machine tools - Shop Metalworking Technology

Transcription

VOLUME 1 | NUMBER 2 | APRIL 2012
ÒWELDING
High power
diode lasers. p30
Î
CUTTING TOOLS
Hard metal
challenges. p52
ÔQUALITY
Publications Mail Agreement No. 42327015. Shop Metalworking Technology PO Box 93171 RPO Headon, Burlington, ON L7M 4A3
A New
Reality
Assessing machine
tool controls. p58
Î
YOUR BUSINESS
The true cost of
financing new
equipment. p60
Rethinking automotive
MANUFACTURING
ÒEXIT
Skills training. p73
FABRICATING
Saved by Water
p24
MACHINE
TOOLS
Deconstructing
Five Axis
p67
COVER
STORY
p16
Boost Your Productivity for
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1-800-4A FAGOR
www.fagorautomation.com
Canada Head Office: Mississauga 905-670-7448
Montreal Office: 450-227-0588 | Email: canada@fagor-automation.com
ÒContact us...
V O L U ME 1 | NUMBER 2 | APRIL 2012
EDITOR
Mary Scianna | 647.932.4477
marys@shopmetaltech.com
ÒThis
PUBLISHER
Larry Bonikowsky | 289.337.0728
larryb@shopmetaltech.com
MANAGEMENT REPORT
SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER
John Simmons | 905.666.0258
johns@shopmetaltech.com
Rethinking automotive manufacturing in North America.
issue...
16 | A NEW REALITY
CIRCULATION MANAGER
Brian Gillett | info@shopmetaltech.com
FABRICATING
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Jill Nelson | 2graphicdesigner@gmail.com
24 | SAVED BY WATER
SUBSCRIBER SERVICES
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ISSN 1927-7962
16
Fast-cutting waterjet machine improves productivity for
emergency vehicle fabrication work.
62 | THE PERFECT CUT
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for business.
24
66 | CUTTING WITH FIBER LASERS
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cutting technology?
WELDING
30 | HIGH POWER LASER WELDS
High power diode lasers are poised to replace traditional
laser sources and expand laser welding into new areas.
46
MACHINE TOOLS
36 | A TURN FOR THE BETTER
Automated turning cell keeps manufacturer in Canada.
46 | PRODUCTIVITY BOOSTER
Think automation isn’t for you? Think again.
52
67 | DECONSTRUCTING FIVE AXIS MACHINING
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CUTTING TOOLS
52 | ROCK HARD
A new generation of tougher cutting tools for hard metals.
69 | IT’S NOT ABOUT THE TOOLS
Tool Management: Manage your cuttings tools,
cut your costs.
71 | WHEN GOOD TURNING GOES BAD
Tackling tough turning problems.
QUALITY
58 | THE CONTROLLING FACTOR
Assessing machine tool controls.
62
ÒEvery issue...
7 | SHOP VIEW
8 | INDUSTRY UPDATE
60 | YOUR BUSINESS
73 | EXIT
APRIL 2012 www.shopmetaltech.com
5
See leading edge technology
in action at Elliott Matsuura
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Shop View
A Recipe for Success
I
“
F CANADA WANTS TO make its mark in the manufacturing world, there
are two essential ingredients to success: innovation and high value goods.
The era of manufacturing me-too and commodity type products is
long gone, and the only way Canada can compete against manufacturing
powerhouses like China and India is to set itself apart from the competition. The
manufacturing industry in Canada can do this by focusing on creating innovative,
value-added made-in-Canada products.
Sadly, the tools to achieve this goal are lacking in Canada. Just ask Bob
Huybrechts, president of the Innovation Initiative, an inventor’s cooperative he
formed in 2003 to help other inventors avoid the same mistakes he made in the
90s trying to bring his invention to market. A dental technologist, he invented a
new plastic in 1988 in his Ontario lab, a thermo elastic acrylic that improves the
design of dentures. His product is being sold in 17 countries, but it's not made in
Canada. “I tried very hard to have my product made in Canada and held off going
to the US, but it’s almost impossible to do anything here—raising capital, getting
manufacturing and government support. There is little available for inventors with
good ideas who want to have products made in Canada.”
”
I tried very hard to have my product made in Canada and held
off going to the US, but it's almost impossible to do anything here.
Indeed, most members of the cooperative who have successfully brought
products to market are manufacturing them in the US or China, and Huybrechts
doesn’t think the situation in Canada is going to change any time soon. In part,
it’s because of the continued lack of support for innovation, adds Huybrechts.
“To banks—and to governments—innovation means companies that already
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the street who, against all odds, comes up with an idea that takes off. The
government doles out billions of dollars to institutions and for corporate research
but how much of that money has resulted in breakthroughs of new products?”
Some manufacturers have jumped the hurdles and succeeded here. Canada
Goose started manufacturing cold weather apparel in 1957. It bucked the trend
of moving its manufacturing to China and continues to make its goose and duck
down parkas in Canada. The brand is recognized around the world, and has put
Canada on the map in the clothing manufacturing sector.
If Canada Goose can do it, can’t other manufacturers achieve the same success
through innovation and high value-added products? It’s a question being asked
today in the manufacturing industry in this country. We need more companies
like Canada Goose to help grow manufacturing here. SMT
MARY SCIANNA, EDITOR | marys@shopmetaltech.com
7
Industry Update
New initiative to support manufacturers
Joint open house
to draw hundreds
On April 25 and 26,
the 7th annual Joint
Open House will
draw hundreds of
manufacturers from
Ontario.
Organizers—DMG
Canada, Elliott-Matsuura, EMEC Machine
Tools, Ferro Technique
and SST-Canada—
expect to see a larger
group of attendees this
year, because of the
improving economy.
For those that
attend, there’s an added bonus: thousands
of dollars in prizes that
will be handed out this
year. Every company
will receive a coupon
book for industryrelated products and
services, says Brian
Donnelly, vice president of
Ferro Technique.
Attendance has grown
steadily over the past six years,
in part, because it's a chance
to see new technologies some
would not otherwise see.
Many industry suppliers
have donated products and
services that will be given
away as prizes. Attendees will
also have the chance to win
a draw for a two-night stay in
Chicago for IMTS and a second
draw (two seats available) for
a trip to Tefen, Israel, to visit
Iscar Tools’ manufacturing
operations during one of the
company’s customer visits.
More than 50 machines,
showcasing the latest in
machine tool technologies,
will be under power during the
two-day event.
8 www.shopmetaltech.com APRIL 2012
CANADIAN MANUFACTURERS now
have a new resource to support
their businesses, the Canadian
Manufacturing Network.
Launched by Excellence in
Manufacturing Consortium (EMC)
and the Textiles Human Resources
Council (THRC), the initiative is
designed for manufacturers
working in all industrial sectors
and is focused on providing
manufacturers with educational
opportunities to help grow
their operations and keep
manufacturing jobs in the country.
As part of the initiative, the
partners have also launched two
manufacturing programs:
Manufacturing Jobs Resource
Network and the Online Skills
and Learning Portal. The first
program connects employers,
job seekers and labour market
stakeholders across all
manufacturing sectors.
Manufacturers can post jobs for
free. The second program offers
bilingual, industry-vetted online
courses for workers at all levels,
from the shop floor to senior management.
Subjects include manufacturing, technical,
business, computer and workplace
performance skills.
The Canadian Manufacturing Network is the
culmination of more than 40 years of combined
industry experience, says Al Diggins, president
and general manager of EMC. He says the
framework for the initiative began four years ago. “The Canadian Manufacturing Network
is unique in that it provides the most
comprehensive array of manufacturing subjectmatter-expertise, knowledge and learning
resources—grassroots and online—available
in one place, in Canada today. Being able to
engage industry is why we have been able to
help so many manufacturers.” The idea behind the initiative is to help
manufacturers network with other industry
members to share ideas and learn about new
tools to improve their businesses. Diggins adds
that EMC and THRC are looking at bringing in
more industry partners that represent different
manufacturing sectors. While the site is up and
running, some items are still under development,
such as the “knowledge networks” for aerospace
and aviation, automotive and transportation and
metal processing. You can see what’s available
online at www.canadianmanufacturingnetwork.ca.
Elliott to distribute Hurco machines
Elliott Matsuura Canada Inc., Oakville, ON, has signed a distribution
agreement with Hurco CNC Machine Tools to represent the machine
tool builder’s products and technologies in Canada. The agreement
expands the Canadian distributor’s growing list of manufacturimng
principals for the Canadian metalworking industry.
“We are confident that the relationship between Elliott and Hurco
has a bright future. Hurco’s product line together with Elliott’s
service and support will be a winning combination,” says Frank
Haydar, president of Elliott Matsuura Canada.
Bruce Manthey, Hurco general manager of North America, says
“Elliott Matsuura is the perfect choice to represent our advanced
manufacturing technology throughout Canada. They understand the
value that Hurco CNC machine tool technology offers shops of all
sizes that want to reduce time spent on setup and programming in
order to increase profitability. With our expansive product line that
includes two-meter and three-meter machines, mill turn lathes,
and five axis machining centres in addition to three axis mills and
slant-bed lathes, we have CNC technology that will meet the needs
of the diverse industries the Canadian metal cutting market serves.”
EVENTS
APRIL 25-26
Joint Open House
Mississauga, ON, and
Oakville, ON
MAY 14-16
Montreal Manufacturing
Technology Show
Montreal, QC
www.mmts.ca
MAY 30
"Discover More with
Mazak" event
Cambridge, ON
www.mazakusa.com/
morecanada
Industry Update
Shop Thought
To learn about new manufacturing technologies and educate
your shop floor workers, does your company prefer to use
online resources such as webinars, or does it send people off
site to trade shows, conferences and seminars?
We typically try to attend
tradeshows annually to stay
informed of new developments and
technologies within our industry.
In the past we have used
webinars, attended conferences
and seminars for training and
information purposes.
—Mark Godin, fabrication manager,
Baumeier Corp., Cambridge, ON
We sent our employees offsite for
training. It cost more, but then
they are not distracted from what
is happening and can give their
full attention to what they are
being trained on.
—J.S. (Jeff) McKinnon,
CIM Metals Inc., Burlington, ON
If the training is very specific and
does not take a lot of time, we use
online resources and train people
in a group. If the training is going
to be of any duration, we would
send them off site.
—Gord Cameron,
Hewitt (Brockville) Ltd., Brockville, ON
The question asked has two parts,
technology and education. To
keep up to speed on technology
advances, we do attend some
trade shows. This involves one
to three people usually. We are
also in regular contact with our
machine and process equipment
suppliers and they are always
showing us what’s new and trying
to sell it to us. While we do some
online research, I wouldn’t
say that we use online training
very often.
As far as the education piece,
I would say that most times we
have one to two people who are
subject matter experts and we
deliver in-house training from
them to the rest of the organization. We may send one to two
people out to get their training,
but not usually any more than
that would do external training. —Greg Gale, general manager,
David W. Wilson Manufacturing Ltd.,
Cathcart, ON
We have previously sent people off
site but we are now trending more
towards online, as we do not have
the travel expense costs, or travel
time. Also this way we can have
more of a group involved.
—Deborah Butzer, accounting/HR
administrator, James Ross Ltd.,
Elizabethtown, ON
Did you miss our
last Shop Thought?
SHOP THOUGHT launched
with our premier issue in
February. In that issue, we
asked the question: “Have you
had trouble finding skilled trade
workers for your manufacturing
operation? If so, how have you
addressed the issue?”
To read some of the ways
manufacturers are dealing
with the skilled trades
issue, visit us online at
www.shopmetaltech.com. You'll
find the information in our
Resources/Blog section.
Have a question you
want answered? Send it to
marys@shopmetaltech.com.
Your free subscription can expire on you
Keep your copy of Shop Metalworking Technology coming Sign up today for your FREE one-year subscription!
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metalworking operations.
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|
CALL 905-729-1288
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MORE
PRODUCTIVITY
QUICK TURN SMART 200 M
QUICK TURN NEXUS 350 MY
QUICK TURN NEXUS 450 MY-II
INNOVATIVE, EASY-TO-USE TURNING SOLUTIONS
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FROM BASIC TURNING OPERATIONS TO THOSE REQUIRING MILLING AND Y-AXIS CAPABILITIES,
our QUICK TURN SMART and QUICK TURN NEXUS turning centers have what it takes to maximize
your manufacturing processes and lower your cost per part. Not only are these machines
highly accurate, reliable and productive, they are also extremely easy to operate thanks to our
exclusive MAZATROL SMART and MAZATROL MATRIX NEXUS CNC control technology. So whether
you run a small or large job shop, our wide range of advanced turning solutions will exceed your
production requirements.
MORE WITH MAZAK
WWW.MAZAKUSA.COM Facebook Twitter YouTube
Proudly manufacturing in Florence, Kentucky
since 1974. (859) 342-1700
MAZAK CORPORATION CANADA
Mazak Canada Technology Centre
50 Commerce Court
Cambridge, Ontario
Canada N3C 4P7
1-800-668-5449
WEST CANADA
Machine Toolworks, Inc.
4803 74th Avenue
Edmonton, AB T6B 2H5
(800) 426-2052
EAST CANADA
A.W. Miller Technical Sales
5590 McAdam Rd.
Mississauga, Ontario L4Z 1P1
(905) 890-8686
A.W. Miller Equipment Technique
2685 Boul. Pitfield
St. Laurent, Quebec H4S 1T2
(514) 333-9174
Industry Update
ESAB gets new owner
Welding equipment supplier ESAB
has a new owner.
Industrial manufacturer Colfax
Corp., Fulton, MD, has acquired
Charter International plc, parent
company of ESAB Welding & Cutting Products, Florence, MD.
Charter International PLC,
based in Ireland, was the parent
of ESAB and Howden, a
manufacturer of heavy duty air
and gas handling equipment.
“This is a perfect fit for ESAB,
as we are a world-class leader in
the welding industry–a position we
have attained by building strong
partnerships with our customers
and by creating a brand that is
trusted worldwide, says Andrew
Masterman, ESAB North
America’s president and CEO.
“This acquisition will not impact our customers or distributors,”
adds Mark Elender, senior vice
president of sales and marketing
for ESAB North America.
“We will continue to provide
PEOPLE
Behind every great tool
there’s a great idea
SHIGEYUKI SASAKI is the new president for
Mitutoyo in Canada and the US. A
35-year veteran of the company,
his most recent position was vice
president and executive vice president
of Mitutoyo America Corp. He has also
worked in new product development and
quality control in Japan, served as manager
of purchasing and planning for the company in
Germany, and was general manager for Mitutoyo
in South America. He maintains his position as
an active member of Mitutoyo Corp.’s board of
directors. Sasaki succeeds Mikio Yamashita, who
has been president since 2006. Yamashita returns
to the company’s headquarters in Japan.
In related news, Jay Summers was recently
appointed to the Board of Directors for Mitutoyo
Canada Inc. He is approaching 25 years with
Mitutoyo Canada Inc. and has served as vice
president since 2005.
The tool:
MicroKom® BluFlexTM
Precision boring system with
Bluetooth® technology
MARTY CORNACCHI has joined CAM Focus
Consultants, Richmond Hill, ON, as
vice president of operations. The
company has been a distributor for
CAD/CAM software developer Open
Mind Technologies in Ontario for
12 years. Cornacchi has a strong
background in CAD and most recently
worked with another CAM software company.
The idea:
Using Bluetooth technology to transmit tool data to a portable display unit.
Why it’s great:
) &!! !# ' &
)! &"! !&$$!(#$
)" !!& &"!" "! ERIN CHASSE has been appointed sales
manager for the Northeast region of
Canada and the US for Mazak Optonics.
His Canadian territory includes Ontario
and Eastern Canada. Previously, he
was assistant regional sales manager.
He has extensive laser technology
experience and has worked as a service
spare parts technician and a laser technician.
Learn more about this and other great ideas.
!$$$!!
or scan this QR code.
Visit us in
booth 659
www.komet.com
905-954-0466
our customers and distributors
with the best products and support services, and we are confident that this transition will be
seamless and beneficial to all.”
Colfax owns 10 brands in the
pumping and fluid handling market, and is traded on the NYSE
under the ticker symbol “CFX.”
Industry Update
A German solution for
Canadian manufacturing
A visit to DMG’s Pfronten,
Germany, facility makes it
clear that the resurgence in
manufacturing is not just
wishful thinking but a reality.
More than 5000
manufacturers from Canada,
the US and Europe attended
the annual week-long event
in February at the Pfronten
manufacturing facility,
one of five German
specializing in five axis
milling for the aerospace,
medical and optical
industries. The company
operates two simultaneous
five axis DMG machines and
is considering a third some
time in the future to accommodate its growing business.
“I've had a good
relationship with the people
at DMG. When I needed help
Dusan Micic of Redrox Industrial in front of the DMG machine he purchased
for his shop.
manufacturing plants DMG
operates in that country.
Several manufacturers
Shop Metalworking
Technology spoke with,
including a representative
from Magna in Canada and
others from European
countries, had already
purchased or were in the
midst of purchasing new
machines tools, noting that
the machines were necessary
so they could meet growing
orders.
Among the 12 Canadian
companies represented at
the event was Redrox
Industrial Inc., based in
Mississauga, ON. Owner
Dusan Micic started the
company five years ago as
a custom machine shop
with the machines they have
been there with service. So
when I began to look for my
second five axis machine it
was an easy decision to go
with another DMG machine.
I like the DMG machines
because I can achieve very
high tolerances and I have
never had an issue with
quality, and in my business
tighter tolerances and quality
are important.”
The over-arching theme
at the event was improving
productivity and flexible
automation. This was
especially the case with the
“world premieres” which
included 17 new machines
from DMG and six new
machines from Mori Seiki.
The companies joined forces
continued on page 15 Î Î Î Î
Ferro gets top sales award from Doosan
Ferro Technique Ltd., Mississauga, ON, received awards for top sales from
Doosan Infracore recently at the machine tool builder’s annual distributor
awards meeting.
The machine tool distributor received the award for exceeding its sales
quota, for exceeding sales of 100 units, and for the largest sales order in
the history of both Doosan North America and Ferro Technique's operations.
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quality methodologies, advanced user work
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13
Industry Update
MANUFACTURING BUSINESS
UPWARD TREND FOR MANUFACTURING: Stats Can
Manufacturing output has been steadily rising
in Canada, according to the latest data from
Industry Canada. The industry operated at
80.4 per cent of its capacity in the
fourth quarter of 2011, slightly below the
pre-recession figure of 84.3 per cent in the
first quarter of 2007.
The numbers reflect similar data for other
sources in recent months that point to steady
growth in the manufacturing sector.
Capacity utilization rose in the fourth
quarter in 12 of the 21 major manufacturing
industries Statistics Canada looked at.
