations (two violations at one company and three violations at the other) for a total of $8,200 in fines. Taking action is part of being a leader, especially for safety.

3. Encourage hazard identification and control — Department supervisors can make their jobs easier, as well as convey commitment to safety, by encouraging employees to identify and solve problems within their authority — including safety hazards. Giving subordinates the ability to correct hazards engages workers. It extends to creating “a community of caring” in the department, where

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fellow employees are watching out for co-workers who may not spot an impending hazard (perhaps they don’t recognize the hazard due to lack of experience, or their mind is just elsewhere). By engaging every employee in hazard identification and control, the supervisor cultivates safety culture every day.

4. Investigate near misses, property and employee injuries — The implementation of formal accident investigations of employee injuries, property damage and, in some progressive companies, near misses, has many advantages. One of those is the display of concrete concern for prevention of future similar accidents. Supervisors are the key in accident investigation. Investigations should not be conducted by anyone else (unless you are using a formalized team approach). Supervisors know the work, the employee, the materials and the sequence of events that led up to the accidents, including management practices and employee training. Formalized accident investigation goes beyond simple recording of facts and identifies engineering and administrative controls to prevent the accident from ever happening again. With meaningful education in methodical accident investigations (which doesn't mean a huge time commitment!), the supervisor is the one and only person who can get to the root causes of the event. When employees understand the investigation, the process is directed at prevention, not fault finding. It underlines the importance of safety culture in the company.

Strong supervisors are vital in assuring that the workspace hazards are controlled and build the fabric of your safety culture. Investing in a supervisor’s safety, fire and environmental knowledge as well as empowering them with greater understanding and skill in their role will positively impact the level of OSHA compliance and expand safety culture. n

Article Sources and Helpful Sites: Foundations for Safety Leadership https://www.cpwr.com/sites/default/files/research/FSL-Instructor-GuideFINAL.pdf retrieved 6/17/19 JN-1060

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Job Hazard Analysis Washington Department of Labor-excellent resource including templates and videos on how to assess job hazards https://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Topics/AToZ/JHA/ retrieved July 1, 2019 SDS/MSDS Brief-very helpful resource for understanding the parts of the “new” SDS format https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3514.html retrieved July 1, 2019 OSHA Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs: Management Leadership https://www.osha.gov/shpguidelines/management-leadership.html#ai1 retrieved 6/17/19

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Dean of Springs

How Stress Relaxation (Load Loss) Affects Springs

By Dan Sebastian

I

n May 1968, I arrived at the Associated Spring Research and Development Center to begin my internship in applied metallurgy (back then we called it a summer job). After the introductions, they put me to work to design and execute a method and test program to measure the load loss occurring in garter springs. With the help of a lot of wonderful people, I first found out what a garter spring was and what it did in the real world.

The problem was that the garter spring they manufactured for radial lip seals for oil pumps on cars were leaking prematurely, after a long history of flawless operations. It turned out that the failure was caused by the car engines being operated at higher temperatures due to recent government mandates to control emissions. At the time, I did not realize that this simple summer job would lead to a lifelong passion to use the fundamentals of metallurgy to solve real-world problems.

Over the next few decades, I discovered that the load loss I initially studied was a reoccurring problem in many different spring applications. The official name for it is “stress relaxation,� which is like the long-studied problem of metal creep. It turns out that all material, when subjected to stress and temperature, over time will creep or, in springs, relax (loss load). Each material has a different stress and temperature threshold. In the world of springs, there is a universal rule that all springs will lose load at an increasing rate as temperature and stress increase. In many cases it is almost negligible, but there are some cases where it can lead to failure of the mechanism in which the spring operates.

As valve springs operate in car engines, over time the stress and temperature can cause load loss that can diminish performance and even cause valve failure.

In hot water heater pressure relief valves, if the spring gets too weak it can cause the water heater to leak. In oil well springs, designers need to guard against load loss to protect against a runaway well, causing spills that can damage the environment. In each of these high operating temperatures, load loss is often the contributing factor.

In the design of some bridges, designers use Belleville washers to provide constant load on structural components.

In a few cases, because of the high stress at which Belleville washers operate over long periods of time (decades), relaxation can occur, resulting in load loss that can cause bridge

In the world of springs, there is a universal rule that all springs will lose load at an increasing rate as temperature and stress increase. In many cases it is almost negligible, but there are some cases where it can lead to failure of the mechanism in which the spring operates.

failure. In these cases, the operating stress forced the stress relaxation to occur at normal operating temperatures.

Conclusion In every spring design it is critical to understand the operating environment.

A spring designed with stress, less than the torsional elastic limit normally considered, may be in danger of significant load loss depending on operating temperature.

Specifying a load loss limit at a time interval is not a good predictor of long-term performance.

As operating temperature increases, the usable stress decreases. n

Dan Sebastian is a former SMI president and currently serves as a technical consultant to the association. He holds a degree in metallurgical engineering from Lehigh University and his industry career spans more than four decades in various technical and management roles. He may be reached by contacting SMI at 630-495-8588.

SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 21

Plan now to participate in SpringWorld® 2020!

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SpringWorld provides a unique opportunity to network with other spring manufacturers, wire formers, and OEMs. • The premiere spring show since 1960.

• A global showcase for suppliers to the spring and wire form industry featuring attendees from 18 countries.

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• See the newest technology available to improve your productivity, quality and service.

• Attend free educational seminars offered by exhibitors and industry experts.

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presented by www.casmi-springworld.org

Technically Speaking

Springmaking Materials/ Materials Design Philosophy

By C. Richard Gordon

A

s announced previously, two SMI videos, Spring Design 101 – Fundamentals and Spring Design 103 – Overview of Spring Making Materials were posted on the SMI website in May 2019 (www.smihq.org) under the “services” tab. I hope you have had an opportunity to view these videos.

The focus of this article is on springmaking materials. I often get questions about springmaking materials, how they are manufactured or how a particular chemistry or recipe was developed. In addition, some members ask about the contribution of the different elements in the composition to the final material properties.

One goal of this article is to answer the question: What are the chemical elements in the different grades of spring materials, and how do they contribute to the properties of interest, such as strength, corrosion resistance and operating temperature?

A second goal is to introduce the materials design philosophy, which can be used as a tool to better understand composition-property relationships.

In a previous Springs article (Spring 2019), I discussed the various ASTM standards applicable for springs where general chemical composition information can be found.

Composition ranges were developed through consensus discussions between material producers and users, and included extensive testing by the material developers.

Actual compositions in production today fall within these published ranges and depend on the material properties of interest.

Materials Design Philosophy There is a relatively simple engineering concept known as the materials design philosophy, which shows the relationship between the composition of the material and the final product properties (Figure 1).

A material with a specific composition is processed in a given operation. The combination of the material and the processing results in a particular structure (metallurgical microstructure). The microstructure in turn results in the specific material properties. In reality, the process occurs from right to left. Engineers are interested in specific material properties, which in turn are dependent on the structure, which is a function of designed processing of a material with a specific composition.

Composition Processing Structure Properties Figure 1. Materials Design Philosophy

Material properties such as tensile strength and ductility are determined through mechanical testing, and the different types of tests used to characterize springmaking materials will be addressed in future Springs articles.

Mechanical properties of metals can be directly related to microstructure, and empirical relationships have been developed for many properties as a function of easily measured microstructural parameters. “Microstructure” is taken to mean all aspects of the crystalline aggregate, such as in the case of steel – from the atomic scale of interstitial and substitutional atoms in the iron matrix, through fine and coarse second phases and inclusions, to conventional grain size and volume fraction of second phase particles such as pearlite. The obvious task is to control the microstructure of specific steels within prescribed limits in order

Rick Gordon is the technical director for SMI. He is available to help SMI members and non-members with metallurgical challenges such as fatigue life, corrosion, material and process-related problems. He is also available to help manage and oversee processes related to failure analysis. This includes sourcing reputable testing labs throughout North America, forwarding member requests to the appropriate lab and reporting results and recommendations.

He can be reached at c.richard.gordon@gmail. com or 574-514-9367.

SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 23

Composition

Processing

Structure

Properties

• Rod Rolling • Wire Drawing • Heat Treatment

• Austenite • Pearlite • Ferrite • Bainite • Martensite • Tempered Martensite • Spheroidite

• Tensile strength • 0.2% Offset Yield Strength • % Elongation • % Reduction of Area

Figure 2. Materials Design Philosophy – Expanded

to develop specific mechanical properties for individual applications.

Figure 2 shows an expansion of Figure 1 to include several processes, structures and properties of interest for spring materials. This is simply an example of the concept which can be modified to address any materials, processes, structures and properties of interest.

In the Spring Design 101 – Fundamentals video, the seven-step spring design process was introduced and is shown in Figure 3. The first 3 steps, Define the Design Problem, Select Spring Configuration, and Select Material, are critical to designing what the customer desires.

In general, spring materials: • Are high strength materials ranging from medium and high carbon steels to beryllium copper, depending on the need of the design.

• Are produced from processes such as rolling, wire drawing and heat treating (quench and tempered, or precipitation hardening processes).

• Ideally have properties such as high strength, a high elastic limit and a low modulus.

As noted in the Spring Design 103 – Overview of Spring Making Materials video, material selection is often dictated by experience or the particular application. Engineering factors such as the operating environment (corrosive, hightemperature), stress condition (high- vs. low-stress) and fatigue condition (low, medium, high-cycle), as well as commercial factors such as cost and availability come into play.

Also shown in the Spring Design 103 – Overview of Spring Making Materials video, the presentation of materials follows the dropdown menu of materials presented in the Advanced Spring Design (ASD7) software.

As you open the ASD7 software, you have options to select the spring type. Once the spring type is selected, the next window is where the user is able to select the material.

Wire and strip materials are included in the software. For simplicity in this article, wire type materials are discussed from this point forward.

24 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

Define the Design Problem

Select Spring Configuration

Select Material

Select Stress Level

Design to Optimize

Check Design

Specify

Figure 3. Seven-step Spring Design Process.

• • • • • • •

Materials are organized into the following material families: Carbon Steel Wires Alloy Steel Wires Stainless Steel Wires Copper Base Alloy Wires Nickel Base Alloy Wires Cobalt Base Alloy Wires Titanium Alloy Wires

Table 1 Example Carbon Steel – Alloy Steel – Stainless Steel Spring Making Materials Element Chemical Composition (wt%) ASTM Spec.

Description

UNS

A228-18

Music Spring

K08500

A231-18

A401-18

A313-18

CR–V 6150 CR–Si 9254

K15048

K15590

302

S30200

316

S31600

631

S17700

Spec.

Limit

C

Mn

P

S

Si

Max

1.00

0.70

0.025

0.030

0.30

Ni

Cr

Min

0.70

0.20

—

—

0.10

Max

0.53

0.90

0.035

0.040

0.35

1.10

Mo

Al

N

Min

0.48

0.70

—

—

0.15

0.80

Max

0.59

0.80

0.035

0.040

1.60

0.80

Min

0.51

0.60

—

—

1.20

0.60

Max

0.12

2.00

0.045

0.030

1.00

10.0

19.0

0.10

Min

—

—

—

—

—

8.0

17.0

—

Max

0.07

2.00

0.045

0.030

1.00

13.5

18.0

2.50

0.10

Min

—

—

—

—

—

10.5

16.5

2.00

—

Max

0.09

1.00

0.040

0.030

1.00

7.8

18.0

1.50

Min

—

—

—

—

—

8.0

16.0

0.75

In this article, we will discuss the elements of interest including carbon steel wires, alloy steel wires and stainless steel wires. Copper base alloys, nickel base alloys, cobalt base alloys and titanium alloys will be discussed in a future Springs magazine article.

What is Steel?

Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon (< 2.0% carbon, for springs, primarily ≤ 1.0% carbon). Commercial steels contain manganese, phosphorus, sulfur and silicon. Depending on the application, steel contains various amounts of those elements and may contain other alloying elements such as nickel, chromium, molybdenum, aluminum, nitrogen, and vanadium.

What are Stainless Steels?

Stainless steels are iron-based alloys containing at least 10.5% chromium.

Table 1 shows chemical composition data for several grades of carbon, alloy and stainless springmaking materials obtained from the referenced ASTM specifications.

It is interesting that iron (Fe) makes up the majority of the material weight for these steels.

A simple example is presented in Table 2. For 1000 lbs. of music wire spring steel, assuming the element composition is at the maximum specification limits shown in Table 1, approximately 980 lbs. is iron.

The following section contains a description of the elements contained in the carbon steel, alloy steel and stainless steel grades shown in Table 1, Carbon (C).

Carbon is the most important and potent alloying element in steel which gives it such great value. It is essential for the formation of microstructural constituents such as cementite, pearlite, bainite and martensite. The addition of carbon results in increased tensile strength, hardness,

V

0.15

Table 2 ASTM A228 – 1000lb. Example Element

Composition (wt%)

Pounds

C

1.00

10.00

Mn

0.70

7.00

P

0.025

0.25

S

0.030

0.30

Si

0.30

3.00

Fe

979.45

hardenability and ductile-brittle transition temperature.

Toughness and ductility decrease with increases in carbon.

Additionally, as carbon content increases, steel becomes increasingly responsive to heat treatment.

Manganese (Mn) Manganese is second only to carbon in its importance in steel making. It is an important element because it deoxidizes steel and facilitates hot working by decreasing “hot shortness,” or the tendency of steel to tear while being forged or rolled. Manganese is used in nearly every steel made and increases responsiveness to heat treatment. Increasing manganese composition results in a decrease in pearlite plate spacing (increasing strength) and a decrease in the martensite start (Ms) temperature, potentially leading to an increase in retained austenite content. Manganese hardens ferrite considerably, and as a result reduces ductility. It also increases resistance to abrasion and hardenability.

Phosphorus (P) Phosphorus is present in spring steels as a residual or incidental element. Lower phosphorus levels are desirable.

SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 25

Sulfur (S) Sulfur is present in spring steels as a residual element. As in the case of phosphorus, lower is better.

Silicon (Si) Silicon is the most common deoxidizing agent. In amounts up to 1% it has a marked strengthening and toughening effect.

In stainless steels, silicon increases scaling resistance by forming a tight initial scale, which will withstand cyclic temperature changes. It resists carburizing at high temperatures and slightly increases tensile strength and hardness.

