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Articles tagged with "tool"
Results: 143
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Cutting to the chase: ArrayArray
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Cutting to the chase Sawing structural and architectural tubing: Sawing structural and architectural tubingThis article examines common fabrication processes for structural and architectural tube. It specifically focuses on cutting, sawing, miter cutting, bundle sawing, and cambering.
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Not your father's abrasive jet: Technological advances, attention to common woes give fabricators options for precision cuttingThe advances made in abrasive jet cutting in recent years have negated much of the downside formerly associated with the technology.
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Selecting a table for abrasive jet machining |
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Folding technology makes sweeping changes: New developments in 200-year-old technologySchwenkbiegemachinen, or swing bending machines, have been in use for more than 200 years. European manufacturers began to power them with electrical or hydraulic power after World War II, when an enormous amount of sheet metal was used in the reconstruction of Europe.
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Successful tube hydroforming: Watching parameters, accurately simulating the process yield good resultsA typical tube hydroforming system is shown in Figure 1. Within this system, a host of factors must be taken into account, from starting tube geometry and material properties to the quality of the final part (such as thickness distribution and dimensional accuracy).
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Using hydroforming aluminum components versus steel stampings: The contender gains points, but the champion is still in the fightThis article examines two transitions that are occurring in the automotive industry—the change from stamping to hydroforming, and the substitution of aluminum where steel was used previously.
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Effective simulation of hydroforming: Current capabilities and requirements for the futureSimulation is used in the hydroforming process to replace the experimental investigation and tests required in a real tryout process.
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Pressure-sequence and high-pressure hydroforming: Knowing the processes can mean boosting profitsPressure-sequence hydroforming can form complex parts as well as forming most ductile metals, including high-strength, low-alloy, and stainless steels with sharper corners, thick-walled tube, and other difficult features.
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Dealing with internal pressure in free hydraulic bulging: Predicting results with FEAFor hydraulic tube bulging, direct pressure control is the most commonly used process. Pressure control allows engineers to determine the correct capacity hydraulic system and, more importantly, prevent tube rupture. However, inflow control, or control of the volume of fluid inside the tube, theoretically could be another viable hydroforming process. Finite element analysis has shown that inflow control could allow engineers to more accurately predict deformation behavior and therefore enhance the hydroforming process.
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Making the most of hydroforming: Pursuing product potential and possibilitiesHydroforming has become a competitive metal forming method and has succeeded in many applications because of its weight- and cost-saving attributes, elimination of joining operations, and ability to offer part design for confined spaces.
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Tube Hydroforming Design Flexibility—Part IV |
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Hydroforming heats up: New techniques and equipment push industry forwardHydroforming was one of the fastest-growing metal forming technologies during the 1990s. Most of U.S. industry cooled down during and after the recession of 2001, but things have been heating up lately, and the world of hydroforming is no exception. The North American Hydroforming Conference and Exhibition (Sept. 29 – Oct. 1 in Dayton, Ohio), which was sponsored by the Tube & Pipe Association, International® (TPA), and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), showcased new techniques, equipment, and applications that are moving the industry forward.
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Stretching metal's forming limits with HSP lubricants: Forming aluminum, high-strength steel without tooling upgrade |
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Phases, structures, and the influences of temperatureWhen you heat or cool a piece of metal to a specific temperature, that metal goes through what's called a phase change, in which its crystal structure changes. Sometimes the change is obvious. For example, when a piece of metal melts, it goes through a phase change when the crystal structure breaks down and the metal goes from solid to liquid. When it solidifies it's also a phase change, as the structure re-forms from liquid to solid.
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Keeping pace with today's punching requirements: Advancements in tool design, metallurgy lead to more accurate holes, improved part qualityThis article provides the basics on how the punch, die, and stripper work; how to perform material thickness calculations on various materials; how different applications affect punching quality; how fully guided tooling counters lateral forces; and how metallurgy, coatings, and maintenance affect tooling.
