Page 41 - MetalForming December 2013

To fabricate the decorative cladding, Kammetal laser-cut panels for the spire’s glass and stainless steel structure. Press-brake operators then formed the thick stainless steel, performing multiple acute-angle bends in each piece.
tors at a shop in New Jersey. Once com- plete, the entire spire then was shipped to the site in one piece using a carrier built specifically for that purpose.
Special Meaning
“This was really a meaningful proj- ect for us,” says Kusack. “I saw the tow- ers fall from Brooklyn in 2001, the year I started Kammetal. Watching the bea- con being hoisted into its final position atop the new world trade center was a moment in time I will never forget. It was a point in history when the rebuild- ing of the fallen towers was complete.
“The spire stands as a commemo- ration to the men and women who per- ished that fateful day,” Kusack contin- ues, “stands as a memorial to the commitment of all of the men and women involved in the rebuilding of the tower—truly an accomplishment.”
MF
Article provided by Wilson Tool Intl., White Bear Lake, MN: 651/286-6000; www.wilsontool.com.
tooling from Wilson Tool). It’s precision ground to a tolerance of ±0.0004 in. on critical dimensions to ensure reli- able performance and help fabrica- tors achieve optimum bend-angle accuracy.
“The tooling worked really well for bending the acute angles,” says Kusack, noting that Kammetal fabricated all of the panels for the decorative cladding and installed the panels on the frame- work for the spire, built by DCM Erec-
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MetalForming/December 2013 39
Tooling Technology