US carmakers may face tool and die crisis

The US auto industry has officially put the agony of the late 2000s in the rearview mirror — US light vehicle sales were up more than 8 percent in the first nine months of 2013 compared to 2012, according to Autodata. However, industry watchers are pointing to a quiet but essential niche in the automotive supply chain that some see as a ticking time bomb.

Tool and die shops make the tools that stamp sheet metal and form plastics for many of the components in our cars. The problem is that the number of US tool and die shops is dwindling, and many of those that remain are located in the wrong region, and many have trouble replacing older workers. The number of tool and die shops in the US has fallen by 20 percent in the last 8 years, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. With new-car sales on the upswing, auto industry insiders are starting to think the state of affairs within the US tool and die industry could create an automobile production bottleneck in the near future. An inadequate supply of tool and die shops could mean reduced vehicle quality, higher prices, production stalls, and delayed vehicle launches. Yikes. The really scary thing is that the problem has proven vexingly difficult to fix. At issue is the cottage-industry nature of the tool and die game. Many tool and die shops are family-owned mom-and-pop operations.

The industry is also heavily concentrated in the Detroit/Windsor, Ontario area. As more US vehicle assembly operations have shifted south, the tool and die shops have not. Foreign auto manufacturers largely selected the southern US when they set up shop. Few tool and die shops existed there to support their tooling needs. And very few of the established shops in Detroit migrated with the work or took the financial risk to set up branch offices. So what’s the big deal? Why can’t a Detroit-area die shop truck tooling to a Nissan plant in Tennessee? It can. But when tooling breaks and a production line has to shut down until it can be fixed or replaced, the distance between Tennessee and Detroit is a painful one.

Efforts to lure tool and die shops to the South have been largely unsuccessful, as have efforts to lure young people to careers in the industry. It takes years to acquire the necessary skills to craft automotive tooling, and few with those skills are eager to uproot their families and move them from suburban Detroit to Smyrna, Tennessee. It can cost $10 million to start up a tool shop from scratch, which discourages many Detroit-area shops from expanding to serve assembly operations in the South. However, opportunity exists for tooling firms that are willing to weather the risks and invest in new tooling shops that are closer to customers, and invest in training the workers to run them. Industry insiders agree that will take a lot of time. The key question is, can the tool and die industry evolve to meet the needs of a changing industry before time runs out and the bottlenecks begin?

Plastic welding

Plastic welding is the process of creating a molecular bond between two compatible thermoplastics. Welding offers superior strength, and often drastically reduced cycle times, to mechanical joining (snap fits, screws) and chemical bonding (adhesives). There are three main steps to any weld: pressing, heating, and cooling. The application of pressure, which is often used throughout both the heating and cooling stages, is used to keep the parts in the proper orientation and to improve melt flow across the interface. The purpose of the heating stage is to allow intermolecular diffusion from one part to the other across the surface (melt mixing). 

Cooling is necessary to solidify the newly formed bond; the execution of this stage can have a significant effect on weld strength.There are several possible methods of plastic welding: Ultrasonics, Vibration, Spin, Hot Plate, Laser / Infrared, Radio Frequency, and Implant are the most common. These plastic welding processes are primarily differentiated by their heating methods. The application of pressure and allowances for cooling are mechanical considerations may vary from machine to machine within the general process category.

Pressure:
The use of pressure during the weld serves multiple purposes:

• Flattens surface asperities to increase part contact at joint.
• Maintains orientation of part .
• Compresses melt layer to encourage intermolecular diffusion between the two parts
• Prevents formation of voids from part shrinkage during cooling.
• Historically, pressure has been applied for plastic welding through the use of pneumatic presses. 

Recently, however, servo motors have been employed for at least a few of the common processes. Pneumatic welders are economical and well-suited to most simple applications. The precision of servo motion, however, offers greater control and precision which is desirable for more difficult applications or when the equipment is used for a wide variety of applications.

Machining - Removal Process

Machining is a term used to describe a variety of material removal processes in which a cutting tool removes unwanted material from a workpiece to produce the desired shape. The workpiece is typically cut from a larger piece of stock, which is available in a variety of standard shapes, such as flat sheets, solid bars, hollow tubes, and shaped beams. Machining can also be performed on an existing part, such as a casting or forging.

Parts that are machined from a pre-shaped workpiece are typically cubic or cylindrical in their overall shape, but their individual features may be quite complex. Machining can be used to create a variety of features including holes, slots, pockets, flat surfaces, and even complex surface contours. Also, while machined parts are typically metal, almost all materials can be machined, including metals, plastics, composites, and wood. For these reasons, machining is often considered the most common and versatile of all manufacturing processes.

As a material removal process, machining is inherently not the most economical choice for a primary manufacturing process. Material, which has been paid for, is cut away and discarded to achieve the final part. Also, despite the low setup and tooling costs, long machining times may be required and therefore be cost prohibitive for large quantities. As a result, machining is most often used for limited quantities as in the fabrication of prototypes or custom tooling for other manufacturing processes. Machining is also very commonly used as a secondary process, where minimal material is removed and the cycle time is short. Due to the high tolerance and surface finishes that machining offers, it is often used to add or refine precision features to an existing part or smooth a surface to a fine finish.

Top 10 Used Of Jigs and Fixtures

1. Jigs and fixtures are used to reduce the cost of production as there use elimination being out work and setting up of tools.
2. To increase the production.
3. To assure the high accuracy of the parts.
4. To provide for interchangeability.
5. To enables heavy and complex shaped parts to be machined by holding rigidly to a machine.
6. To control quality control expenses.
7. More skilled labor.
8. Saving labor.
9. There use partially automates the machine tool.
10. Improve the safety at work, thereby lowering the rate of accidents.

Tooling failures

Tooling failures that can occur are abrasive and adhesive wear, chipping, deformation, galling, catastrophic failure and stress fracture.Tool Failure is another good reason to cryogenically treat.

Abrasive wear results from friction between the tool and the work material. Adhesive wear occurs when the action the of the tool being used exceeds the material’s ductile strength or the material is simple too hard to process.

