Page 40 - MetalForming December 2017

Tooling by Design
By Peter Ulintz
Disruptive Changes Abound
All of us must confront unexpect- ed changes throughout our lives. Our response to these dis- ruptions is often determined by how we perceive the changes. If we view a change as a threat, we may react defen- sively and take immediate action to protect ourselves, our perceptions or our comfort zones. If, however, we see the change as an opportunity, we may be more thoughtful and reasoned in our response. In that case, we may postpone action, continuing in our established routines as we wait to see how the situation plays out.
Your business organization is no different.
When a company faces a major dis- ruption in its markets, the way its man- agers perceive the disruption influ- ences how they describe it to the rest of their organization, which, in turn, determines how the organization responds. If the organization sees the disruption as a threat, it may overreact by committing too many resources too quickly. But if it sees it as an opportu- nity, the organization is likely to commit insufficient resources to its progress, especially if business-as-usual is truly the desired outcome.
In our personal lives we have wit-
Peter Ulintz has worked in the metal stamping and tool and die industry since 1978. His back- ground includes tool and die making, tool engi- neering, process design, engineering manage- ment and advanced product development. As an educator and technical
presenter, Peter speaks at PMA national seminars, regional roundtables, international conferences, and college and university programs. He also pro- vides onsite training and consultations to the met- alforming industry.
Peter Ulintz
Technical Director, PMA pulintz@pma.org
nessed retail moving from storefronts to websites, which essentially changed how we shop. The car, as we know it, is chang- ing in both the energy sources that it uses and in the way that consumers view transportation. Autonomous vehicles, in particular, will change how we view the necessity of owning a personal car, not to mention how we adapt to the fact that these vehicles will be moving, stopping and changing lanes around us with no one behind the steering wheel.
Litany of Developments
Disruptive technologies in metal- stamping plants and tool-and-die shops impact business operations in similar ways. Examples include radio frequency identification (RFID) or Bluetooth communication for die tracking; dunnage rack and material transfer cart tracking via high-frequen- cy and ultra-high-frequency commu- nication technologies; the use of indus- trially robust RFID systems for die shut-height validation; and new mechatronic systems for monitoring progressive-die processes as well as value-added in-die validation and error-proofing. Here’s another: Rapid die-change technologies employ remote energizing/information transfer
via wireless couplers on transfer dies and in progressive stamping dies.
Automakers have used advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) for nearly 20 years, with ultra-high strength metal stampings now produced through cold- working and hot-stamping processes. More than 200 grades of automotive grades steels currently reside on the market, with at least another 80 in development. Compare that to the seven grades of automotive grades available in the 1970s or the 20 grades available in the 1980s—the two decades when most of our tool-and-die and other skilled professionals were trained.
Tool-and-die shops face increasing pressure to shorten leadtimes and opti- mize die designs while reducing errors. Material loss in stamping operations generates one of the largest recurring costs in the manufacturing process, and reducing waste is paramount to controlling production costs and increasing profitability. Modern com- puter simulation technology allows tooling professionals to more accu- rately predict blank size and optimize layout within a coil. This must be accomplished early in the planning stages and then further optimized using process-planning tools to define the process and validate through sim- ulation. Simply achieving green (safe) simulation results no longer can be the objective for today’s die engineer.
Processing aluminum stampings requires a different approach than that for steel stampings. While most alu- minum sheet alloys are cold-formed, some difficult alloys benefit from warm-forming and hot-stamping processes. These technologies, once limited to research labs, have emerged as viable forming processes.
Both cold and hot stamping require tool-steel selection criteria and best practices for forming, trimming and
38 MetalForming/December 2017
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