Aris Industries

Technology today is advancing at such a rapid pace that it sometimes feels like more products are becoming obsolete every day. This is bad enough when it comes to replacing the battery in your smartphone, but when components in your industrial automation system fall victim to obsolescence, it can bring your whole operation grinding to a halt. Here, we explore how the battle between innovation and obsolescence management affects short term and long term business planning.

The threat of downtime, loss of revenue and the cost of finding replacements for obsolete kit certainly make investment in innovation-led initiatives attractive. Upgrading your entire system may seem like a good idea, but it isn’t always the best choice. When you consider that the average lifespan for mechanical and electronic systems is between ten and 40 years, wouldn’t it be more financially viable to make obsolescence work for you?

Pitfalls of R&D
Research and development (R&D) can play a big part in keeping your company ahead of the crowd, but it’s not without its pitfalls. Investing in R&D can generate unique products that, when brought to market, give the company a competitive edge and can lead to further growth opportunities.

However, R&D is a massive drain on funds that rarely produces fast results. In addition, the achievements are uncertain at best, as there’s no surefire way to predict the direction markets will move in. This means you could spend years working on a new product that could already be outdated by the time you’re finished!

Show me the money
Although the world is on the path of economic recovery we’re by no means out of the woods yet, with budgets still highly constricted. As manufacturers around the world grapple against austerity measures, it’s becoming increasingly important to get the most out of legacy systems and keep them alive past their ‘sell-by date’. However, while industrial automation systems can sometimes celebrate their 40th birthday, the components within have considerably shorter life expectancies. So what do you do if the component has been branded obsolete?

This is where a choice has to be made as to where you place your investment. Do you bite the bullet and renew the whole system – bearing in mind the increasing speed of obsolescence could make the new system outdated within a couple of years – or do you establish an Obsolescence Management System (OMS)?

The Ministry of Defense commissioned a report from QinetiQ and ARINC as part of its Component Obsolescence Resolution Cost Metrics Study. The report analyzed average engineering resolution costs across a range of solutions, from proactive obsolescence options through to major redesign. It found that the cost of a major redesign ran to an average of £416,910.

However, when proactive obsolescence management was involved, resolution costs were reduced by at least £317,418, with the most expensive approach costing £99,492 – dramatic savings. The study clearly outlined that, in the majority of cases, companies employing an OMS paid out, on average, less than £22,000 in non-recurring resolution costs. Some approaches to obsolescence management succeeded in bringing down these costs to just £136!

This is a situation we often see at European Automation. Our clients usually opt for replacing the obsolete part that has broken down instead of commissioning a brand new manufacturing unit or system. In fact, replacing the part is almost always the best short term solution. It allows you to keep the manufacturing line up and running, not to mention it also means you don’t have to rush into making a costly upgrade.

Not only are there savings to be made when it comes to one-off costs like this, there are also significant cost advantages and return on investment (ROI) to be gained by having a well executed obsolescence strategy in place.

Plan ahead
The biggest investment a company usually makes when exploring obsolescence management is time. An effective OMS needs to be well thought out and should cover how to manage, mitigate and resolve obsolescence at project, program and corporate levels. Managing obsolescence is all about being proactive, so it’s important to assess how best to approach the issue throughout the product development lifecycle.

When sketching out your OMS, the aim is to establish an obsolescence management plan that clearly defines roles, responsibilities, processes and review cycles. To do this, you need to have a forward-thinking attitude and should try to anticipate the needs of your system to cover all eventualities.

Essentially, by taking the time to assess your systems and predict which components may become obsolete and need replacing you can stay ahead of the game and have a solution ready. This will reduce downtime, save money and uphold your company’s reputation.

Key benefits of using strategic obsolescence management include anticipating and mitigating the risk of costly redesign cycles, as well as rapid assessment of where and how component obsolescence impacts the system supportability. A good OMS also allows companies to minimize the risks of obsolescence by identifying second sources and alternate parts in advance. Finally, OMS establishes guidelines on how systems should be modified during design refreshes and allow better management of stock, inventory and spares.