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New tool helps fabricator accelerate part making for small runs: Turret presses with tool perform inline markingCustom metal fabricator Total Metal Products, Dallas, had a need for part marking that would be both accurate and cost-effective for small quantities. The company supplies punched parts in single and small-lot quantities of 200, 300, and 400 on a just-in-time (JIT) basis. Its customers include manufacturers in the telecommunications, aerospace, mass transit, and oil refining industries.
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See unitized tooling make a difference: Reusable, modular press tooling fits lean manufacturing approachFrom small custom job shops to large, multibillion-dollar companies, manufacturers are accommodating shorter product life cycles to meet the rapid innovation in today's marketplace.
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How to avoid getting burned by hot work: Preventing losses and insuring safetyMaintaining a safe work environment in facilities in which hot work, such as welding, is done can be easier said than done. Measures such as preventive safety, safety zones, and fire watches can keep employees safe and worker's comp time down
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Stamp of Approval: Full-court press safety: How to maintain an effective safety program end to endIf you want a safe press operation, look beyond the machinery. Don't be surprised to find the keys to a good safety program well outside the confines of the pressroom.
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Assessing cutting and forming machine tool safetyThe expanded breadth of recent standards typically includes the entire life expectancy of machines, the full scope of possible risks, the frequency and severity of risks, and the possibility of harm.
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Working safety with metalworking fluids: How to protect workers from their harmful effectsThis article examines the hazards associated with metalworking fluids. Health effects, including skin and respiratory disorders and cancer, are addressed. A look at engineering and administrative controls that can be implemented to ensure the safe use of metalworking fluids is included.
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Your best safety resource: The FMA/CNA Safety CommitteeDo you know the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International™ (FMA)/CNA Safety Committee? If not, you should. They're an excellent resource for guidance on workplace safety issues. And they're the force behind the safety focus on thefabricator.com.
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Material handling safetyHandling material is a daily function in the workplace. All too often it is a task taken for granted, with little knowledge of or attention to the consequences if done incorrectly. Management and employees need to look at and evaluate how material goods are handled inside and outside their facilities. Whether the operation involves delivering or receiving material, an area should be designated for that purpose.
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To e, or not to e?: Hamlet.com? Not quite, but automakers trying to save princely sums via InternetThe idea was to have e-commerce solve everything. Then the thud of a million dot-coms hitting bottom gave people a new perspective. Are automakers still hip on e-commerce? You'd better believe it.
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Put your money where your mouse is: How to succeed in e-businessTo decrease your chance of failure in e-business, focus on the business issues first and the technology issues second.
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Building a better business model: Strategic planning basics for automotive stampers to improve profitJust what is a strategic business model, and how can it be developed and used by an automotive stamping supplier wanting to boost its bottom line?
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Taxing situation: New tax incentives aimed at helping out people like metal fabricatorsMost fabricators aren't knowledgeable about tax laws and don't have time to immerse themselves in tax updates. They're too busy on the shop floor.
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US. DOC Offers Export Assistance: Provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the International Trade Administration. |
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Fabricating precision parts for automobiles: Examples of Malaysian manufacturers stepping up to strong demandThe Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) trade ministers have agree to move ahead with a closer economic partnership with Australia and New Zealand as an initiative amid the global economic slowdown. This article describes how some Malaysian companies are addressing productivity and cost issues.
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Pinpointing future laser welding marketsAficionados of laser welding technology at times must feel a little like telephone vendors beamed back to 1603. They know almost everyone is going to use them in the future, but getting buy-in today can be like hawking loans at 25 percent-lots of interest and few takers.
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Meeting ISO 14001 requirements: Leveraging advanced forming lubricant technologyAs of July 2003 all 5,000-plus Ford Motor Company suppliers were required to be ISO 14001-certified. In 2002 General Motors required all of its suppliers to implement environmental management systems (EMS) that conform to ISO 14001. The trend will continue for the auto industry and others.