The industries reporting increases included
equipment and machinery, transportation
equipment, metal products, chemical and
plastics products contributed the most to
the growth.
Statistics Canada defines industrial
capacity utilization rate at “the ratio of an
industry’s actual output to its estimated
potential output.”
Capacity use in the transportation
equipment industry rose from 83.6 per cent
in the third quarter to 88.5 per cent in the
fourth quarter. The increase is mainly the
result of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts
manufacturing and also of aerospace product
and parts manufacturing.
Higher production of agricultural,
construction, and mining and oil and gas field
machinery, drove up the capacity use rate in
the machinery industry by 3.7 percentage
points to 82.3 per cent.
In the metal products manufacturing
industry, capacity use rose from 77.3 per cent
to 78.8 per cent as a result of increased architectural and structural metals manufacturing.
www.statcan.gc.ca
INVESTMENT INTENTIONS FOR 2012: $394 billion
Canadian private and public organizations plan to
invest $394.1 billion in machinery, equipment and
construction in 2012, a 6.2 per cent increase from
investment intentions in 2011, according to recent data
from Statistics Canada.
Not surprising, more than half of the increase, 56.6
per cent in 2012, will come from investments in the
energy and resource sector—mining, oil and gas. Indeed,
this sector has seen a steady investment increase every
year since the economic downturn in 2009. Other
sectors, including machinery and equipment, report they
will invest 307.2 billion in 2012.
Specifically, investment in machinery and
equipment is expected to increase 2.1 per cent
to $112.4 billion this year.
The slow but steady rebound in the
manufacturing sector is also reflected in
Statistics Canada’s numbers. Manufacturers
reported a 6.8 per cent increase in investment
intentions for 2012 to $20.3 billion.
For more data, visit Statistics Canada online
at www.statcan.gc.ca.
Custom Material Cutters
Laser cutting for 2D flat to 6 Axis 3D
From protoypes to large production
tJOGP!POUBSJPMBTFSDVUUJOHtXXXPOUBSJPMBTFSDVUUJOHDPN
Industry Update
Î Î Î Î continued from page 13
in 2010 and operate as
DMG/Mori Seiki in most
of the world, although in
Canada they continue to
function as separate
entities.
The DMC 65 monoBlock.
Indeed, Eike Huebner,
director for DMG Americas,
cites several examples of
new machines that made
their debut at the event
that combine multiple
machining functions in one
machine for faster, more
efficient machining.
“The DMC 65
monoBlock with pallet
changer is a full five axis
trunnion style milling
machine with turning
capabilities, and some
smaller shops are now
looking at these types of
machines because while
one part is being
machined, the
operator can set up the
other parts on a pallet and
this improves productivity
for shops; this seems to be
a growing trend—installing
machines that offer shops
the option to improve
productivity.”
Machine tool outlook
Neither DMG or Mori Seiki
are expecting significant
growth for 2012, noted
Dr. Rudiger Kapitza,
chairman of the board for
Gildemeister AG and Dr.
Masahiko Mori, president
of Mori Seiki Co. Ltd., at a
press conference.
“We are in the process
of completing a new
factory in Davis, CA, and
will start production at the
end of July this year,"
noted Dr. Mori in a press
conference at the DMG
event in Germany.
"Our target is to make
80 machines a month
and we will start with the
production of HMCs
designed by Mori Seiki,
and next year we will
produce the DMU
machines for the American market.”
Mori also noted that the joint
venture company is working well and
has seen “very good results. Mori Seiki
is selling close to 600 machines a year
from DMG and DMG is selling a similar
number of our products and I’m quite
confident we can double joint sales.”
A.W. Miller expands
A.W. Miller has been appointed as the
distributor for Mazak Optonics in Eastern
Canada and the Eastern US seaboard.
The distributor operates technical
centres in Canada and the US, and is the
Canadian distributor for Mazak Canada,
Cambridge. ON.
THE CUTTING EDGE
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15
Â
COVER STORY
Automotive
Report
N JANUARY, you
could almost hear
the sigh of relief
in the automotive
industry. According
to Global Auto
Report published
by Scotiabank in
February, global
vehicle sales in
January grew six
per cent above the
preceding year. At
the same time, US
sales exceeded an
annualized 14 million
XQLWVIRUWKHÀUVWWLPH
since the “cash for
clunkers” incentive in
2009, and Canadian
sales grew 15 per cent
above the year earlier.
While far off the
pre-recession peak,
these were promising
developments.
Or were they?
Will a strong Loonie,
offshore competition,
slow response to
innovation and
ongoing investment
issues hobble the
Canadian automotive
industry as it plans for
recovery?
A New REALITY
Will challenges hobble
automotive industry’s recovery?
I
BY JIM BARNES
OFFSHORE COMPETITION
“Canada is getting clobbered” in auto parts.
“It has one of the lowest levels of market
share since the Auto Pact years.”
— Dennis DesRosiers
“One way to mitigate the impact of the yen is
to do more in the local markets,” as has been
done in Canada. — David Worts
Competition from offshore remains a problem.
“I lived through the decline of the British
motor industry. The government spent a ton
of money on it, and it went nowhere.” The
SUREOHPZDVHIÀFLHQWRIIVKRUHFRPSHWLWLRQ
“Nobody wants to spend twice as much for a
product than they have to.” — Les Payne
Noting that Canada’s share of NAFTA is
declining, he says, “it’s not so much about
Mexican parts coming into Canada. Mexico is
where the growth is going on, so facilities are
required in Mexico. — Steve Rodgers
PARITY
Les Payne, executive
director, Canadian Tooling
& Machining Association,
Cambridge, ON
“The companies
that survived the
downturn are
certainly in
a busy period."
Mark Stoddart, chief
technology officer and
executive vice president,
Marketing, Linamar Corp.,
Guelph, ON
“Before the
recession, we
went through
years of
declining
production in
North America.
We are seeing
something new
now—year-overyear increases.”
“We are perhaps not as
competitive as we once were—
the exchange rate is making it
GLIÀFXOW7KHUHPLJKWEHVRPH
question as to whether we are
investing as much as we could
in Canada.” — Steve Rodgers
“Parity has little to do with the
lack of sales. It’s lack of vision,
lack of investment, lack of
R&D, it’s lack of a willingness
to do the things that are
necessary to compete.”
Canadians are not the only
ones with a strong currency.
“The strength of the yen has
been a bigger business issue
for Japanese exporters than the
earthquake and tsunami. It’s
still with us.”
— David Worts
INNOVATION
“Canadian companies
WKDWZHUHPDNLQJSURÀWRII
exchange rates found out that
business model doesn’t work.
It has hurt a lot of companies
over the years, and that’s why
they are not here anymore.”
— Mark Stoddart
The strong loonie hurts most
CTMA members. — Les Payne
“We’d all love to go back to
20 years ago, when there was
a 30 per cent exchange rate
that gave us a competitive
advantage. That is probably
not going to happen again.”
— David Palmer
OFFSHORE COMPETITION
“We have found that the highly technical tooling, with
complex injection, has stayed here because of our expertise
and our design engineering. A lot of the simpler tooling is still
coming from China. — David Palmer
“Linamar has plants all over North America, Europe and Asia,
and from a productivity standpoint, our best plants are here in
Ontario.” — Mark Stoddart
?
“Some of the big
opportunities are in the
emerging technologies,”
he says, citing roll
forming, hydroforming,
lightweight materials, bio
ÀEUHVDQGSRZHUWUDLQDV
examples. — Steve Rodgers
“We have about a halfdozen truly innovative
parts manufacturers in
this country. Mostly, we
have order takers.”
There is a constant battle
to remain competitive.
For that, you need to
invest. The industry is
being driven by new
technology.” — David Worts
“We recognize that you
need to be doing R&D,
process improvement,
eliminating waste, and
you have to be doing it
constantly.” — Mark Stoddart
“We have to invest in
technology. It’s the
high capability, CNC
machining and software
that not only gives us
design capabilities but
will do our cutter paths
at the same time.”
— David Palmer
17
Â
COVER STORY
Automotive Report
PROSPECTS
WHILE RECENT
resurging North
American auto
sales have led some to
celebrate, it may be more of
a reprieve for the Canadian
automotive industry than
anything else.
That growth is coming
off very low numbers.
According to data provided
by the Automotive Parts
Manufacturers’ Association,
North American unit
production of light vehicles
dropped from 15,102,752 in
2007 to 8,626,384 in 2009.
“The bottom was
pretty low, and there was
nowhere else to go [but
up],” notes Mark Stoddart,
chief technology officer and
executive vice president,
marketing, Linamar Corp.,
Guelph, ON.
“We are looking at close
to 14 million units this year,”
he says, adding that in 2013,
growth to 15 or 16 million
units might be realistic.
“From a vehicle production
point of view, the industry
has recovered about 40 per
cent of its lost volume,” says
Dennis DesRosiers. However,
he notes, “our parts sector has
not recovered any volume.”
Two factors drove the glory
days of the auto industry in
Canada.
The first was strong trade
with the US, underpinned
by Auto Pact and the
North American Free Trade
Agreement. Since then, lowcost offshore competition has
made major inroads in the
market and many automotive
GROWTH
CLIMBING OUT OF THE PIT
“Clearly, if we focus on the right things,
we can be competitive in Canada. But
that means a focus on what makes a truly
HIÀFLHQWDXWRPDQXIDFWXULQJRSHUDWLRQ
these days—it’s about being lean, adapting
tools and systems, innovation, all those
factors.” — Steve Rodgers
“There is a misperception that [most
Canadian auto parts makers] are good
suppliers. For the most part, they are
not. Also, that we have a viable auto
parts sector. We do not. That if we
attract more assembly plants into this
country, that will automatically mean a
stronger auto parts sector. It will not.”
David Palmer, chair,
Canadian Association of
Mouldmakers and sales
manager, Build-A-Mold
Ltd., Windsor, ON
“Right now, I
think we are in
a good place.
The question
everyone asks
is, how long
can we ride
this wave?”
“We need to invest in technology
that will remove hours out of a build
and… make us more competitive and
SURÀWDEOHµ— David Palmer
“We don’t have the advantage of
the low Canadian dollar anymore…
The recession took its toll on a lot of
companies that weren’t competitive.”
— David Worts
“There is a feeling that, with the
strong dollar, Canadian suppliers can’t
be competitive. That is not the case. A
number of leading Canadian suppliers
are all doing well—and doing well here
in Ontario.” — Mark Stoddart
continued on page 21
David Worts, executive
director, Japan Automobile
Manufacturers Association
of Canada, Toronto
“The year was
pretty good for
most of the other
suppliers to the
industry, but we
were struggling
with the results
of the disasters.”
Haas Automation
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COVER STORY
Automotive Report
INVESTMENT
Steve Rodgers, president,
Automotive Parts
Manufacturers,
Association, Toronto
The strong
Canadian dollar
is a major
challenge for
the automotive
industry.
Right now, the industry is
“sticking to its knitting.”
Ultimately, though, “You
have to evolve into more
[sophisticated technologies.]”
—Steve Rodgers
“There are just over 50
Japanese-owned auto parts
plants in Canada, most of
them original equipment
suppliers.” Investments by
Japanese companies have
been steady. — David Worts
“In the automotive industry,
you don’t get price increases
ever year, you get price
decreases. That’s the norm for
this business. The only way
you can offset that is through
productivity improvement.”
— Mark Stoddart
Dennis DesRosiers,
president, DesRosiers
Automotive Consultants
Inc., Richmond Hill, ON
A decline
in vehicle
production is
limiting prospects
for auto parts
makers. But the
story doesn’t end
there: “Our share
of OEM parts
production in
North American
continues to
drop,” as well.
“We are seeing a continuation
of the fast write-off, which
is allowing companies to
purchase equipment,” he says,
adding that the exchange
rate is working in favour
of companies that buy
equipment in US dollars.
Prospects: The demographics
of aging and economic shifts
are shrinking the automotive
industry workforce.
“Strengthening the apprentice
system would solve a lot of
industry’s staff problems
and help deal with youth
employment.” —Les Payne
A couple of years ago,
suppliers had to question
the long-term viability of
certain OEMs. “It put a
crimp in investment,” he
says. With the return of
some stability, planning for
investment is easier.
— David Palmer
“There has been virtually
no investment in innovation
and not a lot of investment
in the factories… I estimate
that less than one per cent of
automotive R&D investments
are made in Canada.”
$
$
$
Jim Barnes is a Toronto-based journalist with 30 years of
experience in writing about manufacturing technology.
continued from page 18
CLIMBING OUT
OF THE PIT
OEMs have turned to Mexico as a
source of production.
The second factor was a
currency exchange rate that worked
strongly in our favour. At 70 cents
to the dollar, manufacturing in
Canada made for a compelling
argument. However, international
demand for commodities in the
past decade has strengthened
the Canadian dollar to parity with
the US dollar. That is unlikely to
change significantly.
The industry was already
struggling when the recession
hit. Some of the OEMs teetered
on the edge of insolvency during
the credit crisis, rescued by a
$4-billion emergency loan package
in Canada in 2008. Not only was
business down, but some real risk
entered the picture—would the
customers still be in business a
year from now?
Wages and benefits were
another piece. When the recession
hit, the Canadian Auto Workers
union tried to protect the wages
and benefits in its collective
agreements. Its US counterpart, the
United Auto Workers, fought to keep
jobs and made concessions. While
comparing overall labour costs
and productivity is a complicated
exercise, the automotive OEMs
insist that labour costs in Canada
are substantially higher.
The bottom line is the Canadian
industry has a long fight ahead of
it, even with the welcome return to
something approaching normal in
automotive sales.
GROWTH
21
Photos: DMG Canada
INSIGHTS 2012 Conference
Shop Metalworking Technology
See and hear about the latest in machining
technologies and manufacturing best practices
Mark your calendar for the Shop Metalworking Technology
INSIGHTS 2012 Conference. To be held September 25,
2012 in west-end Toronto, you’ll hear industry thought
leaders explain what you need to know to stay on top of the
latest in machining technologies and manufacturing best
practices. There’s also a stream of presentations on fabricating
technologies. In addition to networking with your peers, you’ll
also have the opportunity to see potential suppliers in person
with a large table-top display area.
Mark the date
September 25, 2012
Toronto
More details to come within the magazine and within the Shop
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Â
FABRICATING | Waterjet Case Study
PHOTOS
BY RON NG
THE PROBLEMÔ
Unreliable outsourced
fabrication work.
BY MARY SCIANNA
THE SOLUTIONÒ
THE EQUIPMENT:
Flexible waterjet cutting
What appealed most to Scott Rowland
about waterjet cutting was its ability to
cut a range of materials and material
thicknesses. As a custom shop, work
orders can change quickly and Rowland
wanted fabrication equipment that would
allow his company to respond just as
quickly to customer needs.
Most of the products Rowland now
fabricates are aluminum ranging in
thicknesses from 1250 ga to .25 in.,
but the waterjet also cuts plywood, used
to replace the floors of ambulances and
emergency services vehicles, and is also
placed on the back of aluminum storage
units that serve as a mounting surface
for radio equipment, GPS units and other
electronics.
Flow’s Mach 2 2031b series waterjet
is equipped with the FlowMaster software
package and the company’s JetPlex
55,000 psi direct drive pump. The unit
features solid steel casting construction
and precision reciprocating ball screws.
Rowland’s machine has a cutting envelope
of 2 m x 3.1 m (6.5 ft x 10 ft) to allow for
full size 5 ft x 10 ft metal sheets.
Joe Bodorkos, Flow’s territory manager,
says the FlowMaster software package
is an easy to use program that “sets the
correct acceleration, speed and piercing
parameters” and all of it can be done
“with three simple steps without the need
for any G code knowledge.”
Another key feature on the waterjet
is the direct drive pump. Flow’s pump
features a patented Pac-V technology
which uses a simple automatic venturi
mechanism to react when the cutting
head closes or when adjusting pressures.
The method minimizes wear and tear on
the pump and on other high pressure
components, says Bodorkos.
Investment in waterjet cutting
equipment to bring fabrication
work in-house.
Fast-cutting waterjet machine improves productivity
for emergency vehicle fabrication work
Left: The waterjet machine in action. Below, Blake Rowland, left, and Scott Rowland, who,
when he saw the waterjet at Westway Machinery’s open house, thought it was “amazing.”
VER SINCE repositioning his
business from automotive electrical
repair and maintenance to
emergency vehicle repair, maintenance
and fabrication in 2000, Scott Rowland
has wanted a waterjet cutting machine.
“I’ve dreamt about a waterjet
machine, but we didn’t have room
for it in our old building,” says the
owner and president of Rowland
Emergency Vehicle Products Inc.,
Mississauga, ON.
For years, the company had been
outsourcing much of its fabrication work,
but Rowland says it wasn’t working.
E
Scott Rowland checks one of the metal boxes—cut on the waterjet machine—being installed in one of
the emergency services vehicles being equipped in his shop.
25
Â
WATERJET METALTECH REPORT
ÒBYSTRONIC
Scott Rowland says his vision for the company
is to supply his customers with everything in
the ambulance.
“I’m a custom shop so I don’t
buy 20 or 50 of one product, and
production shops want the high
production orders so my work gets
put to the side. I would give them
WKUHHPRQWKVOHDGWLPHIRUÀYHPHWDO
boxes and I’d call at the end of three
months and they hadn’t even started
on them. It was terrible.”
When the company sold its 4,600
sq ft facility in Etobicoke, ON, and
moved into a new 18,000 sq ft plant
in Mississauga, ON—where Rowland
FRXOGÀWLQIDEULFDWLRQHTXLSPHQW³LW
was time for the waterjet machine.
So Rowland and his son Blake—a
24-year-old computer science graduate
who was instrumental in designing
products for the waterjet—dropped by
Westway Machinery’s open house in
Mississauga. Westway, a Flow waterjet
distributor, had sold Rowland some
fabrication equipment—shears and
band saws.
“We went to a seminar, saw the
waterjet in action and met ‘Flow Joe’
as we call him [Joe Bodorkos, Flow’s
regional manager]. I saw the machine
cut and it was amazing.”
Rowland had sent out for quotes to
other waterjet suppliers, but ultimately
decided on Flow’s Mach 2 abrasive
waterjet cutting machine because
“of Joe’s knowledge of waterjet
machines—he knows these machines
inside out—the service and the
The Flow waterjet in Rowland's shop has increased
productivity significantly.
support. Flow has three technicians
just in Southern Ontario so I felt
comfortable because I knew the
company could provide the technical
support and service we needed.”
By the time he purchased the
waterjet machine, Rowland had already
High efficiency pump
Bystronic says it’s ByJet Smart waterjet
cutting system is economically priced to
acquire and maintain, and the customer
benefits from a low purchase price and
from reduced operating costs.
