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ANCA’s AIMS solution addresses the challenges of skilled labor shortage and rising overheads, enabling FABA to increase productivity through automation

FABA S.A., established in 1991, is a leading manufacturer of wood and metalworking tools made from carbide and PCD. Over the years, FABA has seen tremendous growth and is now a public listed company, comprising four business units located in Poland, Ukraine, and Slovakia. With approximately 400 staff members, FABA supplies their tools to 50 countries, predominantly in Europe.

One of the key factors contributing to FABA’s success has been their dedication to innovation and progress. For more than 30 years, the company has continuously invested in modern machinery and infrastructure, allowing them to stay ahead in a competitive market. However, like many others in the manufacturing industry, they have faced challenges in recent years such as low profit margins, a shortage of skilled technical labor, and increasing overheads, including high energy costs.

According to Paweł Hondra, FABA CEO, the company had been considering an advanced automation solution for several years to address these challenges and improve efficiency – and the ANCA Integrated Manufacturing System (AIMS) concept was the answer to their expectations. The integration of machines in the AIMS system promised simplified manufacturing processes, stability, consistency, and ultimately, improved product quality.

Considering the shortage of skilled technical staff in Europe, also very noticeable in Poland, FABA estimated that the implementation of the AIMS system would not only reduce labor costs by approximately 60% but also increase productivity. This solution, an industry-first by ANCA, was crucial in lowering general overheads and addressing the skilled labor shortage simultaneously.

ANCA has leveraged its nearly 50 years of vertical integration and expertise to develop a groundbreaking solution that seamlessly integrates the manufacturing workflow. With the innovative AIMS system, manufacturers can start with a tool blank and receive a fully ground tool at the other end, all in a completely automated process. This allows factories to operate efficiently without human intervention, enhancing flexibility and maximizing machine utilization.

AIMS revolutionizes the tool and cutter grinding process by integrating, connecting, and automating discrete manufacturing processes. By intelligently linking various grinding operations and factory IT systems, AIMS streamlines production and enables a smooth transition from traditional to automated and integrated manufacturing through its modular design.

One of the key benefits of AIMS for tool manufacturers is the ability to operate and respond to market demands without being constrained by labor shortages. By implementing automation solutions, manufacturers can optimize their machine uptime and operate unattended, enabling them to onshore and re-shore their manufacturing processes. AIMS reduces scrap, eliminates human errors, and enhances workplace safety, leading to improved productivity and increased competitiveness. It also effectively addresses rising overhead costs and energy expenses through an expected increase of machine-operator ratio by 100-150%.

“We have worked with ANCA since 2007, and they have been a trusted partner and software solutions provider for our organization. Their consistent delivery of reliable products and services throughout our long-standing partnership has solidified ANCA as the ideal choice to implement the AIMS system,” Mr Hondra said. “The AIMS project was conducted in a highly professional manner, with consultation and collaboration between ANCA and FABA to ensure that concerns are addressed and expectations are met.”

The installation of the full AIMS system is planned in a few months, marking the beginning of FABA’s transformative journey towards integrated manufacturing. Mr Hondra recognizes that building such a complex system will take several years, but they are prepared to invest the time and effort required. They understand that this is not just a one-time solution but a long-term commitment to continuous improvement and growth.

FABA’s collaboration with ANCA and the implementation of the AIMS system are testaments to their commitment to innovation and progress. By embracing automation and advanced manufacturing technologies, FABA is positioning itself to overcome the challenges of a competitive market, low profit margins, and skilled labor shortage. With the support of ANCA and the AIMS system, FABA looks forward to a future of increased efficiency, reduced costs, and improved product quality.

ANCA is a market leading manufacturer of CNC grinding machines. It was founded in 1974 in Melbourne, Australia where the company still has its global headquarters. ANCA has offices in the UK, Germany, China, Thailand, India, Japan, Brazil and the USA as well as a comprehensive network of representatives and agents worldwide.

ANCA CNC grinders are used for manufacturing precision cutting tools and components across a diverse range of competitive industries including cutting tool manufacture, automotive, aerospace, electronics and medical.

For further information, please contact:

Amanda Bakun
Marketing & Communications Manager – Americas
248-497-1168
amanda.bakun@anca.com

Global distributor Wesco and Siemens team up with local integrator to enable major Tennessee tire manufacturer achieve consistent tension, save money

As Chad Garner, a Nashville-based application engineer with distributor Wesco, relates, “We were presented with a significant challenge by one of our great customers, a tire manufacturer in the area.  They needed to upgrade their multiple wire drawing machines for tire cord production in the plant.”

