Article
April 13, 2010
DIEVESTIGATION: Draw or stretch? That is the question
The first DIEVESTIGATION article, " Designing stamped parts : How material selection affects downstream operations and costs," discussed factors you should consider when specifying a metal during part design for operational efficiency and cost savings. How you decide to form the part also... Read more...
Article
April 1, 2010
ERP and the cloud
Figure 1
Businesses may need to climb over some hurdles when looking to invest in enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, manufacturing execution system (MES, or shop floor control) software, or related packages. They may need to hire IT personnel or add servers. For some, this... Read more...
Article
March 9, 2010
Older than Oscar
Figure 1 Irwin Seating Co. has been seating audiences, including those in Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, for a century. The Academy Awards®, airing this month, offers a retrospective look at the best movies you may have seen last year. Seeing clips of the nominated films... Read more...
Article
March 9, 2010
Article
February 9, 2010
DIEVESTIGATION: Designing stamped parts
When you design a part, do you consider how the design affects manufacturing costs? All too often stamped parts are designed to have certain features and tolerances with little consideration given to the effect these features have on the manufacturing process and costs. To optimize cost... Read more...
Article
January 14, 2010
Design for manufacturability
Figure 1
This part, among many others produced by Bachman Machine Co., came about through significant customer collaboration. Photo courtesy of Bachman Machine Co.
It's the little things that snowball into so much trouble. It could be a bend angle, hole location, or tolerance... Read more...
Article
January 9, 2010
Die materials and wear in stamping AHSS
Figure 1 Shown here are the five tool failure mechanisms and the changes recommended to prevent them. Editor's Note: This article is Part I of a three-part series that reviews the die materials and die coatings used in forming AHSS. Parts II and III, which will appear in future issues,... Read more...
Article
December 15, 2009
Sheet Metal Stamping 101, Part V
Editor's Note: This series presents an overview of metal stamping. Part I of this series focused on the various careers in the metal stamping industry. Part II discussed stamping materials and equipment;
Part III focused on dies and cutting and Part IV offered more detail about cutting... Read more...
Article
December 15, 2009
Sheet Metal Stamping 101
The author of the "Die Science" column in STAMPING Journal®, Art also has written several other series that appear at www.thefabricator.com, including:
Solving Punch Breakage Problems Die Basics 101 Cutting Tooling Costs
Read more...
Article
November 20, 2009
Mild steel to HSS: Not just a spec change - Part II
Figure 1
Conventional systems require more equipment and downstream operations than a servo press with slide motion control because functions such as joining, threading, punching, piercing, and laser marking can be integrated in the press or performed in-die..
Editor's Note: This... Read more...
Spanish
November 16, 2009
Diseñando dados amigables con la velocidad
En el competitivo ambiente de la actualidad, las compañías de estampado están buscando reducir costos a cualquier forma imaginable. Usualmente, el primer lugar adonde voltean los estampadores para reducir costos es la carga de mano de obra por parte, lo cual conduce a la inevitable lucha por... Read more...
Article
October 27, 2009
Sheet Metal Stamping 101, Part IV
Figure 1
Editor's Note: This series presents an overview of metal stamping. Part I of this series focused on the various careers in the metal stamping industry. Part II discussed stamping materials and equipment;
Part III focused on dies and cutting and Part IV offers more... Read more...
Article
October 8, 2009
Design, build, troubleshoot
The critical phases of producing a capable stamping die are design, build, and troubleshoot (debug). Each of these phases is of equal importance and dependent on one another. If one of these phases is inadequate, determining the effectiveness of the other phases is extremely difficult.... Read more...
Article
September 25, 2009
Mild steel to HSS: Not just a spec change - Part I
Figure 1
This schematic shows what happens to a press when cutting high-strength material.
Editor's Note: This is Part I of a two-part article. This installment focuses on the press technology available to form and cut high-strength steel. Part II outlines cost efficiencies that... Read more...
