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Electronics stamper uses hybrid press for precision parts

Fast, adjustable-stroke, large-bed press handles tight-tolerance, volume demands

Taking a leap of faith can be unsettling, even frightening. It’s a little less so if your tight-knit family takes the leap with you.

Third-generation family business Wiegel Tool Works (WTW) designs, prototypes, stamps, and assembles tight-tolerance automotive circuitry—copper and bronze electrical lead frames, terminals, brackets, switches, and relays—for automotive transmissions (see lead image). Each generation has taken a leap of faith, grounded in family roots, and relayed a pathway for generations to follow.

Ryan Wiegel, his brother Aaron Wiegel, and sister Erica Wiegel are the co-owners of the Wood Dale, Ill., manufacturing company (see Figure 1). Their grandfather, Otto Wiegel, a German tool- and diemaker, immigrated to the U.S. and, with his wife Kathe, founded the company in 1941 as a tool and die shop. Their father and mother, Martin and Elza Wiegel, presided over the company from 1968 to 2010, converting it from a tool and die house to a stamping job shop in the 1980s. (Read “See women in manufacturing,” http://www.thefabricator.com/blog/see-women-in-manufacturing).

The third generation’s leap of faith has been to invest in new, state-of-the-art equipment, including its recent installation of a customized Minster P2H-160 adjustable-stroke mechanical press. That, and many other investments and endeavors, empowered the siblings to expand the company’s capabilities and capacity, propelling it to a level of success their grandfather could never have dreamed.

“We did everything in a big way,” said Ryan, project coordinator/marketing. “Big” is a small word for the monumental changes the manufacturer implemented recently, including procuring an oversized-bed mechanical press, doubling the facility space, exploding its prototype segment, and growing sales by the millions.

Wanted: Flywheel-fast, “Raked-out” Bed, Adjustable-stroke Press

Wiegel Tool Works produces a high volume of intricate parts. “On one program running right now, we’ll stamp out more than 100 skids of product over two days—hundreds of thousands of parts,” Ryan said.

Speed. To keep up with demand, the Wiegels needed a custom-built press flywheel-fast with a bed normally sized for a high-tonnage press. The stamper already had a 450-ton mechanical press with a 120-inch press bed that it purchased in 2006. “At top speed, the E2H-450 [Minster E2H HeviStamper™ 450-ton press] can go up to 130 SPM [strokes per minute],” Ryan said.

Because the company predominantly stamps relatively soft red metals (copper and brass alloys), it didn’t need the tonnage of another 450-ton press. “Currently we’re only running at around 160 tons. We needed something with a comparable bed size that could go faster,” Ryan said.

Large Press Bed. The stamper needed the expansive press bed to accommodate the long, multistation progressive dies required to precisely stamp its complex parts. “The circuitry needs so many stations; it’s critical to have the bigger bed size,” Ryan said.

In addition, most of the company’s current tools were built for a large bed. A press with a 75-in. bed could use the same dies that run on the 450-ton press.

Wiegel Tool Works stamps large, complicated automotive circuitry in high volumes for perfection-demanding applications. The manufacturer needed a fast press with a large bed and adjustable-stroke capabilities. It had a specially designed mechanical press custom-built for its unique needs.

Adjustable Stroke. Furthermore, Ryan did not want to give up the versatility of the adjustable-stroke capability he has come to appreciate on the other presses. “The adjustable stroke is truly a game-changer; it’s key.” The feature allows the stamper to take advantage of the press’s full speed on jobs with a short stroke, and of the ability to also run jobs with a long stroke.

“Some of the parts we’re running are pretty flat—not a lot of tabs. So for them, we don’t need a long stroke and so we can run them at 450 SPM. But on a part with tabs sticking up or with a draw, we need that longer stroke for the die to clear,” Ryan explained.

In the past the stamper would compensate for the variances by designing bigger parallels, using a bigger die set or lifters for a deeper stroke. “The adjustable-stroke press is all programmable, so now we can change the press parameters on-the-fly and we’re off and running. We can do both flat circuitry dies and draw dies on the same press,” Ryan said. “I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t opt for an adjustable stroke.”