How to replace obsolete parts
So just how do you replace a component after the dreaded Product Change Notifications (PCNs) or End-of-Life notification (EOL/PDN)? Several key options include using existing stock, Last Time Buy options, sourcing from aftermarket supply, finding alternate (fit, form and function) replacement from the same or a different manufacturer or finding the nearest equivalent substitute part.

Some of these options can be costly, but by taking the time to establish an OSM, companies can reduce these costs by reaping the benefits of a proactive approach. Early warning of component discontinuance allows maximum time to react and corrective action options at the component level can be taken while low cost opportunities still exist.

At this point, you might be thinking there just aren’t enough hours in the day to implement an OMS. Luckily, there is a way of minimizing both the cost and hassle of obsolescence management: working with an obsolete industrial part supplier that can source all the necessary components for you. This is perhaps the only solution that gives you complete peace of mind – no need to manage stocks, worry about downtime or rush into upgrades. You can rest assured knowing that if something breaks down, you’re working with a team of experts that can get you the part you need in record time.

Evolution doesn’t happen overnight
No company wants to provide an outdated service or product any more than it wants to be working with obsolete technology. However, a balance has to be struck between advancement, innovation, obsolescence and durable systems. That’s why it’s important to realize that obsolescence management will not hold you back from innovation – the exact opposite in fact!

Innovation is seen as radical, fast-paced and fashionable, but as one of the biggest names in fashion, Marc Jacobs has been quoted saying the following: “Innovation is an evolutionary process, so it’s not necessary to be revolutionary all the time.” Evolution, the process of improving an organism or ecosystem, takes time. It is the same in fashion, nature and industry. To be truly innovative means more than being an early adopter of the newest technology; you need to be able to support your growth with strong foundations and functional legacy systems.

Managing obsolescence effectively will allow you to evolve your business at a sustainable pace, enabling you to innovate whilst delivering a quality service.

For more information please visit:
www.euautomation.com/uk/automated

The die sinking EDM machine is the favorite choice for precision mold making, and for good reason. No process can so easily handle the ultra-hard alloys used for injection molds, which are expected to produce sometimes millions of parts in their lifetimes. Someone unfamiliar with electronic discharge machining might think it science fiction – the act of vaporizing miniscule bits of metal by equally tiny lightning bolts while underwater does have a certain surreal appeal to it.

In fact, EDM has been around since the 1960’s. The very first commercially available machine came on the market in 1967, a wire variety developed and produced in the Soviet Union. Since then, EDM technology has come into its own. Advancements in CNC controls have made machines smarter and more communicative while accelerating performance. Materials science has created more sophisticated consumables, and proliferation of the technology has made more EDM machine makes, models and varieties available and at more affordable costs.

While wire EDM machines cut along a path which passes completely through the part, while sinker EMD machines utilize a hollow conductive rod to remove metal from the surface of a workpiece, allowing them to produce deep cavities and contoured surfaces. In the past year, GFMS subsidiary AgieCharmilles has introduces several advancements to its die sinker line focused around efficiency and precision of production, especially in mold making operations. Wear Partitioning uses intelligent tool management to maximize sinker life without increasing burn time, iGAP technology can reduce the effects of lateral sparking which can pit the sidewalls of a mold cavity, and 3DS technology introduces extremely fine surface texturing – critical for peak mold performance.

All three new functions are a result of new 100 percent-digital generator technology from AgieCharmilles available on FORM 200/300/400 sinker EDMs. These sophisticated generators control the spark and the gap voltage during the EDM process, thus providing options when it comes to burn parameters to achieve different removal and finishing patterns. Together, these new technologies have helped GFMS redefine the standard in mold making.

Wear Partitioning
A sinker EDM generator function, Wear Partitioning offers a better alternative for electrode wear compensation. The function optimizes the use of electrodes, sharing the electrode wear among the mold cavities to increase part quality and dimensional consistency. And while actual burn times remain unchanged, the function helps reduce the use of consumables. This is especially beneficial when electrodes are complex and require a lot of machining time to produce.

