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Challenges and Solutions for Large Parts

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Racer Machinery International: Journey Through Generations

CNC Components: Mechanical Systems

CNC Lathes: What’s on the Horizon?

In the realm of metalworking, large parts stand as imposing titans, demanding a distinct approach compared to their smaller brethren. While CNC machining has become synonymous with precision for smaller components, these giants necessitate a different set of skills and strategies. This guide delves into the common problems encountered when machining large parts and explores the solutions employed by resourceful machine shops.

Overcoming Size Limitations

The first hurdle often arises from sheer size limitations. CNC machines operate within a defined work envelope. When a part exceeds these dimensions, creative solutions come into play:

• Segmentation: Experienced machinists might segment the machining process, tackling the part in manageable sections on individual machines.
• Collaboration: Alternatively, they might choose to combine the capabilities of multiple CNC machines to complete the project.
• Disassembly (if feasible): In some instances, if the design allows, disassembling the part into smaller components becomes a viable option, enabling each piece to be machined within the confines of the CNC enclosure.

Maintaining Precision on a Large Scale

However, overcoming size limitations is just the initial hurdle. Maintaining precision across a large canvas presents its own set of challenges:

• Strategic Support Placement: Large parts are more susceptible to warping due to the thermal stress generated by the machining process itself. To mitigate this issue, strategic support placement becomes crucial. These strategically placed supports help minimize workpiece deflection and maintain dimensional accuracy.
• Minimizing Heat Input: Additionally, experienced machinists will employ techniques to minimize heat input. This might involve reducing the amount of material removal per pass during machining, lessening the overall heat generation. Using coolants specifically designed to manage heat further aids in maintaining precision throughout the process.

Ensuring Consistent Part Positioning

Another challenge lies in ensuring consistent and accurate positioning of the large part throughout the machining process. To address this, meticulous planning is paramount:

• Detailed Planning: A detailed plan that outlines each step, including precise part positioning strategies, becomes the foundation for success. Double-checking procedures is essential to ensure accuracy before and after each repositioning of the part.
• Jigs and Stands for Stability: Additionally, utilizing jigs and stands provides both precise and stable support during machining, minimizing the risk of errors. Jigs are specialized tools that hold and guide the workpiece during specific machining operations, ensuring consistent positioning and repeatability. Stands offer dedicated support for large parts, preventing them from warping or shifting under their own weight.

The Irreplaceable Human Touch in Large Part Machining

While advanced CNC technology plays a significant role in large part machining, the human touch remains irreplaceable:

• Process Planning Expertise: Experienced machinists bring their expertise to the table in several critical areas. Process planning is a meticulous task that accounts for the part’s size, weight, and potential challenges. This plan includes strategies for mitigating distortion, ensuring proper workpiece positioning, and selecting the most appropriate machining techniques for each stage of the process.
• Machining Knowledge and Adaptability: Beyond planning, machinists leverage their deep understanding of various machining techniques and their suitability for specific materials and applications. Choosing the right cutting tools, speeds, and feeds becomes essential for achieving the desired results while minimizing distortion and ensuring part integrity. The ability to think critically and adapt to unforeseen circumstances is also a hallmark of a skilled machinist. The unexpected is bound to arise when dealing with large parts, and the ability to solve problems on the fly becomes crucial for successful completion.

Large part machining is a delicate dance between the power of CNC technology and the irreplaceable expertise of human machinists. By understanding the challenges and implementing the solutions outlined above, machine shops can successfully navigate the complexities of working with these metal giants. This approach ensures high-quality results and efficient production of even the most formidable components.

How Deburring Creates Flawless Metal Parts

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CNC Lathes: What’s on the Horizon?

Imagine a perfectly machined gear – its teeth precisely cut, its surface a mirror reflecting the surrounding lights. But a closer inspection reveals a hidden enemy – tiny, sharp edges (burrs) clinging to its form. These unwelcome remnants are a byproduct of common metalworking processes like milling, drilling, and sawing. While these processes achieve the desired shape of the metal component, they can leave behind these imperfections. Deburring is the crucial step that removes these imperfections, transforming a good metal part into a truly exceptional one.

By ensuring smooth functionality, enhanced safety, and a longer lifespan, deburring plays a vital role in delivering high-quality metal components. Often overlooked, deburring is the unsung hero of the metalworking industry, silently ensuring the quality and performance of countless parts that form the backbone of our machines, buildings, and everyday objects.