The machine reduces operating costs
in part because of a high efficiency pump
with a longer lifespan. High precision
cutting heads combined with abrasive
metering and constant automatic nozzle
height sensing delivers part precision and
consumable efficiencies. The economical
machine is also a high quality one, claims
Bystronic. It’s equipped with many high
quality components, such as a cutting
bridge fitted with a linear motor, and a
precision manufactured machine frame
constructed of heavily-damping composite
material. The result is a durable machine
with outstanding cutting performance,
says Bystronic.
www.bystronicusa.com
ÒFLOW INTERNATIONAL
Expandable modular design
Flow International has launched three new
products: the Mach 4c, the Mach 2c and
the HyPlex Prime.
The Mach 4c is the newest addition
to the Mach 4 line of waterjets and offers a
variety of features including an
expandable modular design, up to 14 m
(48 ft) in length, allowing customers to
increase the size of the cutting area
as their business grows. The system
provides fast, accurate machine motion
with zero backlash. It’s ergonomically
designed to improve operator convenience
and productivity, with lighting to enhance
work piece visibility, efficient abrasive
removal, and easy access to material and
parts with full four-sided accessibility.
The motion control system offers up to
800 ipm cut speeds. Flow’s exclusive
Dynamic Waterjet is also available on the
Mach 2c. Designed to eliminate taper errors
and stream lag, Dynamic Waterjet brings
accuracy and speed to 2D cutting. Whether
cutting three in. thick steel plate or multistacked gasket material, it provides fast and
accurate cutting at an exceptional price.
The new HyPlex Prime pump rated at
60,000 psi combines elements of Flow’s
patented HyperJet seal technology with the
efficiency of a direct drive. Its new compact
pressure loading tool allows fast, accurate
and repeatable maintenance.
www.flowwaterjet.com
ÒJET EDGE
Cutting with no HAZ
Jet Edge Inc.’s new Mid Rail Gantry Model
MR513 cutting machine can cut material up
to 1.5 m x 4 m (5 ft x13 ft) and is sized for
fabricators, machine shops and stone and tile
shops. It cuts complex parts from virtually any
material without creating a heat-affected zone
(HAZ). The machine comes standard with one
abrasive jet cutting head. A second cutting
head can be added to increase productivity.
Optional mirroring makes it possible to cut
large parts twice as fast.
The waterjet system is available in a range
of work envelopes, from 1.5 m x 1.5 m to 7.3
m x 4 m (5 ft x5 ft to 24 ft x13 ft). The waterjet
uses an industrial PC controller and can be
Â
WATERJET METALTECH REPORT
configured so that all three axes are fully
programmable (Z optional). It features
direct-couple AC brushless digital servo motors
and single or double carriages. Critical bearing
components are protected with heavy metal
covers with brush seals. The machine is
powered by a Jet Edge waterjet intensifier
pump. Jet Edge claims it has the widest range
of waterjet pumps on the market, from 25-280
hp, including 36KSI (2500 bar), 60KSI (4100
bar) and 90KSI (6200
www.jetedge.com
ÒKMT
New pumps
The New NeoLine 40i and Streamline PRO2
series water jet pumps cover a wide spectrum
of cutting applications. The NeoLine 40i pump
uses KMT’s intensifier technology for superior
performance with less maintenance, according
to the company. The NeoLine 10d direct drive
pump is designed as a low-cost solution for
light duty cutting and limited applications.
The 40i features a new, low profile cabinetry
designed for easy access to pump controls
and components, along with 55,000 psi
operating pressure to cut steel, glass, plastic,
aluminum, and much more.
KMT has also launched the Streamline
PRO2 series pumps, 90,000psi, 60 hp and
125 hp, which offers what the company
describes as “the industry’s most powerful
combination of horsepower and pressure with
significant advances in uptime, which leads
to superior productivity.”
By closely nesting raw materials and a
reduced small kerf width to cut the materials,
the metal fabricating industry is able to
maximize performance by cutting any shape
or size and create a better yield.
www.kmtwaterjet.com
PRODUCT: OMAX 55100 JETMACHINING
CENTRE
Use
r: Enertec Rail Equipment
When railway component manufacture
r Enertec Rail Equipment, Blainville,
QC,
needed to purchase a second waterjet
machine to keep up with growing
business, it was an easy decision.
Last October, the company
purchased its second OMAX 55100
JetMachining Centre, from supplier
Spark & Co., Blainville, QC—who
conveniently is located across the
street from Enertec.
“We purchased the exact same mac
hine
because we wanted part interchangea
bility
as well as the ability to have a single
operator
on two machines,” explains Jean Des
rosiers, general manager. “The mac
hine is
durable [for tough shop floor environm
ents] and easy to operate. I haven’t
tried
many other waterjets, but we did a
lot of research before we purchased
our first
OMAX. We wanted a machine to be
user friendly for programming and relia
ble.
And we have that in our two waterjets
.”
For Enertec, the software-based OMA
X Intelli-MAX controls, which include
free upgrades for the life of the shop
’s machines, make it simple to load
a
customer’s DFX part file, initiate a tool
path and have the machines running
in
minutes. And if needed, the control
allows the shop to quickly draw part
files
from scratch.
Desrosiers adds that “a 3D part can
also be easily cut by doing a second
waterjet pass on the same part, set
on its side at 90° with a second cutt
ing
program.”
The 30 hp machines also feature OMA
X’s “Computer First-Move Later”
motion control system, which automat
es programming and tool setup work
.
With no tool changes or complex fixtu
ring, fabricators can reduce setup time
s
by close to 50 per cent.
In Enertec’s case, the company cuts
copper for conductors, half inch
stainless steel for gear boxes as well
as titanium and other alloys for cont
ract
jobs. One unique job cut on the wate
rjet was a nine in. diameter titanium
rod for
a steel foundry. Enertec had to cut
96 in. long rods into quarters. “Waterje
t is an
efficient way to cut titanium by cold
cutting,” says Desrosiers.
As OMAX’s largest cantilever-style mac
hine, the 55100 is equipped with a
table size of 3.2 m x 1.7 m (126 in.
x 65 in.) and work envelope offering
an X-Y
cutting travel of 2.5 m x 1.4 m (100
in. x 55 in.). The machine’s cantileve
rY
axis on a bridge X axis, with a motorize
d Z axis, gives Enertec the option to
load
material from three open sides of the
machine.
www.omax.com
“
Morphing into
My plan is to supply
customers with
everything in
the ambulance.
”
severed his ties with the shops doing
fabrication work and was fabricating
in-house using existing shearing and
bending equipment.
“After we purchased the machine but
before it was delivered, we purchased
SolidWorks and my son designed the
boxes using the CAD program. We
were cutting them manually on the
shear and with the band saw and then
bending them. It was taking one person
about three to four days just to make
these boxes. Now the waterjet can do it
in 20 minutes.” SMT
MANUFACTURING
ROWLAND EMERGENCY VEHICLE PRODUCTS INC. began as a repair and
maintenance business, but its reputation for developing, designing and
manufacturing products that address the needs of its customers has
grown steadily. The new abrasive waterjet cutting machine is the start
of what essentially is a morphing of the business from repair and maintenance to OEM
fabrication work for the emergency vehicle services (EMS) industry.
“My business plan is to supply customers with everything in the ambulance,”
says Rowland.
The company is well on its way to fulfilling his vision. In addition to repair and
maintenance work, the company is a distributor of a wide range of medical devices and
fabricates some of the metal components used to outfit the emergency services vehicles
and ambulances.
During Shop Metalworking Technology’s visit to the shop, one of several vehicles
being worked on was an ambulance for York Region. The ambulance is equipped with
several compartments to house emergency supplies but the paramedics wanted a new
storage shelf to sit atop a metal storage box to let them access supplies more quickly.
“York Region found out about our waterjet and they asked us if we could build them
aluminum trays on which they could place medical supplies such as needles and
bandages. We’ve designed the aluminum tray and York Region is approving them now.”
In another example of how Rowland is winning business—and why Rowland
expects an ROI on his waterjet of one and a half years—is a radio head plate he
designed for ambulances.
“The manufacturer designed the dash with the radio head, but it was too far away
for the paramedics and when they needed to use it they’d have take their eyes off the
road to change it. They wanted to move it closer so we made a plate that goes from the
dashboard towards the paramedics. I made it by hand—drilled it, inserted the nuts and
it worked great. The paramedics liked it and we got a call for 50 of them. Then other
municipalities heard about it and we got more calls. It’s just a piece of metal that needs
to be cut, drilled and sanded, but it was time consuming.
“Now with the Flow waterjet and the software for part programming, I can pull the
file and cut 80 of these plates in a couple of minutes. “
Rowland is now also building special response units that have aluminum bodies.
The shop built two of them last year, has two more on order and expects more orders
in the near future.
“We’ll outsource the fabrication of the aluminum bodies and finish the inside
ourselves, but gradually we’ll begin to build our own bodies.”
To accommodate the growing fabrication work it expects to do in-house, Rowland says
he’s also looking at upgrading other fabrication equipment.
“We’re thinking about a new hydraulic press brake and a better bender. We’re doing
a lot of fancy work with the waterjet and the press brake seems to be holding us back a
bit. After that we’d like to purchase some CNC machines for machining. We outsource
some product now that’s machined—a collaspsible defibrillator pole that holds the
defibrillators on the stretchers. It would be nice to bring that in house; we’re doing all the
drawings for it anyway so it would be a matter of purchasing equipment to do the work.”
www.rowlandemergency.com
www.flowwaterjet.com
29
Â
WELDING | Laser
Expanding
Laser Welding
Applications
Diode lasers are poised to replace traditional
laser sources in laser welding applications
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diode lasers lowers
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operating costs.
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90,000 PSI
Waterjet
Technology!
Water will cut virtually anything
a
…
Including costs!!
MACHINE OPTIONS
A CUT ABOVE THE COMPETITION
- Mid Rail, High Rail and Low Rail Gantries
- Many Sizes 30”X30” to 30’x100’
- Supports Multiple Cutting Heads
- Closed-Loop Filtration
- Abrasive Recycling
- 30-200hp Intensifier Pumps
- 60,000 psi and 90,000 psi models
- Industry-Leading Precision and Accuracy
- Widest Variety of Intensifier Pumps
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Scan for
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Â
WELDING | Laser
formation of martensite and generally
doesn’t evaporate lighter alloying metals.
Thus, changes in alloy properties
between the base metal and fusion zone
are minimized.
Keyhole welding requires that a
high threshold power be reached
to initiate the process, resulting in
a more narrow process window.
Keyhole mode welding is suitable for
deep penetration welds where high
aspect ratios are desirable. In contrast,
conduction mode welding works over
a relatively large linear power range,
UHVXOWLQJLQJUHDWHUSURFHVVÁH[LELOLW\
Taken together, the combination
of power control and shallow weld
penetration results in conduction
mode welding being a well accepted
laser welding solution for delicate, heat
sensitive parts and thin metals.
Traditional welding lasers
Several different laser technologies are
FXUUHQWO\XVHGIRUZHOGLQJ7KHVSHFLÀF
characteristics of each laser type (e.g.
physical, output beam and cost factors)
determine the way in which a particular
laser type can be used for welding.
The most commonly encountered
welding laser types are CO2, solid state
YAG (lamp-pumped or diode-pumped)
DQGÀEHUODVHUV
CO2 lasers output at a wavelength
of 10.6 μm, which is well into the
infrared. Typically, they produce a high
power, well collimated beam of a few
millimeters in diameter.
While the infrared light of the CO2
laser is not well absorbed by most
metals, the combination of very high
power and small beam diameter yields
the power density necessary to initiate
keyhole welding.
However, their infrared light cannot
EHGHOLYHUHGE\RSWLFDOÀEHUDQGFDQ
The HighLight
D-Series high power
diode laser with an
optical module.
present limitations in terms of how the
laser is deployed in actual production
settings.
In solid state lasers, the light from
either a lamp or a series of diode lasers
is focused (or pumped) into a laser
rod which then emits a small, well
collimated beam of laser light in the
near infrared (typically at 1.064 μm)
ZKLFKFDQEHÀEHUGHOLYHUHG$YDULDQW
on this is the disk laser in which the
solid state laser medium is disk shaped
instead of a rod; disk lasers are all diode
pumped and never lamp-pumped.
Solid state lasers are mostly used for
conduction welding.
7KHEDVLFFRQÀJXUDWLRQRIODPS
pumped solid state (LPSS) lasers
PDNHVWKHPHOHFWULFDOO\LQHIÀFLHQW
furthermore, lamps must be replaced
every few months which raises operating
costs and results in maintenance
downtime. However, this legacy
technology is well established and
understood, therefore some industries
have been slow to move away from it.
Diode-pumped solid state (DPSS)
ODVHUVRIIHUVLJQLÀFDQWO\EHWWHUUHOLDELOLW\
longer maintenance intervals and lower
consumables cost than LPSS lasers.
However, their initial purchase price is
higher putting their long term cost of
ownership on a par with LPSS lasers.
Fiber lasers are like DPSS lasers,
however, the laser rod is replaced with
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6LQJOHPRGHÀEHUODVHUVZKLFKSURGXFH
very “pure” light that can be focused to
the smallest spot size) deliver output in
the same power and wavelength range
as DPSS lasers. Moreover, they can be
focused to the small spot size needed
to achieve the power density necessary
IRUNH\KROHZHOGLQJ0XOWLPRGHÀEHU
lasers can deliver tens of kilowatts, but
in a larger spot size, and hence lower
power density. They are suitable for both
conduction mode and keyhole welding
applications.
High power diode lasers
The output characteristics and physical
properties of the various traditional
welding lasers lead to a number of
practical and cost limitations. In
response to the need for a more optimal
source for this application, Coherent
has developed the HighLight series of
products. These products are based on
high power diode laser technology.
The diode laser is a semiconductor
device that directly converts electrical
energy into laser light. Typically, higher
power diode lasers output in the near
infrared, most commonly in the 800
nm to 1000 nm wavelength range. A
typical, individual diode laser emitter
might produce at most a few Watts of
output power.
However, numerous emitters can
be fabricated on a single monolithic
semiconductor substrate or bar with a
total output as high as 150 W. These
linear bars can, in turn, be combined
in horizontal and vertical stacks to
produce high power direct diode laser
systems with total output power in the
multi-kilowatt range.
7KHPD[LPXPFRQYHUVLRQHIÀFLHQF\
of transforming input electrical energy
into light in diode laser bars is about 59
per cent, which translates into a total
HOHFWULFDOHIÀFLHQF\RIDERXWSHUFHQW
for a high power diode laser system.
This is many times higher than for any
RWKHUODVHUW\SH7KHSULPDU\EHQHÀWRI
WKLVKLJKHIÀFLHQF\LVWKDWLWORZHUVWKH
operating cost of the system since less
electricity is required to produce a given
amount of output power. Of course
this reduced power consumption also
decreases the carbon footprint of the
laser’s operation.
The diode laser converts
electrical energy into light...
The maximum conversion
efficiency of transforming
input electrical energy into
light in diode laser bars
is about 59%.
The small size of diode lasers
makes them easier to integrate into
workstations. It also means that they
produce their waste heat in a relatively
small physical area. As a result, they
can be effectively cooled with a small
volume of circulating water and a chiller.
The HighLight diode laser systems
are designed for industrial processing
applications such as welding, heat
treating and cladding. The product line
consists of multiple models, including
the D-Series, which offers output
power from 2.8 W to 8 kW at 975 nm.
Depending upon the model, a range
of beam sizes, with various widths,
and lengths of up to 24 mm, can
be produced to match the needs of
VSHFLÀFDSSOLFDWLRQV$QRWKHUPRGHOLV
the 1000F, which is a high brightness,
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kW at 975 nm from a 600 μm core
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VL]HDQGÀEHUGHOLYHU\PDNHWKH)
particularly easy to deploy in industrial
environments where space and access
to electrical and water service are an
issue. Furthermore, its small spot size
makes it particularly well matched to
the requirements of many thin metal
and plastic welding applications.
As mentioned previously, a primary
advantage of these lasers for welding
is the substantial cost of ownership
savings derived from their electrical
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instant “on” capability so there is no
standby power consumption.
This table
summarizes
the primary
output
characteristics
and practical
features of the
various laser
types used for
welding.
33
Â
WELDING | Laser
Even larger savings result from
reduced maintenance costs, which
are orders of magnitude smaller for
the HighLight as compared to other
welding lasers. Maintenance downtime
is also minimized because the physically
compact laser can be more rapidly
replaced than bulkier lasers and if
required, replacements can even be
shipped via overnight courier services.
alloys that are currently processed
with other laser and/or non-laser
WHFKQRORJ\7\SLFDOH[DPSOHVDUH
medium and high carbon steels,
which tend to form an undesirable
martensitic fusion zone when
subjected to the high temperatures
and fast temperature cycling
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and aerospace components. Again,
this is because the lower process
temperature doesn’t cause removal of
more volatile alloying elements from
the fusion zone. Additionally, stainless
steels are generally increasingly
UHÁHFWLYHDWORQJHUZDYHOHQJWKVVRWKH
shorter wavelength of the diode laser
results in incrementally better light
Welding with lasers:
when and where
Direct diode lasers are best employed
for conduction mode welding of thin
metals for applications in which cost
is a prominent factor (both purchase
price and operating costs) and in
www.coherent.com
which practical considerations
VXFKDVÁRRUVSDFHDQGSDUWDFFHVV
are important.
Additionally, the ability to deliver
the output through long lengths of
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RIÁH[LELOLW\LQWHUPVRIZKHUHWKH
laser system is located. It also enables
beam delivery into tight or hard to
access spaces. Typical uses would
therefore be under-hood welding
of components in automobile
manufacturing and welding of heatsensitive devices.
More importantly, the lasers can
often be utilized with limited process
changes, meaning that there is not
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employed with the same materials and
Process speed and penetration depth: 304 Stainless Steel
Galvanized (zinc coated) steels
commonly used in automotive
applications can also be welded
with these lasers. Again, these are
problematic with keyhole welding
because the zinc melts rapidly whereas
the lower temperatures of conduction
welding result in a fusion zone, which
has a uniform dilution of zinc and
steel with no porosity.
Stainless steel is also well suited to
conduction mode welding with diode
lasers, particularly in applications
where the corrosion resistance of the
ZHOGLVFULWLFDO7\SLFDOH[DPSOHVDUH
in medical devices, nuclear reactors
DEVRUSWLRQDQGWKXVKLJKHUHIÀFLHQF\
than with older laser types.