Garner goes on to explain in detail.  “They were faced with very specific challenges.  The machines needed to hold a very tight and consistent tension to meet the wire specifications.  The company was using a ‘black box’ solution that had been custom-developed for them by a small local company that was no longer in business.  The black box, in this case, originally allowed the user to dial in the tension on the wire without making any adjustments to the drive parameters.  However, the system was now only able to hold +/- 500 grams of tension on the line, even after the customer had tested nine different control schemes to find a solution.  Ideally, their goal was to replace the black boxes with off-the-shelf products, but their current drive and control supplier was not able to help satisfactorily.  Wesco, in tandem with a local integrator and Siemens, was able to devise a solution, using standard Siemens components for the first line.”

The full solution to this challenge comprised a SIMATIC S7-1500 PLC plus remote I/O racks, SCALANCE wireless switches, SIMATIC HMI panels and, the heart of the solution, the SINAMICS S120 drive system, running 30 axes of motion control, plus various servo motors and other control products.   All these components were supplied as a total solution to the integrator and the tire cord manufacturer by Wesco.

Thanks to the success on the first machine, three more wire drawing lines at the facility were upgraded with the Siemens solution, with more planned for future installation.  A total of 120 axes of motion run by the SINAMICS S120 drives are currently in operation.  The key to success here was the tight tension control programmed into the S120 drive control unit.

Chad Garner of Wesco further observes, “A major financial aspect of this project was the amount of money invested in the controls cabinet on each machine.  The legacy PLC and Ethernet cards, if purchased from the previous supplier, would have cost approximately $30,000 and we were able to supply our better solution for about one-third that amount.  This was not only a significant reduction in cost from the previous solution, but it also resulted in component reduction, as we were able to combine functions in fewer parts.  The Siemens solution offered the customer integrated Ethernet on the PLC, so there was a reduction in expensive hardware, also achieving a smaller footprint in the plant.”

Matt Wagner, a Drives and Motion Consultant on the Siemens team, comments, “By replacing the old black box solution for tension control on these wire drawing machines at the tire manufacturer, our team, working in tandem with Wesco and the local integrator, was able to achieve all the required wire draw specs and do it with off-the-shelf solutions from the Siemens product lines.  It’s exciting when we can exceed the goals of the customer, retrofit a substantial part of the manufacturing operation and save them a lot of money in the process.  Can’t do much better,” he mused.

Using ANCA technology, SJ Tools can manufacture complicated tools for their clients with a reduction in cost and delivery time

Founded in 2015, SJ Tools is a Mexican company in Saltillo, Coahuila state that designs and manufactures cutting tools, tooling, special and standard inserts. SJ Tools offers solutions for milling, reaming, interpolations, drilling, endmills (spherical, toric, flat, double radius and barrel), drill bits (standard, step and shape) and reamer. A wide range of products are manufactured for the automotive, aerospace, medical, dental and agricultural industries. They offer services in Mexico and in the United States.

Recently, the company won the ANCA Tool of the Year competition with a cutting tool that combined multiple features into a single tool, all with very precise surface finishes.

Speaking about how SJ Tools developed their capabilities, CEO Edwin Juarez said they didn’t have the experience they now have at first and thanks to the customer with which they started with, they were able to create their first two-step combo drill tool carrier. Two inserts in the first diameter and four more in the second. Since they started supplying tools, the company wanted to demonstrate to its customers that tools are not always to blame for issues during production and that is why they have state-of-the-art quality machines to guarantee repeatability. In 2017, SJ Tools started sharpening and manufacturing carbide tools and purchased an ANCA FX5 Linear. Impressed by the results from the machine, SJ Tools decided to expand the number of ANCA Machines.  Currently, they have four ANCA machines to manufacture and sharpen carbide tools. Two of them are MX7’s with robot, one is an FX5 with the AR300 Robot and one without.  They use RoboMate for high volume tool production or FastLoad-MX for low-volume. Very soon, they will buy an ANCA machine for the sharpening of PCD.  He added that “the great team around us makes SJ Tools grow day by day.”

The ANCA MX7 Linear is a powerful, versatile CNC tool grinder designed for production grinding. It is built to meet the demands of high output, high precision manufacturing. The 38 kW (51 HP) permanent magnet spindle provides high torque at lower RPM which is ideal for carbide grinding and a wide range of other applications. The MX7 Linear is a hard-working, high productivity system with unique features that enable it to handle varied batch sizes with minimum set-up time. The new cylindrical linear motor design increases reliability further and ensures a superior surface finish.

