Professional spindle reconstruction personnel who pay attention to details and communicate throughout the process can provide fast, reliable, and lasting reconstruction.
For automobile manufacturers, CNC machine tool spindles are essential for any drilling, milling, boring, grinding, milling, cutting or sawing process. However, when these systems deteriorate and fail due to contaminants, human error, improper maintenance, lubrication issues, or poor spindle design, quality reconstruction is often required.
Although there are automobile spindle retreaders nationwide, not every company can provide the same level of quality. Even if the rebuilder owns the equipment, they may not have the experience, technical knowledge, or attention to detail needed to rebuild a spindle that has been reliable for many years.
Even reputable rebuilders vary in the scope and quality of initial inspections, the accuracy of quotations, and the level of communication with customers. However, considering the direct correlation between these factors and the final quality and longevity of the reconstruction, most machinists still believe that there is no difference in the store they contacted.
However, in actual practice, the difference may be very large, and it will seriously affect the productivity of the workshop. As a result, most mechanics can easily tell stories of costly downtime caused by failed spindle repairs.
“After modifying a spindle, I had to shut down the machine for additional repairs within a short time,” said Tom Collins, maintenance supervisor at the Walnut plant of Edro's Engineering in California. Edro Engineering serves North America and Europe and is a one-stop tool solution store for machining services, special materials, custom mold bases, PVD/DLC coatings and additive manufacturing (AM).
“When these CNC machines fail, we spend money, so we never want them to stop,” explains Collins, who is responsible for more than 50 milling, drilling, and surface grinders. "Because we often run our spindles at high speeds, and we are surface-grinding stainless steel and special materials, frequent rebuilding is necessary-even as expected."
"So if we send out a spindle but it is not properly repaired, it must be removed again for additional repairs, which will make the machine down for longer-it will even require more money," he added .
Morgan Stipp, who is responsible for the grinding operations of Embe Processing, agrees that minimizing downtime is critical.
Stipp is responsible for overseeing approximately 20 precision grinding machines at Embe Processing's 124,000 square foot metal finishing park facility in Santa Ana, California. This includes Studer CNC grinders, Okamoto NC OD grinders, centerless grinders, and other equipment with thread, surface, and super-finish grinding capabilities.
Most part configurations require that the chrome-plated or HVOF surface be ground, polished, honed and deburred after electroplating to achieve the desired surface finish. According to Stipp, these operations are performed to ensure flawless surface finishes with tolerances as low as 50 millionths of an inch.
“We are very picky about precision grinding because it must be inherently perfect for our customers. Without the right equipment and properly maintained spindles, we will not be able to continue operating,” Stipp said.
Stipp believes that the thoroughness of the initial inspection performed by the repair/refurbishment workshop will affect the service life of the refurbished spindle and the accuracy of the quotation.
"It might cost us a lot of money to shut down the machine for unexpected additional maintenance because something was missed in the inspection," Stipp said. "We also don't want any unexpected price increase because the original inspection and quotation were not thorough enough."
When Stipp and Collins contacted MZI Precision in Huntington Beach, California, they both found the precision and attention to detail they needed. MZI Precision is an experienced machine tool spindle rebuilder with a complete process that can provide customers Provide a way to quickly restore maximum productivity.
Although most automobile spindle rebuilders only need the least time to wipe the parts before inspection, during the disassembly process, the rebuilders will clean and polish each component with emery cloth to clearly reveal even the smallest defects. Even the nuts are removed, polished, and then tested to ensure proper fit.
The next step is to measure and record each part of the main shaft and housing geometry in detail. The micrometer is used for detailed dimensional measurement and a 50 millionth of an inch dial gauge is used to check the runout. Then check that the bearing shoulder is correct and vertical. Check the size, alignment and shoulder verticality of the bearing housing holes. MZI Precision also shoots video and then takes digital photos of each part during the disassembly process.
"If there is any problem with our spindle, I will call them before the manufacturer. They will diagnose the spindle free of charge and send me a detailed quotation. All quotations are paid for. I have never received it. Accidental allegations," Stip said.
According to Collins of Edro Engineering, repair quality is also affected by the professional knowledge and communication level of the rebuilder, and he also found these characteristics in MZI Precision.
