Stampingjournal20131112 DL

An energy-fit
press retrofit
Establishing a die
PM program
EXPERTISE TO HELP YOU TRANSFORM METAL INTO GOLD
Everyday practices that

destroy presses
WWW.STAMPINGJOURNAL.COM
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
Coil
handling:
Advice for
the right
device
A PUBLICATION OF THE FABRICATORS &
MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION, INTERNATIONAL
AA PUBLICATION
PUBLICATION OF
OF THE
THE FABRICATORS
FABRICATORS &
&
MANUFACTURERS
MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION,
ASSOCIATION, INTERNATIONAL
INTERNATIONAL
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o matter what your metal processing or fabricating application,

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An Official Publication of the

Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International
Vol. 25 No. 6 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
>> COVERSTORY
26 An overview of coil

handling devices
Do you have the right below-the-hook lifting equipment for your material handling needs? Not many
metal formers ask themselves that question, but they
probably should, especially if they are concerned
about eliminating possible coil damage.
>> Features
p. 26
>> departments
6 Meet the Press
Editor-in-Chief Dan Davis takes a look at some key manufacturing statistics to show metal manufacturers why its so
important for them to participate in events such as Manufacturing Day.
7 News &Notes
12 Product Innovations
Polyurethane mandrel sleeves protect coils from damage

Slug retention machine includes design changes
13
Stamping Solutions
Servo-electric pump drive optimizes hydraulic presses.
14 Die Science
Because Art Hedrick has seen plenty of beat-up stamping

presses during his career, hes compiled a list of ways that
stampers destroy their presses.
16 R&D Update
18 Make your press retrofit energy-fit
Most stampers dont think twice about running a

hydraulic press like it has been run for the last 20
years. But by doing so, they are losing out on possibly dramatic cost savings associated with an energysaving retrofit thats centered around a smart variablespeed pump drive.
22 Establishing a die preventive

maintenance program, Part I
To realize the importance of a good die preventive

maintenance program, all a stamper has to do is recall
the last time a press line shut down because of a major
die problem. Hopefully, when this occurred, the costs
associated with the downtime were documented. That
can be very important in trying to convince management that a robust tooling maintenance program is
worth every cent invested in it.
40 Forming & Fabricating 2013 Die

Handling Equipment Buyers Guide
The researchers at The Ohio State Universitys Center for Precision Forming begin a three-part series that looks at three
generations of advanced high-strength steels for automotive
applications.
28 Product News
18
33 Corporate Advertorials
Learn more about our STAMPING Journal advertisers.
40 Advertisers Index
41 Classified Advertising
42 Ask the Expert
A reader asks Tom Vacca why his tooling might yield such
variation during a single press run.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 WWW.STAMPINGJOURNAL.COM
22
STAMPINGJOURNAL an fma publication
AIDA DSF SERIES Features & Benefits

AIDA introduced the worlds rst direct drive servo
stamping presses more than a decade ago and
continues to maintain the position of industry leader in
servo press technology
DSF Series presses use high torque / low rpm

Please visit AIDA in booth
S4625
servo motors, designed and built by AIDA specically for

stamping press operations
Live Demonstrations of
AIDA DSF Servo Presses
Virtually innite and user friendly programmability of

stroke, speed and dwell
The AIDA ECO servo press power management

system is used on all DSF Series presses
Extensive North American based engineering,

service, spare parts and applications support
www.aida-global.com/dsf
DIRECT
DRIVE
FROM
S TA M P I N G
PRESSES
THROUGH
TO N S
C A PA C I T Y
AIDA-America Corporation
7660 Center Point 70 Blvd. Dayton, OH, USA 45424-6380
Tel: (937) 237-2382 | Fax: (937) 237-1995
Email: info@aida-america.com | www.aida-global.com
Metal Stamping Presses & Automation
Servo & Mechanical
35 - 4,000 Tons | 1 - 1,500 SPM
AIDA After Market Support (AMS)
Parts, Service, Pressroom Relocation, Refurbishment
Modernization, Certied Used Presses
MEET THE PRESS

www.stampingjournal.com
Manufacturing by the
numbers
stamping journal staff
Statistics reveal the importance of

Manufacturing Day
I
Dan Davis
Editor-in-Chief
dand@thefabricator.com
Manufacturing,
as a whole, is
economically
critical to the
vitality of a
nation, and steps
need to be taken
to ensure its
strength in the
future, even as it
may employ fewer
people than in
generations past.
f you didnt know the significance of Oct. 4 this year, your company missed out on an exciting day. More than 800 organizations welcomed the public into their manufacturing facilities to
show the world what modern manufacturing is like, all in hopes of
dispelling the dank and dark images of manufacturing days of old.
If you have your doubts as well, just consider these numbers:
11 million. This is the number of people who were employed
in the manufacturing industry in the U.S. in 2011, according to
the U.S. Census Bureau. That means that manufacturing was the
fourth-largest employer in the U.S. at the time, trailing health care
and social assistance, retail, and accommodation and food services.
26. The U.S. Census Bureau reports this is the number of states
where manufacturing was one of the top three employers as of 2011.
$38.27. That is the total hourly compensation, which includes
employer-provided benefits, for workers in manufacturing jobs, as
determined by the U.S. Department of Commerces Economic and
Statistics Administration. This is more than $5 per hour more than
workers earn in nonmanufacturing jobs.
31 percent. When subscribers to The FABRICATOR, STAMPING
Journals sister magazine, were asked this year, How many years
have you worked in the metal fabrication business? almost a third
indicated 31 years or more. Everyone knows that the baby boomers
are approaching retirement age and threaten to take tons of metal
forming experience with them, but are companies taking the steps
necessary to replace the ranks of these talented but aging workers?
17. Thats where the U.S. population ranked among 19 countries in terms of problem solving in technology-rich environments,
according to a new study, conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The study tested approximately 166,000 people, ranging in age from 16 to 65, and found
that the U.S. placed 21st out of 23 countries in numeracy, the
ability to work with basic numeral concepts. This is just the latest
survey suggesting that the U.S. isnt doing a great job of getting its
young people ready to tackle the advanced manufacturing jobs that
will need to be filled in the future.
These numbers are why Manufacturing Day is so important.
Manufacturing, as a whole, is economically critical to the vitality
of a nation, and steps need to be taken to ensure its strength in
the future, even as it may employ fewer people than in generations
past. Opening up your doors to offer a glimpse of todays modern
metal manufacturing environment is just the first step, but its a very
important step.
President & CEO, FMA

Edward Youdell
Group Publisher
Dave Brambert
Editor-in-Chief
Dan Davis
Senior Editor
Tim Heston
TPJ Editor
Eric Lundin
Senior Copy Editor
Teresa Chartos
Associate Editors
Amanda Carlson, Sue Roberts
Contributing Editor
Amy Nickel
Graphic Designers
Margaret Clark, Janell Drolsum,

Mary Mincemoyer, Jennifer Paulson
Publishing Coordinator
Kelly Palmer
Director of Circulation
Kim Clothier
Web Content Manager
Vicki Bell
Multimedia Specialist
Sherry Young
Senior Web Developer
Jason Bartholme
Web Developer
Johanna Albee
Advertising Sales
Associate Publisher

Senior Account Representatives
Michigan/Northeast

Jim Gorzek 815-227-8269

jimg@thefabricator.com

Sean Smith 815-227-8265
seans@thefabricator.com
Ohio/Southeast/
International
Mike Lacny 815-227-8264

mikel@thefabricator.com
Louisiana/Mississippi/West Tony Arnone 815-227-8263

tony@thefabricator.com
Minnesota/Iowa/Indiana/ Amy Hudson 815-227-8237
Missouri/Wisconsin/Canada amyh@thefabricator.com
Alabama/Florida/
Illinois/Tennessee
Michael Scott 815-227-8271

michaels@thefabricator.com
Classified Advertising

Patty DAmico 815-227-8278

patriciad@thefabricator.com
Director of Accounting
Bob Young
Accounts Receivable/
Credit Coordinator
Mary Simons

How to Contact Us
833 Featherstone Rd., Rockford, IL 61107
Phone 815-399-8700 Fax 815-484-7700
E-mail info@thefabricator.com
Web site www.stampingjournal.com
Statement of Policy
The STAMPING Journals objective is to disseminate new and
complete information relating to the metal stamping industry. The
main editorial text consists of articles and news releases designed to
assist owners, managers, manufacturing engineers, supervisors and
foremen in the evaluation of new methods and techniques. It is an
official publication of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association,
International. The policy of the publisher and this journal is to be
nonpartisan, favoring no one product or company. The representations of facts and opinions expressed in the articles are those of the
author and are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher and this
journal. By including information on new products, new literature,
news of the industry, articles, etc., this impartiality is strived for and
extends to the mention of trade names. Unless product identification
makes reference unavoidable, the generic name is used. We acknowledge that on occasion there may be oversights or errors; the editors
regret such oversights and re-emphasize their policy to be impartial
at all times. The Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising
it deems inappropriate for publication in STAMPING Journal,
including ads for classes of products and services not considered of
significant interest to the readership. (ISSN 1091-2460) STAMPING
Journal is a trademark of FMA Communications Inc. All rights
reserved. Publications of FMA Communications Inc., maintain a
policy of keeping editorial and advertising separate to ensure editorial integrity that most benefits our readership. Editorial content,
including feature articles and press releases, is determined solely
by the publisher. Editorial content cannot be purchased, nor can it
be used as a benefit of advertising dollars spent. Editorial is freeof-charge, subject to space availability, and open to all interested
parties that submit items meeting our editorial style and format as
determined by the publisher. Standard Rate & Data Service lists our
advertising rates in Section 88. Consult SRDS or our current rate
card for full rates and data.
Note: Some photographs printed in this publication may be taken
with safety equipment removed for photographic purposes. However,
in actual operation, it is recommended that correct safety procedures
and equipment be utilized.
NEWS & NOTES

OSHA withdraws proposed
rule to amend On-site
Consultation Program
OSHA, Washington, D.C., has
announced its decision to withdraw
a proposed rule to amend its regulations for the federally funded Onsite Consultation Program. OSHA
is withdrawing this rule based on
stakeholder concerns that proposed
changes, though relatively minor,
would discourage employers from
participating in the program.
The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for 29 CFR 1908, Consultation
Agreement, published Sept. 3, 2010,
provided clarification of the length
of the exemption period provided
to recognized sites that have been
removed from OSHAs programmed

inspection schedule and the initiation
of certain unprogrammed inspections at both sites that have achieved
recognition and sites undergoing a
consultation visit.
OSHA administers and provides
federal funding for the On-site Consultation Program, which offers free
and confidential safety and health
advice to small and medium-sized
businesses across the country, with
priority given to high-hazard worksites. Employers who successfully
complete a comprehensive on-site
consultation visit, correct all hazards identified during the visit, and
implement an ongoing safety and
health program to identify and correct workplace hazards may achieve
COIL
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AN FMA PUBLICATION STAMPING JOURNAL
Benteler Automotive, an automotive

parts supplier based in Germany, has
announced that it will close its Grand
Rapids, Mich., plant by March 2014.
The company plans to relocate most
of the laid-off employees to the companys other facilities in western
Michigan.
The plant currently employs 220
people.
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WWW.STAMPINGJOURNAL.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
NEWS & NOTES

Dept. of Labor census shows
fatal work injuries are down
Preliminary results from the Bureau
of Labor Statistics National Census
of Fatal Occupational Injuries show
a reduction in the number of fatal
work injuries in 2012 compared with

2011.
Last year 4,383 workers died from
work-related injuries, down from
4,693 fatal work injuries in 2011.
Based on preliminary counts, the
rate of fatal workplace injuries in
Secure your future by

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FORMING THE FUTURE
2012 was 3.2 per 100,000 full-time

equivalent workers, down from a rate
of 3.5 per 100,000 in 2011.
Workers in this country have the
right to return home safe and healthy
at the end of a workday. Despite that
right, poor safety conditions cause
thousands of people each year to lose
their lives at work, said Secretary of
Labor Thomas E. Perez.
I am greatly encouraged by the
reduction in workplace fatalities,
even in a growing economy, he continued. Through collaborative education and outreach efforts, and effective law enforcement, these numbers
indicate that we are absolutely moving in the right direction.
Employers must take job hazards
seriously and live up to their legal
and moral obligation to send their
workers home safe every single day.
The Labor Department is committed
to preventing these needless deaths,
and we will continue to engage with
employers to make sure that these
fatality numbers go down further.
Advanced Metal Etching
celebrates its 20th year
in business
Advanced Metal Etching Inc.,
Ligonier, Ind., celebrates its 20th
anniversary in 2013. The company,
founded in 1993 by Blake Geer and
Scott Seniff, is a supplier of photochemical etching services for thin,
flat metal parts for prototype and
production requirements. Parts
design consultation, technical assistance, and secondary operations also
are available.
The company serves such industries as electronics, stamping, medical, computer, and aerospace.
The company also founded AME
Swiss Machining LLC, a Swiss
machining specialist providing highprecision Swiss CNC machining for
the medical, microwave, aerospace,
hydraulic, and electronics industries.
STAMPING JOURNAL AN FMA PUBLICATION
NEWS & NOTES