The higher absorption of shorter
wavelength light is even more
pronounced in aluminum, which has
DYHU\VLJQLÀFDQWGLSLQLWVUHÁHFWLYLW\
in the near infrared. Aluminum alloys
containing volatile alloying materials
VXFKDVPDJQHVLXPZKLFKLVGLIÀFXOWWR
keyhole weld, can often be successfully
welded with diode lasers. SMT
Keith Parker is senior business
development manager for direct diode
and fiber laser systems for Coherent, Santa
Clara, CA.
For more information on welding technologies, visit Shop Metalworking
Technology’s WELDING ZONE online at www.shopmetaltech.com.
Mark your calendar for the
IMTS Canadian Luncheon
Presented by:
Mark the date now to join hundreds of fellow
Canadians at the IMTS Canadian Luncheon
on the Tuesday at IMTS (September 11). In
addition to the opportunity to network and
enjoy the company of old and new friends, you’ll
be entertained by noted Canadian comedian Glen
Foster (That Canadian Guy), a headliner on the
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Exclusive Metrology Sponsor:
Mitutoyo Canada
Exclusive Cutting Tool Sponsor:
Sandvik Coromant Canada
September 11, 2012
McCormick Place,
Chicago
Exclusive Workholding
& Toolholding Sponsor:
Schunk Intec
Exclusive Machine Tools Sponsor:
Elliott Matsuura Canada
Â
MACHINE TOOLS | Turning | Case Study
A Turn for the Better
Automated turning keeps business in Canada
THE PROBLEMÔ
Capturing significant
manufacturing business
migrating overseas.
ÒTHE SOLUTION
An in-house designed
automated turning cell.
An overview of GMI’s Alternator Shaft Turning Cell
in its Elmvale, ON, plant.
The cell includes 10 Nakamura Tome WT 150
multi-axis CNC turning centres.
BY ED ROBERTSON
HE SCALE and content of the
cell is impressive. It consists of
10 Nakamura-Tome WT-150
multi-axis CNC turning centres, 10
LNS Sprint automatic bar feeders,
one Mitutoyo Mach V CMM with
DXWRPDWLFSDUWÀ[WXULQJDQGWUDQVIHU
vision system, scrap-removal unit, and
integrated logic and control software.
Dubbed the GMI Shaft Flexible
Manufacturing Cell, GMI (Glueckler
T
Metal Inc.), Barrie, ON, and Elmvale,
ON (where the turning cell is located)
has grown to dominate high volume
automated turning projects in North
America by steadily evolving its
use of production technology, not
backing down from a challenge, and
constantly pursuing solutions with
out-of-the-box thinking.
Founded in 1987 by Anthony
Glueckler and a partner, even GMI’s
history is unorthodox. Glueckler, who
graduated with a degree in kinesiology,
freely admits to being “a phys-ed grad
who got off on the wrong highway exit”
as to why he chose a manufacturing
career. More accurately, Glueckler had
some ideas about designing physical
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Magna, which eventually evolved into
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THE EQUIPMENT
GMI’s Alternator
Shaft Flexible
Manufacturing Cell
t10 Nakamura WT150 multiaxis CNC turning centres (Elliott
Matsuura)
t10 LNS Sprint automated
bar feeders. (Elliott Matsuura)
t1 Mitutoyo Mach V shop floor
CMM with part fixturing and
transfer.
tComplete automation system
designed and supplied by NH
Global Inc.
tIntegrated logic and control
software designed in conjunction
with McMaster University and
Nixon Systems.
tIntegrated Vision system supplied
by Cana Vision.
tPATZ integrated scrap system
designed and installed by GMI.
tHigh pressure coolant system
designed and installed by GMI.
Fully
integrated performance
NEW
Tiger·tec® Silver ISO P Generation: By
combining new grades and new geometries,
Walter Valenite has created a new generation
of steel turning inserts. We paired our unique
Tiger·tec® Silver CVD coating with a newly
developed universal geometry range for turning
steel. That’s what we call pure performance
– fully integrated into the processes of our
customers.
Visit us at MMTS
Booth # 555
Remarkable increase in performance:
Competition
Tiger·tec® Silver WPP10S
+ 75 %
See the product video:
Scan the QR code or go to
http://goo.gl/frwc2
WALTER NORTH AMERICA
Walter USA, LLC
N22W23855 RidgeView Pkwy W
Waukesha, WI 53188, USA
800-945-5554
service.us@walter-tools.com
Walter Canada
N22W23855 RidgeView Pkwy W
Waukesha, WI 53188, USA
800-945-5554
service.ca@walter-tools.com
Walter Tools S.A. de C.V.
Boulevard Louis Donaldo Colosio 2255
2do Piso, Colonia San Patricio
25204 Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico
service.mx@walter-tools.com
www.walter-tools.com/us
www.youtube.com/waltertools
www.facebook.com/waltertools
Heinman Machinery Ltd.
MCV-1100
43”x23”x22”
XYZ travel
25HP
10000rpm
Fanuc 21iMB
24 tool ATC
CNC Vertical
Machining
Centres
MCV-300
24”x12”x18”
XYZ travel
10HP
MCV-1000
40”x20”x20”
XYZ travel
20HP
8000rpm
Fanuc Oi-Mate MD
16 tool ATC
8000rpm
Fanuc Oi-MD
24 tool ATC
CNC Horizontal
Boring & Milling Machines
HB-110-20T
79”x59”x55” XYZ travel
35HP
2500rpm
Fanuc OiMD
60 tool ATC
V-700
27”x16”x22” 10000rpm
XYZ travel
Fanuc Oi-Mate D
10HP
24 tool ATC
V-43MD
43”x23”x20” 15000rpm
XYZ travel
Fanuc 18iMB
20HP
24 tool ATC
V-2000
Double Column
80”x45”x27”
XYZ travel
30HP
15000rpm
Fanuc 18iMB
30 tool ATC
Bed Type Mills
CS-VBM-5VHL Vertical & Horizontal
CS-VBM-5VL Vertical
Table 86.5”x20”
Metric ball screws
Pneumatic clamping
AC servo motor
Bed Type Mills
CS-VBM-4V Vertical
Table 74.5”x17.5”
Metric ball screws
Spindle head feed
2-Axis feed
Milling Machines
CS-G450B
Vertical & Horizontal
Table 51”x12”
ISA40, 5HP & 7.5HP
3-Axis power feed
Rapid traverse
Visit our showroom for a demo - Over 250 machines in stock
6105 Kestrel Road, Mississauga, ON
Phone 905.564.9479 Fax 905.564.1052
Email sales@heinmanmachinery.com
www.heinmanmachinery.com
CNC Vertical Machining Centres
MCV-1700
25HP
6000rpm
Fanuc 21iMB
32 tool ATC
MCV-1020A
MCV-1020BA
40”x21”X22” XYZ travel
15HP
10000rpm
Fanuc OiMD
25 or 24 tool ATC
MCV-2100
MCV-2600
82”x34”X30” XYZ travel
30HP
6000rpm
Fanuc OiMD
32 tool ATC
CNC Lathes
FCL-820
FCL-1028
Slant bed
Fanuc Oi-Mate
or Oi-TC
Hydraulic
10-station ATC
8”/10” chuck
MCV-1450
25HP
6000rpm
Fanuc 21iMB
32 tool ATC
Horizontal Machining Centres
MCH-500
MCH-800
30HP
6000rpm or 10000rpm
Fanuc 21iMB
60 tool ATC
Cylindrical Grinders
CGP-816
CGP-1224
Automatic Surface Grinders
FSG-2040ADII
FSG-2060ADII
FSG-2460ADII
Automatic Surface Grinders
FSG-1224ADII
FSG-3A818
FSG-1632ADII
FSG-3A1020
FSG-1640ADII
FSG-3A1224
Handfeed Surface Grinders
Grinders that will last for years
ACCU-618SP Super Precision
FSG-618M
Includes: 6”x18” Walker Neo
Micro magnetic chuck
CNC Vertical
Machining Centres
KMC-3000SV(B)
Double Column
35HP
5200rpm
Fanuc 18iMB
30 tool ATC
Â
ÒCHEVALIER
THE EQUIPMENT
t20-micron filtration system designed and
installed by GMI.
tThe entire system was developed in scope
by GMI and erected by GMI in conjunction
with suppliers.
tValue when installed: $5 million (2006)
tValue today: $6 million
tGMI 2011 sales: $22 million
t2012 projection: $25 million
t“Our high in 2005 was $35,000,000,
so you can see the swing through the
result of a global recession and the
effect globalization has had on a firm
like GMI. This is, I believe, very symbolic
of the parts manufacturers in
North America competing with the
‘Box’ (container-applicable traded
products).” – Anthony Glueckler.
parts-making business.
Realizing it took a fair amount of
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A Mach V CMM from Mitutoyo is integrated into
the cell.
Growing in stages
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TURNING MACHINES
METALTECH REPORT
High speed precision turning
Chevalier’s FCL-1028/MC series of CNC
lathes—available in Canada from Heinman
Machinery—are rigidly designed machines
that work well in high speed applications.
The series includes the FCL-1028, the
FLC-1028P and the FCL-1028 MC
machines. The FCL-1028 is capable of
tight tolerances in high speed
environments. The front and rear end of
the spindle uses two-column NN type ball
bearings, and the middle sections uses U
130 mm diameter angular ball bearings for
heavy duty machining. The hydraulic cam
tool turret holds up to 10 tools that can
be changed in 0.3 seconds.The MC model
in the series also features a hydraulic cam
tool turret equipped with a CS indexing
spindle system in which the spindle is
servo motor-driven. It too features a turret
with the ability to hold 10 tools with a
quick 0.3 second tool changeover.
X and Z axis travels on the FCL 1028
and FCL-1028P are 260 mm (9.44 in.)
and 762 mm (30 in.) respectively, while
on the FCL-1028MC, X axis travel is 260
mm (9.44 in.) and Z axis travel is 620 mm
(24.4 in.). All three machines feature a
tailstock travel of 627 mm (25 in.) As well,
rapid traverse in X and Z axes for all three
models is 20 m/min for X axis and 24 m/
min for Z axis.
www.heinmanymachinery.com
ÒFEELER
High performance turning
Feeler has launched a new line of milling lathes and turning centres available
from North American distributor Methods
Machine Tools Inc.
The HT-series are available in three
configurations including an HT-30MC
power milling turret machine, an
HT-30Y model with a
power milling turret
and Y axis, and an
HT-30SY machine
featuring a power
milling turret, Y axis
and a sub-spindle.
Each lathe features
a 3,500 rpm, 30 hp
spindle with chuck diameter of 10 in. (254 mm)
and bar capacity of 3 in. (78 mm). The HT-30Y
and HR-30SY machines also offer a Y axis travel
of 3.9 in. 2 in. (100 50mm). Maximum turning
diameter is 14 in. (356 mm) and maximum
turning length is 27.75 in. (70 5mm).
The FTC series turning centres include the
FTC-150 and FTC-200L models, featuring linear
guideways on the X and Z axes. The new machines
feature 30° slant bed construction and a Fanuc
0i-TD Control as standard. The FTC-150
machine offers a 6,000 rpm, 15 hp spindle with a
hydraulic chuck diameter of 6 in. (170 mm) and
a bar capacity of 2 in. (52 mm). The FTC-200L
lathe features a 4,500 rpm, 25 hp spindle with a
8 in. (210 mm) hydraulic chuck diameter and 2.6
in. (65 mm) bar capacity. It includes a 12-station
turret and offers a maximum turning diameter
of 13.8 in. (350 mm) and a maximum turning
length of 26 in. (660 mm).
www.methodsmachine.com
ÒHAAS
“Done-in-one” turning
The Haas DS-30 Series Y axis turning centres
combine dual spindle turning with Y axis, C
axis, and live tooling to create a “done-in-one”
machining solution for any shop. The opposed
spindles support synchronized turning, and
allow on-the-fly part pass-off to reduce cycle
times. The machines provide 4 in. (101.6
mm) of Y axis travel (±2 in./50.8 mm from the
centerline) for off-centre milling, drilling, and
tapping, and come standard with high torque
live tooling and a servo driven C axis. The
machines are available in standard and Super
Speed configurations.
The DS-30Y has a maximum cutting
capacity of 18 in. x 23 in. (457 mm x 584
mm) and is equipped with a 12-station
hybrid BOT/VDI turret. The A2-6 main
spindle features an 8.3 in. (210 mm)
hydraulic chuck, and is powered by a 30 hp
vector drive system that provides 300 ft-lb of
PRODUCT: DMG’S CTX GAMMA 1250 TC
User: Alpen Machine & Tool Ltd.
Alpen Machine & Tool Ltd., Concord
, ON, has been in business since 197
9 and
has continued to grow even through
economic downturns because of a focu
s on
technology investments. “We’ve mad
e good choices along the way and we
rein
vest
heavily back into the business,” says
Robert Verhousek, plant manager, who
runs
the operation with his father, Frank.
“Since 2008, we’ve put back about
$2 million
into the company.”
Part of that investment includes a DMG
four axis turning and milling centre,
the CTX gamma 1250 TC, installed
last September. The new machine join
s several
other DMG machines in the 8,000
sq ft machine shop—three axis mill
ing
and
simultaneous five axis milling, as well
as three surface grinders.
The CTX gamma 1250 TC features
the integration of a B axis milling spin
dle
for five axis simultaneous machining.
The machine is designed with a larg
e
Y
axis
range of +/- 7.9 in. and linear roller
guideways in all axes for improved mac
hine
performance. A disk-type magazine
holds 24 or 36 tools. The machine
features
a Siemens 840D solutionline control
for user friendly DIN programming,
DMG’s
ShopTurn 3G and shop floor orientat
ion.
Verhousek says what he likes best
about the DMG machines are their
user
friendliness. “I’ve been a machinist
for
16 years and I first started on a Dec
kel,
which is now part of the DMG group.
Even back then it was easy to use
because it had a conversational code
for programming instead of the mor
e
complex G code. Over the years we
have had machines from different supp
liers,
but we felt that DMG performs bett
er with cycle times, acceleration and
deceleration and quality for machini
ng tolerances.”
Alpen has invested in high-end mac
hine tools because it’s the only way
to
compete in the competitive job shop
market, says Verhousek. Alpen’s mai
n
business was machining mould com
ponents, but when the downturn hit,
Verhousek
says he and his father decided to mov
e out of the mould business and focu
s on
aerospace, power generation and oil
and gas industries. “We like the mor
e
difficult-to-cut materials and complex
jobs. We were competing with too man
y
people for the simple stuff. Now we
can handle complex jobs. Also, DMG
is
pret
ty
much the champion in five axis mac
hining and we have that capability
now
.”
The CTX line includes the CTX beta 125
0 4A, the newest machine in the
family, which extends the range of appl
ications for this line into four axis
production turning. It offers complete
machining of chuck-held stock and bar
stock in
two opeations on the main and counter
spindle. Key features include a water-coo
led
motor on the main and counter spindles
, a 12-pocket direct drive VDI turret with
a
maximum 10,000 rpm, a turrent with
the Trifix precision quick change syste
m
for
VDI tools, and simple and fast program
ming using the Siemens ShopTurn 3G
control.
www.dmgcanada.com
41
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TURNING MACHINES METALTECH REPORT
torque. The A2-5 secondary spindle also has
an 8.3 in. (210 mm) hydraulic chuck, and is
powered by a 20 hp vector drive system that
provides 135 ft-lb of cutting torque. Both
spindles turn to 4000 rpm, and have a 2.0
in. (50.8 mm) bar capacity. Rapids are 945
ipm on the X and Z axes, and 500 ipm on the
Y axis.
The Super Speed DS-30SSY has a maximum cutting capacity of 16 in. x 23 in.
(406 mm x 584 mm), and is equipped with
a 24-station hybrid BOT/VDI turret. The
A2-6 main spindle features an 8.3 in. (210
mm) hydraulic chuck, and is powered by
a 30 hp vector drive system that provides
Robotics automate part transfer.
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275 ft-lb of torque. The A2-5 secondary spindle also has an 8.3 in. (210 mm)
hydraulic chuck, and is powered by a 20
hp vector drive system that provides 110
ft-lb of cutting torque. Both spindles turn to
4800 rpm, and have a 2.0 in. (50.8 mm)
bar capacity. Rapids are 945 ipm on the X
axis, 1200 ipm on the Z axis, and 500 ipm
on the Y axis.
www.HaasCNC.com
ÒMAZAK
Single setup turning and milling
The Quick Turn Nexus 450 MY multi-tasking CNC turning centre offers manufacturers the ability of a single setup for turning
and milling for improved throughput.
The headstock features a 15 in., 18 in.
or 21 in. (381 mm, 457 mm, 533 mm)
chuck, mounted on a 50 hp, 2,000 rpm integrated spindle motor main turning spindle
for heavy-duty metal removal.
The spindle also serves as a C axis,
capable of being indexed at 0.0001°
increments to accurately position parts for
square facing and slotting cuts and pre-
cisely drilled holes. Additionally, the C axis
spindle is a full-function CNC controlled
axis for milling.
The machine uses a 12-position drum
turret, and 10 hp, 4,000 rpm rotary tool
spindle for milling, drilling, and tapping
operations, allowing many processes to be
completed in a single machine cycle. Axis
travels measure 13.39 in. (340.1 mm) in X,
8 in. (203.2 mm) in Y and 125 in. (3,175
mm) in Z.
The machine’s NC servo tailstock enables automated processes. The tailstock
is fully programmable, driving the W axis
on its own AC servo motor and ball screw.
Through the part program, the tailstock will
retract to a known position and its centre
makes contact with the part with consistent
holding pressure.
The sixth generation Mazatrol Matrix
Nexus control simplifies multi-tasking
metalworking operations on the machine. It
offers a large 12 in. LCD color display and
the familiar QWERTY keyboard.
www.mazakcanada.com
ÒMORI SEIKI
Universal turning
The new generation of compact NLX series
of universal turning machines feature what
Mori Seiki describes as “a sophisticated
machine concept” and includes a thermosymmetrical design that minimizes vibrations because of its stability. The thermal
DOOSAN
FACTS
t Currently the 3rd largest machine tool builder in the world (Production Capacity)
t Machine tool sales of $1.2 billion in 2011
t Over 1,700 employees with more than 330 R&D and Application Engineers
t Annual R&D budget of $60 million (5%)
t Introduced over 60 new models in 2010-2011
t Fanuc’s largest worldwide customer of CNC controls
t U.S. Machine Tool Division founded in 1976
t Delivered over 110,600 CNC machines worldwide
t Currently over 254 models available
t Global capacity to produce 16,800 machines annually
t Official machine tool supplier to Joe Gibbs Racing (21 machines)
www.ferrotechnique.com
Windsor, ON | Tel: 519-257-3557
Mississauga, ON | Tel: 905-890-3231 | sales@ferrotechnique.com
St-Laurent, QC | Tel: 514-341-3450 | info@ferrotechnique.com
T E C H N O LO G Y
PRODUCTIVITY
VA LU E
www.doosaninfracore.com/machinetools
Corporate Office & Engineering Center: 19A Chapin Road
Pine Brook, NJ 07058 Tel: 973-618-2500
Midwestern Technical Center: 1701 F Howard Street
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 Tel: 847-437-1010
Western Technical Center: 488 W. Meats Avenue
Orange, CA 92865 Tel: 714-974-1330
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Ed Robertson is a regular contributor
and manufacturing journalist based
in the Detroit, MI, area.