"Communication is very important, and it's a two-way dialogue," Collins said. "The company wants to know the operating mode, conditions, type of parts manufactured, the metal cut, and the depth of the cut so that it can be customized for my application. Moreover, when I have a question, they will answer it quickly."
Collins also appreciates that spindle rebuilders use only advanced replacement parts and bearings, which helps improve equipment reliability and service life. The reconstructor uses aero-grade bearings with ABEC grade 7 or 9 (the highest grade). Despite the nominal additional cost, based on requirements, ceramic bearings are usually recommended because of their service life and higher operating speed.
"I find that their rebuilds are as good as the original equipment manufacturers, and sometimes even better. The spindles work well, so I hope they can be used for a long time," Collins said.
Although the reliability and longevity of spindle reconstruction are critical, fast turnaround is also important because equipment downtime must be minimized. "Our spindle transformation must be turned around in time to keep our production going normally," Collins said.
Although automotive spindle modifications can be obtained from various sources, for manufacturers looking for higher production reliability, uptime and service life of CNC equipment, cooperation with professional spindle experts is usually the best choice.
Methods is expected to reach a final agreement before January 1, 2022. Both companies are preparing the appropriate structure and finalizing the transaction so that all employees and customers can transition smoothly.
Methods Machine Tools Inc. has signed an agreement to acquire Koch Machine Tool, which is a machine tool distributor and the avenue for Methods to enter the Texas processing market since 2010.
When Mike Koch, president of Koch Machine Tool, who has more than 40 years of machine tool experience, began planning to retire and it was reported that he was looking for the next owner of the company, the acquisition negotiations began. Methods President and CEO Mark Wright got in touch with Mike earlier this year, and the two began negotiations.
"My whole family has invested a lot of money in the company, and we have been working hard to put our customers first," Mike said. "This mentality will never disappear. I will always hope to provide the best service to my employees, customers, and everyone in between. I want to make sure that everyone gets the best help, so Methods Machine Tools is obviously a good choice."
The Koch offices in Dallas and Houston will gradually become Methods' facilities, and Mike has agreed to become the co-general manager of these locations. He is expected to serve in this position for approximately three years to help facilitate the acquisition. The method will be announced later by another co-general manager.
"Mike and his father built the best machine tool dealer based on hard work, honest transactions, excellent service and support. Mike always takes care of his customers and keeps his promises," Wright said. "Mike has built an excellent team and we think there is room to develop the market seriously. Koch has a wealth of knowledge in machining and the Houston and Dallas markets. We are very pleased to see the combination of Koch's way of thinking and our expert technicians What can it bring to the mechanical processing industry in Texas."
After the two companies finalize the agreement, the Texas machine shop will be able to use Methods' applications and automation teams to solve complex machining challenges. In addition, Methods' national machinery support structure will build on Koch's already strong reputation.
This agreement marks the continued growth of Methods. The company opened technology centers in Los Angeles, Memphis, and Wisconsin in 2014, 2018, and 2020, and added multiple to its dealer network.
Sign up for our next part of Making Lunch + Learn about Brent Marsh from Sandvik Coromant and Chris Dingman from CGTech.
When you make the right decision about the automotive manufacturing process, you can have a more efficient and profitable operation from the start. In order to meet the upcoming processing challenges, you need a pre-plan to ensure smooth operation and minimize production interruptions, which includes the right software and solutions tailored to your needs.
When you sign up for the event on November 10, 2021 at 12 PM Eastern Time, you will hear business development expert Brent Marsh speak: Sandvik Coromant Automotive and CGTech Technical Support Engineer Chris Dingman, they are exploring CGTech VERICUT software and Sandvik Coromant’s M5 series milling cutters bring benefits to your automotive machining process and how to use both. Join Sandvik Coromant and CGTech to get feasible advice and solutions to plan ahead and maximize your automotive processing.
Topics you will study include:
Use metal additive technology to solve the challenge of cooling channel design in mold insert manufacturing.
Die casting mold manufacturer Nihonseiki Co. Ltd. is using GE Additive's metal additive technology to solve the challenge of designing cooling channels in die casting manufacturing. Nihonseiki can now produce molds containing internal cooling channels of any shape and create these in areas that are inaccessible to traditional machining processes.
Nihonseiki Co. Ltd. is a part of GMC Holdings Group and has 100 years of die-casting mold design, manufacturing and service history, providing die-casting to more than 1,000 customers (mainly Japanese and international automobile manufacturers and other specialized die-casting and mold manufacturers) Mold.
