Page 27 - MetalForming August 2016
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Victory manufactures complex dies for Tier One stampers and OEMs, with progressive dies its specialty.
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“We manufacture very large and often complex metal stamping dies for Tier One stampers and OEMs, and pro- gressive dies are our specialty,” says Bob Lynch, president of Victory Tool. “Delivering these jobs on time to exact- ing accuracies and specifications is paramount.”
Victory typically machines carbon, tool and hardened steel such as D2, A2, 4140 and hot-rolled. Each stamping die is unique, based on customer require- ments and the complexity of the part.
“It is not uncommon for us to hold tolerances to 0.0005 in. based on the design of the die,” says Nick Meixell, lead programmer at Victory. “We also frequently hold 0.0002 in. on a press fit for guild pins and other intricate features.”
Victory Stays Inhouse for Large-Die Builds
Victory was outsourcing the large die components, or moving them around on the beds of its inhouse milling machines to perform machin- ing in stages. At the time, Victory had two vertical machines and one hori- zontal machining center.
“This practice is not ideal and is error-prone, requiring extra attention
from the machinist or it could lead to quality issues and extra setup time,” says Fred Simonson, Victory general manager. “Our largest capacity for machining was 64 in. on the x axis and 32 in. on the y.”
The company was spending too much time on setups and re-machining of components due to these limitations.
“By late-2013,” explains Lynch, “we recognized that we could be doing this more efficiently inhouse if we had the right equipment and technology.”
Victory’s machine-tool provider, Concept Machine Tool, Minneapolis, MN, recommended that Victory con- sider a Feeler FV-3224 50-taper, heavy- duty, double-column bridge mill from Methods Machine Tools, Inc. (Sudbury, MA) to solve its manufacturing chal- lenges. Victory decided to move ahead and purchase the bridge mill, and by April 2014, the machine was delivered and installed.
The FV-series mills include extensive design and engineering by Methods to facilitate the production of large com- ponents, and feature THK linear guide- ways on the x axis and Schneeberger roller linear guideways on the y axis. A stepped y-axis beam along with the machine weighing as much as 82 tons
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