Page 40 - MetalForming April 2011

The Science of Forming By Stuart Keeler
Tooling Technology
More Ways to Let Your Supplier Help
A B C D E F G H
Last month’s column emphasized the importance of the customer and supplier working together to solve problems more quickly, to create more robust products, imple- ment new technology and reduce costs. To be successful, both must exchange full and accurate information and data. A steel supplier that provides a metalformer with only the heat num- ber for a coil of steel is supplying insufficient information.
Assume a specific coil fails to perform satisfactorily com- pared to previous coils for a given part. The customer calls the supplier to complain about the defective coil, specifying its heat number. Transmitting identifying data about the prob- lem coil represents the correct first step. However, the heat number encompasses too large a population of coils to prove
Stuart Keeler (Keeler Technologies LLC) is best known worldwide for his discovery of forming limit diagrams, development of circle grid analysis and implementa- tion of other press shop analysis tools. Stuart’s sheet- metal forming experience includes 24 years at National Steel Corporation and 12 years at The Budd Company Technical Center, enabling him to bring a very diverse background to this column and the many seminars he teaches for PMA.
Keeler Technologies LLC | P.O. Box 283 | Grosse Ile, MI 48138 Fax: 734/671-2271 | keeltech@comcast.net
May 17-19, 2011
Eastern States Exposition
West Springfield, Massachusetts
For What’s Around
the Curve.
Successful manufacturing means negotiating the tightest curves. EASTEC can help you see around them. Start making
your attendance plans.
www.easteconline.com 800.733.4763
Useful information can be gained by marking coil mults to identify problem areas.
useful. A single batch of steel from an integrated mill is called a heat; one heat can yield 300 to 350 tons of steel, all with the same composition and a single certification. Com- paratively, mini mills produce about 100 tons/heat.
Each heat of molten steel is poured into a continuous cast- er, which produces a continuous, solid slab of steel. As this slab moves along the exit table, traveling torches section the continuous slab; each smaller slab is processed into a coil of steel. A 300-ton heat could become fifteen 40,000-lb. master
38 MetalForming/April 2011
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