Building the Just-right, Custom Press

Bed too Small. Ryan explored the option of using a Minster P2H-160, which is a 160-ton, adjustable-stroke mechanical press. “I like the concept of the model because it’s a happy medium,” Ryan said. “But the standard bed size for that press is 63 in. That would be very tight. We’d be very limited.”

Pace too Slow. Minster also makes a geared version of the press (P2H-160G) that is equipped with a larger, 75-in. bed, but it lacks speed, Ryan relayed. “It can only go up to 150 SPM.

“So what we really needed was the large bed size of the P2H-160 for the tooling, the speed of the flywheel, and the versatility of the adjustable-stroke feature,” he said.

“So I asked Minster, ‘Can it be done? And are you willing to build that for me?’”

Minster liked the concept and agreed to build the one-of-a-kind press.

Press Just Right. Wiegel Tool Works placed the order in February 2011, and the press was installed by the end of the year, just in time to capitalize on the Section 179 depreciation tax credit. The customized press runs as fast as 450 SPM, with an adjustable stroke from 1 to 5 in., and a 75-in. bed. “That extra foot makes all the difference,” remarked Martin Wiegel. Martin said that he lost too many jobs because his press’s beds were not long enough to accommodate the die length needed to stamp the tight-tolerance components. “I knew a shortage of bed length was my biggest enemy. Inches are precious.”

Reinvesting for Posterity

The Wiegels are happy with their investment and proud of their new press system (see Figure 2). “This is basically a do-all press that complements our 450 very well,” Ryan said.

Figure 1
(left to right) Ryan, Erica, Martin, and Aaron Wiegel, of family-owned Wiegel Tool Works, believe in keeping current with technology—and have invested in state-of-theart presses, inline vision systems, press monitoring systems, die machining equipment, high-end straighteners, well-trained staff, and other technologies to prove it.

“It is a luxury to have this press,” he added. “We were taking on a lot at that time.”

“At that time” the company had just begun to put on a 20,000-square-foot addition and bought the 25,000-sq.-ft. warehouse building behind theirs. The family had made a number of other significant investments in new technology to upgrade the press operations and perfect its products, including inline vision systems, press monitoring, die machining equipment, coil straighteners, and inline washing. (see “Tricked-out press stamps zero defects” sidebar).

To make a press purchase required agreement from all three owners, confidence in their future prospects, and trust in each other’s talents and capabilities. Demand for their products was high and the balance sheet was sound.

Aaron, Erica, and Ryan know how important it is to be financially stable. During the nation’s financial collapse in late 2008 and 2009, the young owners took their P&L statements with them to make sales calls. “Because everything was so volatile, the biggest concern they [customers] had back then was whether we would still be open in six months,” Ryan said.

“They didn’t ask about your quality; they asked you for your bank statements,” Erica added.

Aaron said, “We went on sales calls with our bank statements so they would know that financially, we’re set; and second, we have a documented succession plan. Those were two key aspects that really helped us grow during that period.”

Too, Aaron, Erica, and Ryan had witnessed the bold moves that their parents made when they bought the Minster E2-400-84 in 1997 and initiated the building expansion.

“Back then my dad was 55 years old and was going into month seven of having a mortgage-free building. He had no debt. Next thing you know, he won this job and he had to decide whether to make an $800,000 investment in a press and a couple million-dollar investment in the addition,” Aaron said. “He took that leap of faith.”

The landing was on solid ground. “That press, the 400, virtually ran day and night for close to 15 years. We paid it off in about three years. We paid off the building in less than 10 because of that machine,” Aaron said.

Since its installation, the new customized press and its companion press have been used predominantly. “Those two presses get the most press time because of their versatility. We can do multiple jobs in them that we can’t do in other presses,” Ryan said.

Figure 2
The Wiegels anticipate that their new adjustable-stroke mechanical press will bring with it numerous capacity opportunities.

“Our technology is one of the reasons the company is ahead of the curve,” Aaron added. “We keep our equipment up-to-date, and we turn it over. You have to. All these enhancements boost your efficiency and help you gain the competitive edge. We’re very intent on our business growth and the investments we make.” The company’s next capital investment will probably be a servo press, he added.

As for now, the members of the third generation are not married and a fourth generation is not yet in the works; however … Aaron indicated that the equipment and expansion investments may pave the road for a fourth generation.

