contents LAYOUT june 08.indd - Indobiz.biz

Vol. 03 / 2008 

news 

The Indonesian Quarterly Magazine for the Metalworking & Related Manufacturing Industries 

Indonesia Features: 

Jepang akan membantu proyek pengembangan 

manufaktur Indonesia 

Program hemat tahap II 25 Agustus 

THE FUTURE OF THE 

MILL TURN 

Picture with compliments from Yamazaki Mazak

e 

The Ind o n e s ian Qu a r terly Ma g a z ine for th e M e talwo rking & Re lated Ma n u fac turing Ind u s trie s 

The Indo n e sia n Qu a r terly Ma g a z ine for the Me tal wo r kin g & Re lated Ma n u fac t u r ing Ind u s tries 

The Ind o n e s ian Q u a r terly Ma g a z ine fo r th e Me tal working & Re lated Ma n u factu ring Ind u s trie s 

Contents 






Vol. 03 / 2008 

news 





Vol. 03 / 2008 

news 




Vol. 03 / 2008 

news 

On the Cover 


MILL TURN 


MILL TURN 


MILL TURN 

Picture with compliments from Yamazaki Mazak 



The DMU 50 

Compact but powerful - from 3 axes to 5 axe 

The Milling Future Age 

A decade of Moldmaking Progress 

Tangential Milling of Mold & Dies 

Industry & Technology 

Cam Nesting Tricks for Waterjet Cutting 

Super Turbo-X champion Laser Cutting 

Quick Turn Star 200 

VARIAXIS 500-5X II 

A New Star is Borne! 

The new 

BTSA 200-60BE Essential 

Steel plate handling with 

magnets comes of age 

Clinching the case in fastening 

Solidworks technology overview 

The Tribological Challenges of 

High Speed Machining 

Work Smart: Balancing Price 

and Productivity 

Toolong for zero stock machining 

Quality & Inspection 

Advances in defect detection 

08 

09 

11 

15 

17 

20 

22 

24 

26 

28 

30 

36 

38 

41 

Automation 

44 Successful Robotic Deburring is 

Really a Matter of Choices 

Shop Management 

49 The Strategy and Tactics of Hiring 

Indonesia Features 

52 

7 Sektor Industri dikecualikan dari ketentuan 

Industri didorong pakai mesin baru 




2 Sektor Industri dapat perlakuan khusus Bea 

Masuk 

Just for the Thought 

55 Machine tool fi nancing - Conserve 

working capital 

Fresh from the oven 

57 Fueling the engine of change 

News Snippets 

59 

Dutacipta siapkan Rp 129 Miliar bangun baja siku 

Mittal garap pabrik baja terintegrasi senilai 

US$800 juta 

4 

indometalworking news Vol. 3 / 2008

Editorial 

Skill Wanted Desperately 

Stanley Setyaatmadja is an interesting guy as I came 

to know him during one of the talks he gave recently. 

In many ways Stanley reminded me of an old-time 

preacher, pounding on the pulpit, but in his case, he was not 

talking about spiritual matters. Instead, he’s on a patriotic 

crusade to urge and move our beloved country, Indonesia, 

forward and into the future. 

His fi nance driven quest is a total passion for him. People 

adore him and are impressed with the way he structured Adira 

and completely brought Adira to the future with Danamon. 

He’s known to be very brilliant when it comes to fi nance 

management. 

Refl ecting on his words, recently one of my best friends 

phoned in to ask, “Edwin, I’m debt free now, but I want to 

send my kid to college. Do you think I should borrow money to 

send him to school?” 

I asked, “How much money?” “About $50,000 over a fouryear 

period”, he replied. 

“What’s your son going to study,” I then asked. “Business, 

I suppose”, he said. 

After choking a bit, I asked him something like, “You’re going 

for a $50,000 loan, so that when your son graduates, he has 

the potential to earn $15,000 a year to start with? Does that 

make sense?” 

Then my friend went on about what he believes would be the 

expectation of the new era and the new economy. 

“This is still the era of SKILL,” I told him while recalling 

what Stanley had said. “Unless your son is going to study 

something that is totally unique and guarantees that he’ll 

make lots of money, I would send him to a lower-cost state 

school. In today’s world, graduates have to compete with 

hundreds of thousands of graduates in India and China. If you 

look at salary scales, people with skills, such as computer 

programming or engineering, do a lot better in the beginning 

than business graduates.” 

In the 8 years of my worklife, I’ve been mingled up with various 

walks of business people. Most of them whom I know were 

either billionaires already, or are well on their way to becoming 

so. Plus, most of them are self-made entreprenuers with only 

high school or less formal education. 

So how did they make it? Interestingly, most of them started 

out as skilled craftsmen or engineering hands, people who 

could create and produce things to be bought by others! 

In this issue I put an emphasis on the Japan-Indonesia 

technology transfer skills and posted an article on the new 

technology on milling. But, going back to the start line, the 

Right SKILL is in crucial need to uphold the existence of our 

business in metalworking especially. 

MTT 2008 is here, taking place 27-30 August, in our country. 

There will be many new technology introduced and many new 

features coming up to make our business more competitive 

in the global arena. Seems to me, if we want to sprout more 

fi nancially successful people in this country, we ought to start 

with grooming more skilled labour and thus, more effective 

trainings have to be coursed out and implemented. 

Hmmmmmmm. . . .something to think about. 

Edwin Widjaja 

Editor in Chief 

PT IndoBiz Connection 

Gedung Hero II 8 th fl oor 

Jl. Gatot Subroto Kav. 64 No. 177A Jakarta Selatan - Indonesia 

Telp. : +62-21-657 00 022 

Fax : +62-21-266 45 463 

Contact : 

Melissa Ng 

Edwin Widjaja 

sales@indobiz.biz (advertisement) 

editor@indobiz.biz (articles/editorial) 

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of this publication covered 

by the copyright herein may 

be reproduced in any form or 

means - graphic, electronic, 

mechanical, photocopying, 

recording, taping, etc - 

without the written consent 

of the publisher. Opinions 

expressed by contributors and 

advertisers are not necessarily 

those of the publisher and 

editor. All of the articles are 

based on the original author. 

6 


The DMU 50 

Compact but powerful – from 

3 axes to 5 axe 

The DMU 50 from DMG represents the ideal basis for entry into the 

innovative CNC universal milling sector, especially for the forward 

thinking entry-level users of 5-axis machines, with machines equipped 

with high-tech components and extensive options, already included in 

this compact machine. Highlights contributing to the increased dynamics 

of the DMU 50 include digital drives in all axes as well as on the main 

spindle with up to 14,000 rpm. Apart from the standard-equipped fi xed 

table, a number of optional confi gurations are available such as a manual 

or driven swivel rotary table with a hydraulic table clamping device. This 

adds two additional machining axes. State-of-the-art control technology 

with the DMG ERGOline® Control, a 19” TFT-screen and 3D-software 

ensures the fastest job processing times as well as superb precision and 

reliability. With the DMU 50, DMG offers the perfect, economically priced 

machine for entry into the world of 5-axis milling centres. 

Within the DMG Group, DECKEL MAHO Seebach quite recently had still 

been concentrating on the smaller universal machines on the milling 

segment. Since the 2004 launch more than 400 machines per year were 

sold. The DMU 50 in the new DMG design supersedes both of these 

models at the same time. Starting with the basic machine, the customer 

can choose from several equipment versions – in particular three table 

variants consisting of a rigid table, a manual swivel rotary table and 

a motor-driven hydraulically clamped swivel rotary table. Hence the 

DMU 50 develops the whole world of innovative milling – from 3-axis 

technology to 5-side complete machining. 

At the same time, the DMU 50 features drive powers up to 13 kW, rapid 

traverses up to 24 m/min, fl exible retooling and a tool magazine for up 

to 30 tools, enabling it to perform even highly complex tasks with high 

productivity and short tooling times. Both, the magazine and the tool 

changer are located outside the machining chamber, an arrangement 

that protects them from soiling and facilitates retooling during productive 

cycles. 

The modular layout of the DMU 50 is the ideal basis for the production 

of complex individual parts and short runs with maximum precision and 

surface quality. This is also ensured by the highly stable structure of the 

compound rest with inherently rigid, ribbed cast components combined 

with the machine base of cast PC. 

Performance, ergonomics and universality are the outstanding features 

of the available alternative controllers, too. Either Siemens 840D 

powerline, Heidenhain iTNC 530 or Heidenhain MillPlus IT – all three 

high performers are convincing candidates with high memory capacities, 

ultra fast processors and excellent user friendliness thanks to their 

19” the DMG ERGOline® Control TFT screens and 3D software support. 

Via Ethernet they also allow direct access to external networks – and 

therefore to DMG Netservice, too. 

Highlights of the DMU 50 

DMG ERGOline® Control, a 19” TFT-screen and 3D-software for easy visual programming 

Powerful motor spindle with up to 14,000 rpm (optional), 100Nm and 18.9 kW 

Variable table options, from fi xed to swivel rotary table with digital drives – for automated 5-axis machining 

High workpiece weights and maximum precision due to integrated swivel rotary table with large diameter roller bearings in both rotary axes 

Excellent accessibility to the work area, good chip disposal and steep slanted walls, large work area in relation to small machine size 

Tool magazine for setup parallel to production time, optionally for 16 or 30 tools 

Specifications 

x / y / z axis 

max. speed 

power (40 / 100% duty) 

torque (40% duty) 

max. rapid traverse x / y / z 

tool magazine* 

controllers 

* optional 

mm 

rpm 

kW 

Nm 

m/min 

500 / 450 / 400 

20 – 10,000 / 20 – 14,000* 

13 / 9 

83 

24 

16 / 30 

Heidenhain iTNC 530 

MillPlus IT 

Siemens 840D Powerline 

Captions: 

DMGs DMU 50 in the new DMG Design opens up a new era for tool, jig and prototype building, whether in the training centre or workshop. 

These CNC systems are convincing candidates with high memory capacities, fast processors and excellent user friendliness thanks to their 19” TFT screens and 3D software. 

The optional motor-driven hydraulically clamped swivel rotary table opens up the whole world of innovative 5-side machining. 

8 


Combining Milling and Turning is the answer for future.. 

Mill-turn centers make domestic 

manufacturing adept to change 

and, with effi cient use of labor, 

more competitive on a global scale. 

Mill-turn machines—whether the 

industry uses “multitasking,” “multifunction,” 

“multiprocess” or another 

adjective to describe them—are the new 

stars of the machining universe, touted 

to lower costs, reduce setups and keep 

manufacturing stateside. What used to 

be handled in multiple operations can 

now be clamped once, machined, then 

taken out—complete. 

“Due to rapidly changing market 

demands, the life-cycle of merchandise 

in general has become shorter,” said 

Brian Papke, president of Mazak Corp., 

at its Touch the Future event. “Because 

of this, today’s market strongly demands 

the multi-tasking concept.” In a 

manufacturing environment embracing 

lean, he said, “what is more lean than 

producing parts complete in a single 

fi xturing?” 

One shop owner in Guang Zhou, China 

“is a progressive individual—very much 

a disciple of ‘lean,’” says Michael J. 

Hillock, Marketing Director at Hardinge 

Asia, adding that he is interested on the 

future machine tool world. His concept 

was to “make a machine-tool small 

enough so he could put it on a pallet 

truck and push it around his shop” to 

whichever cell required it. Although 

machines aren’t there yet, they can 

take a growing library of parts and part 

families. 

Such high-tech machines fi ll the needs 

for high-growth markets in the Europe, 

USA and Japan, including the medical 

industry. “That industry is growing every 

year by 30 percent or more,” says Olaf 

Tessarzyk, CEO of INDEX Corp. “Do I 

see growth [for these machines] in the 

world.? Absolutely.” 

Historically, some manufacturers have 

viewed mill-turns as too complex. And no 

wonder. Finding qualifi ed labor proved 

hard enough, but fi nding someone to 

manually program a mill-turn center’s 

multitude of axes was, in some labor 

markets, not practical. 

But a solution, sources say, is coming 

from two places: intuitive technology 

inside the modern mill-turn, and a push 

for training focused not only on the 

fundamentals of metalworking but on 

the problem-solving creativity these new 

machines bring to the shop fl oor. 

RIGIDITY AND INTUITIVE CONTROL 

These machines are designed to “take 

the heat,” so to speak, of many unlike 

components working together. “You 

have beds, you have steel linear roller 

ways, you have steel turrets, you have 

unlike material within that machine, and 

they’re all put together to build a machine 

tool,” says Gayle Vollmer, director of 

technical resources at Okuma. “It’s all 

in relation to the thermal coeffi cient, 

the expansion of mass. Everything that 

is a different size is going to grow at a 

different rate.” 

Because of this, “we need to make 

the machine ‘thermally friendly,’” he 

says, meaning “we know where the 

thermal weak points are, and we can 

compensate for them with the design of 

the machine.” 

“Elements are moving all over the place,” 

Vollmer continues. The machine slide 

produces friction, which turns into heat. 

Cutting produces heated chips that drop 

in different places, all the while coolant 

is thrown into the mix. “You have a lot 

of different temperatures going on 

inside the machine tool, so you have a 

lot of different things affecting thermal 

stability.” 

Mori Seiki also sees machine-tool 

technologies are transforming mill-turns 

into “full-performance machines” in 

milling and turning capabilities. 

indometalworking news Vol. 3 / 2008 9

Most signifi cant, according to sources, 

is that these machines overall have 

become more intuitive. Collision 

protection has matured to the point 

where, in some cases, a crash can be 

avoided even during manual operation 

mode. As the control software becomes 

more intuitive and increasingly operatorfriendly, 

so does the viability of mill-turn 

machines in increasingly diverse shop 

environments. 

Vollmer says that offl ine programming 

optimization and automatic NC 

generation have made the technology 

more accessible. So today, “when you 

put the programming on the machine, 

you’re not spending a lot of time 

debugging and making sure certain 

elements clear.” 

Consider a part that requires upper and 

lower turrets to perform simultaneous 

roughing. That, in some cases, can be 

diffi cult to program, because it has two 

turrets coming in at the same time. 

AdMac system that will automatically 

program those turrets coming in at the 

same time, and synchronize everything 

together: the correct spindle speed, the 

correct feed rates. 

The anti-collision system analyzes the 

machine through real-time simulation 

to prevent crashing. So if the operator 

places an incorrect tool or sets the 

wrong offset, the controller will detect 

that and not allow the machine to go 

there. 

With the fear of collision, that simulation 

technology has matured to the point 

where “we can see every little dent or 

burr that will be made on the toolpath. 

Working together with Siemens, INDEX 

now offers 3D modeling of a “virtual 

machine” customized for a particular 

machine model. The end result? A 

simulated end part is “no longer just 

similar” to the end product, he says. 

“It’s a one-to-one copy.” 

FINDING PEOPLE 

The manufacturing program wasn’t 

meeting the needs of local business— 

particularly aerospace and medical, 

where new machining technologies 

brought a challenge: How do technical 

schools train future machinists on new 

machines without actually having one 

for students to use? The answer lay in 

the basic soft skills and critical thinking 

that, essentially, teaches students to 

learn effi ciently, work with others and 

take initiative. 

Now, in Indonesia, the Center for 

Manufacturing Excellence has been 

set up with coordination between 

government and Japan. Supported in 

part by the IMDIA, the center attempts 

to resurrect the fundamentals, 

granting students a Certifi cate in Basic 

Manufacturing. Specifi cally, educators 

hope to give students various skills in 

decision-making, teamwork, systems 

and processes, and other areas. Today’s 

student still needs the fundamentals. 

Companies need machinists who 

communicate their intimate knowledge 

of a machine to help make a better 

part. 

True, intuitive interfaces, simulation 

and other software advancements have 

opened the door to mill-turns for many 

shops. But without well-honed, problemsolving 

creativity, a manufacturer may 

well not take advantage of a modern 

machine’s fl exibility. 

The more we do in a machine, the more 

complicated it gets, and it takes more 

skill to run it. Consider a machinist who 

used to operate three machines all 

day. Today, he might have one multifunction 

machine—and put out a lot 

more products. On top of that, he works 

with software to help make the products 

more effi ciently, and, to prepare for part 

changeovers, he may perform process 

planning as well. Before, the shop ran 

as many parts as it could, because 

changing parts meant having three 

spindles down. With one multi-process 

machine, part change-over is fast, 

batch runs become shorter, inventories 

become lower, “and the result is more 

effi ciency.” The operator and setup 

personnel must “look at a part and ask, 

‘How much of this part can I do in this 

machine before I really have to move it 

again?” 

According to Mr. Takahashi, Chairman 

of IMDIA, some shops that make best 

use of multi-function machines may 

soon see consolidation of job functions. 

Today, a shop may have an operator, a 

setup person and a programmer. “To 

me, in the future, [the three jobs] may 

be done by one person,” he explains. 

The job description of a traditional 

machinist, he says, will “migrate into a 

setup engineer,” and that engineer “will 

be ideal if he can also program parts.” 

Such a shift would make training easier, 

he says. “You would only train one person 

instead of three.” In addition, “this will 

give people more job satisfaction in 

the long run,” he adds, explaining that 

while programming and seeing the 

part through manufacturing, the setup 

engineer would take ownership over 

that part. 

For a future machinist’s day-today work 

with these multi-function machines, 

the trend will be more emphasis on 

tool selection and programming. “To 

be successful with any type of millturn, 

shops need a skilled machinist 

who’s fl exible and able to perform 

multiple operations.” Cross training 

has become more important than ever. 

Viewing milling and turning as separate 

disciplines is gone. 

For programmers, this is their era. For 

people who can program, understand 

the machine and unleash it, this is 

their chance to shine. The potential is 

limitless for the future of Milling. 