TURNING MACHINES METALTECH REPORT
properties of the turning machines are
optimized by the integrated cooling system
in the machine bed. The liquid circulates
through the casting to keep the temperature
constant and to eliminate thermal irregularities.
The BMT technology, with which rotating
tools are driven by an integrated motor in the
turret, offers users several benefits: reduced
heat generation for increased accuracy;
minimal vibrations and improved transmission
efficiency, which all contribute to higher milling
performance and speed. The tool turret provides
space for 10 or optionally 12 tools.
The machine is equipped with a counter
spindle and an integrated Y axis. Turning
length is 705 mm, with a diameter of 366
mm. Bar loading can be machined at a
diameter of 80 mm for traverse paths in X
and Z axis of 260 or 795 mm respectively.
www.moriseiki.com
allows part runs from a cold start. The flexible
machine is easy to set up, comes in multiple
bed and spindle sizes and in nearly 70 option
variations, including milling (M), sub-spindle
(W) and Y axis capabilities.
All LB-EX models feature the
operator-friendly THINC-OSP control, a
PC, Windows-based platform with open
architecture, plug and work USB capability,
and 40GB of memory.
http://oac.okuma.com/lbex
ÒNAKAMURA-TOME
Multi-turret, multi-tasking
The opposed twin spindles and upper and
lower turret design distinguish the
Nakamura-Tome WT-150 turning centre
from other similar models on the market.
The machine is available in Canada from
Elliott Matsuura Canada Inc.
ÒOKUMA
Hard turning
Okuma’s LB-EX series of horizontal CNC
lathes sets new standards for speed, accuracy
and flexibility in the two axis lathe category
and is ideal for hard turning because of its
superior rigidity and thermal-friendly design,
claims the company.
Available in four models with varying bed
lengths and optional capabilities, the series
can handle maximum machining lengths
ranging from 150 mm to 1500 mm
(capabilities vary by model).
The machines are equipped with a
compact PREX motor, offering high rotation
speed, horsepower and torque. Machining
accuracy is attributable to the box slant bed
design and thermal compensation system,
allowing for machining dimensional change
over time of less than Ø7μm, which in turn
According to Nakamura-Tome, the
multi-point machining process is quicker than
single point machining. On a single point
machine, cycle time is approximately 463
seconds compared to the multi-point machining
on the WT-150, which is 260 seconds.
Features of the left spindle include a high
efficiency spindle motor, a bar capacity of 51
mm, a A2-5 spindle nose, and C axis rapid
speed of 600 min-1.
The upper turret milling capability features
a Y axis stroke of +/-35 mm, can hold up to
24 tools (two, 12-station units), has milling
motor speed of 6000 min-1, and is equipped
with servo-driven non-lift turrets. The lower
turret can also accommodate a maximum of
24 tools (two, 12-station units). The right
spindle has a bar capacity of 51 mm in and a
C axis rapid speed of 600 min-1.
www.elliottmachinery.com
simply more success
CTX 310 ECOLINE
ECOLINE – Top Seller in a new design
DMG 24 / 7 Service Hotline
(905) 795-8071
Support when you need it.
Come see us at MMTS 2012!
Montreal Manufacturing Technology Show
Place Bonaventure, Montréal QC CANADA
Booth # 363, May 14 - 16, 2012
NEW // Functional Design: with a 35% larger safety glass for better viewing,
Planon LED plus for optimal work area lighting // PROGRESSline – Clear display
of remaining machining time and number of pieces* // Highly dynamic servo
turret with a synchronous motor, hydraulic clamping and 50% faster tool changing
// Larger bar passage up to 2.6 in.* (3.5 in.)* / ** for more flexibility // Circular
diameter over the bed: 13 / 26.8 in.**; Turning diameter over the cross slides:
7.9 / 18.3 in.**; Max. longitudinal path (Z): 17.7 / 41.3 in.** // User-friendly
control range
* Optional, ** Data for the CTX 510 ECOLINE
All the latest news available at: www.dmg.com
DMG Canada Inc.: 165 Admiral Blvd., Mississauga, ON, L5T 2T3, Canada
Tel.: (905) 795-2891, Fax: (905) 795-0393
info@dmg.com, www.dmg.com
If your phone is equipped with QR-code recognition software, you will be directed to our homepage.
DMG SLIMline® Panel with
HEIDENHAIN CNC Pilot 620
DMG SLIMline® with SIEMENS
840D solutionline with ShopTurn
Â
MACHINE TOOLS | Automation
Productivity
Think automation isn’t
for you? Think again.
$
Automation Shopping Cart
$
Automation comes in many forms from the simple basic load/unload
or one-robot, to fully automated cells. The information below is a
general guide on some automation products you can get with
different investment amounts, based on information from suppliers.
INVESTMENT
WHAT YOU GET
$5,000 to $20,000
Machine probe
Parts catcher
Digital readout
Auto compensation gauge/software
$20,000 to $50,000
Bar feeder
Shaft loader/shaft unloader
Pallet changer
Extended tool magazine
$50,000 to $100,000
Multi-pallet changer
Extended tool magazine
Small robotic system
Pick and place loader/unloader with
bowl feeder
Simple gantry loader
$200,000 to $500,000
Multi-pallet cell
Gantry loader with flexible pallet system
Flexible robot load/unload system
$500,000 +
Multi-machine flexible
manufacturing cell
F YOU’RE reading this
article, then you must
have some interest in
automation. Still, others
may think “automation
again? It’s not suitable for
my shop.”
February’s premier issue
of Shop Metalworking Technolog y
addressed automation for
the welding and fabricating
sectors. Not surprisingly,
some of the topics discussed
in the those articles also
apply to machining
applications. Most
important is the idea of
automation as an essential
I
$
competitive tool that all
North American
manufacturers should
be implementing in their
operations.
“If you’re not taking
labour out of the equation,
you won’t be around for
long,” says Vince D’Alessio,
vice president of Elliott
Matsuura Canada, Oakville,
ON. “The word ‘automation’ makes people nervous
because they think it means
spending a lot of money, but
it can be as simple as adding
a probe in your machine
tool or a bar feeder on your
Booster
BY MARY SCIANNA
turning machine. It’s simply
having machines do more
operations automatically
and taking labour out of the
equation.”
There are very few shops
WKDWZRXOGQ·WEHQHÀWIURP
some level of automation.
That’s because, according
to suppliers Shop Metalworking Technolog y spoke with,
automation has a broad
GHÀQLWLRQDQGFDQUDQJH
from a simple load/unload
unit on a machine to a full
manufacturing cell with
robotics.
“There are many levels
of automation and a broad
spectrum of products and
systems from simple
machine tending to complex
gantry style automated
cells,” says Mark Rentschler,
marketing manager, Makino,
Mason, ON. “Then there
are automated systems
occurring within the machining centres like probing,
macro programming, and
tool monitoring systems.”
The many levels of
automation combined with
a growing trend toward
more user-friendly systems
is making automation more
Top right: An example of
Makino’s automated system
at a customer’s plant.
Bottom right: Part of automating
a line requires the controls and
software to make it work right,
as seen here, at Rego-Fix's
facility in Switzerland.
Bottom left: Rego-Fix decided
to expand and automate its
manufacturing plant in 2009,
when most manufacturers were
scaling back.
47
Â
accessible today to small and
medium sized OEM manufacturers and job shops.
“We see a lot of job shops
these days that invest in
automation,” says Eike
Huebner, manager director,
North America – DMG
American Inc., Hoffman
Estates, IL, who oversees
'0*&DQDGD´:HVHHÀYH
axis machines with pallet
changers and some shops
even have multi-level pallet
systems, but they’re fully
ÁH[LEOH,W·VQRWWKDWWKH\
produce one part 200,000
times a year; they produce
multiple parts in smaller
batches. Automation
systems and controls today
are capable of producing
one offs.”
Indeed, as D’Alessio
notes, “automation is not
DRQHWKLQJÀWVDOOW\SH
of process. It’s application
VSHFLÀFVRWKHDXWRPDWLRQ
you’ll need for a shop
making batches of 20 or 30
parts will be different from
the shop making batches of
250,000 widgets.”
Most importantly, automation is the key to North
American manufacturing
success, says Mike Kerscher,
product manager for
machining centres for
Mazak Corp., Florence, KY.
“Automation is what
makes manufacturing in
North America strong.
We’re good at it and we do it
better than any place in the
world. We make things and
can get them to customers
within one or two days;
this doesn’t happen in India
or China. Manufacturers
in those countries can’t be
as responsive as we are to
customer demands. Good
companies in North America are learning to survive
against foreign companies
with automation and it’s a
critical advantage.”
operation? What do you
want to achieve—lights out
operation for a shift or JIT
GHOLYHU\"$QGZKDWVSHFLÀF
equipment do you want
and what can you afford?
These are the things a shop
needs to think about with
automation.”
Steps to Consider
Assess your automation
requirements.
There are many
Automation is applicalevels of automation
WLRQVSHFLÀF7KHUH
to choose from,
says Makino’s Mark
are many factors that
Rentschler. One example
Consider
will help you deterseen here, in a
customers facility.
the type of
mine what you need,
automation
such as part quality, part
available.
sizes and part quantities.
Automation
is typically
If you run high mix/low
categorized into two main
volume production, your
FDWHJRULHVÀ[HGRUKDUG
automation systems will be
DQGÁH[LEOHV\VWHPV$V
different from a shop with
a general rule of thumb
a low mix/high volume
À[HGRUKDUGDXWRPDWLRQ
production run.
is suitable for high produc“First of all, you have
tion volume environments
to know your intent,”
in which a manufacturer is
says Jeff Estes, director
producing high numbers of
for Partners in THINC,
the same part. Examples of
Okuma Corp., Charlotte,
À[HGDXWRPDWLRQLQFOXGHD
NC. “What is it you want to
load/unload cell or a robot
automate in your machining
for automated material handling. Flexible automation,
as its name implies, is better
suited for high mix, low
volume production runs.
Perhaps the best example
RIÁH[LEOHDXWRPDWLRQLVWKH
pallet system.
“It’s the holy grail in
machining centres for
manufacturing,” says
Mazak’s Mark Kerscher,
UHIHUULQJWRWKHÁH[LEOH
automation systems on
the market today. He cites
Mazak’s Palletech system as
an example. The modular
system allows customers to
introduce automation in a
“building block approach,”
he explains. A starter
system, which would be
equipped with six pallets
continued on page 50 Î
is expanding to serve you better in Western Canada
EMEC Machine Tools has expanded its
operations in Western Canada with the
appointment of Darcy Lytle to the position
of Western Canada Area manager.
(0(&UHSUHVHQWVVRPHRIWKH¿QHVW
machine tool builders on an exclusive
basis across Canada – Hardinge,
Tsugami, Grob, Nomura and Shimada.
Okuma is a cornerstone of the company,
with representation from Manitoba through
Eastern Canada.
Our business has been built through
relationships with customers that
provides them with total production
solutions, providing expertise in areas
of service, application engineering, and
automation from a standalone machine
tools to fully automated turnkey systems.
This appointment brings 25 plus years
of experience of providing high tech
manufacturing solutions in automotive
,aerospace, mining, agricultural and job
shop to its Western Canadian customers.
The EMEC team looks forward to meeting
you in the very near future.
0LVVLVVDXJD+HDG2I¿FH
Tel. 905-565-3570
Fax 905-565-3580
0RQWUHDO2I¿FH
Tel. 514-735-6888
Fax 514-735-6845
0DQLWRED2I¿FH
Tel. 204-688-2350
Fax 905-565-3580
6DOHV#HPHFPWFRPZZZHPHFPWFRP
$OEHUWD2I¿FH
Tel. 780-953- 3570
Fax 780-421- 8400
Â
Mazak's Palletech threelevel automation system.
“is relatively inexpensive
and allows customers to get
started with automation,
learn the technology and then
expand as needed to improve
productivity.”
Unlike a robot, where
there is a lot of changeover
from one part to another,
an automated pallet system
allows manufacturers to
present a variety of parts to
the machines on a common
platform. A common platform
allows manufacturers to boost
machine utilization while still
UHPDLQLQJÁH[LEOH
Robotic automation on a Makino machine at a customer's manufacturing shop.
Maximizing benefits
The key to automation is
spindle utilization, says
Mazak’s Mike Kerscher. You
want to make sure that your
machine is always running
and producing a part and you
can only do that with
automatic system, adds
Okuma’s Jeff Estes.
“Automation doesn’t
mean only robots. It can be
as simple as looking at your
SURFHVVHVDQGÀJXULQJRXW
if you can use a common
platform for workholding,
tooling and toolholding where
you can completely eliminate
changeover or set up times.
The idea is to increase
utilization of the machine as
much as possible.”
To take advantage of the
EHQHÀWVDXWRPDWLRQFDQ
bring to your manufacturing operation, you have to
AUTOMATION AS A MANUFACTURING PHILOSOPHY
European manufacturers
face the same dilemma
as their North American
counterparts: do we move
manufacturing to low-cost
labour countries or do
we invest in technology
and keep it at home? The
question becomes even
more critical during a time
of economic crisis, such
as the one we experienced
three years ago.
It’s the dilemma Swiss
toolholder manufacturer
Rego-Fix faced in 2009.
“Everything shut down
in 2009 and we had
three options: we could
scale back operations, do
nothing or expand and be
prepared for the upswing
when it came,” explains
Richard Weber, president
of Rego-Fix AG, based in
Tenniken, Switzerland.
So at a time when most
other manufacturers were
scaling back, Rego-Fix
made the commitment to
expand its 5,000 sq m
plant (54,000 sq ft) with
an additional 7,000 sq m
(75,000 sq ft) and invest
several million dollars in
automation, including new
CNC grinding machines,
robots, bar feeders,
software and quality
measurement systems.
“Our goal is have every
machine equipped with
robots,” says Weber. “We
are not there yet (more
CNC grinding and turning
machines are scheduled for
installation later this year),
but in one year we will see
robots in front of every machine. We want to optimize
our production capacity to
be more competitive and
the way to do it is with
automatic systems such
as robotics, bar feeders
and automated handling
systems.”
The significant investment in automation was a
calculated risk for RegoFix, but it’s one that is
paying off as the economy
continues to improve. Indeed, Weber estimates that
automation has helped the
company improve capacity
by approximately 40 per
cent. The improved capac-
ity means the company can
easily continue to supply its
products to its sales and
distribution centres in more
than 50 countries.
Weber says the decision
to remain in Switzerland
and not move manufacturing to lower-cost countries
like China was a difficult
one for company owners, which, in addition to
Richard Weber, includes
brothers Andreas Weber,
president of Rego-Fix Tool
Corp. in Indianapolis, IN,
and Stefan Weber, vice
Rego-Fix's automation at its Tenniken, Switzerland facility. President
Richard Weber says the company's goal is to have every machine equipped
with a robot.
look at what goes on inside
the machine as well as the
outside, advise suppliers.
That’s because if you have
automaton on the outside, you
have to have the appropriate
automated systems inside
the machine---automated
probing, too monitoring and
programming—to maximize
WKHEHQHÀWV\RXFDQDFKLHYH
with an automated machining
process.
Automation requires a
culture change, adds Elliott
Matsuura’s Vince D’Alessio.
“Putting an automated
pallet system into a shop
means you can’t continue to
do things like before or you
won’t gain the advantage of
automation. It’s a change in
the mindset of the workers
in the shop. I walk into a lot
of shops where they’ll replace
the tools in the tool magazine
and often change the inserts.
"The idea of automation
is to have the machine do as
much of these tasks as possible.
So all the measurement happens in the machine; tool life
is determined by the machine
and it tells the operator when
tools need to be replaced.
Many aren’t comfortable with
this, but you have to let the
automated system do the work
it’s designed to do to improve
productivity and reduce
machine downtime.” SMT
http://ca-en.dmg.com | www.elliottmachinery.com
www.makino.com | www.mazakcanada.com | www.okuma.com | www.rego-fix.com
president of marketing
and product development,
based in Tenniken,
Switzerland.
But a common philosophical approach to
manufacturing—a belief
that the latest automation technology is the best
way to secure its future in
a competitive market—
helped guide them in the
decision to keep manufacturing in Switzerland,
where founder Fritz Weber
established the company
close to 60 years ago.
Once the decision to
invest in automation was
made, the next step was
deciding how to implement
it. Initially, the company
experimented with using
one robot for more than
one machine, but it wasn’t
efficient because when
the robot was working with
one machine the second
machine sat idle, a cardinal
sin when maximum spindle
utilization is the goal. So
the company purchased
robots for every machine.
The 1:1 robot/machine
ratio makes sense for
Rego-Fix, which manufactures components and
parts—6,500 of them—by
product group. It means
that each machine focuses
on one type of product or
component in a product
group, which includes the
company’s family of ER
collets and its range of
powRgrip toolholding systems. The system minimizes machine downtime and
setups, which is important
for productivity goals, as
several of the machines run
24 hours a day, some of
them seven days a week,
explains Weber.
Automation makes
sense not just because
it improves productivity,
but also because it is the
best way that Rego-Fix
can achieve its goal of
being the best in its field,
says Andreas Weber, who
oversees North American
operations for the
company.
“Our vision is to invest
in technology for manufacturing because it is how
we can be a leader; we see
[the company] as a leader
in toolholding (the ‘connection expert between the
spindle and cutting tool’
as brother Richard Weber
describes it). We never
want a customer to try our
products and say ‘it didn’t
work and we’re going to
someone else.’ We want
to be leader in our field so
if someone buys Rego-Fix
they know they don’t have
to look any further. We
want to be the top brand in
toolholding.”
51
Â
CUTTING TOOLS | Hard Metals
NEW generation
of TOUGHER
cutting tools
for HARD METALS
BY TIM WILSON
N THE WORLD of cutting tools, hard metals don’t
have to be hard-to-cut metals. Whether we are discussing
superhard alloys, stainless steels, or titanium, with the
right application and approach, it’s possible to have a
successful outcome for just about any job.