Beyond Cosmetic Concerns: The Multifaceted Impact of Burrs

Burrs are more than just cosmetic blemishes. These raised edges, chips, or slivers of metal can have significant consequences if left unattended. Here’s why deburring is essential for your metal parts:

Improved Functionality: Burrs can hinder proper assembly and operation. During assembly, burrs can prevent components from fitting together seamlessly, leading to misalignment, binding, and increased friction. This can ultimately reduce a part’s efficiency and lead to premature wear and tear. Imagine a car engine where burrs on internal components cause friction and hinder smooth operation. Deburring ensures smooth, seamless interaction between components, guaranteeing proper function and optimal performance in the final product.

Enhanced Safety: Sharp burrs pose a safety hazard, potentially causing cuts or abrasions during handling or assembly. Workers handling metal parts without deburring are at risk of injuries, which can disrupt production schedules and raise safety concerns. Deburring eliminates these risks, creating safe-to-touch parts that prioritize worker safety throughout the manufacturing process.

Beyond Aesthetics: The Multifaceted Benefits of Deburring

While burrs can detract from the overall appearance of a metal part, their impact goes beyond aesthetics. In some applications, a clean finish is crucial for consumer products or components with visible surfaces. Creates a professional finish that enhances visual appeal. More importantly, deburring extends the lifespan of metal components. The uneven edges created by burrs can act as stress concentration points, concentrating stress and making the part more susceptible to cracking under pressure.

Deburring removes these weak points, promoting longevity and ensuring parts can withstand intended loads and stresses throughout their service life. Additionally, for parts requiring painting or other coatings, a smooth surface is essential for optimal adhesion and durability. Burrs can disrupt the coating process, leading to uneven application and potential peeling or flaking. Deburring creates a surface that allows for a strong, long-lasting coat, ensuring the aesthetics and functionality of the final product.

A Toolbox of Solutions: Deburring Techniques

There’s a deburring technique for every need. Metalworkers have a variety of methods at their disposal, each with its own advantages and applications:

• Abrasive Techniques: Versatile and suitable for various parts, these methods utilize abrasive materials like sandpaper, grinding wheels, or tumbling media to wear down and smooth out burrs. This approach is ideal for general-purpose and can be automated for high-volume production.
• Cutting Techniques: Offering precise control for delicate work, these techniques physically remove burrs using specialized tools like files, scrapers, and deburring knives. These methods are well-suited for intricate parts or areas that require a more delicate touch, ensuring minimal material removal.
• Thermal Deburring: This method utilizes heat, often in the form of a flame or plasma torch, to melt and vaporize burrs. This technique is ideal for hard-to-reach areas or small burrs on thin materials. However, it requires careful control to avoid damaging the surrounding metal.
• Chemical Deburring: Certain chemical solutions can dissolve or etch away burrs, particularly effective for removing small burrs from intricate parts. This method is often used for very small or delicate parts that cannot be with other techniques. However, it’s important to choose the right chemical solution for the specific metal to avoid unintended damage.

Choosing the Right Deburring Method

The ideal deburring technique depends on several factors, including the material’s hardness, part geometry, and burr size and location. By understanding the importance of deburring and the various techniques available, manufacturers can make informed decisions to ensure their metal parts function smoothly, are safe to handle, and achieve a long lifespan. Deburring may seem like a small step in the metalworking process, but its impact is undeniable. It’s the invisible guardian that ensures the quality, safety, and performance of the metal components that shape our world.

From the intricate gears in a high-precision machine to the structural beams in a towering skyscraper, deburring plays a vital role in their smooth operation and long-lasting integrity. In today’s world of automation and mass production, deburring techniques have also evolved.

The Rise of Automation: Deburring in the Modern Age

Manual deburring, while still used for delicate parts or small-batch production, has become increasingly complemented by automated solutions. Robotic arms equipped with specialized tools can perform deburring tasks with greater speed, consistency, and precision. These automated systems can handle high-volume production runs efficiently, ensuring consistent quality control throughout the process. Additionally, advancements in technology have led to the development of innovative deburring methods like vibratory finishing and laser deburring.

Vibratory finishing utilizes a combination of abrasive media and a vibrating tub to remove burrs from parts. This method is particularly effective for complex shapes and delicate components. Laser deburring, on the other hand, uses a highly focused laser beam to melt and vaporize burrs with exceptional precision. This technique is ideal for very small burrs or hard-to-reach areas.

DED: Current Applications and Future Potential

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The Significance of DED Additive Manufacturing: Unlocking Potential

DED thrives on metals, making it a powerful tool.

Directed Energy Deposition (DED) is rapidly transforming the manufacturing landscape. This innovative Additive Manufacturing (AM) technique utilizes a focused energy source, like a laser or electron beam, to melt and fuse materials layer-by-layer. Unlike some AM technologies limited to plastics, DED thrives on metals, making it a powerful tool for a diverse range of industries. Let’s delve into the current applications of DED and explore the exciting possibilities it holds for the future.