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Goin' Global: How U.S. fabricators can angle in worldwide watersThe U.S. is considered to be the best consumer market in the world. However, competition for this market has increased as more and more countries have cast their rods in the U.S consumer pool.
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Common barricades on the road to leanThe number of opportunities to steer your company wrong during a move toward lean manufacturing are myriad. Knowing a few of the common ones may help you achieve your goals without a lot of headaches.
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Tips on Lean Manufacturing: How to purge weight from your manufacturing operationAll manufacturing operations need to reinvent themselves to compete in today's marketplace. What can you do to change? Try going lean.
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Tips on Lean Manufacturing: Mastering the stop 'n' go of your shop's work flowMastering the flow of work through your shop is your most important taks if you are attempting Toyota's approach to lean manufacturing.
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The future of vocational educationThe death knell is sounding for vocational programs throughout the U.S. Readers who responded "Yes, vocational programs have been cut" to thefabricator.com's recent question regarding the status of vocational programs where they live outnumbered those responding "No, vocational programs are intact" three to one.
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Finding the best splice for your light-duty conveyor: The mechanical fastener optionOne way to increase your stamping operation's productivity is to get all the uptime you can from the belt conveyors that carry materials, parts, and finished and packaged products throughout your plant. As moving, wearing equipment, conveyors naturally demand a certain amount of downtime for maintenance and parts replacement. However, keeping those events as infrequent and brief as possible is what uptime is all about.
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Examining press feeding options: Considerations that determine a feed's effectivenessPress- and servo-driven roll feeds and gripper feeds are almost as common to the stamping industry as sheet metal and dies. Knowing how to use them effectively may not be so common.
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Maximizing a coil fed press: Variables that influence production speed, setupCoil-fed stamping presses are nothing new, but coil feeding processes have changed a lot since the days when press feeders were driven mechanically by crank motion. Influencing these processes are differences between transfer and progressive tooling.
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Contract stamper increases die life and draw die productivity: Link-drive presses, value-added services, and employee initiative keep the company competitive |
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Hydraulic workholding from scratch: How to select and set up componentsHydraulic clamps are used in place of manual or toggle clamps to hold the workpiece or tool in place during stamping. This article examines the four steps that comprise the selection and installation of a hydraulic workholding system: cylinder selection, cylinder force and stroke, power source selection, and system connection.
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Robotic press tending: vailable equipment and its effects on press productivityRobots offer an alternative to automatic transfer presses in applications in which parts must be reoriented (tilted, rotated, or flipped) as they are moved between operations. When selecting a robot for press tending, three of the many features to be considered are size, flexibility, and mountion options.
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Equipping Your Press With the Right Tonnage MonitorThis article explains why it's useful to monitor press tonnage, the types of tonnage monitors available, the choices for mounting load sensors, calibrating a monitor, and options available for tonnage monitors.
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Standardizing finger tooling: Modular systems provide alternative to dedicated transfer toolingModular, adjustable, articulated finger tooling for transfer presses may provide the flexibility you need to increase productivity and efficiency in your stamping operation.
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Increasing stamping press productivity in the appliance industry: Advances in press technology and materials leave their markAn appliance plant with 80 to 100 presses in opeation is likely to buy new presses regularly. Under these circumstances, it makes good sense to pursue aggressive productivity goals inch by inch through steady advances in such prosaic concerns as machiner ergonomics, prventive maintenance, tooling efficiency, and material quality.
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Dieless NC formingDieless NC forming or incremental sheet forming is a numerically controlled incremental process that can produce complex shapes from various materials. The process is based on localized plastic deformation in the sheet metal blank. It was developed as an alternative manufacturing method to prototype sheet metal stampings and produce panels in small lot sizes.
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Designing high-strength steel stamped parts for formabilityThe use of high-strength steel to manufacture automobiles and other transportation vehicles has increased dramatically. The material's strength allows manufacturers to reduce vehicle weight substantially and increase fuel efficiency, without sacrificing performance.