“Titanium is not hard when compared to 68 Rockwell,”
says John Palmer, a UK-based technical engineer at ATI
Stellram with over 35 years experience in precision engineering.
“The biggest problem in cutting titanium is when you don’t
DSSURDFKWKHMREFRUUHFWO\LQWKHÀUVWSODFHµ
The best cut occurs only after extensive knowledge is
applied to the entire cutting process, and that comes from
experience. For example, ATI Stellram faced some initial
challenges with Ti 5553, but the company now has the
knowledge and experience in place to get the job done
reliably and effectively, says Palmer.
“We get tremendous results with Ti 5553. But you need a
view to the entire process. You need to take into account many
factors including the toolholder, the spindle, the rigidity of the
I
machine, and component stability. It is only when the cutting
tool touches the workpiece that you complete the circle.”
It takes some know-how to minimize material abuse,
degradation due to heat issues, and surface problems. For
example, titanium can suffer from adhesion to the back of
the cutting tool. If you run too fast, there is more heat, and
if you slow it down, there is more build-up. But with the
right tool geometry, you can reduce the build-up on the edge
EHKLQGWKHÁDQN
“You can increase the arc of contact, which will add to
tool life,” says Palmer. “Once you have radial clearance, you
can control the temperature through the arc of contact and
increase the speed so that the chip is being evacuated quickly,
and the tool remains cool when it is into the cut.”
With hard metals, there are so many factors to consider in
an application and so many variables in play, that it is important
to pay close attention to vendor recommendations.
This is true even for smaller shops. In North America there
are a huge number of small and medium shops, and they can’t
HARD METALS METALTECH REPORT
ÒEMUGE
Solid carbide thread mills
Emuge Corp. has expanded its
line of solid carbide thread mills in
its Threads-All program. Requiring
only eight standard tool sizes, #10
– 1/4 - 5/16 – 3/8 – 7/16 -1/2 –
5/8 – 3/4, it is now possible to
produce 100 plus commonly produced screw thread designations.
In addition, the new tools provide
control over pitch diameter limits
including 2B, 3B, 3BG and all
oversize variants.
The tools are designed for
difficult-to-cut materials, up to
58Rc, including stainless steels,
titanium and Inconel, often used
in demanding industries such as
aerospace, defense and medical.
www.emuge.com
ÒISCAR
Turning Inconel
Iscar’s IC806 Sumo Tec PVDcoated grade is designed for
machining high temperature
alloys, especially Inconel 718.
Inconel 718 belongs to a
family of nickel based superalloys
used extensively for applications
where withstanding high
temperatures and high corrosion
resistance is required. The major
problems encountered when
machining Inconel 718 are
characterized by high temperatures
on the cutting edge of the insert
afford to waste time with trial and error.
“We receive a great deal of phone calls from
customers experiencing trouble with their
applications. At points, it is a challenge to attack
the root of the problem over the phone; it
takes time,” explains John Mueller, the milling product engineer with Sumitomo Electric
Carbide. “Retrieving information from the end
user to resolve the issue is not always easy. Every
DSSOLFDWLRQLVXQLTXHOLNHDVQRZÁDNH<HW
per cent of the time those unique
applications and scenarios can be solved
GXULQJDFXVWRPHU·VÀUVWFDOODQGZHSURYHWKDW
through our guaranteed tests.”
Approaching the same material and the
same part, but with a new tool, can result in a
completely different scenario. This is due to the
ZLGHUUDQJHRIXQLTXHDSSOLFDWLRQVSHFLÀFFRDWings and edge preps available today.
“Our New Super ZX coating for the ACP
and ACK milling series features multiple layers
of alumina to increase heat resistance by 40 per
cent,” says Mueller. “The alumina upgrade
also provides at least 20 per cent better wear
resistance at higher speeds.”
Sumitomo’s Super ZX Coat also has
nano-scale layers of titanium, alumina and
chromium nitride. These elements are laminated
alternately and reach over a thousand layers.
“The Super ZX Coating is a dynamic
coating that provides a boost to all heat resistant
alloys. The coating also works well with stainless
due to the abrasive elements in
the material composition (high
nickel content of 50-55 per cent
and chrome 17-21 per cent)
Variable geometry helps in machining high-temp alloys
A SYMMETRICAL END MILL, with
an even number of flutes evenly
distanced, makes sense in some
applications. But the problem is,
without having cadences that prevent
the resonance of natural harmonics
created during cutting, you can
encounter severe vibration and chatter
that can create serious problems and
impact productivity.
“It is like when soldiers march
across a bridge," says Jason Wells,
product manager at SGS Tools. “They
break cadence, to avoid creating a
frequency that would match that of
the natural frequency of the bridge. If
the frequency of the forced vibration
of soldiers marching in time becomes
equal to one of the natural frequency
of the bridge, resonance may occur.
This may make the bridge oscillate or
vibrate with great amplitude causing
the bridge to collapse. The same can
be said of a tuning fork—if you hit
one side, the sound wave will travel
and cause the other side to start
vibrating.”
Sound waves aren’t just audible,
they also act as pressure waves that
vibrate against a workpiece, causing
surface finish and cutting tool damage.
And when cutting into difficult-to-machine metals, the more aggressive the
approach, the bigger the sound, and
the bigger the problem, with the harmonic resonance causing the tool to
chatter, resulting in chipping along the
cutting edge and poor surface finish.
Sound travels by transferring
vibration or energy across molecules.
which causes high wear rates,
chipping, notching and insert
breakage.
IC806 is a submicron grade
with superior wear resistant properties and advanced PVD TiAlN.
It has a hard submicron substrate
with PVD coating and a special
post coating treatment which
provides substantially improved
tool life and better reliability.
www.iscar.ca
The molecules must be close enough
to vibrate against each other to
transmit sound. The closer and more
aligned the molecules, the more
efficiently the sound travels.
“The vibrations from sound waves
travel more efficiently along a straight
line,” says Wells. “By varying the
geometry, speeds and feeds can be
increased, and cut quality greatly
improved compared to symmetrical
tooling.”
Another analogy is a bent pipe.
Sound waves can move immense
distances along a straight pipe, but if
you bend or put a knuckle in the pipe
the molecular transfer of vibration will
change, causing the sound waves to
suppress.
One industry example of what
suppliers are doing with vibration
dampening is ATI Stellram’s variable
cutting geometry, called RSM, a solid
carbide endmill for machining walls,
pockets and surfaces. The RSM design
overcomes the vibration and material
tarnishing often associated with
machining titanium and other
challenging materials.
“The RSM is a multi-flute
technology with differential pitch and
differential helix,” says John Palmer,
a technical engineer at ATI Stellram.
“Variability pitch creates stability on
the tool. This is not the same as in the
past. It offers a much better surface
finish because it generates less
noise and chatter for a smooth cut.
Consequently, you can get extremely
good tool life.”
ÒKENNAMETAL
Chipbreaking technology
Hard turning, generally defined as
the use of high hardness polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN)
inserts for machining hardened
ferrous or superalloy materials, is
poised for growth. In continuouscut operations, chip control can be
an issue. The hard inserts produce
ribbons of chips that quickly turn
into “bird nests,” that can damage
the part’s surface finish and slow
the process.
To address this, Kennametal has
integrated chip breaking geometries
into two of its hardest PCBN
grades–KB5610 and KB5625.
“Ideally, hardened steels are
machined with a low or medium
PCBN content grades in continuous
cutting applications,” says Gabriel
Dontu, global superhard technical
leader. “However, until recently,
53
Â
Sumitomo's CBN grade BN200 is good for turn
steels with hardnesses of 50 HRc and higher.
steel, including the precipitation hardened types (PH),” says Mueller.
Compared to Sumitomo’s original
ZX Coating, the Super ZX Coating
has increased amounts of titanium and
alumina. The titanium and alumina
mix with chromium to improve
hardness and oxidation resistance. Tool
life is then extended when cutting hard
metals because of the enhanced
coating strength, with improved
fracture resistance on the cutting edge.
Finding out if the part is in a
horizontal or vertical machining centre
can help guide you to the right type
of cutting tool. Pinpointing whether
the part is secured through casting
or forging produces another clue in
troubleshooting. Knowing if it is a mill
or a lathe, combined with the above,
can make a big difference in how the
cutting tool performs or in untangling
DVSHFLÀFSUREOHP
People tend to fall back on, “it’s a
new machine” or “tool life has been
great until today.” The tooling from
every supplier is always new, and under
strict quality control, but the machine,
À[WXULQJDQGKROGHUVDUHDOZD\VJHWWLQJ
used and worn down. Cutting tools
aren’t perfect and can be the source of a
problem, but they are only one variable
the industry has not been able to add
chip-breaking technology to CBN inserts.
KB5610 with chip breaker is the first
product of its type to deliver chip breaking
performance where it’s most needed.”
The PCBN inserts feature a PVD
coating and new braze technology for
improved braze joint strength even under the
most demanding cutting conditions.
www.kennametal.com
ÒKOMET
Solid carbide shank milling cutters
Derived from multiple special tooling
solutions for various clients, Komet has
assembled a standard range of solid carbide
cutting tools sold under the JEL brand. The
solid carbide shank milling cutters’ range
provides tools to meet all demands in the
3.0 - 25.0 mm diameter range.
tEnd milling cutters
tRoughing end mills
tHPC milling cutters
tSpherical cutters
tTorus milling cutters
tChamfer milling
cutters
tRadius milling cutters
While these tools
can be used for machining a variety of
materials, from cast iron to steel materials,
and to aluminum and non-ferrous metals, a
number of them are specifically designed for
machining hardened steels up to 65 HRC.
The range of milling cutters provide a reliable
solution for milling machining operations.
www.komet.com
ÒOSG
Hard milling
OSG Canada’s Exocarb WXL-WXS series end
mills for hard milling applications feature
special carbide substrates and geometries
as well as OSG’s WXL coating, which has
higher surface hardness and oxidation
temperatures than
standard TiALN
coatings, allowing WXL
end mills to excel in
demanding wet or dry
milling applications
in non ferrous, mild
steels, and hardened steels up to 55Rc.
The end mills offer superb performance
in hardened materials up to 70Rc. Here
is how: WXS coating has a high oxidation
temperature (1300ºC) and surface hardness
(3500Hv) for high spindle speeds—that
generate more heat which actually improves
the WXS coatings surface lubricity, extends
tool life and reduces cycle times.
www.osgcanada.com
ÒSANDVIK COROMANT
Profiling hard steel small parts
Sandvik Coromant has launched a new
range of small CoroMill Plura ball nose
end mills for profiling in medium hard to
hard steels.
The end
mills come
in diameters
from 0.1 - 12
mm and are
suitable for
all small die
and mould,
electronic fiber optic connector and
medical tooth implant manufacturing, where
high precision is important.
Produced in a fine-grained solid carbide
grade with multi-layered PVD coating, the
tools have a geometry design which prevents
the radius from deteriorating from uneven
wear. The long neck allows for good
accessibility, especially in pocket milling.
www.sandvik.coromant.com
ÒSECO
Longer tool life
JHP770 and JHP780 are two new geometries
in Seco’s Jabro family of solid carbide end
mills that feature a high metal removal rate
Photos: DMG Canada
See and hear about the latest in machining
INSIGHTS 2012 Conference. To be held September 25,
2012 in west-end Toronto, you’ll hear industry thought
leaders explain what you need to know to stay on top of the
latest in machining technologies and manufacturing best
practices. There’s also a stream of presentations on fabricating
technologies. In addition to networking with your peers, you’ll
also have the opportunity to see potential suppliers in person
with a large table-top display area.
Mark the date
September 25, 2012
Toronto
INSIGHTS Machining Technology eNewsletter. You can
Machine Tools Technology Sponsor
Canada
Cutting Tools Technology Sponsor
Presented by:
Â
in the machining equation. One has to
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the true cause.
Mueller from Sumitomo notes that
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because of material innovation, such
as the cobalt-chrome metal alloy. This
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Seco Tools, for example, has its eye
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TS2500 inserts for turning heat resistant
alloys.
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LQWHQGHGIRUKDUGHQHGKHDWWUHDWHGPDWHULDOVOLNHVWHHOµVD\V7LP$\GW6HFR·V
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Tim Wilson is a freelance writer based in
Peterborough, ON.
with chatter free machining.
The JHP770 is designed for
machining in titanium while the
JHP780 is suitable for heat
resistant superalloys typically found
in aerospace components. Features
of the JHP770 include differential
flute spacing, to avoid vibrations, a
polished Siron-A coating
for increased tool life, optimized
edge preparation, radial relief,
special formed chip space and an
internal central coolant channel for
optimized flow. The JHP780 is also
designed with differential flute spacing to
avoid vibrations, and features a polished
Mega 64 coating for longer tool life. The
double core adds stability, and edge
preparation is also optimized.
www.secotools.com
ÒSGS TOOL
Chatter suppression
SGS Tool’s patented Z-Carb-AP Variable
Rake end mill is designed for chatter
suppression. With most end mills, the
cutting teeth enter and exit the material
creating a natural rhythm that results in
damaging harmonics. The harmonics produce
a frequency that resonates through the entire
tool, resulting in one of the most damaging
forms of cutter wear known as chatter. The
Z-Carb-AP, with its patented geometry, offers
three stages of chatter suppression resulting
in a quiet and stable milling experience.
By incorporating the Variable Rake
Geometry, the Z-Carb-AP can alter and
control the cutting dynamic like no other tool
available, which takes chatter suppression to
a whole new level of advanced productivity.
www.sgstool.com
ÒWALTER
Small diameter hard part machining
www.stellram.com
www.secotools.com
www.sgstool.com
www.sumitomocarbide.com
Walter USA, LLC’s new Walter Prototyp
Proto·max Ultra ball-nose end mill is the latest
generation of the company’s Proto·max solid
carbide milling tools, which offer enhanced
machining performance and tool life, even
when machining hard ISO-H materials.
The new end
mills come in two
different diameter
ranges: the
standard
versions from 3 to 12 mm diameter and the
mini versions for small to extremely small
contours, ranging from 0.1-2.5 mm. For the
smaller diameter range, the Proto·max Ultra’s
reduced neck and its reach of up to 10xD are
beneficial for the machining of deep cavities.
This results in excellent concentricity
properties, which are essential at the high
speeds achieved by small tool diameters.
It’s suitable for hardened materials up to
70 HRC in die and mouldmaking, as well as
similar operations in general machining and
heavy construction applications.
www.walter-tools.com
ÒYG-1
Nano-grade carbide end mills
The X5070 is a range of upgraded premium
carbide end mills, nano-grain size, designed
for machining hardened materials in a range
of 50-70 HRc. They can be used in high
speed cutting methods (HSC), dry cut,
machining die and
mould steels and tool
steels.
The endmills are
harder than conventional carbide but
have almost the same
toughness. They have
a fine nano-grain size
and uniform carbide
particles, providing better wear resistance,
which significantly prolongs tool life. In
addition, they have a superior hot hardness
material heat barrier that permits a higher
cutting temperature and provides greater hot
hardness at the tool/chip interface; most of
the heat is carried away with the chips.
The tools are coated with the company’s
coating for the upper range of hardened
material, which combines high hardness
(over 4500 HV) and high thermal stability
against oxidation (1200o C.), and low
coefficient of friction against steel.
www.yg1usa.com
The Montreal Manufacturing Technology Show
is Quebec's premier manufacturing event.
MMTS is the largest and most important event servicing North America's
French marketplace and the leading event for machine tools and factory
automation technology. Technology-focused exhibits, along with a relevant
industry keynote, interactive town hall experience and cutting-edge
technical sessions make MMTS a must-see event for manufacturers looking
for the products, solutions and technology that keep them up-to-date
and competitive.
For more information, 1-888-322-7333
canadasales@sme.org
Organized by
mmts.ca
Strategic event partners
Official media partners
Scan with
your smartphone
Â
QUALITY | Controls
BY TIM WILSON
The Controlling Factor
ASSESSING MACHINE TOOL CONTROLS
ONTROLS ON MACHINE
tools can now do more than
ever. Perhaps equally important,
WKH\DUHDOVRPRUHÁH[LEOH$VDUHVXOW
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can approach the market for controls.
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GHFLGHLIWKH\ZDQWWREX\WKHLU
FRQWUROV²HLWKHUIURPDEUDQGQDPH
company or a generic, off-the-shelf
supplier—or if they want to
develop their own controls,” says
9LQFH'·$OHVVLRH[HFXWLYH93(OOLRWW
Matsuura Canada Inc., Oakville, ON.
Elliott Matsuura has gone with two
control suppliers: Fanuc and Siemens.
Another major player is Heidenhain.
“If you look at the major players,
Fanuc, Siemens, Heidenhain, you then
have to decide what control meets
what criteria, and what you want the
machine to do,” says D’Alessio. “Will
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VSHHGPLOOLQJ")LYHD[LV"µ
D’Alessio says Elliott Matsuura offers
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6LHPHQVLV´DELWPRUHSRZHUIXOµ
Fanuc is nonetheless more dominant in
production machining.
“We want to give the customer
the option to put the control of their
preference on the machine,” he says.
“But if you look at turning and milling,
C
these are more generic manufacturing
processes, and typically a customer will
go with an off-the-shelf control system
GHYHORSHGE\DPDQXIDFWXUHUµ
Then there are unique circumstances
WKDWGHPDQGDVSHFLÀFDSSURDFK
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UHDVRQVZK\DPDFKLQHWRROEXLOGHU
might gravitate toward one control or
DQRWKHUµVD\V'·$OHVVLR´)RUH[DPSOH
Matsuura makes a machine that has
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VDPHPDFKLQH,WQHHGVDVSHFLÀFPRWRU
from Siemens, and therefore has to use
Siemens’ controls, too.”
The 3500i touch screen CNC mill control from
Acu-Rite, a Heidenhain sister company.
Beyond the machining design, a
machine’s intended purpose will clearly
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Some are highly specialized.
“EDM [electrical discharge
machining], metrology, water jet,
grinding, laser cutting—these
PDFKLQHWRROEXLOGHUVZLOOJRWKURXJK
WKHLURZQGHYHORSPHQWEHFDXVH
they want unique features for those
Okuma’s THINC control, which can “grow and
adapt” to a machine shops needs.”
processes,” says D’Alessio.
)RUFRPSDQLHVZKREXLOGFRQWUROV
IRUPDFKLQHEXLOGHUVWKHZD\WRDGG
relevance to a control system is to go
after the cutting edge, high demand
application environments. This is true
for Heidenhain, which is active in the
high speed machining market.
´0LOOLQJPDFKLQHVERULQJPLOOV³
we specialize in that area and are very
popular on those types of machines,”
says Scott Warner, regional manager
at Heidenhain in Toronto. “But we
are now also on the forefront of high
speed machining and the technology
that surrounds it.”
