Modular Toolholding Gets in the Groove

Custom designed, U.S.-made specialty gas and hydraulic regulators, valves and systems from Premier Industries (Blaine, MN) are used in a wide variety of industries, including petrochemical, medical, food and beverage, and military applications. Their proprietary pressure regulators are subjected to tough duty in oil and gas, aerospace and welding operations, but their precision performance is also critical because regulator outlet pressure determines downstream pressure. The custom, grooved pressure parts used inside these regulators are built to last and perform, made from a variety of materials and with tight tolerances throughout. Premier produces them on a Eurotech twin spindle/twin turret lathe that needed new tooling to achieve faster cycle times and a better finish, so they turned to a System 960 base holder and modular grooving system 845 from Horn USA, Inc. (Franklin, TN).

The application requires parting off 2.5 in diameter, 316 stainless steel or aluminum into pieces that utilize a 3.0 mm wide grooved insert. “The tooling system we were using was running very slow and our finishes were not up to standard,” said Chuck Wimer, the operations manager at Premier. “We went from cycle times of 100 seconds per part to 35 seconds per part and cutting speeds increased from 120 sfm to 250 sfm. Our finish improved from 51-55 Ra to 11-16 Ra consistently, and flatness improved from .003-.0035 in to .0001-.0003 in across the 2.5 in diameter. The parts are straight to under 0.001 in, so we are very pleased with these results.”

The modular grooving system 845 consists of a base plate for turrets with BMT connection, a height-adjustable grooving tool holder and a matching cartridge range for various grooving widths and depths. The widths range in size from 2.0 mm (.078 in) to 4.0 mm (.157 in), and the depths of cut range from .669 in to 2.165 in.  This allows the system to part off material as large as 4.330 in diameter to center using a 4 mm wide insert, and allows for coolant to be delivered directly to the cutting zone. The grooving tool holders with integrated coolant supply allow the cartridge heights to be adjusted and adapters set in a normal or overhead position, on the left or right of the grooving tool holder for maximum versatility.

Using this new approach, the shop also increased tool life from 25 parts per edge to 75 parts per edge, while reducing cost per part from $4.30 to $0.91. “This has had a huge impact on our operations and our bottom line,” noted Wimer. “The system is performing very well, actually better than we thought it would. We are vertically integrated, so after designing and producing the parts, we assemble and test them in our facilities. We’ve seen labor costs decrease in the downstream assembly phase simply because we’re working with better parts. The surface finishes and seals are excellent.” Premier offers regulators with varying degrees of corrosion resistance, weights, strengths, etc., in sizes from 0.7 in to 8.0 in, and equipment versatility is important in a custom-product environment. “We’ve been pleased with flexibility we have with this system and its ability to process a wide variety of materials,” added Wimer. “We’ve cut diameters up to 2.75 in. Almost all of our parts are now touched by this tooling at some point.”

This ability to consistently meet their customer needs is important to continuing business relationships, considering the “better, faster, cheaper” attitudes that are now prevalent in manufacturing today. “The shorter cycle times and longer tool life that we get from this system drive higher part volumes,” stated Wimer. “And combined with increased part quality and consistency, we’ve become even more important to our customers.”

Premier Industries, 1590 99th Lane NE, Blaine, MN 55449, 763-786-4020, [email protected], www.premierind.us.

Horn USA, Inc., 320 Premier Court, Suite 205, Franklin, TN 37067, 615-771-4100, Fax: 615-771-4101, [email protected], www.hornusa.com.