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Taking the heat, keeping the current: Heat sinks provide thermal conductivity, electrical isolation |
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Virtual tryout: Simulation software simplifies progressive die troubleshooting |
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Stamping 101: Chicago-area training facility offers a hands-on educationTo promote real-world stamping training, the Tooling & Manufacturing Association (TMA) wanted to create a resource whereby stampers could receive a consistent, recognized, hands-on education on the industry's most current equipment.
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Predicting springback in air bending, straight flangingAll businesses tied to the metal forming industry are scrambling to find areas in which they can lower costs without sacrificing quality. Adding to this burden are a tight cash flow and a lack of financial resources to invest in process improvement equipment. Therefore, the savings must come from doing more with less.
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Advanced lubricant technology for high-strength steel |
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Key design principles for successful deep drawingSuccessful deep drawing depends on many factors. Ignoring even one of them during die design and build can prove disastrous.
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Know your bending basics—Part 1Knowing how metal bends and what factors come into play during bending -- especially wipe bending—can make a positive difference in your stamping operation.
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Deep drawing irregular sheet components: How cushion systems and die stiffness affect the operationInnovations in die technology are helping stampers adjust to the many variations that can occur during the stamping process.
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Preventative maintenance as a way of life: Die shop sparks plantwide process control renaissanceThe author relates his experience as preventive maintenance (PM) coordinator at a Big 3 automaker. The purpose of preventative maintenance is to gain control of the processes. This begins with data collection on die sets, die failure and material handling damage that will identify weak areas in the stamping process. The author's team began with one set of dies and eventually its PM program was so successful that it was implemented throughout the entire plant.
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Controlling flow and obtaining stretch in deep draw operationsAddressing the difficulties in obtaining a wrinkle-free stamped part requires a good understanding of metal flow and how it is affected by draw beads
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Designing progressive dies: Reviewing the basics of progressive toolingDecisions and compromises must be made when designing progressive dies to produce a part. Knowing ahead of time what this process entails just might help you.
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Improving in-press transfer preformance with tooling: Plan ahead for optimum designUsing finger tooling and planning ahead of time to minimize costs can benefit your operation ahead more than you think.
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Sharpening for a longer life: Maintaining the cutting edge on punch and die componentsRoutine maintenance—grinding, using surface treatments, sharpening ejector pins, and minimizing potential grinding damage—can extend tool life and save you a lot of headaches.
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Cryogenics—Putting the Freeze on Wear Answering Some Commonly Asked QuestionsWhile cryogenics has been around for awhile, alot of shops don't know how to use the process to their advantage. Knowing a few basics may help your shop turn that around.
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Know your bending basics—Part 2When trying to make a good 90 degree bend with sheet metal, there's more than on way home. Just make sure your method can accommodate improvisation.
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Die Design for flat parts: Achieving perfection in a difficult taskFlatness is one of the most difficult part characteristics to achieve in a conventional stamping die.
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Part nesting and die design tips for reducing and utilizing scrap in stamping operationsYou might be able to gain a competitive edge by learning how to reduce the amount of engineered scrap, or that material that was inteded to be scrap rather than scrap created because of defective piece parts.
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Gettin' down with downtime: Reducing unprofitable die changeover timeReducing the time it takes to change dies it important to all stampers, especially for custom stampers that run small-quantity jobs. This article summarizes the ways in which automation has helped in this process and then covers two die change methods that are used in a quick change system: the standardized clamping system and the V-notch, or key, system.
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Designing presses and dies with FEA: Press load information aids process analysis |
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Designing large die sections with reparability in mindThe article explains how EDM has been used to simplify die making as well as some design considerations for minimizing deflection during production.
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Incorporating available technology into die design: Tools of the trade are evolvingDesigning progressive dies has increasingly become a high-tech process. The more able an operation is to use computer technology, the more able it is to use the latest advances in the field in its own designs.