FMA survey assesses ongoing
health of metal fabricating
sector of economy
Small to midsized companies comprise most of U.S. manufacturing.
The health of the metal fabricating
sector predicts what is happening in
the industry as a whole. For the first
time, these small job shops and contract manufacturers are being queried
on a quarterly basis, and the resulting
reportthe Forming & Fabricating
Job Shop Consumption Reportis
being distributed through the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association
Intl. (FMA). The inaugural report is
available now.
The survey is designed to assess
operating capacity, new order activity, employment, commodity pricing
trends, logistics costs, planned capital equipment purchases, and general
business outlook.
Small companies are very sensitive
to changes in the status of their customers. Many of the 280 metal fabricating companies that responded
to this inaugural survey, which was
distributed to more than 17,000 topranking industry executives, make
parts or provide assemblies for companies in the automotive, aerospace,
medical equipment, and heavy
equipment industries.
The results of the survey are interpreted by FMAs economic analyst,
Dr. Chris Kuehl, founding partner of
Armada Corporate Intelligence and
author of Fabrinomics, a biweekly
economic analysis e-newsletter for
members of FMA. Kuehls commentary is included with the survey
results; as time progresses he will be
evaluating trends that emerge.
The first report simply lays
groundwork for the successive quarterly reports, said Kuehl. At the
moment we see an industry that is
stable with slight growth indicated.
Capacity is running about 15 percent
under the national average, which
an fma publication STAMPINGJOURNAL
means there is plenty of room for

growth.
The Forming & Fabricating Job
Shop Consumption Report for the
second quarter of 2013 can be found
at the FMA Store at http://fmanet.org/
store. The report is distributed free as
a service to professionals in the metal

forming and fabricating industry.
Based in Rockford, Ill., FMA is a
professional organization with nearly
2,500 members working together to
improve the metal processing, forming, and fabricating industry.
NEWS & NOTES

Frigoglass North America installs Coe
cut-to-length line
Coe Press Equipment,
Sterling
Heights, Mich.,
has installed a
new Value series
cut-to-length line
for
Frigoglass
North America, a
provider of beverage coolers in
Spartanburg, S.C. The line allows Frigoglass to produce
its own blanks in-house.
The line comprises a 60-in.-wide servo roll feed, 60-in.
by 10-ft. dual threading table, 3.00- by 60-in. straightener with 5-in. pinch rolls, a 20,000-lb. by 60-in. coil reel,
a 60-in.-wide hydraulic production shear, and a 60- by
120-in. single-station drop stacker.
The system can process prepainted steel up to 0.078
in. at 60 in. wide to 0.090 in. at 48 in. wide, with a maximum stroke of 30 SPM and a line speed of 120 FPM.
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NEWS & NOTES
join the best
Andes Coil Processors to add

slitting capability
7 11 April 2014
Andes Coil Processors LLC has

announced that its Lewisville, Texas,
toll processing facility has increased
its slitting capability with the addition of a 0.250- by 60-in. Loopco slitter. The slitter expands the locations
maximum slitting capability from
0.135 in. to 0.250 in.
The steel toll processer provides
rail, warehousing, slitting, cut-tolength, and trucking services from
the Lewisville facility and a northern
Indiana manufacturing location.
International Tube and Pipe Trade Fair
GE Appliances expands
operations in Georgia
Dsseldorf, Germany
Meeting point: Tube 2014 in Dsseldorf!

join the best welcome to the worlds leading
trade fair for the tube industry!
To find comprehensive information about the latest innovations
in tube and pipes, manufacturing machinery and equipment
and tube accessories, look no further! It is all on display at the
worlds most important exhibition the meeting point for
international experts, specialists and global market leaders.
A focal point at Tube 2014: Plastic tubes. Due to its
increasing importance, this material will be showcased in its
own special section.
An important date in your calendar your visit to
Tube 2014 in Dsseldorf!
GE Appliances has completed an

expansion at its cooking products
plant, Roper Corp., in LaFayette,
Ga., adding a 1,100-ton power press
for producing metal parts for a new
line of wall ovens.
The company has invested $88
million to support the new wall oven
line and to update the freestanding
range products manufactured at the
plant, all of which have been restyled.
Chirch Global Mfg. LLC
relocates in Illinois
Chirch Global Mfg. LLC, a manufacturer of metal stampings and sheet
metal fabrications, has moved from
McHenry, Ill., to a new 30,000-sq.-ft.
building in Cary, Ill.
The company reports that the
move lowers its fixed costs and brings
it closer to many local customers.
Industry Partner:
www.tube.de
Plant and
Machinery
Pipe and Tube

Processing
Machinery
Bending and
Forming
Technology
Tube
Manufacturing
and Trading
Tube
Accessories
Profiles
For show information: Messe Dsseldorf North America

150 North Michigan Avenue
Suite 2920 _ Chicago, IL 60601
Tel. (312) 781-5180 _ Fax (312) 781-5188
info@mdna.com _ www.mdna.com
For hotel and travel arrangements: TTI Travel, Inc.
Tel. (866) 674-3476 _ Fax (212) 674-3477
PRODUCT INNOVATIONS
Polyurethane mandrel sleeves protect coils from damage
Kastalon has introduced new application-specific, proprietary formulated polyurethane mandrel sleeves,
filler rings, and filler plates for adapting the mandrel to handle large-ID
coils and protect them from creasing, scratching, and marring. When
the polyurethane products are used
on an uncoiler or recoiler, the inside
wraps on the coils are protected from

metal-to-metal contact.
Mandrel sleeves are customdesigned with engineered surface
hardnesses and grooved or smooth
finishes, depending on the application. Full sleeves usually are recommended for the recoilers, while filler
rings and filler plates are used more
often for uncoilers.
The polyurethane material withstands the stress caused by the weight
of the coil, then re-forms when the
mandrel is collapsed back to the rest
position.
The mandrel sleeves resist cuts
and abrasion and are offered for friction fit, requiring a separate keeper,
or bolt-on installation. The amount
of lubricant, cleaning solution, or
coating present in the process helps
determine the formulation selected.

The sleeves are offered in a variety
of grooved or soft surface finishes to
meet the specific tension and pressure requirements of the uncoiler or
recoiler.
Kastalon Inc., 4100 W. 124th Place,
Alsip, IL 60803, 708-389-2210,
www.kastalon.com
Slug retention machine
includes design changes
DTC Products has introduced a new
version of its patented slug retention
machine. The device uses a pneumatically powered grinder to machine a
small, angled groove into the side
wall of the die cavity in a stamping
die, preventing slugs from pulling
onto the die surface where they can

damage the metal strip, the stamped
part, or the stamping die.
Additions and changes to the original design of the device include one
thumb screw to adjust the grinder
height (replacing the previous four
socket head cap screws), a plungerstyle grinder head assembly (replacing the earlier turn knob to control
the up and down movement), and a
grinder head adjustable depth stop to
control the grinders depth into the
die cavity.
The grinder assembly is adjustable
to three height positions, each 0.5 in.
apart, enabling it to work with a variety of part thicknesses.
DTC Products Corp. 866-6823602 www.dtcproductscorp.com
12
STAMPING SOLUTIONS
Servo-electric pump drive optimizes

hydraulic presses
Situation
Lasco Umformtechnik GmbH is a

machine tool builder in Coburg,
Germany. The manufacturer of systems for solid forming and sheet
metal forming produces screw
presses, forging hammers, forging
and cross wedge rolls, and complete
plants that are used by the building

materials industry to produce sandlime products. It develops customized systems for workpiece transport
within the press, as well as for feeding and removing workpieces.
The company recently was getting ready to deliver a deep-drawing
press with a press force of 800 tons
for up to 40 SPM. The challenge was
to control the press force and press

speed, based on a motion profile that
could be set individually.
Resolution
Lasco decided to couple a hydraulic

pump with a Simotics 1PH8 servomotor from Siemens. The servomo-
tor directly drives the pump. The

drive is controlled by the Sinamics
S120 drive platform. A Simotion
D445 motion control system handles the complete path, velocity, and
position control of the axes.
With a response time of 250 s,
the system can rapidly synchronize
up to 256 axes and execute precise
axis motion and curve profiles.
The hydraulic force and press

force can be adjusted at the servomotor by means of the torque. The
plunger speed is controlled by the
motor speed, and thus by the volumetric flow rate of the pump. Axial
reciprocating pumps with a fixed
displacement per revolution were
used.
Four such pump systems, connected simultaneously for a maximum pressure of 250 bar, supply the
pressure line for the press stroke of
the plunger. Three additional pump
systems are responsible for the
return stroke of the press plunger.
The standard servo can be scaled, or
adapted, to actual requirements.
The hydraulic oil tank of the deepdrawing press holds about 2,377
gal. Because of the high flow rate of
16,000 l/min., filling valves are used
for the fast downward motion of the
plunger. The servo pumps provide
the required flow rate for the actual
pressing operation, with a speed of
up to 100 mm/sec.
In the past high-precision control
valves with zero overlap were necessary to obtain the precise traversing
profiles. Now this function is handled by the motion control system,
in conjunction with the servo pump.
The valve systems in the press can
be reduced by up to 40 percent,
with the remaining valve technology needed mainly to comply with
machine safety specifications. This
elimination of traditional valve systems has improved energy efficiency.
Siemens Industry Inc., Drive Technologies Motion Control Business,
5300 Triangle Parkway, Suite 100,
Norcross, GA 30092, 847-6401595,
www.usa.siemens.com/mo
tioncontrol
13
DIE SCIENCE
How to destroy a press

By Art Hedrick
ts amazing how many stampers

and tool and die shops negate the
importance of the press. Shops
often maintain a press when it
stops working. In other words,
they repair the press, but they dont
maintain it regularly.
I could have just as easily named
this article How to select and care
for a press. However, based on
my personal experience, people are
more interested in what they are
doing wrong than what they are
doing right.
My article may seem to be a bit
cynical and sarcastic, but I am sure
many of you reading this will say to
yourselves, Yep, thats us, Yeah,
Use a press with maximum

deflection, especially when great
tonnage and precise alignment are
necessary. Use a gap-frame press for
high-tonnage, precision alignment
jobs.
Choose a press based on the bed
size alone.
Choose a deep-drawing press
for high-shock blanking operations
with heavy metal.
Dont worry about the energy
available for the work to be done.
2. Press Maintenance
Never lubricate the press ways

or gibs; ignore the lube pump
warnings.
The objective of this list is not to

criticize or condemn, but to shed
light on some of the everyday
practices which, over time,
can and do destroy presses.
we do that, and, of course, We
never do that!
Whether or not you recognize
your shops actions in the following list, here are the actions to avoid
whenever possible:
1. The Press
Make sure that you select a press

that doesnt have enough tonnage to
perform the work.
Choose the tonnage of the press
based on the total tonnage needed and not the tonnage available
throughout the stroke. Just ignore
those funny tonnage curve charts
that come with the press manuals.
14
Just assume the ram is parallel

with the bolster and never check it.
If you do check parallelism, do
so when the press ram is not under
load.
Avoid checking for slop between
the gibs and ways.
Avoid checking stopping times,
and avoid inspecting the clutch and
brakes for wear.
3. Die Setup
Ignore the counterbalance settings

on the press. This will likely result
in increased shock of press components and poor ram-to-bolster
alignment. Adjust the counterbal-
ance improperly to increase power

consumption and clutch and brake
wear.
Offload the press ram as much
as possible. Be sure to put hightonnage dies as far to the left or the
right of the bolster as possible. This
will cause the ram to tip and result
in severe uneven wear on the gibs
and wear plates. It also will cause
the ram to slop back and forth. Your
press will be out of spec in no time
at all.
If possible, make sure that the
dies stick out beyond the press ram
and bolster. This amplifies the leverage exerted on the ram and is the
best way to offload and damage your
press.
Put all of the required force into
a localized area of the bed. This will
cause the bolster and ram to twist
and bend severely, helping you to
make unacceptable parts and quickly reducing the accuracy and life of
your press.
Adjust the shut height of the
press based on the sound it makes
on bottom dead center. You also
might try the when I see oil squeeze
out from the press frame joints, I
know I am down method.
Dont double-check clamps and
bolts for tightness.
Bypass or turn off all tonnage
overload monitors and die protection systems.
4. Die Design
Make sure that all of your cutting

dies are designed without cutting
shear so that the shock load to the
press is maximized. Also make sure
that all of your cutting punches
enter at the same time. Doing so
will not only increase the force and
DIE SCIENCE
shock on punch impact, but it also

will increase the negative tonnage
achieved. Do this and you will well
be on your way to a sloppy press.
5. Troubleshooting and
Training
When troubleshooting, just lower