In recent years, a core element of Nihonseiki's innovation strategy has been the introduction and subsequent industrialization of metal additive manufacturing.
Masato Matsubara, Managing Director of Nihonseiki, explained: “Our additive journey began in 2015, when an automobile manufacturer came into contact with us about manufacturing cores with cooling channels.”
"At first, we started to deal with post-processing processes, such as machining, polishing and heat treatment. Another company used metal 3D printers to additively manufacture molds. Then, as we gained more experience and expertise, we reached the point that we could develop our own cooling The stage of channel design. In 2017, in order to carry out casting in-house, we conducted a market survey to evaluate the potential of using metal 3D printers, but customer demand was still low at that time, so we decided to continue to outsource the casting process,” Matsubara added. .
"Then, the choice of metal materials that can be used for metal 3D printers is limited. Instead of the commonly used maraging steel, we want to try SKD61 (Steel Kogu Dice), which is the most used alloy tool steel in mold manufacturing, but this material It is difficult to obtain, and this is one of the reasons why we gave up this idea," Matsubara reflects.
SKD61 is tougher and has better thermal conductivity than maraging steel, so it can be used in the design to produce thinner mold parts that are not easy to break and may extend the service life of mold components.
In early 2021, Nihonseiki received a proposal from Mitsubishi Technos, GE Additive's authorized sales partner in Japan, regarding an SKD61 equivalent material that can be used in its metal 3D printer.
After investigating the industry and customer needs again, Nihonseiki decided to purchase two GE Additive Concept Laser M2 systems, which have higher precision, more detailed geometry and smooth surface forming.
Throughout 2021, Nihonseiki created a complete support system for metal 3D printing design, manufacturing and maintenance. So far, the company has proposed, manufactured and delivered solutions to many customers using maraging steel to improve the internal cooling of the mold core, but now it is planning to fully switch to SKD61 equivalent materials.
Adopting additives in the automotive industry
As the global shift to electric vehicles (EV) accelerates, the demand for lightweight products using aluminum components is expected to grow further. Known as a huge change in a century, this change has also brought new challenges and new business opportunities for Nippon Seiki.
Reducing weight is one of the most pressing issues facing automakers—for electric vehicles, lighter vehicles are also essential to increase the maximum mileage. In order to reduce weight, stamped steel parts are replaced by cast aluminum parts, which is expected to lead to larger and faster integration of aluminum die-cast parts and an increase in the size of parts and molds.
Among the components considered to be replaced by aluminum, one of Nihonseiki's particular interest is the battery box. EV battery cases have become lighter and more and more made of aluminum, but they have also become larger, creating a greater risk of warping during the casting process.
Matsubara is optimistic about the possibility of metal additives. He said: “Internal cooling of the mold is the key to reducing warpage of large aluminum parts. We are currently focusing on the use of metal 3D printing for internal cooling of the mold. In our efforts to improve individual parts and While extending its service life, we are also trying to find the best way to incorporate internal cooling into the basic mold design.
In addition, as products become more and more complex, the design difficulty of aluminum die-casting molds will rise sharply. Since traditional methods are difficult to cope with this increasing design and manufacturing complexity, I believe that using metal 3D printing methods based on new concepts will open the way for overcoming these challenges. "
Cooling channels improve the performance of aluminum die-cast parts
The company is using GE Additive's metal additive technology to solve the challenges of cooling channel design in mold insert manufacturing. Nihonseiki can now produce molds containing internal cooling channels of any shape and create these in areas that are inaccessible to traditional machining processes.
Improving mold cooling efficiency allows the injected aluminum to cool more uniformly and faster, thereby shortening the total cycle time and improving quality. This improves production efficiency and improves casting quality.
The aluminum die-casting mold is injected with liquid aluminum alloy heated to 660°C. Let the aluminum cool, and then take it out. Improving production efficiency requires reducing the time for cooling the mold and injecting aluminum. This is achieved by creating cooling channels inside the mold to circulate the coolant and accelerate the cooling process. Reducing mold cooling time means designing cooling channels that can uniformly cool the entire mold, while traditional manufacturing can only create straight channels.
How to best integrate additive manufacturing into overall mold design is a key issue for Nihonseiki. At present, in mold manufacturing plants, the decision whether to incorporate product design into the product often relies on judgments based on experience.