10 


There has been a tremendous 

amount of change in the global 

moldmaking industry over the past 

10 years, and mold shops that adopt new 

machine tools, services and technology 

will enhance their capabilities for longterm 

success. 

Throughout the last 10 years, the 

rate of change has increased and 

technology has led to new possibilities 

in mold design and production. The 

most signifi cant industry changes have 

been in regard to production techniques, 

manufacturing speeds, mold size and 

mold complexity. 

moldmaking industry has been the 

rise of off-shoring and its associated 

effect on pricing. European and U.S. 

moldmakers are increasingly feeling the 

pressure of foreign competition. 

While U.S. moldmakers have lost 

a portion of less complex, lower 

technology, commodity work to overseas 

competitors, it’s not all gloom and doom. 

This void in commodity manufacturing 

has been fi lled with 

value-added products 

and services, which 

foreign markets 

struggle to provide. Moldmakers are 

fi nding success by taking advantage of 

unique or emerging industries such as 

medical, micro, large molds and highvalue 

tooling. 

Several niche markets have emerged. 

One of the most profi table is the medical 

market, which demands complexity, 

speed, and intricate mold designs on a 

daily basis. 

As the industry changes, so too must 

machine tools and the associated 

Large, complex molds and micro molds 

have replaced small, simple-cavity 

molds. Greater emphasis is being 

placed on production leadtimes speed, 

and agility. Japanese shops are turning 

to advanced machine tools and cutting 

edge manufacturing approaches to help 

reduce costs and meet the demanding 

just-in-time production schedules. 

It comes as a shock to no one that 

the driving factor of change in the 


manufacturing techniques. After all, 

what good is a hefty micromachining 

contract if you don’t have the appropriate 

tools to complete the job? “Faster” and 

“more complex” are terms that are 

thrown around a lot these days—in the 

same sentence as “tighter tolerances”, 

“fi ner surface fi nish”, “better blends 

and matches” and “less hand working.” 

Just as moldmakers change to meet 

the needs of their customers, suppliers 

have to change to meet the needs of 

their customers. That means innovative 

technology and even more innovative 

applications engineers. 

Collapsed Leadtimes, 

Better Results 

Ten years ago, it would not have 

been uncommon for the leadtime 

to manufacture a mold to be in the 

12 to 16 week range—three to four 

months. However, over the past decade 

signifi cant technological advancements 

in both machine tools technologies 

and manufacturing techniques have 

drastically reduced production times. 

Today, the leadtime to manufacture 

the same mold would be two to four 

weeks—often less than one month. 

Trial parts can be quickly molded using 

rapid prototype cavities created in a day 

or two. Now, time-to-market concerns 

often require production in weeks or 

even days, something that would have 

been thought unrealistic only a few 

years ago. 

In addition to demanding faster cycle 

times and shorter leadtimes, customers 

expect tighter tolerances and higher 

quality surface fi nishes. Typically, doing 

a job faster produces a lower-quality 

product. Unfortunately, in this industry, 

quality defi nes who a moldmaker is. If 

quality suffers, business suffers. 

Machine Tool Technology 

As a result, moldmakers are turning to 

the machine tool builder for products 

that deliver higher productivity, greater 

precision, better surface fi nishes, and 

eliminate additional time-consuming 

hand fi nishing work. To meet this need, 

machine tool builders have dramatically 

increased machine axis velocities 

and accelerations, greatly expanded 

spindle rpm, while tightening positioning 

accuracy, repeatability and geometric 

tolerances. Control enhancements also 

have facilitated high-speed machining 

of complex, three-dimensional mold 

shapes to tighter tolerances. 

A decade ago, 10,000 rpm was 

considered a fast spindle and 10 ipm 

federates were acceptable. Today, 

machines routinely incorporate 20,000, 

30,000 and even 40,000 rpm spindles, 

and feedrates of 200, 300 and 400 

ipm are commonplace. Combining 

these advanced machine tools with new 

manufacturing techniques—such as 

high-speed milling routines and tooling, 

hard-milling to eliminate multiple steps 

of machining, and high performance 

machining utilizing programming tricks 

and machine capabilities have provide 

the moldmaker with the necessary tools 

to compete and win. 

In the past, it was virtually impossible 

to get a fi nished mold directly from a 

machine tool. A moldmaker would fi rst 

machine the mold in the steel’s soft 

state, cutting a mold cavity that was 

fairly rough. After heat treating, the 

mold would be fi nished machined to as 

close to the fi nal tolerances as possible. 

Ten years ago, the typical tolerance 

that might be achieved was +/- 0.002 

inches. After hours of cleaning up 

the core and cavity by hand, the mold 

components would be ready for initial 

assembly. The two mold halves would be 

fi t together and additional hand working 

would be required to actually create the 

proper fi t and clearances between the 

working parts of the mold. Only after 

this labor intensive and time-consuming 

process was it actually ready for a test 

shot. Once again, after the initial parts 

were molded—typically, there would 

be additional hand-polishing required 

to meet part fi nish requirements and 

some additional fi tting work to insure 

proper match-lines, seams and no fl ash 

on the fi nished part. Not to mention the 

fact that the mold would often have to 

be machined twice—once for the initial 

geometries and a second time after 

heat-treating to harden the mold. 

Machining in the Hardened State 

Perhaps the biggest step forward to 

reduce the time of recent years is the 

ability to cut the mold in the hardened 

state, often eliminating the two rounds 

of machining required and the wait-time 

for heat treating. A decade ago, it was 

understood that hardened steels were 

typically to be fi nish machined, and more 

often than not, hand fi nished. Today’s 

machines1 are capable of machining 

materials in the 60+ Rockwell range, 

and have even successfully machined 

carbide at 80+ HRc. 

Given this ability, machining in the 

hardened state is not only possible, 

but preferable, because it frequently 

eliminates the time consuming EDM 

process. However, there is still a place 

for EDM. This is especially true for 

diffi cult-to-machine areas, such as deep 

ribs, tough radii, and very tight-tolerance 

features. 

Burning on a Ram EDM is very accurate, 

but it also is very slow, particularly on 

a complex or large mold. Having the 

ability to mill in the hardened state 

without the use of Ram EDM saves 

overall mold production time and aids in 

the timely delivery of the mold, thanks 

to the simplifi ed process and cutting 

directly to zero on the milling machine. A 

12 


hardened block goes into one machine 

and a fi nished mold comes out. 

By using advanced machine tools, 

moldmakers can eliminate additional, 

labor intensive, time-consuming, 

expensive steps and cut mold 

components to zero with accuracies to 

+/- 0.0005 inches or less in materials 

of 60 HRc and harder. Using machine 

tools that allow them to reach these 

tolerances and mill in the hardened state 

eliminates additional hand fi nishing and 

fi tting, provides outstanding surface 

fi nishes, helps shops shorten leadtimes 

and reduce costs dramatically, giving 

them a defi nite advantage relative to 

overseas competition. 

Many customers report that the primary 

reason they’re still successful, even 

after losing simple work to lowercost 

providers, is due to their 

ability to turn out high quality molds 

quickly. They credit their teams of 

innovative engineers, new processing 

techniques and tooling, along with the 

ever-advancing machine tool, which 

allows them to produce molds faster 

and without the need for re-work, as 

is all-too common when work is sent 

overseas. 

Areas of Growth Potential 

Re-Working Overseas Molds 

Perhaps one of the more interesting 

markets we’ve seen in moldmaking in 

recent years is applying the European 

or U.S or even Japanese quality to 

overseas molds in Asia such as China 

or Thailand. In other words, shops are 

fi nding that making poorly made molds 

work properly, even having to re-machine 

features or whole molds, is an area of 

growth potential. 

Even the 

simplest 

molds 

have 

to fi t 

thousands of miles away from where it’s 

used, the mistakes of the molder often 

can’t be corrected effi ciently without 

bringing in a local craftsman with highperformance 

machining abilities. 

Often, these orphaned and defective 

molds have already been heat treated, 

so those willing to take on this work 

have to fi x the mistakes in hardened 

steel. They need hardmilling skills and 

a machine capable of cutting hardened 

tool steel, as mentioned earlier. 

Re-working defective overseas molds is 

a new and growing sector of moldmaking 

with great potential for those willing to 

fi x the mistakes of others and invest 

in machinery capable of high-accuracy 

hardmilling. 

Demand for Micro 

Advanced manufacturing technologies 

have made micro components and 

devices commercially viable for the 

aerospace, automotive, electronics and 

biomedical industries. Mass replication 

of these devices requires micro molding, 

forming and stamping technology on an 

economical scale. 

together 

properly and the 

resulting parts must 

meet specifi c fi nish and tolerance 

requirements. When a mold is produced 

Micromachining certainly has its 

share of challenges. Cutting forces 

and tool pressures on cutting tools 

as small as 0.05 mm in diameter are 

signifi cantly different than those on 

larger applications. Machine tools 

designed for micro must be able to 

recognize and achieve submicron 

movement commands. Machine tool 

stiffness and rigidity also are extremely 

important here, as even the slightest 

distortion or defl ection will destroy the 

dimensional integrity of such miniature 

parts. Unchecked temperature 

change can quickly overshadow micro 

component tolerances. In addition, do 

not underestimate the challenges of 

measuring parts and part features in 


the micron range. 

Some shops are producing fl at parts 

in materials such as 420 stainless 

steel that require tolerances of 0.0002 

inches, with absolutely no variance, over 

as much as a 6-inch distance. 

Micromachining requires tremendous 

technology advances in tool construction 

and design, and usually calls for careful 

programming and very small tools that 

are hard to handle. But with the demand 

for miniaturization at an all-time high, 

those shops that have adopted the 

proper technology are quickly realizing 

the benefi ts. 

Large Mold Manufacturing Requires 

Specialized Tools 

Big molds require a substantial 

investment, which includes massive 

tooling that’s hard to move, heavy-duty 

machinery and other equipment to make 

the process as effi cient as possible. 

Modern high-performance machining is 

widely accepted to be a cost-effective 

solution for the production of small 

mold cavities with complex geometric 

surfaces. But the same demand for 

detail is often overlooked in selecting 

machinery for the production of larger 

molds. When dealing with large mold 

production more is invested in material 

costs and time, which increases the 

risk associated with scrap and re-work, 

placing greater emphasis on the quality 

of machinery used to manufacture these 

large tools. 

It’s a signifi cant challenge for 

moldmakers to get these operations set 

up to the point where they can be run 

effi ciently. As a result, large moldmakers 

are using high-end CAD/CAM systems 

that are capable of generating effective 

toolpaths. This technology, coupled 

with machine tools that can remove 

materials at faster rates unattended will 

greatly help large moldmakers reduce 

production times. 

Molds Are Growing in Complexity 

In addition to size, mold complexity 

is becoming a signifi cant issue in the 

moldmaking industry. Today, more 

emphasis is being put on ultra-precision, 

multi-cavity injection molds, specifi cally 

for customers in the medical, packaging 

and technology markets. 

Some complex molds can have more 

than 1,500 parts and require extreme 

levels of accuracy and precision. As 

precision moldmakers take on more 

complex work, they are spending more 

time planning their molds and turning to 

reliable machine tools with excellent cut 

times and accuracy that eliminates the 

need for hand-work so they can turn out 

more molds more quickly. 

Surface fi nish requirements can become 

a major issue, as some complex molds 

don’t allow hand-polishing in areas where 

a human hand can’t fi t. The machine has 

the job of fi nishing the part, and has to 

perform this task fl awlessly to allow the 

mold to work properly. 

Moldmakers are relying more on 

advanced machines with fast control 

capabilities to speed up production 

on complex molds. They are looking to 

integrate total performance packages to 

process long, complex mold programs, 

at extremely fast speeds, while achieving 

levels of accuracy and fi nish previously 

unattainable. 

Diversification 

A new, emerging trend is for mold shop 

owners to take a hard look at their 

core competencies in order to discover 

where those abilities can be applied in 

other markets. While not giving up on 

moldmaking, these innovative shops 

are applying their machining and 

manufacturing expertise to satisfy the 

demands of aerospace, medical, energy 

and telecommunications customers. 

These shops are fi nding that excess 

capacity can be quickly put to work in 

highly profi table production areas, as 

well as traditional moldmaking, allowing 

them to bid on a whole variety of new 

work. 

This strategy of diversifi cation can 

be an effective means of increasing 

business by utilizing the skills and 

equipment already in place to satisfy 

new customers. 

After all, the production business 

currently booming in Europe and U.S 

Continent is that of the highest precision 

in tough materials, which is exactly the 

type of work moldmakers are used to. 

Not limiting your shop to molds can go a 

long way to a better the bottom line. 

Change Is a Constant 

There has been a tremendous amount 

of change in the global moldmaking 

industry over the last 10 years. While 

theses changes can be attributed to 

increased competition from foreign 

markets and a myriad of technological 

advances, the results are easily seen 

in process improvements, increased 

quality and capabilities, and faster 

production speeds, which allow 

advanced countries moldmakers to 

compete like never before. 

More and more European or U.S. 

moldmakers will continue to adopt new 

machine tools, services and technology 

that help them to enhance their 

capabilities by manufacturing complex, 

large and micro molds. In doing so, they 

further differentiate themselves from 

competitors, both foreign and domestic, 

and that has always been the name of 

the game. 

14 


Tangential Milling 

of Mold & Dies 

In most die and mold shops, one 

of the biggest single chunks of 

machining time goes to slab milling, 

so speeding that operation exerts a lot 

of positive leverage on profi tability and 

competitiveness. 

Just consider a company’s workshop 

that has a very progressive die and 

mold shop that runs 24/6 serving the 

automotive and truck-body market. Over 

the past year, one has switched over to 

tangential milling for the rough and fi nish 

slabbing work, and raised throughput 

more than 40 percent. Tool life rose 

as well, while power consumption 

dropped. 

It does the slab milling with an 

assortment of Ingersoll tangential milling 

cutters – 4 in, 6 in, 8 in, 12 in and the 

new 1 in diameter cutters, the smallest 

tangential milling cutter available. 

Saving 20 Hours of Every Shoe 

“Every time I slab a die shoe now – and 

we do several of them daily – I save 

20 hours,” says the Machine manager. 

“Tool life is up as well, and power 

consumption is down. The power meter 

that used to read 95 percent of machine 

capacity or higher now hovers nearer 80 

percent. We gradually standardized on 

tangential milling for fl at slabbing work 

a couple of years ago, and since then 

I know we’ve already saved more than 

$100,000 in machining time, and I’m 

sure the power reduction will also help 

our machines last years longer.” 

This company’s workshop represents 

one of the fi rst applications of the new 

1 in S-MAX Micro tangential milling (TM) 

cutter, which brings the proven benefi ts 

of tangential milling to smaller work. 

Inserts Lie Flat for Stronger 

Presentation 

In tangential milling, the inserts are 

oriented differently. They lie fl at around 

the cutter’s pitch line rather than 

standing up radially, as in conventional 

cutters. 

This tangential orientation presents the 

insert’s strongest cross section to the 

main cutting force so that the inserts 

last longer. The result has always been 

much longer edge life. 

The tangential milling concept was 

introduced back in the 1960s and 

expanded ever since. The main original 

role for the tangential milling process 

was to improve tool life on big jobs 

like hogging wide-area fl ats on large 


the power meter pegged,” he added. 

The company mills the dies dry on an 

Okuma MCRV 2 and a G&L bridge-type 

machine. Ingersoll suggested the S-MAX 

tangential milling cutter and proposed a 

test against the old conventional zerorake 

face mills and other competitors. 

The trial was comprehensive, running 

over four weeks and including four other 

leading makes of face mill. All the other 

candidates had conventional radial 

insert orientations and a variety of lead 

angles: 30 deg, 45 deg and 90 deg. 

slabbing. It also cuts smoother because 

the tangential design fi ts more inserts 

into the pitch circle than is possible with 

conventional cutters. 

And they’ve notched up the removal 

rate still further besides. Its’ standard 

for rough slabbing cast iron die blocks 

now stands at 40 to 60 ipm and 0.400 

in DOC. For fi nishing, it’s now 108 ipm at 

0.010 in to 0.015 in DOC. Their previous 

standard for fi nishing was 30 ipm at 

0.010 in to 0.015 in DOC. 

automotive castings and steel parts. 

Now with freer cutting insert geometries 

and smaller cutter diameters, tangential 

milling is emerging as a solution for faster 

removal with lower cutting forces. The 

wider size range of cutters also makes it 

a good option on small slots and cavity 

work as well as large-area slabbing. The 

only ‘must’ is that the bottom of the cut 

be fl at. “Todays’ tangential milling may 

be a lot of good things to a lot more 

people, even on low hp machines,” 

claimed Ingersoll Technical Director, 

“but its Z-axis contouring capabilities 

are limited. 

Test Shows A Better Way 

The company’s conversion to tangential 

milling began with a suggestion, and a 

test, in early 2008. It was looking for a 

way to speed up one of their bedrock 

operations and eliminate too-frequent 

tool failures, and asked Ingersoll 

company for suggestions. Their main 

obstacle to faster milling with the old 

tool was tool rupture, not gradual wear. 

“The inserts simply broke off, leaving 

a stump,” said the project manager at 

that company. He was also concerned 

about and the high power consumption 

that could burn out a motor or stall the 

machines. “Sometimes the needle on 

All tests were run on identical cast iron 

material on the same Okuma and G&L 

machines, with the same operator. All 

began with the same starting conditions, 

and then Meyer and Upton pushed the 

removal rate to fi nd a new optimum. 

The starting point was its’ previous 

standard: 25 ipm feed, 0.150 in depth 

of cut (DOC). At the end of the test, the 

Ingersoll tangential cutter had optimized 

out at 40 ipm and 0.300 in DOC, and 

with 30 percent longer edge life and 10 

to 15 percent less power consumption. 