“We all, the family, live a very modest lifestyle. Whatever money we make, we reinvest it into technology. We’d rather just keep this thing going and keep the generations going.”

As for Martin, he’s thrilled that all three of his children are continuing the company. “I never expected this. To have one child come into the business would be great, but three? Everyone is envious!” he said with a twinkle in his eye.

Photography by Michael Candee for STAMPING Journal.

Differentiating With Expanded Capabilities

Wiegel Tool Works President Aaron Wiegel said, “A lot of times customers and prospects ask me what differentiates us from another stamper. What can we offer them beyond stampings? We do a lot more than run a press going up and down. We take it to the next level.”

The “next level” comprises rapid prototyping, piece part redesign to facilitate insert molding designs, in-house tooling design and build, and assembly.

In-house Tooling. Aaron said he’s seen a lot of stamping facilities outsource all their tools to shops in China because they think it’s cheaper. “Well, we kept ours here. We design and build our own tools and offer extremely accurate prototyping capabilities. I wanted our technology, our engineering, and influence here.”

With its roots as a tool and die house, it’s not surprising that Wiegel Tool Works’ tooling expertise is world-class. Although the company now designs and builds tooling only for its own use, it considers its tooling just as critical as its presses.

“All of our tools are for complicated parts. “We don’t know how to build cheap tools. Dead serious. Every time we try to get into the game to do that kind of stuff, we lose,” Aaron said.

Differentiating With Expanded Capabilities (Figure 1)

To accelerate die builds, the stamping manufacturer recently purchased a Flow waterjet to rough out the die block. Then it finishes the build using extreme-precision wire-EDM machines.

3-D Modeling, Design. Of course, no die or tool is milled without first being meticulously designed and engineered. Wiegel Tool Works uses Siemens’ NX 8.5 to design and foolproof the dies. “In our software, we design all of our clearances into the tool,” said Joe Manschula, a designer.

After the tools are designed, they are run through a motion simulation module to check for in-process interference. Engineers check for feed clearance, press parameters, and cam timing.

“We’ll verify if it’s timed to hit where we want it to hit, if it’s engaging in the part, and if the forms are coming in at the right location. So we can check the moving parts of the tool here on the computer instead of out on the shop floor. Because when everything’s closed, you can’t see any of the moving parts inside,” Manschula said.

“Instead of trying out dies in the press and finding our mistakes that far down the line, we’re trying them out on the screen,” Aaron said.

Aaron said that using the 3-D software substantially reduces lead-time rework and cost. “It’s reduced lead-time 30 to 40 percent, easily. In the past, out of 100 hours of time on engineering, 55 percent of that was detailing, 45 percent was designing. Now we do very little detailing. Basically, we just doubled the capacity of the engineer without adding anybody.”

The software enhances client relationships too. “We use this with our customers, so they can see what product they’re going to get,” Ryan Wiegel, project coordinator/marketing, said. “We get a lot of instant feedback, because we don’t have to wait for somebody to visualize what it’s really going to look like.”

Aaron explained, “It’s critical for them so they can see what the product is going to look like, especially when costs are involved. Nothing’s cheap. If they’re buying a Cadillac, they want to see a Cadillac. They’re not going to buy a Caddy and look at a Yugo. They see what they’re getting for their money.”

Ryan added, “Now you’ve got to be 3-D. If you’re not, you’re way behind the times.”

Prototyping. Wiegel Tool Works Prototype Manager Erica Wiegel heads up the company’s prototyping division, which is the fastest-growing area of the business. In addition to overseeing the prototyping of all of the company’s automotive electronic components, she develops them for other automotive applications, military parts, and other segments.

Differentiating With Expanded Capabilities (Figure 2)

Erica said that she has frequently been involved in developing prototypes for concept vehicles, including hybrids and electric cars, such as the Chevy Volt®.

“We worked relay prototypes for all new concept cars for the 2016 to 2018 models—hybrid cable holders, battery cell holders ... When they started doing the hybrids, they were prototyping years earlier and refined them each time with a different alloy ... a little more tin or a little more zinc, changing the plating or strengthening the material a little bit each time.”

Erica said that most of the prototypes go into production later. “A lot of times we’re just doing little tweaks to what we’ve done already. The precision is extremely accurate.”