Small amounts of silicon are added to all grades of stainless for deoxidizing.

Copper (Cu) In carbon and alloy spring steel grades, copper is present as a residual or incidental element. Low levels can be expected in steels produced using an integrated steelmaking process (low scrap content).

In stainless steels, copper is added to increase resistance to certain corrosive environments. It also decreases susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking and provides age-hardening effects (17-4 PH).

26 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

Nickel (Ni) Nickel is added to low alloy steels to decrease sensitivity to variations in heat treatment in order to reduce cracking and distortions during quenching.

Nickel also increases the tensile strength and hardenability, and improves fatigue life and toughness at low temperatures.

Steels with nickel usually have higher impact strength than steels where nickel is absent. This is true especially at lower temperatures.

In stainless steels, nickel stabilizes the austenitic structure and increases ductility, making stainless steel easier to form. It increases high temperature strength and corrosion resistance, particularly in industrial and marine atmospheres, chemical, food and textile processing applications.

Chromium (Cr) Like carbon, chromium helps the response to heat treatment and increases hardenability.

In stainless steels, chromium is the essential element by which stainless steels are defined. Stainless steels are ironbased alloys containing at least 10.5% chromium. Very few stainless steels contain more than 30% chromium or less than 50% iron. Chromium forms an invisible and adherent chromium-rich oxide surface film, which makes stainless steel corrosion resistant. It also increases scaling resistance at elevated temperatures.

Molybdenum (Mo) Molybdenum increases hardenability and also increases the softening temperature of martensite during tempering. Molybdenum is a strong carbide former and increases resistance to hot rolling deformation and creep. It increases austenite grain growth temperature.

In stainless steels, molybdenum increases corrosion resistance, elevated temperature strength, and creep resistance. Molybdenum is added in stainless steel grade 316 (2-2.5% Mo) to improve pitting resistance in a chloride containing environment.

wire drawing, which leads to decreased ductility and toughness. In some vanadium-treated high carbon steel grades, higher nitrogen levels may be desirable to promote the formation of vanadium nitride and vanadium carbonitride precipitates for increased strength.

Aluminum (Al) When added to molten steel, aluminum mixes very quickly with any undissolved oxygen and is therefore considered one of the most common deoxidizers in making steel.

Aluminum also is used to produce a fine grain structure, and to control grain growth through the formation of aluminum nitride precipitates.

In stainless steels, aluminum is a very strong ferrite former and lowers the hardenability of stainless steel. It improves scaling resistance. In 17-7PH it provides agehardening effects.

Summary In this article, the materials design philosophy was described as a tool for understanding the relationship between composition, processing, structure and material properties.

Elements contained in the carbon steel, alloy steel and stainless steel grades were described along with their contributions to material properties.

Nitrogen (N) In most carbon and alloy steel grades, low nitrogen levels are desirable in order to minimize strain aging effects in

Vanadium (V) Vanadium is a strong deoxidizer and promotes fine grain structure through precipitation of vanadium nitrides and carbonitrides, thus providing some strengthening. It helps steel resist softening at elevated temperatures.

Moving Forward A similar treatment of copper base alloys, nickel base alloys, cobalt base alloys and titanium alloys is planned for a future Springs article.

The different types of mechanical tests used to characterize springmaking materials will also be presented in future Springs articles. n

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28 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

Steel City Welcomes SMI eXpo I

t’s only appropriate for an industry that works with steel daily to make its way to Pittsburgh, “The Steel City,” for the 2019 SMI Metal Engineering eXpo™ (MEE), Oct. 1–3 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center (DLCC).

The 2019 MEE marks the third time the event has been held, featuring exhibits from leading suppliers to the spring and metalforming industry, along with opportunities to network with industry colleagues and to take part in the event’s exclusive two days of educational training.

The eXpo is sponsored by SMI and led by chairs Chris M. Fazio, general manager, Pittsburgh plant, Diamond Wire Spring; Kelley L. Christy, director of sales/marketing and I.T., Diamond Wire Spring; and Daniel Pierre III, president of JN Machinery in East Dundee, Illinois.

“Final preparations are taking place as we anticipate the Metal Engineering eXpo descending upon Pittsburgh in October,” said SMI president Steve Kempf. “I want to thank Daniel, Kelley and Chris for helping us put together our third eXpo. I also want to thank the SMI technical committee for all their hard work in helping us identify speakers. The educational content of the eXpo alone is well worth the price. And when combined with the chance to learn about new equipment and processes and to meet new colleagues and reconnect with others, this is an event you won’t want to miss.”

A networking reception sponsored by SMI will be held on the exhibit floor at the end of the first day, Tuesday, Oct. 1, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The cost of the reception is included in your eXpo registration.

SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 29

Serving as Visionary Sponsor for the eXpo is Industrial Steel and Wire (ISW). The company is the presenting sponsor for a networking event at the Senator John Heinz History Center from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 3 (see page 31 for more information).

Education and More One of the outstanding benefits of attending the eXpo is the opportunity to take in a host of educational sessions. A total of 24 sessions will be held Wednesday, Oct. 2, and Thursday, Oct. 3, encompassing three tracks:

economy,” explained Coates, “but it’s not as easy as you may think. It requires strategy, planning and a commitment to invest. Rethinking manufacturing processes, factory design, automation, and finding workers with new skills are today’s manufacturer’s challenges. A new day is dawning in factories across America as we embrace advanced manufacturing.”

During the reshoring session, attendees will learn:

• The state of the current global manufacturing environment

• What strategies and technolo-

1. Business Trends and Best Practices 2. Manufacturing, Technology and Innovation 3. Materials and Testing

gies to consider for the future of manufacturing • Why it makes economic sense to have a global strategy

Three of the educational sessions are featured below. See the complete schedule on page 34 for more information on each session.

Coates is an Amazon bestselling author with five books, including “42 Rules for Sourcing and Manufacturing in China” and “The Reshoring Guidebook.” She has been a management consultant for 25 years and is an expert witness for cases involving global manufacturing. Coates earned an MBA from the University of San Diego and a B.S. in business from Arizona State University. She teaches Global Supply Chain Strategy at UC Berkeley.

The Case for Reshoring Rosemary Coates, executive director of the Reshoring Institute, will present “The New Dawn of Manufacturing in America,” Thursday, Oct. 3, from 8 to 8:50 a.m. Coates is passionate about bringing manufacturing back to America.

According to a recent study, 54 percent of U.S. manufacturers with more than $1 billion in revenue are considering reshoring some or all of their manufacturing.

“Manufacturing is essential to sustaining our middle class and our

Human Resources and Business Planning Bob Floreak, president of Acuity Human Resources LLC in Pittsburgh, will present “The Role of Human Resources i n Bu si ness Pla n n i ng: Met r ics,

Measurements and Linking HR to Financial Objectives,” Wednesday, Oct. 2, from 9 to 9:50 a.m.

Floreak will argue why HR should be an area of focus for all businesses.

He will also look at how metrics are used to measure HR effectiveness and specific metrics and measurements to utilize in businesses.

Acuity Human Resources LLC is a provider of human resources outsourcing, project management and organizational development strategies for commercial and nonprofit organizations, and offers customized solutions ranging from basic HR services to organizational and human capital effectiveness.

Prior to founding Acuity Human Resources, Floreak has had significant hands-on business experience in several industries, with progressive experience in durable manufacturing, technology and the telecommunications industries. He has held positions of increasing responsibility in human resources, sales, general management, customer service, international and domestic operations, and strategic planning while working for companies such as Westinghouse Electric, Harris Corporation, Verizon Wireless and Chromolox.

Floreak is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management.

He received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and a Master of Science degree in industrial labor relations from West Virginia University.

“Rethinking manufacturing processes, factory design, automation, and finding workers with new skills are today’s manufacturer’s challenges. A new day is dawning in factories across America as we embrace advanced manufacturing.” - Rosemary Coates

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“Business alignment enables operations and production to run smoothly, ultimately increasing customer satisfaction, workplace culture, and profits from repeat buyers and streamlined production.” - Vanessa Dodds

Get Aligned Is your manufacturing business struggling to meet production deadlines, fulfill orders on time and keep up to date with industry demands? Are you struggling with operational oversight and efficient production?

If you answered yes to one of these questions, you’ll want to attend the Thursday, Oct. 3, session “Accelerate Success with Business Alignment” by Vanessa Dodds, president and founder

of Connections 4 Success. Her presentation is scheduled from 9 to 9:50 a.m.

“Business alignment enables operations and production to run smoothly, ultimately increasing customer satisfaction, workplace culture, and profits from repeat buyers and streamlined production,” says Dodds.

The first step to achieve business alignment requires an awareness of the operational problem and a willingness to develop an improvement, explains

Dodds. “Business alignment exists when organizational structures are aligned to the required skills and personalities, employee accountability measures are implemented, operations are structured with smooth hand-offs, and progress tracking is consistently conducted.

These key elements of business alignment enable businesses to increased profits and customer satisfaction.”

Dodds says business owners, CEOs, division directors and management

Heinz Museum Party Don’t miss a special networking event scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 2, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Senator John Heinz History Center. Tickets are $85 per person and must be purchased as part o f your event registration. The event is sponsored by Industrial Steel and Wire.

An iconic Pittsburgh venue that houses Pennsylvania’s largest history museum, the Senator John Heinz History Center is a proud affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.

(Please note: Only registered attendees and registered exhibitors of the Metal Engineering eXpo are eligible to purchase a ticket(s) for the Heinz Museum outing. Spouses are required to be registered attendees of the Metal Engineering eXpo in order to attend this special event.)

SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 31

will walk away from this session with the essential tools to facilitate eXpo Registration business alignment across organizaTo register as a show attendee, visit tional structures, business processes, www.metalengineeringexpo.org. Just and marketing and sales. click on the “Attendee Registration” Dodds is a business strategy, button on the homepage. professional development, and An eXpo-only registration pass to the workplace culture expert with over exhibit hall is free for SMI members 15 years’ expertise and experience and $75 per person for non-members. across the small business, trades, An all-access pass to the eXpo public sector and nonprofit indusincludes access to the exhibit hall tries. She is an accomplished leader and all technical symposia sessions within the Greater Pittsburgh region at a price of $100 per person for with a proven track record of helping SMI members and $260 per person organizations grow. for non-members. On-site prices Her company, Connections 4 effective Oct. 1: eXpo only, $50 SMI members, $125 non-members. AllSuccess, offers business consultaccess, $135 SMI members, $365 ing to the manufacturing industry, non-members.

AEC professionals and businesses with growing pains. She helps them The opening night reception, Tuesday, tackle important issues like accountOct. 1, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., will be held on the floor of the convenability, productivity and workforce tion center and is included in both development. registrations. Tickets to the Senator For a complete listing of sessions, John Heinz Center Networking Event, see the schedule on page 34 or visit Wednesday, Oct. 2, are $85 per person. the MEE website at www.metalengineeringexpo.org. n 217112 Syntech Casmi Ad 1_4 Page_26233 J&R Casmi Ad 1_4 Page 5/31/

SYNTECH SUPERABRASIVES

SMI has negotiated discounted hotel rooms for Metal Engineering eXpo 2019 attendees and exhibitors through Orchid Events. Orchid Events is the only SMIdesignated housing provider for this event. Beware of companies misrepresenting themselves as affiliated with SMI or Metal Engineering eXpo 2019.

Two separate properties are available: The Westin Convention Center Pittsburgh (eXpo headquarters hotel): $195 per night.

The Drury Plaza Pittsburgh Downtown: $184 per night.

Visit www.metalengineering.expo and click on hotel reservations to reserve a room. To contact Orchid Events, call 801-505-4615 (International) or 877-505-0677 (North America) or email: help@orchideventsolutions.com.

For the latest information and to register or exhibit at the eXpo, visit www. metalengineeringexpo.org.

M

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100% e in

Mad erica Am

A J O W I T T & R O D G E R S C O M PA N Y

STOCK & CUSTOM PRECISION SPRINGS FOR INDUSTRY • For all applications with ranges from .003”–.750” wire diameter.

• Extensive inventory ready to ship with over 1.5 million parts in stock, including die springs.

• Custom design work with quick delivery.

• Most estimates returned within 24 hours.

SYNTECH Abrasives, a subsidiary of Jowitt and Rodgers Co., has been providing advanced superabrasive grinding products to the spring industry since 1986.

Our focus has been and continues to be finding “creative solutions” for finishing ferrous as well as non-ferrous materials. We take pride in serving our customers in innovative ways to assist them in meeting their goals and objectives. We offer both resin and metal bonded diamond and CBN products. For more information contact Syntech Abrasives at 704-525-8030 or email to

sales@syntechabrasives.net

32 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

C

www.diamondwire.com 1-800-816-5613 Convenient locations throughout the US – Northeast, Southeast and Southwest.

MY

CY

CMY

K

DELTA D-226

DELTA D-808 8 Axes CNC Coiler .004”-.039”

DELTA SGM6-180

2 Axes CNC Coiler .039”-.118”

16” CNC Downfeed Grinder

To see first-hand - visit us at SMI Metal Engineering Expo Booth 419.

2019 Metal Engineering eXpo Schedule

S

MI’s trade show committee, with able assistance from SMI’s technical committee, has put together 20-plus hours of technical education sessions for you to enjoy at the 2019 Metal Engineering eXpo. The Technical Symposia features two days of sessions spread over three tracks Wednesday, Oct. 2, and Thursday, Oct. 3. The 50-minute sessions will be held from 8 to 8:50 a.m. and 9 to 9:50 a.m. on both days.

Learn about new products and services by visiting the Technical Theater in SMI’s booth for 20-minute presentations from exhibitors and leading industry experts. The Technical Theater presentations run from 10:30 a.m. to 1:50 p.m. on both Wednesday, Oct. 2, and Thursday, Oct. 3. Details about these presentation topics will be announced in advance of the show.

Monday, Sept. 30, 2019 2 to 6 p.m.

Exhibitor Registration Open

Tuesday, Oct. 1 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Registration Open

3 to 3:15 p.m.

Ribbon Cutting Grand Opening of Show Floor

3 to 6:30 p.m.

Exhibit Hall Open

5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Opening Reception Exhibit Hall (included in paid registration)

Get Social SMI encourage all exhibitors to post about their participation in the Metal Engineering eXpo. Spreading the word on social media is a great way to build awareness and drive attendees to your booth.