That was three times faster than its’ 

previous norm for rough slabbing, and 

40 percent faster than with any other 

cutter in the test. 

Standardizing, Pushing the Limits 

Today the company does virtually all 

rough and fi nish slabbing with 4 in, 6 in, 

8 in or 12 in S-MAX face mills, depending 

on the size of the die, the width of the 

cut and the amount of material to be 

removed. 

The 4 in and 1 in cutters have a 90 deg 

lead angle for milling square corners in 

pockets. They are just phasing in the 

new 1 in S-MAX Micro cutter to speed 

machining of up step-down pockets and 

trim line cutting as well as bottom and 

shoulder milling in cavities. It appears 

at least as fast in the small spots as 

the larger cutters are in the wide-area 

Widening Role for Tangential 

Milling 

The application demonstrates how 

tangential milling has expanded its role. 

Originally the TM process was targeted 

as solution for improving insert life for 

heavy milling on high-power machines 

in transfer lines. 

On such synchronous lines, throughput 

at a single station is rarely an issue 

unless it is the slowest station. Today, 

the combination of tangential orientation 

and free-cutting insert geometries 

makes TM a solution of choice for 

smaller cuts, even on lower-power 

stand-alone machines and machining 

cells. As long as the bottom of the cut 

is fl at, the TM process stands a good 

chance of speeding up most any milling 

operation. 

16 


Programming 

can play a role 

in managing the 

entire process and 

give competitive 

advantage 

By taking part-geometry in the form 

of CAD fi les in and outputing NC 

code used to control a waterjet 

cutting machine, CAM nesting software 

automatically and effi ciently arranges 

the required quantities of individual 

parts needed for optimizing sheets or 

plates of stock material. 

A variety of specialized CAM software 

available today is developed 

independently from machine suppliers 

that provides a single software solution 

allowing companies to operate all 

brands of waterjet machines (and other 

processes), regardless of CNC controller 

type. Although use of material is still a 

core focus, nesting software now plays 

a central role in other areas: maximize 

part quality, reduce programming time 


and complexity, optimize manufacturing 

system productivity, provide detailed 

operator and management information. 

For example, consider a few of these 

opportunities where programmers can 

provide a competitive advantage: 

Quality. Different cut speeds deliver 

different edge quality when applied to a 

particular material and thickness. This 

is useful to maximize productivity and 

achieve the desired part quality. The 

width of the cut being made by the jet 

nozzle is called kerf. Generally speaking, 

the slower a jet nozzle moves across the 

material being cut, the wider the cut 

– the larger the kerf – it makes. In hard, 

thin material such as ½ in (12 mm) 

stainless steel this effect is negligible. 

But kerf can enlarge up to 0.005 in (0.1 

mm) or more in thicker material or softer 

material. 

Programmers can set the desired edge 

quality via the nesting program using 

either CAD line color to automatically 

set a specifi c cut speed, or by manually 

assigning a cut speed to the CAD fi le 

after it has been imported in to the 

nesting program. Also, the offset setting 

in the software is typically intended to 

correct for the cutting width of the jet. 

However, if the offset is manually set 

by an operator and based upon the 

average width of the jet, it may not fully 

account for any slight variations in the 

cutting width as the jet slows for corners 

or speeds up for straight cuts. 

or in small circles during the piercing 

process, known as dynamic piercing, 

helps avoid this problem. 

Ramping. To achieve optimum edge 

quality and part geometry, cut speed 

ramping is required. Programmers can 

vary cut speed for incremental CAD line 

segments, based on part geometry such 

as corner angle or radius size. 

Clamping. Effective clamping of work 

materials is necessary in many cases. 

Forces imparted from the jet and 

movement from water in the tank below 

can cause the sheet or plate to vibrate 

or even fl oat and move during cutting. 

Programmers can establish safe zones 

on the nest where clamps are used. 

These are not fi lled with parts and are 

avoided during cutting. Avoiding specifi c 

areas on the nest is also useful when 

cutting work material such as stone or 

leather, which typically contains defects. 

In some cases it is possible to overlay 

a digital picture of the work material 

to the nest area, making it possible to 

nest around defects to avoid scrap and 

wasted time. 

Collision Avoidance. Avoiding 

nozzle damage from tipped up parts 

is important. Though some machines 

are equipped with crash protection, 

this does not really treat the root of 

the problem. By assessing a variety of 

factors, nesting software can determine 

a certain probability of a profi le tipping 

up or warping on the sheet. With that 

knowledge, a cut path is automatically 

developed that moves the head around 

any profi les using a partial or zero headraise, 

or directly over profi les with a 

full raise depending on which is faster. 

Also, intelligent lead in/out locations 

may ensure that the head always moves 

away from the previously cut profi le, 

negating the need to create avoidance 

paths altogether. 

Reports. Communication of the 

job(s) relevant information between 

programmer, machine operator, and 

management is another vital key to 

success. Nesting software reports 

can assist with material selection and 

preparation, scheduling jobs, tending 

to the job during cutting, etc. A variety 

of reports are typically available, often 

incorporating images of the nest, cut 

sequence, production time and cost per 

part and per job, etc. 

Dynamic Piercing. Being able to 

pierce materials without requiring a 

mechanically-drilled starter or pilot hole 

is a strong feature of waterjets, but there 

are some limitations. For example, when 

piercing thicker material the jet has a 

tendency to rebound directly into itself, 

reducing the effective power of the jet. 

Using nesting software to program the 

cutting head to move back and forth 

Continued to page 40 

18 


A New Star 

is Borne! 

Introducing... 

“Why does BRUDERER place a new automatic punching press 

in this segment?” you may want to ask. Well, the answer 

is quite simple: The demands put up by the market have 

changed considerably and the 

BSTA 200-60BE is the answer to such changes. Following 

a thorough and precise market study and many talks with 

our customers all over the world, the new requirements were 

converted and realised not only in the machine but also in a 

new control and a new feed design. 

In those fi elds where high-precision micro parts must be 

stamped in large numbers, namely in the electronic, watch 

making and automotive industry, things have undergone 

enormous changes during the past 5 years. The materials 

to be stamped became ever thinner, the feed pitches ever 

shorter, the required precision ever higher, and the pricing 

pressure ever stronger. Furthermore, the process following 

the stamping process, as for instance the assembly of the 

components or the over-moulding of the punched parts, 

requires an ever higher accuracy and above all, maximum 

repeatability. With the BSTA 200-60BE Essential, BRUDERER 

is able to fulfi l these requirements perfectly. 

The automatic punching press 

The press force in the target segments is not the primary 

problem. Most applications require press forces of a few 

tons. Therefore, the new machine type was designed for a 

press force of 20 tons. For BRUDERER this means that the 

machine may actually be operated with these 20 tons without 

affecting the high precision and machine & tool life. 

One new feature is the use of a drive system using 2 connecting 

rods in a machine with 20 tons punching force. This brings 

along an essentially higher stability and precision in the 

punching process. In addition, the unique ram adjustment 

by BRUDERER is realised in the new BSTA 200-60BE - this 

unit is able to automatically compensate any offset in the 

20 


BDC area during the punching process. Hence the ram BDC 

can be kept in minimal tolerances, regardless of speed and 

temperature changes! 

The punching tools which became longer and longer despite 

the ever shorter feed intervals caused us to defi ne a tool 

loading area of 600mm. Alternatively, the automatic punching 

press will also be available with 700mm tool loading area 

starting from the middle of 2007. 

The standard model of the automatic punching press is 

designed as fi xed stroke machine. This mainly fulfi ls the 

demands of the Asian markets where most of the machines 

are used for the production of electronic components. 

However, our sales program also includes the adjustable 

stroke as an option in order to also satisfy other markets or 

needs. With the smallest fi xed stroke of 8mm, the machine 

may be operated at a speed of 2,000 spm. 

The feed units: 

The roller feed unit BBV 180 is a new development as well. 

Like the other roller feeds by BRUDERER, it is mechanically 

driven via a cardan shaft. The new BBV 180 allows for the 

quick and simple replacement of the rollers which improves 

the fl exibility and productivity. If so required by the process, 

also a gripper feed unit may be used. We offer a specially 

designed gripper feeder, which has been developed as a 

joint effort between BRUDERER and SANKYO of Japan. The 

special gripper feeder is moved between the guide supports. 

This means it is much closer to the stamping die which helps 

to reduce or even eliminate the strip guiding problems which 

occur when using thin and sensitive material. 

The control: 

On the basis of the proven B-control, 

we have designed and developed a 

new machine and process control. 

The so-called „B-Essential“ fulfi ls all 

requirements of a state-of-the-art 

control and is very easy to operate. Via 

the touch screen, the operator may enter 

all relevant information quickly and in a 

perfectly structured way or may even update and optimize 

these data during the punching process. The operation is 

aimed to focus more on the capabilities of the operator than 

to the automation. Back to the roots of the machine – and only 

that is needed in the process - is our motto. The hardware is 

confi gured in a way that all rotating elements, as for instance 

ventilator and hard disc, were eliminated. Concerning the 

hardware, the main focus was placed on reliability and long 

life. The concept also resulted in a considerable reduction of 

the control cabinet size. 

Summary: 

The new BSTA 200-60BE und 70BE Essential offer the 

perfect choice for the production of small but high-precision 

punched parts. Through a design and construction precisely 

tailored to the needs of target group and marked by costconscious 

considerations as essential factor throughout the 

entire development phase, a machine was built which will 

boost the competitiveness of our customers. In addition, we 

attached great importance to easy handling and maximum 

productivity through the choice of the appropriate control 

components and feed units. 

www.bruderer-presses.com 


Steel Plate handling with magnets comes of age 

Commercial shipbuilding, oil 

and petrochemicals and steel 

fabrication industry is currently 

experiencing its biggest and most 

enduring boom in history. Since 2005, 

shipyards worldwide received orders 

worth a total of $400 billion. More 

than 7,000 new ships have been 

launched since 2005 and within the 

next few years. Average prices for 

new ships have jumped by more than 

half in the last four years. This boom 

is not unexpectedly driving the steel 

fabrication and plate cutting market 

towards greater effi ciencies including 

improved cutting technologies, better 

welding equipment and consumables 

and last but not the least, steel plate 

material handling equipment. 

Since the advent of magnetic material 

handling technology, magnets have 

been used to lift and move most types 

of steel raw materials. By replacing 

traditional slings, chains and clamps, 

lifting magnets have improved overall 

productivity by allowing fewer operators 

to lift and place steel materials 

for further processing. Magnetic 

technology has also seen vast 

improvements over time with newer 

and more powerful magnets comprised 

of rare earth materials and with a 

combination of mechanical actuation 

and/or electrical impulses. 

It can be recalled that magnets always 

have a north and south pole across 

which magnetic fi eld energy or ‘fl ux’ 

fl ows and ferrous components placed 

in this fi eld develop a momentary 

opposing polarity which attracts the 

opposite poles of the magnets. 

Magnetic clamping and lifting devices 

made by mechanical actuation of raw 

magnets are often called permanent 

magnets. These operate by actual 

physical movement of the raw magnets 

inside a carrier which determines the 

ON or OFF state. The advantage offered 

by these are portability and ease of 

use. However, these are limited only 

by capacity as the actual physical 

movement to orient the magnetic poles 

becomes too much for larger contact 

area of workpieces. 

To overcome the physical limitation of 

Figure 1 Figure 2 

permanent magnets, Electromagnets 

became the default choice of 

clamping and lifting devices for 

larger workpieces. These magnets 

are comprised of an electrical coil 

wrapped around a soft iron core 

and use the principle of magnetism 

which is generated by an electrical 

direct current passing through the 

coil. The iron core helps to direct the 

magnetic fi eld in a certain direction 

and the electromagnets are effective 

and ‘energised’ only as long as the 

supply current remains on. Although 

electromagnets provide the fl exibility 

of magnetic fi eld control through 

power supply variation, these systems 

can also be quite unsafe especially if 

power supply is unpredictable. That is 

Figure 3 Figure 4 

why electromagnets often need to be 

accompanied by battery backup and 

uninterruptible power supplies. 

Electropermanent magnets have 

gradually become popular as clamping 

devices due to its inherent advantages 

of not relying on continuous supply 

of electricity and for its additional 

ability to vary the magnetic fi eld depth. 

These use a combination of two types 

of permanent magnets one of which 

is electrically switchable (grey, right) 

with a coil winding (blue) around that 

and another permanently magnetized 

(yellow) in a certain way. When a direct 

current is momentarily passed through 

the coil, the reversible permanent 

magnet is magnetized in a certain 

pattern driving the fl ux fi eld outward. 

The Electropermanent magnet is 

switched ON (fi gure 1) and remains 

in that state until a ‘demagnetising 

pulse’ of direct current is passed in 

the opposite direction. When that 

happens, the reversible magnet is 

magnetized in the opposite direction 

and the fl ux fi eld dissipates within 

the construction (fi gure 2) and the 

Electropermanent magnet is switched 

OFF. The biggest advantage of the 

Electropermanent magnets are their 

ability to remain in an energized state 

even if the incoming power supply 

is switched OFF due to a electrical 

failure or power supply outage. These 

are therefore deemed to be safe as 

workpieces will not be discharged 

should there be an accidental power 

trip. 

There are quite a number of pole 

face designs in clamping magnets 

implementing the Electropermanent 

technology but the most popular one is 

probably the square pole type. These 

magnet clamping devices, depending 

on how they are oriented, can be 

effectively used for clamping (fi gure 3) 

or lifting (fi gure 4). 

For single large steel plate of 12 to 

16 Meters and thicknesses from 

5mm onwards weighing upto 25 

tons, the Electropermanent magnet 

technology presents a great alternative 

to traditional jaw clamps for handling 

the plates without deformation. The 

magnetic fi eld depth is adequate to 

penetrate and saturate the steel plate 

and these are lifted either horizontally 

or vertically onto the work area. For 

loading and unloading of single steel 

plates onto plasma, fl ame and steel 

plate cutting and blasting machines, 

a complete system comprising several 

electropermanent magnet modules 

suspended from spreader beams 

are increasingly being employed for 

large plate handling by shipyards 

and steel fabricators rushing to meet 

order deadlines and cashing in on the 

current boom. 

22 


Mazak: Super Turbo-X champion Laser Cutting 

1 st time in Indonesia! Mazak’s new generation Super Turbo-X 

48 Champion laser processing machine for sheetmetal with 

proven constant-beam-length delivery offer unsurpassed 

cutting performance, anywhere on the table. The most unique 

feature of this machine is its non-stop cutting capability of 

different materials and material thickness without changing 

the focal lens or nozzle. Mazak’s new quick-change torch 

assembly also provides fast, easy access to the focal lens. 

This stand-alone laser machine can also be integrated after 

initial installation with a wide variety of unmanned operation, 

material handling equipment to enhance productivity. 

Quick Turn Star 200 

Quick Turn Star 200 is a compact CNC 8” chucker designed to meet production 

requirements of a wide variety of work pieces. 

It’s SUPERIORITY in specifi cation and performance ensures exceptional productivity 

of stable and high-accuracy machining. Though too compact as it looks, it is very 

TOUGH to endure heavy cutting conditions. In order to attain ACCURATE and stable 

machining, a wide range of advance technologies such as integral spindle/motor was 

incorporated in its extensive machine design. A compact and user-friendly machine 

which minimizes operator’s task even for extended period of time that will provide you 

value for money RELIABLE for your production requirements! 

11kW (15HP) 8”-chucker. 12D turret, tool shank 25x25mm, boring bar 40mm tooling 

capacity. Standard work of 200xL100mm with a max turning diameter of 280mm. 

30/33 m/s traverse speed for X/Z axis. F0i base EIA/ISO NC. And 1220mm minimum 

machine length. 

VARIAXIS 500-5X II 

A new dimension for higher productivity. 

The ability to machine a workpiece’s top surface, side surfaces and any 

surface in between makes it possible to completely machine a workpiece 

in a single set up. Additionally, complex contours can be processed and 

considerable reduction of in-process time and production cost thanks 

to 5-axis simultaneously controlled machining. For higher effi ciency, 

the operator can setup the next workpiece during the machining of the 

current workpiece. 

The VARIAXIS II series are equipped with a high-rigidity, high-speed spindle 

and utilizes a wide variety of advanced technologies in order to provide 

exceptional productivity. 

The “DONE-IN-ONE” concept incorporates all machining processes from raw material input through fi nal machining – in just 

one machine. It provides the ability to reduce production lead time, improve machining accuracy, reduces fl oor space and 

initial cost, lower operating expenses, reduce operator requirements and to improve the work environment. As a result the 

concept not only streamlines production, it also improves overall management. 

24 


CLINCHING THE CASE IN FASTENING By Leon M. Attarian 

When designers evaluate methods 

for fastening and joining in an 

assembly, the application will 

rule. Along the way, inherent challenges 

and outcomes among the various available 

technologies ultimately may disqualify 

one or another approach. For example, 

in applications involving thin-metal 

attachment, adhesives have been known 

to fail (especially when heat or vibration 

are present); welding can be “messy” and 

time-consuming; and sheet-metal screws 

or loose hardware can fall short in the areas of reusability and holding 

power. Self-clinching fasteners take the higher road by providing 

permanent, reliable, and reusable load-bearing threads in thin metal 

sheets. Upon installation (during fabrication), they become integral 

parts of an assembly; will not loosen or fall out; and never have to be 

handled again. This type of hardware further allows for component 

removal and re-attachment whenever needed for access or service; can 

dramatically reduce or eliminate the amount of attachment hardware 

(such as loose washers, lock washers, and nuts); and usually requires 

only mating hardware to complete fi nal component attachment. Fewer 

parts promote lighter designs and less hardware in an assembly yields 

more savings in production time and costs. 

