Shop Solutions
tweaking,” Palmer said. “He said, ‘Call me when the tooling is in, and if you don’t like it, I’ll take the tooling back,’ so I took him up on it. When he delivered results that reduced the cycle time by 50%, needless to say, the tools weren’t going back. We hadn’t experienced a guy who said it would work, followed up with it and made it work. We were like-minded problem solvers, and I was impressed.”
Palmer next wanted to improve the process for a three- dimensional forging die in H13. This required contour mill- ing and turning on a single machine, so he threw Sandvik Coromant another problem to solve. Fitzgerald was again up to the challenge and suggested that by switching to the Coromant Capto-driven CoroChuck 930, Palmer would be able to machine the complete, contour-milled part on a lathe in one setup, including milling and drilling, saving him a con- siderable amount of time. In addition to the CoroChuck 930, Fitzgerald suggested the new GC4325 grade inserts for P25 steel, the toughest turning grade inserts on the market to date.
The change to GC4325 for this steel turning operation also reduced downtime and operator interference in the machin- ing process. Palmer and Fitzgerald also analyzed tool-change time in the shop and discovered that about 10 minutes of production time were lost for each insert change—the longer lasting insert quickly recouped much of that time. And as a result, Precision Products now uses GC4325 carbide inserts from Sandvik Coromant for every P25 turning operation.
“I can get great tools anywhere, but what good are the best tools if you can’t make them work for you? That’s why when it comes to tooling, I have three S’s in mind: support, support and support.”
Aaron Fitzgerald, productivity engineer, Sandvik Coromant, explains the merits of the Coromant Capto coupling, namely rigidity and reduced setup time, to Bruce Palmer, owner, Precision Products.
This timing was perfect for the new insert grade, as Preci- sion Products was just awarded a new contract for stainless steel parts. To test the GC4325, Palmer decided to submit all of his P25 processes to a 4-week audit knowing that A2, D3 and M3, and other high-alloyed steels for automotive die components are difficult to machine. The results amazed Palmer. Not only did Fitzgerald’s H13 steel feed-and-speed re- sults increase to 700 sfm (213.4 m/min), representing a 20% increase in surface footage over their current solution, the tool life was extended to between two and five times the length of the incumbent tooling from another company.
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ManufacturingEngineeringMedia.com | August 2014
“At this point it’s becoming fun, because I’m here chal- lenging Aaron to do it again, improve another process for us,” Palmer said. “I need to take my toughest marginal projects and make them work better so we get a better return. Every challenge that I’ve thrown his way, he’s nailed it.” The greatest value Palmer sees in using GC4325 is the ability to greatly improve margin on a job for which he has already provided specifics and a quote. Given what he now knows about Fitzgerald’s problem solving and number crunching abilities, Palmer invites him to help quote all of his new business so he can become more competitive on price and hopefully win more contracts. “That’s a great value because everyone gets tunnel vision once in a while and it’s easy to get into a rut. I go to IMTS and try to stay on top of things, but you need a fresh perspective,” Palmer said. “He is teaching my guys and I’m able to quote more com- petitively. It’s a great partnership, based on Aaron being able to solve problems and find solutions, like the new grade and more.” Precision Products has carefully crafted its image as a quality component producer for four decades. In order to protect the shop’s reputation while addressing new, difficult materials and challenges, Palmer enlisted his partners at Sandvik Coromant to help breathe some fresh, competitive life into the shop. And through reducing inventory, adding new efficiencies, and upgrading their carbide all around, Fitzgerald and Palmer were able to work together to achieve just that. ME For more information, go to
www.sandvik.coromant.com or call 800-726-3845.
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