Event hashtag: #metalengexpo Twitter: @metalengexpo Facebook: www.facebook.com/ Metal-Engineering-Expo Use Twitter to post photos, new products, special offers or announcements. Follow Metal

34 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

Engineering eXpo (www.twitter. com/metalengexpo) and use #metalengexpo to mark your posts.

YouTube is an inexpensive way to share video to connect with customers. Consider shooting short videos with your phone to announce your presence at MEE. When you’re at the show, short video snippets are a great thing to include in Twitter or Facebook posts as well.

Facebook connects you with an engaged community of customers

and prospects. Consider posting interesting articles, videos and information about your company.

During MEE, livestream from your booth for real-time engagement. Be sure to tag Metal Engineering eXpo in your posts.

LinkedIn allows businesses to develop relationships with prospects and maintain communication with current customers. Connect with attendees via your company’s LinkedIn page.

Wednesday, Oct. 2 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Registration Open

8 to 8:50 a.m.

Technical Symposia Education Tracks, Session 1 - Business Trends & Best Practices - Manufacturing, Technology & Innovation - Materials & Testing

Tax Reform and Its Impact on Manufacturing Michael Devereux II, Partner and Director of Manufacturing, Distribution & Plastics Industry Services, Mueller Prost Track: Business Trends & Best Practices In late 2017, Congress passed and the President signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, overhauling the U.S. tax code for the first time in over 30 years. This presentation will address how this legislation impacts springmakers, metalstampers, wireformers and metal fabricators.

Servo Technology Goes Show Floor Max Linder, Technical Sales Director Bihler of America Inc. Track: Manufacturing, Technology & Innovation The dynamic and flexible nature of modern servo systems in today’s manufacturing environment is not in question, but end users face challenges and risks with the integration requirements and often the dependency on outside service providers. Providing an insight in new controller platforms and integration capabilities will show alternatives to common PLC-based solutions.

Economic and Manufacturing Outlook Bill Strauss, Senior Economist & Economic Advisor, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Track: Business Trends & Best Practices We are in the 10th year of the economic expansion (the second longest in U.S. history) following the “Great Recession” of 2008 and 2009. During the economic downturn, the economy experienced outsized losses in the housing, manufacturing and jobs. The recovery and expansion has been restrained, although

8:50 a.m.

it has picked up steam over the past two years.This session will look at the performance of the overall macro economy, with specific attention paid to key economic sectors and indicators for the U.S. economy over the next several years.

The 30-Minute Marketing Plan Eric Keiles, Founder and Chief Marketing Officer, Square 2 Marketing Inc. Track: Business Trends & Best Practices With the advent of the internet, buyer behavior has changed dramatically.

Understanding the new tools at hand is critical. In just the last 10 years, marketers have received a whole new tool kit filled with things like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Yelp, iPhones, iPads, Craig’s List and more.

More than ever, it’s critical for entrepreneurs to understand how digital marketing is essential to gaining referrals and word-of-mouth.

In this session, attendees will learn how to develop the “remarkable” about your company and then use these new digital marketing tools to reach prospective clients and get people talking about your business. Learn how to teach prospects about your company, hear your content and step forward, raise their hand and say, “I want to do business with you.”

Go step by step through the process of revamping your marketing strategy.

Theory of Stress Relaxation Behavior in Compression Springs Dan Sebastian, Technical Advisor Spring Manufacturers Institute Track: Materials and Testing Stress relaxation in springs is a phenomenon that causes the original installed load to decrease over time.

The process is analogous

to the creep process in metals at elevated temperature and high stress. Most studies are based on fixed deflection. Most spring application have varying stress and temperatures, so in those cases, some recovery can and will occur as compared to the standard test data. It is important to note that stress relaxation can occur even at ambient temperature in very high stress conditions. In this session, you will learn more about the theory of stress relaxation behavior in compressions springs and suggestions for how springmakers can deal with this phenomenon in a unique way.

The Impact of Wire Drawing Die Geometry on Development of Residual Stresses and Potential for Improved Spring Fatigue Life Rick Gordon, Technical Director, SMI Track: Materials and Testing The presence of residual compressive stresses on the surface of springs is a desirable way to significantly improve spring fatigue life.

This presentation will review changes to wire drawing die geometry that could improve stresses and mechanical properties of wire and bar products. The results suggest that it may be possible to achieve improved spring fatigue life in some springs through the use of wire produced with an optimum surface stress condition.

The presentation will also look at a proposed research project that would help determine how the residual stresses in the wire translate to residual stresses in the spring and its potential impact on spring fatigue life.

Coffee Break

SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 35

Wednesday, Oct. 2, continued 9 to 9:50 a.m.

Technical Symposia Education Tracks, Session 2

Creating Operational Excellence in Manufacturing Vince Bovino, Management Consultant and Founder, Bovino Consulting Group Track: Business Trends & Best Practices This presentation introduces four operational excellence improvement systems that deliver rapid, significant and sustained operating and profitability results in manufacturing. The focus is on the rigorous process of designing and implementing 1) an operating performance measurement system, 2) an incentive pay system, 3) a performance communication system, and 4) a performance improvement team system. The absolute necessity of integrating the four systems into one plan is emphasized. The methodology of integrating the systems will be thoroughly explained with examples.

Crawl-Walk-Run Your Way into Additive Manufacturing Dr. Timothy Simpson, Ph.D., Paul Morrow Professor of Engineering Design & Manufacturing Director, Additive Manufacturing & Design Graduate Program, Co-Director, Penn State CIMP-3D, The Pennsylvania State University Track: Manufacturing, Technology & Innovation Often referred to by its far more sensational-sounding description of 3D printing, additive manufacturing is in fact a technology which has been around for at least three decades. There are a number of different subtypes of additive manufacturing including 3D printing, but also rapid prototyping and direct digital manufacturing (DDM). Recent advances in this technology have seen its use become far more widespread, and it offers exciting possibilities for future development. Learn more about how your company can take advantage of additive manufacturing in your business.

Accelerate Success with Business Alignment Vanessa Dodds, President & Founder Connections 4 Success Track: Business Trends & Best Practices Is your manufacturing business struggling to meet production deadlines, fulfill orders on time and keep up-to-date with industry demands? Are you struggling with operational oversight and efficient production?

Business alignment enables operations and production to run smoothly, ultimately increasing customer satisfaction, workplace culture, and profits from repeat buyers and streamlined production. From this session, business owners, CEOs, division directors and management will walk away with the essential tools to facilitate business alignment across organizational structures and business processes, along with marketing and sales.

Revolution in Spring End Grinding— Industry 4.0: New Technology Database and Automation Allows Cost-Cutting in Grinding Process Dr. Peter Weigmann, Chairman of the Board WAFIOS Machinery Corp.

Track: Manufacturing, Technology & Innovation In this session, attendees will learn about the latest developments in spring end grinding machine technologies to help achieve cost savings. In addition, they will learn about systems for automatic loading, a new grinding technology database that provides analysis tools and new feature called condition monitoring.

The Role of Human Resources in Business Planning: Metrics, Measurements and Linking HR to Financial Objectives Bob Floreak, President Acuity Human Resources LLC Track: Business Trends & Best Practices

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Exhibit Hall Open

10:30 a.m. to 1:50 p.m.

Technical Theater Sessions in SMI Booth

5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Special Networking Event – Heinz Museum Party

36 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

Frequently, the human resource (HR) function within a company is viewed solely as an administrative role and does not participate in the strategic management of the business. In this session, we will discuss the evolving function of HR and the necessity of HR to contribute to business outcomes by linking people strategies to the financial and nonfinancial objectives of the business. This session will look at specific metrics and measurements driven by HR and how your company can benefit from increasing the strategic role of human resources.

Bodycote Kolsterising® Derek Dandy, Marketing Development Engineer, Kolsterising® Track: Materials & Testing Austenitic and duplex stainless steels are the material of choice when it comes to applications in corrosive environments.

Additionally, more and more demanding needs concerning hygienic properties lead to further fields of application in the food and beverage industry as well as the medical and pharmaceutical industry. While the excellent corrosion resistance of austenitic and duplex stainless steels makes them a favorable choice for such applications, their inherently soft nature can provide less than desirable mechanical properties, such as fatigue performance.

The purpose of this technical discussion is to provide a brief introduction into these technologies. A more detailed review follows on the commercially available low temperature carburizing treatment known as Kolsterising®; its application, impact on finished part characteristics, and the mechanical benefits on galling behavior, wear resistance and fatigue strength.

Senator John Heinz History Center (separate ticket required)

Thursday, Oct. 3 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Registration Open

8 to 8:50 a.m.

Technical Symposia Education Tracks, Session 1 - Business Trends & Best Practices - Manufacturing, Technology & Innovation - Materials & Testing

OSHA Update - Tools for Your Toolbag!

Laura Helmrich-Rhodes, SMI Independent Regulations Compliance Consultant Track: Business Trends & Best Practices In this session, attendees will learn about hot OSHA issues and their impact on spring companies. In addition, attendees will learn about OSHA’s top 10 issues for the spring industry and how each company measures up. Those who attend this session will take home tools and quality internet sources to help implement this information.

The New Dawn of Manufacturing in America Rosemary Coates, Executive Director Reshoring Institute Track: Manufacturing, Technology & Innovation According to a recent study, 54 percent of U.S. manufacturers with more than $1 billion in revenue are considering reshoring some or all of their manufacturing.

Manufacturing is essential to sustaining the middle class and the economy.

Rethinking manufacturing processes, factory design, automation, and finding workers with new skills are today’s manufacturers’ challenges. A new day is dawning in factories across America as advanced manufacturing is embraced.

Research into the Limitations of Nitrided Spring Design and Future Research at IST Dr. Conor McCaughey Track: Business Trends & Best Practices The failure of components can have serious consequences and can cause safety

8:50 a.m.

concerns and unnecessary costs associated with downtime. Understanding why components fail and knowing how to put clear design processes in place can minimize the risk of this happening. The Institute of Spring Technology (IST) is recognized as an authoritative research center for spring technology.

Dr. Conor McCaughey will talk about IST’s research into the limitations of nitrided spring design and will share future research that IST has in the works.

A Case Study in Robotic Bin Picking of Entangled Metal Parts Jared Glover, CapSen Robotics Track: Manufacturing, Technology & Innovation As any good systems integrator will tell you, robots have traditionally struggled with piles of objects. That’s because when the parts are presented randomly in a pile, not only is the computer vision job of finding the part locations challenging, the robot must also plan and execute a different picking motion each time it reaches into the bin. It has to decide how to grasp the object while avoiding collisions with other objects along the way. Because of this, “bin picking” (picking objects one at a time, out of a bin) has long been considered a holy grail in factory automation. In the last few years, a number of companies, including CapSen Robotics, have started to solve bin picking in ways that are more general and less costly, requiring little or no customization for new parts. In this presentation, you will hear about state-of-the-art bin picking for factory automation. You’ll also learn about a recent installation where the parts in the bin were entangled, thus

requiring the robot to disentangle the objects after picking them. This was a first-of-its-kind capability in the robotics industry.

Exit/Succession Planning for Baby Boomer Business Owners John “Jack” Ellsworth, Shareholder Cottrill Arbutina Track: Business Trends & Best Practices The session will focus on what is probably the most important single financial event in any business owner’s lifetime – the sale or transition of his/her business.

This session will discuss how business owners got into their businesses. Now, how do they get out?

Evaluation of Stress Concentrators and Their Effect on Fatigue Life Jason Sicotte, NPD Engineering Manager Associated Spring Track: Materials & Testing The effect of individual stress concentrators on the fatigue strength of components is one of the oldest and most studied topics in the history of metal fatigue. The entire fatigue system must be examined to understand the detrimental effect of stress concentrators on a spring, especially the interaction with residual stress and material strength. This session will take a look at various stress concentrators and how they influence fatigue life.

Coffee Break

SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 37

Thursday, Oct. 3, continued 9 to 9:50 a.m.

Technical Symposia Education Tracks, Session 2

Accelerate Success with Business Alignment Vanessa Dodds, President & Founder Connections 4 Success Track: Business Trends & Best Practices Is your manufacturing business struggling to meet production deadlines, fulfill orders on time and keep up-to-date with industry demands? Are you struggling with operational oversight and efficient production? Business alignment enables operations and production to run smoothly, ultimately increasing customer satisfaction, workplace culture, and profits from repeat buyers and streamlined production. From this session, business owners, CEOs, division directors and management will walk away with the essential tools to facilitate business alignment across organizational structures and business processes, along with marketing and sales.

Servo Technology Goes Show Floor Max Linder, Technical Sales Director Bihler of America Inc. Track: Manufacturing, Technology & Innovation The dynamic and flexible nature of modern servo systems in today’s manufacturing environment is not in question, but end users face challenges and risks with the integration requirements and often the dependency on outside service providers. Providing an insight in new controller platforms and integration capabilities will show alternatives to common PLC-based solutions.

The New Age of Local Digital Marketing: User Experience and Digital Knowledge Management Dan Harmon, Vice President Higher Images Inc. Track: Business Trends & Best Practices This year, companies plan to spend more than $150 billion on digital marketing needs. Many companies have suffered from disjointed digital marketing systems that deliver discouraging results and don’t effectively track where their “digital dollars” are working. Learn about the new age of local digital marketing and how it can positively impact your spring company.

New Revolution in Compression and Torsion Spring Machines – Industry 4.0: Easy-to-Use Setup Jorg Eisele WAFIOS Machinery Corp.

Track: Manufacturing, Technology & Innovation Sessions attendees will learn about torsion spring machines with simplified geometrical programming (FMU series) along with enhanced geometrical programming (reduced macro-programming). Eisele will discuss many new features including the enabling of automatic calculation of characteristic tool curves. He will also review high performance compression spring machines technologies (FUL series). The WAFIOS iQautopitch offers a new feature for CAD-data transfer.

Thank You to Our Sponsors Visionary Sponsor:

Platinum Sponsors:

Global Cost Drivers in the Wire Industry SMI Technical Committee Chairs Track: Business Trends & Best Practices What are the global factors driving costs in the wire industry? The session will look at how these trends are impacting springmakers and wireformers and will explore a number of ideas and solutions.