The FX5 Linear features increased spindle power provided by the new 12kW standard spindle and an additional option of 19kW, adding more flexibility in the tool room. Furthermore,  the high-powered spindle reduces the production cost and increases net output across a wider range of tools.

Thirteen years ago, the director of SJ Tools heard about ANCA and five years ago, he requested a meeting with Mr. Russell Riddiford, the president of ANCA for North America, to present him with an ambitious project. Riddiford believed in the project and helped the company buy their first machine. Juarez explained that they decided to use ANCA because “SJ Tools is an innovative company that likes to have the best technology and ANCA is always innovating. We like that because we are walking the same path.”

Russel Riddiford said, “Since I first met Edwin and spoke with him about the initial project with SJ Tools, I’ve been thrilled about the partnership! SJ Tools is an exciting company, with a team full of innovators that are pushing the boundaries and the art of toolmaking in Mexico. Under Edwin’s leadership, SJ Tools continues to invest in new Tool and Cutter Grinding technology, allowing them to expand into new industries and to continue to push the limit of toolmaking.” He added that as expertise grows and word of mouth gets out, SJ Tools’ demand for products continues to grow and that ANCA is honored to be one of their partners.

The company uses a wide variety of ANCA products and software but the ones they like the most are ANCA Tool Compensation and ANCA Wheel Compensation. This helps a lot to reduce adjustment times. In addition, automation allows machines to continue working on weekends without an operator.

Thanks to ANCA, “We have manufactured complicated tools with customers who themselves are surprised that they are manufactured in Mexico since large companies have not wanted to manufacture or sharpen since very tight tolerances are required.  We are very happy with our machines and our customers are as well as we have helped them reduce costs and delivery times.”

Juarez praises ANCA for several reasons, including its software, service, and staff. He commented that “The simple form of their software, the attention of their technical service in the United States and Mexico has been captivating us more and more.” He also highlighted the help of Russell Riddiford, stating that he is grateful for his support from the first moment.

Benefits of tools that have multiple functions in a single tool include reduction in cycle times, as well as reducing and optimizing the use of inventory space. Referring to the increase in the number of tools with multiple functions, he concluded, “In such a competitive market each and every one of the companies that manufactures seeks savings. This is why we need to innovate, develop, design tools and look for processes that give better performance to our clients’ tools.”

For further information, please contact:

Amanda Bakun
Marketing and Communications Manager, Americas
M: +1 248 497 1168
Amanda.bakun@anca.com

ANCA is a market leading manufacturer of CNC grinding machines. It was founded in 1974 in Melbourne, Australia where the company still has its global headquarters. ANCA has offices in the UK, Germany, China, Thailand, India, Japan, Brazil and the USA as well as a comprehensive network of representatives and agents worldwide.

ANCA CNC grinders are used for manufacturing precision cutting tools and components across a diverse range of competitive industries including cutting tool manufacture, automotive, aerospace, electronics and medical.

Edwin Juarez
CEO, SJ Tools
T: +52 8441226437
E.juarez@sjtools.mx

This industrial, true 6-axis continuous fiber-reinforced 3D printer enables tool-less rapid fabrication of aerospace-grade integrated composite structures.

Pushing the envelope in additive manufacturing

Aerospace and defense design engineers and the complex components they develop require true manufacturing agility. Shepherding ideas from seeming impossibilities to sparks of inspiration to groundbreaking products that enable innovation can be both exhilarating and maddening. To iterate quickly and enable true collaboration, the fastest teams in engineering employ the Electroimpact SCRAM system powered by the Siemens SINUMERIK ONE CNC.

Helping to make the impossible possible, Electroimpact has integrated an in-situ out-of-autoclave thermoplastic Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) process, an advanced Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3D printing process, a Fused Granulate Fabrication (FGF) 3D printing process, and subtractive machining into a unified Scalable Composite Robotic Additive Manufacturing (SCRAM) system. SCRAM is an industrial, true 6-axis continuous fiber-reinforced 3D printer that enables the tool-less rapid fabrication of aerospace-grade integrated composite structures.

High-performance thermoplastics combined with a high percentage of continuous fiber reinforcement are used to produce parts with exceptional material properties previously unheard of in the world of additive manufacturing. The enhanced performance of the 6-axis system offers unmatched dexterity and flexibility, enabling shapes, accuracies and intricacies not possible otherwise.