With Wear Partitioning, machining now happens setting by individual setting, and the EDM determines this alternative setting distribution as well as what electrode will be used when and in what sequence. It also indicates where to start in the cavities, when to switch the electrodes in and out, and what orbits to use with which electrode and for how long.

For example, a sinker EDM machine, using the generator function, can decide to enter the first cavity and orbit material out with the first electrode, then progress to the second and third finishing electrodes. Or it may rough out all the cavities with a roughing electrode – going from right to left, for instance – then switch to the semi-finishing or finishing electrodes – moving back from left to right.

Rough cutting in one direction and semifinishing in the other in such a fashion eliminates wasted machine movement and helps shorten part cycle times.

Wear Partitioning is only possible via 100 percent-digital EDM generator technology. The prerequisites for using Wear Partitioning are that cavities are equivalent in terms of depth, surface finish and required dimensional tolerances.

iGAP Technology
A new generator function of certain sinker EDMs can now vary the sparks between the fronts and sides of electrodes, as opposed to using the same spark the whole way through a burn. In traditional sinker EDMs, as burn speeds and spark power increase, so too does the risk of damage to the part surface, especially where cavity undersizes are tight.

A big spark in the front of the sinker EDM electrode is acceptable because the undersize can be controlled with the Z axis. But on the sides of electrodes, the spark cannot be greater than the undersize because it destroys the sidewalls of the cavity. Therefore, the small undersize restricts the maximum power that can be used.

Digital generator technology allows the ISPG +iGAP function from GF Machining Solutions to not only keep electrode wear in check, but, most importantly, optimize cutting speeds. The technology applies the electrical current only when and where necessary to eliminate lateral sparking that historically creates disturbances on the sides of mold cavities.

iGAP allows the electrode to have maximum power in the front of the cavity without destroying the sidewalls or creating too big of a gap on the sides. This potentially doubles or even triples material removal rates over what is typically produced with small undersizes.

For instance, with a 0.2-mm undersize, the machine may enter the burn with only 32 Amps of power. With iGAP, that same machine can go in with 64 Amps, and without having to change the undersize.

To extend electrode life, the iGAP function’s higher potential amperages and lower “on” times translate into less wear when roughing. It should be noted, however, that the same generator technology without the iGAP function still reduces electrode wear, but does not increase the cutting speed as much.

3DS Technology
A further result of AgieCharmilles 100 percent-digital generators, a new sinker EDM function called 3DS reduces friction on the surface area of molds, including inside any small details and ribs. Molds fill quicker, shaving seconds off the molding process, and for manufacturers that make millions of injected-molded parts, this saves hours of cycle time and helps them produce hundreds of thousands of additional parts.

The resulting surface finishes of the new 3DS technology from GF Machining Solutions also reduce the chance of residue sticking to the mold after the plastic is injected. This is a problem that grows worse after repeated injections, leading to uneven surface finishes on parts.

While a polished surface finish may seem ideal for any mold, this is not always the case. A highly polished finish requires a great amount of pressure to inject the liquefied plastic into the mold. If the finish is too flat, or too smooth, the plastic sucks to the surface – like two pieces of glass with water in between them that stick together. This exceptionally strong suction effect slows the flow of plastic into the mold.

Additionally, greater ejection force is required to push the molded part out of the cavity because the smooth surface causes it to stick as well. And if the newly formed part is still warm and a bit soft, the ejector pins will push into it and deform its surface.

What the 3DS functionality does is smooth out the distance between the peaks and valleys on mold tooling surfaces, but not to a point where the peaks are eliminated. In a sense, 3DS stretches the surface RSM value, while the Ra value remains the same. And because the peaks are more spread out, the surface prevents sticking.

This optimized 3DS surface finish also ensures less force is needed to eject a molded part. And while tiny plastic particles may still be present, the amount is not enough to contaminate the surface.

