Page 27 - MetalForming September 2010
P. 27
Adjustable Stock Adjustable Upper &
Guide Option
Lower Nozzles
Lube Collection
The Pax Spray Cabinet is an ideal solution for lubricating stock prior to entering the die area. It is designed with adjustable, built-in spray nozzles and can be mounted directly onto feeds or to the press.
4" Cabinet Mounts On Bolster
SPRAY CABINETS
PAX PRODUCTS, INC.
Contact Pax Regarding In-Die Lubrication
www.paxproducts.com
drilling and tapping holes on multiple compound pockets. According to Rezler, programming the new machines with Cimatron software has reduced setup and machining time by as much as 65 percent.
“The software makes four- and five- axis programming really easy,” comments Rezler. “This is relatively new for us, but I was surprised how quickly we were able to get up to speed with the process.”
Efficiency, Cost Savings and More Competitive Quotes
Using Cimatron Die Design for blank development and the strip layout, Rezler says that, “complex strips that usedtotakeus3to4daystolayoutnow take 3 to 4 hr. Simpler strips can take as little as 10 to 15 min.”
Rezler also finds that the benefits of the software’s quick blank-development and forming-analysis capabilities really pay off in his quoting work. “The form- ing analyses highlight any hot spots, wrinkling, splits and other areas of potential difficulties,” he says. “It saves a lot of time and eliminates the guess- work. Most importantly, it gives me the confidence to quote exactly what needs to be done rather than over-quote to protect against the unexpected, like we used to do. It allows us to come up with more competitive quotes.”
On the shop floor, Rezmin has been able to eliminate much of the time- consuming and expensive manual plate work. “We used to do a lot of work with manual radial drills, laying out and transferring screw holes, spring pockets, dowels, keys, etc. Now all of these procedures are designed into the solid model and programmed directly to the CNC machine, which routinely runs some parts in one setup that used to require two or three setups. Labor hours on manual machining processes have been dramatically reduced.”
Rezmin’s programmers take advan- tage of the Cimatron auto drill function to define sequences for different types of holes and pockets. “The ability to define templates for cutting procedures is a huge timesaver,” adds Rezler.
Lights Out
Driving to squeeze every hour of productivity from its machines, Rezmin runs two shifts during the day and also runs a third untended lights-out shift. “Cimatron is able to define the tools as well as the holders and spindles, so tool changes can be done without operator intervention,” explains Rezler. “Thanks to the automatic gouge gap checking, cutter paths are guaranteed not to crash. It makes the operators comfortable walking away and setting up lights-out machining.”
Using the same software for design and machining is another big timesaver for Rezmin. “We don’t need to go through the cumbersome process of transla- tion,” says Rezler. “It has eliminated all issues of miscommunication and miss- ing or corrupt information. The CNC operators pull their data right from the design. Whenever we experience a design change, the operators always have the most current information—no need to worry about the integrity of the data.”
The View from the Floor
Finally, the Cimatron viewer seats on the shop floor provide machine operators with direct access to the part data, so they can pull sizes and dimen- sions directly from the 3D assembly. As a result, detail prints are no longer needed for most parts and components, helping Rezmin run a greener and lean- er shop floor operation.
“Overall, we are 25 to 30 percent more efficient than we used to be,” con- cludes Rezler. MF
Archived Webinar Embellishes the Story
Mr. Rezler recently participated in a webinar hosted by MetalForming and PMA, where he speaks eloquently about his firm’s ability to compete with low-cost coun- tries. To listen in, access the archived webinar at www.metalformingmagazine.com— click on the Multimedia Center link.
Article provided by Cimatron Technologies, Inc., Novi, MI: 248/596-9700; www.cimatrontech.com.
www.metalformingmagazine.com