This technology has no equal in the industry and is a unique offering available only from Electroimpact. The capabilities and processing speed of the SINUMERIK ONE control empower Electroimpact engineers to achieve these breakthroughs in additive manufacturing.

True 3D printing

Most 3D printing processes are more accurately described as 2.5D printing. The material is deposited successively in
flat slices, which when stacked together form a 3D object. In contrast, the SCRAM process renders true 3D printing.

Layers of continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic capably take the shape of complex contours, including aerodynamic surfaces and ducts for fluid flow. As a 6-axis process, fiber orientation within each layer can be tailored to the specific application, providing optimal strength and appropriate stiffness distribution throughout the part, much like a conventional AFP system.

In addition to the continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic printing process and the FGF support tool printing process, SCRAM cells are also fitted with two FFF nozzles optimized for deposition of thermoplastic material reinforced with short or “chopped” fiber.

A proprietary laser heating system is incorporated, producing exceptionally strong bonds between layers. This process is ideal for situations in which layering continuous fiber is geometrically impossible or otherwise does not make sense. “It allows us to deposit the material exactly where it needs to be and only where it needs to be, achieving the highest possible strength and lowest weight,” says Ryan Bischoff, senior composite engineer at Electroimpact.

This is a true 3D printing process where the layers are not simply a stack of planes. Complex geometries such as variable density core and other internal structures can be printed directly onto continuous fiber-reinforced layers with widely varying curvature. If desired, additional continuous fiber-reinforced layers can then be deposited on top of the chopped fiber-reinforced core structure, forming an upper skin.

The system is an integration of several additive and subtractive processes, combined with Electroimpact’s patented accurate robot, a rotating build platform and a climate-controlled build chamber.

Electroimpact then supercharges everything with the SINUMERIK ONE control from Siemens. “SINUMERIK ONE allows us to run more complicated code much faster,” says Kylie Martineau, Electroimpact controls engineer.

“Electroimpact expanded from doing mostly drilling and fastening to additive manufacturing about 15 years ago,” Bischoff says.  “That move and the advancements over the years led to the development of a system that we call a ‘factory in a cell.’ Instead of needing a whole assembly line, with each dedicated machine only performing a single function, it is one system, which can be printing ducts for jet engines one day and a wing component the next. It can be quickly changed and adapted according to needs.”

The SCRAM enables the tool-less rapid fabrication of aerospace-grade integrated composite structures. This factory in a cell gives builders the option to produce low-run parts that make all the difference in their designs.

This might be a carbon fiber element for Formula One racing or a part made from a revolutionary alloy that is destined for space. For short runs or small runs, nothing can compete with this technology. “Here is where the factory in a cell helps teams develop parts much more quickly than a traditional facility. You complete the whole process within the SCRAM system. It makes sense because these are not the kind of parts that are produced in the thousands,” Bischoff says.

“Our customers are doing extraordinary work, and we are right there alongside them,” he adds. “Your Electroimpact engineer is with you though the lifespan of the system for all questions and requests. We are here to help builders push boundaries. We service our equipment till the day it dies. Support is one of the things that Electroimpact does better than anyone else in the industry.”

With the SCRAM system, 3D printing replaces the need for the traditional complex tooling development typically used for automated carbon-fiber layup. This eliminates the inflated cost and time investments needed in traditional tooling and development; therefore, the SCRAM system allows for faster corrections and modifications.

Once the complex tooling is printed, the SINUMERIK ONE control facilitates rapid changes throughout the process. First, the SCRAM system changes to a multi-axis milling head that finishes the form to exacting specifications. Then the SCRAM system changes once again to the 6-axis carbon-fiber placement head and applies the intricate pattern of carbon fiber tape to the support material.

Bischoff explains that the tape is deposited quickly, establishing the form. Next, the support material additive is then completely dissolved away, leaving behind a component in the exact shape the manufacturer needs.

“The knowledge that we’re able to dissolve the tooling without creating graywater brings us great peace of mind,” Bischoff says.

The SCRAM system, with the power of SINUMERIK ONE, also enables iteration. “We are working to make an open system that will support the material choices and make the parts each customer needs. We are driven by customer demand,” Bischoff explains.

The processing speed of the Siemens SINUMERIK ONE CNC

Electroimpact engineers appreciate the advanced features of this next-generation control platform.

“The faster processor times for both motion control and PLC, combined with new functionalities of the SINUMERIK ONE, further enable the incredible work Electroimpact is doing with the SCRAM system,” says Steve Czajkowski, engineering manager at Siemens.