Because of the reduced friction the 3DS technology produces, molds fill faster and parts actually eject quicker and effortlessly. Thus, mold makers need fewer ejector pins, which helps reduce machining and overall mold making lead times.

In operation, a sinker EDM with 3DS – after rough burning a mold cavity surface – follows the standard finishing operation but then activates the new function for the last two or three burn settings to impart the enhanced surface finish. The machine uses the same standard finishing electrode, and machining cycle time remains unchanged because instead of using the last standard finishing parameters, the 3DS setting is simply implemented. The 3DS feature can also be used on existing mold tooling surfaces.

3DS technology has thus far been successful. One GF Machining Solutions customer using 3DS technology recently reported a 30 percent reduction in maintenance costs. Plus, the company has been able to leave the mold in the molding press 30 percent longer without having to clean the mold surface and interrupt the production cycle.

This type of surface finishing has other applications outside of mold making. Any part that comes into contact with fluid, for example, benefits from advanced surfacing to facilitate fast and smooth flow of fluids.

For more information please visit:
www.gfms.com

The die sinking EDM machine is the favorite choice for precision mold making, and for good reason. No process can so easily handle the ultra-hard alloys used for injection molds, which are expected to produce sometimes millions of parts in their lifetimes. Someone unfamiliar with electronic discharge machining might think it science fiction – the act of vaporizing miniscule bits of metal by equally tiny lightning bolts while underwater does have a certain surreal appeal to it.

In fact, EDM has been around since the 1960’s. The very first commercially available machine came on the market in 1967, a wire variety developed and produced in the Soviet Union. Since then, EDM technology has come into its own. Advancements in CNC controls have made machines smarter and more communicative while accelerating performance. Materials science has created more sophisticated consumables, and proliferation of the technology has made more EDM machine makes, models and varieties available and at more affordable costs.

While wire EDM machines cut along a path which passes completely through the part, while sinker EMD machines utilize a hollow conductive rod to remove metal from the surface of a workpiece, allowing them to produce deep cavities and contoured surfaces. In the past year, GFMS subsidiary AgieCharmilles has introduces several advancements to its die sinker line focused around efficiency and precision of production, especially in mold making operations. Wear Partitioning uses intelligent tool management to maximize sinker life without increasing burn time, iGAP technology can reduce the effects of lateral sparking which can pit the sidewalls of a mold cavity, and 3DS technology introduces extremely fine surface texturing – critical for peak mold performance.

All three new functions are a result of new 100 percent-digital generator technology from AgieCharmilles available on FORM 200/300/400 sinker EDMs. These sophisticated generators control the spark and the gap voltage during the EDM process, thus providing options when it comes to burn parameters to achieve different removal and finishing patterns. Together, these new technologies have helped GFMS redefine the standard in mold making.

Wear Partitioning
A sinker EDM generator function, Wear Partitioning offers a better alternative for electrode wear compensation. The function optimizes the use of electrodes, sharing the electrode wear among the mold cavities to increase part quality and dimensional consistency. And while actual burn times remain unchanged, the function helps reduce the use of consumables. This is especially beneficial when electrodes are complex and require a lot of machining time to produce.

With Wear Partitioning, machining now happens setting by individual setting, and the EDM determines this alternative setting distribution as well as what electrode will be used when and in what sequence. It also indicates where to start in the cavities, when to switch the electrodes in and out, and what orbits to use with which electrode and for how long.

For example, a sinker EDM machine, using the generator function, can decide to enter the first cavity and orbit material out with the first electrode, then progress to the second and third finishing electrodes. Or it may rough out all the cavities with a roughing electrode – going from right to left, for instance – then switch to the semi-finishing or finishing electrodes – moving back from left to right.

Rough cutting in one direction and semifinishing in the other in such a fashion eliminates wasted machine movement and helps shorten part cycle times.

