Page 32 - MetalForming February 2012

When Less is More:
Turret-Press Tool Sharpening
Achange in slitting tools at Dedoes InnovativeManufacturingincreas- es turret-press uptime, while use of cluster and special-application tool- ing delivers additional productivity benefits.
Less can be a lot more when it comes to the innovative use of spe- cial turret-press tooling at Dedoes Innovative Mfg., Fowlerville, MI. The sheetmetal fabricator uses
turret press,” says Mate sales engineer Gary Troxell. As an example, Troxell notes filtration-system cabinets fabri- cated at Dedoes from 14-gauge Type 304 stainless steel. Measuring 5 by 4 by 3 ft., the cabinets incorporate multiple filtration assemblies and require the punching of thou- sands of 0.1875-in.-dia. holes spaced 0.45 in. apart. When punching the panels with the single-station tool supplied with the turret press, Dedoes discovered obvi- ous limitations, particu- larly as order volumes grew for the punched cabinetry. Besides punching just one hole at a time with the originally supplied tool, and the frequent tool sharpening required, the tool often distorted portions of the sheet, compromising quality and
resulting in scrapped parts.
Switching to a cluster-punch assem-
bly seemed a logical move, but the assemblies can be expensive, with a pricetag in the thousands of dollars. Questions arose:
• How can we proceed with some assurance that the productivity pay- back will measure up to expectation?
• How do we determine the right number of punches in the cluster assembly?
• Can reliable projected savings be realized ahead of time to justify the
a large array of cluster, louver, emboss, lance and form tools that greatly reduces fabri- cating steps, punch press time and secondary opera- tions. The firm fabricates spe- cialized cabinets for cus- tomers in the medical, military, automotive, food and material-handling industries.
Dedoes punches 2000 tons of cold- rolled mild and stainless steel each month, much of it requiring slitting with its turret press, an Amada 357 Vipros Queen. The company depends heavily on its slitting tool to accurate- ly size sheets into components used in filtration cabinets and other prod- ucts. It recently switched slitting tools (opting for a tool from Mate Precision Tooling, Anoka, MN), and was able to reduce tool sharpening by a factor of four to one. “The improved durability of the slitting tool has eliminated numer- ous trips to the tool grinder,” says Vaughn, “which means a huge reduc-
30 MetalForming/February 2012
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Dedoes punches 2000 tons of cold-rolled mild and stainless steel each month, and depends heavily on its slitting tool to accurately size sheets into components used in filtration cabinets and other products. Its new slitting tool has reduced tool sharpening by a factor of four to one.
tion in downtime.
“Tooling is extremely important to
us,” Vaughn continues, “because it has a major impact on all aspects of our operation, including quality and fabri- cating speed, labor utilization and, ulti- mately, profitability. When a tool deliv- ers maximum efficiency and life, scrap is minimized and machine uptime maximized.”
Special Application: Cluster Punch Tooling
Special-application tooling also plays a vital role at Dedoes, “because it expands the usefulness of the firm’s