FORM AND FUNCTION 

Dozens of types and thousands of variations of self-clinching fasteners 

have been developed over the years, including free-running, selflocking, 

fl oating, and blind-hole types meeting unifi ed, ISO, and MIL 

standards. (All of our standard product line is RoHS compliant, too.) 

Self-clinching hardware typically is made from steel, stainless steel, or 

aluminum and many types can install permanently in metal sheets as 

thin as .020”/0.51mm. Traditional product families include nuts, studs, 

spacers and standoffs, access hardware, and cable tie mounts and 

hooks. Specialized types have been engineered to satisfy applicationspecifi 

c purposes. 

Brief profiles: 

• Nuts. Standard types are designed with load-bearing thread 

strengths greater than mild steel screws. Variations focus on nut size, 

locking-thread properties, and special alloy materials for manufacture. 

All clinching during installation occurs on the fastener side of the sheet; 

the reverse side remains fl ush and smooth. A mating screw fi nishes 

the job. 

• Studs. These externally threaded self-clinching fasteners are 

generally selected for applications where a component must be 

positioned in advance of fi nal attachment. Flush-head studs are 

standard, but variations can specifi cally satisfy high torque, thin 

sheet, or electrical applications. Studs without threads can double as 

permanently mounted guide pins or pivots. 

• Spacers and Standoffs. Designed primarily to stack or space 

components, the most common types include thru-threaded and blindthreaded 

versions. All install with their heads fl ush within the host sheet 

and, using blind-threaded types, outer panel surfaces of an assembly 

are smooth and closed. Variations include standoffs with concealed 

heads and others that allow printed circuit boards to snap into place for 

easier board assembly and removal. 

• Access Hardware. Self-clinching panel fastener assemblies 

incorporate captive screws to keep loose parts to a minimum and 

eliminate risks associated with hardware that can loosen, fall out, and 

damage internal components. They ideally will be specifi ed to attach 

metal panels or other thin material components in applications where 

subsequent access will be necessary. 

• Cable Tie Mounts and Hooks. These provide permanent attachment 

points for mounting wires and cables to electronic chassis or 

enclosures without screws or adhesives. Ties slide easily through 

the “eye” in mounts and hooks can be used to attach, remove, and 

return tie-bundled wires at their mounting points when components 

need to be accessed for service or when wires or cables must be 

replaced. The hardware remains permanently installed and secure 

at designed locations. Regardless of type, self-clinching fasteners 

install permanently in thin ductile metal sheets by pressing them into 

place in a properly sized drilled or punched hole and applying suffi cient 

squeezing force. This process causes displaced sheet material to cold 

fl ow into a specially designed annular recess in the shank or pilot of the 

fastener, permanently locking the fastener in place. A serrated clinching 

ring, knurl, ribs, or hex head prevents the fastener from rotating in the 

metal when tightening torque is applied to mating hardware. Fasteners 

can be installed in small quantities with a tool as simple as an arbor 

press or in high volumes using automated or in-die equipment. Perhaps 

the most important factor to consider when specifying for success is 

the relative hardness of fastener and host metal sheet. The fastener 

must always be harder than the sheet in which it is installed. This is 

how the “softer” displaced sheet material is able to cold fl ow into the 

fastener’s recess to lock the fastener securely in place. 

TIPS FOR DESIGNERS 

When specifying self-clinching fasteners, designers may want to 

keep these basic guidelines top-of-mind: 

• Accommodate the specifi c application. Every self-clinching fastener 

type can bring an advantage to the table. If an assembly requires 

PCBs or components to be stacked, standoffs deliver the goods. If 

UL requirements for subsequent access to an assembly represent an 

issue, designers can turn to panel fasteners as solutions. 

• Evaluate secondary benefi ts. Many self-clinching fasteners 

demonstrate unique performance capabilities -- often more than one 

-- which can be applied to maximize their effectiveness and contribute 

meaningfully to end-product assembly. Case in point: A self-clinching 

fastener that mates two panels at a right angle offers an added benefi t 

by enhancing EMI/RFI shielding (since the need for cutouts in the 

middle of panels is eliminated). 

• Ensure integrity of fastener design. The production of quality selfclinching 

fasteners begins with good engineering research, design, 

development, and testing. Precision is necessary in all facets of 

fastener production. Dimensional accuracy and consistency are crucial 

and, if these are lacking the result will be rejected panels, chassis, or 

boards upon fastener installation. Even minute size variations among 

parts can cause automated equipment to jam, increasing downtime 

and production time. So-called “equivalents” rarely, if ever, rise to the 

occasion and to the demands. 

• Factor “installed cost” into selection. If fasteners are timeconsuming 

to install, fail upon installation and need to be replaced, 

necessitate additional hardware, or are diffi cult to feed into the 

established production process, associated costs will rise. 

Self-clinching fastening technology has made signifi cant strides 

and can constitute ideal mechanical fastening solutions, but every 

application will be governed by distinct parameters and requirements. 

Partnering at the start of the design process with an experienced 

hardware manufacturer can maximize all opportunities. 

Leon M. Attarian is Director of Marketing for PennEngineering®, 5190 Old Easton 

Road, Danboro, PA 18916-1000 USA. Phones: 800-237-4736 

(toll-free in the U.S.) and 215-766-8853; Fax: 215-766-0143. 

Email: lattarian@pemnet.com Web site: www.pemnet.com 

For all enquiries in Asia please contact us at: E-mail: singapore@pemnet.com 

Tel: 65-67450660 (Mr Vincent Yeo – Senior Sales and Marketing Manager) 

(Mr Charlie Ho – QA & Engineering Manager) 

Fax: 65-67452400 

Refers also to advertisement page 27 

26 


SolidWorks Technology Overview 

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computer-aided design (CAD) products 

that help designers cut development 

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productivity, specialty design, and 3D 

online catalogs. 

3D Mechanical Design 

Applications 

SolidWorks ® Office Professional 

SolidWorks Offi ce Professional is a 

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designers’ creativity and productivity 

by marrying ease of use with advanced 

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companies accelerate product time 

to market by allowing engineers to 

complete more design work in less 

time. The SolidWorks Intelligent Feature 

Technology (SWIFT) is the fi rst CAD 

tool to automatically fi nd and fi x 3D 

CAD’s toughest challenges, enabling 

users to focus on design innovation, 

not on how to maximize the software. 

The software combines: SolidWorks 

CAD software, design communication 

tools that enhance collaboration, 

CAD productivity tools that reduce 

the number of steps designers need 

to take, and the PDMWorks ® line of 

easy-to-set-up-and-use product data 

management (PDM) tools that allows 

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and large geographically dispersed 

teams to manage all of the design data 

they produce. 

SolidWorks Office Premium 

SolidWorks Offi ce Premium provides 

a suite of product development tools 

that combines all of the mechanical 

design, design verifi cation, data 

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that engineering teams need in one 

product. SolidWorks Offi ce Premium 

includes all of the capabilities of 

SolidWorks Offi ce Professional as well 

as routing and analysis tools, including 

SolidWorks Routing, COSMOSWorks ® 

Designer, and COSMOSMotionTM 

SolidWorks Education Edition 

SolidWorks Education Edition delivers 

the same design functionality and 

ease of use as the commercial 

version of SolidWorks, but is specially 

confi gured and packaged for today’s 

engineering and industrial design 

students. It provides ease of use, 

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Design Validation Tools 

COSMOSWorks – an easy-to-use 

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as physical objects. 

COSMOSMotion – a virtual prototyping 

tool that provides motion simulation 

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before they are built. 

COSMOSFloWorks TM – a tool that 

simplifi es fl uid-fl ow simulation and 

thermal analysis so designers can 

conduct tests on virtual prototypes, 

shortening time to market, and 

reducing resource requirements. 

COSMOSWorks Designer – a design 

validation tool that caters to designers 

and engineers who are not specialists 

in analysis. 

Product Data 

Management Tools 

PDMWorks Workgroup – a PDM tool 

that allows SolidWorks users operating 

in teams of 10 members or less to 

work on designs concurrently. With 

PDMWorks Workgroup, designers can 

search, revise, and vault CAD data 

while maintaining an accurate design 

history. 

PDMWorks Enterprise – an enterpriseclass 

PDM product that supports 

large, geographically dispersed teams 

of engineers, designers, sales and 

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PDMWorks Enterprise allows global 

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control, and secure the high volumes of 

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Design Communication and 

Collaboration Tools 

eDrawings ® Professional – the fi rst 

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reviewing 2D and 3D product design 

data across the extended product 

development team. eDrawings generates 

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3D Instant Website – a single-click, 

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share 3D models with customers, coworkers, 

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PhotoWorks – a rendering tool that 

allows designers to create photorealistic 

images from 3D CAD models and 

include them in their presentations and 

proposals. 

3DVIA Composer – an authoring tool 

for creating images and 3D animations 

for technical publications, interactive 

product documentation, and marketing 

presentations. Typical applications 

include assembly instructions, customer 

service procedures, marketing materials, 

user manuals, fi eld service repair 

manuals, training materials, and Webbased 

catalogues. 

SolidWorks Animator – an animation 

tool that helps designers communicate 

their concepts more effectively by 

creating animations from SolidWorks 

parts and assemblies. 

XchangeWorks – a free data 

translation plug-in for AutoCAD® and 

Mechanical Desktop® users. 

DWGgateway – a free data translation 

tool that enables any AutoCAD software 

user to open and edit any DWG fi le, 

regardless of the version of AutoCAD it 

was made in. 

SolidWorks Viewer – a free plug-in for 

viewing SolidWorks parts, assemblies, 

and drawings. 

28 


There is still no universal 

agreement on how to define 

this competitive technique. 

There is definite agreement 

on how it can increase 

production speed, reduce 

costs and improve surface 

finish. 

In today’s competitive manufacturing 

environment, end-users of 

metalworking fl uids seek to maximize 

their productivity by manufacturing 

metal parts ever faster. One approach 

being taken is to utilize high-speed, 

high-feed machining. 

High-speed machining (HSM) was 

originally developed by German inventor 

Dr. Carl Salmon in the 1920s. He 

determined that for a specifi c workpiece 

metal, the heat generated at the 

interface between the cutting tool and 

the workpiece would peak at a certain 

critical spindle speed. This critical 

cutting speed is different for each metal 

alloy being machined. Salmon also 

determined that on either side of this 

peak there was a specifi c spindle speed 

range at which the cutting tool could not 

remove metal. 

Research on HSM was picked up by 

Vaughn at Lockheed Aircraft in 1959. 

Additional research in the 1980s and 

1990s, particularly in the aerospace 

industry, showed that HSM could, in a 

practical fashion, provide benefi ts as 

compared to conventional machining. 

Faster metal removal can be realized 

with a combination of lower machining 

forces and reduced power exerted by 

the machine tool. 

WHAT IS HSM? 

The answer to defi ning HSM would fi rst 

appear to be relatively straightforward. 

STLE (Society of Tribologists and 

Lubrication Engineers) member Gary 

Rodak of Machining Effi ciencies, Inc. 

(Gregory, MI) says, “There are several 

defi nitions of HSM, but the most 

common is based upon the rpm of the 

machine tool spindle. Some machinists 

consider 8,000 rpm to be the starting 

point for HSM, but with current machine 

capability anything over the 15,000 

rpm should be considered high speed. 

Operating above that spindle speed 

requires special attention to details 

such as spindle balance, machine setup, 

coolant application, tool paths and wear 

patterns.” 

Dr. Yung Shin, a professor of mechanical 

engineering at Purdue University, 

believes the spindle speed that 

designates high speed is dependent 

on the workpiece material. “There is 

no universal defi nition of HSM,” he 

remarks. “For metals such as aluminum 

and cast iron, HSM can occur at surface 

speeds of 2,500 fpm. In contrast, such 

high speeds cannot be attained with 

titanium. HSM of titanium can occur at 

speeds of 400 fpm or slightly higher.” 

Dr. David Dilley of D3 Vibrations Inc. 

(Royal Oak, MI) looks at HSM from a 

frequency perspective. He says, “Every 

tool/holder/machine combination has 

a characteristic dominant, natural 

frequency. HSM can be defi ned as the 

point where the tooth passing frequency 

of the cutting tool approaches the 

dominant natural frequency.” The tooth 

passing frequency is defi ned as: 

Tooth passing frequency (Hz) =rpm/60 x 

number of teeth 

This defi nition means the shape and 

size of the cutting tool also plays a 

signifi cant factor in determining if HSM 

can be attained in a specifi c operation. 

Dilley explains, “A cutting tool with eight 

teeth might approach the machine tool’s 

dominant frequency, while a tool with two 

teeth might not. The selection of rpm, 

number of teeth and depth of cut (DOC) 

are the most important parameters for 

machine tool vibrations. Cutting tools 

that are longer in length have lower 

Figure 1. Chatter wear shown on the cutting tool can 

signifi cantly reduce operating life and even cause failure. 

30 


natural frequencies, thus reaching high 

speed at a lower rpm. For example, a 

long line boring operation can be in a 

HSM environment at a cutting speed as 

low as 150 rpm.” 

Dilley indicates that this defi nition of 

HSM differs from others, as most refer 

to high speed spindles that relate to the 

DN number of the spindle bearing. He 

states, “HSM often takes place even at 

low DN numbers.” STLE member Tom 

McClure, vice president of TechSolve Inc. 

(Cincinnati, OH), also believes that HSM 

has many defi nitions. He adds, “The 

key concept is the need to manipulate 

speed, feed and DOC to increase metal 

removal rates while lowering cutting 

forces.” 

THE NEED FOR SPEED 

Suffi cient work has been done on HSM 

to show it provides several benefi ts. 

Rodak says, “End-users can realize 

faster cycle times and better fi nish on 

the metal parts. In fact, cycle times 

for specifi c machining operations can 

be reduced by as much as a third. The 

fi nish improves part quality due to less 

residual stress remaining in the part 

surface. A better quality fi nish also 

has a benefi cial impact on subsequent 

assembly and coating processes.” 

Shin points to three unique advantages 

end-users can have in utilizing HSM. He 

says, “HSM generates a much higher 

level of metal removal. The end-user 

igure 2. Stability Diagram Theory. The chatter-free 

white pockets present in the high performance region 

are areas where machining can be optimized and 

productivity increased. 

can increase the depth of cut during 

machining. Less heat is conducted 

into the workpiece in HSM, which can 

lead to less thermal distortion, reduce 

the forces needed and also reduce the 

surface roughness. Finally, less heat 

into the workpiece also reduces the 

level of residual stress.” 

CHATTER AUDIO ANALYSIS 

One of the biggest problems encountered 

in increasing spindle speeds is the 

onset of chatter. Dilley says, “Machinery 

systems can encounter free vibration, 

forced vibration and self-excited 

(chatter) vibration during use.” 

Free vibration and forced vibration are 

typically less destructive compared 

to chatter. Dilley explains, “Chatter 

occurs when the depth of cut and 

specifi c cutting energy required during 

a specifi c machining operation exceeds 

the dynamic stiffness of the cutting tool 

or workpiece.” Chatter creates large 

cutting forces that can accelerate tool 

wear and even cause tool failure, as 

shown in Figure 1. 

Chatter can negatively impact the 

workpiece quality and the machine 

tool integrity. The surface fi nish can 

be adversely affected to the point of 

rejection, and the operating life of 

machine components can be reduced. 

The challenge is fi nding a method to 

eliminate the chattering problem while 

maintaining throughput or cycle time. 

Dilley indicated that work done by Tlusty 

and others in the 1950s showed that 

there was a relationship between the 

DOC in a machining operation and the 

spindle speed.1, 2 

Unfortunately, machine tool technology 

was not adequate enough to take 

advantage of this relationship until the 

late 1980s. At that point, the aerospace 

industry was able to use spindle speeds 

up to 20,000 rpm but had trouble making 

metal parts any faster due to chattering 

until they began to utilize a “Stability 

Diagram.” Such a diagram for a specifi c 

tool/holder/machine combination is 

illustrated in Figure 2. 

Dilley maintains that no two machining 

setups are identical, so a given tool 

will perform differently in a different 

toolholder, and a given tool/holder 

combination will perform differently in 

Machine A vs. Machine B. 

However, once a given tool/holder/ 

machine is optimized, the same 

parameters can continue to be used 

with consistent setup, as many users 

have been doing for the past three to fi ve 

years. Dilley breaks the stability diagram 

into fi ve regions. He explains, “The highperformance 

region occurs when the 

spindle speed is suffi ciently high that 

the DOC can be increased into the wide 

open (white) chatter-free pockets. This 

region is tool/holder/machine specifi c, 

as it may start as low as 100 rpm or 

as high as 15,000 rpm. The optimal 

conditions for machining vibration are 

often found in this region.” 

The Figure 2 diagram shows the 

conventional machining zone is always 

chatter free, which seems perfect. 

However, this area may not be productive 

for some tools, as this zone may again 

start at a higher rpm due to the tool/ 

holder/machine and workpiece. 

The “poor man” region begins when the 

spindle speed increases to the point 

where tool/workpiece rubbing reduces 

and chatter is capable of developing. 

This is the region where most machinists 

reduce the rpm and increase the feed 

and run. Dilley states, “I, unfortunately, 

see many processes running in this 

region that could easily be moved into 

the high-performance region.” 

The Blim1 and Blim2 regions are chatterindometalworking 

news Vol. 3 / 2008 31

free at any rpm because the DOC is 

below the Blim line, which is determined 

by the dynamic stiffness of the system, 

workpiece material, number of teeth and 

Radial DOC (for milling). Blim1 is directly 

below the Poor Man Region, but as the 

spindle speed increases, the machining 

process moves into the Blim2 industry’s 

defi nition of HSM, where tools are run at 

high speeds, high feeds and low DOC. 