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Exhibit Hall Open

10:30 a.m. to 1:50 p.m.

Technical Theater Sessions in SMI Booth

2 p.m.

eXpo Concludes

38 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

Nitinol Shape Memory Alloy Dave Plumley, Nitinol Technology Development Manager, Fort Wayne Metals Track: Materials & Testing The term nitinol comes from its composition and where it was discovered more than 50 years ago: “nickel titanium” and “Naval Ordnance Laboratory.” The metal has magical properties, such as superelasticity and the ability to repeatedly retain its preformed shape. It also can change shape or length in response to temperature change or application of an electric current.

Learn more about nitinol and the properties of this nonmagnetic material that boasts high fatigue strength, high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, heat resistance and kink resistance.

Gold Sponsors:

Silver Sponsor:

Visit us at SMI EXPO 2019 Booth #203

YOUR FAVORITE MACHINES JUST GOT BETTER With the AT Attachment option now available on both CSX and HAX machines, you can start and finish your part on one machine, no matter which one you prefer. There’s no need to move a part off the machine to your secondary department to complete it, so you can widen your scope with a broader range of wire forms and torsion springs completed on just one machine. At RK Trading, we don’t just sell machinery—we service it, support it, and carry an extensive tooling and parts inventory, all in the U.S. Improve production rates and increase profits with: CSX Series with removable AT Attachment (2mm and 3.5mm machines) HAX Series with fixed AT Attachment (2mm and 4mm machines)

2019 Exhibitor Preview

Enjoy this preview of the 2019 SMI Metal Engineering eXpo exhibitors. The list includes information about each company’s product offering, booth number and website. Listings were compiled in August 2019 and are subject to change.

Visit www.MetalEngineeringeXpo.org for the latest information.

430 A&D Trading LLC www.adtradingllc.com A & D Trading LLC provides springmaking and wire forming machinery. We have 2 axis spring coilers, 5 axis spring coilers, CNC versatile spring coilers, 2D wire benders, 3D wire benders, auto decoilers and SCADA systems. We utilize CNC (Computer Numerical Control) equipment. On-site as well as off-site training is available for our customers.

321 A.I. Technology Inc. www.itaya.co.jp ITAYA is the brand leader in the production of springmaking machinery, specializing in providing machine equipment to produce springs. From the early 1970s, our research and development have focused on the rapidly advancing electronic control technology for automated machinery. Since then we have been developing, designing and manufacturing machines specific to springmaking.

431 Allied Machine Sales Co LLC www.spring-machines.com Allied Machine is the exclusive sales representative for Auto Link, Nucoil, CF Precision, Easydur and Affri Companies located in Bristol, Connecticut. Our product line includes multiaxis CNC spring formers, spring coilers, wire benders, camera gauges, spring testers, vision inspection and material hardness testers.

40 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

315 Alloy Wire International www.alloywire.us.com Founded in 1946, Alloy Wire International is the world’s preferred manufacturer of nickel alloy wire, bars and wire rope, providing customers with the assurance of quality, delivery and accuracy. The fundamental reasons are behind our strapline. Manufacturing quality, delivering reliability.

337 Amstek Metal www.amstekmetal.com Amstek Metal is a multilocation distributor providing high quality engineered stainless and carbon strip and wire products. We focus on providing the precision stampers and springmakers with a variety of products from domestic and overseas sources.

537 Anchor Abrasives Co. www.anchorabrasives.com At Anchor Abrasives we specialize in the design and manufacture of resin, epoxy and oxychloride bonded nutinserted discs and cylinders, We are a highly skilled team that devotes maximum effort in the development, manufacture, and application of these very specialized products.

541 Asahi-Seiki Manufacturing Co. Ltd. www.asahiseiki-mfg.co.jp/english/ index.html Asahi-Seiki produces a wide range of precision spring forming machines which can produce compression, torsion and extension springs.

220 Automated Industrial Motion www.aimcoil.com Automated Industrial Motion (AIM) incorporated in 1985 to serve the spring industry with precision CNC spring coiling machinery and equipment. AIM will be exhibiting an AIM 1000 6-Axis CNC Coiler with a wire range of 0.018 to 0.080.

221 Bihler 4 Slide - NC http://4slide-nc.com/ Bihler 4 Slide-NC provides custom automation solutions to meet virtually any manufacturing specification or machine requirement. The Bihler automation technology offers a tailored solution for your most demanding manufacturing, assembly or packaging challenge.

Stop by booth #221 to learn more about Bihler’s visionary 4 Slide-NC production solutions.

SMI Metal Engineering eXpo Show Preview 525 Coiling Equipment LLC / Fortuna Federn GmbH https://fortunafedern.com/ Fortuna Federn specializes in precision spring coiling machines including systems for cold or hot coiling, looping, bending and grinding. Servo-controlled COM CNC coilers and WIM CNC lathe coilers produce right/left compression, extension, conical springs. See our Spring Designer 3D Software that provides fast, easy machine set up for COM/WIM models.

127 Crum Manufacturing, Inc. www.crummfg.com Crum Manufacturing specializes in quality check fixtures/gages, formed tube and pipe, robotic integration and custom automation solutions. Since 1984, Crum has supplied customers in many different industries, including automotive, aerospace, metal stamping, wire form, rubber hose and more.

636 Elgiloy Specialty Metals - Wire www.elgiloy.com ESM is a manufacturer of standard and custom specialty metals and alloys, including high performance alloy strip and wire. Our customers are the reason for our existence; our future relies on their complete satisfaction. We are totally dedicated to being the best-in-class in supplying them with the best product value, quality, delivery, and supporting them with superior customer service.

617 F.A.R. Spa - Steelgroup www.steelgroup.com Steelgroup is the result of the cooperation of four Italian companies, MAB, CB, FAR and ITA, that for more than 90 years have been operating independently in the metallurgic market.

In their partnership, they have found success in the production of wire, strands and steel bars.

spring testers, compression, tension, torsion, fatigue, vision OMD downfeed, crush, wet and chamfer, spring grinders and JAYKASE programmable tabletop bending machines.

105 FENN Torin www.fenn-torin.com FENN offers a variety of Torin machinery, including the versatile FZ Series of single point coilers, the Revolution Series of dual point coilers, and a retrofit program for aged machines.

Customized solutions are available for unique applications such as torsion winders and constant force machines.

619 Fives Landis Corp./CITCO Tools & Gardner Abrasives products www.fivesgroup.com Fives designs and supplies custom engineered Gardner Abrasives, Superabrasives and CITCO diamond dressing tools serving the spring grinding industry. Gardner Abrasives â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a complete range of grinding wheels for roughing and finishing operations, coupled with more than 110+ years of grinding industry experience and proven consistency.

303 Forming Systems Inc. www.formingsystemsinc.com Forming Systems Inc. - providing details and demonstrations for HSI ovens, payoffs, part collectors, HTC spring coilers and spring forming machines, SAS TESTERS automatic

121 Frohn North America, Inc. www.frohn.com Almen Strips; high performance cutwire media-as-cut or conditioned for reproducible shot peening automotive and aircraft transmission parts.

Specialty shot blast media, stainless steel cut wire (SAE 302/304/430 grades); Zinc-Al-Alloy, Al-Alloy cut wire, SPHERINOX CRÂŽ cast stainless steel shot. All media in multiple sizes.

438 Gibbs Metals www.gibbswire.com Gibbs is an ISO 9001:2015 certified wire and strip service center with seven locations in three countries.

We stock a vast inventory of stainless steel, carbon steel, red metals and specialty alloys, for the spring industry.

We provide wire from .003 diameter and strip down to 0.0019 x .024 wide.

635 Hangzhou Sanli Furnace Co., Ltd www.sanlifurnace.com Hangzhou Sanli Furnace Co., Ltd is a company specializing in the design and manufacturing of continuous hotwound tempering furnaces, continuous protective atmosphere quenching furnaces, CNC spring end grinding machines, grinding wheels, OD chamfering machine and industrial dust precipitators.

637 HS Wire Technology www.hickorysprings.com HS Wire Technology (Division of Hickory Springs) draws carbon steel wires

SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 41

SMI Metal Engineering eXpo Show Preview in Basic, Bright Basic, HDMB’s, Music, and Induction Tempered OT with manufacturing plants in both Conover, North Carolina and Phoenix, Arizona.

Other capabilities under the Hickory Springs Metal Group include: wireforms/components, painting/powder coating, tubing and metal stamping.

436 Keyence Corporation of America www.keyence.com KEYENCE will be featuring the IM 7000 Series: Instant Measurement System. This automated optical comparator can accurately measure all your part’s dimensions, automatically record data, and generate complete inspection reports within seconds.

213 Industrial Steel & Wire www.industeel.com Industrial Steel & Wire is one of the largest stocking distributors of round, flat, and shaped wire products in the world. Count on ISW for a complete inventory of competitively priced carbon, stainless and non-ferrous wire.

We have more than 400,000 square feet of warehousing, strategically located throughout North America.

104 The L.S. Starrett Company www.starrett.com The broad Starrett line includes flagship precision measuring tools, levels, electronic gages, dial indicators and custom engineered products. The company also produces metrology equipment, including optical comparators, video measurement and inspection systems and multisensor measuring systems, and force measurement and material testing systems.

416 Interwire Products www.interwiregroup.com Wire distributor of specialty spring wire, both round and shaped including music wire, Bezinal music wire, galvanized music wire, oil tempered, chrome silicon, phosphor bronze, brass, beryllium copper, 302, 316, 17-7 Inconel, Monel, nickel, nitinol, titanium, aluminum and recently other medical grade wires.

Also offering straight and cut wire.

110 Lakeside Casting www.lakesidecasting.com Custom zinc die casting manufacturer, specializing in tight tolerance fourslide die casting, conventional die casting methods, secondary operations, assemblies and product protective finishes. Equipped to perform complete tool builds and maintenance. LCS works with our customers to develop a custom quality control plan, to monitor critical features during production.

237 JN Machinery Corp www.jnmachinery.com JN Machinery designs and manufactures electric conveyor ovens of all sizes and belt types. JN also makes other conveyors, custom designs and spare parts. JN performs on-site services including calibration. TRC Coatings specializes in Aqua-TRC coating material as well as TRC and FTS paint systems.

42 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

539 Larson Systems Inc. www.larsonsystems.com Since 1979, Larson Systems Inc. has been designing, manufacturing and distributing a wide range of manual and automatic force/length, torsion and torque measuring systems. While we specialize in spring testing, our equipment has applications in many industries. Find out if our testers offer the solutions you need today.

623 LillyWorks, Inc. www.protectedflowmanufacturing. com Predictive shop floor and material planning software that provides visibility and analytics for the supply chain that permits users to understand which jobs are predictive to be late and why.

603 Materials Testing www.tec-materialstesting.com Our engineers and qualified staff have over 75 years of combined experience to meet your X-ray diffraction equipment and testing needs guaranteeing rapid results. Today we are the knowledge leader and trusted partner to industrial customers, providing simple solutions to complex X-ray diffraction problems across a variety of industries worldwide.

625 Mount Joy Wire Corporation www.mjwire.com A global leader in the specialty wire industry for more than 20 years, Mount Joy Wire is a trusted manufacturer of high quality spring and oil-tempered wire. Size range from .006 to .192 in diameter.

531 Moyer Companies /Moyer Manufacturing Company and Moyer Process and Control www.moyercompanies.com Moyer Companies provide innovative solutions for springmaking. Our equipment was designed to solve particular problems and provide cost cutting systems. Moyer Process and Control specializes in coiler gaging and load testing including 100 percent load testing. Moyer Manufacturing provides grinders, set machines, automation.

Both companies provide rebuild and consulting.

341 Neturen America Co., Ltd www.neturen-america.com Neturen America Corporation (NAC) focuses on the manufacturing of ITW, “Induction heated, quenched and tempered wire,” which is suitable for the cold forming process of springs with high strength such as 2,000MPa

SMI Metal Engineering eXpo Show Preview (290 KSI). The use of ITW makes weight reduction and compact design of springs possible, with higher fatigue strength and sag resistance.

425 NIMSCO www.nimsco.com North American distributor for Bennett Mahler spring grinding and lathe coiling machines, Simplex Rapid automatic spring coiling machines, CAMFART grinding wheels and Omas wireforming machines. On display will be a Bennett Mahler Maxigrind machine and a Simplex Rapid MX-15 machine.

440 Oriimec Corporation of America (MEC) www.oriimec.com MEC is the solutions leader in the spring and wireforming industry. MEC specializes in small wire machinery that holds exceptional tolerances. Our machinery is used by many for medical and aerospace work. MEC also offers CNC extension spring machines.

615 Plex www.plex.com Cloud-based ERP software that connects suppliers, machines, materials, people, systems and customers to deliver production control, inventory management, supply chain management and more.

519 Pyromaitre Inc. www.pyromaitre.com Pyromaitre manufactures high-precision industrial stress relieving and tempering ovens. Our design and expertise have driven PYRO to become one of the premier global manufacturers of thermal processing equipment. We established our market presence with high-speed stress relieving and tempering process.

Pyromaitre ovens are the highest precision heat transfer machines available.

224 Plymouth Technology, Inc. www.ptiwater.com Plymouth Technology provides specialty chemicals and applications expertise to help you solve your most challenging industrial wastewater treatment problems. Our objective is to exceed our clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; expectations with our custom treatment solutions and play an integral role in achieving increased productivity, reduced operating costs and environmental compliance.

611 Raajratna Stainless Wire (USA) Inc. www.raajratna.com With over 25 years of continuous research, development and improvement, Raajratna is now a big name in the field of stainless steel wires and bars. The field of stainless steel products are highly precise and its accomplishment requires solid dedication of team efforts.

We are one of the most reliable sources of quality products, with an annual production capacity of 42,000 tons.

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SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 43

SMI Metal Engineering eXpo Show Preview 601 Radcliff Wire, Inc. www.radcliffwire.com World leader in quality precision shaped and round wire. Specializing in stainless, copper, beryllium, brass, phosphor bronze, nickel-silver, carbon steel and nickel alloy wire. Radcliff began by servicing the spring industry. Today we provide wire for applications in the aerospace, medical, electronics, telecommunications, automotive, computer hardware and consumer products industries.