the ram and hit it harder when you
have a forming problem.
Dont spend any time educating
press operators.
Condescending? Cynical? Yes,
probably. However, the objective
of this list is not to criticize or condemn, but to shed light on some of
the everyday practices which, over
time, can and do destroy presses.
The press is just as important as

the die. It must be properly selected
and maintained. The tooling must
be properly set up and calibrated.
Certain practices, such as offloading
a press, sometimes are unavoidable.
But you need to be aware that doing
so may warrant more frequent press
maintenance.
So, for once, Im asking you to
avoid doing what I saythat is,
unless press destruction is your goal.
Until next timebest of luck!S
Art Hedrick is president and senior consultant of
Dieology, 8730 10 Mile Road S.E., Rockford, MI
49341, 616-894-6855, dieology@pathway.net.
com, www.dieology.com.
R&D UPDATE
Three generations of
advanced high-strength
steels for automotive
applications, Part I
The first generation
By Eren Billur and Taylan Altan
High-strength Steels
The main strengthening mechanism

in conventional HSS is solid-solution
hardening. In the bake-hardenable
(BH) steels, the chemistry and
processing are designed to take carbon out of solution during the paint
baking cycle. In this way, the steel
is made softer and more formable
for the press shop, but it gains more
strength after being put in service.
Mild Steels
Mild steels generally comprise one

microstructure: ferrite. These steels
have a maximum tensile strength of
280 MPa (40,000 PSI) and are very
easy to form. Mild steels were once
the dominating material in car bodies, but now their use is limited to
stiffness-related components and
cosmetic parts with complex bending
and drawing.
The two main material types in this
16
60
50
40
30
20
First-generation AHSS have more

formability than HSLA at the same
strength level. These steels typically
have a martensitic microstructure,
sometimes with one or more additional phases to improve formability.
Martensite is the hardest and strongest form of steel, but it also is the
2nd Generation
AHSS
IF
Mild
3rd Generation AHSS
BH
CMn
10
0
Advanced High-strength
SteelsThe First
Generation
Lightweight Potential
70
Better Formability
he most common classification

of steels is by metallurgical differences. As seen in Figure 1,
steels can be classified as mild steel,
conventional high-strength steel
(HSS), and advanced high-strength
steel (AHSS). The latter has three
generations.
Increasing safety and fuel economy
regulations have been pressuring the
automotive industry to design safer
yet lighter vehicles. HSS and AHSS
have been replacing mild steels for
the last decade in automobile bodies. The typical, recently introduced
vehicle contains about 30 percent
HSS and 30 percent AHSS.
group are:
1. Mild steels (also called lowcarbon or plain carbon steels), which
have very little alloying element.
2. Interstitial-free (IF) steels, which
have ultralow carbon and even lower
strength, but higher formability.
Total Elongation (%)
Editors Note: This article is Part I of a threepart series summarizing the three generations
of advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) used in
automotive applications. Parts II and III, which
will appear in the January/February and March/
April 2014 issues, respectively, will discuss secondand third-generation AHSS.
Carbon-manganese (CMn) steels

are mild steel solid solution, strengthened by adding manganese alloy.
High-strength, low-alloy (HSLA)
steels are CMn steels strengthened
with the addition of a microalloying
amount of titanium, vanadium, or
niobium. These steels, with a tensile
strength up to 800 MPa (115,000
PSI), still can be press formed (see
Figure 2).
HSLA was one of the first commonly used HSS in the automotive
industry in the 1990s. These steels
are still used in many carsBH steels
in body closures, CMn and HSLA in
energy-absorbing areas. However,
AHSS is replacing HSLA in these
applications, since it can absorb more
energy.
200
400
TRIP
Higher Forces & Springback
HSLA
DP, C
MART
PHS
P
600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800 2,000

Ultimate Tensile Strength (MPa)
Mild Steels
Conventional HSS
AHSS (1st Generation)
2nd Generation AHSS
3rd Generation AHSS (planned)
Figure 1
Steels can be classified as mild steel, conventional high-strength steel (HSS), and
advanced high-strength steel (AHSS). The latter has three generations.
R&D UPDATE
Engineering Stress (MPa)
PHS 1500
1,400
200
MS 1200
CP 1000
1,200
1,000
160
DP 780
800
TRIP 780
DP 590
600
HSLA 590
400
120
TRIP 590
80
CMn 440
Mild
200
0
10
15
20
25
30
35
Engineering Strain (%)
40
45
40
Engineering Stress (KSI)
240
1,600
50
Figure 2
Strength (engineering stress) and formability (engineering strain) vary greatly among
the various types of steel.
least formable. To make strong steels

formable, a mixture of formable and
strong phases is required.
The most commonly used AHSS
today is dual-phase (DP) steel,
which contains ferritic and martensitic phases for a balance between formability and strength. DP steels typically have higher elongation than HSLA
at similar strength levels. This unique
microstructure is created by special
heat treatments. Currently DP steels
are available with tensile strengths
from 590 to 1,400 MPa (85 to 200
KSI). DP steels are used in applications such as crashboxes, front end
structures, A and B pillars, roof rails,
and sill reinforcements.
Complex-phase (CP) steels usually have higher formability than DP
and contain bainite in addition to
martensite and ferrite. Grain refinement is created by adding titanium,
vanadium, or niobium microalloys.
These steels have strength levels of
800 to 1,180 MPa (115 to 170 KSI)
and commonly are used in car bodies in Europe. Typical applications
include sill reinforcements and Aand B-pillar reinforcements.
Transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) steels contain retained
austenite in addition to ferrite and
martensite. When these steels are
deformed, the austenite transforms

to martensite, which helps distribute
the strain and increase elongation.
These steels have higher formability
than CP, DP, and HSLA. TRIP steels
currently are available in tensile
strengths from 590 to 1,180 MPa (85
to 170 KSI). TRIP is replacing DP
and HSLA steels because of its higher
energy absorption and its ability to
be formed into complex components
with deep draws. Typical applications
include cross members and front and
rear rails.
Martensitic steels (MS) are, as
the name suggests, mostly martensitic with some small amounts of ferrite and bainite. These steels have the
highest strength but lowest elongation (or formability) levels. Martensitic steels, currently available with
strengths of 900 to 1,700 MPa (130
to 245 KSI), are used in automobile
body parts in which deformation
may be limited.
Martensitic steels are very hard
to press form, so they typically are
roll formed or press hardened (hot
stamped). In press hardening, the
manganese-boron-alloyed steels are
heated, formed, and then quenched
to get their final strength. Springback
is eliminated, and very strong components can be formed to complex
geometries.
Typical press-hardened steels
(PHS) (or hot stamped) have tensile
strength of 1,500 to 1,800 MPa (215
to 260 KSI). In the last decade, they
have been used extensively in safety
and crash-resistant car body components. New-generation PHS are
expected to have strength of 2,000
MPa (290 KSI). Both of these PHS
grades are used where only very small
deformation is allowed. These steels
have been adopted for use in many
parts, including sill structure, as well
as A- and B-pillar reinforcements, in
recent cars. Recently many floor panels also are being hot stamped to save
weight.
One of the major issues facing the
OEMs and suppliers that use AHSS
is edge cracking during flanging at
room temperature or under crash
conditions. Thus, the condition of
blanked and sheared edges of blanks,
including the amount of strain hardening and burr formation at the
blanked edge, is extremely critical for
subsequent deformation of the part
in stamping and during a crash.S
Resources
AHSS Applications Guidelines, V4.1, WorldAutoSteel, Middletown, Ohio, June 2009.
Automotive Steel Data Book, POSCO,
Pohang, South Korea, 2012.
Dykeman, J., "Advanced High Strength Steel Recent Progress, Ongoing Challenges, and Future
Opportunities, presented at AIST Symposium,
Vail, Colo., June 2013.
Proceedings of EuroCarBody, sponsored by
Automotive Circle Intl., Bad Nauheim, Germany,
Oct. 2011 and Oct. 2012.
Tamarelli, C.M., AHSS 101 The Evolving
Use of AHSS for Automotive Applications, Steel
Market Development Institute, Washington, D.C.,
2012.
Eren Billur is a postdoctoral researcher and Taylan Altan is professor and director of the Center
for Precision Forming (CPF) at The Ohio State
University, 339 Baker Systems, 1971 Neil Ave.,
Columbus, OH 43210, 614-292-5063, www.
cpforming.org and www.ercnsm.org.
17
Make your
press retrofit
energy-fit
By Jan Komsta, Jeff Grube,
and Werner Wolf
tamping presses that form and

bend metal under pressure are
themselves under pressure to
improve throughput, process cost
control, and energy efficiency.
Many stamping presses have been
in operation for 20 to 25 years and
typically operate under punishing
conditions. Cycle times for these
presses are between 100 milliseconds and several seconds, and utilization rates range from 3,600 to
6,000 hours per year.
That much operation consumes a
lot of energy, which can significantly
affect stamping press productivity
and profitability. In the last decade,
electricity prices have increased an
average of 25 percent and higher in
certain U.S. markets and up to 50
percent in Europe. If the hydraulic
systems driving your stamping press
operate with less than optimum efficiency, you could be losing out on
an opportunity to reduce production costs. Fortunately, you can realize multiple benefits by considering
18
the value of a hydraulics retrofit.

Advanced hydraulics and intelligent drive systems are now available
to provide greater energy efficiency
and improve stamping press productivity and product quality. Retrofits using new technologies provide:
More accurate and dynamic control of position and force of each
stroke, optimizing performance and
productivity.
Reduced cost per stamped part
by lowering energy costs.
Reduced hydraulic system-generated noise, equipment wear and
tear, and maintenance costs.
Extended operational life of the
press and maximized uptime.
While all of these benefits ultimately contribute to a positive
return on investment (ROI), the
main cost savings result from energy
reductions.
The Energy Advantages of Retrofitting

The primary reason to consider a retrofit is to improve energy efficiency.
Even on standard machines, energy
costs can represent 20 to 30 percent of total life costand a much
It all starts
with a properly
integrated
variable-speed
pump drive
higher share with energy-intensive

applications.
In a typical hydraulic stamping
press operation, a majority of the
energy consumed is to generate the
force to stroke the ram. Conventional
approaches utilize a variable-displacement hydraulic pump driven by
an electric motor running at constant
RPM. The hydraulic pressure requirements are regulated by a pump control, such as a pressure compensator,
or by additional hydraulic flow and
pressure control valves downstream
of the pump.
With a constant-RPM design, the
motor is always running at rated
nominal speed, even if the machine
is operating at part load or idle. Some
motor horsepower is always being
wasted. Simultaneously, internal
hydraulic pump and valve leakage
generates heat in the hydraulic fluid,
which must be cooled to maintain
optimum operating conditions. The
cooling process also results in an

additional energy demand on the
system.
With the latest technology, however, it is possible to obtain significant
energy savings with a retrofit that
replaces a constant-speed electric
motor coupled to a variable-displacement or fixed-displacement pump
with a smart pump system. The
smart pump system also can eliminate the need for downstream pressure and flow control valves in some
machines.
What is a smart pump? It is a
pump with intelligence to adjust
flow and system pressure based on
the process demand. This is accomplished by varying the drive speed
and, in some cases, the swivel angle
of a variable-displacement pump. In
a variable-speed drive system (see
Figure 1), the hydraulic systems
flow requirements are controlled
using an electronic variable-frequency drive (VFD) coupled to either a
conventional asynchronous or synchronous servomotor. A pressure
transducer provides a signal to control the hydraulic pressure. The combination of VFDs and variable-speed
pumps allows the system to operate
at the pumps and motors optimal
efficiency points. This reduces energy
losses directly at the source.
A minimal configuration, consisting of a fixed-displacement pump
and VFD, delivers a flow rate proportional to the motors drive speed. The
closed-loop control is located in the
VFD and reduces the drive speed to
match the load conditions. Additionally, the variable-speed pump drive
can be used to perform intelligent
axis functions.
A properly integrated variablespeed pump drive can cut stamping press energy consumption dramatically (see Figure 2). Using an
on-demand control, the system can
adjust the pump pressure and flow
to the hydraulic actuator without the

need for additional control valves.
Consequently, the average input
power is reduced over the entire
machine cycle. Moreover, by eliminating valve-induced pressure drops
that generate heat, the temperature
rise in the hydraulic oil can often be
minimized, reducing or eliminating
the additional energy required for the
cooling system.
Additional improvements may be
realized when using variable-speed
drives. The machine cycle can be
smoother, minimizing maintenance
and downtime. This also can extend
the operational life of the press.
Reducing the pump drive speed can
lower noise levels of the hydraulic
power unit by 10 to 20 dBA.
When to Invest in the Retrofit