Article
August 25, 2009
Sheet Metal Stamping 101, Part III
Editor's Note: This series presents an overview of metal stamping. Part I of this series focused on the various careers in the metal stamping industry. Part II discussed stamping materials and equipment;
Part III focuses on dies and cutting and Part IV offers more detail about cutting... Read more...
Spanish
August 4, 2009
Article
August 1, 2009
'Bad' steel — the ultimate scapegoat
What the heck is "bad" steel? It seems like every time there is a problem making a good part, the steel is blamed. Cracking problems? It's bad steel. Wrinkling problems? It's bad steel. Springback problems? It's bad steel. Cold and rainy outside? It's bad steel. You get the idea.
As a tool-... Read more...
Article
July 9, 2009
Designing speed-friendly dies
Each of the physical speed-limiting factors is dictated by the configuration, or design, of the part. You can identify product design compromises that make the part more speed-friendly.
In today's competitive environment, stamping companies are looking at every imaginable way to reduce... Read more...
Article
July 2, 2009
The pressure is on
The traditional method of measuring pressure distribution in stamping operations—the die spotting blue technique—indicates the pressure points but not how much pressure. This makes it difficult to determine if all the pressures the various die components are exerting are balanced. Although... Read more...
Article
June 9, 2009
Sheet Metal Stamping 101, Part II
Editor's Note: In this series, tool-and-die expert Art Hedrick presents an overview of metal stamping. Part I focused on the various careers in the metal stamping industry. Part II discusses stamping materials and equipment; Part III focuses on dies and cutting and Part IV offers more... Read more...
Article
April 14, 2009
Article
April 14, 2009
Sheet Metal Stamping 101, Part I
Editor's Note: This series presents an overview of metal stamping. Part I focuses on the various careers in the metal stamping industry. Part II discusses stamping materials and equipment; Part III
focuses on dies and cutting and Part IV offers more detail about cutting processes. The... Read more...
Article
April 1, 2009
10 Hot-stamping HSS FAQs
1. What Is Hot Stamping
In its simplest definition, hot stamping, also called hot forming or press hardening, is the process of forming metal while it is very hot (in excess of 900 degrees C) and then quenching it (cooling it quickly) in the die. The process converts low-tensile-strength... Read more...
Article
March 24, 2009
The ins and outs of magnetic die clamping
Figure 1 A magnetic die clamping plate is installed on a straight-side press. The magnet eliminates the need for physical clamps. (Photo courtesy of Tecnomagnete Inc.) As automotive OEMs have continued their struggle, so have their suppliers. Sometimes stampers haven't had enough work to... Read more...
Article
February 24, 2009
Article
February 24, 2009
Stamper rebuffs recession with retool
Eagle Wings Industries, Rantoul, Ill., is a Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier of large underbody assemblies and subassemblies. The company forms chassis parts (front and rear side members, floor reinforcements, I/P assemblies, side pillars, and strut houses); painted trim parts (front suspension... Read more...
Article
February 10, 2009
Controlling flat-rolled shape
Fixing a coil shape problem begins with a close examination of the defect.
While metals producers have greatly improved the quality of their flat-rolled product, your customers have tightened their specifications. Quality is a moving target. What was good enough yesterday may not be... Read more...
Article
February 10, 2009
Article
January 27, 2009
Metal former today, compression molder tomorrow
Do you have a press that is not being utilized fully? It's not an uncommon situation in many shops. To address this situation, many shops look to diversify their customer bases. For many companies, this means finding new customers in new industrial segments, such as aerospace or power... Read more...
Article
January 13, 2009
Using analog technology to errorproof the stamping process
Measuring important part features using analog sensors during the stamping process can reduce the need for time-consuming in-process checks, expensive attribute gages, and costly part-sorting at the press.
A die protection program that prevents mis-hits and die crashes and prevents unplanned... Read more...