203 RK Trading Company www.rktradingusa.com Since 1996, RK has been supplying customers with the most comprehensive spring and wireforming solutions in the industry. If you bend, form, coil or grind spring and wire products, chances are we have the equipment to suit your manufacturing needs.

613 Rolled Metal Products, Inc. www.rolledmetalproducts.com Rolled Metal Products has been supplying customers with stainless, aluminum, and specialty metals strip for more than 30 years. We’re experts at precision width slitting, perfect edge conditioning and high-productivity oscillate winding. Providing high-quality products, quick response and reliable delivery has always been the key to our success, and we are dedicated to understanding your needs.

419 Samco/Gibraltar www.gibraltar8.com Gibraltar Corp. specializes in sales and support for manufacturing machinery and tooling for the spring and wireforming industries. We represent Simco Machinery for coiling, forming, grinding and ancillary equipment. Pyromaitre designers and builders of compact energy efficient furnaces. YSM vertislides. Delta spring coilers and formers.

331 Shinko Machine Tool Co., Ltd www.shinko-mach.co.jp Shinko Machinery of Osaka, Japan specializes in the manufacturing and sales of spring processing machines.

They also import wire processing

44 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

machines from France’s Numalliance company.

609 Spring Manufacturers Supply Company www.springmsc.com With 50 years supporting the spring industry, Spring Manufacturers Supply Company manufactures tools for a wide array of coiling machines no matter how complex. A division of Northeast Carbide Inc., we bring decades of experience to each project. Contact SMSC and learn about our advantage.

123 Sumiden Wire Products www.sumidenwire.com With a global network of suppliers and related companies, Sumiden Wire meets their customers’ needs for today and the future by staying on top of global trends and key market changes.

226 Taubensee Steel & Wire Company www.taubensee.com Taubensee Steel & Wire is a leader in the steel wire and cold drawn bar industry, built on family values and exceeding customer expectations. Our quality, service, and reliability make us your go-to manufacturer for all low and high carbon wire, straightened and cut wire, and cold drawn bar needs.

621 Ulbrich Stainless Steels & Special Metals, Inc. www.ulbrich.com Ulbrich Stainless Steels & Special Metals, Inc., is a global precision re-roller and distributor of stainless steel and special metals strip, foil, flat and shaped wire. With over 95 years of experience and committed metallurgical and technical sales staff, we provide excellent reliability and superior performance in critical applications.

102 United Wire Co., Inc. www.unitedwirecompany.com A third-generation family business located in North Haven, Connecticut, we specialize in manufacturing flat, square, and shaped wire in stainless steels, carbon steels, red metals, nickel alloys, cobalt alloys and aluminum.

408 VINSTON US CORP. www.vinstonus.com VINSTON’s mission is to provide total customer satisfaction by providing a quality product at competitive prices while offering superior customer service. VINSTON is constantly striving to improve its products through valued customer feedback and a constant drive to innovate.

403 WAFIOS Machinery Corporation www.wafios.us WAFIOS is the leading global supplier of precision machines used for spring coiling and forming, spring end-grinding, wire bending and forming, tube bending and end-forming, wire straightening, cutting and end-working, as well as precision machines for cold heading, thread-rolling, and chain production.

607 Wire Forming Technology International (WFTI) www.wireformingtech.com Wire Forming Technology International (WFTI) is a quarterly technical magazine covering springmaking, wire forming, mesh welding and rebar processing. Subscriptions are freeof-charge for industry professionals.

Visit www.wireformingtech.com to subscribe and see the digital flipbook edition of the current issue. Readers are located in more than 70 countries.

605 Zapp Precision Strip, Inc. www.zapp.com Zapp Precision Strip, Inc. is a global leader in stainless steel and nickel strip. Zapp provides custom material solutions to meet your requirements.

Zapp is a reliable process partner with over 300 years of experience in the metals industry, offering the highest quality products and the most reliable customer service.

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Flashback

The Engine That Drives Our Economy

by Dan Sebastian (Editor’s note: In this issue of Flashback we look back to the January 2006 issue of Springs.

The President’s Message from former SMI president and current SMI consultant Dan Sebastian, extols the virtues and challenges that small, family-owned businesses face.

Even 13 years later, Sebastian’s words ring true.)

46 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

S

mall businesses and family businesses are inalterably intertwined in a way that sometimes makes it difficult to separate them. They are connected not only by their size, but also because the employees, owners and managers truly share a common bond — the survival of the business.

It is because of this common goal that all the company’s people share jobs and are responsible for the business’ success. ln many cases, for both small and family-owned spring companies, some of the employees are related, which can create unique challenges and opportunities.

The U.S. Department of Commerce and The Bureau of Labor have been charged with keeping track of, and providing assistance to, America’s small businesses. The data they have collected clearly show that the small business community has been the engine that drives our economic system. We constantly see notices of corporate downsizing, re-engineering or outsourcing, usually followed by the inevitable list of employee reductions.

What does not get the same notoriety are the tens of thousands of jobs created by small businesses each year.

The spring industry is made up of many small/family-owned businesses. The fact that the average spring company has sales of about $6.5 million and 50 or so employees has been the cornerstone of our industry for many years. That means that more than half of our members are that size or smaller.

Our smaller members are known to be able to provide extraordinary customer support and service, which has been the basis of their business success.

Today, our small/family-owned spring companies’ unique size brings with its extraordinary challenges: The customers we service continue to demand lower prices, more services, shorter lead times, longer payment terms and guarantees on part reliability. At the same time, we face spiraling raw material, utility, health care and insurance costs, plus increasing competition from the global marketplace. If that seemingly endless list of challenges is not enough, add to it the age-old problems of how families work together and with nonfamily members, how to plan for the next generation and, of course, how to guard against theft and fraud.

One thing of which I am certain is that springmakers working together can meet the challenges of our times.

Like those who preceded us and those who will follow, we will continue to be an integral part of the American economy. n

ŠiStockphoto.com/diane555

Family Business Trusts: Protecting Valuable Assets from Outside Threats

By Phillip M. Perry

48 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

James runs a rapidly growing family business. Things are going great now, but he worries about the future. If he should suddenly become incapacitated, who will run the enterprise for the benefit of his wife and children, none of whom has yet mastered the skills required to manage a commercial operation?

After consulting with his attorney, James comes up with a solution: a revocable trust which designates a skilled trustee to take the reins of the business in the event James can no longer perform his duties. By helping to assure the longterm survival of the enterprise, the trust gives the family considerable peace of mind.

“A revocable trust is created while a business owner is still alive,” explains Michael P. Sampson, partner in the Minneapolis law firm of Maslon LLP. “It allows the owner to retain control of business assets while arranging for a trustee to step in and manage things in case the owner becomes incapacitated.” The revocable nature of the trust is important for anyone who, like James, wants to retain ownership and control of the business assets. And — as we will see next — a revocable trust will also help the family avoid costly probate if James should die.

Avoid Probate Family businesses everywhere establish trusts to solve a host of critical problems. Upon the death of the business owner, for example, a trust can protect against costly probate, secure sensitive business information from prying eyes, guard family assets from crippling lawsuits and

creditor claims, and even obviate turf wars by surviving children. (The traditional use of trusts to avoid estate taxes has become less important, since federal tax law recently increased the estate tax exemption to $11.2 million for individuals and $22.4 million for married couples.)

The good news is that trusts can be created by all sizes of organizations. “Even smaller family businesses can utilize trusts,” says John J. Scroggin, partner in Atlantabased Scroggin & Company, a law firm active in business and estate planning. “The issue is driven not by size, in terms of revenues or assets, but by a desire for long term protection of a business.”

How can you use trusts to help your own family business? For starters, consider using one to efficiently allocate assets to the younger generation. Although a will can do the same thing, a trust is more difficult to challenge and has the advantage of avoiding probate. “Probate can be expensive and time consuming,” says Sampson. “This is especially true in states such as California, Florida, Illinois, and New York, where probate is very complicated, or for businesses operating in more than one state.” In the latter case, survivors may have to deal with the complications required to satisfy the requirements of more than one set of probate laws.

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In addition to saving you money, avoiding probate can also protect your business secrets. “You might not want your competitors looking up your will at the courthouse to see how much money or debt your family has,” says Sampson.

Public records are also sometimes accessed by predators who try to victimize people who have inherited money.

“Having your property passed along under the terms of a trust avoids the creation of public records that result from court involvement.”

Protect Assets Can a trust which allocates family business assets to the next generation be revocable? Yes, but that has inherent risks.

Consider Sarah, who wants to do just that. Sarah’s attorney tells her that if she makes the trust revocable, all business assets will remain under the ownership of the family. As a result, the family will be at risk of having a creditor attach a claim on their assets, or of having them lost in lawsuits. The assets might also be seized to satisfy any nursing home bills incurred by the person who establishes the trust.

For these reasons, Sarah decides to set up an irrevocable trust. Because the trust will own the business assets, they will not be subject to above risks of loss, either before or after Beth dies.

The terms of an irrevocable trust can address the demands of complex family dynamics. Here are a few examples:

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To protect the income of a young child Adam and Sylvia, who own all of the stock of ABC Company, have a 9-year-old child named Jane. They establish an irrevocable trust that designates Adam’s brother Jason as the trustee. In the event of the death of the parents, Jason will run the enterprise. Jane, the trust’s beneficiary, will receive stock dividends and distributions from any assets.

To avoid sibling disputes Andrew and Beth are concerned that when they die their children might squabble about the family business assets, putting the organization’s survival at risk. Daughter Suzy has already said she wants to run the business, while her brother John feels the business should be sold and the assets distributed.

“A trust can designate that Suzy will run the business, and that John will not be involved but will receive a certain amount of money monthly from the trust,” says Nicole N. Middendorf, CEO of Prosperwell Financial, Plymouth, Minnesota. “And the trustee will make sure the provisions of the trust are carried out.”

In a case like this one, says Middendorf, a trust is especially valuable because it can mandate the disposition of assets at a time when emotions might run high. “Money often brings out greed,” she says. “People can be tempted to make decisions based on their own interests rather than on what makes sense for the future of the company and the family.”

To protect a victim of addiction Bart and Susan want to avoid leaving a sudden windfall to their son Chet, who is struggling with a drug addiction.

How can they make sure Chet is taken care of in the event of their deaths, while avoiding a waste of inherited assets?

“A trust can designate that Chet receive a certain amount of money every month,” says Middendorf. “Or, to avoid funding the addiction, a trust can pay his rent so he always has a roof over his head. The trust could even mandate that he pass a drug test to receive his monthly payment.” A similar arrangement can also help out when the beneficiary might have a mental disability.

To control a spendthrift Some people are just bad with money. Henry and Ida are afraid that their daughter Beverly will spend her inheritance on fancy cars and travel. That’s why they decide to set up a “spendthrift trust” that will release funds only for expenses related to health, education, maintenance and support.

“A spendthrift trust can be a valuable way to protect beneficiaries from spending all of their inheritance,” says Arlene Cogen, a certified financial planner and philanthropic leadership consultant based in Portland, Oregon.

But she warns that it’s not a foolproof mechanism: “Bear in mind beneficiaries can be very creative when it comes

to petitioning trustees for health, education, maintenance and support.

This can create an adversary relationship between the beneficiary and the trustee. One way around that is to create a trust which provides the individual with a set income stream, so they cannot keep knocking on a trustee’s door for money.”

To avoid claims arising from multiple marriages Multiple marriages can create their own problems. James wants to make sure that if he dies, his wife Mary receives income for life from the company dividends and asset distributions, so that she can take care of their children Betty and Jack.

However, if Mary should remarry and then later die, James wants to make sure the money from the business then goes directly to Betty and Jack, and not to Mary’s new spouse or to that individual’s own children.

Again, a trust can mandate this more complex asset distribution pattern. “The division between ownership and benefits can be helpful when people get married more than once and have children from multiple spouses,” says Sampson.

Stay Flexible The above scenarios illustrate the flexibility of irrevocable trusts. They can do all kinds of things for people who are too young to run a business, have no interest in doing so, are incapacitated, or need to be protected from their own damaging decision-making habits. Trusts solve business problems by separating legal ownership and control of a business from the enjoyment of the business assets by beneficiaries.

Flexibility, though, runs both ways.

Attorneys advise against micromanaging the family business transition.

“Sometimes people take control too far by not including enough flexibility for the beneficiaries,” says Sampson. “As a result, what seems like a reasonable provision in a trust today might make no sense some years down the road.”

Sampson gives this example: Mark heard that “incentive trusts” could be established to obviate the problem of a child becoming a “trust baby” and slacking off instead of working. So to

©iStockphoto.com/erhui1979

To obviate claims from an estranged spouse While Amy and Clark feel their son Andy is skilled enough to run the family business, they are concerned about his marriage to an estranged spouse. In the event of a divorce, will the spouse sue to obtain business assets?

Scroggin offers this solution: Amy and Clark establish a trust that calls for Andy to be paid a salary for his work, while the equity of the business, along with any profits, remains in the trust for protection from lawsuits. In the same way, a trust can protect business assets from the claims of creditors if the inheriting person is in debt.

To avoid claims arising from a childless marriage Harris and Marge have three children named Deborah, Francine and Bart.

Deborah is married to a man named Frank but has no children and is not expected to. Harris and Marge are concerned that if Deborah is given some of the equity and then dies, the equity will pass on to Frank, a nonfamily person who may try to dictate business decisions, and make unreasonable demands, such as the hiring of his friends.

Furthermore, if Frank remarries and then dies, his new spouse, a stranger to the family, might end up owning a third of the business. And that person might demand an exorbitant buyout to avoid a lawsuit. “In this example, when Deborah dies without any descendants, a trust can call for her interest to pass on to her siblings or their descendants,” says Scroggin.

“Trusts often are used to assure that business interests are retained for the benefit of family members rather than passing to outsiders.”

Consider a Philanthropic Trust Some family businesses accumulate more wealth than can be productively utilized by the next generation. Some of those assets might be put into a charitable trust.

“History shows us that successful families pass down not only wealth, but also values,” says Arlene Cogen, a certified financial planner and philanthropic leadership consultant based in Portland, Oregon. “A business transition is a good opportunity to set up a philanthropic vehicle such as a donor advised fund or a private foundation. They allow multiple generations to work, give and serve the community together while reducing taxes.”