Each stamping press operation is
unique, and the potential energy savings for systems vary. The important
variable is the competitive pressure
your operation faces in controlling
costs and improving ROI. Here are
five factors to weigh when considering a retrofit to a variable-speed drive
hydraulic system for your stamping

press.
1. Account for hydraulic system
energy consumption. Improper
evaluation of pumps, motors, and
controls can have a significant negative impact on performance, reliability, and efficiency. It is critical to assess
your current stamping operation in
terms of cycle times, stroke action,
and force to calculate the energy
needed to generate the required flow
and pressure.
It is also valuable to assess the
level of control needed to deliver the
desired throughput, including the
position and force required to fabricate parts precisely to your customers specifications.
For many applications, todays
variable-speed hydraulic pump systems are designed to be competitive
replacements for constant-speed
motors with fixed- or variable-displacement pumps. The disadvantage
with conventional systems is that
motor speed cannot be reduced for
partial load. Energy can therefore be
wasted through a significant portion
of the overall cycle.
Figure 1
In a variable-speed system, the flow control of the hydraulic system is accomplished
with an electronic variable-frequency drive along with either a conventional asynchronous or synchronous servomotor, a pressure transducer to measure hydraulic
pressure, and either a fixed- or variable-displacement hydraulic pump system.
19
In many cases, it is more efficient

to achieve flow and pressure control by regulating pump speed and
stroke than by using control valves.
Because the energy is available as
high-pressure hydraulic fluid, much
of the energy is released in the form
of heat as the fluid passes through a
control valve, from a high-pressure
state to a low-pressure state. Control
valve operation results in doubling
energy waste. Energy is consumed
when pressurizing the fluid, and
then the energy is lost in the pressure
drop that occurs through normal
valve operation. This generates heat
that will require additional energy for
cooling. Additionally, dissipating the
heat will require large heat exchangers that are operationally complex
and expensive.
A variable-speed drives intelligent
adjustment of motor drive speed can
be used to meet the precise demand
and avoid inefficient energy waste.
As an example, a machine retrofitted
with a variable-speed drive using a
synchronous servomotor, or a variable-speed pressure and flow rate
control system with an asynchronous

motor, delivers only the required
flow rate by adjusting the speed and
displacement of the pump.
A pressure transducer is used to
measure the hydraulic pressure and
adjusts the pump speed accordingly.
No excess flow is generated, and less
efficient throttling control utilizing
proportional valves can be eliminated.
2. Consider modernizing and
simplifying the hydraulic system.
Because older stamping presses use
fixed-displacement pumps with relief
valves, variable-displacement pumps
with proportional valves, or older
load-sensing directional control valve
technologies, the value of a retrofit
can be determined by asking several
age-related questions:
What are the ages of these components? Are they still available or
rebuildable to like-new condition?
What are the maintenance
requirements of the system? Is there
fluid leakage from these components?
Do we need to operate at higher
pressure and flow rates to maintain
Tips to Improve Stamping Press Hydraulics

1. Control hydraulic fluid temperature. Many hydraulic system failures are
caused by poor fluid conditions. Excess temperatures can directly affect viscosity
and degrade fluid if insufficient cooling capacity is not available. Proper system
design, pump sizing, and controls will reduce excess flow and pressure that generate heat.
2. Maintain fittings, piping, seals, and valves. Regular maintenance inspections can prevent unexpected downtime and production breakdowns.
3. Monitor pump condition. Although pumps are the heart of hydraulic stamping presses, they often are overlooked until a breakdown occurs. Advanced condition monitoring systems can provide early warning of potential problems.
4. Listen to acoustic conditions. Acoustic emission monitoring equipment is
available that masks background noise and vibration while picking up sounds that
may indicate an impending failure. Hydraulics expertise may be required to interpret data and identify solutions to the acoustic, vibration, and other performance
issues in the hydraulic system.
5. Employ controllers with advanced algorithms. Using best-in-class controllers with open- and closed-loop control algorithms specifically tailored for electrohydraulic systems can provide precision and consistency to increase press throughput and product quality.
20
current production requirements,

or are we operating frequently at
less than full tonnage and wasting
energy?
Retrofitting to a variable-speed
system can simplify the hydraulic
system, head off future component
replacements, and greatly reduce
maintenance costs.
3. Evaluate the hydraulic systems environmental requirements.
It is often assumed that noise and
heat are the price to pay for a work
environment needed to harness
the power delivered by a hydraulic stamping press. Consider heat
issues. It is worth assessing system
fluid temperatures in regard to the
double penalty of generating excessive pressure and/or flow, and the
energy needed to remove that excess
heat. It is also important to factor in
the expense of cooling capacity and
oversized oil reservoirs.
One of the main sources of
machine noise in a hydraulic press
is the hydraulic pump. The sound
pressure level depends on the pumps
rotational speed and operating pressure. Higher speeds will produce
greater noise. Beyond pump noise,
older control system designs and
controllers may introduce high levels
of hydraulic shock during the press
motion cycle, which can generate
sound levels as high as 80 dBA and
can stress piping, valves, and seals.
A variable-speed pump can reduce
heat load dramatically in the system.
When throttling losses (pressure
drops) are eliminated using pump
speed and stroke control, rather than
throttling valves, heat transferred
into the fluid is reduced, resulting in
drastically decreased or eliminated
cooling requirements.
Finally, variable-speed pump control results not only in lower average pump speeds, but also smoother
accelerations and decelerations with
controlled transitions between force
Figure 2
A properly integrated variable-speed
pump drive, which adjusts flow and
system pressure as the process requires, can cut stamping press energy
consumption by 30 to 80 percent.
and position control. The result is

reduction in average noise emissions.
4. Assess and optimize drive and
pump sizes. Typical hydraulic drive
systems are oversized to deliver peak
pressure and flow rather than what is
optimal for real-world applications.
Its not uncommon for motors to
be 50 percent larger than the actual
stamping press process requirements.
Oversizing is intended to compensate for inefficiencies in the hydraulic
circuit caused by situations such as
pressure drops and leakage flows.
For the electric motor driving the
pump, proper sizing requires assessing dwell times and operation at
partial and full loads to determine
the actual required drive power. To
determine optimal sizing of the drive
components, simulation tools can be
used to investigate dynamic stamping
cycle variables, including pressures,
flows, forces, and cylinder motion.
Hydraulic and control system
engineering experts equipped with
advanced simulation tools can provide designs incorporating variablespeed drives to retrofit a stamping
press and ideally match demanding
cycle requirements. For example,
variable-speed pump drives, used
in conjunction with an energy-onan fma publication STAMPINGJOURNAL
demand system design, can optimize

the use of controllers, variable-speed
pumps, and motors to deliver just the
precise energy needed. In addition,
optimal motor sizing coupled with
variable-speed pump drives can help
a complete system fit into a smaller
footprint when compared to conventional designs.
5. Improve controls for better
operation and longer equipment
life. Shocks transmitted through
a hydraulic system can result in
mechanical stress and physical wear
on the press frame, fittings, pipes,
connections, valves, and manifolds.
This can have a negative impact on
equipment life, increase downtime,
and present the need for more frequent maintenance. If these conditions prevail on your stamping press,
the press controls regulating pressure and flow, as well as upper-level
control, should be evaluated. These
physical shocks, even if intermittent,
may indicate that the legacy control
system may be hampering performance and energy efficiency of your
stamping press.
If these shocks are present in your
current press, consider retrofitting
Figure 3
A modern hydraulic controller platform
can offer advanced control software
packages that minimize the shocks
transmitted through a hydraulic system
to the press frame and its components.
the existing controls with a state-ofthe-art motion control system specifically engineered to take full advantage of modern electrohydraulics and
variable-speed pump drives. These
latest-generation systems provide
intelligent, high-performance control
of variable-speed pump systems as
well as systems controlled with traditional proportional valves.
As an example, a modern hydraulic
controller platform offers advanced
control software packages tailored
to the unique demands of hydraulic system properties (see Figure 3).
Advanced software compensation for
factors such as fluid compressibility
and nonlinear system dynamics can
provide optimal control. Hydraulicspecific algorithms for proportional
valve and variable-speed pump
drives allow for smooth transitions
between position control and force
control, generation of smooth motion
trajectories, and multiaxis synchronization. These capabilities reduce system shocks and reduce the impact on
tooling.
Re-energizing the Stamping Press

Dramatically improving the energy efficiency and performance of
hydraulic stamping presses is now
possible with high-performance,
intelligent pumps that can deliver the
required speed and flow without the
energy inefficiency of control valves.
An analysis and comparison of existing hydraulic power units and related
components against a variable-speed
pump drive system typically reveals
energy usage and the environmental impact of heat and noise can be
reduced.S
Jan Komsta is manager, new technology simulations; Jeff Grube is manager, press group; and Werner Wolf is project engineer, press industry, Bosch
Rexroth Corp., 14001 S. Lakes Drive, Charlotte,
NC 28273, 800-739-7684, www.boschrexroth-us.
com.
21
Figure 1
Front-end information collection and inspection as part of a die preventive maintenance (PM) program keeps the presses running and the metal forming operations
much more productive.
Establishing a die preventive

maintenance program, Part I
Starting out with metrology
Editors Note: This is the first part of a two-part
excerpt from Die Tooling: Preventive Maintenance for the Sheet Metal Stamping Industry.
Part II, which focuses on developing a skilled
workforce, will appear in the January/February
2014 issue of STAMPING Journal.
By Tom Ulrich
hen you are planning to

implement a comprehensive, die-related preventive
maintenance (PM) program, the best
approach usually is the easiest one.
Look for the most egregious failures,
and you will easily identify the problem. However, dont expect the problems to speak for themselves.
22
To find those problems, your first

step is metrologycollecting data by
taking measurements. You need to
gather basic facts before altering any
situation, because your entire PM
program eventually will be measured
against the initial data you gather.
Collecting a lot of different information that relates to various aspects of
the manufacturing process is a good
idea (see Figure 1).
Take into consideration any criteria
that affect, or are affected by, the condition of tooling being run through
a manufacturing process. The most
seemingly inconsequential information can take on a new dimension
when it is compared to data from an
improved, in-control manufacturing

process.
And theres no need to wait for the
PM program to beginpreliminary
data collection can provide a baseline
from which to measure the success
of the overall program, and it can
help you work out problems before
you have the pressure of a running
responsibility. It also can help you
show management why a full die PM
program is necessary.
Where Do I Start?
Customer Complaints. The first
step is to ask your customers about
their overall satisfaction. Find out
the ways in which the product does
What Should I Measure?

Downtime. Downtime is one of the
most important measures of manufacturing success or failure. When
presses stop, production stops, and
costs can accumulate rapidly. This
measure is so effective that you can
justify introducing a comprehensive
PM program solely upon the costs
and/or savings calculated from measured manufacturing downtime.
Armed with a list of simple codes
that describe every type of system
failure and the willingness to record
each incident that causes the process
to stop, you can compile basic data
that will give you an accurate picture

of any manufacturing systems effectiveness.
The downtime chart in Figure
2 was compiled from data collected by production control software
that encompassed 28 major press
lines. The presses and resident tooling stamped out framing members,
interior body panels, and skin body
panels. The red bars show average
monthly downtime hours relating to
a variety of die failures.
If managers are not open to a comprehensive PM program, diemakers
might be dissuaded from collecting
data that is most relevant to understanding overall manufacturing effectiveness. Often, though, an understanding of the datas importance is
all thats needed to force managers
and their data recorders to be accurate and fair.
Consider what can happen, for
example, when the die room is
charged with the previous days
downtime caused by an automation
failure. First, the die supervisor will

read the report and see that his area
is being charged unfairly. Then he
will walk to the stamping line and
challenge the production supervisor
based on the erroneous information
that is now part of the general plant
production historyand that will
now reflect unfavorably on the efforts
of the die room. After making many
apologies, the people recording the
information will be a lot more careful
about what downtime is charged to
which department.
Uptime. Uptime is the time that
your process is operating and producing quality parts. Use it in conjunction with downtime so that failures can be remedied and processes
can be improved. Uptime really
reflects the reliability of a process. In
that context, the simple comparison
showing increased uptime will be an
effective, albeit general, measure of
process reliability.
First-time Capability. First-time
capability (FTC) is the ability of a
1,600
1,400
1,379
1,200
Downtime Hours
not fulfill their expectations. Perhaps its inconsistent form, burred

edges, missing holes, dirt pimples,
liquid deformations, or marked panels. Then keep track of all the complaints. How many complaints do
you receive per day, per week, and
per month? How severe are they? Do
they stop the process flow? Do they
require time-consuming adjustments
to fix?
Categorize each piece of information and, if possible, code it for reference and sorting purposes. This
might seem tedious during collection, but the compiled data can speak
loudly in favor of implementing a PM
program. What manager does not
enjoy reporting that the customer has
realized an actual 25 percent reduction in manufacturing and product
complications, or that the end user
saved x hours of labor cost because
the system didnt need alterations?
Whether customers are internal or
external to the plant, they want to get
what they are paying for.
Dock Audit. A dock audit is the
final quality check before product
leaves the plant. While the goal is to
catch every failure by this point, the
inspection isnt foolproof, because
many failures are waiting to leave the
plant.
1,179
1,000
800
690
600
574
400
596
489
342
239
200
0
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
Year 7
Year 8
Figure 2
This chart shows the average monthly downtime hours relating to various die failures
on 28 major press lines in a stamping facility. The presses and resident tooling
stamp framing members, interior body panels, and skin body panels. Note that in
the seventh year, a general foreman took charge in the die room on the lead shift
when he came from the midnight shift. Because of his responsibility for the new
product launch, he took almost every diemaker from PM and used them to support
the launch. The PM program suffered immediately, and hours increased dramatically.
Year 6 was the first year that every die was in the PM program from birth. The results
of the fiasco in year 7 are clear to see during the ensuing years.
23
manufacturing process to produce a

salable product from the first cycle
of the equipment, without further
adjustment. Many factors work
against achieving FTC, such as presses, automation, tooling, material control, racking, and transportation.
FTC can measure the effectiveness
of these factors and be combined
condition of the tooling, and it can

be the impetus for sending the dies to
the die room for adjustments.
LPA can keep your process in control by systematically eliminating
minor problems that do not necessarily stop the presses but, if left untended, can develop into a process failure
that stops production.
Suggested Downtime Codes Example