Article
January 13, 2009
'It's the economy, stupid'
The results are in and they are not surprising. An overwhelming majority of respondents to an annual survey of metal fabricators ranked the economy as their No. 1 business concern. For the past five years, the "Fabricating Update" e-newsletter has surveyed its subscribers about various... Read more...
Article
December 14, 2008
In-die joining transforms press into assembly system, Part I
A hopper containing bulk fasteners feeds into a bowl; the bowl feeds the fasteners into a track; and the track feeds them into the tooling, which then singulates them and sends them to the press as the press calls for them.
Editor's Note: In-die joining systems help stamping shops to... Read more...
Article
December 14, 2008
Article
October 28, 2008
Buying time—by welding
Nothing lasts forever, especially those things that are used and abused excessively. Stamping dies are no exception to this fundamental rule. It also must be clearly understood that despite your best efforts to maintain these dies properly, they still are subject to failure caused by human... Read more...
Article
October 28, 2008
Article
October 14, 2008
Green lubes under a microscope
Biobased, vegetable oil lubricants have enhanced lubricity and a higher viscosity index (VI) than comparable mineral-based oils; however, they also are not as thermally stable at the higher temperatures as lower temperatures when left untreated and may oxidize. Your mother always told you... Read more...
Article
September 30, 2008
Conveying flexibility
Figure 1 When selecting a conveyor, consider present and future material handling needs. For instance, two narrow conveyors, ganged together in a timing-belt setup, could carry wide parts for a current application, then be broken down and used individually for future jobs. For... Read more...
Article
September 15, 2008
Article
August 12, 2008
3 deadly tool design sins
Throughout the last 28 years of my tool and die career, I have seen a plethora of dies ranging in size from a 20-station progressive die that you can hold in your hand to single-station dies that are 30 feet long. I have seen tools running as slow as 1 stroke per minute (SPM) and as fast as... Read more...
Article
July 29, 2008
What you should know about stamping coated coil
Nearly 90 years ago engineers discovered how to unroll a coil of aluminum or steel, apply a primer or a finish coat, and then recoil it before shipping it to be processed. Since those early days of prepainted metal, many stampers and fabricators have found that it makes sense to form parts... Read more...
Article
July 29, 2008
Die shop transitions to production stamper
What started as fill-in work for idle tool tryout presses has now become full-time production stamping for this die shop. Advanced feed lines and a multifunction software program helped facilitate the successful transition. Third-generation tool- and diemakers Tom and Jerry Wysoczynski broke... Read more...
Article
June 17, 2008
Silicon Valley stamper sizes up, down electronics
Scandic Springs Inc., a San Leandro, Calif., job shop that specializes in stamping and coiling spring materials, faces the challenges of a shrinking electronics industry—both in market size and scale of components.
"The northern California market has had a real shakeout in the last... Read more...
Article
June 17, 2008
Measuring forming severity
Figure 1 Click image to view larger Part checking fixture It's a simple fact that many factors contribute to a metal cutting and forming operation's success. To produce a robust stamping process, you must be able to measure the forming severity of a part. Purchasing a die for drawing or... Read more...
Article
June 17, 2008
Applying parallelism technology in hydraulic presses
Active leveling control counteracts the negative effects of off-center loading, including premature tool and press wear, breakthrough shock, and reverse shock loading. Stamping shops are driven to offset today's increasing competition and decreasing margins by consolidating operations and... Read more...
Article
June 1, 2008
Reading progressive die strips — Part II
Editor's Note: This is the second part of a two-part article about reading progressive-die strips. Part I covers the causes of pilot hole distortion and mismatched cuts.
Figure 1
Cosmetic part or not, hard marks can tell a great deal about the die's timing, as well as the... Read more...
Article
May 13, 2008
Driven to integrate
A Parkview Metal Products worker operates a stamping press at the company's facility in Lake Zurich, IL. Parkview produces components for the automotive industry, consumer electronics, and barbecue grills. Changes come often in the steel industry. An item manufactured in the U.S. today can... Read more...
