Page 24 - MetalForming December 2010

Tooling Technology
High-Octane Slitting Sparks
Lean Sheetmetal Fabricating
Separating parts coming off of its turret punch presses took a significant turn for the better when Kelly invested in a new slitting tool for its CNC turret presses. The tool scores the sheetmetal so an operator can easily and quickly snap parts out, as illus- trated here. (Cover is open for demo purpos- es only.)
Nibbling or shearing to separate parts fabricated on turret punch presses caused an array of challenges for Kelly Fabricators. Now the firm uses an innovative slitting tool that scores the sheetmetal to enable quick and easy parts separating, eliminating secondary operations.
Often, the machines that metal fab- press is a twin to another Vectrum 3046
ricators employ to turn sheet into
cut, formed and assembled prod- ucts are only as good as the tools they’re outfitted with. Such is the case at Kelly Fabricators, Louisville, KY, where man- agement at the vertically integrated con- tract manufacturer never loses sight of the value returned from investing not only in state-of-the-art fabricating equipment, but in the latest tooling as well. It’s fully aware of what’s needed to satisfy customer requirements for ever tightening requirements on lead times and quality.
Two years ago the firm added a new CNC turret punch press to its 60,000- sq.-ft. shop—a Murata Machinery Vec- trum 3046 Alpha model—to increase capacity and fuel its growth. A servo- hydraulic 30-ton-capacity model, the
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BY BRAD F. KUVIN, EDITOR METALFORMING / DECEMBER 2010
running in the shop. The machines fab- ricate 22-gauge to 1⁄4-in. aluminum- alloy and carbon- and stainless-steel sheet for customers in the lighting, packaging and retail-store fixture mar- kets, to name a few. Only difference: Kelly’s original Vectrum boasts 44 tool stations as well as an automated sheet loader/unloader, while the new model holds 54 tools.
Shearing to Separate Parts? There Must be a Better Way
Until 2006, the firm separated parts coming off of its CNC punch press using secondary shearing operations, or in some cases relied on nibbling in the press. “Nibbling often required sec- ondary finishing operations to remove burrs and nibble marks,” says Tony
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