Page 42 - MetalForming August 2011

Tooling Technology
Tool Coatings
Keep Truck-Part Maker in the Fast Lane
Pentaflex produces transmission, brake and emission-control parts for tractor trailers, of stainless- and HSLA-steel grades.
Combining ideal performance with the capacity to coat large details, Pentaflex has hit on a winning tool-coating formula.
At its 125,000-sq.-ft. plant in Springfield, OH, Pentaflex stamps and assembles components pri- marily for the tractor-trailer industry. New federal regulations governing braking distance and emissions have brought new work to Pentaflex as truck- ing companies look to upgrade their fleets. Large tooling details used to pro- duce new parts require coatings to pre- vent premature wear and breakage, and ensure high-quality product.
Even with higher fuel costs, the truck- ing industry has been bringing new business to Pentaflex. Regulations tar- geting stopping distances for over-the- road trucks go into full effect at the end of 2011, and truck manufacturers have created new parts to do the job. These new parts and assemblies have found their way to Pentaflex as high-volume part contracts. The same is true for components related to truck emissions. As a result, Pentaflex and its nearly 100 employees have been running two shifts, with a third in the offing. The company primarily stamps parts from stainless-steel and high-strength low-
alloy (HSLA) material in hydraulic and mechanical presses in capacities as large as 2300 tons.
Recently, Pentaflex engineers have had to not only select a tool coating to withstand the punishment of tough,
high-volume forming, but they also had to identify a coater with the capac- ity to handle its large details.
Deep-Draw Details
Prior experience in selecting a tool coating guided Pentaflex in selecting
40 MetalForming/August 2011
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To reliably produce deep-drawn emission- control parts, Pentaflex, Springfield, OH, requires coating of large tool details. From left to right: Michael Stull, Pentaflex tooling manager, dis- cusses part specifics with sales and marketing manager Steve Heitbrink and company president Kenneth Sweeney.