Page 13 - MetalForming Magazine February 2023 - Metal Forming for the Automotive Industry

Tooling by Design
By Peter Ulintz
Disruptive Changes for Automotive Suppliers
We all must confront unexpected changes throughout life, with our responses often deter- mined by how we perceive them. If we view a change as a threat, we may react defensively and take immediate action to protect ourselves, our perceptions or our comfort zones. If we perceive the change as an opportunity, we may be more thoughtful and reasoned in our response—delaying action or continuing in our established routines as we wait to see how the situation plays out.
When a company faces major dis- ruptions, the way that its managers perceive the disruption influences how they describe it to the rest of their organization, and that can determine how the organization responds. If the organization sees the disruption as a threat, it may overreact by committing too many resources too quickly. But if it is seen as an opportunity, insufficient resources may be allocated to its progress, especially if business-as-usual is truly the desired outcome.
During the last several years, we have witnessed retail moving from storefronts to websites, which essentially changes how we shop. Similarly, the automobile, as we know it, is changing in both the energy sources that it uses and in the ways that consumers view transporta-
Peter Ulintz has worked in the metal stamping and tool and die industry since 1978. His back- ground includes tool and die making, tool engi- neering, process design, engineering manage- ment and advanced product development. As an educator and technical
presenter, Peter speaks at PMA national seminars, regional roundtables, international conferences, and college and university programs. He also pro- vides onsite training and consultations to the met- alforming industry.
Peter Ulintz
Technical Director, PMA pulintz@pma.org
tion. Autonomous vehicles certainly will challenge the necessity of owning a per- sonal car, not to mention the challenge of adapting to the fact that these vehicles move, stop and change lanes with no driver behind the steering wheel.
Impacts From Disruptive Technologies
Disruptive technologies in metal stamping plants as well as tool-and- die shops impact business operations in similar ways. Some examples:
• Radio frequency identification (RFID) and Bluetooth communication for die tracking
• Dunnage rack and material-trans- fer cart tracking by means of high fre- quency (HF) and ultra-high frequency (UHF) communication technologies
• The use of industrially robust RFID systems for shut-height validation for dies, and new mechatronic systems for monitoring progressive-die processes and value-added in-die validation and error-proofing
• Rapid die-change technologies using remote energizing and information trans- fer via wireless couplers on transfer dies and in progressive-stamping dies.
On the materials side, automakers have employed advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) for nearly 30 years now. More recently comes production of ultra-high strength metal stampings via cold forming and hot stamping processes. Processing stampings from aluminum generally requires a different approach as compared to steel. While many aluminum sheet alloys are easily cold formed, difficult alloys can benefit from warm forming or hot stamping processes. These technologies, once limited only to research labs, have emerged as viable forming processes in some metal forming plants.
Pressure On Tool Builders
On top of these disruptive technolo-
gies, tool-build operations face constant pressure to shorten lead times and opti- mize die designs while also reducing errors. Material loss in metal stamping operations generates one of the largest recurring costs in the manufacturing process, and reducing process waste is paramount to lowering OEM produc- tion costs and increasing profitability for the supplier. Modern computer- simulation technology allows die engi- neers to more accurately predict blank size and optimize layout within a coil. Accomplished early in the planning stages, predictions then must be further optimized using additional planning tools to define and validate the process through simulation, maximizing the benefits. Simply achieving “green” (safe) simulation results no longer meets the objective for today’s automotive tool- and-die supplier.
Tool-steel selection and best prac- tices (heat treatment, grain orientation, etc.) for forming, trimming and piercing of AHSS grades are required for cold and hot stamping, with choice of the right tool steel a difficult decision. Fac- tors affecting such decisions include steelmaking practices, grade character- istics, heat treatment processes, quench- ing atmosphere, tempering tempera- tures, microstructure, surface coatings and the impact of die-manufacturing practices on tool performance. Gone are the days when die shops simply decided between O1, A2 and D2.
Surface treating for large automotive and appliance tool steels may benefit from an operation consisting of con- trollable electromagnetic hammer heads imparting rapid reciprocal motion of a striker ball against the die surface, known as machine hammer peening. Machine hammer peening may eliminate manual polishing in dies and molds; improve wear resistance by increasing hardness in the surface layer; reduce friction in deep drawing applications; and poten-
10 MetalForming/February 2023
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