Adhesive wear causes the formation of micro cracks (stress fractures). These micro cracks eventually interconnect, or network, and form fragments that pull out. This “pullout” looks like excessive abrasive wear on cutting edges when actually they are stress facture failures. When fragments form, both abrasive and adhesive wear occurs because the fragments become wedged between the tool and the work piece, causing friction this can then lead to poor finish or at worst catastrophic tool failure.

Catastrophic tooling failures can cause thousands of dollars in machine damage and production loss. This type of tool failure can cause warping and stress fractures to tool heads and decks as well rotating and load bearing assemblies.

Cryogenically treating industrial tools reduces abrasive wear and tool failures.

Tool Materials Treatment - Cryogenic Processing

Cryogenic processing had its US origins in the 1940s, be it all a primitive process compared to today's procedures.

Steel cutting tools were immersed in liquid nitrogen for a brief period of time, removed from the liquid, allowed to warm up, and placed into service on production lines. As a result of the thermal shock associated with the rapid rate of cooling, tools tools would occasionally crack or chip. Some tools also became brittle because of the newly formed, untempered martensite. Of the tools that survived this crude quenching, many exhibited dramatically enhanced service life.

In addition to developing the correct medium, a method to reduce thermal shock had to be developed. Elimination of thermal shock is critical. This is achieved by strict controls in the lowering and raising of  temperature in the treatment cycle that is critical to the commercial application and effectiveness of cryogenic processing.

Cryogenics is a relatively new process, but one that using correct proceedures can bring substantial economic benefits. Cryogen Industries makes a clear statement that process doesn't work on everything nor is it a miracle cure-all. If a product is found by us not to be worth treating due to poor manufacture or the item will yield little to no return for the customer, we won't treat it.

Cryogenic processing makes changes to the structure of materials being treated, dependent on the composition of the material it performs three things:

1. Turns retained austenite into martensite

2. Refines the carbide structure

3. Stress relieves

Cutting Tool Materials

The cutting tool materials must possess a number of important properties to avoid excessive wear, fracture failure and high temperatures in cutting, The following characteristics are essencial for cutting materials to withstand the heavy conditions of the cutting process and to produce high quality and economical parts:

• Hardness :At elevated temperatures (so-called hot hardness) so that hardness and strength of the tool edge are maintained in high cutting temperatures. 
• Toughness: Ability of the material to absorb energy without failing. Cutting if often accompanied by impact forces especially if cutting is interrupted, and cutting tool may fail very soon if it is not strong enough.
• Wear resistance: Although there is a strong correlation between hot hardness and wear resistance, later depends on more than just hot hardness. Other important characteristics include surface finish on the tool, chemical inertness of the tool material with respect to the work material, and thermal conductivity of the tool material, which affects the maximum value of the cutting temperature at tool-chip interface.

Common cutting tool material used:

• Carbon steel: Carbon steels having carbon percentage as high as 1.5% are used as tool materials however they are not able to with stand very high temperature and hence are operational at low cutting speed.
• High speed steel (HSS): These are special alloy steel which are obtained by alloying tungsten, Chromium, Vanadium, Cobalt and molybdenum with steel. HSS has high hot hardness, wear resistance and 3 to 4 times higher cutting speed as compare to carbon steel. Most commonly used HSS have following compositions.

1. 18-4-1 HSS i.e. 18% tungsten, 4% chromium, 1% vanadium with a carbon content of 0.6 - 0.7%. If vanadium is 2% it becomes 18-4-2 HSS.
2. Cobalt high speed steel: This is also referred to as super high speed steel. Cobalt is added 2 – 15%. The most common composition is tungsten 20%, 4% chromium, 2% vanadium and 12% cobalt.
3. Molybdenum high speed steel: It contains 6% tungsten, 6% molybdenum, 4% chromium and 2% vanadium.

• Cemented carbide:  These are basically carbon cemented together by a binder. It is a powder metallurgy product and the binder mostly used is cobalt. The basic ingredient is tungsten carbide-82%, titanium carbide-10% and cobalt-8%. These materials possess high hardness and wear resistance and it has cutting speed 6 times higher than high speed steel (HSS).
• Ceramics: It mainly consists of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and silicon nitride (Si3N4). Ceramic cutting tools are hard with high hot hardness and do not react with the workpiece. They can be used at elevated temperature and cutting speed 4 times that of cemented carbide. These have low heat conductivity.

Barriers For Tooling Materials

The ability to improve tooling and increase materials utilization is hindered by technology barriers that exist in several aspects of the forging process. These include lubrication, material property understanding, validated process modeling, measurement and testing, die making, die materials, and process control. Distinctions among these areas are fairly clear, although some barriers associated with measurement and testing, process control, and process modeling may be closely related.

Among the most critical barriers is the lack of effective lubrication methods between the die and the forged material. More precisely, there is a lack of technologies?innovative die materials, coatings, equipment, and processes?that would eliminate the need for lubricants altogether. Material-surface coatings are needed that provide very low heat transfer and can handle variability in the coefficient of friction. There is also inefficient use of lubricants because they are not applied locally to the portion of the tooling or under specific conditions that require lubrication.

Limitations in the area of validated process modeling span a wide range of needs. For example, there is a lack of universal geometrical models, understanding of tribological phenomena, materials models to predict micro-structure, cost models to determine minimum cost processes, and other data and methods that could improve modeling of the forging process. The greatest need, however, is in the integration and optimization of these models. In particular, there is a lack of integrated computer systems for forging that take into account all of the relevant process variables. Better integration is needed between the customer's CAD/CAM system, the forge shop's CAD/CAM system, tool design, and other design and process steps to effectively simulate the forging process and adjust part and die design based on this. The cost and the complication of developing and using 3-D simulation tools has resulted in a lack of efficient 3-D computational tools that could greatly improve process modeling. Furthermore, simulations are currently limited in their ability to depict actual conditions. For example, a single friction factor is currently used in simulations of hot forging even though actual friction is known to vary with temperature and materials.

Without integrated, validated process models, it is difficult to determine the optimal die design or material for the product requirement. A sophisticated model could reverse engineer the die and tooling based on the customer part specification and provide an optimal design that uses materials and tools more efficiently.