Warner argues that one of
Heidenhain’s advantages is that it looks
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all the various aspects of machining.
In effect, speed is only of any use if it
ensures accuracy and quality.
“There is a lot more to a control
What to consider when
looking for a control system
How specialized are your needs? If
you have unique machining
combinations, you will need to
make sure the control system,
whether from the builder or a third
party, can cover the bases.
How complex is your machining? For
basic milling and turning, an off-theshelf control that comes with your
machine will do fine. But if you need
multiple input channels, you may
need to look farther afield.
How adaptable is your control system?
The control retro-fit business is alive
and well. When in the market, ask
some tough questions—you don’t
want to be locked into a CNC control
that is out of date next year.
How good is the local support? Control
systems can be finicky. You want
to have someone local to lean on if
need be.
How user friendly is the system?
Controls are supposed to improve
machining, but if they simply add
another level of complexity that
frustrates operators, they can be
self-defeating. Get the youngest
operators involved to see how they
take to the new technology.
system than having it run fast,” says
Warner. “There are a lot of little
DSSOLFDWLRQV²ERWKKDUGZDUHDQG
software – that are needed to get the
machine running.”
Fagor Automation, the largest
employee-owned company in the
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DGGUHVVFRPSOH[UHTXLUHPHQWVDQGWR
work with any vendor.
“We make controls for all types of
machines—milling, turning, grinding,
SXQFKLQJPHWDOFXWWLQJDQGIDEULFDtion, plasma cutting, laser cutting,”
VD\V+DUVK%LEUDJHQHUDOPDQDJHU
of the North American division of
Fagor, Mississauga, ON.
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WKHQHHGWRFRPELQHPRUHWKDQRQH
RSHUDWLRQRQDPDFKLQH)RUH[DPSOH
\RXPLJKWQHHGWREHQGDQGGULOOKROHV
WRFRPELQHODVHUFXWWLQJDQGSXQFKLQJ
or put more emphasis on milling than
turning. We can do that.”
In such scenarios, more than one
independent information channel
is coming into the CNC. Fagor can
GHOLYHUWRDKLJKOHYHORIÁH[LELOLW\LWV
&1&IRUH[DPSOHLVDEOHWRWDNH
up to four channels.
´)LYHD[LVPDFKLQLQJLVFRPSOH[µ
VD\V%LEUD´$VDUHVXOWDFRQWURO
has to process a lot of data to ensure
ÀQLVKDQGDFFXUDF\7KHSURFHVVLQJ
SRZHUKDVWREHWROHVVWKDQKDOID
millisecond.”
To achieve this, Fagor has unique
algorithms that address the need for
adaptive, real-time speeds and feeds,
ZLWKWKHDELOLW\WRPRQLWRU
the spindle load and the
tool temperature to ensure
WKHEHVWÀQLVK
On the other side of
the discussion are the
EXLOGHUVWKHPVHOYHV
These companies, of
which Okuma is a
SULPHH[DPSOH
make a compelling argument:
that the software driving a
PDFKLQHVKRXOGEHGHYHORSHGE\WKH
SHRSOHZKREHVWNQRZWKHPDFKLQHV
Okuma's THINC intelligent
control runs on a dual core high speed
processor. It can interface via USB
and Ethernet to Okuma’s THINC$3,WRFRPPXQLFDWHZLWKEDUFRGH
VFDQQHUVEDUIHHGHUVURERWVSUREHV
and tool setters.
“Our new P300 CNC control,
which is an advance on the current
P200A model, is designed to simplify
the user interface,” says Brian Sides,
director of technology at Okuma.
The P300 CNC control has
improved tool data management,
with information consolidated in
RQHGDWDEDVH
An Okuma control system address
collision avoidance in demanding
environments. A 3D Virtual Monitor
runs a model off-line to ensure that
things go smoothly in real-time. “Our
collision avoidance software runs on
the machine, and can work in either an
automatic or manual mode,” says Sides.
Given that Okuma works with a range
RIFRPSDQLHVLWVSODWIRUPKDVWREH
EDVHGRQDQRSHQVWDQGDUGV
“The Partners in THINC
program has over 40 partners
since forming in 2007,”
VD\V6LGHV´:H·YHEHHQ
working to improve the user
H[SHULHQFHWRJHWWKHGHYLFHV
talking to one another, sharing
Fagor Automation's 8065 CNC control.
data from different places.”
Though Okuma’s control technology is designed for its machines, the
company works with the MTConnect
manufacturing industry standard. “It
means that THINC can grow and
adapt, unlike other CNC approaches,
in which the technology is frozen in
time upon delivery,” says Sides. SMT
Peterborough, ON.
www.elliottmachinery.com | www.fagorautomation.com | www.heidenhain.com | www.okuma.com
59
Â
YOUR BUSINESS | Machinery Purchases
Revealing
Hidden
COSTS
What is the true cost
of financing machinery
and equipment?
HEN LOOKING to get
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AND ADRIAN ISAACS
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Daniel Wittlin is president & CEO and
Adrian Isaacs, CA is a vice president of
Enable Capital Corp., Toronto.
www.enablecapitalcorp.com
The Small Print –
General Security Agreements
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“
Manufacturers should
evaluate leasing their
capital equipment as a
viable option to financing
with their bank.
”
61
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FABRICATING | Saws | Case Study
t
u
C
t
c
e
f
Per
THE
firm
Metals supply
THE PROBLEMÔ
GEARS UP
Meeting multiple cut
orders for production
cutting jobs
THE SOLUTIONÒ
New NC saw with
ability to store
up to 100 jobs
ing the
r's shop is help
w at Grand Rive
sa
ic
at
m
to
au
NC
The Cosen C320
for cut metals.
growing orders
t
ee
m
ny
pa
m
co
BY MARY SCIANNA
IKE THE METALWORKING
industry it serves, the metals
supply market has experienced
the ups and downs of the economic
upheaval of recent years.
In 2010, the industry began its slow
climb out of an economic downturn
and as businesses started gearing up
for more orders, Grand River Metals
launched its new 15,000 sq ft metals
supply, processing and warehouse
business in Brantford, ON.
Grand River Metals is one of seven
operations under parent company
Misteelco Inc.
Since opening, the metals supply
company hasn’t looked back. A steady
LQÁX[RIRUGHUVKDVNHSWWKHSURFHVVLQJ
shop and its four saws so busy that,
L
earlier this year, the company invested
$35,000 in a new Cosen
automatic saw to meet growing
demand for multiple cut orders with
a focus on production cutting.
Before purchasing the Cosen
C320NC automatic saw, Grand River
Metals cut its metals on four older, but
reliable saws—the Hyd-Mech T25, an
automatic saw able to cut 24-in. thick
material, the Hyd-Mech S20 and H20
models for 20-in. cuts, and an
automatic Behringer for 20-in. cuts.
“These saws have worked well, but
when we got the new Cosen, it was like
day and night in the way the new saw
works when compared to the others,”
explains Charlie Gray, plant manager.
“In part, it’s because it’s a new machine
with new technologies, but it works
really well and cuts so fast.”
Gray adds that the Cosen is
impressive because it offers the
performance of higher priced similar
models from other manufacturers. He
also researched the saw with some
help from long-time supplier Bryan
Depencier of Saw Solutions Inc.
“We go back a long way with Bryan
and he does a great job of supplying
the right saws. So, while price point
was one reason we liked the saw,
we also liked what others had to say
about it. Bryan provided us with
names of other customers using the
saw and they had good things to say
about its performance.”
Once the decision was made, it
wa long before the saw was
wasn’t
in
installed
and running. In fact, Gray
sa Depencier had the saw delivered
says
one
on month earlier than planned.
“We were so backed up and we
kknew we couldn’t push our older
s
saws
any more, so when the new
saw
s came one month early, that
was great because we were up
and running after about six hours
of installation.”
The new saw can now
acco
accommodate
the demand for
production cutting, which continues to
grow. Production cut orders come from
some of the company’s other branches,
which are not equipped for this type of
work, and from outside customers.
“We do job lots of thousands of
part cut offs, tubes and angles. If
someone needs a thousand pieces of
two in. long pipes, that’s what this
new saw is made for. There’s a lot of
work in this business because many
of my customers used to have saws in
their plants, but when the recession
hit, many of them gave up on this
side of processing and focused on
their other cutting abilities—[lasers,
waterjet, plasma]—and now that
business is picking up and they don’t
have the saw cutting capabilities,
they’re coming to us.”
Bryan Depencier, president of Saw
Solutions, says the saw is designed for
high production cutting and is easy
to use. It is equipped with a touch
screen, and the SNC100 control can
store up to 100 jobs. He adds that the
saw has helped Grand River improve
SURGXFWLYLW\VLJQLÀFDQWO\
“After the introduction of the
C320NC, the company went from
cutting one to two pieces per cut to,
depending on the job, upwards of
20 pieces per cut. It was a dramatic
increase in production, and the
company eliminated the majority of
secondary deburring operations.”
“
The saw has
increased production
dramatically from
two pieces per cut
to upwards of 20
pieces per cut.
”
The saw can cut up to 12.6 in. (320
mm) round or square, and rectangular
15 in. high by 12. 6 in. wide (380 mm
x 320 mm).
Designed for high production
environments, the saw’s structure
features oversized precision-ground,
large dual columns and a crosslink that
connects the two columns for additional
strength. It also features a back-tilted
saw frame for longer blade life.
An added bonus for Grand River
Metal’s Gray is that the blades for the
Cosen saw are less expensive than
blades for their other saws “and last
twice as long. Now a lot of this has to
do with the newness of the saw, but the
blades are more durable.”
The blade durability is attributed in
part to the blade drive, which features
a special design for high lateral pressure
DQGDQLQYHUWHUFRQWUROOHGLQÀQLWHO\
variable blade speed. The saw is also
equipped with a blade clip device for
easy blade changes.
Part of Grand River’s success to date
has been its ability to supply a variety of
cut materials—tool steels, aluminum,
steel and copper—with same day or next
day delivery for customers within a 100
km radius of its Brantford, ON, location.
Gray says the addition of the new
automatic Cosen has not only helped
the company improve cutting capacities,
it means the company is in a better
position to meet the growing demand
for cut parts.
“We get the performance we need
from the Cosen but it’s less expensive
than other similar saws in the market
from other suppliers. It’s just a lot
faster, too, from set up and loading
to cutting.” SMT
For more information on fabricating technologies, visit Shop Metalworking
Technology’s FABRICATING ZONE online at www.shopmetaltech.com.
63
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FABRICATING | Lasers
CUTTING WITH
Fiber Lasers
Are Canadian fabricators using
fiber laser cutting technology?
BY MARY SCIANNA
IBER LASER CUTTING technology made a big
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the technology. Fiber lasers themselves are not new;
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compared to CO2 type lasers.
Fiber lasers are high powered solid state lasers that offer
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Elimination of adaptive optics leads to another advantage
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Mark the date
September 25, 2012
Toronto
See and hear about the latest in fabricating
INSIGHTS 2012 Conference. To be held September 25, 2012
in west-end Toronto, you’ll hear industry thought leaders explain
what you need to know to stay on top of the latest in fabricating
technologies and manufacturing best practices. There’s also a
stream of presentations on machining technologies. In addition to
networking with your peers, you’ll also have the opportunity to see
potential suppliers in person with a large table-top display area.
INSIGHTS Fabricating Technology eNewsletter. You can
Photo courtesy of TRUMPF Canada, Inc.
Presented by:
Bending Technology Sponsor
Laser Cutting
Technology Sponsor
Â
FABRICATING | Lasers
FABTECH 2011 in Chicago, many
suppliers including Amada, Bystronic,
Hypertherm, Mazak Optonics, Prima
Power and Salvagnini showcased their
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Suppliers Shop Metalworking Technolog y
has spoken with in recent months say
there is much interest in the technology
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invested in the machines to improve
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Shop Metalworking Technolog y decided
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Sarvjit Matharu is general
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The 11,000 sq ft shop has two 2D
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well as stainless and aluminum up to
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in magazines and some suppliers have
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we don’t want to spend the money on
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Jon Rilling, production manager at
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The company supplies parts primar-
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shop cuts mild steel, stainless and
aluminum in thicknesses ranging
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The shop is equipped with a
TRUMPF 2D laser cutting machine
and recently purchased the TRUMPF
3040 6 kW model to accommodate
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“
We’re interested in
fiber laser technology,
but it’s still new and
we don’t want to spend
money on something
we don’t know
a lot about.
”
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compared to the CO2 machines we
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materials increased and we needed to
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supply type work for the mining and
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materials the company cuts ranges in
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The 10,000 sq ft shop uses three
Amada 2D laser cutting machines,
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Kyle Todd, general manager, says
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“I’ve had representatives come
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from what I understand, you start to
lose the advantage of speed when you
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produce in a production scenario;
having not seen it live, I would like to
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For more information on fabricating, visit Shop Metalworking Technology’s
FABRICATING ZONE online at www.shopmetaltech.com
MACHINE TOOLS | Five Axis
Deconstructing
Five Axis Machining
ORE THAN EVER, it is
crucial that North American
part manufacturers constantly
improve their technology and processes
to compete globally. As production
runs shorten and part geometries
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tools are starting to go mainstream.
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drastically increases the level of
complexity and programmers have to
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users can expect a learning curve
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minimize errors during that time, and
get a return on the heavy investment
made by purchasing such equipment.
M
Why five axis
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machining is the ability to machine
complex shapes in a single set-up.
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gives greater machine throughput compared to performing the job in a series
of set ups, and virtually eliminates the
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Another important advantage is
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cutting tools, since the head can
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A good simulation software makes it easier to
adopt five axis machining in your shop.
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Shorter tools automatically mean
higher cutting speeds can be achieved
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the cutter, increasing tool life and
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three axis machines.
Why five axis
machining may be
good for your shop
BY
JEFF
FRITSCH
What makes it scary
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machining, the possibility for errors
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axis programming. Programming in
ÀYHD[HVFDQPDNHVRPHQHZXVHUVD
little nervous.
A number of tools are available to
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machining should not be restricted
to a machine alone. It is important to
recognize, understand and continuously
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true optimization process. Also being
able to predicatively analyze the exact
machine behavior is essential.
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TruePath is not only able to generate
67
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MACHINE TOOLS | Five Axis
the proper code for the exact machine
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the program is viable or not.
As the name indicates it, TruePath
represents accurately and exactly
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programming process. In addition to
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physically prove them out on the
machines and tie production up.
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This can only be achieved by directly
importing the controller parameters
into the post-processor to produce
code for the exact machine on
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data used from the machine tool
builder to build the machine you
purchase. This eliminates the
approximations and guesses of using
a model designed by a third party.
”
A profitable investment in five axis
machining depends on planning
and systems integration.
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axis machining depends on planning
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rely on their built-in post processors.
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only as effective as the level of detail
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machine. This includes advanced
features, such as tool centre point
Transition made easy
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machine, you should understand the
impact of the post-processor and
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shops and their employees should be
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for their customers, and not being a
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options and complex logic, and
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are intended to means you can focus
on programming, metal cutting and
productivity, and not debugging or
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the post-processor.
Jack of all trades, master of none
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level of complexity, a dedicated
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The focus on a particular dedicated
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end user by providing a proven supeULRUVROXWLRQWKDWZRUNVIURPWKHGD\
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Jeff Fritsch is product manager with
CAMplete Solutions Inc., Kitchener,
ON. www.camplete.com
For more information on machining technologies, visit Shop Metalworking
Technology’s MACHINING ZONE online at www.shopmetaltech.com.
CUTTING TOOLS | Tool Management
It’s Not About the Tools
Manage your cutting tools; cut your costs
ANY CHOICES exist for manufacturing companies
interested in improved tool management. Cutting
tool OEMs and their suppliers have a range of
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software to reduce the frequency of lost tools.
Yet, many tool management discussions do not focus on
the tools. Instead, these discussions centre around value and
answering questions such as, how can you improve your manufacturing processes, lower your costs, improve your delivery
times, and create and maintain a sharper competitive edge?
M
A cost-per-part system changes the traditional purchasing-based
focus to a broader sharing of resources, which benefits both parties.
Tooling OEMs recognize tool management as a growing
opportunity to offer value-added services to customers.
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division dedicated to delivering tool management services to
help customers reduce production costs. The CTMS team
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logistics, engineering, and IT, all critical to cost reduction
BY ED ROBERTSON
in the supply chain and manufacturing
Tool
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management
can help improve
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machining
PA, has had an Enterprise Services
productivity.
mission of providing supply chain and project
management expertise, equipment, and software,
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tooling technology, and materials science developments.
Small cost, significant impact
Cutting tools play a pivotal role in the total cost equation. In a
typical production environment, the tool price represents only
three per cent of total manufacturing costs. However, the
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which means more machine tool capacity and less manpower.
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process savings. The tooling company places people and
resources on site for total tool management, and actually
owns and manages the tooling inventory. A cost-per-part
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partner has access to all of the resources of our organization
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0DUVKDOO.HQQDPHWDO·VJOREDOPDQDJHUIRU&33SURJUDPV
´&XVWRPHUVFDQFRQFHQWUDWHRQSURGXFWLRQZKLOHORRNLQJWR
.HQQDPHWDOIRULPSURYLQJWKHLUWRROLQJIXQFWLRQµ
5LVNDQGUHVSRQVLELOLW\IRUWRROPDQDJHPHQWLVWUDQVIHUUHG
from the manufacturing company to the tooling organization.
$35,/ www.shopmetaltech.com
69
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CUTTING TOOLS | Tool Management
Measuring performance indicators can be part of the reporting system in a tool management program.
The vending system
Tool vending systems offer an array of
updated features. The latest vending
system hardware from Iscar's CTMS
allows total control of all items. Each
compartment within each drawer is individually controlled by tool management
software. This allows access to tooling
to be strictly controlled, with usage
statistics to provide full accountability
for all consumable usage. This system,
called Matrix, is running on shop floors
all over the world, and the Iscar software
is continually improved and updated by
a dedicated team. Automatic ordering
based on minimum/maximum levels, and
automated report generation with
user-defined detail are standard features.
The recent update to version 4.7 in
2011 improves and enhances many
existing features, allowing full control
of serial items, a “shopping basket” for
multiple issues from touch interface,
and a customizable “analyzer” on the
user home screen, showing popular
reports, valuations and KPI.
ToolBoss is Kennametal’s secure
inventory management solution. The
new 28 level version occupies the
same footprint as the former 20-level
version and can be easily and quickly
reconfigured to meet the changing
requirements of the user. Single trays or
the entire frame can be easily changed
in minutes without the use of tools.
