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Choices:
More than ever in our history, Americans are faced with some very difficult
personal choices....Do I stay in the stock market? Where do I invest my money?
Can I retire now? Can I afford a new home? Should we have more children? Where
will I get the resources to further their education?......... What
choices we make can affect not only this generation but future ones as well.
Difficult business choices also exist. In the die casting and metal forming
markets, increasing bottom line profit is more important than ever
if we want to continue to stay in business. Being able to compete
globally is rapidly becoming a necessity. More than ever we need to form
alliances with our partners to keep business on American
soil. With business for the tooling industry being so depressed and the
onslaught of foreign competition, especially from China, we have to make the right choices just to
survive.
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As far as tooling goes, you can
either be
Proactive or Reactive.
Proactive choices are designed to head off problems before they occur
by anticipating them and taking pre-corrective action. Usually this
involves some type of scheduled maintenance program, which is especially
difficult to administer with today's scaled back
workforces. Companies that have
taken a Proactive approach are surviving and should continue to do so. This is
like having regular dental check ups and cleanings.
Reactive choices are how most die
tooling problems are handled. "We hope this is not a continuing
problem, but if it is then we will have do something about it." This
is like only going to the dentist when you have a toothache then to find out you
need a crown or have periodontal disease. Much more costly to correct.
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Fortunately
MetaLLifeÒ
can help in both a Proactive or Reactive
mode.
We can close minor heat checks
on USED tools and put the ones not closed
into compression at each end to further retard their propagation. We also
increase the lubricity effect of die lubes along with reducing
solder, flash,
and porosity.
For NEW tooling we can significantly retard heat checking by doing it
immediately after final sample approval and then at scheduled periodic
maintenance shot counts. For repeat customers we provide secure websites
where they can track die histories 24/7/365, plus we contact them when tooling
maintenance is needed. Click
here
to see a sample page. This helps to remove and consolidate the burden of
administration that was mentioned earlier in this newsletter.
In July 2001 we introduced our exclusive
MetaLLifeÒ
process
which has the ability to prevent
soldering of the molten
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aluminum to die cast tooling, induce
slight beneficial compressive stress
levels, and hardens the surface of a tool to make it more resistant to wear
and galling. Both of these problems impact the bottom line profit for metal
formers.
So now you have a number of choices to make
once you decide on being either Proactive or Reactive as far as
tooling life is concerned. Do I have
MetaLLifeÒ
or
ThermaLLifeÒ
performed to my tooling? Do I
have both done and if so in what order? How often do I apply the process and lastly,
should I do it on my NEW or USED
tooling?
In this newsletter we will assist you in making
these choices correctly so that you obtain the maximum benefits from our
processes whether you do either one, or both.
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side bar has a link to a chart that was developed using AllClear that shows by
diagram the options and choice paths.
MetaLLifeÒ
is a line of sight process while
ThermaLLifeÒ
is not. If your problem is only soldering, or no topography of the
casting surface can be tolerated,
ThermaLLifeÒ
is the correct choice. When topography is not a concern and your problem is
only heat checking in line-of-sight areas or is flow related,
ThermaLLifeÒ
should be done. When you have both of these conditions, consider both
processes.
If your mode of operation is Proactive,
either process should be done when the tool is final sample approved or after
all corrections are made. The process should then be applied at regular
intervals. A good rule of thumb is: when NEW and then every
20-40K shots afterwards. If a history of tool life is known, take the
normal tool life and
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divide
it by 3 for thin wall and 4 for thick wall castings. This would be the
normal shot count where the tool should be sent in again after the first NEW
application.
When considering doing both processes, for NEW
tooling we recommend doing
ThermaLLifeÒ
then follow it
with
MetaLLifeÒ.
USED tooling should first
have the cracks closed with
MetaLLifeÒ
then followed by
ThermaLLifeÒ.
Since high heat for extended times removes
stresses (both compressive and tensile), Badger wanted to know the
effect that
ThermaLLifeÒ
would have on a surface that was previously
MetaLLifeÒ
treated. We ran some tests at Lambda using X-ray diffraction
measurements then plotted graphs showing the compressive stress levels
attained. Click here
to see these graphs and the testing that was done.
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found that the compressive stress curve was, in fact, raised slightly when
ThermaLLifeÒ
was applied to a previously treated
MetaLLifeÒ
surface. When reversed, the combined compressive benefit was greater
than either one applied alone. Hence the recommendation to apply
the
ThermaLLifeÒ
first to NEW tooling if possible.
When applying
ThermaLLifeÒ
first, we take appropriate measures to assure that the surface is not
compromised. By adjusting the applied processes, we
prevent the spalling
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which
has been associated with other competitive processes.
So there you have it. Now there is just
one more choice to make. Do you do it? I guess that choice
is yours and your customers to make on your own.
We are always here to assist you if you have
any questions or concerns about doing our processes to your tooling. Just
pick up the phone and dial 800-366-1973 or email us at
infonow@badgermetal.com.
Operators are standing by to assist you.
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