Tool maker Requisites

Graduates from this program are eligible to write the exemption test for Level 1/Common Core and Level 2 in one of the following trades: Tool and Die Maker, Mould Maker, and General Machinist, as specified by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. After graduation, you can transfer directly into the second year of Mechanical Engineering Technician – Tool Design program or the third year of Mechanical Engineering Technology – Industrial Design program.

As a graduate, you will be prepared to reliably demonstrate the ability to:

• Complete all work in compliance with current legislation, standards, regulations and guidelines.
• Contribute to the application of quality control and quality assurance procedures to meet organizational standards and requirements.
• Comply with current health and safety legislation, as well as organizational practices and procedures.
• Support sustainability best practices in workplaces.
• Use current and emerging technologies to support the implementation of mechanical and manufacturing projects.
• Troubleshoot and solve standard mechanical problems by applying mathematics and fundamentals of mechanics.
• Contribute to the interpretation and preparation of mechanical drawings and other related technical documents.
• Perform routine technical measurements accurately using appropriate instruments and equipment.
• Assist in manufacturing, assembling, maintaining and repairing mechanical components according to required specifications.
• Select, use and maintain machinery, tools and equipment for the installation, manufacturing and repair of basic mechanical components.

Machining

Estimates consist of labor hours for construction based on machining content, assembly, and fabrication.

• Assembly tooling
• Weld fixtures
• Checking fixtures
• Material handling equipment
• Storage equipment
• Transportation equipment
• Master Tool Planning List

This document enlists all the tooling requirements after the accessibility studies and cost estimation, that suffice the needs of the customer.

• Assembly tools
• Equipment
• Process equipment
• Develop and track cost
• Power tools
• Weld guns
• Facilities

Tool and Equipment Design

Tool design and accessibility studies include :

• 3D files for development
• 2D drawing for documentation under-body
• Selection of power tools and sockets
• Master Data Modeling
• Math is organized into 3D digital model and shows all parts, welds and datums for a complete zone. Applied weld attributes provide approved joining criteria (resistance, laser, projection, arc, clinch, etc.) and Datum location and control directions are displayed for GDT and downstream tool design use.
• Tool Cost Estimation.

Assembly Process Sheets:

 
The assembly process sheets are designed to provide :

• Detailed operator instructions
• Graphic illustrations
• Tooling and equipment
• Weld guns
• Power tools
• Torque

Tool Design Services

Our tool design services include design of plastic molds, die casting press tools, jigs and fixtures, inspection fixtures and gauges, jigs and stamping dies.

Plastic Molds:

Expertise in design of injection molds, compression molds, transfer molds, blow molds and thermoforming molds. Services include analysis of parts, design of electrodes and documentation.

CAM :

 Capability to generate multi axis tool path for complex profiles using most different CAM software.

Press Tools :

Capability to design press tools from basic blanking and piercing operation to complex progressive dies including operations such as forming, notching and trimming. The dies created are cost efficient.

Jigs & Fixtures :

Complex jigs and fixture designs for customer specific requirements. Work holding fixtures for any kind of operations such as machining, welding, inspection fixtures are some of our specialties.

Pressure Die Casting:

  Design of cost effective and efficient high and low PDC dies for critical components.

Cutting Tools:

 Design of single point & multipoint special cutting tools such as drills, reamer, boring bars, broach, whole mills, milling cutters & gear shaving cutters etc.

What is Tool Design

It is a specialized area of manufacturing engineering which comprises the analysis, planning, design, construction and application of tools, methods and procedures necessary to increase manufacturing productivity.

• Work holding tools – Jigs and Fixtures
• Cutting tools
• Sheet metal dies
• Forging dies
• Extrusion dies
• Welding and inspection fixtures
• Injection molds
• Manufacturing processing 

Requirements in industrial practice:

• The importance of tooling in manufacturing
• Design aspects related to some tooling such as jigs and fixtures, press tools, cutting tools, inspection gages and welding jigs.

Heavy Line Die Design

The solid models are ready for CNC and Wire Eroding purposes. It cover all aspects of Large Line Dies and all related Transfer Tooling and Idle Stations.

• Stamping Process Layouts.
• Process simulation and validation.
• Pattern making Instruction Sheets.
• Robot Transfer Tooling.
• Idle Stations.
• Valuable experience has been gained servicing the large Automotive OEM's regarding the design High Volume, Heavy Line Dies.

Pipe Manipulator Tooling:
We can design press tooling for the sizing, reducing, flaring & dimpling for various High Volume Stainless Steel tube applications.The tooling designs are proven and are competent of meeting and exceeding the stringent tolerances specified by the Catalytic Converter Manufacturers. We can also design all tube bending/pipe manipulator tooling to suit the Addison/Pedrazolli type bending machines to The customers requirements!

Future Of Tools and Design

All the tools for the product design will be applied in the next decade. Change will be their share. Currently, computer tools for conceptual design and rapid prototyping is the most influential tools used in product design.Simulation products, technologies, manufacturing and assembly processes will be increasingly important and will be partially substituted by prototypes and experiments.The next most important technologies are design of experiments and competitive benchmarking. They are tools that work in both the physical and the virtual environment. Design of experiment tools are often used to validate simulation and augment the simulation results in areas of the design that cannot be simulated. These tools will gain in importance as experiments become easier to conduct in simulation, and competitive benchmarking results are more rapidly analysed, disseminated, and integrated into the overall product plan.Research has confirmed the potential of virtual design tools that reduce the production costs of natural samples and prototypes. Currently, however, can not completely replace experiments. 

Challenges for the future quality of the product design:

• System integration product - process - information - knowledge
• The transfer of innovation from aerospace and military industries to automotive
• Products for low cost, flexible and reconfigurable manufacturing, products for sustainable
• production: reducing consumption of materials, energy and waste in product life cycle
• Electronic data interchange in the design, analysis, manufacturing, testing and operation
• Allowing an increase in quality, competitiveness and customer orientation, standardization of virtual reality
• Information security and protection of intellectual property
• New tools and techniques for analysis, the migration of knowledge, generate innovation, design, testing, simulation and virtual reality.