Desc.
Dept.
Press
Press
Press
Press
Press
Press
Press
Downtime Codes
Code Group
Automation
ACP Cups
Any downtime associated with cups,

adjusting, replacing, etc.
APG Destacker pogos Any downtime associated with pogos
AFM Fanner magnets Any downtime associated with fanner
magnets
ATV Turnover
All turnover units
AUN Unloader
All items that cause problems with
unloading parts from press
ATO Tryout
Scheduled release for automation tryout
APL Program logic
Any modifications to automation
programs
Die Repair
Press+Assm DBU Button/punch
Press+Assm
Press+Assm
Press+Assm
Press+Assm
Press+Assm
DGA
DLF
DSS
DTO
DFS
Gauging
Lifter
Scrap shed
Die tryout
Flange/trim/hem
steels
All downtime associated with buttons,

punch, run numbers, etc.
Missing, broken, adjusting gauging
Broken, loose, inoperative lifter systems
Any downtime from scrap buildup
Scheduled release for die tryout
Chipped, broken, or worn steels
Figure 3
For statistical purposes, incidents of downtime need to be coded. Those codes can
come from a list like this, or they can be customized by the stamping plant.
with a downtime program to achieve

an effective measure of reliability.
Last-panel Analysis. Last-panel
analysis (LPA) is an inspection of
every final panel off the line before
die set. Checking the form and the
dimensions of the final panel can give
you a fairly accurate picture of the
24
Rework. Rework generated by

an uncontrolled production process
requires valuable floor space, skilled
personnel, special tools, temporary
jigs and fixtures, and special handling. This might not be an ongoing
measure that you collect every week,
but its helpful to compare it on a
semiannual basis.
Collect and store information,
such as initial dimensions and labor
hours, in a database for later use. In
todays manufacturing environment,
where cost-justification analysis is
regularly applied, constant reminders
of program effectiveness are essential
to ensure the continued success of
die PM and the resulting benefits to
bottom-line profits.
Run-to-Run. The amount of time
between when the last panel of a
production run is placed in a rack
and when the first panel of the next
production run is placed in a rack is
called run-to-run. Achieving worldclass run-to-run times is necessary
to remain competitive with other
manufacturers. The run-to-run time
should be less than 10 min.
Knowing what causes increased
run-to-run time is essential. Having
well-maintained and working dies
does not help if process automation
is causing damage or badly forming
a panel that will not pass inspection.
The more details you know about
your process, the better.
Panel Storage. If your plant has
not already achieved just-in-time
(JIT) capability, you need to measure
the plant floor area devoted to panel
or part storage. Floor space carries
an actual cost per square footand
everyone understands cost and its
relationship to profit.
The total area occupied by fill panels or parts is an effective measure of
the reliability of the stamping dies
and the entire stamping process.
When the process is not reliable, this
extra product must be stored to provide fill. When a manufacturing line
is down for repairs, fill from storage
can be sent to the customer so that
their production process may continue.
While its true that everyone
stores and uses fill panels and parts,
the measure is how many racks, or
days, of panels are necessary. The

goal should be a 24-hour supply
enough to provide the time necessary
to make other arrangements should a
catastrophic failure occur.
If you record this type of storage
properly at the beginning of a PM
program, it can give you another
indication of program effectiveness
and long-term benefit to the entire
operation.
Throughput. The simplest measure to use as an indicator of PM
success is throughput. How many
panels or parts were produced this
run? How many were produced last
month? Last year? Reliable tooling
increases throughput. To prove that
premise, you need to capture current
production figures and record them
for later reference and comparison.
Variability. If your presses, automation, and tooling are maintained
properly, and if the sheet metal is of
consistent quality and dimension,
your parts will be cookie-cutter perfect from start to finish and from run
to run. In other words, you want to
eliminate any variability, and to do
that, you have to measure it.
You can use FTC, LPA, or any other
quality check to measure variability.
What Do I Do With All

These Measurements?
Your company will be entering a lot
of data into a computer database
for your PM program. Assigning a
codea term, acronym, phrase, or
symbol to designate a recordable
eventto each failure will help you
sort and identify them and then initiate corrective actions. Coding also
enables easy comparisons to indicate
improvements in the process.
Adding details about each failure
to another field of the database or
spreadsheet allows a comprehensive
analysis of recurring problems.
For statistical purposes, code incidents of downtime and assign an
accurate amount of lapsed time. Figure 3 shows some suggested codes,

or you can customize them for your
plant. To make a customized list, ask
the relevant tradespeople in your
company to meet and identify possible causes of failure, and then devise
a three-letter code for each cause.
For downtime, keep the codes
general in nature, or your list will
become too cumbersome and invite
inaccurate entries. Downtime codes
should fit on one or two sheets of
paper so they can be taped to a table
close to where the data is collected
and recorded. That way, a downtime
code and elapsed time can be recorded as soon as a failure occursbefore
anyones memory of the incident
begins to fade.
A computer is the most logical
device to handle the large amounts of
data a PM program generates. Many
software programs are available for
general PM, and some can be customized for die PM programs. If your
budget isnt large, you can design
a database that will facilitate the
recording and reporting of PM data.
Initially, before managers agree to
the establishment of a die PM program, you might not have a computerized program available to you.
In that case, you can gather baseline information using hand-written
entries. Anyone with a pencil, paper,
and list of codes can record downtime for a designated period of time.
How Do I Identify Actual

Costs?
Once youve assigned a code to an
incident, you need to assign the
elapsed time associated with the
failure. The accumulated time will
become the most important measure,
since time can be assigned a dollar
value.
Identifying the dollar value of that
is the job of your facilitys comptroller. Ask for a cost per square foot of
empty floor space, and then ask for

the cost of a press line that is standing
idle. This overall cost would entail
taxes, amortized equipment cost,
heat, lights, maintenance, and debt
service. Do not ask for costs associated with loss of production such as
overtime and part repair. Do not even
ask for the cost of a work crew that
may be standing idle while a fix is
being made. You just need the basic
figureperhaps the cost to operate
on a holiday when no one is around
and only property taxes, heat, and
lights factor into overhead expense.
Before long everyone in the facility
will know the value of one hour of
press downtime. In fact, because the
number will be unexpectedly high,
the cost awareness will prompt most
personnel to pay attention to their
work environment and join the effort
to reduce costs.
The Data Is Entered.

Now What?
For data to remain accurate and effective, you should use and disseminate
it in a report form every day. Expect
others to challenge the data from time
to time. Human error or mistakes in
judgment always will arise.
Your goal is to report to management the breadth and depth of the
die maintenance situation. Management will likely want to see more
at first, but even one set of problem
dies will quickly prove to them the
efficacy of a die PM program. Solving one problem will earn you the
right to take on an entire press line of
dies, then two, then three, until your
entire stamping operation is under a
PM program.S
Tom Ulrich is senior consultant with DiePM,
28200 Ursuline St., St. Clair Shores, MI 48081,
586-943-4376, tulrich@comcast.net, www.diepm.
com. Die Tooling Preventive Maintenance for
the Sheet Metal Stamping Industry is available
through www.amazon.com.
25
An overview of coil handling devices

Options to move coils efficiently
By Theresa Dittbenner
hat determines the coil handling
device you choose? It depends
on the frequency that coils are
being moved and if the orientation
of the coil eyethe center hole
changes during the handling process.
The Horizontal Approach

In the steel warehouse and service
center environments, coils typically
are stored with the eye horizontal.
The products designed for handling
coils in this position are C-hook-style
lifters and two-arm coil grabs.
A c-hook lifter (see Figure 1) has
no moving parts, is counterweighted
to hang level when empty or loaded,
and requires no maintenance. The
aisle width required for this lifter
style is the length of the lifting arm,
plus a few inches for clearance. The
26
length of the lifting arm depends on

the style of C-hook selected, but is a
minimum of 80 percent of the coil
width.
Styles available are standard
C-hooks, recessed counterweight
units, and slit coil (long-arm) units.
The clearance requirement of the
arm needs to be taken into consideration when you look at floor usage
and potential obstructions. Optional
equipment available includes urethane protection to prevent coil
damage and parking stands. Custom
throat and width sizes are available.
For narrow coils, smaller coil
hooks can be used. With no counterweight, they provide a lightweight
method for handling coils up to 5
tons. A small upending coil hook is
available for easy horizontal-to-vertical coil positioning. The pivoting
wedge fits under the coil, and as the

crane lifts, the wedge pivots back,
changing the coils orientation.
A two-arm coil grab (see Figure
2) can be designed in several different ways, from completely manual to
fully motorized operation. The aisle
width required for this type of lifter
is equal to the length of the lifting
foot, plus a few inches for clearance.
The lifting foot width varies based on
style and capacity of the lifter, but is
from 8 to 13 in. on standard units.
This reduced clearance requirement
can increase the number of coils you
can store in a designated floor space.
Manual units have steel legs that
adjust along a lifting beam for specific coil sizes. The legs swing enough
when empty for the foot to be properly inserted into the coil eye for
lifting. The telescopic lifter legs are
Figure 1
C-hooks are a common sight in manufacturing facilities and steel warehouses
because they avoid coil edge contact,
keeping the material safe from damage,
and are able to accommodate various
coil widths.
opened and closed by a chain wheeldriven system, allowing for infinite

adjustment between minimum and
maximum coil width.
A fully motorized telescopic coil
grab is a fast and efficient way to
move coils. Legs travel at 2.8 inches
per minute and require little aisle
space for lifting foot clearance. Available with a fixed or a rotating bail, the
fully motorized lifter can be integrated directly into the crane controls,
increasing the speed at which coils
can be transported to and from storage areas and shipping bays.
The lifting foot is curved for coil
protection, and high-impact plastic
toe rollers help to reduce the possibility of coil damage. Built-in anticlamp
sensors provide additional coil protection, and the lockout limit switch
prevents the legs from inadvertently
opening during a lift.
Optional equipment available
for the coil grab includes urethane
padding to provide additional coil
protection, a built-in load scale for
measuring precise coil weight, and
a photo-electric sensor for simplified
foot alignment.
The Vertical Approach

Vertical eye coil lifters (see Figure 3)
are designed for handling of vertian fma publication STAMPINGJOURNAL
cally stacked coils and are used primarily after coils are slit to size for
the manufacturing process. Several
different styles are available for vertical lifters, and the type that is best for
the job depends on how often, how
many, and the IDs of the coils you are
moving in a typical workday.
For operations in which coils have
the same IDs or where only occasional lifts are performed, a standard
manual vertical eye lifter is sufficient.
For more frequent operations or for
al rotational base for the upender

allows you to load and unload coils
from different sides.
Seek Qualified Consultation

