Cutting tales

With a view to streamlining its cutting tool ordering system, reducing inventory levels and cutting tool use, Benham Manufacturing undertook a review of its approach to tooling. Founded in 1978 as DA Benham Engineering, as a supplier of components for the communications industry, the company made the strategic purchase of a precision engineering company in 1995. Three years later, the two businesses merged and moved to purpose-built manufacturing facilities on the edge of the New Forest. To keep pace with the growing demand for its now mainly aerospace related output, the family-owned business recently added three advanced Mazak 5-axis machining centres, with pallet loading and gun drilling capability, to its plant list. Image: Iscar's Matrix tools store system is in use at Benham Manufacturing, saving money In support of the tooling initiative, a series of criteria was established. Iscar products (0121 422 8585) were judged against those of competitors, in terms of speed, tool life, unit price and time advantages, with the results translated into both machining costs and actual savings per part. On completion, the project delivered a number of conclusions, one being the advantages that could be gained by increased use of Iscar cutting tools. FLEXIBILITY CUTS CATEGORIES The flexibility of Iscar's products has resulted in Benham Manufacturing significantly reducing the categories of tools used. Faster cycle times, due to improved tool selection, have resulted in increased machine tool productivity. Furthermore, the company's overall cost of purchasing cutting tools has been reduced. A major factor in reduced machine downtime has been the adoption of Iscar's Matrix tools store system. Managed by a local Iscar distributor, Matrix is a computerised total management system that gives users control over their cutting tool inventory, streamlines purchasing functions and drives down costs. Access to an item stored within the system's locked bins is electronically controlled, with entry determined by the establishment of pre-defined authorisations. "Having made the decision to review our tooling organisation and use, we found the help given to us by Iscar extremely useful," says Paul Benham, Benham Manufacturing managing director. "Our aim was to take any previous, subjective perceptions out of our tooling choices, removing them from the production equation. Although a previous enthusiastic user of Iscar cutting tools, I was delighted by the findings of our trials. Given the on-going need to deliver high quality components at the best possible price to our customers, our increased use of Iscar cutting tools and their Matrix system has enabled us to further improve our competitiveness. "Our implementation of Iscar's Matrix, computerised tool storage system has streamlined the company's cutting tool operation, while, at the same time, considerably improving our productivity. As our local supplier regularly replenishes the Matrix system, out-of-stock situations have been eliminated, while substantial man hours have also been saved on our previously used regime of manual tooling stock checks and ordering." In Germany, at MSB, Bavaria, Walter's innovative Tiger.tec Silver CVD-coated tooling inserts (01527 839450) are extending tool life by at least two-fold – and consequently reducing machine downtime for insert changes, as well as cycle times – for the company that specialises in the manufacture of mechanical engineering workpieces. Indeed, not only is the use of WKP35S inserts in a 125 mm diameter Walter F2010 milling cutter boosting insert edge life from 18 m to 36 m as a minimum, but the groundbreaking tooling is also enabling the company to increase cutting speeds on its large, 65 kW portal milling machine by 20 per cent (from 236 m/min to 283 m/min) and hoist feed rates (from 1,584 mm/min to 2,000 mm/min). The machine processes workpieces that traditionally spend 50 to 100 hours having tonnes of swarf removed. Image: Walter's Tiger.tec Silver CVD-coated tooling inserts are helping MSB tackle its long milling routines successfully Image: Walter at MSB, tackling a machine tool bed Capable of fabricating components weighing 30 tonnes and undertaking milling routines on workpieces 14 m long, MSB has used Walter's tooling system supply strategy for some time – sourcing milling cutters, drills and taps, for example. These are used in its one-off and low-batch manufacture of workpiece feed and storage systems, pallet change and pallet clamping systems, and spindle and milling head change systems, for instance. An associate company also produces machines and conveyor systems for the tunnelling and mining sectors. Technical manager Wolfgang Faust explains: "We used the previous version of the Walter tool, because it was one of the best products on the market – and Tiger.tec Silver represents a further quantum leap. The higher cutting efficiency ultimately enables us to reduce the costs of the end product." Farther afield, Jordan-based Jordan Advanced Machining Company (JordanAMCO) slashed production time on a project by half, after receiving assistance from Dormer Tools International – Dormer's export-arm, based at the Advanced Manufacturing Park in South Yorkshire, England. Machining hundreds of 20.25 mm diameter holes in heat exchanger plates used in the petroleum industry, JordanAMCO required a versatile solution that could not only drill at various depths and increase productivity, but also maintain tight tolerances and strict quality requirements. Dormer (0870 850 4466) supplied its Hydra drill – a replaceable solid carbide head (R950) and interchangeable HSS body. With JordanAMCO stack-drilling four 10 mm carbon steel plates and also needing to drill 75 mm through-holes, Dormer supplied 3xD (H853) and 5xD (H858) Hydra bodies. Lloyd Allen is technical consultant for JordanAMCO and advises the company's management and engineers. Originally from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, Mr Allen, explains: "The boiler plates provided difficult cutting conditions, because of the material type. It wasn't easy to get the swarf to chip correctly. Image: JordanAMCO required a versatile solution that could not only drill at various depths and increase productivity, but also maintain tight tolerances and strict quality requirements "With high speed steel tooling, it would have taken around 18 hours to complete the job, but with Dormer's Hydra drill it took just eight hours. "It also removed the need for additional operations, such as reaming, resulting in further time and cost savings." JordanAMCO, initially set up in 2007 to advance Jordan's manufacturing capabilities, is now expanding not just throughout the Jordan area, but is also securing projects in Europe, America, The Gulf and Saudi Arabia. "Manufacturing in Jordan is still in the early stages and the role of JordanAMCO is to help develop the industry further,"Mr Lloyd explains. "As well as providing machining services on a direct supply basis, JordanAMCO also provides technical assistance to other local manufacturers with tooling selection, heat treatment, training requirements, and assistance with the understanding of material properties and their machining characteristics." A key ingredient of the success is the support provided by Dormer. James Butler, Dormer technical engineer, explains: "We first made contact with the owners soon after the company was established and our partnership has progressed over the last couple of years. "The Hydra drill is well proven, with documented successes in heat exchanger applications around the world. JordanAMCO's experience is one more that we can add to this growing list." First published in Machinery, August 2010