In the event that a manual override
is needed, the cabinet ensures 24/7
availability with a unique manual override
capability, which is simple and easy to
use and requires no disassembly.
The resulting improvement in tooling
HIÀFLHQF\OHDGVWRJUHDWHUSURGXFWLRQ
HIÀFLHQFLHVDQGRYHUDOOERWWRPOLQH
improvement. In fact, guaranteed annual
cost reductions and regularly delivered
WRROLQJHIÀFLHQF\UHSRUWVDUHZULWWHQLQWR
the life of the contract. Customers are
guaranteed productivity improvement,
DQGSURWHFWHGDJDLQVWLQÁDWLRQ)XQGV
formerly tied up in tooling inventory or
in expediting emergency tool deliveries
are freed up, allowing the partner to
focus on core competencies.
Not just for large companies
:KLOHQRWDWUDGLWLRQDOEXVLQHVV
model, tool management is not just
for large, high volume customers.
Small to medium-sized enterprises
60(LQVXFKSURJUDPVDUHVODVKLQJ
WLPHWRPDUNHWLQWKHUDQJHRISHU
FHQWWRSHUFHQWE\WDNLQJDGYDQWDJH
of more frequent opportunities to
test and qualify new tooling and
processes. And the traditional model
of relating to a tooling technology
supplier only through the purchasing
GHSDUWPHQWLVUHSODFHGE\DPXFK
EURDGHUUHODWLRQVKLSEHWZHHQ
FRPSDQ\5'HQJLQHHULQJ
service and other resources.
Large and SME companies experience the same set of industry trends.
Production cost remains critical, while
TXDOLW\GHPDQGVDQGWLPHWRPDUNHW
constraints are unrelenting. Add a
VKRUWDJHRIPHWDOZRUNLQJH[SHUWLVH
and a general migration to advanced
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why a cost-per-part relationship with an
HVWDEOLVKHGWRROLQJSDUWQHULVQ·WDOODERXW
WKHWRROVEXWPRUHDERXWPXWXDOVXFFHVV
Lean tools
Enhanced tool management can also
ÀWLQWRDFRPSDQ\·VRQJRLQJOHDQ
SURFHVVHV)RUH[DPSOH&ULEPDVWHU
0DULHWWD*$DQQRXQFHGLQ1RYHPEHU
DFXVWRPWRRONLWWLQJVHUYLFH
FDOOHG.LW0DVWHU´7LPHVSHQWVHDUFKLQJ
IRUWRROVKDVPDQ\DVVRFLDWHGFRVWVµ
VD\VDFRPSDQ\VSRNHVSHUVRQ´:KHQ
LWFRPHVWRWRRONLWWLQJDZHOOGHÀQHG
NLWVXSSRUWLQJDSURFHVVZLWKLQ\RXU
organization eliminates a great deal of
ZDVWH6XFKDFRQFHSWÁRZVGLUHFWO\
into Total Quality Lean philosophies
WKDWPLQLPL]HGHIHFWVDQGTXLFNO\
LGHQWLI\SURFHVVÁDZVµ
KitMaster also offers laser
etching onto tools with any identifying
LQIRUPDWLRQVXFKDVPRGHOQXPEHUV
employee, company names, logos, and
LPDJHV$GGLWLRQDOO\NLWVFDQEH
XSJUDGHGZLWK5),'WDJVIRUHYHQPRUH
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Ed Robertson is a contributing editor
and manufacturing journalist based in
the Detroit, MI, area.
www.cribmaster.com | www.iscar.ca | www.kennametal.com
70 www.shopmetaltech.com $35,/
CUTTING TOOLS | Turning
When Good Turning
Tackling tough
turning problems
BY ED ROBERTSON
VEN THE MOST advanced turning tools will
eventually wear and fail, particularly when turning
hard-to-machine materials. Knowing how to
recognize when these situations are occurring and when the
smart thing to do is (a) increase speeds, (b) decrease speeds,
or (c) none of the above, does not have to be trial and error.
Troubleshooting is important and should be performed
in a sequential manner to identify and solve your machining
problems. These problems can be recognized as premature
insert edge failure, part appearance, machine noise or
vibration (chatter), and tool appearance.
Successful troubleshooting requires correctly identify the
problem, then taking the necessary corrective action one
step at a time. If more than one step is taken concurrently,
the real cause of the problem may never be discovered
Always perform one corrective measure at a time. Here’s
how to troubleshoot some of the more common problems
involving turning tools.
E
Depth-of-cut notching: Notching is primarily caused by
the condition of the workpiece material. Material conditions
GOES BAD
prone to depth-of-cut notch include an abrasive workpiece
skin or scale, abrasive properties of high temperature alloys
like Inconel, a work-hardened outer layer resulting from a
previous machining operation, or heat-treated material above
55 HRC. Notching appears when chipping or localized wear
DWWKHGHSWKRIFXWOLQHRQWKHUDNHIDFHDQGRUÁDQNRIWKH
insert occurs.
NOTCHING CAUSES
SOLUTION
Grade
Use a more wear-resistant grade of carbide.
Feed
Reduce feed.
Speed
Reduce speed.
Edge-prep
Use honed or T-land inserts.
Programming
Vary depth of cut on abrasive materials.
Thermal cracks: Turning creates friction and friction
creates heat. In turning steels, much of the heat energy is
transferred into the chip, whereas in turning titanium
or other high temperature alloys, much of the heat is
transferred to the insert. High temperature variations can
create stress cracks that run perpendicular to the insert’s
cutting edge. To the untrained eye, advanced thermal
cracking could appear as chipping.
THERMAL CRACK CAUSES
SOLUTION
Speed and feed
Reduce speed and possibly the feed.
Coolant
Shut off coolant to reduce
temperature variations.
Grade
Investigate using coated grade.
Chipping: &KLSSLQJRIWHQDSSHDUVOLNHQRUPDOÁDQNZHDUWR
WKHXQWUDLQHGH\H$FWXDOO\QRUPDOÁDQNZHDUODQGVKDYHD
ÀQHVPRRWKZHDUSDWWHUQZKLOHDODQGIRUPHGE\FKLSSLQJ
has a saw-toothed, uneven surface. If chipping is not detected
soon enough, it may be perceived as depth-of-cut notching.
71
Â
CUTTING TOOLS | Turning
CHIPPING CAUSES
SOLUTION
Grade
Use a tougher grade.
Edge prep
Use larger hone or T-land.
Built-up edge
Increase speed.
Chatter
Check system rigidity for proper part
clamping. Correct worn gibs/bearings.
Flank wear: If there can be such a thing as the preferred
PRGHRIIDLOXUHXQLIRUPÁDQNZHDULVLWQRWDEO\EHFDXVHLW
FDQEHSUHGLFWHG([FHVVLYHÁDQNZHDULQFUHDVHVFXWWLQJIRUFHV
DQGFRQWULEXWHVWRSRRUVXUIDFHÀQLVK,QVHUWVVKRXOGEH
LQGH[HGZKHQURXJKLQJLQ²LQÁDQNZHDULV
UHDFKHGDQGÀQLVKLQJLQ²LQÁDQNZHDURUVRRQHU
Check for improper tool mounting.
Feed
Reduce feed.
FLANK WEAR CAUSES
SOLUTION
Recutting chips
Use air blast or coolant flow to remove chips.
Speed
Speed should be reduced without
changing feed.
Built-up edge: This condition involves the adhesion of
layers of workpiece material to the top surface of the insert.
Hardened pieces of the adhered material periodically break
free, leaving an irregularly shaped depression along the
cutting edge. This causes damage to the part and insert.
Cutting forces also will be increased.
BUE CAUSES
SOLUTION
Speed
Increase cutting speed.
Feed
Increase feed.
Coolant
Use mist or flood coolant to avoid chips sticking
to the insert when machining stainless steel and
Feed
Increase feed.
Grade
Use more wear resistant grade. Change
to a coated grade if you are using an
uncoated grade.
Insert geometry
Inspect insert to ensure proper style is
being used.
Built-up edge causes damage to the
part and to the insert. One solution is to
increase the cutting speeds and feeds.
aluminum alloys.
Edge-prep
Use sharper edge, positive-rake PVD inserts; use
polished inserts for non-ferrous materials.
Crater wear: A relatively smooth, regular depression
is produced on the insert’s rake face. Crater wear occurs
in two ways: material adhering to the insert’s top surface
is dislodged, carrying away minute fragments of the top
surface of the insert; or frictional heat builds up from
WKHÁRZRIFKLSVRYHUWKHWRSVXUIDFHRIWKHLQVHUW
Eventually, this heat buildup softens the insert behind the
cutting edge and removes minute particles of the insert
until a crater forms.
CRATERING CAUSES
SOLUTION
Grade
Use a more wear-resistant grade.
Speed
Reduce cutting speed.
Edge-prep
Use smaller T-land or increase feed to
properrange for T-land.
Multiple factors: When wear, chipping, thermal
cracking, and breakage occur at once, the machine operator
must look beyond the normal feed, speed, and depth-of-cut
DGMXVWPHQWVWRÀQGWKHURRWFDXVHRIWKHSUREOHP,QJHQHUDO
Reduce feed rate to relieve cutting forces.
If possible, use a larger nose radius.
Use T-land insert.
Use a tougher grade of carbide.
Ed Robertson is a contributing editor and manufacturing
journalist based in the Detroit, MI, area.
For more information on cutting tool
technologies, visit Shop Metalworking
Technology’s CUTTING TOOL ZONE
online at www.shopmetaltech.com.
EXIT | Skills Training
Training for
Canada’s
manufacturers
The work is there, the skilled workers are not
BY TIM WILSON
HERE IS GOOD NEWS for
Canada’s manufacturing sector.
Much of it is coming off of the
announcement last October that the
federal government awarded $33 billion
in shipbuilding contracts. There is also
some optimism that the US economy
is beginning to pick up. But to take full
advantage of the opportunity, industry,
government, and colleges need to
ÀQHWXQHWKHLUVWUDWHJLHV
The $33 billion is to be divided
EHWZHHQGU\GRFNVLQ9DQFRXYHU
where Seaspan Marine will be the lead
IRUDQELOOLRQLQYHVWPHQWLQFRDVW
JXDUGDQGRWKHUQRQQDY\VKLSVDQG
Halifax, where Irving Shipbuilding
ODQGHGDELOOLRQQDYDOYHVVHO
building contract. Both Seaspan and
Irving are now putting plans in place to
ensure they have the right people.
T
“We have about 200 employees now,
but by the end of 2012 we expect that to
GRXEOHµVD\V-RKQ6KDZ93SURJUDP
management of Seaspan Marine. “The
additional employees will be primarily
focussed on new construction and will
cover all the basic trades—welders, pipe
ÀWWHUVHOHFWULFLDQVPHFKDQLFVµ
)RU,UYLQJLQ+DOLID[WKHÀUVWWDVN
is to complete the negotiations with the
federal government on the umbrella
agreement that establishes the
framework for subsequent contracts.
7KHQWKHFRQWUDFWIRUWKHÀUVWVHWRI
vessels, the Arctic Offshore Patrol
Ships (AOPS), must be negotiated.
Irving expects these two steps to be
completed by the end of 2012.
“Based on this schedule, our
objective would be to see the
production process on the AOPS
ÒTraining remains an issue
for Canadian manufacturers
A report released at the end of last year
by PwC found that Canadian manufacturers want to hire but are unable find
the right people. In the report, based
on a telephone survey of manufacturers, PwC noted that there was a significant shortage of skilled workers at
all levels, from HVAC technicians and
welders to engineers. The silver lining
is that PwC found significant optimism
in the manufacturing sector: 50 per
cent of manufacturers intended to hire,
with 45 per cent planning to remain
the same, and only 5 per cent
expecting a decline in their workforce.
“The Canadian optimism did not
surprise me,” says Calum Semple,
a partner at PwC and author of the
report. “We are hearing a lot of good
news from clients. It is beyond primary
industries like oil and gas and mining.
In aerospace, for example, we are seeing incremental, year-over-year growth,
and skilled workers are needed.”
Central Canada is seeing some
strengthening in the auto sector, a
situation that will hopefully improve
as the US economy recovers, but aid
might come from an unusual area: the
Maritimes. With $25 billion being put
into the Irving Shipbuilding contract,
some of that money will have to come
to central Canada.
“We don’t have a large manufacturing presence in Nova Scotia,”
says Tawse from the NSCC. “A lot
of that work will have to be sourced
elsewhere, whether for small parts or
structural components. For a company
that has been producing specific
components in Ontario, Quebec, or
elsewhere, it would make sense to
have a start-up here to source out
existing contracts.”
If so, the challenge might then be
to get the right person for the job. In
the PwC study, half of the Canadian
manufacturer respondents said they
expect positive hiring over the next 12
months. That’s great news. The trouble
was that a full 45 per cent said that
the inability to find qualified workers
73
Â
EXIT | Skills Training
AD INDEX
begin in late 2013,” says Steve Durrell,
president, Irving Shipbuilding.
Durrell emphasizes that Irving
Shipbuilding is at the beginning of
a 30-year process. The company
currently has more than 1,400
employees, and expects to reach peak
employment of approximately 2,700 in
2020, when the completion of the AOPS
vessels is expected to overlap with the
beginning of the production process for
the new Canadian Surface Combatants.
And, while 1,000 of that peak
employment is anticipated
to be staff positions, the
remaining 1,700 will be
comprised of skilled trades’
people. For that reason, local
colleges like Nova Scotia
Community College (NSCC) are having
to adjust to demand, and make sure
that they get it right for the long haul.
“There has been an upswing in
interest in welding, metal fabrication,
and machining – it came almost right
on the heels of the announcement last
October,” Says Bruce Tawse , vice
president, Academic Services for the
NSCC. “It would be easy and enticing
for us to simply ramp up and produce
more graduates, but we need to
be sure the market is ready to
accept them.”
Consequently, Tawse says that the
NSCC is working closely with the
provincial government, Irving
Shipbuilding, as well as other industrial
SDUWQHUVWRÀQGRXWZKDWVNLOOVDUH
needed, and when.
“We may have to modify some of
the curriculum, but we can respond
quickly and nimbly to make that
happen,” says Tawse.
Although detailed
VSHFLÀFDWLRQVRQWKHYHVVHO
programs is not yet known,
Irving Shipbuilding does have
a good idea of the overall
requirements.
“We anticipate the types of
trades we will be seeking will include
PHWDOIDEULFDWLRQSLSHÀWWLQJLURQ
worker, welding and burning, electrical,
rigging, and general labour,” says
Durrell. “On the staff side, we
anticipate our largest needs will be in
the areas of engineering, planning,
supply chain management, continuous
improvement and quality assurance.” SMT
Peterborough, ON.
DMG Canada .........................................45
Distributor Joint Open House ....................9
Doosan Infracore America ......................43
Elliott Matsuura Canada ...........................6
EMEC Machine Tools .............................49
Fagor Automation ....................................4
Ferro Technique ....................................43
Haas Factory Outlet ...............................19
Heinman Machinery .................. 23, 38-39
SHOP Insights Conference 2012 ......22, 65
Iscar Tools ..............................................3
Jet Edge ...............................................31
KMT Waterjet Systems ...........................27
Komet of Canada ...................................12
Lincoln Electric ....................................IFC
Mazak Corp. ..........................................11
MMTS Show .........................................57
Ontario Laser Cutting .............................14
Sandvik Coromant Canada ................... OBC
Scientific Cutting Tools ..........................15
was a significant barrier to growth.
w
And though they believe in
training, companies often have
a hard time getting around to it,
which
means it is usually up to
w
colleges
to solve the problem.
co
Fortunately, in the context of the new
shipbuilding contracts, there is time
to line up supply with demand.
“A young kid in school now, who
is out in two to four years, will have
an opportunity to build a career in
shipbuilding,” says John Shaw from
Seaspan Marine in Vancouver. “We
haven’t had an opportunity like this in
the marine industry in decades.”
Semple from PwC says that
apprenticeship programs are gaining
in popularity.
“We began ramping up our
apprenticeship programs two years
ago and last year peaked at 300
apprentices in the yard,” says Steve
Durrell from Irving Shipbuilding. “We
are the largest employer of apprentices
in the province of Nova Scotia, and
will continue to focus very heavily on
effectively transferring the knowledge
of our experienced journeymen to the
younger generation of shipbuilders.”
To make sure it all works out, Irving
Shipbuilding works closely with the
NSCC and the Province of Nova Scotia
to ensure the apprenticeship program
operates smoothly. These players have
already begun the process of looking
out toward the future needs of the
industry.
“We are seeing that companies
are more optimistic about themselves
than their industry,” says Semple from
PwC. While that might sound odd, it
is actually a good sign. It means organizations are confident with regard to
their competitiveness, and bodes well
for Canada’s manufacturing sector
heading into 2012 and beyond.
Shop’s IMTS Canadian Luncheon ...........35
Sirco Machinery ....................................19
SME Canada .........................................57
Thomas Skinner ....................................19
TOS Trade Canada ................................ IBC
Tungaloy America ..................................20
uniPoint Software ..................................13
Walter USA ...........................................37
Compact design. User-friendly.
READY FOR DELIVERY
WHN(Q) 13 CNC
horizontal milling
& boring machine
A TOS Varnsdorf Company
905-878-0888
www.tostrade.com
Q
Versatile
Q
Extended travels
Q
Heavy-duty performance
Q
High rigidity and reliability
PROUD MEMBER
TOS Trade Canada Inc. | Tel: 905-878-0888 | Fax: 905-878-9022 | info@tostrade.com | www.tostrade.com | 415 Industrial Dr. Milton, ON L9T 5A6
High pressure coolant
Long overhang - optimizing
Hobbing technique
Grooving trochoidal turning
Ceramic milling in
super alloy
Plunge milling
Insert geometry
Milling cutter pitches
Helical interpolation
Milling cutter maintenance
Helical interpolation in a...
Gearmilling of
windmill slewing
Deep hole machining
Roll in technique
in milling
10 degree entering
angle in...
45 degree entering
angle in...
24 quick tips for smarter manufacturing
and engaging video clips that are both educational and
entertaining?
Watch that new tool you just purchased perform some
impressive moves or discover neat tips for smarter
manufacturing?
Well 435,000 viewers know the answer, do you?
trochoidal turning, easy to follow practical advice and
machining demonstrations?
Check out www.youtube.com/sandvikcoromant
Call your local Sandvik Coromant Productivity Engineer at 1-800-268-0703 today or visit us at
www.sandvik.coromant.com/ca to locate your local authorized distributor.
Any application you want us to cover on video?
Scan the code and let us know.
Visit us at Booth 149 during
MMTS 2012!

machine tools - Shop Metalworking Technology

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