Nihonseiki aims to provide comprehensive customer support in areas including coolant flow simulation tools, combined with the design freedom of additive manufacturing, to visualize the heat transfer throughout the manufacturing cycle, and to demonstrate the effectiveness of such solutions in terms of cooling distribution and cooling rate Potential improvement.
In the future, the company hopes to use all the technologies accumulated so far, such as the analysis of casting conditions for flow simulation and mechanical performance calculation, to stand at the forefront of manufacturing. It also supports the development of new manufacturing methods.
The reorganization used Nihonseiki, its subsidiary Tooling Innovation Inc., and Nihonseiki's sister company Dynamo Inc. to form the GMC Holdings Group.
The team is opening the door to additive manufacturing through a framework that combines the strength of each entity: Nihonseiki is responsible for mold design and manufacturing, technological innovation and technical proposals; mold innovation as an additive manufacturing base; and Dynamo is responsible for manufacturing and selling mold parts. The group has more than 200 machine tools distributed in three major companies, as well as many excellent design and CAM engineers. With the motto "There is no part we can't make", it opens the door to the future.
Today, the company has set its sights on changing the aluminum die casting industry, but is developing its business to expand into other areas in the future. For 100 years, Nihonseiki has been using brand new solutions in the mold industry to meet customer needs. Now, through additive manufacturing, it aims to change the mold industry's traditional concept of what a mold can be and what die casting can achieve.
Connectivity, electronic equipment and software are driving the digital transformation of today's automotive market. Therefore, many traditional mechanical or hydraulic systems are being replaced by electronic equipment and software.
The automobile and transportation industries have come a long way from Mercedes-Benz patented cars. Owning a car has evolved from a hobby of the rich to a near necessity in modern life. Cars have also changed, from the practical Ford Model T to today's highly customizable and feature-rich cars. The Model T has become a mechanical miracle because of its simplicity, and its output speed is faster than any previous motor vehicle. But it also brings some compromises-there is only one model, and only black. Since then, the combined effect of customer demand, increased competition, and regulatory requirements has prompted automakers to produce cars with greater horsepower, higher fuel efficiency, more cup holders, and exciting new features. Today, these demands are driving original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) beyond the machinery sector. Connectivity, electronic equipment and software are driving the digital transformation of today's automotive market. Therefore, many traditional mechanical or hydraulic systems are being replaced by electronic equipment and software.
The difference in automotive value from the mechanical domain to software and electronic systems has overturned traditional vehicle development methods, not just design tools. The mechanical system is driven by electronic equipment controlled by software. Ensuring that these integrations are both accurate and reliable has become a key aspect of modern car development.
The previous scheduling method cannot meet the stringent requirements of modern vehicle development. Now, more stakeholders from the broader engineering field must work on system development and integration at the same time. The document-based approach of early system engineering work is increasingly restricted by the level of product interconnection. The complexity of modern and future automobiles and transportation systems will require digitization and solutions based on the principles of Model Systems Engineering (MBSE). Hyundai MBSE solutions will enable automotive and transportation companies to manage the complexity of advanced functions, increase cross-domain integration and growing external pressure, and help companies build successful programs.
More functions, more complexity The beginning of any vehicle plan is to define goals, all parameters and goal requirements. Is this product an urban commuter vehicle that prioritizes fuel efficiency and mobility, or is it used to transport large loads on a regular basis? What features might customers need? Combining these types of issues with vehicle requirements such as powertrain types or efficiency targets forms the product definition. In MBSE, this applies to digital twins and is shared among all stakeholders. The definition or architecture is further expanded to include the necessary functions in the vehicle-does it require an infotainment system? What driver assistance features will this model include?
These functions are the new selling point of most vehicles, and it is no longer the horsepower level of the engine, nor is it an automatic transmission or a manual transmission. This functional change has exacerbated the complexity of modern vehicle architecture. Digital dashboard instruments need sensors for displaying each value, as well as a control unit for recording, converting, and transmitting information to the dashboard, and then the dashboard needs to display the information correctly. This seemingly simple function requires the integration of the tracked mechanical system, the electronic system for processing data, the electrical network for signal transmission, and software to ensure that each element works together to provide the driver with accurate information in time.
