Page 39 - MetalForming August 2011
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• Enhanced reporting functionality for Process Planner.
In addition, FTI announces a new module—FormingSuite Stripnest, designed for low-volume high-mix auto- motive-part production. Stripnest helps to develop nested blank layouts for optimum raw-material utilization. It pro- duces nesting layouts for one-up, two-up, two blanks and mirrored nests on strips slit from standard sheets. Stripnest then determines yield, quantity and raw- material cost per blank for quoting and estimating.
Forming Technologies Inc.: 905/340-3370;
www.forming.com
The Hits Keep Coming for Fabricators,
Thanks to Turret-Punch Tool Coatings
As sheetmetal fabricators today seek get more this from their punch-press tool- ing, many are turning to specialty coat- ings designed to increase tool life, get more hits between sharpenings and minimize galling.
Case study I: Spectrum Control Inc., Fairview, PA, a manufacturer of custom electronic components and systems. The firm performs much of its metal fab- rication inhouse to shorten lead times and reduce overall material costs. Recently, Spectrum production supervi- sor Luke Johnson approached tooling manufacturer Wilson Tool, White Bear Lake, MN, in search of way to overcome galling of a punch used to produce brass filter plates, from 0.020 to 0.040 in. thick. The operation typically requires the punch to hit 20 times/part. Wilson Tool recommended its Optima custom- engineered TiCN coating, and the results were astonishing.
“Without the coating, we would get 150,000 to 175,000 hits before need- ing to sharpen the punch,” says Johnson. Now, thanks to the coating, we get 600,000 to 750,000 hits.”
Case study II: Greenheck Fan Corp., Schofield, WI, a manufacturer of air-
movement equipment such as fans, dampers, louvers and kitchen ventilation hoods. For Greenheck, the Optima tool coating helps to prevent wear on high-use specialty punches used for full sheet nib- bling. With a surface hardness of Rc 95, Optima proves ideal for high-use punch- es and specialty punches that have min- imal regrind life. Greenheck knew the over- lapping hits used to profile parts would be tough on punches and, if left untreat- ed, would require frequent sharpening, resulting in unnecessary downtime.
“We started coating one punch and now we’re up to three,” says Greenheck senior manufacturing engineer Eric Leszczynski. Greenheck uses Optima on forming tools such as extrusions to help reduce stripping of the material off the insert.
“The coating helps minimize buildup when use forming tools,” Leszczynski says. “Without the coating, parts won’t consistently strip off the inserts; they jam up and crash.”
Case study III: Meyer Aluminum Blanks, Inc., Sheboygan Falls, WI, a manufacturer of round aluminum blanks for lighting, cookware, industrial venti- lation and racecar wheels. Meyer has found that by using a turret press to punch out the blanks, it can nest different blank sizes on a single sheet and opti- mize sheet utilization.
“The turret press gives us the flexibility to produce a variety of blank sizes,” says Meyer production manager Kevin Ver- stegen, “rather than stock all sorts of unique sizes.”
Wilson Tool provides custom tooling to Meyer, shaped like a trapezoid with a curve to match the radius of the circle being punched. “The biggest challenge we face with our tooling is galling,” says Verstegen, “since we’re dealing with aluminum and aluminum galls easily.” Here, Wilson Tool recommended its Wear-Beater TiN coating, designed to resist galling, reduce stripping and extend tool life when punching, forming or pierc- ing aluminum.
Wilson Tool: 800/328-9646; www.wilsontool.com
Tooling Update
www.metalformingmagazine.com
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