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Tool design tips for coated stampings: Making surface quality a priorityDesigners and manufacturers of progressive or stage tooling are faced with a project involving production of metal stampings that will be post-processed with painting, powder coating, or plating operations.
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Resisting cracking, deformation, and premature wear: Powder metallurgical steels provide an alternative to conventional tool steelsWant to know how powder metallurgical tool steels are produced and how their properties provide the material's toughness and wear resistance? Read on.
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Rising expectations spark new approach to draw die development: Reconciling demands for increased quality at lower costsA recently formulated approach to draw die development incorporates simultaneous engineering to identify and address potential problems before dies are built.
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Protecting dies against press system faultsThe need for die protection has existed ever since the first die was produced. The most elementary form of protection has always been an alert, dependable operator. However, an operator cannot always react to a problem before it damages a die.
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Cutting die-related costs: Where to look to save moneyDemands for cheaper, better, and faster tooling for stampings and the pace of business continue to escalate. This trend is not going to reverse itself.
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How to draw round cups deeperDraw depth is limited by the onset of wrinkling and fracture. Controlling blank holder force plays a major role in achieving the amount of draw you want from blank material.
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Establishing a die setup recipe for progressive diesSetting up a stamping die is one of the most critical steps in a successful stamping process. It's a fact: More damage is done to a die, especially a progressive die, in the first 10 hits than in the next 10,000 hits. Most die damage happens during initial setup, when the material is being fed into the die. Mistakes such as misfeeds, pilot piercing, double metal, sheared cutting sections, and stock hang-ups often occur.
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Applying and handling die lubricants: How to control lubricants for better housekeepingThe two main reasons for applying die lubricant are to reduce friction and dissipate heat. Heat can build up between the tool surface and metal, causing the lubricant to break down. This results in metal-to-metal contact and galling.
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Reducing Die Changeover Time without Capital ExpendituresOne of the cornerstones of an efficient stamping operation is its ability to perform die changes in less than 10 minutes. Retrofitting an entire stamping operation for quick die change can require a very costly investment. Justifying such a large amount of money in a short payback scenario can be impossible.
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Tooling tricks of the trade: A few tips for extending die life |
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Taking an integrated build approach to stamping tool tryoutMarket pressures to reduce tooling costs are pressing the tool and die industry to seek lower-cost tooling solutions. This column discusses different build approaches and the merits of an integrated build for trying out stamping dies (and molds) as part of the manufacturing validation process.
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Improving blank edge conditionsA blank, stamped in the first station of a progressive stamping operation, usually is subject to subsequent forming processes to form a designated part. If the blank is subject to straining, deformation, bending, stretching, or lateral expansion in later stations, its edge condition should be carefully examined.
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Die width selection |
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Toolmaker tricksIt is not unusual for me to perform a few magic tricks when holding a conference on stamping die drawing, troubleshooting, or processing. Later on, I may disclose the magicbehind the trick. I do this for a couple of reasons: first, to entertain the conference attendees, and second, to show them that there is no such thing as magic, only physics.
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Choosing the proper steel to minimize abrasive adhesive tool wearThe most disruptive type of failure in any tooling application is when the tool cracks. To prevent this type of failure in cold-work applications, it's important to select the correct steel.
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Investing in lubricants: Increasing your profits 7 percent by changing metalsAll businesses tied to the metal forming industry are scrambling to find areas in which they can lower costs without sacrificing quality. Adding to this burden are a tight cash flow and a lack of financial resources to invest in process improvement equipment. Therefore, the savings must come from doing more with less.
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Controlling bend anglesBend angles are among the most frustrating geometric features to control in metal stamping. This is due primarily to two factors – the inconsistency of the mechanical properties in the metal being bent and the die design.
