Page 36 - MetalForming July/August 2009

Tooling Technology
Right-Sized Tooling
The machines cycle unattended and unload automatically. The first five machines complete the bends on the top of the extended-pull style drawer front, and machines six through 11 complete the bends on the sides and bottom of all four drawer fronts. These features are common to all of the drawer fronts. Machines 12 and 13 form the top of the attached-pull drawer front.
“Creativity was required to develop a strategy that completely eliminates any setup required to eliminate batch production,” says Lambie. “The extend- ed-pull drawer front requires two resist- ance-spot welds to complete the formed drawer pull. We modified a standard rocker-arm welder with simple automa- tion to allow welding with the machine untended by the operator.”
One-hundred-percent of the drawer fronts are inspected in an automatic check fixture that measures every draw- er front with analog proximity sensors. The check fixture (which uses LabView
software from National Instruments, Austin, TX) displays each measured value and indicates pass or fail. Also, as a measurement nears the tolerance limit, values display in yellow to indicate when parts drift toward the tolerance limits, so that action can be taken prior to producing a bad part.
Dramatic Results
Kimball Office implemented the pro- duction line in October 2006 and has documented the following improvements:
Management Support
The unwavering support from upper management for right-sized machines and tooling has proved crucial to the success of the above-described project, and others, at Kimball Office. Don Meyers, plant manager, not only has provided his complete backing for the projects but also has implemented a plant-wide program for employee training that blends the best practices of lean manu- facturing with right-sized technologies.
Over the last four years, Kimball Office’s right-sizing manufacturing tech- nology team has developed and imple- mented production lines using more than 70 pieces of right-sized tooling and machines. Advancements continue to be made in equipment design to improve reliability, quality and cost reduction.
On September 25, Kimball Office will host a seminar detailing the technologies described in this article, followed by a tour of its facilities. For more informa- tion, go to www.mfgadvice.com. MF
Measure
Inventory Crew size Setup time Lead time
(in plant) Product travel
Before
7700 pieces Four
60 min.
3.8 days
After
400 pieces Two
0
10 min.
720 ft.
There is an old saying, which Kimball
Office exemplifies: “The only true com- petitive advantage your company has is your ability to learn faster than your competition.”
32 ft.
“Can I get 500 copies
of that article?”
Have you been wanting extra copies of an article published in MetalForming for your own promotional efforts— trade shows, meetings, mailings, etc?
Reprints are cost effective and will produce a high-quality piece of litera- ture for your particular needs.
We do all the work, and you’ll have your reprints in three weeks—all at a surprisingly low cost!
Call Sue Cubranich at 216-901-8800/ scubranich@pma.org
for full details.
34 METALFORMING write no. 22
www.metalformingmagazine.com