Innovations in the next decade will shape these trends:
The development of product design tools will be affected smart consumers. Consumers in the future will be better informed about the quality of products and their use. Transparent information and benchmarking to better decisions about purchasing products. The trend is interested in intelligent products. If the incentives for innovation today managed by increasing the functionality, quality and effectiveness of products, in the near future products will compete well in intelligence.

Tool & Die Maker Responsibilities

Primary Responsibilities:

The Tool and Die maker will be responsible for the building or repair of all types of punch press tooling including compound and progressive die. Assemble and try out complex tools and dies on manufacturing equipment. Determines specifications for inspection of work. Perform CNC machining and hand operations to the highest accuracy.

Critical Job Requirements:

The individual must be able to independently build single and progressive dies by following prints and instructions. High School diploma, GED or equivalent experience. Associate Degree or apprenticeship in Tool and Die or equivalent experience. Minimum of 6 years experience making & repairing progressive dies mandatory. Able to operate machine tools such as lathes, milling machines, CNC machines, etc. High degree of precision and control in work where damage could be high.

Assessment Tools

Assessment tools are materials that enable you to collect evidence using your chosen assessment method.Assessment tools are the instruments and procedures used to gather and interpret evidence of competence:

• The instrument is the activity or specific questions used to assess competence by the assessment method selected. An assessment instrument may be supported by a profile of acceptable performance and the decision-making rules or guidelines to be used by assessors
• Procedures are the information or instructions given to the candidate and the assessor about how the assessment is to be conducted and recorded The principles of assessment. When developing assessment tools, you need to ensure that the principles of assessment are met. This is not only good practice but also a requirement of the AQTF. The assessment principles require that assessment is valid, reliable, flexible and fair.
• Validity refers to the extent to which the interpretation and use of an assessment outcome can be supported by evidence. An assessment is valid if the assessment methods and materials reflect the elements, performance criteria and critical aspects of evidence in the evidence guide of the unit(s) of competency, and if the assessment outcome is fully supported by the evidence gathered.
• Reliability refers to the degree of consistency and accuracy of the assessment outcomes. That is, the extent to which the assessment will provide similar outcomes for candidates with equal competence at different times or places, regardless of the assessor conducting the assessment.
• Flexibility refers to the opportunity for a candidate to negotiate certain aspects of their assessment (for example, timing) with their assessor. All candidates should be fully informed (for example, through an Assessment Plan) of the purpose of assessment, the assessment criteria, methods and tools used, and the context and timing of the assessment.

Magnesium Die Casting

Magnesium is quite a popular metal and there are a number of reasons for this. In manufacturing, magnesium die casting is done different ways, but the goal is to produce precious castings that are going to deliver on the strengths of this unique metal. What we want to do today is take a look at the magnesium die casting process so you can better understand what is involved. In order to do that, we need to discuss the challenges of working with magnesium, how the process itself tends to work when using the die casting process, why manufacturers choose this metal and whether or not it just might be the next aluminum.

The Challenges of Working with Magnesium in Die Casting

One of the things that makes magnesium a challenge to work with is that those doing hot chamber die casting find its melting point to be too high. This is similar to the issue that aluminum poses, although aluminum does have a significantly higher melting point than magnesium does. If not done correctly, hot chamber die casting of magnesium can end up causing the magnesium to take some of the iron from the crucible during the manufacturing process and this is not at all desirable. More advanced hot chamber die casting processes have been invented to handle magnesium, but alloys containing it are often die cast using the cold chamber approach instead in order to avoid these issues. It should also be noted that, compared to alloys containing zinc, magnesium alloys tend to have a higher viscosity and this means that more pressure needs to be applied to the die in order to get the right kind of surface detail in the casting. Due to its high melting point, it also takes more energy to work with magnesium because it might be heated to such high temperatures. As we will see, however, for all of the challenges that die casting magnesium can present, there are plenty of other advantages that make it an excellent choice. It comes down to how the process is handled and the needs of the job in question.

Magnesium Die Casting Process Involves

The basics of the magnesium die casting process are the same as hot chamber or cold chamber die casting of other metal alloys. In hot chamber die casting, the plunger is pushed directly down into the melting pot and this must be done carefully. The metal will then shoot out the gooseneck and into the die where it is compressed, under massive amounts of pressure, until it is cooled. The die is then opened and if there are any cores, those are then retracted. In the cold chamber die casting machines, the molten metal is not touched by other components so there is less instance of thermal damage. The molten metal is loaded into a cold injection cylinder and then shot into the die where the casting process finishes in a similar way to the hot chamber method. It should be noted that the magnesium die casting process is a great deal faster if the hot chamber approach is used and this is why it has been perfected recently so that magnesium alloys will be easier for manufacturers to work with.

Tool and Die Design

Press Tool Dies
We have specialization in press tool die designing, which is one of the most important components of manufacturing. These tools are precisely engineered and comply with defined quality standards. Our tools are highly appreciated for their durable finish, sturdy construction and application specific designs. We provide total designing solutions to our customers, which extend to manufacturing dies on a turn key basis.

Features

• Dimensional accuracy
• High strength
• Corrosion resistance
• Longer service life

Designing Tools & Dies
We have in store, Designing Tools & Dies of advanced designs, which are widely used in manufacturing industries. These tools are having application specific designs and are used to create specific products and items. Our tools are simple to use and highly appreciated for their durable finish. Tools and dies offered by us, are manufactured using quality raw materials and latest process technology.

Features

• Available in various dimensions, designs and shapes
• High strength
• Corrosion Resistance        

Precision Tools & Die
We design and produce the extensive range of Precision Tools & Die the of premium quality. These tools are highly appreciated for defect free finishing and optimum efficiency. Further, our range is quality tested on various industry parameters to ensure that the dies are free from any defect and comply with required norms. For our customers, these tools and dies can be customized as well and offered at market leading prices.

Features

• Optimum efficiency
• Resistance to corrosion
• Reliability
• Easy to use
• Require less maintenance

Sheet Metal Tool
We are the leading manufacture and exporter of tools and die for Sheet Metal Component, which are prepared from high quality raw materials using sophisticated technology. Our products promise a guaranteed and assured performance and efficiency. These tools and die are extensively used in various industries such as automobile, electrical, and engineering. Moreover, our customers can purchase these components from us at market leading prices.