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Selecting a pressure system for a stamping dieAuthor's Note: Before I begin, I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to thefabricator.com's readers. I hope you have enjoyed the stamping articles, and I am excited about writing for 2004. I also would like to wish all of you a great holiday season as well as a prosperous and successful year. Best holiday wishes!Art
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Selecting a stamping die pressure system, Part II |
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Venturing Into the World of 3-D Die Design: 10 questions to ask to make an informed decision2-D, or not 2-D; that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler to venture out into a brisk, bold, new world of 3-D or to stick with old, reliable methods in 2-D.
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Stamping tools for UHSS get tougher: New automotive materials force tool material to shift into high gear |
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Pitch notch or not? Factors to consider when designing progressive dies |
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Eliminating slug pulling during piercing operations |
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Saving time and reducing waste with quick die change: Why and how to justify the costQuick die change is not just a way of setting up dies; it's a mindset for the elimination of waste.
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Sink-making secrets |
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Acoustic emission monitoring for stamping presses: Optimizing production for better quality, longer tool life |
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Actualizando una prensa para un cambio rápido de dados: Una mirada a lo básico y a las alternativas en equiposUn programa efectivo de cambio rpido de dados para equipo existente requiere una cuidadosa evaluacin de las necesidades del cuarto de mquinas, para reducir costos y aumentar la productividad.
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Bending tube with an all-electric machine: Characteristics and capabilitiesThis article discusses the ins and outs of all-electric tube bending machines, discussing the challenges, performance characteristics, and typical options of all-electric benders.
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The growing use of orbital tube welding: Quality, repeatability, and documentation drive the technologyAlthough orbital tube welding has been used in aerospace, semiconductor, and other high-purity applications for a long time, general industrial markets just now are beginning to view it as a viable and economical option for joining stainless steel tubing.
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Producing holes in tubing: Comparing the piercing and punching methodsNeed to put a hole in a tube? This article provides an overview of tube punching and tube piercing, exploring the different variations of each method and comparing the two methods on cost, safety, and flexibility.
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Batter up! Turning an aluminum tube into a baseball batThe roar of the crowd, the shouts of the umpire, the crack of the bat hitting the ball—these are the unmistakable sounds of a baseball game. Over the last few decades, however, one of those sounds has changed; now the bat tends to make a ping that resonates when it hits the ball. It's the sound of aluminum rather than wood making contact with the ball.
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Automotive motives - Tips for cutting per-piece prices for automotive customersToday's automotive industry is more competitive than ever. To compete with the European, Mexican, and Asian markets, the U.S. market must become more aggressive in finding ways to cut costs.
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The little-known life of the scarfing tool: Focusing on a small device to see the bigger pictureWho cares about scarfing tools? There are more important things in life. When the beauty pageant contestant is asked what problem she would like to solve, she's more likely to answer "I'd like to establish world peace" than "I wish I could find ways to help scarfing tools last longer."
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The wrinkle-wiper for tube bends: How to choose and use wiper diesA wiper die is a piece of tooling used in tube bending that helps keep the bend from wrinkling. While there are many reasons and ways to use a wiper die in a tube bending maching, you should also know what types are available, their differences, and how to choose the right one for your application.
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Using a gel-type tube lube: Manufacturer decreases waste, improves lubrication |
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Structural tube on campus: Aluminum bridge spans science departmentsCentral Washington University in Ellensburg, Wash., is known for its strong science programs. "Flying Bridge," a structure designed by artist and sculptor Ed Carpenter, physically and metaphorically spans the biology and chemistry departments in the university's new Dean Science Building. Carpenter, who designed the bridge with engineering consultation from Peterson Structural Engineers Inc., teamed up with Albina Pipe Bending Co. Inc. to tackle the project's material bending and fabrication requirements.
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Choosing the right robotic weld cell for your operationYour company's first robot may cause more trouble than expected. This doesn't mean that the robot will not work, but it is a piece of
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Tooling, the key for mill productionThis article discusses three main criteria that govern tube mill tooling—design, materials used in their construction, and alignment of tooling on the mill. Discusses advancements in design due to CAD technology; experimental use of ceramic and plastic materials for making tooling; and the use of subplates and interchangeable components to ease tube mill alignment.