Unfortunately, productivity in mainly 

roughing and semi-fi nishing operations 

can suffer because the end-user is 

underutilizing the cutting and machine 

tools. 

To be more productive, Dilley maintains 

that the DOC must be increased and 

the spindle speed adjusted until the 

metal removal rate is maximized in the 

high-performance region. “The optimal 

parameters are diffi cult to fi nd without 

the proper equipment and software,” he 

says. “You can come close, but the trial 

and error method takes considerable 

time, and many users are only at 25 

percent of their possible maximum 

metal removal rate (mrr). Without 

technology, machinists and engineers 

do not know when to stop, as they 

always question if they have found the 

optimal parameters.” 

Dilley indicates that a systematic 

procedure can be done on each 

individual machining system to 

determine the sweet spot. This process 

uses one of two techniques. The 

fi rst is more detailed and develops a 

stability diagram using an instrumented 

hammer and an accelerometer. The 

second utilizes the stability diagram 

theory by using audio analysis with a 

microphone.2 An example is shown in 

Figure 3 for a 2-fl uted cutting tool. 

The points determined by audio analysis 

on the chatter frequency vs. spindle 

speed plot (lower curve) utilized the 

theory to locate the chatter-free cutting 

zone in the upper curve. A test coupon 

in the third diagram (Figure 3) correlates 

the specifi c points to their respective 

depths of cut. 

Dilley explains, “The fi rst position 

reached in the evaluation is point (a) 

which has a spindle speed of 30,000 

rpm and a depth of cut of 0.5 mm. 

Chatter was detected, so the process 

called for the rpm to be reduced to just 

over 25,000 rpm at the same depth of 

cut. After moving to point (b), no chatter 

was found, so the next step was to 

increase the depth of cut to determine 

if a higher productivity can be achieved 

without chatter. Unfortunately, chatter 

was seen at point (c) which had a depth 

of cut of one mm. This prompted a 

further reduction of the spindle speed 

to point (d). No chatter was observed 

and the depth of cut was increased to 

point (e).” 

Further attempts in this case to increase 

the depth of cut [points (f), (g) and (h)] 

proved to be unsuccessful because 

a two mm cut by the tool is above any 

stable machining pockets. Dilley states, 

“The net result of this analysis is that 

the metal-removal rate at point (e) is 

140 percent better than point (a).” 

Dilley, in conjunction with Manufacturing 

Laboratories, continues to research 

using audio analysis to better understand 

how to optimize HSM processes for 

specifi c machine tool, cutting tool and 

workpiece combinations. 

OTHER VARIABLES 

Overcoming chattering is a major 

challenge in HSM, but not the only 

parameter that must be considered. 

Rodak says, “The setup used in HSM is 

very important to ensuring the operation 

is done successfully. A chatter wear 

pattern on the cutting tool shows up 

early, is very distinctive, and is usually 

the fi rst destructive wear pattern 

Figure 3. High Performance Harmonizer Method. Audio 

analysis technique can be used to determine the sweet 

spot of each individual machining system. The curves 

generated on the botttom chart are used to develop the 

chatter-free zones shown in the top chart. 

that would-be high-speed machinists 

encounter. It is very different from a 

diffusion or high temperature wear 

pattern, which are encountered when 

the machine setup is correct.” 

He continues, “High surface or contact 

speeds naturally increase cutting edge 

temperatures, which decreases tool 

life. The metalworking fl uid should be 

delivered through the cutting tool to 

ensure it reaches the cutting zone. 

With metal removal taking place at a 

much faster rate than conventional 

machining, small particulate fi ltration of 

the metalworking fl uid becomes more 

critical in order to extend its operating 

life.” 

McClure sees machining as a system 

encompassing the various elements 

shown in Figure 4. He says, “In a similar 

fashion to conventional machining, 

six key parameters (machine tool, 

machining parameters, machining 

accessories, cutting tool, work material 

and the metalworking fl uid) must be 

evaluated as a complete system. 

This procedure enables machining 

32 


Figure 4. Machining System. Six parameters must 

be evaluated as a complete system to optimize the 

machining process. 

to take place in the most productive 

fashion possible.” 

HSM has not been applied successfully 

to all types of machining operations and 

metal alloys. Shin says, “The applications 

best suited for use in HSM are milling, 

drilling and turning – in that order.” The 

limit on developing methodology for 

HSM of aluminum and cast iron has 

been reached, according to Shin. But 

he believes there is plenty of room for 

improving work with hardened steel and 

titanium alloys. 

Shin has set up a particular machine 

tool that has a 30,000 rpm spindle and 

used it to study HSM, modeling of highspeed 

spindles, control of high-speed 

machining processes and studies 

looking to monitor and predict chatter. 

MWF CHALLENGES 

HSM presents some unique challenges 

for the metalworking fl uid. STLE member 

Robert Evans, senior scientist for Quaker 

Chemical Corp. (Conshohocken, PA), 

says, “An important consideration with 

HSM over conventional machining lies in 

the increased rate of metal removal and 

the subsequent diffi culties associated 

with greater heat formation and the 

increasing demands for rapid removal 

of chips from the cutting area.” 

Evans continues, “Minimizing 

temperature increases in the workpiece 

is of particular importance with softer 

metals such as aluminum alloys, which 

have relatively high coeffi cients of 

thermal expansion. Heat formation at 

the point of cut, if not controlled and 

minimized, can easily lead to loss of 

dimension control of the machined 

part. Minimizing heat formation also 

is important in the HSM of other light 

and ductile metals such as titanium 

(Ti-6Al-4V), which undergoes a sizeable 

loss in strength properties as the metal 

temperatures increases above 800 deg 

F, thus making machining extremely 

diffi cult. The ability of the metalworking 

fl uid to lubricate and cool under such 

conditions is critical.” 

Rodak adds, “Small particulate level 

fi ltration of the metalworking fl uid 

is often suboptimized and must be 

bolstered. The metalworking fl uid must 

stand up to this type of fi ltration and 

also reject the buildup of tramp oil. 

Leakage of hydraulic, spindle and way 

oils into the fl uid can lead to a change 

in the lubrication in the cutting zone, 

affecting cutting conditions and tooling 

performance. HSM coolants should 

be fi ltered to two micron particles and 

tramp oils held to a maximum of 1 

percent.” 

Foam is a very important consideration 

because the metalworking fl uid is 

subjected to conditions very favorable 

for its formation. Evans says, “The 

higher speeds lead to more shearing 

of the coolant and, as a consequence, 

the greater potential for generation 

of foam. The ultimate goal for fl uids in 

HSM operations is to have a functional 

composition with low inherent foam 

tendencies and, thus, have little or no 

dependency on the use of antifoam 

additives. If they are used, however, they 

should provide effective and extended 

antifoam properties to the coolant.” 

STLE member Mary Taylor, technical 

service director for Ultra Additives, 

LLC (Bloomfi eld, NJ), says, “Higher 

fl ow rates, fl uid velocity and pressure 

involved in HSM, combined with 

increased part movement and heat, 

facilitates the incorporation of air into 

the metalworking fl uid and, as a result, 

produces foam. The detergency of the 

coolant can act to stabilize the foam.” 

Taylor contends that a variety of foam 

diameters can be formed. She explains, 

“Smaller bubbles (microfoam) tend to 

be produced preferentially as compared 

to large bubbles at higher machining 

speeds. The mechanism of defoaming 

is due to the process of microfoam 

coalescing or unifying from a small 

single bubble into larger ones, which 

support and increase the transport line 

or buoyancy of the air bubbles out of the 

system.” 

Both Evans and Taylor agree that proper 

selection of a defoamer-added tankside 

may be needed to address foam 

problems. Taylor adds, “The engineering 

of the machining system is important to 

allow for adequate space for the foam 

to dissipate and settle.” Higher levels 

of mist can be formed during HSM 

For the top plate of a portable stereo, this Haas VM-3 

machines NAK 55 mold steel, 40 HRc using a 6 mm 

carbide ball endmill at 12,000 rpm @120 ipm 

(3 m/min). 


operations. Adequate ventilation and 

machine enclosures are probably the 

best way to control mist levels. 

USER PERSPECTIVE 

Protomatic Inc. (Dexter, MI) carries out 

custom manufacturing of prototype parts 

for use in a large number of applications. 

Doug Wetzel, vice president and general 

manager, says, “HSM is an integral part 

of our approach in providing service to 

our customers. We use HSM because it 

is much more effi cient than conventional 

machining and we can produce superior 

parts.” 

Wetzel believes HSM can reduce 

vibration and lead to an increase in tool 

life and improved fi nish. He says, “We 

machine many different metal alloys 

(including steel, titanium and plastic) 

for a large variety of applications. It is 

very diffi cult to shift gears without being 

able to use a systematic, diagnostic 

approach in machining. Our customers 

demand tighter parts tolerances, which 

puts the pressure on us.” 

Protomatic uses the vibrational analysis 

described earlier to optimize machining 

parameters. They conduct two basic 

metal-removal operations. Wetzel says, 

“Approximately 70 percent of the work 

we do is milling with the remaining 

operation being turning. Over 50 percent 

of the parts we make are turned and 

then milled.” 

From a metalworking fl uid standpoint, 

the biggest issue Protomatic faces is 

mist, especially when the parts are 

warm. Foam can also be an issue, 

according to Wetzel. Protomatic uses 

a water-based synthetic fl uid for 90 

percent of its operations. Wetzel says, 

“The metalworking fl uid is selected 

based on need. In some cases, we 

can conduct HSM without any coolant. 

This is particularly useful in machining 

plastic parts for medical applications. 

We cannot risk coolant contamination 

of parts in these cases.” 

CASE STUDIES 

Dilley discussed a problem occurring 

at a machine shop that was machining 

a pocket in an aluminum component. 

The company tested many tools and 

toolholders over months with minimal 

success, which they attributed to the 

length of the 0.25 in end mill (10:1 length: 

diameter). Audio analysis improved this 

company’s process by 90 sec per part 

for a production schedule of 300 parts 

per month (see Table 1). This represents 

a 7.5 hr reduction in machine time per 

month, or 90 hrs per year. 

The machine shop later eliminated the 

fi nish pass because the surface fi nish 

improved so dramatically after the 

process was optimized. An additional 

reduction of 20 sec was realized in 

the cycle time. The machine shop also 

stopped chipping tools, which reduced 

tooling costs. 

A second case study involved machining 

a steel part using a Makino V55 CNC 

machine. The operation used a 19.05 

mm, 4-fl ute solid carbide end mill. This 

machine tool can operate at a maximum 

spindle speed of 20,000 rpm. McClure 

says, “Machining at 20,000 rpm could 

only be done at a DOC of 1 mm prior to 

chattering. Reducing the spindle speed 

to 17,300 rpm led to an increase in the 

DOC to 5 mm.” The metal-removal rate 

increased signifi cantly, from 152 cm3/ 

min to 659 cm3/min. As a result, the 

Table 1. Audio Analysis on End Mill Machining Process 

time needed to machine the part was 

cut by 17 minutes. 

Additional progress can be made in 

the future to further improve upon 

the HSM process. McClure says, “The 

cutting tools and metalworking fl uids 

must be updated to the extent of the 

machine tools in order to be able to 

machine at faster speeds. On a scale 

of 1 to 10 (where 1 represents a very 

rudimentary understanding of HSM and 

10 represents optimal utilization of the 

technique), the metalworking industry is 

now between a 6 and 7. We still do not 

have the skill set to better utilize HSM.” 

Rodak suggests a holistic approach to 

HSM, which includes applying worldclass 

techniques to the elements of 

good machining. He says, “Unknowingly 

applying suboptimized practices in any 

of these elements virtually assures 

the user of problems within the HSM 

environment.” 

Dilley adds, “The challenge in HSM is 

to impart a change in philosophy for 

running the technique. Most users 

do not know the capabilities of their 

machine tools and often underutilize 

them. Another hurdle is the lack of 

training, and much of the existing 

knowledge base is disappearing. If 

carried out properly, high-performance 

machining can enable an end-user to 

attain a 300 to 500 percent productivity 

improvement.” 

References 

1. Tobias, S. and Fishwick, W. (1958), 

“The Chatter of Lathe Tools Under 

Orthogonal Cutting Conditions,” 

ASME Trans. 80, pp. 1079–1088. 

2. Delio, T., Smith, S. and Tlusty, J. 

(1992), “Use of Audio Signals in 

Chatter Detection and Control,” 

ASME J. Eng. Ind. 114, pp. 486–492. 

3. Canter, N. (2006), “Metalworking 

Fluid Mist: Strategies for Minimizing 

Exposure,” Tribology and Lubrication 

Technology, 61 (3), pp. 36–44. 

34 


Work Smart: Balancing Price 

and Productivity 

Cutting tools are 

unique in their 

effect, as relatively 

small investments 

can result in 

tremendous cost 

reductions 

Today’s metalworking player faces 

a constant barrage of challenges 

from customers. Demands for 

shorter turnaround times, reduced 

prices and increased precision can 

often overwhelm a shop’s resources. 

In this environment, it is not surprising 

that many manufacturers resort to a 

reactive philosophy, pursuing change 

only when directly called upon to do 

so by requirements of a customer or 

application. Unfortunately, this approach 

will usually result in missing out on 

potential benefi ts of new technology, 

some of which can have tremendous 

effects on productivity and profi tability. 

In the area of cutting tools, processes 

can almost be perpetually improved 

due to the rapid development of 

innovative tool designs and new 

insert technologies. By taking a more 

proactive approach to discovering and 

implementing these solutions, shops 

can increase their competitive standing 

in the global market. 

From machine tools to materials to cutting 

processes, many factors infl uence the 

total cost of producing a part. Cutting 

tools, however, are unique in their effect, 

as relatively small investments can 

result in tremendous cost reductions. 

This is due to the fact that cutting 

tools make up a small percentage of 

the total cost, but can greatly increase 

productivity. To understand the role of 

productivity on total cost, one must look 

at the economics of manufacturing. 

Manufacturing Economics 

Every part produced has both fi xed and 

variable costs. Fixed costs include the 

money spent on machinery, labor and 

overhead items—such as buildings, 

administration and utilities. Cutting 

tools and workpiece materials make up 

the variable portion of total part cost. 

In the vast majority of applications, 

fi xed costs far outweigh variable costs. 

Increasing productivity results in more 

parts produced, reducing the amount of 

fi xed costs assigned to each component. 

Therefore, it is usually benefi cial to 

accept small increases in variable 

costs that result in greatly increased 

productivity. Oftentimes, metalworking 

manufacturers will base cutting tool 

decisions off of price, opting for the 

cheapest available tools and inserts. 

Because the least expensive option 

typically yields lower productivity, the 

cost per part is likely to be higher than 

it should be. On average, cutting tools 

make up just 3 percent of a part’s total 

cost, while workpiece materials account 

for 17 percent. A whopping 80 percent 

falls into the fi xed cost category. 

Along the same lines, many purchase 

decisions are made on tool life. The 

problem with this line of thinking is 

that, on its own, longer tool life simply 

translates into a price reduction on 

tooling. In other words, a 50 percent 

increase in tool life is really just a 33 

percent reduction in tooling cost. 

36 


On the other hand, optimizing tooling on 

a job will usually increase productivity 

by 20 percent. Because a greater 

amount of parts can be produced in the 

same amount of time, the fi xed costs 

are spread across a greater quantity 

of parts. Even if the optimal tooling is 

50 percent more expensive than the 

alternative, a 20 percent productivity 

boost will reduce total cost per part by 

nearly 15 percent. The savings attained 

through increase productivity are clear. 

The Benefits of Partnerships 

Knowing that productivity increases can 

substantially cut costs, the challenge 

becomes fi nding the best way to 

achieve productivity gains. Fortunately 

for metalworking manufacturers 

today, tooling companies offer an 

unprecedented level of assistance. 

Many even have programs dedicated to 

helping their customers select the best 

tooling for specifi c applications. 

When looking for such a partnership, 

there are two key areas to be considered. 

1. Metalworking manufacturers, 

including mold maker should verify 

the expertise of a cutting tool 

supplier. It can quickly be determined 

if a representative of the company 

is truly an expert by asking detailed 

questions about the materials and 

machining processes applicable to 

a part. Also verify that the company 

will be easy to contact and readily 

available to help with any challenges 

that arise. 

2. 

If confi dent that a cutting tool supplier 

will bring value to a partnership, a 

manufacturer should examine the 

details of that company’s relevant 

programs. Is the process invasive 

and how will it affect production? 

Will representatives from the cutting 

tool company be working directly 

with machine operators to ensure a 

smooth transition to new processes 

or tools? What types of documented 

results or reports will be provided 

on test cuts and newly implemented 

tools? All of these issues are worth 

inquiring about, as they play a vital 

role in making the partnership a 

success 

Summary 

Once a working partnership with a 

knowledgeable cutting tool manufacturer 

has been established, the path has 

been cleared for dramatic productivity 

improvements. Keeping in mind that 

sometimes the more expensive solution 

results in the least amount of costs, 

a manufacturer can help to ensure 

continued competitiveness in the global 

market. By thinking smart and working 

smart, today’s mold manufacturer can 

earn smart as well. 