Your business can be seen as a valuable community resource when you establish programs that help youth, education or the homeless. There is no shortage of need. “Giving money away is good for business,” says Cogen. “It elevates you in the community and that tends to come back tenfold.”

SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 51

inspire a work ethic in his son Jerry, Mark established a trust that would provide distributions to match his son’s earned income each year. However, Mark’s attorney encouraged the inclusion of a provision allowing additional distributions in the trustee’s discretion, just to provide flexibility.

One day Jerry was driving home on a motorcycle when a serious accident left him unable to ever work again. If it were not for the provision allowing discretionary distributions beyond the amount of Jerry’s earned income, the trust assets would not have been available to provide the money required for his medical attendant.

That story carries a moral. “Don’t try to design for a scenario that is too specific,” advises Sampson. “It’s a good idea to include a provision that the trustee can make distributions of income and principal in the trustee’s discretion, just in case something unanticipated happens.”

Sampson also suggests another point of flexibility: the ability to change a trustee who is uncommunicative or too tight with distributions. “There should be a way to replace the trustee,” he says. “You can even give that power to beneficiaries as long as the new trustee is truly independent.

The replacement should not be an employee of one of the beneficiaries, for example, or a relative. The flip side is that the trustee must be strong enough to sometimes say ‘no’ to the beneficiaries. The balancing act is to provide enough flexibility without giving so much freedom that the trust becomes a sham.”

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Discretionary Payments As the above comments suggest, trusts need to recognize the possibility of future surprises. That’s why the trend today is toward the use of “Discretionary Trusts,” irrevocable trusts which do not specify a set amount of income for beneficiaries but allow for trustee discretion.

Sampson says that many business owners tell the trustees something like this: “I want my kids to be educated, and I don’t want them living in a van because they encounter a health problem. But I do not want the money used for lifestyle enhancement.” Such terms may be included in the trust itself or in a side letter addressed to the trustee.

Discretionary trusts offer considerable protection from creditors and lawsuits. That’s because the law says a creditor can only access the assets of an irrevocable trust to the same extent as the beneficiary. So if the beneficiary cannot get at the money in the trust to pay a business expense without the permission of the trustee, neither can a creditor.

Discretionary trusts also free the trustee to invest for the highest total return without needing to worry about meeting arbitrary mandated payouts. So, for example, the trustee may decide to invest more money in a broad basket of stocks and bonds rather than only in lower-yielding bonds, which would provide guaranteed but limited income.

Start Early Starting the trust planning process early will help protect your family business assets from a sudden loss through an unexpected lawsuit or death. “Planning should start as soon as your business has assets worth protecting,” says Bill Babb, senior consultant at the Family Business Institute, Raleigh, North Carolina. “You want a smooth and safe transition program in place before the death of someone in an ownership position.”

When seeking outside help to plan your trust, toss a wide net. A family business transition has implications for income and estate taxes, the protection of assets, and the outstanding agreements of banks and creditors. Because so many areas are involved, experts suggest assembling an advisory team that consists of an attorney, an accountant, a management consultant and a banker.

Having bank lenders represented is especially important.

“It often happens that when a key person dies, the banks get squirrely and call outstanding notes,” says Babb. “To avoid that, take the initiative long before the actual transition takes place by helping your bankers develop working relationships with whoever will be taking over the reins of the business.”

If designing a trust takes resources away from management duties, the result is worth it. “Protecting family business assets requires a commitment of time, effort and money,” says Babb. “It’s easy to procrastinate and allow the decision-making process to get bogged down. But no one has the promise of tomorrow. The risk of delay is that your business assets go to creditors and the IRS rather than to the people you want to receive them.” n

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T

he modern internal combustion engine is an example of the many achievements humans have made to improve our overall quality of life. The average American interacts with an internal combustion engine on a daily basis, usually by turning the ignition key to prepare for the morning commute. These modern engines are ultra-efficient versions of what they once were, even when compared to the ones from only a decade ago. It follows the age-old saying that the more you focus on something, the more space you will find. For engineers, this space means an opportunity for improved efficiency and performance.

One of the largest inefficiencies of the internal combustion engine is friction, and roughly one-third of the total engine power derived from combustion is required to overcome friction in the system. Of that third, another third of the friction is from the piston ring pack. While decreasing friction is important, it is equally important for component durability to meet engine demands. Turbocharging and engine downsizing have created some of the most severe conditions for engine components to

date, especially considering that the fleet average horsepower is increasing at the same time (Figure 1 illustrates this trend) as average engine displacement is decreasing.

Increasing engine power density means additional stresses on the piston rings. A typical ring pack in a gasoline automotive 4-stroke application consists of five components: an upper compression ring, a second ring and a 3-piece oil control system. (Figure 2 shows a fully-assembled ring pack on a piston.) While the upper and second rings seal the cylinder from the combustion pressures and scrape oil from the cylinder walls, the main function of the 3-piece oil control system is to control the lubricating oil from entering the combustion chamber. The system consists of two rails and a spring expander spacer that provide the necessary spring tension to seal the cylinders. The surface interactions between the rails and expander are designed to be lubricated by the oils that the system removes from the cylinder walls, but an engine operating under extreme conditions can result in greater component wear.

Figure 1. NAFTA engine downsizing trends (Data compiled from IHS Markit)

SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 55

One of the technologies incorporated by piston ring manufacturers to address these additional demands is nitriding. The process was developed roughly a century ago and provides a hard and wear resistant surface by diffusing nitrogen into the metal surface. Computer-controlled process parameters and atmospheric sampling has allowed for advanced process controls and the ability to precisely control the thickness of the nitriding layer.

The gas nitriding process begins when springs are placed in a closed furnace containing only gaseous ammonia (NH3).

When the ammonia gas reacts with the elevated surface temperatures of the metal, the ammonia molecules dissociate and the nitrogen diffuses into the surface of the metal. The hardness and wear resistance of the nitrogen-rich surfaces increase significantly. Nitriding can be used to augment the base material strength in other spring applications (i.e., engine valve spring, clutch springs and other applications where surface wear may be a problem). The material selection and precise control of the process are critical to prevent metallurgical damage. As a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, an engine is only as strong as its weakest component.

An engine with inferior piston ring expanders would not last long in the demanding environments of the modern engine.

The critical role of the expander spacer is a perfect example of springs serving in some of the most severe automotive applications. The expanders must maintain tension while

56 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

Figure 2. From top to bottom: Top compression ring, second ring and the three-piece oil control system consisting of two rails and a spring expander spacer.

being exposed to near combustion temperatures, friction from component interactions, and combustion by-products.

With so many products produced globally that serve us in our daily lives, it is exciting to know that we are still finding space for improvement. It is an exciting time for spring manufacturers to be involved in the development of the internal combustion engine. n

©iStockphoto.com/tostphoto

Five Questions

The L.S. Starrett Company

S

prings presents a new feature where SMI associate members answer five questions about the products and services they provide to the spring industry.

In our first installment we talk with James Clinton, product manager for force and material test products for The L.S. Starrett Company.

user with a time savings of approximately 10 minutes per batch of samples, so the operator could let the equipment run while he attended to other tasks.

1|

4|

Can you tell us about Starrett and the products it offers to springs manufacturers?

Starrett offers a variety of spring force measurement solutions for the design engineer, product engineer, or quality professional to assist them in their roles when measuring materials used in the spring design, manufacturing process and the quality evaluation of finished products.

Our L3 systems are used to characterize materials and determine their performance capabilities. Our L2Plus systems are designed with graphical measurement in mind for measurement, such as precise points, rates, and hysteresis traits. Our S1 and S2 systems can be used to verify spring repeatability, quality, and basic performance characteristics, including free length, springs rate, spring constant and initial tension.

2|

How have testing and measurement challenges evolved for springs manufacturers, and what challenges are they confronting today?

Traditionally we’ve seen aerospace and medical device manufacturers perform 100 percent inspection on parts or finished products. We’ve seen other industries adopt similar guidelines recently, as well. The challenge for these customers is often managing data, and how to store it and utilize it in a meaningful manner beyond pass/fail.

3|

Could you describe a recent spring testing application and how Starrett solved it?

A recent application had a requirement to test springs in batches, so that all the springs being used in a single assembly could be tested at once. To address this application, Starrett added a rotary table to its force system so that a series of springs could be loaded at one time.

The software controls the rotation of the table and can show pass/fail on each spring. This presented the end

Can you tell us about a recent spring measurement application challenge and how Starrett addressed it?

James Clinton

Some springs provide interesting design challenges for safely holding them during testing. For example, a rifle’s recoil spring can be significantly longer than its diameter and require a center support rod to keep the springs from buckling during testing. Picture trying to compress a pen spring without it flying away. A more complex variation of this is magazine springs, which are not cylindrical and often require custom support fixtures to provide repeatable results.

Starrett solved this by building holding fixtures that closely mirrored the manufacturer’s applications. When the springs buckle during testing and rub on the guide rods or holding fixtures, potentially skewing the results, by mirroring the in-use application with the fixtures, the forces measured will match.

5|

What changes do you see on the horizon for test and measurement solutions for spring manufacturers?

Customers are putting an emphasis on ease of use and intuitive software for their applications. New force and material testing software solutions enable Starrett to address these by creating software tailored to spring testing. Starrett uses test templates, available in its force testing systems, to efficiently create new spring testing methods for its customers. n The L.S. Starrett Co. 121 Crescent Street Athol, MA 01331 www.starrett.com/springs

SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 57

Simco YM-80

Simco SFX-series

©iStockphoto.com/Björn Meyer

Springmaker Spotlight

P

Sharon and Dave Deerwester

The Yost Superior Company: Continuing a Family Legacy

urchasing The Yost Superior Company in Springfield, Ohio from the original founding family was a singular event in 2016, but it was something that Dave and Sharon Deerwester had worked more than a decade to achieve.

The ball started rolling back in 2009 through conversations with Bert Barnes and his wife, Martha.

“We both knew what we wanted to do, and it was a matter of figuring out the details and coming to an agreement,” explained Dave.

Sharon says buying the business has worked out well, “because we are very like-minded with Bert and Martha.”

Important things the Barneses and the Deerwesters wanted to achieve for a successful transition of ownership, was to preserve the small company feel, along with its importance to the Springfield community.

“The idea was that the day before the sale and the day after the sale, everything for the employees would stay consistent, that no big changes would occur,” said Dave.

“That was our goal, and I think three years later we can say we’ve accomplished it.”

Dave says the last three years have been all about transitioning Yost from the founder’s family to a new family-owned business.

For the Deerwesters it is all about family, whether it is employees or their own children. Their children Caleb, 20 and Elise, 18, have interned at the company and their youngest, Sara, 14, has also worked at Yost, doing odd jobs.

By Gary McCoy, Managing Editor

SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 59

Sharon says that since their children were little, the dinner conversations would often drift to one of them asking “How many shipped and how many orders?” With their keen interest in the success of the company from an early age, the Deerwesters are hopeful that one or all of their children will come to work at the company.

A Rich History Founded in 1902 as The Yost Gearless Motor Company, it became The Yost Superior Company in 1924 when it merged with The Superior Spring Company. Bert F. Downey was one of the shareholders, and he became majority owner by the time of his death in 1954. His sonin-law, L.V. Barnes, became president and CEO, followed by his son, Bert Downey Barnes, who took the reins in 1977.

Gary Dickerhoof, who continues at Yost as CFO, became president in 1997.

Coiler Dustin Campbell 60 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

The Yost Superior Company is in a building that used to be called the Shuey Factories Building. It was built in 1915 with the idea of it being a multiple tenant facility for little factories. It originally included retail shops, a restaurant and a bus garage in the basement.

It is uncertain when Yost moved into the building, but the second floor of the building is where the company started making springs. A sign above the door on the second floor is symbolic of the company’s history. It reads, “Through these doors pass some of the best springmakers in the world.”

From the 1940s until 10 years ago, the building was primarily occupied by Yost and another manufacturing company. When the other company moved out, Yost bought out the other half of the building and now owns it under its realty management business. The purchase occurred when the Great Recession took place in 2009. Having a half-empty building engendered some uncertainty at the

time. The 100,000 sq. ft. building is now fully occupied, with Yost occupying half the space.

As the owners, Dave is president and Sharon works in the business office. She stayed home with their children for many years, and then came to work for the realty company in 2010 that owns and manages Yost’s five-story building in downtown Springfield. She’s been in a full-time role with the company for the past year and a half.

The company currently employs more than 50 workers, and Dave describes it as “a great mix of experienced workers and newer employees eager to learn and grow in the business.” Yost has eight people (one retired in July with 46 years of experience) with more than 40 years of service each.

One special employee is Bill Fannin, who has worked at Yost for 62 years. “He’s amazing,” said Sharon. “He can do anything with a piece of spring wire.”

The company has worked for many years with the local career technical center, giving young men and women the chance to work at Yost while they are in high school. “We

“Our system allows them to organize their work in a way that maximizes their pay.

And it maximizes the production and the sales for the company.

The employees have to be self-motivated, along with being creative and organized,” said Dave Deerwester.

“It’s been a successful system for many years.”

have the opportunity to hire them when they graduate,” explained Dave. “That’s been extremely successful in helping us recruit new employees.”

Getting to the Spring Industry Dave was born and raised 10 miles south of Springfield in South Charleston, a farming community of 2,000. Though he did not grow up on the farm, his dad was in the seed corn business. Dave said during all the times he went to Springfield, he never heard about or encountered Yost.

After high school he studied mechanical engineering at The Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus. Just before he started his fifth year at OSU, Dave got a call from a family friend who happened to be his Sunday school teacher growing up. “He knew Bert Barnes and Bert was looking for an engineer,” explained Deerwester.

He started working part-time at Yost in August 1991.

After graduating from OSU, he became full-time in June 1992.

Dave and Sharon met in 1991 at OSU. They got married in 1994, and Sharon remembers meeting Bert Barnes for the first time. “He was trying to sell Springfield to us. He said, ‘This is a great community that is on the upswing.’”

The pitch worked.

After Sharon graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1994 from OSU, the couple got married, bought a house, moved to Springfield and have never left.

A Piece of the Company Culture One of the unique aspects of the culture at Yost is its adherence to the piece rate system. The piece rate system is a wage payment method in which the workers are paid on the basis of the units of output produced.