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Making seamless tubing with a floating mandrel mill |
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Skiving strip edges for tube and pipe producing: New equipment developments address coil preparation challengesEdge treatment of coil strip before it enters a tube and pipe mill, called skiving, is a rapidly advancing technology. Improving the coil edge before it is welded helps increase the quality of the seam join and helps prevent rejected tube or pipe.
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Solving Problems on the Tube MillTube mill operators face a variety of challenges everyday in their efforts to produce high-quality tubing in a cost effective and productive way.
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Examining tube mill roll tooling, setup, and maintenanceIn today's competitive market, two of the most important considerations for high-quality production are proper roll tooling setup and mill alignment.
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Do your tubes seam good enough? Using eddy current testing to make sureEddy current testing offers several features that makers of welded tube may find to their liking—in particular, high throughput speeds and sensitive flaw detection.
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Inline gauge control in welded tube production: Reducing conversion lossesReducing scrap when converting strip to finished tube is a huge step in bettering your bottom line.
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Solving the mysteries of the fin pass—Part 2Editor's Note: This article is the second part of a two-part series about fin passes. Part I, which appeared in the March issue, discussed their location, what they do, and how they do it. Part II focuses on troubleshooting.
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Roll form tooling tryout and troubleshooting: Taking a five-step approachThe secret to developing successful roll tooling—whether for tube production or roll forming—and achieving maximum roll integrity is a simple but often overlooked notion: a comprehensive approach.
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Plotting for success: Using edge thickness measurements to aid troubleshootingThe butler slipped through the pantry area with the warm milk and, after adding some arsenic, served the beverage to his master. The butler had been gradually increasing the amount of arsenic over many months, so the change in the milk's taste wasn't noticeable. Soon the mistress and her nefarious servant would be rid of the one thing stopping their affair.
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Cutting to the chase: ArrayArray
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Al GMAW: CC or CV?For about 40 years, a great debate in welding is whether to use constant-current or constant-voltage power supplies when using gas metal arc welding on aluminum. Constant-current power supplies made sense 30 years ago and are still used in some applications today, but for most applications, constant-voltage power supplies are suitable for gas metal arc welding aluminum.
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Ironworkers and contractors adapt to FCAW trendsWelders who want to become proficient in a technology whose time has come should look into getting certified for flux-cored arc welding.
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Secrets of Using GTAW for Tools and Dies: One retired fabricator share the basics of how he added this services to his shopTool and die welding can be a very lucrative service for a fab shop. However, tool and die welders are about as rare as brain surgeons because of a general lack of knowledge about the process and because of the extra expense it brings to a shop. This article offers a basic understanding of what's needed to add this service to your fab shop.
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It's all about precision, craftsmanship: Shop makes commitment to solid welding practicesA case study looking at how Superior Joining Technologies Inc. got into the microwelding business, the welding equipment they use, how the meet customer requirements, and how they use a solid foundation in welding to keep up with today's stringent requirements.
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Gun Control: GTAW torch design innovations enhance productivity, qualityThis article discusses improvements to the GTAW torch that should enhance the productivity and quality of welding operations. It specifically discusses the welding gun's affect on ergonomics and cooling capacity.
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Automated welding for job shopsA robotic weldingsystem represents a significant capital investment for a job shop.
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Welding exhaust system components: Laser technology may aid this traditionally high-volume applicationIn the field of automobile exhaust systems, such components as manifolds, pipes, catalytic converters, and mufflers are joined either by the car manufacturer or by a subcontractor to form a subassembly ready for attachment.
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Laser-integrated robotics for assembly: How one job shop met an aluminum welding challengeIn recent years laser welding has advanced into many different industries, from automotive to electronics. With lasers, it is possible to weld at high speeds with great efficiency. Once unthinkable applications and processes are now being developed into working systems.