With material costs continuing to
rise, selecting the proper lifting
equipment is essential. The wrong
lifter can damage the load, increase
waste, and potentially place employees at risk for injury.
If you are not sure which coil
handling system is the best for your
operation, contact an experienced
manufacturer of below-the-hook lifting equipment, which can quickly
evaluate your operation and determine the best equipment for your
coil handling needs.S
Theresa Dittbenner is director of marketing, The
Caldwell Group Inc., 5055 26th Ave., Rockford, IL
61109, 815-229-5667, www.caldwellinc.com.
Figure 2
Precise positioning of coils can be
achieved with two-arm coil grab devices.
handling a wider range of coil IDs, a

manually operated scissors-style ID
lifter is a good choice. It auto-adjusts
to the coil ID and then easily closes
so you can quickly move on to the
next lift.
The telescopic vertical eye coil
lifter legs are opened and closed by a
handwheel-driven system. This lifter
style also can be motorized to further
increase speed and efficiency.
Other types of coil handling
equipment include coil upenders for
changing the eye orientation from
horizontal to vertical or vertical to
horizontal. They also can be used to
position coils onto pallets or remove
them from the pallet. An option-
Figure 3
A vertical eye coil lifter picks up coils
that are stored with the coil center
perpendicular to the ground. The lifter
legs automatically adjust to the ID of the
coil being lifted.
27
PRODUCT NEWS
Corrosion-protective
packaging material
VpCI-132 impregnated foam pad
from Cortec Corp. is a flexible
packaging material that combines
corrosion protection, cushioning,
and desiccant action, as well as
antistatic capabilities. It is intended
for export packaging of machinery,
equipment, and components.
According to the company, the
packaging is safe for the environment and contains no harmful toxic
compounds such as nitrites and
chromates. Parts protected with
the pad are ready for use without
degreasing or coating removal.
The material provides continuous
protection to ferrous, nonferrous,
and alloyed metals, including steel,
copper, brass, aluminum, zinc, sol-
der, and silver. It protects against

humidity, condensation, galvanic
corrosion, and residual impurities.
Cortec Corp. 651-429-1100
www.cortecvci.com
Hand-held dot peen marker
SIC Marking has introduced the

e10p123 lightweight dot peen marking system for marking steel, aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, and
most plastics. The 8.3-lb., hand-held
system features an easy-access on/off

button for quick start and stop of the
marking cycle. An internal LED light
illuminates the marking area.
The lightweight controller has
increased memory capacity for file
storage. Ethernet connectivity is now
an integral option, as well as integrated boards for third- and fourth-axis
accessories. A USB connection on
the front panel provides a simplified
interface with a USB flash drive for
file management through the software. A high-definition color screen
helps improve visibility of file details.
Accessories include a hook and
balancing system and magnetic
clamping for oversized or difficult-toaccess parts. A cart and battery power
are optional.
SIC Marking USA 877-742-9133
www.sicmarking.com
Increase Conveyor Performance

Without The Conveyor.
Model 250 Model 320 Model 450 Model 850
Air PressureRate
35-80
35-80
Air Consumption(CPM)
0.7
60 psi - 0.09 60 psi - 1.9

34 psi - 0.06 35 psi - 0.4
35-80
35-60
40 psi - 3.4
Feed Rate (feet/minute)
12 - 35
15 - 40
15 - 40
15 - 40
Sound Level (db-A)
60
65
64
68
MaximumLoad
25 lbs.
60 lbs.
125 lbs.
500+ lbs.
Max.Weight of Tray
5 lbs.
25 lbs.
60 lbs.
100 lbs.
TransparentWeight
2 lbs.
13 lbs.
30 lbs.
47 lbs.
717.527.2094
www.vibroindustries.com
28
PRODUCT NEWS
Light curtains, grids
of beams in the light curtain or grid.

Quick connects and custom,
adjustable brackets help simplify
installation. The system also allows
for partial or complete muting. A
muting override makes it possible to
bypass the light curtain if a machine

start is necessary even if one or more
light beams is interrupted.
ABB Jokab Safety 888-282-2123
www.jokabsafetyna.com
HEY-0613-011 White_SS Trade Ad final:Layout 1 8/1/13 1:18 PM Page 1
ABB Jokab Safety has introduced

Focus II light curtains and light
grids. According to the company,
a single model can be used for all
applications, eliminating the need
for multiple versions to meet varying
machines safety requirements.
The products include a transmitter
and receiver that scan continuously
to detect any objects that break the
optical barrier. If any light beam is
interrupted, the machine movement
is stopped by outputs from the light
curtain. Reaction time varies from 14
to 45 ms, depending on the number
OUR LIGHT-GAUGE STEEL IS LIKE

OUR REPUTATION:
STAINLESS.
HIGH QUALITY STAINLESS STEEL COIL AND STRIP
For more than 40 years, Heyco has delivered premium quality metals to meet the most
demanding specifications. Depend on us for light-gauge stainless steel coil and strip, exactly
the way you need it. We offer:
Precision processing to your exact specifications

Short lead times for custom-rolled product
Outstanding technical support
95%-plus on-time delivery
100% Cognex Vision Surface Inspection
Stretch Bend Leveling to assure strip flatness & shape
We take your stainless steel needs, and our reputation, very seriously. To learn more about our
wide range of stainless grades visit www.heycometals.com.
800-57-HEYCO sales@heycometals.com
ISO9001: 2008 Registered
Scan to learn more.
2013 HEYCO Metals, Inc.
29
PRODUCT NEWS
SEYI Direct Drive Servo Presses
For HSS and AHSS,
you cant buy a better press
to protect against Springback
and tooling damage.
And when the job demands
quick turnaround for thin,
complex shapes in aluminum
and exotic alloys , youll be
glad to have Pendulum motion
and torque hold at bottomdead-center (BDC).
With increasing complexities in part design and
material formability, investing in a SEYI Direct Drive
Servo Press is a smart move.
November 18-21 Booth# S4325

Chicago, IL
Call us to discuss your project.

931-455-7700
Magnetic transport belt

Schuler Automation has developed a magnetic transport
belt for a customer which transports strip as close as possible to the first die station to help improve material usage
and to help make manual removal of the leftover strip as
efficient as possible. The unit is suitable for use with thick
and thin strip.
In this installation, the adjustable-height magnetic belt
fills the gap between the outfeed from the roll feed unit and
the die. The centrally mounted, telescoping belt features
roller bars on the sides that can be hooked and unhooked
manually, depending on the strip width.
The belt is operated in production with a highly dynamic servo drive. It runs at a stroke rate that is synchronously
adapted to the roll feed unit. These synchronized feed
mechanisms help ensure reliable strip transport over a relatively long distance. When thin strip material is involved,
undulations are prevented, helping to maintain accuracy.
Schuler Inc. 734-207-7200 www.schulerinc.com
(2) 6,000 ton Hitachi Zosen (USI Clearing) S2-6000-1100-200

Heavy Duty Long Bed Straight Side 2-Point Mechanical Presses
These presses are perfectly designed to manufacture Frames & Chassis for Trucks, Buses,
and Light & Heavy Rail Cars and for producing Heavy Steel Plate & Transfer Die Stampings.
Stroke 20 (510mm)
Die Space F-to-B 78.8 (2 mtrs)
Die Space L-to-R 432 (11 mtrs)
(20) Sets Slide Knockout Device
Moving Bolsters
Auto Die Changing System
Hydraulic Tie Rod Stretchers
Slide Micro-inching Drive Device
TrueForge Global Machinery Corp.

100 Merrick Rd, Suite 208E, Rockville Centre, NY 11570 USA Tel:516-825-7040
Fax:516-825-7115 Email:sales@trueforge.com www.trueforge.com
PRODUCT NEWS
Solvent parts cleaning
Drr Ecoclean has developed the
EcoCCore system for solvent cleaning with nonhalogenated hydrocarbons, modified alcohols, and polar
solvents.
The system meets VOC guidelines
for cleaning oil-contaminated parts
in machining, stamping, drawing,

and bending applications. It leaves a
greaseless surface on parts for subsequent processes such as heat treating, welding, gluing, and coating.
The system is flexible with regard to
solvent choice and batch size.
Drr Ecoclean GmbH 49-7117006-0 www.durr-ecoclean.com
PRODUCT NEWS
Pivoting conveyor
Prab Inc.s Pivot Belt conveyor is
designed for moving oily, thin-gauge
trim scrap; stamping slugs, motor
laminations, and eyelet press scrap.
The pivoting sections and raised,
dimpled Rigidized steel belt eliminate carryover of scrap.

Raised pusher flights provide positive material flow as the seamless,
one-piece pan collects waste fluid for
disposal or recycling. The overlapping hinged pans individually pivot,
COE Code
Article #7: Boost Our Customers Productivity
preventing scrap from getting lodged

in the belt and facilitating full discharge of scrap. Belt sizes are available in either 2.5- or 4-in. pitch. Custom skirts, chutes, and hoppers are
available.
Other features include builtin automatic overload protection;
heavy-duty side frames, reinforced
with abrasion-resistant track; and
side wings and flights that are dieformed to the pan.
Prab Inc. 800-968-7722
www.prab.com
Material handling for stamping
Bunting Magnetics Co. has released
a new catalog dedicated to material handling products for the metal
stamping industry.
The products are available in custom and standard designs.
Bunting Magnetics Co. 316-2842020 www.buntingmagnetics.com
Turnkey, bench-mounted
punching system
At COE, we make it happen.

Our solutions are designed to efficiently
improve throughput, allowing you to
accomplish more while retaining world-class
levels of quality. You can trust COE to deliver
exceptional solutions that boost your
productivity and your bottom line, all backed
by the COE 24/7/365 service advantage.
SUPPORT
24 / 7 / 365
The COE Codeputting the focus on you

and your coil processing needs.
Complete lines, feeds, straighteners,
reels, servo upgrades and more.
Scan the QR Code to see

our COE Code video.
COE Press Equipment

+1 (586) 979-4400 | info@cpec.com | www.cpec.com
32
Multicyl
offers
the Press in a Box
press package. The
turnkey, benchmounted system
punches
holes
using air-oil cylinders and unitized
tooling.
The
system
comes in 5- and
10-ton models for
small hole punching applications,
secondary operations, and parts that
dont fit in a traditional press. Typical
applications include punching and
notching in sheet metal, aluminum,
and tubing.
The press requires only shop air
to run.
Multicyl 800-388-6359
www.multicyl.com
PRODUCT NEWS
Robotic surface preparation
system
Guyson Corp. offers a robotic blast

machine that repeats programmed
surface preparation routines on individual components and processes a
full tray of parts automatically without interruption.
The model RB-600 uses a 6-axis
FANUC LR Mate 200iC robot as a
component manipulator. Mounted
upside down on an engineered structure under the roof of the grit-blasting chamber, the articulated arm is
fitted with a pneumatically actuated
gripper and a tailored suit of laminated fabric that isolates the robot
from the harsh abrasive environment
of the process enclosure.
Similar components in a production lot are placed in a customdesigned tray or pallet that orients
the parts for robotic picking. The tray
of components is placed on the transfer cart at one end of the robotic blast
system, and a bar code is scanned to
identify the part number to be processed. The associated robot motion
program and blast process parameters are called up.
The transfer cart shuttles in and
out of the blast chamber at the end of
each blast cycle, so a finished component can be returned to the tray, and
an unblasted part can be picked up.
Guyson Corp. 518-587-7894
www.guyson.com
Hearing protection mobile app

3M has created a new mobile application that provides hearing protection
and conservation information for iOS
and Android devices.
Using the free app, industrial
hygienists and safety professionals
can perform a quick, preliminary
assessment of sound levels in an
environment; get answers to frequently asked hearing conservation
questions; view a full catalog of hearing protection options from 3M; find
out more about how to assess proper
fit for hearing protection products;
understand how to set up a hearing conservation program; and learn
how to contact 3M technical or customer service with any additional
questions.
3M 888-364-3577 www.3M.com
Special Advertising Section
Corporate Profiles
Columbia Grinding www.columbia.com

We are the Flatwork Specialists having one of the
Midwests most complete machine shops dedicated
to making parts flat. Production equipment includes
double disc, blanchard, surface grinding with both
single and double-sided lapping machines. Our state
of the art Flat Honing / Fine Grinding machines
can hold a thickness tolerance of 1 micron on a
given load of parts and hold flatness across a part of
1 light band (one eleven millionth of an inch).
As a job shop in nature, we also carry a very extensive inventory of abrasives. This combined with
our many years of grinding experience gives us the
ability to accomplish almost any job. We cover the
complete spectrum from simple one-piece orders to
large production runs of over 1,000,000 plus pieces.
Our value added services such as vibratory deburring, parts washing and packaging allow us to complete your order from start to finish.
We are ISO 9001:2008 certified. Take a look at
our web site-www.columbiagrinding.com for more
detailed information.
33
Corporate Profiles
Coe Press Equipment www.cpec.com

tries including automotive, appliance, lighting, metal
processing, housewares, lawn and garden, contract
stampers, tool and die builders, and more. As a financially stable and globally-capable organization, COE
can deliver and maintain systems no matter where you
manufacture.
Conventional Coil Lines
Compact Coil Lines
Cut-to-Length Lines
Transfer Press Feed Lines
Space Saving Lines
Servo Roll Feeds
COE Press Equipment designs and manufactures the

most extensive range of coil processing solutions on the
market today. Whether you need a completely integrated line, an individual piece of equipment, or a simple
controls upgrade, COE can meet your requirements
with the right equipment and service.
Founded in 1976, COE has an established heritage of
putting the customer first, ensuring that you get innovative solutions engineered for your needs. We provide
comprehensive, one-stop shop capability starting with
our top-notch engineering staff focused on R&D right
through to fabrication, machining, assembly, electrical,
quality control, start-up and serviceincluding our new
COE-Certified program.
We serve a wide variety of global markets and indus-
Power Straighteners
Coil Reels
Shear Technology
Stacker Technology
Tailout Technology
Controls Technology
COE Press Equipment
40549 Brentwood Drive, Sterling Heights, MI 48310