Features

• Maintenance free
• Compact design
• Reliable performance

Aluminium Die Casting

Al–Aluminum die castings are lightweight; yet withstand the highest operating temperatures of all the die cast alloys. Its strength, rigidity, and corrosive resistance offer significant heat dissipating advantages.


TV Color Wheel Stem

 
Aluminum is used in a broad range of networking and infrastructure equipment in the telecom and computing industries. Aluminum castings work for this application because RF filter boxes and housings require heat dissipation. It also provides EMI shielding, rigidity and durability with minimal weight for shields and housings for handheld devices. Because of aluminum’s excellent electrical performance and shielding properties, even in high-temperature environments, die casting aluminum is ideal for electronic connectors. Dynacast’s proprietary Thin Wall Aluminum Technology has made aluminum die casting an option for more applications.

Aluminum die castings improve automotive fuel efficiency by contributing to weight saving requirements. Our strength is in electronic applications, such as shields for telematic equipment and sensor housings, and safety-critical occupant restraint systems such as airbag housings and seat belt retractor spools.

Aluminum Alloy Characteristics

• Highest operating temperatures
• Outstanding corrosion resistance
• Light-weight
• Very good strength and hardness
• Good stiffness and strength-to-weight ratio
• Excellent EMI & RFI shielding properties
• Excellent thermal conductivity
• High electrical conductivity
• Good finishing characteristics
• Full recyclability

Tool and Die Current Innovations

The term tool and die are used mainly in manufacturing /Metallurgy industries which basically involves making  things like die,molds,fixtures, and various kinds of other cutting tools .These are used in different industries in different way from plastic industries to aviation industries these fixtures, die and molds are needed for all machines for making a finished product or they represent a product by themselves.

The people involved in these kinds of industries have good artistic skills with knowledge of science and mathematics or at least they should have natural knack of it .Talking about Die and casting industry  the common terms we should know  to understand the process are blanking , bending, coining compound die, cold forming, hydro forming, shaving, sub press operation These are common terms used for different process  and types in Die industries . However as there is competition in all industry this is no different. There has been a huge change in Die and casting process and the way it is conceived, below is the list of process  which are now  already popular or getting popular  in the die cast industries 

 

• Rapid Prototyping method
• 2D drawing and modeling
• 3D drawing and modeling
• Conceptual based designing
• CAD /CAM Designing (Computer Aided designing)
• CAPP(Computer aided process planning).

These evolved over the years basically for the demand of superior quality at fast pace with low cost of production .These methods are way ahead of conventional methods used in Die cast industries avoiding lot of time delay  it involved in completing cast process which was very laborious . The technology is going to next level where in the industry is talking about going green when it comes to production .Now they are concentrating on High pressure Die casting which will  reduce the need of fuel energy as such, with the rise in fuel prices  all over the world the research on this is on full throttle Also the next generation 3D printing is the next buzz word in the Die cast industry .

Ideal Tool and die making tips for engineering

In order for one to make it in the engineering business, they need to have the right skills. This is the reason why the Tool and die making tips for engineering come in handy. You should have the right solutions based on the company you want to work for. It is not easy to get employment these days due to the advancement in technology. This will bear all those who have the skills since the machines are easily designed, and run by the applications. However, you can have the chance to get a secure employment option when you have the ideal Tool and die making tips for engineering. They include

•    Having the latest knowledge in tool and die
•    Concentrating on the engineering designs and projects
•    Knowing all the applications used and running the machines
•    Have skills for creating, designing, and operating different machines
•    Being innovative in the creation of different tools
•    Having the skills to repair the broken down machines
•  Enhancing your knowledge to be inline with the latest methodologies in your area of   interest.

When you have these details in check, you shall find it is very easy to settle with the right company, which will see to hire your expertise. Due to immense competition, many people will not have the chance to make it to the job market. You will have to show that you have the extra skill, which will lead you to become an asset in this industry.

If you have the ideal Tool and die making tips for engineering, you shall have the chance of getting the right job that will lead you to fulfill your dreams. There are different ways you can use them and this will lead you to enhance your focus in creating the designs, which will lead to the development of your career. You need to concentrate on the areas, which have a high demand, and not many people will have the skills of offing it. It is not an easy process and some people will prefer to deal with the common areas. With such Tool and die making tips for engineering, you shall increase your portfolio.

Tool and Die Maker's Future

It is not clear about the tool and die maker future. This is due to the high loss of jobs in this industry. You will find that many companies will choose not to hire any person who does not have the necessary qualifications. This is due to the stiff competition and the need for accuracy. Some people who work in the engineering front will find they have many responsibilities. This will include design and creating the tools and machines and at the same time servicing and operating them. You will also find that you need to start the creation and designing of the new parts by use of the latest technology. These make the tool and die maker future hard for many people especially those who are still in school. However, you have the chance to make a difference if you choose to follow the right leads. This will include

•    Having the great skills and creativity in the design sector
•    Having the ability to come up with innovations all the time
•    Have the creativity aspect in tools and machinery
•    Expand your knowledge to have the capacity of dealing with different fields
•    Understand the use of computer technology innovations
•    Keep increasing your knowledge all the time.

The tool and die maker future has more chances of making it bigger in the innovation areas. This is due to the adaptation of the latest technology. Once you know the right way of operating the applications and the machines, you will find it is easier to design. The more you learn the higher the chances are about retaining your job and getting new offers.

If you get a job, you need to make sure you do it accordingly. You have to follow the right descriptions, which will lead you to design the ideal tools. However, many people want to earn big salaries and want an early raise. This will make the tool and die maker future dim and end up losing the job. You need to learn all the loops in this trade and most importantly have the capacity of advancing in your education, and gain relevant experience.

