MOLDING SUCCESS Through AUTOMATION

HSM TECHNOLOGY HELPS U.S. MOLD MAKER MAINTAIN WORLD-CLASS PRODUCTIVITY AND BUSINESS GROWTH.

Industry naysayers who claim mold making in the United States is dead should take a long, hard look at Advance Mold and Manufacturing, Inc. (AM&M), a "traditional" manufacturer with a very untraditional approach. Not only is their business thriving, they even produce molds for customers in Asia—a welcome switch in the face of current trends.

Speed and automation are primary factors in AM&M's ability to compete globally as an American mold maker. The recent addition of a fully automated, high-speed machining cell to their production capabilities helps AM&M slash customer lead times. The addition also fits into a strategic business plan that enables the company to not only compete, but to also achieve aggressive annual growth targets.

AM&M added Mikron's state-of-the-art HSM 400 to their equipment list.

COMBINED CAPABILITIES, UNIQUE ASSETS
AM&M is located in a new temperaturecontrolled production facility in Manchester, CT. The 30,000ft² building also houses Vision Technical Molding (VTM), a custom molding operation specializing in complex, tight-tolerance medical products. VTM also QC samples AM&M's molds. Although the two sides are separate businesses, they are also partners, connected within the same building. AM&M uses 18,000ft² of the building and employs 65 people working two shifts, six days per week. When AM&M needs a mold validated, they are just steps away from that capability, providing a key speed and accuracy advantage.

ADVANCING TO HSM
Pressure on throughput and ever-more stringent demands for precision convinced AM&M to add a state-of-the-art HSM (high speed machining) cell to their extensive equipment list. In February 2005, AM&M installed two Mikron HSM 400s mated to an automated 10-position pallet system with the capacity to hold 90 electrode holders with robotic support. The 3-axis, 42,000rpm vertical machining mills each have automated tool changers capable of holding 68 tools. Both units have full probing capabilities with laser tool measuring and compensation. A robot from Erowa Technology changes pallets when workpieces or setups change. It also automatically changes grippers when changing out graphite electrodes.

The Mikron mills are designed for precision and high throughput. Precision begins with rigidity, achieved with a monoblock machine base set in polymer concrete. It is the basis for solid damping in an accessible and compact mill. Equipped with highperformance motor spindles that provide varying speed and torque, the Mikron HSM 400 machines almost any material using a broad range of tools.

Automation gives the new HSM cell its high throughput. Served by a robotic pallet system, the cell enables staging and setup during operation, extending the system's production hours with much of the process conducted unmanned. For maximum flexibility, the Mikron 400s each use automated tool holders that are capable of three second tool changes. This makes it practical to economically use tools with short operating times (drilling, countersinking, threading, etc.).

AM&M reports that installation and setup of the new HSM cell went smoothly, since the system was specifically designed to work with the Erowa tooling robot. With the integration in place, AM&M progressed to startup only four days after installation.

The Mikron 400s average a combined 240 hours of production per week.

QUANTUM LEAP IN PRODUCTIVITY
The new mold cell replaces two bedtype mills that were struggling to keep up with production demands and quality standards. The equipment required hand-loading and extra operators. The moving weight and mass of the machine components compromised accuracy. Thermal creep, as the production room and equipment gained heat, required constant checking and compensation to stay true to specifications.

According to Vincent Brown, CNC Electrode/ High Speed Mill Department Manager, "With the new HSM cell, we've seen our capacity grow by nearly 300%. We like what the new programming software has delivered too: the ability to change priorities, easily enter new jobs into the system and remotely monitor operations."

Setup time has been minimized due to a high degree of integration between the Mikron 400s and the robot. Mold parts are being made in half of the previous manufacturing time. The two mills are averaging a combined 240 production hours per week, much of it "lights out". Accuracy and repeatability are significantly improved.

CAPABILITIES CUSTOMERS APPRECIATE
In addition to the productivity gains, AM&M has achieved a new level of flexibility. The system software allows midproduction changes that would be difficult or impossible to handle with conventional mold milling systems.

Steven Arnold, President of AM&M, says mid-production engineering changes are happening more frequently, due to the intensely competitive marketplace and the ever-shortening product life cycles that manufacturers face. AM&M's HSM system software not only enables "on-the-fly" changes, it even provides for remote monitoring and alerts.

MORE AUTOMATION IN THE WORKS
AM&M has long been a customer of Charmilles and now Mikron, maker of the Mikron HSM 400. Their equipment includes two Charmilles Wire EDMs, four Charmilles CNC Sinkers and four manual Charmilles Sinkers.

In the near future, AM&M plans to automate production flow by linking the HSM cell to the Charmilles CNC sinkers. Like the HSM cell, the Charmilles equipment is currently running unmanned during second shift operations with remote monitoring.

Remaining competitive is what the addition of HSM and its imminent link-up with EDM is all about. Arnold sums up the impact on AM&M succinctly: "Our capabilities enable us to provide a fast four-week lead time on new mold builds, even with complex, multi-action molds," he states. "With accuracy and surface finish quality as ‘givens', production turn-around either makes or breaks you in today's market. Speed is definitely a key factor to our success."