Schematics of Two DED Systems. Image Credit: https://www.sciencedirect.com/

One of DED’s greatest strengths lies in its ability to work with a wide variety of metals. This makes it a perfect fit for the demanding needs of the defense and aerospace sectors, where high-value parts are a critical concern. Imagine crafting intricate turbine blades or massive brackets for airplanes – DED enables precise manufacturing using the same materials as the original design, ensuring superior performance and structural integrity. Additionally, DED offers a cost-effective way to repair crucial components, extending their service lives and minimizing waste compared to traditional replacement methods.

DED’s influence extends beyond defense and aerospace. The energy sector is exploring its potential for constructing vital components within power plants or refineries. Imagine constructing complex heat exchangers with optimized internal structures for maximum heat transfer efficiency. DED’s ability to create intricate geometries opens doors for designing energy components that are not only functional but also lighter and more efficient, boosting overall energy production.

DED enables precise manufacturing using the same materials as the original design, ensuring superior performance and structural integrity.

While applications in consumer goods are still in their early stages, DED shows immense promise for prototyping purposes. Imagine designers rapidly creating functional prototypes of new consumer products using DED. This allows for faster design iterations and efficient testing before mass production begins. Additionally,  used for small-scale production of high-performance or customized consumer goods, offering a unique advantage in today’s personalized consumer market.

One of the most captivating future applications of DED lies in the creation of Functionally Graded Materials (FGMs). Unlike traditional materials with uniform properties, FGMs offer a groundbreaking approach. With DED, components can be built with material properties that gradually change across their structure. This allows for targeted optimization – for instance, a turbine blade could have a stronger base for anchoring and a heat-resistant tip for withstanding high temperatures. FGMs open doors for a new generation of components with unparalleled performance and efficiency across various industries.

DED is poised to disrupt the development of new materials as well. Traditionally, creating custom alloys is a slow and expensive process. DED empowers researchers to experiment with different material combinations and rapidly create and test variations. Imagine developing and testing hundreds of different alloy variations in a single day! This agility can accelerate innovation in material science. Aerospace engineers can explore lighter and stronger alloys for next-generation aircraft, while the healthcare sector can develop biocompatible alloys for custom-made medical implants.

DED boasts several key advantages that contribute to its growing popularity:

• Material Master: Working with a wide range of materials, including common metal powders and wires, but also exotic materials that are difficult to process with other AM techniques.
• Cost-Conscious Manufacturing: Commercially available feedstock, making it potentially more cost-effective than some other AM processes.
• Smart DED Systems: Printing with Intelligence: Modern DED systems are equipped with advanced sensors that collect valuable data throughout the printing process. This real-time data allows for quality control and ensures the part meets the desired specifications. Additionally, this data is crucial for post-build analysis, helping engineers refine future printing processes for continuous improvement.

DED transcends the limitations of traditional manufacturing. Its ability to create complex parts with a vast array of materials, coupled with the potential of FGMs and custom alloys, positions DED at the forefront of innovation. We can expect even more groundbreaking applications across various industries, shaping the future of manufacturing with stronger, lighter, and more efficient components.

Trillium Network and Racer Machinery International

When Siemens North America needed a partner to meet very specific needs for its first digital twin initiative, they chose RACER Machinery International.

RACER’s Chief Operating Officer Alex Vojinovich describes this opportunity as “validation of years of RACER providing quality machinery, rich in technical developments, to the market.” A year later, Siemens is promoting the success of the project, citing up to 30 per cent faster time to market and up to 25 per cent higher machine productivity, an impressive result when a huge multinational company collaborates with a 30 person Ontario manufacturer.

RACER Machinery International has evolved from a small equipment repair business to a custom manufacturer of engine lathes and machinery for machine components for Thyssenkrupp GM, Magna, Martinrea, Toyota, General Dynamics, US and Canadian Defence and others. However, its success was no accident. It is the result of a founding family combining a traditional quality-centered approach with a willingness to embrace innovative technologies like additive manufacturing and digital twins.

When first founded by Don Zoran Vojinovich in 1983 as Progress Machine in Cambridge, the company…operated as an engine lathe and machine repair shop, building and retrofitting Standard Modern™ Lathes.

When first founded by Don Zoran Vojinovich in 1983 as Progress Machine in Cambridge, the company focused on enabling customers to maximize the functional lives of their lathes. At the time, it operated as an engine lathe and machine repair shop, building and retrofitting Standard Modern™ Lathes. Standard Modern was originally founded in Windsor in 1931 and became an industry standard for manufacturers and training facilities around the world.

