Page 31 - MetalForming November 2014

J&S employs its new tool- sharpening system to return dies and punches to near- new condition. Shown
are the Mate cluster
die and Rapidset
(adjustable punch
length) tools used in
the firm’s sheetmetal-fabrication shop.
conducted a two-day review of our punching operations, evaluating our work practices and tool usage,” Yates adds. “Examining our over-
all tool use and mainte- nance processes helped a lot. Because we sharpen daily, easy access to the sharpening system is impor- tant to minimize moves. We located the sharpening machine in a central area near our tool-storage and punching operations to facilitate efficient tool planning and use. Mate trained our operators on
how to sharpen the tools to improve part quality and extend tool life, and they were up and run- ning with the new machine by mid-after- noon of the day the machine was installed.”
Using the Premia, a typical tool- sharpening process at J&S has been reduced from an average of 25 min. to
just a couple of min- utes.
“And, we have been really surprised to find that the quality of the
sharpened finish is nearly equal to that of new tools,” adds Yates.
“Compared to using a surface grinder on the tools, quality is improved by as much as 50 percent.” The new tool-sharpening system has elim- inated burrs on part edges, and the Premia sys- tem accommodates even the smallest punches without danger of breakage—a problem previously expe-
rienced at J&S.
Menu-Driven for Easy Setup
The Premia system features a touch- screen interface that simplifies tool setup and maintenance operations. Menu-driven, the interface offers three
standard programs for small, medium and large tools, plus two customizable programs. J&S operators use the small and medium programs plus an addi- tional program for tool diameters less than 0.8 mm. And, they can use the machine’s manual operating mode if required.
Operating the sharpening machine, an operator mounts the tool in a uni- versal fixture that accommodates all popular tooling styles. Essentially, all he needs to do is insert the tool in the fix- ture, select the appropriate program from the menu and press the start button.
During operation, the software tracks several datapoints. J&S records data on all of the tools sharpened; mon- itoring wheel and coolant life, motor history and grind depth. And, the soft- ware can provide an estimated time to completion.
“We operate the Premia every work shift,” concludes Yates. “Our operators learned the system quite easily and are glad that it contributes to our company’s continuous-improvement program. Tooling is expensive, and maintaining it with the best, cost-effective sharpening process represents a sound investment that ensures quality products.” M F
Article submitted by Mate Precision Tooling: www.mate.com.
www.metalformingmagazine.com
MetalForming/November 2014 29
J&S’s Premia tool-sharpening machine handles large station dies (left) as well as small-diameter punches (right).