Wear Partitioning is only possible via 100 percent-digital EDM generator technology. The prerequisites for using Wear Partitioning are that cavities are equivalent in terms of depth, surface finish and required dimensional tolerances.

iGAP Technology
A new generator function of certain sinker EDMs can now vary the sparks between the fronts and sides of electrodes, as opposed to using the same spark the whole way through a burn. In traditional sinker EDMs, as burn speeds and spark power increase, so too does the risk of damage to the part surface, especially where cavity undersizes are tight.

A big spark in the front of the sinker EDM electrode is acceptable because the undersize can be controlled with the Z axis. But on the sides of electrodes, the spark cannot be greater than the undersize because it destroys the sidewalls of the cavity. Therefore, the small undersize restricts the maximum power that can be used.

Digital generator technology allows the ISPG +iGAP function from GF Machining Solutions to not only keep electrode wear in check, but, most importantly, optimize cutting speeds. The technology applies the electrical current only when and where necessary to eliminate lateral sparking that historically creates disturbances on the sides of mold cavities.

iGAP allows the electrode to have maximum power in the front of the cavity without destroying the sidewalls or creating too big of a gap on the sides. This potentially doubles or even triples material removal rates over what is typically produced with small undersizes.

For instance, with a 0.2-mm undersize, the machine may enter the burn with only 32 Amps of power. With iGAP, that same machine can go in with 64 Amps, and without having to change the undersize.

To extend electrode life, the iGAP function’s higher potential amperages and lower “on” times translate into less wear when roughing. It should be noted, however, that the same generator technology without the iGAP function still reduces electrode wear, but does not increase the cutting speed as much.

3DS Technology
A further result of AgieCharmilles 100 percent-digital generators, a new sinker EDM function called 3DS reduces friction on the surface area of molds, including inside any small details and ribs. Molds fill quicker, shaving seconds off the molding process, and for manufacturers that make millions of injected-molded parts, this saves hours of cycle time and helps them produce hundreds of thousands of additional parts.

The resulting surface finishes of the new 3DS technology from GF Machining Solutions also reduce the chance of residue sticking to the mold after the plastic is injected. This is a problem that grows worse after repeated injections, leading to uneven surface finishes on parts.

While a polished surface finish may seem ideal for any mold, this is not always the case. A highly polished finish requires a great amount of pressure to inject the liquefied plastic into the mold. If the finish is too flat, or too smooth, the plastic sucks to the surface – like two pieces of glass with water in between them that stick together. This exceptionally strong suction effect slows the flow of plastic into the mold.

Additionally, greater ejection force is required to push the molded part out of the cavity because the smooth surface causes it to stick as well. And if the newly formed part is still warm and a bit soft, the ejector pins will push into it and deform its surface.

What the 3DS functionality does is smooth out the distance between the peaks and valleys on mold tooling surfaces, but not to a point where the peaks are eliminated. In a sense, 3DS stretches the surface RSM value, while the Ra value remains the same. And because the peaks are more spread out, the surface prevents sticking.

This optimized 3DS surface finish also ensures less force is needed to eject a molded part. And while tiny plastic particles may still be present, the amount is not enough to contaminate the surface.

Because of the reduced friction the 3DS technology produces, molds fill faster and parts actually eject quicker and effortlessly. Thus, mold makers need fewer ejector pins, which helps reduce machining and overall mold making lead times.

In operation, a sinker EDM with 3DS – after rough burning a mold cavity surface – follows the standard finishing operation but then activates the new function for the last two or three burn settings to impart the enhanced surface finish. The machine uses the same standard finishing electrode, and machining cycle time remains unchanged because instead of using the last standard finishing parameters, the 3DS setting is simply implemented. The 3DS feature can also be used on existing mold tooling surfaces.

3DS technology has thus far been successful. One GF Machining Solutions customer using 3DS technology recently reported a 30 percent reduction in maintenance costs. Plus, the company has been able to leave the mold in the molding press 30 percent longer without having to clean the mold surface and interrupt the production cycle.

This type of surface finishing has other applications outside of mold making. Any part that comes into contact with fluid, for example, benefits from advanced surfacing to facilitate fast and smooth flow of fluids.

For more information please visit:
www.gfms.com