In 1990, Progress Machine became Racer Machinery Company and the company continued servicing lathes as well as introducing its own line of branded machinery. Having built and repaired the Standard Modern brand in the 1980s, the company seized the opportunity to buy the Standard Modern Lathe company in 2014 and move it from its location in Pennsylvania back to Ontario. Machine tools are stationary power-driven machines that shape or form metal parts. Engine lathes change the size, shape or finish of a revolving metal piece using various cutting tools. Today, RACER builds machine tools under the Phantom Machine Technology brand, manual engine Standard Modern lathes, and saws bearing the E-R Maier label. The company provides technical support in addition to building these signature products.

According to Alex, much of RACER’s success can be attributed to its Cambridge location. Being close to Toronto, London, Windsor, and the U.S. border gives it access to markets, automotive and defense manufacturers.

Since its founding, RACER has expanded to larger facilities a total of five times, always in Cambridge. Today, the company is run by Don and his sons Alex and Igor Vojinovich, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Administrative Officer respectively. According to Alex, much of RACER’s success can be attributed to its Cambridge location. Being close to Toronto, London, Windsor, and the U.S. border gives it access to markets, automotive and defence manufacturers.

Cambridge provides RACER with a robust labour pool. However, like many manufacturers, accessing skilled workers is becoming increasingly challenging for RACER as the workforce ages. While CNC technology is taught in the trades schools, the company encourages more schools to update the curriculum to keep up with the industry’s software and technological advances. As a corporate sponsor of the McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI), led by Dr. Stephen Veldhuis, RACER helped develop specialized courses that are offered to manufacturers by the Institute. Participants in MMRI’s training programs come from various stages in their careers, and can earn certificates in Process, Materials, or in Industry 4.0.

Regardless of an applicant’s formal training, RACER describes its recruiting approach as “hiring for common sense”. If someone demonstrates they have basic skills, RACER will invest in the training required to close any gaps. Alignment with the company’s vision is as important as a skills fit. Teamwork is one of the four pillars of RACER’s vision, along with integrity, passion and excellence. Employee ideas are encouraged and the benefit of a variety of views is realized.

The company founder’s commitment to quality and customer service lives on, and RACER is still known for making high quality products despite the influx of cheaper alternatives from lower cost regions. As Alex puts it, “We compete with China on quality. Ours are not cheap lathes.” Chinese competitors offer lower-cost, off-the-shelf solutions for customers less concerned with quality and durability. RACER works hard to reinforce the message that lathes are complex pieces of equipment that can be customized to meet very specific requirements. Made in Canada, by Canadian-skilled workers, using Canadian materials is RACER’s competitive advantage, offering a 20-year parts and service guarantee on its products.

In September of 2020, Siemens chose RACER to develop CNC technology that will improve customer productivity through the use of digital twins.

In addition to the proven machine tool, lathe and saw products, RACER is experiencing growth on the services side of the business as newer technology enables behind the scenes enhancements in its customers’ manufacturing processes. In September of 2020, Siemens, the long-time leading manufacturer of CNC controls, has selected RACER Machinery International, Inc. to be part of its North American “Field Experience” phase for its new revolutionary SINUMERIK ONE, the first digital native CNC. A digital twin is a computer replica of a real-world product which allows the customer to test new systems prior to manufacturing and ensuring the most productive methods are in place. RACER is piloting the new technology on all of its metal cutting platforms.

RACER provides the highest level of training, service, and support in the industry. Training includes three days of programming/applications training at a local university. Additionally, the customer’s maintenance personnel are invited for the last week of assembly and run-off at our plant. After installation at the customer’s facility, RACER’s service personnel and engineers work with three groups of customer personnel, namely, maintenance, operators and high-level engineers to ensure understanding of the equipment to make in-house support as effective as possible. Additionally, a key component in RACER’s performance is the “Box in box design”, which brings to the final customer superior damping characteristics, higher speed, and higher precision feed.

In addition to its Canadian and American sales, RACER also exports to Mexico, Europe, and other parts of the world. While selling expensive machine products to manufacturers in the low-cost region of Mexico seems counterintuitive, RACER saw an opportunity to help Mexican suppliers secure and retain OEM contracts by meeting rising quality standards. This risk was offset by support from EDC which provided insurance and advice that protected the company from non-paying customers.  The European market, however, remains challenging for growth as they are more confident in their own capabilities and less open to what RACER and Ontario can provide.

When Don Zoran Vojinovich started Progress Machines in 1983, the focus of the company was enabling customers to maximize the functional lives of their lathes by servicing and rebuilding them. Nearly 40 years later, RACER Machinery International is a much different company with three key brands, advanced solutions and technologies, and a growing international footprint. However, they are still enabling the success of their customers and the innovation that has made Ontario the manufacturing hub it is today.