Article
May 1, 2008
Reading progressive die strips — Part I
Editor's Note: This is Part I of a two-part series discussing causes of distorted pilot holes and mismatched cuts. Part II, which discusses hard marks, poor die design, and coil-related problems, will appear in the June issue.
Figure 1
Strips can use stretch carriers, or an extra... Read more...
Article
April 29, 2008
Getting the most from your cutting punches: Part II
Many factors influence tool steel selection. Part I of this article focused on selecting the right cutting clearance. Part II discusses properties to look for in tool steel and the importance of heat treating, preparation for production, coatings, lubricants, and the press on which the tool... Read more...
Article
April 15, 2008
Sensors clear the way for high-speed stamping
Tennessee Stampings (Portland) LLC stamps 100 million ride control components (struts and shocks) annually. To sustain high-speed stamping, the company puts sensors on all of its dies to prevent collisions and the production of defective parts that would bring its presses to a screeching... Read more...
Article
April 15, 2008
Lubrication and galling in stamping of galvanized AHSS
Figure 1 Click to view image larger This B-pillar simulation model shows the geometries of the tool and the initial sheet blank. Editor's Note: This article is Part III of a three-part series discussing a study of lubrication and galling in forming of zinc-coated advanced high-strength... Read more...
Article
April 15, 2008
Successful Extruding: Part II
Figure 1 Click to view image larger A good extrusion die design. Editor's Note: This is Part II of a two-part series. Part I explored the effects of the working material as well as the edge condition of the prepierced hole. This article discusses the effects of die design and the... Read more...
Article
March 15, 2008
Successful Extruding: Part I
Editor's Note: This is Part I of a two-part series discussing critical variables controlling the success of an extruding operation. Part II discusses the effects of the die design and the use of ironing and preforms. Extruding a hole sounds like a reasonably easy process. Just pierce a... Read more...
Article
March 11, 2008
Coming to your sensors
The most difficult aspect of implementing a stamping sensor program is figuring out where to place the sensor. For example, in this application, two stamping sensors on opposing ends of the die face each other and communicate across an air gap that runs the length of the die. (Photos and... Read more...
Article
February 12, 2008
Getting the most from your cutting punches: Part I
Figure 1 Image courtesy of Dayton Progress. It seems as though stamping challenges run in cycles or groups. A few weeks ago, I spent a great deal of time helping solve formability problems. You know… splits, wrinkles, springback—typical issues. More recently I have been... Read more...
Article
January 15, 2008
Stamping 101: Anatomy of a Mechanical Press
Stamping press functions Editor's Note: STAMPING Journal® will explore hydraulic press capabilities, the differences between mechanical presses and hydraulic presses, as well as servo and pneumatic presses in "How to select a press," which will be published in the March issue.... Read more...
Article
January 15, 2008
Stamping 101: Material guidelines
Baking a cake requires the right amount of the right ingredients, added at the right time, and baked at the optimal time and temperature. Sheet metal production is not that different. Literally hundreds of different "flavors" of metals are available, each with its own blend of physical,... Read more...
Article
January 15, 2008
Controlling slug pulling with hole lapping
Ever since the invention of the die and punch, the die industry has been plagued by punched slugs pulling up as the punch leaves the die. These slugs embed themselves into the hole cavity that was just made, impeding the forward advancement of the strip. High speed and thin materials can... Read more...
Article
January 15, 2008
Stamping 101: Die basics
Piece parts stamped in transfer dies are transferred via traveling rails mounted within the boundaries of the press.Image courtesy of Batesville Tool & Die, Batesville, Ind. Processing, designing, and building a stamping die can be very complicated. This broad overview of stamping... Read more...
Article
December 11, 2007
Die Basics 101: Part XVII
Part XVI of this series wrapped up the discussion of bending in stamping operations. This article focuses on drawing.