Brian Cubie, account manager for Siemens, agrees. “Our system is the foundation on which they are building, and it is just incredible to experience,” he says. “I have been in robotics for many years, and to see what the engineers at Electroimpact are doing in terms of digitalizing the factory floor is exciting. They are always at the forefront. Electroimpact does a phenomenal job of taking our new SINUMERIK ONE control and adding encoders for feedback and run it though their own kinematics.”

SINUMERIK ONE is built for high-speed processing that enables the accuracy needed for specialized parts. It is ideally suited to the SCRAM’s groundbreaking ability to shift from 3D printing to finishing and continuous carbon-fiber placement, all from one control.

SINUMERIK ONE makes product development faster, more flexible, and more efficient.

Digital twin technology

Looking towards the future, the SINUMERIK ONE control platform will take the SCRAM into advanced digital twin technology. This will help teams engineer a fully functioning machine even before a real-life prototype exists and for teams to transfer tasks from the real world to the virtual environment. It will keep projects moving consistently to the work preparation phase. Having SINUMERIK ONE as a built-in tool will help reduce overhead costs for projects and support.

“There‘s a huge industry push to having a digital twin,” Martineau says. “I am extremely excited about supporting SCRAM in our customers’ endeavors moving forward. Each customer is pushing what is possible. They are reaching for ideas that are slightly out of the ordinary. With this true digital twin, instead of needing to travel for an on-site visit or asking for photos or video footage of their challenges, the PLC will allow simulation right inside the control.”

Just as customers can run the digital twin from their computer, Martineau will be able to operate the digital control of a customer’s SCRAM right from hers.

“We hear from customers when they’re striving for the next level, pushing the system to the max. Being able to jump in and see what’s happening is so valuable,” she says. “The digital twin capabilities of SINUMERIK ONE will enable us to work extremely close to our customers in the future, supporting their desires to push the envelope of product development. With digital twin technology this accurate, customers will benefit from knowing we can jump in anytime to seamlessly help troubleshoot.”

Strong partnership

Siemens and Electroimpact have been partners for more than 10 years. The SCRAM previously included the SINUMERIK 840D sl, a precision CNC control highly favored by the aerospace industry. SINUMERIK ONE is faster and excels at more complex code. With the advancements of the SINUMERIK ONE control, the possibilities are endless.

“Electroimpact is always pushing the envelope,” says Brian McMinn, head of the Siemens Machine Tool Systems business. “Their approach is to always be at the very leading edge of manufacturing technology. We are glad to be a part of their team as SINUMERIK ONE has the power and speed to make it all possible.”

Expect to see further advancements from Electroimpact in the next few years that raise the bar even higher for complex aerospace design and development.

The SINUMERIK ONE control will continue to evolve and support the next wave of design and development in machine building.

For more information and to watch the video, visit:  usa.siemens.com/ei-scram

Market leader in high-precision pneumatic valves and other components machines 316SS and other materials, achieving better finish in less time with reduced power and less wire breakage, due to proprietary product from Global Innovative Products

Trevor McCoy, CNC/EDM programmer at Clippard, runs a FANUC wire EDM with the GIP proprietary PLASMA coated brass wire. McCoy states he achieves better finish with 15 to 20% improvement in run time. (machine hood open only for photo purpose)

Clippard (Cincinnati, Ohio) is a world leader in fluid control products and other high-precision components, and the company prides itself on having been vertically integrated for decades, since its founding in 1941. The company operates two ISO certified manufacturing locations in Ohio and does advanced machining of all types to produce its extensive catalog of standard and custom product solutions for a myriad of markets worldwide. At the heart of its machining capabilities are 12-axis CNC Swiss machines, CNC milling centers and CNC wire EDM’s, plus numerous post-finishing operations, including anodizing, EN plating and thermal deburring. Various metal and thermoplastic materials are machined.

Recently, after extensive discussions with a local EDM supply distributor, a proprietary hybrid coated brass wire was presented to the Clippard Director of Operations, Robin Rutschilling and his CNC/EDM Programmer, Trevor McCoy by Barry Ramsay of Global Innovative Products (hereafter GIP), a Mason, Ohio supplier of consumables for EDM shops through their GIP distributor network, who also produces a variety of its own products for need-specific operations in electrical discharge machining. One such product is a PLASMA hybrid coated brass wire, comprising of a gamma-phase intermetallic zinc alloy coated wire with brass core. This proprietary GIP innovation had proven out in numerous lab testings but needed “real world” production validation. Barry Ramsay and GIP application engineer Brad Hansard approached the team at Clippard.

