CNC Carbide Cold Saws: Cutting-Edge Technology at Trenton Forging
For Immediate Release:
CNC Carbide Cold Saws: Cutting-Edge Technology at Trenton Forging
For decades, the standard for cutting 20-foot-long steel bars into billets that are easily handled and the correct size for the part being produced was to mechanically shear them using a fracturing movement and a whole bunch of horsepower. While this process is fairly quick, it certainly has its disadvantages; Trenton Forging Company has come up with a much more efficient and cost-effective solution.
The older method of shearing leaves a burr on the end of the billet which, depending on the customer’s specifications, may be unacceptable for safety critical parts. It also leads to waste as the shearing process inherently leads to waste “drops” at the end of the 20-foot bar. The biggest deciding factor, however, was the astronomical cost savings: in both outside processing and maintenance aspects.
The natural solution was to kill a few birds with the same stone. High-speed saws would eliminate waste, lower outside processing and maintenance costs, and would match or exceed the speed at which a shear would normally operate.
Trenton has purchased five identical saws to complement our five identical drop hammers. This will allow us to create something close to the lean one-piece-flow principle in our raw material to forging line transfers. The material for a specific job can in-theory, be cut just before or in-time with the forging process as it occurs instead of shearing material and letting inventory sit in boxes long before forging happens.
The saws are loaded by way of automated feeder tables. A 20-foot bundle of material is loaded onto the feeder rack, banding is cut, and the tables automatically feed and cut the bars into billets specifically sized for that particular job. The saws are programmed with an algorithm that allows it to “see” the end of the bar with a laser-vision eye and calculate the most efficient way to segment the bar based on the desired bar length and eliminate the waste normally associated with shear drops.
A custom-designed structure was designed outside of the hammer shop to shelter the system and allow the feeder tables to be loaded with a fork lift without the structural columns getting in the way. The outdoor feeder tables pull the material through small openings in the wall and pass the bars into the saws which are located indoors, in line with each hammer.
As always, Trenton Forging strives to be the most innovative company, with unmatchable efficiency, speed and quality. Customers can look forward to us continuing to provide this standard of operation, but with measurable cost savings.
Michigan-based Trenton Forging is a leading producer of custom impression die forgings for a wide variety of industries, including automotive, mining, military, and agriculture. Trenton Forging has the distinction of being one of the first companies of any kind worldwide to be certified QS9000, and the first closed impression die forging company in the world certified QS9000/ISO9002. Visit us at http://www.trentonforging.com for more information or to request a quote.
To learn more about the technology: http://www.patmooneysaws.com/nishijimax/index.html
