FEATURE FOCUS: POWER TOOLS & TOOLING EQUIPMENT Transforming parts using digital tools
has been developed that allows tooling designers to work from original 3D part and component design files to analyse and enhance tooling designs. Programs such as SolidWorks and DEFORM, enable the tooling design process, including detailed analysis and testing, to be executed within a software environment. This eliminates the need for multiple iterations of physical tooling design. For instance, the DEFORM platform simulates the effects of deformation and stress analysis in dies. Nonetheless, although engineering high quality
With demand for higher precision in manufacturing growing, factories need to ensure the best tooling. Now, new methods of developing tooling have transformed the production of parts
T
his allows manufacturers to significantly reduce the time it takes to complete the
tooling process, cut the associated costs and produce higher quality components. For manufacturing, tooling is an essential
element that determines not only the quality of a finished component but the speed and accuracy of its production. The characteristics of a part largely depend on the precision and characteristics of the tooling. This includes work holding tools such as jigs and fixtures, cutting tools for milling, turning and grinding machines, and punching dies for cold forming, forging and extrusion machines and presswork, among many other common manufacturing processes. Given its primary role in manufacturing,
inevitably tooling design has a major influence on product quality and profitability. Traditionally the commissioning process for new tooling has been dogged with confusion over issues such as costing as well as the use of dated and slow practices. Now though, with the emergence of new software this is no longer the case.
DESIGNING TOOLING EFFECTIVELY Designing and engineering the right tools is central to the cost-effective production of parts and components. With modern manufacturing focused on speed and accuracy, tooling defines the quality and properties of the finished parts and the repeatability of the manufacturing process in high-volume production. For the latest high-speed, multi-spindle CNC
machines and cold forming systems that are increasingly being deployed in the manufacturing environment, creating high quality tooling can be complex and demanding. Choosing the correct
10 NOVEMBER 2019 | IRISH MANUFACTURING
materials for tooling as well as the construction methods and any requirements for modifications to process criteria requires a deep knowledge of the requirements of tooling and the operational conditions each tool will face in its specific application. To ensure high quality of the finished parts,
tools must be rigid and mechanically robust reflecting the allowable tolerances for the component being manufactured and delivering this accuracy in a repeatable way over huge volumes of production cycles. For example, considering cutting tools,
sacrificial or weak links may have to be incorporated to allow for wear and to protect indexing tools from potential damage. At the same time, sufficient strength is required to withstand the forces exerted during the machining process. This is particularly significant in high-volume production. Other qualities such as tool speed, material feed rates and sizing, as well as the requirements for swarf and cutting fluid removal are among many factors that must be addressed by tooling designers.
SOLVING TOOLING CHALLENGES WITH SOFTWARE Historically, tooling development has relied heavily on iterative processes whereby prototypes are created and tested before being tailored to specific manufacturing applications through a process of trial and error. Inevitably such an approach is time consuming and very costly. However, with the advent of powerful
computer aided design and modelling software, alternative approaches are now available. Advanced metal-forming simulation software
tooling has been dramatically enhanced in recent years, successful tooling design and development still depends on the knowledge and experience of tool and die makers. In particular, effective tooling design requires a comprehensive understanding of the working conditions that a tool will encounter. By applying the knowledge and skills of experienced engineers, designs are further refined and fine-tuned resulting in ‘right first time’ tooling development without the need for multiple prototypes and time-consuming testing. This approach not only reduces the costs of
tooling and minimises waste, it also ensures the rapid development of tools to enable a reduced time to market as well as improving the quality and consistency of the manufactured products.
COSTING TOOLING One of the fundamental misconceptions associated with tooling development is the issue of costs. Typically, there is no standard methodology that can allow manufacturers to accurately assess the costs of the tooling development process. Traditionally suppliers have applied a variety of approaches to costing with little by way of consistency or transparency and the figures are usually dependent on the knowledge and experience of a small number of toolmakers and estimators. With the latest generation of design software
and modern engineering techniques, the costs of tooling development have been dramatically reduced. Most conventional tooling costs for CNC machining and precision cold forming are relatively low. Even though costs can be higher for low-volume complex parts or those which require the use of specialist or hard to engineer materials, it is no longer prohibitively expensive to develop CNC machining and precision cold forming tools. In addition, pricing structures can be relatively simple with new software making it easy to estimate the costs of each element of the process such as time, labour and materials. Although every engineering project and process is necessarily unique, it is possible to make substantial cost savings through intelligent design and control of the production processes.
Dawson Shanahan
www.dawson-shanahan.co.uk
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