TOOLING FOR ZERO 

STOCK MACHINING 

Machining to net shape relies on 

proper end mill selection 

Zero stock machining (ZSM)— 

also referred to as net shape 

or negative stock machining— 

is the practice of producing mold 

components without leaving extra 

stock. When applied effectively, ZSM 

provides several important benefi ts for 

moldmakers: time-consuming EDM and 

manual operations—such as polishing, 

fi tting, spotting and fi nishing—can be 

eliminated and assembly and the overall 

moldmaking process time can be greatly 

reduced. ZSM requires that several 

elements—specifi cally the machine tool, 

programming and tooling—all be used in 

harmony to achieve the desired result. 

Suitable machine tools will offer high 

precision, fast spindle speeds (18,000+ 

rpm) and feedrates (500+ ipm), as 

well as stability and rigidity. Effi cient 

programming software will result in more 

accurate and highly optimized toolpaths 

that minimize machine time. In fi ve-axis 

machining, the programming software will 

orient the cutting tool to the workpieces 

at the optimum angle of attack. If one of 

these elements is improperly selected 

or applied, the process will prove 

ineffective. 

End Mill Factor in ZSM 

This article will focus on one element in 

this effi cient moldmaking approach: end 

mills. Often, the importance of the cutting 

tool is minimized or overlooked entirely, 

but when viewed as the single interface 

between the machine / programming 

elements and the fi nished workpiece, the 

magnitude of their importance becomes 

clear. 

It is important to note that ZSM is not 

a milling technique, but rather the 

application of well established milling 

techniques (HSC and hard milling) in 

conjunction with an overall approach 

to moldmaking. ZSM constitutes a 

departure from the traditional methods, 

which requires a change in mindset as 

much as change in technology. One such 

change is to recognize the importance of 

the cutting tool. 

This discussion will also include cooling / 

lubrication and coating technology, which 

are integral to cutting tool performance. 

Effective High-Speed Cutting 

From the cutting tool perspective highspeed 

cutting is the foundation of ZSM. 

HSC is the process of machining materials 

at high cutting speeds (fi ve to 10 times 

faster than conventional machining), 

and highly accelerated and precise rapid 

movements. HSC utilizes spindle speed 

to take relatively light depths-of-cut 

at accelerated feedrates to effi ciently 

remove material and can be defi ned as 

machining at a cutting speed, which is 

fast enough to create a level of friction 

(released as heat) that the material in 

the shearing zone (the exact point where 

chips are separated from the workpiece) 

becomes molten. The heat resistant 

characteristics of carbide, combined with 

optimized fl ute geometry and small chip 

size facilitate rapid chip evacuation that 

keeps the area immediately surrounding 

the shearing zone relatively cool. 

Due to the high spindle speeds necessary 

to achieve HSC, cutting tools must posses 

inherently good balance characteristics. 

For example, straight plane shanks 

rather than Weldon style fl ats. Relative 

to fi nishing operations, tools should 

have an even number of fl utes to provide 

smoother and more even cutting. 

Most importantly, end mills should 

include micron tolerances on the shank 

and cutting diameter to minimize 

vibrations and thereby maximize tool life 

(see Chart 1). 

Successful Hard Milling 

As the use of hard mold steels becomes 

more prevalent, effective methods of 

material removal must be examined. 

Hard milling is the machining of metals 

with a hardness generally accepted at or 

above 52 Rc that cannot be machined 

effi ciently with conventional HSS milling 

cutters. 

Effective hard milling requires cutting 

tools made from much harder materials 

such as carbide, cermet or CBN. Carbide 

is preferred as the more durable, costeffective 

option. 

The following are several important 

cutting tool characteristics that should 

be considered to achieve successful 

hard milling and HSC: tools comprised 

of micro-grain or sub micro-grain carbide 

materials; high-performance TiAIN 

coatings for optimal tool performance 

and tool life; application-specifi c cutting 

geometry. Typically, the harder the 

workpiece the more negative the rake 

angle (0 to -3 degrees) and the slower 

the helix angle (30 to 0 degrees). 

Dry Machining 

Dry machining is preferable for machining 

hardened steel. Dry machining is more 

Chart 1 

38 


economical, not only by eliminating 

the cost of coolant, but also the cost 

of coolant disposal (that can easily 

exceed the initial coolant cost). It is also 

a better ecological option not only for 

the environment as a whole, but also 

because coolants can present health 

hazards such as allergic reactions, 

respiratory irritations and poisoning. 

From a technical standpoint, dry 

machining eliminates the danger of 

thermal shock, which may occur when 

relatively cold fl uid comes in contact with 

the relatively hot cutting tool. This drastic 

temperature change can cause cracks or 

micro-fi ssures on the tools cutting edge, 

which will lead directly to premature tool 

wear. 

Dry machining can be augmented with 

cool air blast, which serves to keep the 

cutting area cool and helps facilitate chip 

evacuation. 

Carbide 

Carbide tools are made from composite 

materials consisting of a relatively 

soft bonding agent, cobalt (Co) and of 

carbides (WC, TiC, TaC, Nbc), which 

provide hardness. Through a sintering 

process, the cobalt material is liquefi ed 

under extreme heat while the carbide, 

with a much higher melting point, 

remains solid. Once cooled, the result is 

a matrix of the cobalt bonding agent and 

the brittle carbide particles into a solid 

body. 

The end mill’s composition is an important 

consideration when evaluating end mills 

for ZSM. Carbides are available with 

various grain structures including nano, 

sub-micro, micro, fi ne, medium, coarse 

and extra coarse grain. Preferred tools 

for modern machining are made from 

micro or sub-micro grain carbides. 

Through various compositions of cobalt 

and carbides, different carbides and 

grain sizes, a multitude of hardness and 

toughness properties can be achieved. 

The proper balance between hardness 

and brittleness must always be obtained 

in carbide tools. As hardness increases, 

carbide becomes more brittle. When 

evaluating tools for hard milling, using 

harder carbides makes sense. For HSC 

in mild steel, a less hard, more resilient 

carbide will provide optimum tool life. 

Coatings 

PVD (physical vapor deposition) coatings 

are recommended for tools used for 

hard milling, HSC, and therefore the 

ZSM process. In a typical PVD process, 

electrodes made form titanium and 

aluminum are introduced into a 

vacuum chamber. These electrodes are 

bombarded by an electrical current, or 

arc, which vaporizes the electrodes and 

release charged electrons. Nitrogen 

gas is pumped into the vacuum under 

high heat and forms a plasma of gas 

and electrons that is attracted to, and 

deposited onto, the carbide as a hard, 

thin fi lm of TiAlN, for example. 

These coatings can be applied in a single 

layer, in multi layers or in alternating 

layers of different coatings, for example 

TiAlN and TiN (see Figure 1). 

Coatings play an important role relative 

to productivity and tool life, ultimately 

affecting the cost-effectiveness of 

the moldmaking process. In general, 

coatings decrease tool wear due to 

added resistance to friction and heat. 

A coatings lubricity (measured as a 

coeffi cient of friction) helps prevent cold 

welding and minimizes cutting forces. 

In turn, production costs are decreased 

due to longer tool life, higher cutting 

speeds and improved surface quality of 

workpieces. 

In some cases coatings can prove 

detrimental. For example, a relatively 

thick coating can have a negative 

Figure 1 

infl uence on surface quality and the 

sharpness of the cutting edge. Also, 

while multi-layer coatings can reduce the 

spread of cracks caused by heat friction 

or thermal shock, it is possible in the PVD 

process for electrons to clump together 

and form droplets within the layers. These 

droplets increase the surface roughness 

of the coating, which can have negative 

infl uences on chip fl ow. 

To combat this problem, manufacturers 

of quality end mills will perform a surface 

treatment within the fl utes, similar to 

polishing, which will substantially improve 

the roughness of coating. 

Also benefi cial are edge preparation 

treatments, which are performed prior 

to coating. The cutting edge is honed to 

minimize or remove the microscopic grind 

lines left by the manufacturing process. 

The resulting smoother surface provides 

a better base for coating adhesion and 

less opportunity for cold welding and / or 

material build-up on the cutting edge. 

Conclusion 

Moldmakers using ZSM need to evaluate 

cutting tools as carefully as they would the 

machine tool and programming elements. 

It is important to evaluate different 

cutters (often possible through vendor 

test programs) in order to determine the 

best tool for the application. 

End mills cannot be effectively 

evaluated based on price alone. As 

cutting tool technology progresses, 

additional features—such as edge 

prep, sophisticated geometries, stateof-the-art 

coatings and task-specifi c 

carbides—will add cost to a cutting tool, 

but the additional cost can be easily 

offset by the value added in tool life and 

performance. 


TRICKS OF THE TRADE 

From page 18 

Here are some tricks of the waterjet 

trade that operators and programmers 

alike should fi nd useful: 

• Utilizing the fl exibility of nesting 

software to create different ‘machine’ 

settings in conjunction with ‘tech tables’ 

allows programmers to quickly generate 

tailor made NC code depending on the 

desired requirements from different 

material types and thicknesses. For 

example, when cutting expensive 

material such as titanium, programmers 

can maximize material yield by using 

common line cutting to get the biggest 

bang for the buck. This requires more 

attention from the programmer and 

operator, but the yield benefi t is worth 

the extra manpower expense. Similarly 

when cutting thick material, cut quality 

is greatly improved by ramping into 

corners and, whereas using ramping on 

thin material may not be necessary and 

would increase overall production time. 

• When use of tabs is undesirable due 

to a requirement for good surface/edge 

quality, using toothpicks inserted into 

the cut path allows parts to be fi rmly 

held in place without falling through the 

cutting table. 

• Cutting material on top of good smooth 

plywood or other substrate minimizes 

the effect of backsplash against the 

underside of the material being cut due 

to the jet being defl ected back off the 

grates/slats. 

• Adding a plate around the front and 

side of the cutting table, then cutting it 

parallel with the machine axis, allows the 

operator to quickly set up sheets that are 

square with the travel of the machine 

without needing to double check the 

set-up and verify the alignment. 

• Using a crop cut in the nest allows 

When cutting expensive material such as titanium, programmers can maximize material yield by using common line cutting to 

get the biggest bang for the buck. When cutting thick material, cut quality is greatly improved by ramping into corners, whereas 

using ramping on thin material may not be necessary and would increase overall production time. 

programmers to create defi ned crop 

cuts, save remnants and index the 

sheet against the previously made 

‘straight’ edge at the front of the tank. 

This allows operators to cut sheets that 

are longer than the table is ordinarily 

capable of cutting. This maximizes yield 

and eliminates further operations such 

as shearing metal and extra loading/ 

unloading of sheets. Indexing is quick 

and easy and minimizes operator fatigue 

and confusion, especially when reports 

are issued from the nesting program to 

graphically defi ne the process. 

• If the machine has a programmable Z 

axis, the full-raise feature can be utilized 

quickly and easily to avoid clamps and 

weights that are on the table when 

traversing. 

• Nozzle crashes are often costly and 

stop production due to the damage it 

can cause to the cutting head, as well 

as the chance of moving the material 

partway through a cut and thereby 

scrapping some or all of the parts. 

Using ‘zones’ to avoid clamps and other 

obstacles reduces these risks. 

40 


ADVANCES IN DEFECT 

DETECTION 

Here are the examples. 

The remarkable progress in inspection technology is 

having a profound impact on quality improvement. 

LASER WELD INSPECTION FOR SAFETY CRITICAL WELDS 

Automotive OEMs and suppliers, along 

with any other manufacturers that 

require Six Sigma production from 

their robotic welding cells, can benefi t 

signifi cantly from automated laser 

weld inspection. In conjunction with 

their world-leading robotic arc welding 

solutions, Motoman, USA offers laser 

inspection systems that automate 

checking of safety-critical welds. 

To provide automated weld inspection, 

the laser camera scans the weld profi le 

for visible discontinuities, such as voids, 

convexity, undersize and/or undercut 

conditions. The laser sensor is fl exible, 

and the user can set accept, warn and 

reject limits on discontinuities. Output 

from the sensor can be used to separate 

nonconforming parts from production. 

For Six Sigma production, the camera 

supplements arc monitoring by verifying 

that welds “look good” and are in the 

proper location. The laser camera 

provides quantifi able inspection results 

24/7/365. Nonconforming parts are 

separated from production, reducing the 

need to use third-party containment. 

Using laser weld inspection as part of 

the manufacturing process keeps poor 

quality or missing welds from being 

covered with additional brackets or other 

components. Laser cameras can also 

be used to inspect the fi nal weldment 

to detect nonconforming parts prior to 

assembly operations. 

5-AXIS CMM INSPECTION OFFERS REVOLUTIONARY THROUGHPUT 

Renscan5 ultra-high-speed scanning 

technology delivers tremendous 

throughput gains in coordinate 

measuring machine (CMM) inspection of 

critical and complex parts. Early adopters 

report 680 percent improvement on 

automotive cylinders heads and 922 

percent faster processing of jet engine 

blisks. 

Renscan5, from Renishaw Inc., meets 

industry needs for reduced WIP, greater 

process control, and ever tighter 

tolerances by delivering 10X and more 

data points. The breakthrough system 

combines a dynamic, infi nite positioning 

REVO measurement head with 5-axis 

machine control and a fi rst-ever lasercorrected 

probe to measure at speeds 

up to 500 mm/sec vs. conventional 

CMM scanning at 5-15 mm/sec. 

This fi ve-axis system virtually eliminates 

the measurement errors normally 

associated with existing three-axis 

scanning systems by allowing the smaller 

measuring head, a 3D measuring device 

in its own right, to perform most of the 

motion during inspection routines. 

This minimizes dynamic errors caused 

in acceleration/deceleration of the 

larger mass of a CMM structure. Lowmass, 

low-inertia design allows ultrahigh-speed 

data capture — up to 4000 

points a sec vs. 200-300 data points for 

conventional scanning. 

The head uses synchronized motion 

when scanning to quickly follow changes 

in part geometry, without introducing its 

own dynamic errors, allowing the CMM 

to move at a constant velocity along 


a constant vector as measurements 

are being taken, removing the inertial 

errors that result from acceleration of 

the machine during conventional 3-axis 

scanning. Two rotary drives (360 deg in 

hor plane, 120 deg in vert plane) provide 

wrist-like action to optimize part access 

and enable infi nite adjustment to the 

part surface while measuring. 

A highly innovative “tip sensing” probe 

mounted to the measuring head further 

minimizes the errors caused by the 

dynamic effects of high-speed motion 

and allows the use of long styli without 

reducing accuracy. A laser light system 

accurately measures the exact position 

of the probe tip with a beam of light 

directed from within the probe body 

down a hollow stylus to a refl ector at the 

stylus tip. 

Unlike conventional styli that need 

to be very stiff, the new hollow stylus 

is designed to bend and defl ect the 

return path of the laser beam, which is 

received by a Position Sensing Detector 

(PSD) mounted in the probe body. 

Software algorithms combine PSD 

input with head geometry and CMM 

axis scale, calculating exact stylus tip 

position in space, on the fl y. The probe 

delivers 1 mic accuracy at 250 mm from 

the axis of rotation at 500 mm/sec. The 

probe allows single tip calibration to be 

accurate at all angles of rotation. This 

can save hours in set-up routines on 

complex geometry parts, maximizing 

availability of the CMM. 

This system is available with the new 

second-generation UCC2 universal 

CMM controller featuring patented 

MoveScan software that synchronizes 

and smoothes motion between the CMM 

and the head. On-the-fl y repositioning of 

head and stylus between part features 

shortens scanning time of indexing 

systems. 

NMI SYSTEM MEETS EN10247 STANDARD FOR STEEL ANALYSIS 

Carl Zeiss, Inc. introduces a new system 

for analyzing Non-Metallic Inclusions 

(NMI) based on the Axio Imager.Z1m 

upright microscope or the Axio Observer. 

Z1m inverted microscope to provide 

the optimal conditions for reliable and 

convenient measurements of nonmetallic 

inclusions in steel. 

This system fully supports the new 

EN 10247 European standard for 

determining the content of non-metallic 

inclusions in steel, as well as previously 

existing standards including, DIN 50602, 

ASTM E 45, ISO 4967; JIS G 0555. 

The system can be tailored for further 

image analysis applications such as 

grain size analysis and particle analysis, 

and ensures reliable, reproducible and 

convenient measurements. All the 

components of the microscope, ranging 

from the camera to the motorized stage, 

are controlled by AxioVision Software for 

full functionality. 

Quality is determined through an 

automated process performed by 

repeatable mathematical calculations 

that dramatically improve prior methods 

involving visual comparison of a sample 

to a reference chart image. The system 

allows automatic objective analysis on 

up to six samples at a time using batch 

mode, and can output the results of a 

batch measurement either individually 

or combined. 

The integrated NMI software can 

perform measurements on a large 

MosaiX image (a composite of many 

individual tile images) to address the 

inaccurate classifi cations that occur 

when inclusions cut off at the image 

edge are not recorded in their entirety 

during independent individual tile 

analysis. 

Sample evaluation is not only more 

accurate, but it is much faster and 

easier than the previous manual and 

visual evaluation methods, especially if 

the sample is measured against multiple 

standards. 

LARGE-SCALE METROLOGY WORKSPACE ON THE SPOT 

Metris, Germany presents iSpace, 

which activates a large scale metrology 

workspace where objects can be 

measured and tracked accurately. 

Predefi ned confi guration packages allow 

iSpace systems to be easily installed at 

economies never achievable in the past. 

