Articles: Metal Forming

Die lubricants and other process fluids often are the last items to be considered in stamping manufacturing operations. Yet they can make or break your chances of producing good parts in a cost-effective manner. How you use lubricants and other metalworking fluids significantly affects your housekeeping activities, and can become a health, safety, and environmental (HSE) concern while increasing costs in ways that many stampers don’t consider.  

A dozen new Unist programmable roll-coater lubrication systems installed on most of the presses at Tier Two automotive stamper Clover Tool Manufacturing Ltd., Concord, Ontario, Canada, have put a dramatic halt to the significant amount of wasted lubricant that once plagued its pressroom.

Continuous stock-lubrication systems, or roller coaters, consistently apply a precise amount of lubricant to the top and bottom of coil stock just before it feeds into the press. Compared to locating spray nozzles at the entry end of the press and then spaced throughout the die, as needed, roller coaters promise to reduce lube consumption by eliminating overspraying, while promoting cleanliness around the press. And, precise, predictable and repeatable lube application can improve part quality and extend die life.

Every metal stamping process has, at its core, three key components that contribute to its overall success: the work material being stamped, the proper tooling, and the correct lubricant to help aid material flow inside the tool. A successful stamping operation requires that  . . .

No one is happy when a machine goes down because of tooling issues - wasted time that is even more frustrating when it's avoidable.  Guest columnist Tim Walker of Unist explains how Arrow Storage Products found a way to significantly reduce their machine downtime and cut their average tooling downtime per week due to tooling by 70 percent.

One company in California learns the joy of reduction.

Stamper saves costs and raises production with a system from Unist.

Great article from Metalforming Magazine in which an MTD plant in Martin, Tennessee was able to save on lubricant costs by switching from a spray system to a Uni-Roller stock lubricator.  MTD estimates a conservative 20% reduction in downtime and significant cost savings, as well as completely eliminating operator tasks relating to lubrication cleanup, refill, and recycling.