Learning the tool and die manufacturing process

If you want to learn the tool and die manufacturing process, you will need to attend the training session. This is usually a course, which will last about three to five years. This will give you all the details that you need to know about tool and die. However, some people have the chance to learn it online but this means they will not have the practical experience. You need to keep on enhancing your education since the processes keep changing this is due to

• Simpler ways discovered to create the tools
• Creating new designs
• Adaptation of new technology
• Creation of new machinery

The tool and die manufacturing process starts by finding the need of the items you want to create. This will be seen as a design. You have to create the tool in order to fit the purpose of the machines you want to work with. With the development and advancement in technology, you shall, find it is very easy to use the computer applications to come up with the design. This is usually the hardest part since you have to make sure that it fits the description you want perfect.
The tool and die manufacturing process proceeds to the development stage. You will turn the soft copy into a work of art in order to materialize the function. You need to have the skills to create the tool .It is important to keep in mind matters of dimension and most importantly have the ability to settle with the right quality of products. The testing stage will follow and this means you have to ensure that it fits the desired function.

Due to the development of new machines and technology, the tool and die manufacturing process keeps changing with time. You shall find that some will not need to undergo the designing process since they resemble other tools. However, you need to find easier solutions that will lead to massive development and creation in the tool and die industry. The basic education makes it easier to recognize the functionalities and needs. This will depend on your area of expertise. However, the process usually concentrates in the designing stage since this will yield the overall results.

Benefits of tool and die design innovations

 The tool and die design innovations have made it easier and flexible for people who are in this industry to get the right result. You will find it is very easy to come up with the designs that you need when you use the latest technological solutions. This is why many people will choose to upgrade their education and learn the process of creating the design with the applications. This will make them

•    Come up with the exact measurements and designs they want
•    Have the chance to create the tool they need
•    Figure out the correct details in a short span of time
•    Cut costs of production and innovation
•    Increase the efficiency in the trade
•    Minimal errors when using the software applications

The tool and die design innovations have made a strategic mar in the development of this sector. You will find that it is not easy for many people to understand the overall process of creating the designs. This will lead to loss of time and inaccurate in the creation of the products. However, with the investment in the technical innovations, it will add a drastic change in this industry.

The tool and die design innovations are applicable in the educational sector. Most of the students who are learning this course have had the chance of coming up with the right leads. They get the ideas of operating the applications and come up with the right solutions.

The tool and die design innovations have become a major breakthrough for this industry. This saves on costs, and it reduces the chances of error. However, it limits the number of people who will get employment since the computer and the machines do most of the work. As a student, you need to gain all the necessary skills in order to secure employment. This means learning all the innovations, applications and invests in different areas of interest. This makes you an asset of the company. You have the chance of designing, creating, and repairing all the tools and machines that you have created. These innovations come up daily hence the need to have the latest versions.

Understanding the latest Tool and die technology innovations

The Tool and die technology innovations have become very common and this makes it easier for people who are in this industry to offer the latest solutions. If you are in the business of design and creating the tools, and machines, you will find it is hard when you do not have the latest technological solutions. This means you have to rely on trial and error methods. This will end up costing loads of time and spend a huge chunk of cash to recover the materials. When you have the chance to get the latest Tool and die technology innovations, you will have the opportunity to expand your market. Some of the benefits of the innovations include

•    Getting the chance to create something new
•    Save time in the creations and designs of different tools
•    Have the ability to do easily without stress by using the latest applications
•    The chance of sharing applications, and designs easily online with other players

It is important for those who are in the tool and die business to come up with ways that will enhance the machines they create. This could be in the construction or engineering. If they can have the chance of coming up with something simpler to use, it will save on time and costs of operation.

It is not easy to start the design process and in many occasions, you will find it complex to come up with something worthwhile. Thankfully, the Tool and die technology innovations will give you the chance to come up with the design that you want, you can see the complete project in soft copy and this will allow you to make some changes before you start the process  officially.

Many students want to master this art hence the need to be familiar with the latest Tool and die technology innovations. This will increase their chances of getting jobs since the employers will want to save on costs and increase on innovation. It is advisable to learn the latest applications in the market and be familiar with all their functions. This shall lead you to focus on the advancement of future designs and techniques in this industry .

Tool and Die Makers : Nature of the Work

Tool and die makers are among the most highly skilled workers in manufacturing. These workers produce and repair tools, dies, and special guiding and holding devices that enable machines to produce a variety of products we use daily—from clothing and furniture to heavy equipment and parts for aircraft. They may work in manufacturing plants that produce tools in house, or in machine shops that only produce specialized machine tools for other manufacturers.

Toolmakers craft precision tools and machines that are used to cut, shape, and form metal and other materials. They also produce jigs and fixtures—devices that hold metal while it is bored, stamped, or drilled—and gauges and other measuring devices. Die makers construct metal forms, called dies, that are used to shape metal in stamping and forging operations. They also make metal molds for diecasting and for molding plastics, ceramics, and composite materials. Some tool and die makers craft prototypes of parts, and then, working with engineers and designers, determine how best to manufacture the part. In addition to developing, designing, and producing new tools and dies, these workers also may repair worn or damaged tools, dies, gauges, jigs, and fixtures.

To perform these functions, tool and die makers employ many types of machine tools and precision measuring instruments. They also must be familiar with the machining properties, such as hardness and heat tolerance of a wide variety of common metals, alloys, plastics, ceramics, and other composite materials. Tool and die makers are knowledgeable in machining operations, mathematics, and blueprint reading. In fact, tool and die makers often are considered highly specialized machinists. Machinists typically produce less elaborate parts for machinery, while tool and die makers craft very durable, complex machine tools. As a result, tool and die makers must have a general understanding of the mechanics of machinery. (See the section on machinists elsewhere in the Handbook.)

While many tools and dies are designed by engineers or tool designers, tool and die makers are also trained to design tools and often do. They may travel to a customer's plant to observe the operation and suggest ways in which a new tool could improve the manufacturing process.

Once a tool or die is designed, tool and die makers, working from blueprints, plan the sequence of operations necessary to manufacture the tool or die. They measure and mark the pieces of metal that will be cut to form parts of the final product. At this point, tool and die makers cut, drill, or bore the part as required, checking to ensure that the final product meets specifications. Finally, these workers assemble the parts and perform finishing jobs, such as filing, grinding, and polishing surfaces. While manual machining has declined, it is still used for unique parts and sharpening of used tools.

