Hard-machining extends forging die lives

Tool and die company is using a 5-axis machining centre and hard turning to finish machine pre-hardened forging form punches, so extending forge die life as well as improving product quality.

FSG Tool and Die has improved quality at a bearing manufacturer's plant as well as extending forging presses' 'up-time' owing to increased tool life.

Schaeffler (UK) (an amalgamation of the former INA Bearing and FAG Sales Europe-UK companies) operates high speed forging presses at its Llanelli, Wales, plant to produce semi-finished blanks for machining.

FSG Tool and Die supplies Schaeffler with some of the forging 'form' punches to which, FSG has lately introduced 5-axis hard machining technology.

Now, after rough turning operations and hardening, the form punches have a complex form produced by 5-axis hard machining at one end.

Machining centre used is a 5-axis Matsuura CNC hard-machining centre.

Afterwards, the form punch area is hard-turned to finished dimensions.

The form punches for Schaeffler UK are approximately 150mm in length and 30mm in diameter.

Schaeffler UK's engineering manager, Brian Fox, said: "We selected FSG because of our close co-operation in the business world.

We have collaborated together on supplier development programmes sponsored by the Welsh Assembly; we are both members of the Welsh Automotive Forum; and we are close geographically.

Above all, however, FSG has a good reputation for high precision toolmaking.

A typical tolerance on these form punches is 0.01mm and I can rest assured that every tool is measured on a co-ordinate measuring machine at FSG's Llantrisant machine shop.

I have worked in the bearing industry for 30 years and so I know that metrology is vital.

FSG offer us the quality and accuracy that most others cannot - this is a big selling point in my opinion." Note that FSG has invested heavily in recent years in its machining and metrology facilities.

Investments have seen the introduction of an advanced wireless communication system for its turning, CNC grinding and high-speed CNC machining sections as well as the introduction of 5-axis machining technology.

Fox added: "FSG has the right technologies for these components, and the quality has been very consistent to date.

Other suppliers couldn't give us that.

Furthermore, because FSG has the ability to machine these parts 'lights-out', the price is very competitive." There is a high attrition rate for the forging punches and dies, so Schaeffler has a fixed interval for re-ordering these form punches.

FSG has, to date, delivered several hundred tools to Schaeffler.

Fox concluded: "We are more than pleased with the work supplied by FSG.

As a company their communication is very effective - they understand our requirements entirely.

Sometimes there are even added benefits that we didn't initially foresee.

For instance, it has come to our attention that the form punches supplied by FSG last longer, which has led to improvements in the up-time of the forging presses".

* About the Schaeffler Group - with its three prominent brands - INA, LuK and FAG - the Schaeffler Group has built a global empire that encompasses 63,000 employees at over 180 locations.

Group annual turnover stands at a staggering GBP 5 billion (fiscal year 2006).

In addition to Schaeffler's range of bearing products, the company is also a world leader in the development and manufacture of automotive components.

Supplying the automotive industry is the focus of manufacturing at the Llanelli plant.

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