The embedded auto-calibration function 

provides accurate and continuous 

system monitoring, guaranteeing robust 

and reliable operation. This system 

is based on proven global positioning 

technology that turns workspaces into 

scalable metrology workvolumes by 

using a network of iGPS transmitters 

that create a measurement fi eld that 

is extendable by adding more iGPS 

devices. The innovative network concept 

of this large-scale metrology solution 

guarantees uniform accuracy throughout 

42 


the entire workspace. iGPS serves 

multiple concurrent users, and offers 

the unique capability to measure and 

track multiple objects simultaneously. 

iSpace bundles iGPS technology into 

seven off-the-shelf confi gurations 

with measurement volumes ranging 

from 400 to 1200 sq m, available in 

different classes to suit the accuracy 

requirements of the customer. The 

quick setup system is typically deployed 

in metrology applications to accurately 

position measurement devices, such as 

handheld probes, articulated arms and 

laser radars that can be repositioned 

at any time without having to manually 

redefi ne their new locations each 

time they are moved. By eliminating 

these interruptions, operators take 

measurements non-stop anywhere 

within the entire metrology workspace, 

resulting in faster turnaround times. 

iSpace-enabled applications include the 

tracking of parts, tools and automatically 

guided vehicles (AGVs), part joining and 

assembly. 

LARGE CAPACITY MULTI-SENSOR VIDEO MEASUREMENT 

The L.S. Starrett Company, USA 

introduces the Galileo AV1824 Video 

Measurement System to extend the 

speed, power and accuracy of this 

intermediate class of video systems to 

larger parts. 

This system increases versatility through 

its multi-sensor measuring capabilities 

of vision, touch probe, and laser 

scanning. It is ideal for QC labs, research, 

engineering and manufacturing. 

The color optical system provides 

zoom magnifi cation of 12:1 with a 

programmable magnifi cation range from 

15X to 550X with auxiliary lenses. A dual 

output LED illuminator, ring light and coaxial 

illumination provides exceptional 

lighting. Four-quadrant high incidence 

angle LED-transmitted illumination is 

also available. Other options include a 

PH 6 contact probe with TP20 module, 

Optimet Mark III Laser Probe and a CNC 

rotary positioning device. The system 

includes dual fl at panel LCD displays. 

Its large work envelope has a 

measurement volume of 24 in x 18 in x 

6 in (610 mm x 455 mm x 155 mm) on 

a (X-Y-Z) measuring stage and a motion 

volume of 24.2 in x 18.2 in x 6.2 in 

(615 mm x 460 mm x 160 mm). Overall 

size is 39 in x 39 in x 60 in (1,000 mm 

x 1,000 mm x 1,525 mm). The system 

weighs approximately 900 lb. Maximum 

workload (evenly distributed) is 220 lb 

(100 kg) without translight, or 44 lb (20 

kg) with the translight. A stable granite 

base ensures accuracy within 0.00060 

in overall at E1=5.0+15L/1,000 and 

an Encoder Resolution of 0.5 μm 

(0.0000039 in). 

The AV1824 includes industry-leading 

Metronics Quadra-Chek® QC-5000 

3D Metrology Software with video 

edge detection and full CNC control. 

Utilizing the familiar MS Windows® 

operating system, QC-5000 software 

is full-featured and intuitive to obtain, 

store, manage and distribute precision 

measurement data directly from the lab 

or the shop fl oor. 

NEW LATHE & SPINDLE ALIGNMENT TOOL 

Pinpoint Laser Systems introduces a 

new measuring and alignment system 

for lathes, turning equipment, spindles 

and related machinery. 

This Spindle Alignment Tool is easy to 

use, versatile and affordable. Ideal for 

aligning lathes and turning centers, 

adjusting boring mills, aligning drive 

shafts, and adjusting barfeeders. The 

Microgage system provides information 

on runout, centerline offset, parallelism, 

concentricity and other useful 

parameters that can guide machinery 

back to optimal alignment and improved 

profi ts. This system is simple and quick 

to use, with a round laser secured into a 

chuck or attached to the end of a shaft 

or spindle. A dual-axis receiver is placed 

on the tailstock, tool holder or another 

piece of equipment that can receive the 

laser beam. 

As the laser and the receiver move 

relative to each other, the digital display 

precisely reads the alignment and 

machine characteristics. This tool can 

measure to a precision of 0.0001 in or 

better. The laser allows for alignments 

over distances as great as 150 ft. 

The introduction of Microgage 2D 

adds precision, easy-to-follow screen 

instructions and new optical and digital 

technology to the alignment of spindles 

and lathes. The Kit operates on batteries 

and all components are machined of 

solid anodized aluminum or stainless 

steel for wear resistance. 

A serial and USB interface connect 

to a laptop or PC and link to popular 

spreadsheets for plotting and analyzing 

data for maintenance records, customer 

compliance and other uses. A compact 

carrying case stores the components 

and is easily carried right out onto the 

manufacturing fl oor. 

indometalworking indometalworking news news Vol. 3 / Vol. 2008 3 / 2008 43 43

Automation 

Successful 

Robotic Deburring 

is Really a Matter 

of Choices 

If this process is so simple, then 

Robotic deburring and surface 

–fi nishing applications continue to 

grow in number as lean manufacturing 

techniques demand more from less. 

Automated surface fi nishing is a 

process that can be widely used in the 

manufacturing technology industry 

for a variety of applications ranging 

from aerospace to automotive to ship 

industry.1 Coupled with increased 

health–care costs associated with 

maintaining dangerous manual 

deburring systems, these robotic 

deburring systems have a huge 

monetary savings potential if executed 

correctly. 

One key to a successful robotic 

deburring system is the ability of the 

system to adapt to ever–changing part 

tolerances and burr sizes. Utilizing 

active or passive force control tools 

such as those from ATI Industrial 

Automation in the system will 

greatly increase a robotic deburring 

application’s chance for success. 

In the most generic sense, successful 

deburring or surface fi nishing requires 

a consistent end result regardless of 

the starting conditions. For deburring 

and defl ashing, success will require: 

a) completely removing the unwanted 

burr/parting line, b) leaving the 

surface free of chatter and scallops, 

c) not removing too much parent 

material. Of the three requirements, 

leaving the surface free of chatter and 

scallops is the most diffi cult for human 

operators. Completely removing the 

burr/parting line and not removing 

too much parent material are the 

most diffi cult for robots. Humans are 

wired for change and very easily adapt 

to changing conditions, but are not 

very consistent. Robots, conversely, 

are wired for consistency, but cannot 

easily adapt to changing conditions 

unless given “prompts” to change 

based on feedback from an ATI Six– 

Axis Force Torque Sensor or using 

adaptive (compliant) tooling such as 

ATI’s Versafi nish or Flexdeburr. 

Active force control tools provide 

prompts to the robot to actively (in real 

time) change its program trajectory as 

defi ned by a controlled–correction 

routine. These changes can adjust 

the path speed and adjust the cutting 

forces. These types of systems are 

typically more expensive than passive 

devices, but offer more accuracy 

and repeatability. Passive force 

control tools adapt to the changing 

part or unwanted burr independent 

of the robot, but are not as precise 

or accurate. Let’s examine the pros 

and cons of both systems, as well as 

provide general areas of concerns for 

robotic deburring. 

Deburring, Finishing Art 

Much like a master jeweler refi nes his 

technique over years of experience to 

cleave a perfect diamond and produce 

a brilliant, radiant gem, so must a 

44 


Automation 

master fi nisher rely on experience to 

remove the right amount of material 

and produce a beautiful “gem.” 

Applying too much force and in the 

wrong direction to a diamond results 

in a useless shattered diamond. 

Applying too much force in the wrong 

direction to a part yields useless scrap 

material – or worse, rework. 

To achieve a perfectly deburred 

or fi nished part, an operator must 

constantly adjust the amount of force, 

location and direction of force, and the 

speed at which this force is applied 

to a workpiece as that workpiece 

constantly changes. The learning 

curve for this type of work is very 

steep and fi lled with costly mistakes. 

Unfortunately, once the operator has 

mastered this art, he may be burned 

out and no longer wish to continue 

this dirty, dangerous, and degrading 

job and so the cycle continues with 

the next new operator. 

During the learning process, an 

operator uses his senses to continually 

adjust (in real time) his process to 

achieve an acceptable result. Whether 

he remembers and applies the same 

techniques he used Friday afternoon 

the following Monday morning is a 

different story. Although we are the 

most dynamic machines on earth 

and can adjust to an ever–changing 

environment, we are not repeatable 

and lack the physical stamina to 

achieve the consistent end results 

demanded in most deburring or 

surface–fi nishing applications today. 

And Now The Science 

Deburring, grinding, and surface 

fi nishing are basically quite simple. For 

a given material (assuming the material 

composition and characteristic 

doesn’t change during the process) 

and given media (assuming the 

abrasiveness doesn’t change), the 

end result is dependent only upon the 

media’s surface speed, the contact 

pressure of the media (contact force 

divided by contact area), and the rate 

at which the media is presented to the 

workpiece (feedrate). Most of these 

“feed and speed” variables are readily 

available from media manufacturers. 

Once these variables are determined, 

the end results will be consistent. This 

seems all too simple, but the laws of 

physics and machining do not change 

for deburring or surface fi nishing, as 

many process engineers might lead 

you to believe. 

Humans are wired for change and very 

easily adapt to changing conditions, 

but are not very consistent. Robots, 

conversely, are wired for consistency, 

but cannot easily adapt to changing 

conditions unless given ‘prompts’ to 

change based on feedback from an 

ATI Six–Axis Force Torque Sensor or 

use adaptive (compliant) tooling such 

as ATI’s VersaFinish or Flexdeburr. 

why do so many robotic deburring and 

surface fi nishing applications fail? 

The answer is simple: The parts are 

not consistent to begin with and the 

unwanted burrs are not consistent. 

Because robots cannot learn over 

time, once they are programmed, they 

consistently repeat their programmed 

moves day after day; hence, they 

cannot adapt to the changing parts 

or unwanted burr size. The best the 

operator can hope for is “nominal” 

results with a rigid robot and rigid 

tooling. 

Meshing Art & Science 

Compliance is the ability of a tool to 

maintain contact and cutting force with 

the workpiece. Controlling this force 

reduces the deburring and surface– 

fi nishing variables to only “feed and 

speed,” which are well–documented 

values readily available from media 

and carbide suppliers. Compliance 

also decreases the physical taught 

points along a curvilinear surface that 

the robot must follow because the 

robot will adjust its own path or the 

compliant tool will extend or retract to 

follow the part. These systems greatly 

reduce gouging the cutter into a part 

and help prevent the cutter from 

coming off the part (deburring air). 

Compliance can be achieved through 

a variety of techniques that include 

both active and passive force control 

systems. Active systems require a 

data link back to the robot controller 

to provide information and therefore 

are closed–loop systems. They might 

use accelerometers, Six–Axis Force 

Torque Sensors, or even the robot’s 

own servo–torque outputs to help 

control the cutting force. These 

systems are the most repeatable, 

accurate, and fl exible of all of force 

control systems, but typically carry a 

higher price tag. Active systems are 

best suited to applications that have 

very demanding surface requirements 

where one can justify the expense. 

Passive systems do not have a data 

link back to the controller and are 

open–loop systems where the robot 

and tool operate independently of 

one another. These systems might 

include springs, mass counterweights, 

electrical actuators, or pneumatic 

devices such as the VersaFinish 

and Flexdeburr tools to maintain 

the controlled–contact force. These 

systems are not as repeatable or 

accurate as their “intelligent” cousins, 


Automation 

but what they lack in brains they make 

up for in value. Passive systems are 

much less expensive and great for 

brute–force deburring, where the end 

result is defi ned only by a burr-free 

surface with loose tolerances. 

Active Force Control 

DESIRED 

REFERENCE 

or INPUT 

REFERENCE 

ERROR SIGNAL 

ACTUAL REFERENCE 

or FEEDBACK 

Controller 

Reference Sensor 

REFERENCE 

or OUTPUT 

Active force control systems continually 

measure the output (cutting force) of 

the system and compare the feedback 

(actual cutting force measured by 

a Six-Axis Force Torque Sensor) to 

the desired reference. Case in point: 

The desired reference is the cutting 

force that must be maintained to 

achieve a desired fi nish. This value is 

predetermined and obtained through 

trial-and-error testing. Once the 

desired cutting force is known and 

entered into the controller, the actual 

cutting force is subtracted from it and 

an error signal is generated. The error 

signal is then fed into the controller, 

which adjusts the output until it 

matches the desired input driving the 

error signal to zero. 

Error Signal Management 

Depending on the complexity of the 

reference sensor – single-axis load 

cell to multi-axis – force/torque 

sensor with accelerometers, the 

actual reference might be as simple 

as a scalar value or as complex 

as several vectors that defi ne the 

resultant cutting force and direction in 

three dimensions. Choosing the right 

type of reference sensor is dependent 

upon the application and expertise 

of the integrator. From a best-case 

control scenario, more information is 

always better. 

Once an error signal is generated, the 

controller can drive it to zero through a 

variety of ways, but we will only examine 

two possibilities. The fi rst technique, 

feed control, varies the feedrate to 

maintain the desired cutting force, 

while the second technique, pressure 

control, adjusts the robot’s trajectory 

to maintain the desired cutting force. 

Each of these techniques has their 

specifi c advantage, disadvantages, 

and limitations. 

Feed Control 

A. Consistent location and part size Inconsistent burr or 

flash size OK for feed control 

B. Inconsistent location or part size Inconsistent burr or 

flash size Not OK for feed control 

Feed-controlled robotic-deburring or 

surface-fi nishing applications utilize 

active force control to adjust the 

feedrate at which the robot presents 

a part to some abrasive media or 

cutter. The force in the path direction 

is constant. The feed is variable and 

the path is constant2. This system 

is exceptional for removing irregular 

amounts of material, such as fl ash 

and parting lines from parts that are 

relatively consistent. 

The disadvantage to this system is that 

the parts must also be repeatable and 

their locations relative to robot path 

must be repeatable. Because the 

robot is adjusting only the feedrate, it 

cannot distinguish between unwanted 

material (fl ash or parting line) and 

a part that is out of position or is 

inconsistent. Damage to the parent 

material will result if the part’s location 

and size is not tightly controlled. 

To use this type of control architecture, 

the robot is programmed to follow a 

part that has already been processed 

and is a “known good.” The resultant 

trajectory will not change and all 

successive parts will have material 

removed to the robot’s defi ned 

programmed trajectory. As the 

unwanted material grows, the feedrate 

will decrease to remove the excess 

material. 

The addition of a vision system to 

properly identify the location of parts 

and adjust the trajectory prior to 

deburring makes the feed-control 

system an extremely accurate and 

repeatable system capable of tackling 

the most versatile of all deburring or 

surface- fi nishing applications. 

Pressure Control 

A. Inconsistent location and part size Consistent burr or 

flash size OK for pressure control 

B. Inconsistent location or part size Inconsistent burr or 

flash size Not OK for pressure control 

Pressure-controlled robotic-deburring 

or surface-fi nishing applications 

utilize active force control to adjust 

the trajectory of the robot to maintain 

the desired contact pressure following 

the part profi le (cutting force / 

cutting area). Force in the controlled 

direction and speed along the surface 

is constant3. This system is ideal for 

compensating for inconsistent part 

locations and varying part sizes with 

consistent burrs. The disadvantage 

of this system is that it cannot 

46 


Automation 

compensate for large variances in burr 

or fl ash size. If the unwanted material 

varies greatly, there is the potential 

for some of it to be left on the part. 

Because the robot is only adjusting 

the trajectory to maintain a desired 

cutting force, it cannot distinguish 

between a part that is out of position 

or is inconsistent and unwanted 

material (fl ash or parting line). Failure 

to remove all of the unwanted burr or 

fl ash is possible if the burr size is not 

closely maintained. This might require 

a pre-process to bring the unwanted 

material to a more controlled 

dimension. 

To use this type of control architecture, 

the robot is programmed to follow a 

part that has already been processed 

and is a “known good.” This trajectory 

is the base path that the robot will 

follow while maintaining a constant 

contact force. As the robot moves 

around the part the reference sensor 

constantly measures the contact-force 

components. The idea is to add a 

component toward the object when the 

force reading is lower than the desired 

contact force, or add a component 

that points away from the object when 

the force reading is higher4. When the 

measured force vector is less than 

desired, the robot will move towards 

the object, and when the measured 

force vector is greater than desired, 

it will move away. The “new” resultant 

trajectory will change and follow the 

profi le of the parts as their size and 

locations change. 

Passive Force Control 

Two taught points with axial or linear compliance 

Passive force control systems do 

not measure any cutting forces, but 

simply adapt to the part and apply 

a constant force. These systems 

are similar to the pressure control 

systems discussed earlier, but instead 

of the robot adjusting the trajectory to 

follow the part, the cutting head of a 

passive device moves, or complies, 

to follow the part independent of 

the robot. These systems are also 

susceptible to the same issues as 

the pressure control system, as 

discussed previously. Because their 

cutting force is constant, they are 

best suited for applications that have 

relatively consistent burrs or fl ash, 

but have poor part-to-part tolerances 

or poor location repeatability. These 

systems might include springs, mass 

counterweights, electric actuators, 

or pneumatic devices such as the 

VersaFinish and Flexdeburr to maintain 

the controlled-contact force. 

Passive force control tools also 

decrease the number of physical 

taught points along a curvilinear 

surface, which the robot must follow, 

because the tool will extend or retract 

to follow the part. These systems 

greatly reduce gouging of the part by 

the cutter and help prevent the cutter 

from coming off the part (deburring 

air). 

Spring-controlled systems are very 

simple to integrate. The contact force 

varies proportionally with defl ection 

according to the spring’s force 

constant, and can provide less than 

desirable results, proving very diffi cult 

to program. 

Mass counterbalance systems are 

also simple to integrate, but limit 

themselves to applications where the 

counterbalance’s mass always acts 

with gravity to oppose the cutting 

forces. These systems are also limited 

because the cutting force is diffi cult 

to change and inertial effects typically 

limit them to fl oor-mounted systems. 