Many tool and die makers use computer-aided design (CAD) to develop products and parts. Specifications entered into computer programs can be used to electronically develop blueprints for the required tools and dies. Numerical tool and process control programmers use CAD or computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) programs to convert electronic drawings into CAM-based computer programs that contain instructions for a sequence of cutting tool operations. (See the section on computer control programmers and operators elsewhere in the Handbook.) Once these programs are developed, computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines follow the set of instructions contained in the program to produce the part. Computer-controlled machine tool operators or machinists normally operate CNC machines, but tool and die makers are often trained in both operating CNC machines and writing CNC programs; and they may perform either task. CNC programs are stored electronically for future use, saving time and increasing worker productivity.

After machining the parts, tool and die makers carefully check the accuracy of the parts using many tools, including coordinate measuring machines, which use sensor arms and software to compare the dimensions of the part to electronic blueprints. Next, they assemble the different parts into a functioning machine. They file, grind, shim, and adjust the different parts to properly fit them together. Finally, tool and die makers set up a test run, using the tools or dies they have made to make sure that the manufactured parts meet specifications. If problems occur, they compensate by adjusting the tools or dies.

Working Conditions

Tool and die makers may either work in toolrooms or manufacturing production floors. Toolrooms are generally kept clean and cool to minimize heat-related expansion of metal workpiece, while specialty machine shops have a factory floor covered with machinery. To minimize the exposure of workers to moving parts, machines have guards and shields. Most computer-controlled machines are totally enclosed, minimizing workers' exposure to noise, dust, and the lubricants used to cool workpieces during machining. Working around this machinery can still be dangerous, so tool and die makers must follow safety rules and wear protective equipment, such as safety glasses to shield against bits of flying metal, earplugs to protect against noise, and gloves and masks to reduce exposure to hazardous lubricants and cleaners. These workers also need stamina, because they often spend much of the day on their feet and may do moderately heavy lifting. Companies employing tool and die makers have traditionally operated only one shift per day. Overtime and weekend work are common, especially during peak production periods.

How to Dye Polyester

Dying a polyester garment can be a great way to put your personal touch on a piece of clothing. While polyester, along with other synthetic fibers, can be very difficult to dye properly, the process can be done successfully. By arming yourself with a few tools and a lot of know-how, you can learn how to dye polyester fabric.

Steps

1. 1
   Purchase the appropriate type of dye. Polyester can't be dyed using the same kinds of dyes that work well with natural fibers such as cotton; using these types of dyes will result in little or no change to your garment's color. To dye polyester, you need to purchase what are called disperse dyes. Disperse dyes consist of a finely ground dying agent suspended in a dispersing agent, and they are sold as either paste or powder.
2. 2
   Wash the garment to remove any oil or dirt. Wash your garment as you normally would in a washing machine in hot water. Please Make sure you don't use any fabric softeners or detergents with additives. Recommended best always is an detergent marked odor free. If you have an old style washer I highly recommend using Dawn original dish soap. However NEVER more then one teaspoon per yard of fabrics. WE don't want a rerun of Lucy! This step prepares the fabric for dying by removing any impurities. Do not Put the fabric or clothing in the dryer when you are finished this step.
3. 3
   Put on your personal protective equipment. Before beginning the process, you need to put on rubber gloves, an apron, safety glasses, and a dust mask. The dust mask and safety glasses will prevent the finely ground dye powder from getting in your eyes, nose, and mouth, causing irritation. The gloves and apron will prevent the dye from discoloring your hands or clothing - if you stain your skin with disperse dye, it will be very difficult to remove.
4. 4
   Prepare the dying bath. Fill a large steel or enameled stockpot with 2 gallons (7.5 L) of water. This amount of water will allow you to dye about 1 pound (453 g) of polyester fabric. Do not use an aluminum stockpot, as the metal will react with the dye. Bring the water to a boil.
5. 5
   Dissolve the dye powder. Add the desired amount of dye to a small cup of hot water. To achieve a pale color, 1 tsp. (5 ml) of dye should suffice, while 3 tsp. (15 ml) can be added for a darker result. Stir the dye thoroughly to dissolve with a wooden or steel utensil - do not use aluminum, and do not use a utensil that you plan to use later for food preparation. If the dye won't dissolve completely, strain the resulting slurry through cheesecloth before using. You can remove mask at this point. As long as the dry powder is dissolved it is now safe to breath.
6. 6
   Add the dye mixture to the boiling water bath, along with some laundry detergent. Adding about 1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml) of detergent to the dying bath will help the polyester accept the dye. Stir the bath to distribute the dye and detergent.
7. 7
   Place the polyester garment into the boiling water bath. Allow to garment to boil for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally with a steel or wooden spoon. If the garment has not reached the desired color after 30 minutes, boil it for any additional time needed.
8. 8
   Remove the garment from the bath when it has reached the desired color. Rinse it in warm water until the water runs clear, while being careful not to let the dye water stain your sink. When the garment has been thoroughly rinsed, wash it alone in a washing machine before wearing.
   
   

How to Bend Pipe

You can bend pipe and tubing in one of several methods, depending on what you plan to use the bent pipe or tube for. The problem in bending pipe is figuring out where and how much to bend the pipe. While many bending tools come with a set of instructions for figuring out such things as bend allowances and bend deductions, they are often written in a complex manner and assume a knowledge of mathematics that intimidates many users. While it's not possible to completely eliminate the math, it is possible to plan how to bend a piece of pipe in such a way that figuring the bending angle is simplified and so that the only math needed is simple arithmetic. The method described below is not simple, but with practice, you can master it.