586-979-4400 www.cpec.com
Heyco www.heycometals.com
Premium light-gauge Stainless Steel available from Heyco
the ultimate flat, stress-free product. The company
is known for meeting the most demanding specifications with very short lead times and 95%-plus on-time
delivery on produced-to-order items.
To learn more about our wide range of stainless
grades visit www.heycometals.com.
Heyco Metals an ISO 9001:2008 certified company offers high-quality, light-gauge stainless steel
coil and strip in 301, 302, 304, 304L, 305, 316, 316L,
321, 17-7, and 430 grades. Pristine surface quality
is enhanced with Heycos state-of-the-art 100% Cognex Vision System, which automatically inspects both
sides of finished product.
Equipped with precision cluster and four highrolling mills, high-temperature strand annealing and
stretch bend leveling capabilities, Heyco provides
34
HEYCO METALS
www.heycometals.com
1069 Stinson Drive, Reading, PA 19605
800-57-HEYCO
610-926-4131
sales@heycometals.com
Corporate Profiles
Formtek Maine www.formtek.com

Formtek Maine: Your Resource for Press Feed, Coil Metal Processing and
Flexible Fabricating System Solutions.
Formtek Maine is a leading manufacturer of high performance coil handling and processing equipment
and systems including servo feeds, straighteners, payoff reels, pallet decoilers, precision levelers, integrated
press feed systems, cut-to-length lines and flexible fabrication systems. Our 85,000 sq. ft. facility in Clinton,
ME, is home to Cooper-Weymouth, Peterson (CWP),
B&K Levelers, Rowe Machinery, Iowa Precision (coil
metal processing), FMI Dahlstrom (Flexible Fabrication)
and CoilMate/Dickerman product lines.
We have been producing high quality and reliable
coil processing equipment and systems for over 60
years. Our ability to maintain 98% of our product production within our facility allows us full control over
our shop through put. Our facility is designed to allow
product to flow from raw material at the fabrication

end of the building to finished product shipping to
our customers from the assembly end of the building.
State-of-the-art manufacturing equipment includes:
Multiple horizontal turning centers, two with automatic bar feeding capability, one with dual
turret and turning capacity of 19 diameter, 157 between centers and 6,600 lb. loading
capacity
Multiple CNC machining centers and a CNC
Bridge Mill with travel capacity of 69 X x 126
Y x53 Z
Roll hardening and grinding capabilities
Programming for the machine shop via Surf cam
software
Our manufacturing department is staffed with 45
highly trained employees. We have an engineering staff
of 7 people which allows us to quickly process customer orders as well as provide custom coil processing application solutions. Our sales staff consists of 5 people
who are available to rapidly respond to customer applications and provide the quickest quote turnaround
time in the industry. Our service department is staffed
with five people, two located in Clinton, ME, one in
Chicago, IL, one in Columbus, OH and one in Dallas,
TX. This allows us to provide quick response to our
customers no matter where they are located. We also
utilize a true 24/7 service program which allows our
customers direct contact with a factory technician anytime it may be required.
No matter what your coil processing needs, Formtek
Maine is your one-source for press feed, coil metal processing, and flexible fabricating system solutions. Call
1-800-247-COIL (2645) or visit one of our websites:
www.cwpcoil.com
www.bklevelers.com
www.iowaprecision.com/cmp
www.runwithrowe.com
www.coilmate.com
35
Corporate Profiles
Industrial Magnetics, Inc. www.magnetics.com
Industrial Magnetics, Inc. is an industry leader in providing both

permanent magnets and electromagnets for work holding, lifting,
fixturing, conveying and magnetic
separation.
At IMI, our specialty is custom
fabricating. We design, engineer
and manufacture magnetic assemblies and magnetic separation
devices for our customers specific
requirements, and take pride in
the quality and performance of our
products.
With worldwide distribution
through a combination of a direct
sales force and channel partners,
we strive to provide personalized
service and innovative solutions to
meet the exact needs of our customers application.
IMI is proud to be a United Statesbased manufacturer of magnetic
assemblies and our USA M.A.D.E
logo is how we like to show it. You
36
will find our USA M.A.D.E logo on

any of our products that are Manufactured Assembled Designed
Engineered here in the USA at our
facilities.
IMI employs over 65 personnel,

with departments including: Sales,
Marketing, G&A, Engineering, and
Manufacturing.
Industrial Magnetics, Inc.

1385 M-75 South
Boyne City, MI 49712 USA
Phone: 231.582.3100 Fax: 231.582.0622
email: imi@magnetics.com website: magnetics.com
Toll Free Direct -USA & Canada
Tramp Metal Group: 888.582.0821
Corporate Profiles
Machine Concepts www.machineconcepts.com

Machine Concepts has a highly skilled staff of project engineers, controls engineers, designers, machinists, assembly
technicians and clerical. Founded in 1994, Machine Concepts has since grown into a major machinery builder.
Growth and progress are due to:
Engineering-based company
Innovative designs
Continuous effort to improve products and processes
Dedication to keeping our customers needs and requirements on top of our priority list.
Engineering Software Applications:
Inventor
Autodesk -ANSYS
AutoCad
Beam 2D Orand Systems
RSLogixs 500 - Allen-Bradley
ControlLogixs RS 5000 Allen-Bradley
PanelBuilder Allen-Bradley
GXDeveloper - Mitsubishi
GTSoft G0GT 2.0 Mitsubishi
DirectSoft Automation Direct
DirectLogics - Automation Direct
Machine Concepts is pleased to provide our
machining capabilities listed below:
Axis Travel Ranges
Longitudinal travel (saddle, X-axis): 100 In.
Vertical travel (optional): 60 In.
Cross travel (table, Z axis): 40 In.
Rotary Index Table
Work surface dimensions: 39 In. x 120 In.
Index positions: 360
Maximum workload: 10,000 pounds
Spindle Carrier
Drive Motor: 25HP-DC
Qty: 2 Daewoo VMC Machining Centers
DMV 5025 X-Axis 51, Y-Axis 25.5, Z-Axis 24.6
DMV 4020 X-Axis 40, Y-Axis 20, Z-Axis 24.6
Misc. Equipment
Tool Room Equipment - Bridgeports, Lathes, Grinders,
etc.
Studer S 30 Lean Pro Universal Cylindrical Grinder For
External And Internal Grinding
Center Distance 39.4
Center Height 6.9
Climate Controlled Inspection Rooms
25 Ton Overhead Crane
300 Ton Horizontal Press
4 Ft. x 4 Ft. x 4 Ft. Bearing And Gear Oven
37
Corporate Profiles
Schuler www.schuler.com
Schuler has many years of experience and comprehensive process knowledge providing highly productive metalforming systems and technologies. Whether compact presses, servo presses,
blanking and forming presses, mechanical presses for high-volume production or hydraulic presses for flexible manufacturing
of small to medium size production runs Schulers goal is to
provide cost-effective solutions that gives you a competitive edge.
Our products and services deliver complete turnkey systems including automation tailored to your specific needs.
Schuler is also the worlds only manufacturer of press systems
to offer a broad spectrum of technologies for lightweight auto
construction: cold forming high-strength steels, hot stamping and
hydroforming, as well as processing aluminum and carbon fiberreinforced plastics. Our US-based Schuler Hydroforming Technology Center offers a full spectrum of hydroforming services, including part design, FEA analysis, consultation, prototyping and
commercial production for large and small quantities.
Comprehensive service also plays an important roll in todays
business environment. Our full range of services includes project
management and production start-up to aftermarket support and
preventive maintenance programs. Our highly skilled service staff
provides on-site service worldwide to ensure your production runs
smoothly and efficiently.
True Forge www.trueforge.com
TrueForge presents HBE PRESS of South Korea, an extremely

capable high quality machine manufacturer engaged in designing & building a vast array of hydraulically powered machinery.
Their design & build program includes:
a.) Open die forging presses from 1,000 to 18,000 tons
b.) Closed die forging presses from 2,000 to 80,000 tons
c.) Double action presses from 1,000 to 8,000 tons
e.) Manipulators with lifting capacities from 20 to 300 tons
HBE Presses are running in some of the most prominent
forging companies in the world including Kobe Steel-Japan,
Seah Besteel-Korea, Sheffield Forgemasters-United Kingdom
and FRISA Forjadoras-Mexico.
In addition, we can supply large parts and components up
to 600 tons.
38
If you are considering purchasing a new hydraulically powered press then we suggest you give yourself an opportunity
to look into what HBE PRESS can do for you. Prices are reasonable, quality is the very best obtainable, delivery times are
surprisingly short, and engineering capabilities are excellent!
Include a one-year warranty from start-up date at the customers plant as standard on all HBE Machines, and there is every
reason to consider purchasing the very best hydraulically powered machinery designed, built and guaranteed by HBE PRESS!
Ask for our 28 page color brochure.
Exclusively represented by:
TrueForge Global Machinery Corp.
100 Merrick Rd, Suite 208E, Rockville Centre, NY 11570

USA Tel:516-825-7040 Fax:516-825-7115
Email:sales@trueforge.com www.trueforge.com
Corporate Profiles
Vibro Industries www.vibroindustries.com

The Vibro Air-Operated Transporter is the only transporter that is 100% air operated and 100% American made.
A Vibro Air-Operated Transporter can transport objects
along an assembly line or remove scrap from beneath
machine tools, even in close quarters where conventional conveyors cannot be installed.
The Vibro Air-Operated Transporter is the right choice
for linear scrap removal from punch presses, lathes and
other automatic multi-functional machine tools. The Vibro Air-Operated Transporter eliminates scrap removal
downtime usually associated with conveying systems.
And, because it is adaptable for multi-tray installation,
the Vibro Air-Operated Transporter can replace more
than one conventional belt conveyor. Its simple and robust design, available in a range of materials, make the
Vibro Air-Operated Transporter a reliable, efficient and
cost effective choice.
Vibro Industries
P.O. Box 209, Port Royal, PA 17082
Tel: 717.527.2094 Fax: 717.527.2180
Email: vibro@vibroindustries.com
Web: www.vibroindustries.com
Wayne Trail www.waynetrail.com

Innovation, quality and commitment. Thats what it takes to
succeed in todays economy and to be a leader in tomorrows.
Wayne Trail/Lincoln Electric can help turn your ideas and needs
into automated manufacturing reality. We are constantly researching and utilizing new technologies that enable us to
provide our customers with effective and efficient automation
solutions to their manufacturing needs.
Serving industries ranging from automotive and aerospace,
to nuclear, appliance, HVAC, metal furniture and morewe
believe that synergistic diversificaton of our knowledge and
capabilities allows us to be a stronger companya company
that can withstand market and economic pressures over the
long haul. So when you look to your future, well be there
every step of the way.
Whether you are planning a new installation, or upgrading
an existing process, talk to the experts at Wayne Trail/Lincoln
Electric. Put a total automation solution to work for you today!
39
FORMING & FABRICATING 2013 DIE HANDLING EQUIPMENT BUYERS GUIDE
Bolster Extension
Rollers - Roll Blocks
Traveling - Sliding
Supports
Die Lifters
Clamps
Die Separator
Tongs
Double-deck
Air-motor
Track
Wheel
Mechanical Bolts
In Press
Carts
Floor
Jib
Gantry
Pneumatic
Mechanical
Double-deck
Single-deck
Side-loading
Front-loading
Hydraulic
Outside Press
Lift Tables
Cranes
Loaders
Enter code 750848 at www.ffid.net
Anchor Lamina America Inc | Cleveland, OH