What Is Drawing?
Figure 1
Click image to view larger
Drawing is a metal forming process in which a product is made by controlling sheet metal flow into a cavity... Read more...
Article
December 11, 2007
Article
December 11, 2007
8 Things you should know about your hydraulic press
What should you do to keep your hydraulic press running? Know your press—when it is working properly or when it needs attention. You can extend press life and maximize your investment by keeping your eyes and ears tuned and by performing these eight preventive maintenance steps: 1.... Read more...
Article
December 11, 2007
Dissecting defects - Part III
Real-time Process Control Figure 1 A commercially available optical measuring system can be used to obtain data on the deformation of a stamped component. Variations in incoming sheet material quality, tool temperatures, press and tool deflection, and lubricant performance result in... Read more...
Article
December 11, 2007
Why is it Dieology, not Dieologism?
Note: Before I begin with the technical portion of Die Science, I would like to thank all of my loyal readersand wishyou a happy holiday season. I am looking forward tocontinuing this column in 2008. If you have anytopics that you would like to have covered, please contact me. As a dieologist,... Read more...
Article
December 11, 2007
Dissecting defects
Part I categorizes defect types and discusses the factors that affect formed part quality; Part II covers various destructive and nondestructive tests for evaluating incoming material; and Part III is an introduction to process monitoring systems. Read more...
Article
November 6, 2007
Dissecting defects - Part II
Two major types of variation in incoming sheet coil are material properties and coil thickness. Various tests, both destructive and nondestructive, are used to determine these variations.Tensile Testing
Figure 1
At top is a cross-sectional schematic of a biaxial bulge test set up... Read more...
Article
November 6, 2007
Metalforming lessons learned abroad
Figure 1 Rolling bolsters are used to quickly change dies that might weigh many tons. The U.S. taught the world about mass production, but now it may be time for the teacher to take some notes on flexible approaches to metal forming. After World War II, consumerism in the U.S. required... Read more...
Article
November 6, 2007
Reducing lubricant waste
All metal forming facilities that use chemicals ultimately produce wastes, and these facilities then have to deal with them, usually in two steps: treatment and disposal. Treatment and disposal are reactions to the processes that generate waste, so it's obvious that one way to ease the waste... Read more...
Spanish
November 6, 2007
Cómo mantener las prensas hidráulicas operando
¿Qué deben saber los operadores para el buen estado de sus prensas hidráulicas? Deben saber cuándo la prensa está funcionando bien o necesita atención, y luego, darle mantenimiento regular.
Conociendo su Prensa
Para averiguar si su prensa hidráulica está funcionando como debe,... Read more...
Article
November 6, 2007
Extend conveyor life with maintenance, modification
Forty years ago, conveyors were just expected to move items from point A to point B. They did that pretty well, but not much else. To the naked eye, conveyor design doesn't look like it has progressed much since then. Looks can be deceiving. The conveyors of today are engineered with unique... Read more...
Article
November 6, 2007
Piercing, cutting aluminum sans slivers
I have had a few consulting jobs in which the primary focus was on cutting aluminum. Slivers and burrs were the main problems. To address metal stamping problems such as slivers and burrs, the process engineer, tooling designer, or troubleshooting technician must have a reasonably good... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2007
Dissecting defects - Part I
Figure 1
Many quality defects can occur in stamping.