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Gas-shielded cored wires find their niche: Suitable applications for flux-cored and metal-cored electrodesGas-shielded flux-cored and metal-cored wires are growing in popularity because the wires are fabricated and can be applied to many applications.
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Spinning your wheels?: Separate grinding wheel facts from mythsGrinding wheels used in welding and fabrication are strong, tough tools, but many in the industry have called them "rocks" or "stones," implying that they're unbreakable.
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Four factors to consider when purchasing a grinder: You get what you pay forCost often is a deciding factor when you purchase a grinder. However, the saying "you get what you pay for" can be true when you're talking about tools. The price tag alone doesn't always reflect some of the more important factors--performance level, cost to operate, and tool life--that make a grinder worth its cost.
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Three optional techniques for beveling: Understanding the advantages and drawbacks of eachMany fabricators use standard plasma cutters and abrasives to create beveled edges. Along with these traditional methods, welders also have the option of using three alternative beveling techniques: punch and nibble, peeling and shearing, and milling and routing. Each has advantages and drawbacks.
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Producing side-impact profiles: Automotive body part combines roll forming, punching, laser weldingThe ramming machine bores into the side of the new automobile at a speed of 50 kilometers (31 miles) per hour. Within a fraction of a second, sensors situated all over the test dummy signal details of the stress load. Shortly afterward the overall results of the Euro-NCAP crash test will appear in all the specialized automobile magazines.
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Understanding weld discontinuities |
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Can I form a box that deep?There's no reason you can't form sharp, deep boxes with a press brake consistently. You just have to be familier with what your tooling can and can't do under certain circumstances.
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The Brakes: Press Brakes and You -- Preventing common mistakes on press brakesMost common mistakes made while operating press brakes can be avoided with a little diligence and awareness of where others have gone astray.
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Brake Line: Press Brakes and More: Planning to cut corners on safety?Press brake safety is a common sense issue.
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The Brakes: Press Brakes and You -- Whose business is safety? Everybody'sWhat sort of safety measures needed in your shop depends somewhat on your equipment, but making your press brake a safe piece of equipment is largely a matter of old-fashioned common sense.
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In search of the perfect bend: Advancements in press brake angle measurement and bend springback systemsPress brake manufacturers have made tremendous advances in the art of machine design and manufacturing.
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Leaping the hurdles to press brake automationUnderstanding the obstacles to automating press brakes requires an analysis of the bending process.
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Discovering the limits of press brake toolingOne of the most important aspects of press brake forming is tooling selection. What are the tools capable of? What kinds of loads can they withstand?
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Making your own punch and diesHow many times have you looked through huge piles of blueprints for a prototype part or short-run job and thought, "If only I had that tool, this job would be a piece of cake?"
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Press brakes: the quest for a happy ending: Manufacturers, users hope technology is the ticketScreen some press brake owners and manufacturers these days, and it's like they're all reading from the same script:
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New PC-based controls open path to better press brake utilization: Control improvements simplify operator usePress brake forming always has been a labor-intensive process. Shrinking lead-times and smaller lot sizes demand more frequent setups, which cut into productive output hours and put more pressure on manufacturing efficiencies. Fabricators need to find ways to reduce machine downtime for setup and operator adjustments.
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Adaptive bending: Achieving accurate first-piece bending resultsAdaptive bending allows press brake operators to measure a bend angle during the forming process and feed the information to the numerical control. The article discusses springback and how to determine it and the fact that when air bending, 90 percent of problems result during initial setup, and only 10 percent result from springback. It also discusses using an angle control system, methods of measuring angles, and requirements for angle measurement systems.
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Monitoring laser beam performance: How beam focusability helps evaluate beam quality onlineThis article discusses online laser beam monitoring and its alternatives, with emphasis on beam quality and focusability.
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