Clippard uses wire EDM for the production of many components, including the tooling used in its conventional machine shops. All EDM work at Clippard is performed for internal production purposes, so one-offs are common, making speed a critical factor for the department.

As the product had been found suitable for all types of wire machines, with excellent auto-threading capability and increased performance, even at conventional brass wire settings, Ramsay felt confident the product would outperform what Clippard was currently using in its EDM shop, including other GIP wire. This new product was being offered in 0.008”, 0.010” and 0.012” (20mm, 25mm and 30mm) diameters, so Ramsay proposed giving the Clippard EDM department a supply for testing on one of its Fanuc wire machines.

Gamma phase brass is a brittle intermetallic alloy (Cu5Zn8) with a high zinc content (approximately 65% Zn) which can also be synthesized by a diffusion anneal. However, when such coatings are wire drawn subsequent to the diffusion anneal, the coating will fracture due to its brittleness and redistribute around the wire circumference creating a discontinuous layer sometimes described as a “porous layer”, which promotes turbulent flow enhancing the flushing of debris. However, it is zinc enrichment created at the surface combined with the elevated melting point of CuZn gamma phase (approximately 800ºC/1472ºF) which are the biggest factors contributing to the performance of Gamma Phase Brass coated wire.

The arrangement between the two companies actually began in a somewhat unconventional manner, as Trevor McCoy relates. “We have an Ocean hole popper (electrode/sinker EDM) and the circuit boards needed repair. Brad was able to do that kind of work, which I knew from previous experiences with him. So, he proposed exchanging the board servicing for the opportunity to test the GIP hybrid PLASMA wire. Seemed reasonable to us, so we agreed.” The FANUC wire EDM in the shop at Clippard seemed an ideal candidate for GIP, as well, as Barry Ramsay notes, “We knew they were running all types of materials and some very high-precision tooling used in their own machine shop for the production of various pneumatic components with very tight tolerances. It seemed a very good place to test our new wire, which had been proven out on our own EDM’s at GIP.” He further says it was a handshake deal, a “classic collaboration between two companies for their mutual benefit,” adding that application engineering supplied by GIP further enhanced the use of the product at Clippard, as the test learning process information was shared without reservation, so both companies benefited.

In this test case, many of the components were being run for the production of special parts being produced by Clippard for robotic arm articulation.

The testing immediately yielded positive results, as McCoy notes they were holding tolerances under a tenth, with a microfinish that was very important for the application. “We do a lot of custom work for our own use, over 50% of my production in EDM. Some of the hard tool steels are difficult to drill and we also run various others. The jobs require a lot of setup time and fixturing, so run time, finish and wire breaks all are critical for us.”

The goals for this proprietary wire testing were three, according to Barry Ramsay. “The characteristics of the PLASMA wire in production on the FANUC machine at Clippard were important, as the flushing of their precision components directly impacts quality. Further, we had our own test results galore but needed an outside house to validate what we were seeing. Lastly, we just wanted to help our friends at Clippard, who had been so cooperative and, in this case, needed our help with those circuit boards. It was a classic win-win for both of us, as all three goals were met.”

Multiple parts were EDM’d during the testing of this PLASMA wire, with full comparative data tracked on the test wire vs. conventional brass. One tool for a medical part was produced, for example, in :56 vs. 1:05 with five skim passes, a 16% improvement in overall production. McCoy notes, “We could apply more power to run faster. The GIP product consistently outperforms premium brass, based on my experience with both now.” He also cited a very practical advantage. “The PLASMA wire is as clean as conventional brass.” Ramsay adds the price point is also competitive, so there’s less of a premium to achieve these enhanced results.

Clippard is a third-generation, family-owned and operated company that has developed many pneumatic components for a variety of applications in industry, commercial and even fun applications. Clippard’s Chief Marketing Officer, Rob Clippard, developed this “air guitar” that operates with the company’s pneumatic valves and cylinders. See it in performance of the classic Pachelbel Canon in D below. A wonderful intersection of music’s magic with the technology of one very creative company!

Chris Agricola, Advertising Manager at Clippard, also contributed to this story.

For more information, please contact:

Robin Rutschilling
Director of Operations
CLIPPARD
7390 Colerain Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45239
Phone:  513-521-4261
www.clippard.com
r.rutschilling@clippard.com

Or

Barry Ramsay
General Manager
GLOBAL INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS
7697 Innovation Way
Suite 200
Mason, OH 45050
Phone:  513-701-0441
www.gipintl.com
bramsay@gipintl.com