Types of Quality Defects
Two main types of defects typically occur in stamped automotive body components
(see Figure 1 ):
Surface defects, such as cracks and necking
Form defects, such as fall-in, wrinkling, and... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2007
Die Basics 101: Part XVI
Part XV of this series described several bending methods—wipe, coin, relief, pivot, and V. It also discussed springback and how to compensate for it when using these methods. This article focuses on other bending processes. Keep in mind that the key to success is to design the bending process... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2007
Ridin' the storm out
Editor's Note: This is the third article in a three-part series on Tennessee Stampings LLC. Part I in August explored the company's lean practices. Part II in
September discussed how the company's use of sensors and mistakeproofing led to its growth. Part III examines the company's... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2007
Strategic sourcing for stampers
Material is the single largest cost component for stamping companies—about 50 percent to 60 percent of annual sales. This amount may vary depending on the extent and composition of secondary operations. Direct labor represents only about 6 percent to 8 percent of sales, but it gets the... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2007
Stamping with third-generation dry-film lubricants
In the simplest terms, stamping lubricants are either "wet" or "dry," and that's how many in the industry still classify them. While that simple approach really isn't very helpful in understanding the choices available today, it does provide some common ground on which to begin the... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2007
A new standard in forming bathtubs
American Standard's manufacturing facility in Salem, Ohio, invested more than $1 million to fully automate its bathtub forming line, which consists of a lubricator, two hydraulic presses for deep drawing, two mechanical presses for secondary forming activities, a flange bender, an automated... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2007
For flawless cosmetic finish, start at the head
To remain competitive and profitable in the face of rising energy and material costs and low-cost overseas labor, North American stampers are offsetting these higher costs by increasing pressroom efficiency. Stampers are investing in automation to reduce labor costs and to expand the use of... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2007
New lube gives the slip to stamper's slips, trips, and falls
KI (USA), Berea, Ky., a division of Keiaisha Co. Ltd. (Japan), stamps and produces subassembly parts for Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and other automotive OEMs (see lead image). Company President Gary Robinson requested that a team from the stamping department improve plant safety by reducing... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2007
Finding, addressing the root cause of die galling failures
As a consultant, I spend a great deal of time answering questions about die galling failures: What's the best tool steel I can use to prevent this galling problem? How can I prevent these punches from breaking down? What's the best tool steel coating? The truth is that there is no single... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2007
Ridin' the storm out Part III
Editor's Note: This is the third article in a three-part series on Tennessee Stampings LLC. Part I in August explored the company's lean practices. Part II in September discussed how the company's use of sensors and mistakeproofing led to its growth. Part III examines the company's facility... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2007
Retrofit Rxfor automaker's aging press
Aging presses can pose challenges, from maintenance to unavailability of obsolete spare parts to performance limitations on new or complex applications. For metal forming processes requiring deep or off-center draw operations, a bed cushion retrofit can resolve some of these challenges.
Old... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2007
Article
September 11, 2007
Clearing the springback hurdle
Editor's Note: This article is adapted from Eric Kam's conference presented at FABTECH® International & AWS Welding Show, Oct. 31-Nov. 2, Atlanta,© 2006 by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Intl.
Of all the technical problems that hinder stampers today, springback... Read more...
Article
September 11, 2007
Blanking developments - Part III
Editor's Note: This is Part III of a three-part series on blanking developments. Part I focused on fineblanking and tool design. Part II covered fineblanking part and process design guidelines.
This column was prepared by Serhat Kaya, of the Center for Precision Forming (CPF, formerly ERC... Read more...
Article
September 11, 2007
Leveling flat-rolled strip
Many users of flat-rolled strip are demanding material with exceptional flatness. One reason is the increased use of lasers, robots, and other manufacturing techniques that are intolerant of height deviations and springback in material. In addition, applications such as automotive, appliance,... Read more...
Article
September 11, 2007
6 ways to focus on slitting lines
Editor's Note: This article is an edited version of an article that was published in the September 2005 issue The FABRICATOR®. As some stamping manufacturing has moved overseas, the U.S. slitting market has become saddled with overcapacity. Stampers can improve coil processing... Read more...
Article
September 11, 2007
Stamping aluminum
Figure 1 Depending on the type, aluminum has a good strength-to-weight ratio and is well-suited to the deep-drawing process, as well as multiple draw reductions. I remember distinctly my very first experience with building a die that was supposed to draw a sheet of aluminum into a deep,... Read more...
