FITTINGS MANUFACTURER DRAMATICALLY IMPROVES EFFICIENCY, TOOL LIFE WITH CARPENTER PROJECT 70+ STAINLESS
07 April 2004 - Carpenter Technology Corporation

C&C Automatics Inc. of Newark, N.Y., found reduced tool life in its stainless steel machining was proving costly in terms of finish quality and productivity, and decided to upgrade to Project 70+ stainless steel from Carpenter Technology Corporation. C&C produces two main stainless products, a plumbing hose fitting that requires an extremely smooth finish, and a mass-produced automotive fitting where minutes of inactivity can quickly add up to reduced profits.

A machined parts manufacturer producing automotive and industrial fittings, C&C has grown from a two-person shop in 1992 to a 20-employee operation producing more than 20 million parts per year. These range from 1/16 in. to 1 3/4 in. diameter, including weekly output of 20,000 to 50,000 automotive inserts in diameters of 9/32 in. and 5/16 in.

Plumbing hose recision automobile engine fittings require a smooth finish. In working with 17/32-inch diameter stainless steel, C&C uses a high-speed shave tool to produce the high quality finish required by its customer.

With an earlier grade of stainless steel, the high-speed shave tool needed to be adjusted at such a severe angle that it would develop a built up edge and break down so often that C&C could not produce enough products to meet job cost estimates.

The premium stainless steel reduced the wear on the shave tool while providing the required finish. The improved nongalling properties of Project 70+ Stainless made cutting easier and helped avoid scratching and tears that can ruin a precision finish.

Switching from type 303 stainless steel to .53125-in. round cold finished, annealed Project 70+ Type 303 stainless barstock allowed C&C to dramatically improve finish quality.

'We were running at 15 percent of our quoted job rates before we swapped out the stainless steel,' said Craig Parsons, president of C&C Automatics. 'We were approaching a point where it wasn’t profitable to keep making the fittings, but changing the steel alone moved the efficiency rate above 50 percent.'

While machining precision parts, it is best to run machines at a consistent setting. C&C prefers to set up a machining tool and let it run as long as possible. The slightest variation in settings can result in imperfections and increase downtime as technicians make the necessary adjustments.

Knurl-formed fittings for the automotive industry make up C&C’s most profitable stainless steel products, but as with all mass produced items that profitability diminishes quickly if the machines sit idle.

Tool breakdowns required machinists to stop working, replace the tool and reset the machinery. A set of knurls generally costs about $45 each, but time spent replacing them was even more costly.

'We can replace a set of knurls in a few minutes if everything goes right,' Parsons said. 'Although any time a machine is shut down for tooling and/or adjustments, the potential is there for extended downtime and therefore, a decrease in efficiency.'

With its previous machining stock, C&C replaced the knurls nearly once a day. By upgrading to Project 70+ stainless steel, C&C's knurls lasted more than three days, which resulted in greater throughput and higher part production.

With its original 9/32-inch stainless steel machining bar, C&C was producing the automotive fittings at a rate of about 5,000 per set of knurls. Switching from type 303 stainless steel to .2812-in. round cold finished, annealed Project 70+ Type 303 stainless barstock allowed C&C to increase tool life to15,000 pieces per set of knurls.

'Our machinists prefer to set the machine up once and let it run all day, and quite frankly so do I,' concluded Parsons.

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