When she receives the contract for the circuitry prototype, its mating overmold is contracted by the downstream supplier simultaneously, so she’ll coordinate closely with that supplier. “So by the time my parts are done, the mold is done. When they come back the next year, I have a very good idea of what the part is, its function, and how to improve it.

“Our customers are realizing the value of our designing and building prototypes. They want to build these concepts and not have to spend $50,000 to $150,000 on a tool.

“That increases our hit rate on production jobs, because if we’ve already designed and built prototypes, we know how to build the prog dies,” she said.

Tricked-out Press Stamps Zero Defects

Wiegel Tool Works, Wood Dale, Ill., engages in the highly competitive international electronics marketplace, stamping automotive transmission circuitry. The manufacturer supplies the stampings to overmolders who encase them in plastic in the next downstream process.

The circuitry is a fine, webbed maze of metal lines running in a multitude of directions, all with exacting purposes and connections. Tiny holes must be precisely located. Material gauges and tension must be meticulously consistent, and the mesh of relays held precisely in parallel. Pressure must be applied in a way that does not distort the dimensions. Because the thin-gauge components are larger and more complex than typical electronics parts, they require very flat material, a long press bed that holds numerous tooling stations, and a structurally stable press.

“It’s a challenge to maintain parallelism. There are so many critical dimensions, hundreds of forms ... even the slightest change in material specs throws off the forms,” said Wiegel Tool Works President Aaron Wiegel.

“In overmolding, the stamping has to fit precisely in the mold to avoid flashing. If these dimensions are not exact, flashing will occur, creating a defective part. That’s why our precision is so critical. When the molders get the part, they have to be able to overmold it without any adjustments.”

Differentiating With Expanded Capabilities (Figure 3)

It is because the company has attained the very high level of accuracy required that it has stamped its niche in the industry. “Our customers require zero defects. And I mean zero. They are emphatic about it,” Aaron said.

To achieve zero defects, Wiegel Tool Works has “tricked out” its presses with automatic adjustable feeds, high-end straighteners, inline vision systems, in-die sensors, and inline welders and has perfected its tooling and prototyping processes.

Coil Straightener. The stamper installed a high-end Machine Concepts precision coil straightener to flatten the thin material and eliminate coil set.

“A lot of the material tension varies from lot to lot, or from supplier to supplier,” Aaron said. “Variability will throw off all our forms. If you come in on the high side or low side, you can underform or overform your part.”

Vision System. The part dimensions must be checked and verified in numerous places. The stamper uses in-die sensors and sophisticated inline vision systems to help verify data.

“You’ll see a lot of sensor technology and vision systems here. That’s something we take a lot of pride in,” Aaron said. “I compare it to driving a car. Without gauges, you’ll run out of gas or get a speeding ticket.” The in-die sensors can detect numerous potential problems in the press. When it does, it sends a signal to the press, which stops it immediately, he said.

The vision systems record information as detailed as the positions of the weld terminals, locations of the leg’s centerline, slugs, and missing features. The data is exported to a statistical program to generate all manner of reports. “It’s a good way to monitor our processes. If anything is out of spec, it shows in red,” Aaron said.

The inline vision system checks 100 percent of the parts. “This catches everything,” Aaron said. “We’ve made a lot of improvements in our tooling, but I was never going to sign up for 0 PPM based on tooling alone. With our inline vision systems, we’ve been able to achieve zero defects.”

Press Monitoring. Coupled with in-die sensing and inline vision systems, Wiegel Tool Works has installed a live, web-based Wintriss SmartPAC® electronic press monitoring system throughout the plant that displays a dashboard showing the status of every operation at a glance to further ensure accuracy and quality control. Press monitors are mounted throughout the plant and are accessible inside and outside of the plant via the Internet. “This is kind of new in stamping, though we’ve been doing it for about 10 years,” Aaron said, adding that all of the company’s presses are equipped with press monitoring systems.

The press monitoring system displays a color-coded dashboard showing the status of each press operation, which tool and part are running, and the estimated time for completion. If a press goes down, it reports which one and for how long.

About the Author

Kate Bachman

Contributing editor

815-381-1302

Kate Bachman is a contributing editor for The FABRICATOR editor. Bachman has more than 20 years of experience as a writer and editor in the manufacturing and other industries.