President’s Message From Bert Goering
SMI Executive Committee President: Bert Goering, Precision Coil Spring Vice President: Gene Huber, Jr., Winamac Coil Spring Secretary/Treasurer: Don Jacobson III, Newcomb Spring At Large: David DeVoe, Plymouth Spring Past President: Steve Kempf, Lee Spring Executive Director: Lynne Carr, SMI
SMI Board of Directors
Witnessing the Warmup Act for Springmaking Advances This issue of Springs explores the topic of “Advances in Springmaking.” With 37 years of experience, I am now one of the “elder” statesmen of this esteemed industry. I’m not sure how that happened so fast, as it was just a blink ago when I was 24 years old, embracing the new world of spring manufacturing. As I reflect back on the technology and processes in 1984 versus today’s Internet of Things (IoT) revolution, it is really mind boggling. I believe that this is a direct correlation with the computing power advances that have taken place in the last three decades. I can recall the “quantum leap” when SMI rolled out the Texas Instruments TI-74 that had a removable chip. It could run basic rate and stress calculations, which meant we could put away those slide rules and long hand calculations on our calculators! We then welcomed in the software era, with SMI’s initial disk operating system (DOS) program that was capable of solving simultaneous equations, allowing the designer to back solve to a desired variable. Then came the GUI generation of the GSDS software. Today we offer an ever-improving subscription based software, Advanced Spring Design (ASD), where the user can enjoy on-the-fly upgrades and enhancements that are based on refinements and input from our SMI technical committee, advances to our SMI encyclopedia, and most importantly, from end-user feedback and requests. In addition, this computing power bonanza catapulted how we tracked and ran our business operations. From Pacific Coil Springs’ (PCS’s) first computer system for our accounting systems, Quantel (or as we lovingly called it “Can’t-tell” back in the early 1980s), where the data was stored on huge reel-to-reel tapes that were carried off-site on a regular schedule. It was the Flintstones version of off-site data backup! Today, we thrive on endless data reports from our cloud-based ERP systems. These advances are also evident in the raw materials that support the products we manufacture. The advancements in continuous cast processes and clean steel techniques have resulted in improved chemistry control and cleanliness of our wire products. These advances have motivated the SMI technical team to explore the potential impact/improvements to historical fatigue life assumptions that were based on decades old wire production practices. This ever-evolving computing power has facilitated our manufacturing equipment technologies over the decades. For us dinosaurs of the group, we grew up marveling at cam driven coilers and torsion winders like the classic Sleeper and Hartley torsion winders. Then we launched into the numeric controlled generation of CNC coilers and CNC formers (albeit initially CNC cam driven for the motions). Our ever-creative equipment manufacturers then brought us the CNC servo generation machines. Even our ever-trusted cam driven fourslide equipment has turned the corner to a CNC servo driven forming center. Now when we take into account Moore’s Law that our computing power doubles at a rate of every two years, that is crazy exponential growth. Potentially we are just witnessing the warmup act of some incredible advances of how we run our businesses; stay tuned, this should be fun to witness! Cheers! Bert Goering 2 / SPRINGS / Spring 2021
Jennelle Carlier, S3 Wireform • Kelley Christy, Diamond Wire Spring • Dave Deerwester, The Yost Superior Co. • Joe Devany, Betts Company • Chris Fazio, Diamond Wire Spring • Linda Froehlich, Ace Wire Spring & Form • Brett Goldberg, International Spring • Agustin Estalayo Ibanez, RPK Mexico SA de CV • Don Lyons, JonSpring • Peter Mendel, Kern-Liebers USA • Rob Meyers, RK Trading • Alex Melnikow, Midstate Spring • Tony Pesaresi, Winamac Coil Spring • Daniel Pierre III, JN Machinery • Keith Porter, Newcomb Spring • Chris Witham, Motion Dynamics Corp. • 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, Keith Porter, Newcomb Spring • Reb Banas, Stanley Spring & Stamping • Lynne Carr, SMI • Ritchy Froehlich, Ace Wire Spring & Form • 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,4F, 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; 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. Cover image created using imagery from ©iStockphoto.com/Nordroden