Article
September 11, 2007
Blanking developments
Figure 1 Editor's Note: This is Part III of a three-part series on blanking developments. Part I, which appeared in the July issue, focused on fineblanking and tool design. Part II, which ran in the August issue, covered fineblanking part and process design guidelines. This column was... Read more...
Article
September 11, 2007
Creating a pressroom preventive maintenance program
Many fabricators rely on fire-house maintenance when a machine goes down, all available resources are marshaled to fix the problem. This approach works most of the time, but at a high cost. To minimize this cost, stampers need to design a press maintenance program that decreases downtime,... Read more...
Article
September 11, 2007
Ridin' the storm out Part II
Editor's Note: This is the second article in a three-part series on Tennessee Stampings LLC. Part I explored the company's lean practices. Part II discusses how the company's use of sensors and mistakeproofing led to its growth. Part III, which will appear in the October issue, examines the... Read more...
Article
August 8, 2007
Die Basics 101: Part XV
Part II of this series presented a basic overview of metal forming operations, such as bending, flanging, drawing, ironing, coining, curling, hemming, and embossing. This and future installments discuss these operations in more detail. We will look at factors controlling the success of each... Read more...
Article
August 8, 2007
12 ways to boost punch life
High-strength, low-alloy (HSLA) steels are revolutionizing the automotive and construction industries, and stainless steel is tremendously popular in appliances. These steels are stronger, tougher, and often more advanced than traditional materials. To be successful, manufacturers must be... Read more...
Article
August 8, 2007
5 ways to leaner die handling
Conventional rack, shelving, and drawer systems used in many stamping facilities are a less-than-lean method of storing dies. They consume a lot of floor space, and locating and retrieving dies encroaches on production time. In addition, these conventional methods expose dies to damage. The... Read more...
Article
August 8, 2007
Blanking developments - Part II
Figure 1
Editor's Note: This is Part II of a three-part series on blanking developments. Part I focused on fineblanking and tool design. Part III will cover high-speed blanking and finite element analysis.
This column was prepared by Serhat Kaya, the Center for Precision... Read more...
Article
August 8, 2007
Implementing a coil-end joiner
Almost all metal stampers have downtime at the end of a steel coil. The amount of time a line is nonproductive between coils can vary. It's not uncommon for downtime to exceed 20 minutes. On heavy-gauge lines, where a coil's linear footage is low, the amount of downtime can be excessive. Pax... Read more...
Article
August 8, 2007
Turning it around (fast)
As offshore suppliers become fierce low-price competitors, many U.S. stampers are facing stark choices. To avoid further market share erosion, some are differentiating their offerings by creating a niche market or offering value-added services. For the Bradley Corp., an 85-year-old plumbing... Read more...
Article
July 10, 2007
Cutting tooling costs: Part I
Editor's Note: This is Part I of a two-part series that discusses how to cut tooling costs without sacrificing die quality. Part II, which will appear in the August issue, will examine tool steels and using special die engineering software to save money.
To be competitive, metal stampers... Read more...
Article
July 10, 2007
Mechanical presses primed for powerful performances
Metal stampers are using more high-strength steel, which is more difficult to form than mild steel and requires more tooling stations and press tonnage to produce parts. As a result, stampers are moving away from traditional production methods and investing in presses with higher tonnage... Read more...
Article
July 10, 2007
Packaging finished stampings
Editor's Note: This article is adapted from Greg Yahn's conference presented at FABTECH® International & AWS Welding Show, Nov. 13-16, 2005, Chicago, Ill.,© 2005 by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Intl. (FMA), the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), and the American... Read more...
Article
July 10, 2007
Keeping stainless flawless for appliance stamping, fabrication
Appliances are increasingly being made of stainless steel to satisfy consumers' growing demands for these high-end products. According to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), the use of stainless steel in home appliances has increased in the last five years and is expected... Read more...