And as more integrated functions increase, this complexity problem will increase. The autonomous driving system basically integrates the entire vehicle into one system—transmission system, safety system, entertainment package, etc.—to ensure that they become the most complex vehicle ever. MBSE does not deal with these different subsystems in isolation before the integration phase, but provides a single environment for engineers to work in the system architecture. Each engineering team can work hard to meet the specific requirements of its system or component, and ultimately produce a specific output that is compatible with other vehicle systems. This approach ensures that internal teams and suppliers can deliver working components and often accompanying software that seamlessly integrate with the rest of the system.
A key benefit of the powerful MBSE approach is that it can eliminate silos that have long existed in vehicle development. Take the emergency braking function as an example. The basic goal of this system is to engage the brakes when an obstacle is detected in the direct path of the vehicle. To activate such a system, sensor data about obstacles, information about the current dynamics of the vehicle, and a method to send a stop signal to the braking system to apply braking quickly and safely are required. Each of these steps involves integrating new vehicle subsystems or components to enable automatic braking. Managing these connections across vehicle systems and engineering through traditional workflows takes time and provides opportunities for miscommunication, which can lead to sub-optimal designs or, in the worst case, failure.
On the contrary, MBSE ensures that everyone is in the loop because different teams refine the definition. This single source of truth not only saves time and improves the accuracy of communicating design data, but also reuses previous work. For example, the emergency braking system can use the braking information that the adaptive braking system has already used, so that the vehicle decelerates without causing loss of control. Or vehicle dynamics information may have been tracked by another system and can be pulled into the emergency braking function to save development time.
Understanding these system interactions is also crucial for the development and deployment of new car software. An OEM can launch multiple models within a year, but in each model, the design may have hundreds of changes-it may be different feature packages, or even different suppliers of individual parts. Regardless of the exact composition of the vehicle, the embedded software that manages the characteristics and functions of each vehicle must be compatible and portable with every possible vehicle configuration. In the wireless update era, this challenge extends from the production line to the on-site vehicles. OEMs need to track each vehicle and its related software configuration to verify, verify, and deploy software updates that are compatible with each customer's vehicle.
Optimization and verification Compared with traditional internal combustion engine vehicles, electric vehicles (EV) and autonomous vehicles (AV) face many new development challenges. Due to storage media with lower energy density, electric vehicles have achieved a tighter balance between cruising range, weight and aerodynamics. Self-driving cars will require more coding and software testing than before to achieve Level 5 autonomous driving-or fully autonomous driving without driver interaction. The solution to many of these obstacles is simulation, which may be a computational fluid dynamics test to determine the wind resistance of the car body, or a simulated scenario of an automatic vehicle control system to train more miles without loss of time. But the integration of these systems makes it difficult or even impossible to test their interaction.
MBSE provides a framework for optimization and verification of new vehicle architectures. The EV's cruising range can be balanced based on weight and aerodynamics, and it can also understand the impact on vehicle dynamics. Use more comprehensive simulation tools to verify the AV system faster. It is even possible to use artificial intelligence (AI) in the MBSE method to gradually change the virtual conditions encountered by the AV system to increase the number of changes in driving conditions, thereby optimizing the robustness of the system in making driving decisions. The development cycle of many vehicles extends beyond the production floor, and data obtained from automotive sensors already on the road can be used to further refine the driving model. These vehicles have become a constantly updated product that adds greater safety and possible additional features compared to the way they are taken off the assembly line.
MBSE now and in the future, even without large-scale electrification and automation, the complexity of vehicles is increasing. Fortunately, MBSE aims to reconcile this complexity. MBSE enables engineering teams and organizations to track vehicle requirements across domains, from initial definition to implementation in offline vehicles. This holistic view of the vehicle development process also provides a way for more frequent and effective collaboration among OEMs and their entire supply chain. Through cooperation and a determined, single source of truth, automotive OEMs and suppliers will be able to bring innovative, exciting, and high-quality cars to market faster and more reliably.
The cars we drive have evolved from purely mechanical innovations with limited changes to highly personalized and multi-disciplinary engineering feats. Document-based methods cannot handle the complexity of these modern vehicle programs, leading to unacceptable development schedules and the introduction of potentially serious errors. MBSE is the next step in the development of integrated products, which can effectively coordinate between multiple engineering fields and the global supply chain through digital twins to realize the advanced vehicles of the future.