Steps

Selecting a Bending Tool

1. 1
   Choose the right bending tools for your needs. There are 6 main bending methods. Each is best suited to a particular type of pipe.
   • Ram style bending, also called incremental bending, is usually used for putting large bends in light-gauge metal, such as electrical conduit. In this method, the pipe is held down at 2 external points and the ram pushes on the pipe at its central axis to bend it. Bends tend to deform into an oval shape at both the inside and outside of the bend.
   • Rotary draw bending is used to bend pipe for use as handrails or ornamental iron, as well as car chassis, roll cages, and trailer frames, as well as heavier conduit. Rotary draw bending uses 2 dies: a stationary counter-bending die and a fixed radius die to form the bend. It is used when the pipe needs to have a good finish and constant diameter throughout its length.
   • Mandrel bending is used to make stock and custom exhaust pipes, dairy tubing, and heat exchanger tubing. In addition to the dies used in rotary draw bending, mandrel bending uses a flexible support that bends with the pipe or tubing to make sure the pipe interior isn't deformed.
   • Induction bending heats the area to be bent with an electric coil, and then the pipe or tube is bent with dies similar to those used in rotary draw bending. The metal is immediately cooled with water to temper it. It produces tighter bends than straight rotary draw bending.
   • Roll bending, also called cold bending, is used whenever large bends are necessary in the pipe or tubing, such as in awning supports, barbecue grill frames, or drum rolls, as well as in most construction work. Roll benders use 3 rolls on individual shafts to roll the pipe through as the top roller pushes down to bend the pipe. (Because the rolls are arranged in a triangle, this method is sometimes called pyramid bending.)
   • Hot bending, in contrast, is used considerably in repair work. The metal is heated at the place where it is to be bent to soften it.

Making a Right Angle Bend

1. 1
   Bend a test pipe at a 90-degree angle. Not only will this familiarize you with how much force you need to apply to operate your bender, but this pipe will serve as a reference for future bends.
   • To check the angle of your pipe, lay it against a carpenter's square with the outer bend facing the corner of the square. Both ends of the pipe should just touch the square's sides and run parallel to them.
2. 2
   Find the place where the bend in the pipe starts. You should see or feel a small flat spot or distortion at the place where the bend starts and where it ends.
3. 3
   Mark the ends of the bend with a permanent marker. Draw the line completely around the pipe.
4. 4
   Lay the pipe against the square again to find the length of the pipe in the bend. Note the place on each side of the square where the pipe's markings touch. These should be the same distance from the inside corner of the square. Add these lengths together.
   • If the markings on each end of the pipe bend touch the square at 6 inches (15 cm) from the inside corner of the square, the total length of the bent section of the pipe is 12 inches (30 cm).
5. 5
   Find the place on your bending die where the bend begins. Place the bent tube back in your bender with the die used to bend it and note where on the die the mark on the pipe lines up. Mark this place with a dot of paint or by notching the metal with a file.
   • If you have more than one die (for different diameters of pipe), make a test bend for each die, as each diameter will require a different amount of metal to make a 90-degree bend.
   • Once you know how much pipe is needed to form the bend, you can calculate how long a piece of pipe you need by adding this figure (called the bend deduction) to the vertical and horizontal lengths of the pipe.

Making Multiple Bends

1. 1
   Measure out the space your bent pipe will occupy. If you're making a roll bar for a dune buggy that will occupy a space 60 inches (150 cm) wide by 50 inches (125 cm) high, make a rectangle with these dimensions on a clean space of concrete floor with a piece of chalk.
2. 2
   Divide the rectangle with a centerline. The centerline should bisect the longer (width) sides of the rectangle.
3. 3
   Measure in from the top corners of the rectangle to where the horizontal portion of the bent pipe begins. If the top of the roll bar should run only 40 inches (100 cm), subtract this length from the width for the bottom, then measure half the distance in from each of the upper corners. This works out to a difference of 20 inches (50 cm), half of which is 10 inches (25 cm), which is the distance to measure in. Mark this distance in from each of the top corners.
4. 4
   Measure from the bottom corners to where the lower bend begins. If the distance from the bottom of the roll bar to the first bend is to be 40 inches (100 cm), measure and mark this distance up from each side of the bottom corners.
5. 5
   Connect the markings where the bends will be made, using a straightedge or ruler. You can measure the connecting lines with a ruler.
   • In this example, the diagonal line connecting the marks on the horizontal and vertical lines is about 14 inches (70 cm) long.
6. 6
   Lay your 90-degree bend pipe inside the top line of your frame. Lay it so that the horizontal straight end touches the inside of the upper horizontal line.
7. 7
   Slide the pipe until it touches the diagonal you drew.
8. 8
   Mark the place where the bend mark intersects the frame line.
9. 9
   Rotate the pipe so the other bend mark intersects the diagonal. Mark this place on the diagonal.
10. 10
    Repeat the last 4 steps for the other upper corner.
11. 11
    Calculate the total length of pipe needed. Add together the measurements from the bottom corners to the first marks, the lengths of pipe between the lower bend, and the length between the upper bend.
    • In the above example, the vertical portions of the roll bar will each be 40 inches (100 cm) long, the diagonal portions will each be 14 inches (70 cm) long, and the horizontal portion will be 40 inches long. The total minimum length of pipe will be 40 + 14 + 40 + 14 + 40 inches (100 + 70 + 100 + 70 + 100 cm), or 144 inches (440 cm) long.
12. 12
    Cut the pipe. Although the minimum length of pipe needed is 144 inches, it's a good idea to allow for error, add at least 4 inches (10 cm), making the total length 148 inches (450 cm).
13. 13
    Find and mark the center of the pipe. You'll work from this point outward.
14. 14
    Lay the pipe against the top line of your layout frame, aligning the pipe's center with the center line. Mark on the pipe where the upper bends are to start and finish using the marks on the frame.
    • You may also want to mark the direction of your bends by putting arrows on the pipe pointing outward.
15. 15
    Make each of the upper bends with your bending tool. Be sure the pipe's seam is to the inside when you bend; this prevents twisting or kinking during the bending process.
    • To ensure your bender is set to the correct angle, you can prepare a reference tool of 2 flat pieces of metal whose ends are attached to a pivot. Bend this tool to the angle indicated on your frame, and then match the bending angle of your bending tool to this angle.
    • After making each bend, lay the pipe against your frame to check that the angle of the bend is correct.
16. 16
    Make each of the lower bends with your bending tool. Follow the same procedures as outlined in the previous step.
17. 17
    Cut off any excess from the ends of the bent pipe.