3
Green Valley Manufacturing Inc. | Mount Zion, IL

3
Hilma, A Div. of Carr Lane Roemheld Mfg. Co. | Ellisville, MO

3
Macrodyne Technologies Inc. | Concord, ON Canada

3
Mecon Industries | Toronto, ON Canada

3
PHD Inc. | Fort Wayne, IN

3
Ridg-U-Rak | North East, PA

3

3
3
3
Serapid Inc. | Sterling Heights, MI

3

3
3
3
3
3
3
3

3
3
3
3
The information presented was provided by the manufacturers. For additional information, use the corresponding advertising code at www.ffid.net or the links in this online
buyers guide at www.thefabricator.com. Copyright 2013 by FMACommunications Inc. Reproduction in full or in part without written permission of the publisher is
prohibited. Buyers guides are a part of the Forming & Fabricating Industry Directory. Go to www.thefabricator.com/directory to add your free company listing.
ADVERTISERS INDEX
Publications Mail Agreement No.
0040612608 (0007007632)
RETURN UNDELIVERABLE
CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO:
IMEX GLOBAL SOLUTIONS
STATION A, P.O. BOX 54
WINDSOR ON N9A 6J5
E-MAIL: ORDUPM@IMEXGS.COM
Please visit our advertisers showrooms by entering

their reader service codes at www.ffid.net
RS
Code Page
RS
Code Page
777007 Accurate Die Design . . . . . . . . 7
777007 Logopress3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
130391 Admiral Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
617013 Machine Concepts . . . . . . 37,43
240054 AIDA - America . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
138243 Messe Dusseldorf . . . . . . . . . . 11
459426 Bihler of America . . . . . . . . . . 10
473163 Peninsular . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
www.accuratediedesign.com
sales@admiralsteel.com
www.aida-america.com
STAMPING Journal (ISSN 1091-2460)

is published bimonthly by FMA Communications Inc., 833 Featherstone Rd.,
Rockford, IL 61107-6302. STAMPING
Journal is circulated free upon request to
those who qualify and who are involved in
metal stamping. Subscription to all others
is $65.00 per year. Foreign subscription is
$95.00 per year. Periodical postage paid
at Rockford, IL and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes
to: STAMPING Journal, 833 Featherstone
Rd., Rockford, IL 61107-6302.
120598 Bunting Magnetics . . . . . . . . . 10
Copyright 2013 by FMA Communications Inc. Reproduction in whole or in

part without written permission of the
publisher is prohibited.
www.magnetics.com
www.buntingmagnetics.com
111347 Coe Press / Sesco Products32,34

586-979-4400
942511 Columbia Grinding . . . . . . 31,33

www.columbiagrinding.com
100734 CWP/Formtek Maine . . . . . 3,35

www.cwpcoil.com
750695 Diehl Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

www.diehlsteel.com
1536509 Heyco Metals . . . . . . . . . . 29,34

www.heycometals.com
112922 Industrial Magnetics . . . . . 36,44

135460 JIT Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
www.jitautomation.com
111604 Komatsu America . . . . . . . . . . . 2

www.komatsupress.com
40
www.logopress3.com
419-628-3498
www.tube-southeastasia.com
www.peninsularcylinders.com
263137 PHD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
www.phdinc.com
261649 Schuler Incorporated . . . . 8,38

www.schulergroup.com
434230 SEYI-America . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
www.seyiamerica.com
2019136 Tandemloc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
www.tandemloc.com
107547 Toledo Integrated Systems . . 15

www.toledointegratedsystems.com
577223 Trueforge Global

Machinery . . . . . . . . . . . . 30,38
www.trueforge.com
458793 Vibro Industries . . . . . . . . 28,39

517-527-2094
145521 Wayne Trail - A Lincoln

Electric Company . . . . . . . 9,39
www.waynetrail.com
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
NEW MACHINERY
FOR SALE
PRODUCTS
FOR SALE
tungsten carbide
preforms
Markingpendepot.com
Paint Markers
$1.15*
China Markers
$0.55**
Artline, Dixon, Dykem, Markal, Sharpie, Unipaint
The Worlds Largest

Selection Of Markers!
*MPD 15 576+
Markal 72+
For classified advertising contact:
Call 888-906-9370
HELP WANTED
Statement of Ownership,
Management, and Circulation
(Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685)
Publication Title:
STAMPING Journal
Publication No.:
0015-0150
Filing Date:
September 25, 2013
Issue Frequency: Bi-monthly
No. of Issues Published Annually: 6
Annual Subscription Price:
North AmericaFree to Qualified; USA-$55, Can/Mex-$65, All others-$85
Complete Mailing Address of Known
Office of Publication:
833 Featherstone Road, Rockford, IL 61107-6302,
Winnebago County
Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or
General Business Office of Publisher:
(Same as above)
Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of
Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor:
Publisher: Dave Brambert (address same as above)
Editor-in-chief: Dan Davis / FMA Communications Inc.
(address same as above)
Owner: FMA Communications Inc.

Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Intl.

833 Featherstone Road, Rockford, IL
61107-6302
1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds: None
Extent and Nature
of Circulation:

Avg. No. Copies No. Copies of

Each Issue Single Issue
During
Published
Preceding
Nearest
12 Months to Filing Date
Total No. Copies (Net Press Run)

Paid and/or Requested Circulation:
11,910
1. Paid/Requested Outside-County Mail
9,987 11,523
Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541

2. Paid In-County Subscriptions
3. Sales Through Dealers and Carriers,
Street Vendors, Counter Sales,and
Other Non-USPS Paid Distribution
4. Other Classes Mailed
Through the USPS
Total Paid and/or

Requested Circulation:
Free Distribution by Mail
13,778
0 0
746 947
0 0
10,733
12,470
394
408
(Samples, Complimentary, and Other Free)
Free Distribution Outside

the Mail (Carriers or Other Means) 157 199
Total Free Distribution
Total Distribution
Copies Not Distributed
Total
551
607
11,285
13,077
625
701
11,910
13,778
Percent Paid and/or

Requested Circulation
95.0
95.4
Requested and Paid Electronic Copies
5,243
5,635
Total Requested and Paid Print Copies

+ Requested/Paid Electronic Copies
15,977
18,105
Total Requested Copy Distribution

+ Requested/Paid Electronic Copies
16,528
18,712
96.6
96.8
Percent Paid and/or Requested

Circulation (Both Print &
Electronic Copies
Patricia DAmico
Ph: 815-227-8278
Stamping Die Designer

Must have hands-on design experience
High-speed stamping dies 1,000 + SPM
Knowledge on thin copper material stamping
Tight product tolerances as small as .0002"
Knowledge of machining techniques for carbide etc.
Self-starter with Leadership skills
Good but not required
Hands-on ability to debug dies
Bruderer Press set-up
SolidWorks
Possible add ins, tough industry people are looking to stability
Growth opportunity, supervisor potential
Relatively new capabilities for Samtec
If interested, please forward your resume to ehumanresources@samtec.com.
Midwest Regional Sales Manager

Formtek Maine, a leading manufacturer of coil processing equipment and
systems, is looking for an experienced sales manager to become part of
our sales team. Responsibilities:
Report to National Sales Manager and act as Formtek Maines principal representative,
providing direct factory support to improve market penetration and order levels.
Travel throughout the region for customer calls and dealer assistance with customers
as required.
Work on dealer development, evaluation and training to increase sales and maintain
sound customer relations. Evaluate and recommend changes in the dealer network
based on performance.
Utilize multimedia promotional material to make presentations to customers.
Provide input to Formtek Maine Sales Manager regarding new technologies.
Participate in monthly sales meetings, report opportunities.
Utilize Salesforce to manage sales pipeline.
Provide sales forecast recommendations for annual business plan.
Provide first-level service/support to customer base for start-up oversight, trouble
shooting and customer training.
Photograph new equipment installations within the region.
Assist Sales Manager in developing feature articles for new equipment installations.
Seek membership on acting counsels for our business segments (FMA, PMA, etc.)
For more information and to send resume, email: kenos@formtekgroup.com
ASK THE EXPERT
Why does my tooling yield

such big variation?
By Thomas Vacca
Q: My company stamps right-side

and left-side links for conveyor
belts. The peanut-shaped parts,
made in a changeover tool, are
about 0.1 in. thick, 1.5 in. wide,
and 3 in. long. Half of the part
(lengthwise) is coined offset, one
material thickness in depth. This
is in addition to a number of other
strengthening embosses and holes.
We assemble the links by laying
one-half of each on top of the next,
aligning the stamped holes in the
be on the print.
I could go on.
Documentation must be such that
anyone can understand what needs
to be done. If you cannot document,
measure, and do it consistently, then
dont do it.
This reader needs to engineer in
the three Rs:
1. Replicate. To ensure tooling
components can be replicated on the
machine regardless of who makes
them, put plenty of detail in the print:
Documentation must be such that anyone can understand what needs to be

done. If you cannot document, measure,
and do it consistently, then dont do it.
center of each side of the peanut
shape, and riveting them together.
This creates a flexible steel wall
from 6 to 20 ft. long.
When we assemble the links,
building a left- and right-side
assembly, the lengths are different.
The distance between the two rivet
holes varies, causing an accumulation problem on the assembly. We
built a new die, but it didnt help.
Then our lead toolmaker left the
company. He would always tweak
in this critical dimension on the
stamping on initial setup. Now no
one else at the company knows
exactly how he did this.
A: So many tooling laws have been
broken here:
1. Be consistent.
2. Nothing changes unless something is changing.
3. Find itfix it.
4. If it needs to be done, it needs to
42
tolerancing, surface finish, breaking corners, even the manufacturing

process (jig grind or wire EDM). Your
goal should be that if the part is made
to print, it will be exactly the same
every time.
2. Reliable. Desing part so that the
tooling component will not flex, chip,
break, deform, or compress.
3. Repeatable. Make sure all tooling components can be serviced,
changed over, and replaced every
time by any toolmaker for the same
manufacturing results.
Building a new die of the same
design will yield the same results. If
nothing changes, nothing will change.
The current die, a 6-ft.-long tool,
runs in a 300-ton press. The press
bolster has no scrap opening, so it is
run on parallels. The die shoe is 3 in.
thick. I advised the reader to put a
block of steel under the die between
the parallels and machine it with
a 0.050-in. gap between it and the

shoe. The reader set a piece of lead on
it, stamped a part, and measured the
lead at 0.045 in. A flex of 0.005 in. is
a major problem.
The die has four 2-in.-dia. guide
pins on roller bearings. The press
is 50 years old, with no record of a
rebuild. The tool makes three different parts, and the changeover components nest in pockets clustered on
each other. If one component is off
location, it will move all the others.
If two are off, the accumulation is a
bigger problem.
The most critical dimension on the
part is the rivet hole-to-hole dimension. The holes are stamped several
pitches from each other. The reader
adjusts the offset bend in the part by
adjusting the press shut height, overhitting the down stops. So what in
the tooling is compressing when this
is done?
The solution here is multifold:
Re-engineer the tool with 5-in.thick shoes to prevent flexing.
Use six roller guide pins (not ball
guides) of 3 in. dia. This offers three
to five times the guidance accuracy.
Pocket no more than two inserts
next to each other, since the press
offers enough bed space to grow the
tool a few pitches.
Engineer the tooling to yield part
consistency on critical dimensions.
Stamp the rivet holes in the same
station and at the same time.
Install 12 die shut height stops, 2
to 3 in. square, all equally spaced.
The reader cannot depend on a
50-year-old, 300-ton press hitting
home at exactly the same time every
time. The press ram and gibs need to
be tightened up and maintained.
Good luck and happy stamping!S
Has a shop floor stamping or tool
and die question stumped you? If so,
send your questions to dand@thefab
ricator.com to be answered by Thomas
Vacca, director of tooling and design
engineering at Micro Stamping Corp.

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An energy-fit

EXPERTISE TO HELP YOU TRANSFORM METAL INTO GOLD

Everyday practices that

If your part accuracy must be in

Patented Closed loop feedback system

Komatsu VIS Software

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Komatsu America Industries, LLC

YouR ONE-SOURCE FOR PRESS FEED,

COIL Metal PROCESSING AND FLEXIBLE

o matter what your metal processing or fabricating application,

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An Official Publication of the

Polyurethane mandrel sleeves protect coils from damage

Servo-electric pump drive optimizes hydraulic presses.

Because Art Hedrick has seen plenty of beat-up stamping

18 Make your press retrofit energy-fit

Most stampers dont think twice about running a

22 Establishing a die preventive

To realize the importance of a good die preventive

40 Forming & Fabricating 2013 Die

Learn more about our STAMPING Journal advertisers.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 WWW.STAMPINGJOURNAL.COM

STAMPINGJOURNAL an fma publication

AIDA DSF SERIES Features & Benefits

DSF Series presses use high torque / low rpm

servo motors, designed and built by AIDA specically for

Virtually innite and user friendly programmability of

The AIDA ECO servo press power management

Extensive North American based engineering,

MEET THE PRESS

stamping journal staff

Statistics reveal the importance of

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 WWW.STAMPINGJOURNAL.COM

President & CEO, FMA

Jim Gorzek 815-227-8269

Mike Lacny 815-227-8264

Louisiana/Mississippi/West Tony Arnone 815-227-8263

Michael Scott 815-227-8271

Patty DAmico 815-227-8278

STAMPINGJOURNAL an fma publication

NEWS & NOTES

removed from OSHAs programmed

Die Design Software

Die Design & Strip Layout , Round Draw

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The Lifting Equipment Specialist

Toll-Free Tel: 1-855-506-0328

Benteler Automotive, an automotive

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Benteler Automotive to close

status in OSHAs Safety and Health

Awarded 2012 SolidWorks Partner of the Year

WWW.STAMPINGJOURNAL.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

NEWS & NOTES

work injuries in 2012 compared with

Secure your future by

Five building blocks the right service for you.

FORMING THE FUTURE

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 WWW.STAMPINGJOURNAL.COM

2012 was 3.2 per 100,000 full-time

NEWS & NOTES

means there is plenty of room for