Dave says few companies operate under that system, and for Yost it was born out of the Depression era, when work was tenuous. “They would open the mail each day (at Yost) and say: ‘Here’s the work that we have, and how much we can pay you to complete it.’ When their work was done, they would get paid and go home.”

Dave says that mentality remains at Yost. “Except that now, we have a piece rate on each job and each employee has a backlog of work, and their job is to manage their work center like their own small business.”

Further says Dave, “Our system allows them to organize their work in a way that maximizes their pay. And it maximizes the production and the sales for the company.”

“The employees have to be self-motivated, along with being creative and organized,” said Dave. “It’s been a successful system for many years.”

The Yost team leaders, having 79 years of experience combined, help the team members in their department to maximize their potential. Production manager Mark Adkins has been with Yost for 48 years working up through the company to his current position. He watches over the production process and has helped guide the shop to many record-breaking months over his tenure.

SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 61

Top: The Yost Superior Company management team front row (l-to-r): Brad Hawks, Jason Lay, Cecilia VanHoose, Jim Zinn and James Wells. Back row (l-to-r): Brian Phillips, Gary Dickerhoof, Dave Deerwester, Mark Adkins, Jeff Aleshire and Ben Lama.

Middle: Dave Deerwester (left) with Bill Fannin, who has worked at Yost for 62 years.

Bottom: Historic sign above the doors on the second floor at Yost that has greeted employees for many years.

Dave says incentives in general have been a big part of what the company does. In fact, they pay a profit-sharing bonus each month.

“We calculate our profit each month,” explained Dave. “On the first day of the month, we know what the profit sharing is going to be for everybody in the company, which is a percentage of their pay from the previous month. This keeps everyone working together to achieve a common goal and together we share in the rewards.”

In addition, the company has a monthly luncheon to show their appreciation to employees, along with an annual family day in the summer at Young’s Jersey Dairy, with miniature golf, ice cream and lunch provided by the company.

62 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

Making Springfield Better Another important part of the Yost culture is active involvement in local organizations. One that is near and dear to the company is the Nehemiah Foundation.

According to the organization’s website: “The Nehemiah Foundation is dedicated to building the community of Clark County by equipping and resourcing 29 local nonprofit organizations committed to meeting the physical, spiritual and emotional needs of youth and families.”

Yost is a gold sponsor for the Nehemiah Foundation’s annual golf outing. “We support the organization, because they support the people who are on the ground, ‘the boots’ who are caring for members of the community,” said Sharon.

Faith is an important part of the Deerwester household and ties in well with how Dave describes the company’s business philosophy.

It is a bible verse from Colossians 3:23, which says, “Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord.”

The verse can be found on their website and Dave describes the verse as what the company tries to represent.

“I believe that you need to work hard, and you do it with grace and love.”

He says hard work ties into the way they treat their customers. It’s all about service - always working to go above and beyond their needs. “If they’re in trouble, we want to take care of them and do whatever we can to help.”

Variety Yost is known for custom-made, precision compression, extension and torsion springs, along with wireforms and small stampings. Their range is from seven-thousandths up to five-eighths wire. They work with many different types of materials, including carbon steel, stainless, Inconel, brass, copper and aluminum.

Dave explained that Yost can produce one piece up to 1 million, but the company’s average quantity is about 2,000 pieces. “Our average invoice is 600 hundred dollars, and we had almost $10 million in sales last year,” explained Deerwester.

The company works annually with more than 1,000 customers across a wide spectrum of industries, including oil and gas. They also work with equipment companies who produce scientific, medical and musical instruments, including pianos and pipe organs.

Sales manager Brian Phillips has been with the company since 1997 but has a long history with Yost, growing up around the shop as his father and uncle both worked at the company for many years. “Brian started out traveling many miles through Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia calling on customers and searching out new business before he became sales manager in 2009,” says Dave.

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SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 63

“It’s all about developing great relationships, and Brian has taken our sales efforts to a new level.”

When asked what he enjoys about the spring industry, Dave says, “I think it’s always something different, there’s always a new challenge each day when you walk in the door, you never know what’s going to happen and what you’re going to face.” He says each day brings fresh challenges to keep things exciting.

Dave says with those challenges he walks into the office each day knowing his list of projects may not get done. “So, you’ve got to roll with the punches, and I try to be pretty easygoing,” he relates, “in that, I don’t get upset about much.”

Involvement in SMI The Yost Superior Company was an original charter member of SMI. L.V. Barnes served as SMI president from 1964 to 1966 and Dickerhoof is a former SMI board member. Dave is a current board member and a member of the technical committee.

Dave and Sharon enjoy being involved in SMI, especially attending the annual meetings.

“It’s a unique environment that you can share with, in essence, your competitors, and yet you’re able to learn and enjoy one another and you have similarities,” remarked Sharon.

64 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

Keep Dreaming When asked about the lessons he’s learned during his career in the industry, Dave summed it up by saying, “I think it is trying to do the right thing and treating others how you want to be treated.”

He quickly interjects, “Those are two big ones, and I try to keep those things in mind with whoever I interact with, whether it’s customers, employees or vendors.”

Sharon and Dave say they work hard at trying to keep family and home life separate from the business, but Dave admits, “It’s hard not to talk about the business, because it’s a part of our lives.”

Dave says, as a couple, they instead try to focus more about looking toward the future.

Sharon said she recently read a book that looked at what people wanted to do when they were younger and what they wanted to achieve by a certain point in life. “The book talked about when you get there, people frequently stop dreaming.”

“The idea is to keep dreaming,” said Sharon. “We want to keep working and dreaming together.”

Dave and Sharon see themselves as stewards of the business, and three years into the journey of owning The Yost Superior Company, the Deerwesters continue to dream about what’s ahead. n

Book Corner ©iStockphoto.com/kertlis

Leadership and Self Deception: Getting Out of the Box

By Gary McCoy

O

n a recent airplane trip, the gentleman sitting across the aisle from me kept raving to his seatmates about a book on leadership. I couldn’t help overhearing his conversation. So, as we were gathering our stuff to depart the plane, I told him that I review business books for a magazine. That’s how I got introduced to “Leadership and Self Deception,” published by the Arbinger Institute. Since our conversation was short, I never got to the essence of why this man thought it was great.

After reading Leadership and Self Deception, I could understand his enthusiasm. The book was originally published in 2000. The version I obtained is the third, published in 2018, which includes new research about the impact of selfdeception in organizations and the keys to eliminating its devastating effects.

The description of the book by the publisher is pretty accurate: “This book shows how the problems that typically prevent superior performance in organizations and cause conflicts in our personal lives are the result of a little-known problem called self-deception. When trapped in self-deception, we live and work as if trapped in a box. We can’t see the reality around us—we’re blind to the self-serving motivations that are sabotaging us on the job and at home. But there is a way

out. Through an entertaining and engaging story, Leadership and Self-Deception shows what self-deception is, how it infects our lives, the damage it does, and, most importantly, what can be done about it.”

The book is written as a parable and looks at how we all view and treat others as objects to help us accomplish our goals. The authors term this as being “in the box.” Being “out of the box” is to view others as people with their own hopes and dreams. The authors argue that being in the box limits our ability to reach our full potential and betrays the basic obligation that we each must see others as people, not objects.

The concept of being self-deceived is deeply explored. Arguing that when we

are self-deceived, we: “1) inflate others’ faults; 2) inflate our own virtue; 3) inflate the value of things that justify our selfbetrayal; and 4) blame others.”

The book provides helpful ideas to recognize self-deception both personally and professionally and ways to get yourself out of the box. You’ll have to read the book to find out how often you are in the box and how you can live out of the box more consistently. This is a great book for leadership and team-building purposes. n

Have a favorite business book you would like to tell us about or review? Send your suggestions to Springs managing editor Gary McCoy at gmccoy@fairwaycommunications.com.

SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 65

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Global CTE News Highlights

U.S. Department of Labor Announces Apprenticeship Expansion

T

he U.S. Department of Labor has announced a major milestone in the continuing effort to expand apprenticeships in the United States.

A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) was made public in June 2019 that would establish a process for the U.S. Department of Labor to advance the development of high-quality, industry-recognized apprenticeship programs (IRAPs).

The Department further announced awards totaling $183.8 million to support the development and expansion of apprenticeships for educational institutions partnering with companies that provide a funding match component. The Department will also make available an additional $100 million for efforts to expand apprenticeships and close the skills gap.

The Department also issued a revised Training and Employment Notice that will subsequently be accompanied by an application for entities seeking to recognize IRAPs. “The apprenticeship model of earning while learning has worked well in many American industries, and today we open opportunities for apprenticeships to flourish in new sectors of our economy,” said former U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta. “With 7.4 million open jobs and job creators searching for skilled job seekers, apprenticeship expansion will continue to close the skills gap and strengthen the greatest workforce in the world — the American workforce.”

There are more than half a million new apprenticeships since January 2017.

“The apprenticeship model of earning while learning has worked well in many American industries, and today we open opportunities for apprenticeships to flourish in new sectors of our economy,” said former U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta. “With 7.4 million open jobs and job creators searching for skilled job seekers, apprenticeship expansion will continue to close the skills gap and strengthen the greatest workforce in the world — the American workforce .”

In June 15, 2017, President Trump signed Executive Order 13801, charging the Secretary of Labor to consider establishing guidelines or requirements that qualified entities should or must follow to ensure that apprenticeship programs they recognize meet quality standards.

The Executive Order created a Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion that included representatives of business, labor, educational institutions, trade associations, and public officials and invited them to offer their

recommendations on how to best expand the apprenticeship model in America. The Task Force recommendations were transmitted to the president May 10, 2018.

The June NPRM reflects key recommendations contained in the final report of the Task Force, which noted that the establishment of industryrecognized apprenticeships could provide high-quality apprenticeship programs and opportunities in a market-driven system.

Under the proposed rule, entities such as trade, industry, and employer groups or associations, educational institutions, state and local government entities, nonprofit organizations, unions, or a consortium or partnership of these entities could become a Standards Recognition Entity (SRE) that sets standards for training, structure, and curricula for IRAPs in relevant industries or occupational areas. The SREs would be recognized through the U.S. Department of Labor to ensure that its requirements are met, resulting in only high-quality IRAPs. This is a similar relationship to the one that exists between the U.S. Department of Education and higher education accrediting bodies.

The Department would ensure that SREs have the capacity and qualityassurance processes and procedures needed to monitor IRAPs and recognize that IRAPs are high quality. The Department’s criteria for high-quality IRAPs include paid work, work-based learning, mentorship, education and instruction, industry-recognized credentials, safety and supervision

SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 67

and adhering to equal employment opportunity obligations.

IRAPs represent a new pathway for the expansion of apprenticeships, and the proposal accordingly does not change requirements for Registered Apprenticeship Programs.

In addition to the proposed rule, the Department has awarded $183.8 million in Scaling Apprenticeship Through Sector-Based Strategies grants to private-public apprenticeship partnerships in information technology, advanced manufacturing and health care. The grants are funded through H-1B visa fees, which are paid to bring foreign workers to America when Americans cannot be found to fill open jobs.

These grants will support the training of more than 85,000 apprentices in new or expanded apprenticeship programs and increase apprenticeship opportunities for all Americans, including veterans, military spouses, and service members transitioning into the civilian workforce; and groups that

The Department intends to fund up to 30 apprenticeship grants, with awards ranging from $500,000 to $6 million.

Grants may be local/ regional, statewide or national in scale, and funding will depend on the proposed geographic scope of the apprenticeship project. are underrepresented in apprenticeships such as women, people of color and Americans transitioning from the justice system to the workforce. Recipients include colleges, universities and state systems of higher education, in partnership with national industry associations, employers representing an industry sector and other partners.

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Industry partners will provide partial matching funds to the institutions to develop in-demand skills as part of these programs.

The Department is also announcing a new solicitation to award up to $100 million in grant funds authorized by Section 414(c) of the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (ACWIA) for the Apprenticeships: Closing the Skills Gap grant program.

The Department intends to fund up to 30 apprenticeship grants, with awards ranging from $500,000 to $6 million. Grants may be local/regional, statewide or national in scale, and funding will depend on the proposed geographic scope of the apprenticeship project. Grant funds will be awarded to apprenticeship partnerships of publicand private-sector entities, which together will develop and implement new apprenticeship models or expand existing apprenticeship programs. The full solicitation has been published on grants.gov. n

Inside SMI ©iStockphoto.com/seraficus

Metal Problems? Help is Available from SMI

S

MI Technical Director Rick Gordon is available to help springmakers with their metallurgical questions. This includes such topics as fatigue life, corrosion problems and material related problems. He will manage and oversee processes for meeting your needs regarding failure analysis, to include sourcing reputable testing labs throughout North America.

Tom Little, sales engineer manager for Apex Spring and Stamping in Grand Rapids, Michigan has twice called upon Gordon for help. Little says that based on their size, like many SMI member companies, they do not have a full-time metallurgist and failure analysis expert on staff that can write reports and help provide solutions for customer needs.

“I’ve tried to do my best in the past with SMI software, but there are times where you need a professional opinion and advice without going to your competition to get things done,” explained Little.

He says that in the automotive industry the penalties are high (bankruptcy) if you make a mistake on design and analysis of a low-value, but critical component.

“We do door handle springs for many automotive manufacturers, and they rely on us for expert advice on design, and the durability for our product offerings,” said Little. “Sometimes I need advice, and SMI’s professional staff have helped problem solve an issue and it confirms that we are on the right track for solutions.”

In addition to automotive, Little has also used this service for office furniture applications.

Rick Gordon

“The reports have been thorough, timely and have helped many times to solve situations,” concluded Little.

SMI members receive two hours of Gordon’s time free of charge, after which his services are available at $200 per hour. Nonmembers will be charged $300 per hour.

Gordon can be reached at c.richard. gordon@gmail.com, or 574-514-9367.

SMI Goes to the Bahamas Start making your plans for the 2020 SMI Annual Meeting.

Next year’s event will be held from March 6–10 at the Atlantis, Bahamas. More information will be available soon.

SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 69

Inside SMI

Calendar of Key Events for the Global Spring Industry

2020 March 6–10 SMI Annual Meeting Atlantis, Bahamas

Sept. 16 NESMA Golf Outing Chippanee Golf Club, Bristol, Connecticut

March 30–April 3 wire Düsseldorf International Wire and Cable Trade Fair Düsseldorf, Germany www.mdna.com/trade-shows/ details/wire

Sept. 26–27 10th International Congress of Springs Hamburg, Germany www.esf-springs.com

June 2-4 WAI Operations Summit & Wire Expo Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut

Oct. 1–3 SMI Metal Engineering eXpo Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania www.metalengineeringexpo.org

Sept. 14–16 International Committee on Spring Technologies – ICST – 2 Germany

Nov. 14–15 ISO/TC 227 – Springs Nagoya, Japan www.iso.org/committee/369318.html

Oct. 7–9 SpringWorld Rosemont, Illinois www.casmi-springworld.org

2019

70 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

Nov. (TBD) ISO/TC 227 – Springs Milan, Italy www.iso.org/committee/369318.html

2021 Nov. (TBD) ISO/TC 227 – Springs U.S. www.iso.org/committee/369318.html

SMI Welcomes New Members Please join us in a warm welcome for SMI's newest members: Sterling Spring Chicago, Illinois National Auditing Services Consulting Monroe, Connecticut

A DIVISION OF AMADA ORII

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Rick Bray, Amada Orii America Inc. Phone: (859)746-3318 Ext. 15 Email: rbray@oriimec.com

DAVID

Amada Orii expands technical services for MEC springforming machine division

BOSSLER Sales Engineer

David Bossler brings 24 years of spring-making experience to new sales engineer position.

---

(ERLANGER, KY, May 6, 2019) Amada Orii America has hired David Bossler to fill the newly created position of sales engineer for its MEC spring-forming machine division. The position is based at Amada Orii’s Erlanger, KY headquarters.

“This is an important step for us because we now have a greater ability to provide technical service to our customers,” said Rick Bray, MEC sales manager.

Bossler, who worked for 24 years in spring manufacturing, said the transition to the machinery maker was a logical progression. “I developed a relationship with MEC through my years of setting up MEC machines in a manufacturing setting,” he said.

In his new sales engineer position with MEC, Bossler will be responsible for on-site training when a new spring-forming machine is delivered, as well as technical service, both over the phone and on-site.

“There’s a wide range of technical support that I provide,” Bossler said. Issues can range from how to change out batteries to dealing with more technical and mechanical issues or questions about operating the computer software that run MEC machines. “Every day is different.”

He also will assist Bray with sales.

Bossler said he was attracted to MEC because of its reputation of standing behind its equipment – and its employees.

“David’s years of spring-making experience as well as his in-depth knowledge of MEC machines will be a real asset for Amadan Orii and its customers,” Bray said.

Contact Amada Orii America to learn more.

Amada Orii’s MEC Division offers a variety of spring making machinery, including wire forming machines, coiling machines and extension spring machines. ###

Am ada Or ii A m e r i c a ( F O R M E R L Y

O R I I M E C )

©iStockphoto.com/Studio-Pro

Committee Connection Technical Committee Moves Forward with Training Program

S

MI’s Technical Committee is a busy group! In fact, the committee may be SMI’s hardest working, currently meeting every two weeks even through the summer months.

The committee numbers more than 20 individuals and recently welcomed its new chairman, Tim Zwit of Michigan Spring and Stamping.

In addition to helping arrange speakers for the 2019 SMI Metal Engineering eXpo (MEE), the committee has put a lot of time and effort into a new spring design training program.

The first two classes have been completed, Fundamentals 101 – Spring Fundamentals and Fundamentals 103 – Overview of Springmaking Materials. Both courses can be downloaded at the SMI website (www.smihq.org) under the “Services” tab.

The committee is busy working on the 200 level courses, which will be taught in person or as a webinar. The 200 level modules include the following courses:

• Spring Design 201 – Compression Spring

• Spring Design 202 – Extension Springs

• Spring Design 203 - Torsion Spring Design

• Spring Design 204 – Spring Washer Design

• Spring Design 205 – Beam, Torsion Bar and Constant Force Spring Design • Spring Design 206 - Snap Ring Design • Spring Design 207 – Spring Material Manufacturing

Each module has been developed by individual members of the committee.

After an initial draft of the material is developed, it is presented to the entire committee for a thorough review and approval.

The training modules 201, 202, 203 are planned for completion by October 2019. The 201 training module, Spring Design 201 – Compression Spring, will be presented for the first time at the MEE 2019 event in Pittsburgh.

In addition to Zwit and former chairman Gene Huber Jr., the committee consists of Bert Goering, Al Mangels, Dan Sebastian, Gary Van Buren, Todd Piefer, Pat Barr, Rick Gordon, Don Jacobson III, Jason Sicotte, Jay Weaver, Simon Fleury, Linda Froehlich, Ritch Froehlich, Dave Deerwester, Tom Armstrong, Lynne Carr, Bob Powner, David DeVoe, Steve Kempf, Dick Carter and Scott Miller. n

Left: Some of the members of the SMI Technical Committee who met during the 2019 Annual Meeting in Austin. Front row (l-to-r): Patrick Barr and Tom Armstrong. Back row (l-to-r): Gene Huber Jr., Rick Gordon, Gary Van Buren, David DeVoe and Bert Goering.

72 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

New Products ©iStockphoto.com/hüseyin harmandaglı, morkeman, PeskyMonkey

HTC35XU Spring Former Center HTC Machinery and Forming Systems, Inc. (FSI) announces the addition for the new HTC35XU 21 axes spring former.

Features: • Standard 13 axes. Max. 21 axes.

• Quill in/out movement with rotating tool holder so you can setup most springs quickly and easily with very few tools.

• The winder swing is available on 3 slides to control the right/left position, the offset position of servo winder and tool holders is easily adjusted by servo control. The winder swing provides further flexibility for making complicated shapes.

• Wire range 1.6-3.6mm (.063-.141) For additional information, contact FSI at info@formingsystemsinc.com or 269-679-3557.

HMI Mini Temperature Recorder HSI Machinery and FSI announces the addition of the new HMI Mini Temperature Recorder.

Features include: a touch screen that shows a temperature chart and data for direct observation; data may be stored on a USB flash drive for review and analysis on a PC by HSI software; temperature and conveyor speed may be saved as recipes (programs) for different processes, with a maximum of up to 999 recipes; data acquiring function from temperature controllers on furnace; conveyor speed monitoring and recording (Digital Speed Meter and interface are required); and error monitoring and recording (Digital Error Meter is required).

For additional information, contact FSI at info@formingsystemsinc.com or 269-679-3557.

SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 73

New Products

join the best: worldwide www.wire.de

WAFIOS F30 New Compression Spring Coiler The WAFIOS F30 is a new compression spring coiler that succeeds the well-established Ecocoiler Series and includes the new programming system FPS 1.2.

The F30 is a new basic machine for the production of righthanded technical compression springs.

Although the F30 is designed as a cost-optimized entry-level machine, WAFIOS says many features can be considered high performance, including an increased infeed speed, larger outer spring diameters, an extended range of applications, and the newly designed programming system FPS 1.2.

In the basic version, the F30 is designed with 4 CNC axes for infeed, with 2 pairs of infeed rollers, 2-finger coiling attachment, a multi-cut system with straight- and rotary-cut as well as manual mandrel height adjustment.

The F30 has an optional attachment for left-handed springs, including further cutting axes and packages for optimized cut (software solution) and flying rotary cut.

The PTP Finger for adjustment of the pre-tension position to close the coils of conical springs for a subsequent spring end grinding process and a reduced setup time is available. To improve quality assurance, WAFIOS offers the new camera measuring system F30 for optical measuring, controlling and sorting of springs and different sorting chutes depending on sorting criteria.

The new FPS 1.2 programming system has a new, intuitive and convenient user interface and 24â&#x20AC;&#x153; multi-touch monitor. For machine operators who are used to working with WAFIOS spring coilers, it is a very simple change from the WPS 3.2 interface to FPS 1.2. The new system offers a modern design with a high level of recognition, user-friendly programming with simplified spring input and the table calculation EasyTab as macro replacement for simple corrections.

In order to increase the economic efficiency, the compatibility of tooling with WAFIOS F3 EcoCoiler infeed and coiling tools and FUL 36 cutting and pitch tools is guaranteed. The F30 is also designed with an optimized concept of tooling to reduce setup time, such as infeed rollers and coiling pins.

International Wire and Cable Trade Fair

For show information: Messe DĂźsseldorf North America Tel. (312) 781-5180 _ info@mdna.com www.mdna.com For hotel and travel arrangements: TTI Travel, Inc. Tel. (866) 674-3476 _ info@ttitravel.net

wir2002_WW_84,1x237,2_US.indd 1

74 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

15.07.19 16:16

New Products

28mm Low-Profile Rotary Positioner The new V-610 compact rotary positioner from PI is engineered for fast and precise rotation of samples and optics in applications including medical, metrology, precision microassembly, bio-research, optical inspection, and semiconductor test and manufacture. Nanopositioning leader PI expands its PIMag® series of high dynamics linear and rotary positioning systems with a new high-performance rotation stage.

The V-610 is equipped with a high-force 3-phase torque motor direct incremental encoder for position feedback and closedloop operation. Direct drive torque motors do not require gears and mechanical components, eliminating friction in the drive train. Despite its compact size, the ironless motor provides a peak torque

of 1.2Nm (10.6 in-lbf). Ironless motors provide smoother running with better velocity control due to the lack of cogging effects caused by permanent magnets.

A variety of precision motion controllers are offered, from modular to bench

top devices. For the highest performance, PI recommends the ACS product line of EtherCat compatible precision motion controllers.

For more information, visit https://www. pi-usa.us/en or call 508-832-3456. n

Advertiser's Index A & D Trading (440) 563-5227 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Admiral Steel (800) 323-7055 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Alloy Wire International (866) 482-5569 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Amada Orii America (859) 746-3318 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Betts Company (559) 206-0379 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 CASMI www.casmi-springworld.org . . . . . . . 22 Central Wire (800) 435-8317 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Diamond Wire Spring Co. (800) 424-0500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Dispense Works (815) 363-3524 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Fenn/Torin (860) 259-6600 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Fives Group www.fivesgroup.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Forming Systems Inc. (877) 594-4300 . . . . . inside front cover, back cover Gibbs Wire & Steel Co. Inc. (800) 800-4422 . . . . . inside back cover

Gibraltar (847) 383-5442 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33, 58 Industrial Steel & Wire (800) 767-0408 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Interwire Products Inc. (914) 273-6633 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 JN Machinery (224) 699-9161 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 John Evans’ Sons (215) 368-7700 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Jowitt & Rodgers/Syntech (704) 525-8030 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Kiswire (201) 461-8895 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Larson Systems (763)780-2131. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 The L.S. Starrett Co. (978) 249-3551 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Maguire Machinery (609) 266-0200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Mapes Piano String Co. (423) 543-3195 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Messe Dusseldorf (312) 781-5180 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 NIMSCO (563) 391-0400 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 North American Spring Tool (860) 583-1693 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Proto Manufacturing (800) 965-8378 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Radcliff Wire (860) 583-1305 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 RK Trading (847) 640-9371 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 39 Shanghai SFK Precision Co. sfkppd@163.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Simplex Rapid (563) 391-0400 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Spring Manufacturers Institute (630) 495-8588 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Suzuki Garphyttan (574) 232-8800 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Tool King (847) 537-2881 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 United Wire (800) 840-9481 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Vinston (847) 972-1098 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Vulcan Spring & Manufacturing Co. (215) 721-1721 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 WAFIOS (203) 481-5555 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Zapp Precision Strip (203) 386-0038 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

SPRINGS / Fall 2019 / 75

Snapshot

Favorite places: Northern Michigan, Maui and Ireland.

Best times of my life: I’d have to say right now. For me there really has been no time like the present.

A really great evening to me is: A beautiful summer night, a good bottle of wine, dinner on the grill and watching the sun set over the lake.

The one thing I can’t stand is: Dishonesty.

My most outstanding qualities are: Integrity, communication and extreme multitasking.

Monica Shaffer Novi Spring Inc.

business today, along with the outstanding management team that leads our success.

People who knew me in school thought I was: Quiet and introspective.

Name: Monica Shaffer

Birthplace: Plymouth, Michigan

Nickname (if any): Mon or Moni

Current home: Brighton, Michigan

I knew I was an “adult” when: I made a significant additional principal payment on my first mortgage rather than do something fun with the extra money. That was my “aha moment.”

Company name, city and country: Novi Spring Inc., Brighton, Michigan

Family (spouse, children, pets, etc.): Dan Shaffer is my wonderful husband of nearly 12 years. Elyse is our sweet and sassy 6-year-old daughter, and then there is Bert, our Shar-pei Boxer mix.

The most difficult business decision I ever had to make was to: Implement organizational changes to our company that had a significant impact on our long-term employees.

What I like most about being a springmaker: It’s never the same day twice!

Role models: Professionally speaking, our late president and CEO Gerry Johnson. He was a tremendous mentor to me. He took me under his wing and taught me much of what I know about our business and the spring industry.

Brief history of your company: Novi Spring was founded in 1961 by Edmund and Laurine Johnson. Edmund had worked for Chicago Rawhide in the spring department there until he started his business, initially in his garage and then at a small shop in Novi, Michigan. Their son Gerald took over as president and CEO when Edmund passed away. Eventually he moved Novi Spring to a larger facility in Brighton, Michigan in the early 1990s. Gerald’s sons, Sean and Jason, followed in his footsteps by joining the family business. Gerald remained very involved in Novi Spring until his death. His sons are active in the family

76 / SPRINGS / Fall 2019

Job title: Director

Favorite food: Anything Italian.

Favorite books/authors: I am an avid reader and have many favorites. “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz is an exceptional personal code of conduct to me and a favorite that I have come back to read over multiple times. As for fiction, I love “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen. It’s a great story and one of survival amongst the most unlikely of friends.

I would like to be remembered in the spring industry for: Representing women within our industry.

But people will probably remember me for: My sense of humor and the way I can tell a story.

©iStockphoto.com/Tryfonov Ievgenii, nicholas belton

Hobbies: Cooking, kayaking, travel, yoga and spending time with loved ones.

Internal memo to Gibbsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Sales Department:

Photo courtesy of Abigail Keenan / Unsplash

When planning our next gathering of customers who told us they love our service, please remember to budget for crowd control.

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