Pneumatic actuation is by far the 

most common means of providing 

compliance in commercial surface 

fi nishing systems5. Pneumatic force 

control systems are more diffi cult to 

integrate, but offer advantages that 

outweigh these diffi culties. In its 

simplest form, a piston controls the 

cutting force, which is constant and 

proportional to the supplied pressure 

times the piston area. These systems 

are typically not affected by inertial 

loading and can be fl oor-mounted 

or robot-mounted. These systems 

are easy to control and can use 

programmable pressure regulators to 

vary the cutting force. The discussion 

from this point forward will relate only 

to pneumatic passive force control 

devices. 

Passive Compliant Tools 

Consider the different types of passive 

compliant systems. As these tools 

defl ect to control the cutting forces, 

they must do so in a controlled and 

predictable way or severe chatter and 

part damage will occur. 

The types of compliance consist of 

linear compliance (defl ection along a 

straight line such as the VersaFinish), 

radial compliance (defl ection along 

a radius such as the Flexdeburr), 

rotational compliance (defl ection 

along an arc), or a combination of 

radial and linear compliance. No 

matter what type of compliant tool 

is used, the cutting force (controlled 

force) must be directed along the line 

of compliance. These tools should also 

have stiffness in the path direction 

to help prevent the tool from being 

pulled ahead by the shear forces 

created during the cutting process 

or lagging behind as the tool moves 

along the part. Special care must 

also be taken during programming to 

accommodate for cutter defl ections. 

Points of contact between the part 

and media should also be minimized 

to ensure the cutting force remains 

along the direction of compliance. 

This often means rotating the tool to 

ensure the cutting force is acting in 

the correct direction. Conversely, the 

more directions of compliance a tool 


Automation 

has (degrees of freedom), the easier 

it is to program, but it becomes more 

diffi cult to control. 

Linear Compliance 

Linear compliance, often called axial 

compliance, in the Versafi nish allows 

the spindle to defl ect along one axis 

of compliance with a constant contact 

force through the entire stroke of the 

pneumatic device controlling it. These 

tools are excellent choices when using 

cone (90-degrees) cutters or cup 

brushes, because they offer great 

stiffness perpendicular to the control 

force. The stiffness will help minimize 

the chance for the reactive shearcutting 

force to pull the tool and cause 

unwanted chatter. 

Special care should also be taken 

when using linear compliant tools for 

plunging into a workpiece for drilling 

or countersinking operations because 

the reactive shear forces can be high 

and very unpredictable. This can 

cause the compliance system to bind 

because of increased side loads. 

Radial Compliance 

Radial compliance in the Flexdeburr 

allows movement from a center 

position through 360° along a radius 

of compliance with a constant contact 

force. When the contact force is 

removed, the rotating shaft of the 

tool will return to the center of the 

compliant fi eld. These tools are ideal 

for radial brushes and help control 

the side loads on the radial brush. 

Because the cutting action is radial, 

they are great for removing parting 

lines and fl ash from cast parts. 

Radial compliant tools do not have 

increased stiffness in the path 

direction. Special care must be taken 

not to apply too much contact force, 

which might cause the cutter to pull off 

center due to the increased reactive 

shear cutting forces. Radial compliant 

tools also perform poorly with more 

than one point of contact on the 

brush or cutter. This creates a force 

imbalance and will cause the media 

to chatter violently as it bounces 

between the two points of contact. 

Rotational Compliance 

Rotational compliance is defl ection 

about a fi xed point along an arc 

of compliance, but unlike radial 

compliance, it is only in one plane. 

Much like linear compliance, this 

type of system provides stiffness in 

the path direction, but the part must 

also be presented to the tool so the 

control force is parallel to the arc of 

compliance. For most cases the “arc” 

of compliance can be treated as linear 

because the resultant change in angle 

is negligible. 

Combination Tools 

Tools that combine one or two types 

of compliance are combination 

compliant tools. These tools are the 

most simple to program because they 

offer axial compliance, as well as radial 

compliance. However, they are also 

the most diffi cult to control because 

there isn’t any relative stiffness in 

any path direction. These tools are 

best for light-duty applications where 

the reactive cutting forces can be 

minimized to prevent defl ection in the 

wrong direction. 

Conclusion 

Robotic deburring and surface fi nishing 

of inconsistent parts or complex 

curvilinear parts can be very diffi cult to 

integrate using rigid tools. This article 

has discussed many alternatives 

for rigid tooling and provides a basic 

understanding of active and passive 

force control techniques how they are 

applied to compliant tools. Choosing 

the correct system is dependent upon 

what the application is, but more 

importantly, what the end result must 

be. If tolerances are very tight, then 

an active force control system using 

ATI’s Six-Axis Force Torque Sensor 

is justifi able. If the tolerances are 

loose, then the more cost-effective 

passive force controlled VersaFinish 

or Flexdeburr will suffi ce. All of these 

factors must be thoroughly examined 

and defi ned prior to purchasing any 

type of robotic compliant deburring 

system. 

References: 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

Shiakolas, P.S., Labalo, D., Fitzgerald, 

J.M., “RobSurf: A Near Real OLP 

System for Robotic Surface Finishing”, 

Proceedings of the 7th Mediterranean 

Conference on Control and Automation 

(MED99). Haifa, Israel, June, 1999. 

McGillis, Daniel “Robotic Force Control 

for Assembly and Machining” 2007 

Automation Roadshow, Dearborn, 

Michigan, May, 2007. 

McGillis, Daniel “Robotic Force Control 

for Assembly and Machining” 2007 

Automation Roadshow, Dearborn, 

Michigan, May, 2007. 

Alfonso, Gabriel, Norberto Pires, J., 

and Estrala, Nelson, “Force control 

experiments for industrial applications: 

a test case using an industrial deburring 

example” 

Godwin, Lester E. “Programming with 

Force Control” Presented at: The RIA 

Grinding, Deburring and Finishing 

Workshop, St. Paul, Minnesota, June 

1996. 

48 



The Strategy 

and Tactics 

of Hiring 

Tips to find the best 

candidate for the job 

By. Ahmad Syarifudin 

No matter how diligent the 

selection process, hiring a new 

employee is always a crapshoot. 

Candidates that look good on paper may 

not work out in the shop, and a person 

who has an unimpressive personality in 

an interview may be a whiz at a machine. 

Making the right selection means 

following some basic guidelines. 

An open position means an 

announcement in a publication, 

screening resumes, and interviewing 

candidates. At the end of the process, 

the best person available is hired and 

– with any luck – it’s back to business 

as usual. 

But, all too often, there are snags 

along the way and the person doing the 

hiring can wonder whether the process 

was done effi ciently and with the best 

results possible. Where is the best 

place to fi nd possible employees? What 

qualifi cations are on the best resumes? 

What questions should be asked during 

the interview to separate the good 

candidates from the bad? 

Hiring an employee is never easy, but 

there are some best practices to follow. 

Finding Someone is Half 

the Battle 

One of the most important parts of 

the hiring process is fi nding qualifi ed 

candidates, something becoming 

harder and harder in the manufacturing 

world. Knowing where to look cuts down 

on time sorting through unqualifi ed 

prospects. 

Networking is an untapped, often 

misused, source of fi nding potential 

employees. Eddy S. Tjahja, President 

Director of JobsDB Indonesia, said it is 

the best medium for the task because 

of the personal connection. It is better 

to have a recommendation from a 

trusted source, as is done in many other 

big decisions in life. 

“It’s always better to get a personal 

referral from somebody who knows 

someone, or knows somebody who’s 

working,” he said. 

However, the way to network right, 

according to Eddy, is to tell friends, 

family, and acquaintances, that there 

is an opening, and what qualities and 

background is sought. This way, people 

can offer candidates that fi t; otherwise 

it’s a lost cause. 

Another networking strategy is to ask 

current employees for recommendations. 

Recruit candidates from their current 

job by offering more benefi ts or a better 

wage package. 

“I think the best people are already 

working,” he said. “The best people 

aren’t the ones out there looking for a 



job, they already have one.” 

The Wide Reach of the Internet 

Another way to fi nd potential employees 

is through the Internet. There are a 

lot of job boards that will limit the 

search to specifi c industries, such as 

manufacturing, so placing an ad will 

tap a more-focused applicant pool. The 

JobsDB Indonesia website has a job 

board link. But, he said that it is not 

only where an ad is placed, but how it 

is written that determines the type of 

people who will respond. 

“Technically every company is competing 

for candidates’ attention against every 

other company,” he said. “If another 

job sounds sexier, or has a better 

description, guess where a job seeker is 

going to apply?” 

He recommends reading ads on the 

job boards and modeling ads to match 

those. Most importantly, be descriptive 

about the specifi c job duties and 

requirements. 

“You’re not going to entice a superstar 

with a vague ad or something that 

makes no sense,” he said. 

Other avenues to fi nding qualifi ed 

employees are forming relationships 

with career centers and job placement 

agencies because they are in constant 

contact with job seekers. Surprisingly, 

placing a notice in the “want ads” of a 

newspaper is a dying trend. With the 

Internet being more focused and timely, 

it is understandable that it is replacing 

newspaper’s limited reach. 

The Resume as a Screening 

Process 

Before the resumes come in, he said 

to look at the workers already on the 

payroll and note the skills the superstars 

have that make them great employees. 

With this list in mind, it should be easier 

to screen through the resumes, fi nding 

candidates that possess some of the 

same qualifi cations. 

Besides education – how much depends 

on the job being fi lled – and longevity in 

past jobs, one of the most important 

things on the resume is relevant 

experience. 

“If they’re going to work on our client’ shop 

fl oor,” Eddy said, “We look for those who 

already have the necessary experience. 

As far as press brake operators or laser 

operators, they need to have worked 

in a job shop environment and have 

operated our type of equipment.” 

Having specifi c experience, such as 

working with precision manufacturing, 

is important, especially if the shop has 

a specialty, he said. 

The Interview: 

The Real Decision-maker 

Although the resume can be a good 

screening process, the interview tells 

more about a candidate, according 

to Eddy. Before interviewing anyone, 

keep in mind the qualities of the best 

employees. Then, formulate questions 

to fi nd if the person to be interviewed is 

a good fi t for the job and the company, 

he said. 

Some questions to help steer toward the 

best hires include those that focus on 

experience, technical knowledge, and 

problem-solving abilities. The best type 

of questions are behavioral questions 

that address how a candidate solved a 

problem in the past, Eddy said. 

“Past behavior is the best predictor of 

future success,” he said. 

The executive interviewer will ask 

questions that will lead to specifi cs 

and plumb the depths of a candidate’s 

technical knowledge. “I ask for specifi c 

examples so that I can kind of get a read 

on a person’s technical ability,” Eddy 

said. 

“If a guy says he restored an old car, I’ll 

ask what he did. I want to fi nd out if he 

did it himself or if he paid someone else 

to do it,” he said. “If he can’t answer 

specifi c questions then he probably 

didn’t do it.” 

The hirer company should go as far as 

technical testing of job applicants, such 

as a welding test for a welder. If the job 

requires certain skills, it is important 

that the candidates can perform. 

What to Bring Up and What to Let Lie 

There are other key things to remember 

when preparing for interviewing a 

candidate to be sure not to waste time 

on those who are uninterested and to 

avoid legal mistakes. 

“Be honest with the candidate about 

what is going on at the company and 

tell them the requirements right off the 

top,” Eddy said. 

“When someone pitches what they can 

do for our company that’s a really good 

sign.” 

A good tactic is to fi nd out what is 

causing a problem with the people you 

hire – either those who leave or those 

who need to be terminated – and bring 

up those areas with the candidates. 

Admitting, for example, that it is a fastpaced 

environment and people with 

energy who can keep up are needed, 

is a good idea, according to Eddy, so 

candidates know what to expect. 

Also, there are some questions that 

cannot be asked during the interview, 

50 



so be sure to avoid them. 

“Stay away from questions that are not 

pertinent to the job,” Eddy said. You 

cannot discriminate against people 

because of race, religion, ethnicity, 

marital status, or family life, among 

other things. Just because a person has 

a child does not mean they can’t fulfi ll 

the job duties, he said. 

“You cannot make assumptions, so you 

need to keep the questions to exactly 

what the requirements are for the 

position.” 

Warning Signs 

During the interview there are several 

warning signs that should trip alarms 

that show that a person won’t be a good 

employee. 

Tardiness, disinterest, and defensive 

body language would be clues to give 

someone a pass, but others include 

avoiding or not answering questions or 

giving examples based on what a group 

did, not what the candidate personally 

did. 

“One of the biggest warning signs is 

if someone spends a good portion of 

the interview complaining about their 

previous job or their previous managers,” 

he said. “It shows negative sentiments 

in an applicant.” 

These are the Superstars 

On the fl ipside, there are also behaviors 

that highlight a good employee: being 

on time, alert, prepared, and giving 

intelligent answers shows the candidate 

meets minimum qualifi cations. 

“Good candidates have done their 

homework and will pitch themselves to 

the type of business,” Eddy said. If they 

don’t know an answer they admit it, 

which shows a willingness to learn. He 

said that a good candidate focuses on 

what they can bring to the organization. 

“Once a company gets a rock-solid 

employee, it takes care of them,” he 

said. “When someone pitches what they 

can do for our company that’s a really 

good sign.” 

Let’s Talk About Money 

The trickiest part of the interview 

process is discussing wages. 

“Candidates get all squirrelly when they 

start to apply for jobs and the hiring 

manager brings up salary too soon,” he 

said. 

“And, the hiring manager can get 

themselves into hot water when they’re 

talking to a candidate that they really like 

but the candidate’s salary expectations 

are completely out of line with what the 

employer is willing to pay.” 

Eddy said that the salary should be 

brought up in the second in-person 

interview, or at the end of the fi rst 

interview if there is only one. 

But, make sure it is a dialog and not 

a deal-ending conversation, he said. 

Explain the budget range. Eddy said 

discussing wages is a tricky balance, but 

he brings it up throughout the process. 

“When they fi ll out an application 

they give us a general idea of a wage 

they’re expecting. Then we discuss 

it at the interview a little bit,” he said. 

“Our company keeps in touch with the 

industry wage surveys for positions in 

our area. We try to be competitive but 

conservative at the same time.” 

Decision Making Help 

If a company has a human resources 

department it will help fi nd the best 

candidate. 

But, if a shop has no dedicated HR 

person, all the responsibility falls on 

the manager doing the hiring. There 

are places to turn to for help, such as 

companies that do HR outsourcing on 

an ad hoc basis. 

The Society of Human Resources 

Managers has a website that is a good 

resource to fi nd these companies or for 

helpful articles, Eddy said. 

Protect Yourself and Set 

Expectations 

Ninety-day probationary periods are 

standard for new employees – make 

sure that this is part of the hiring 

practice. 

Not only does it protect a fi rm from 

lawsuits if the employee doesn’t work 

out, it provides a structured evaluating 

period, detailing how an employee must 

perform. 

“It sets expectations for the employee 

and lets them know what they’re 

expected to accomplish within a 

timeframe, and that they’re expected 

to live up to those expectations,” Eddy 

said. 

But, having a probationary period just 

for the sake of having one is pointless, 

he said. It must be done right. 

“Tell a new hire what is expected of 

them in the fi rst 30 days, such as what 

they must learn to do. Then let them 

know that within the next 60 days they 

will be given additional responsibilities 

they must perform.” he said. “That really 

gives the candidate structure.” 

The hiring process can be daunting, but 

it can be painless when the rules are 

followed. 


IndonesiaFeatures 

7 Sektor Industri Dikecualikan dari Ketentuan 

JAKARTA - Tujuh sektor industri manufaktur akan dikecualikan 

dari pengaturan jam kerja industri yang diatur dalam surat 

keputusan bersama (SKB) lima menteri. Ketujuh sektor itu 

beroperasi penuh selama 24 jam per hari, sehingga tidak 

perlu menggeser jam kerja. 

Ketujuh sektor manufaktur itu antara lain industri petrokimia, 

baja (hot rolled coils/HRC), tekstil hulu (serat sintetis), semen, 

pupuk, pengolahan aluminium, dan keramik. Selain itu, 

pemadaman listrik akan mudah mengakibatkan rusaknya 

mesin produksi di ketujuh sektor industri tersebut. “Kelompok 

industri tersebut tidak dikenakan (pergeseran jam kerja). 

Karena itu, pemerintah berusaha agar seluruh sektor yang 

beroperasi selama 24 jam dapat tetap beroperasi,” kata 

Dirjen Industri Logam, Mesin, Tekstil, dan Aneka Departemen 

Perindustrian (Depperin) Arisan Bukhari di Jakarta, Rabu 

(16/7). 

Pengecualian untuk industri yang beroperasi penuh selama 

24 jam sehari dalam satu minggu merupakan salah satu 

butir yang disepakati SKB pengaturan jam kerja tentang 

Pengoptimalan Beban Listrik Melalui Pengalihan Waktu Kerja 

pada Sektor Industri di Jawa - Bali pada Pasal 4. 

Peraturan bersama itu telah ditandatangani Menteri 

Perindustrian Fahmi Idris, Menteri Dalam Negeri Mardiyanto, 

Menteri Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral Purnomo 

Yusgiantoro, Menteri BUMN Sofyan Djalil, dan Menteri Tenaga 

Kerja dan Transmigrasi Erman Suparno pada 14 Juli lalu. 

Secara terpisah, Dirut PT Krakatau Steel (KS) Fazwar Bujang 

menjelaskan, industri baja khususnya di sektor hulu harus 

beroperasi selama 24 jam penuh dan hanya berhenti satu 

tahun sekali saat perbaikan (overhaul). Kendati demikian, 

kondisi overhaul tidak memengaruhi pasokan listrik,karena 

telah diatur sesuai prosedur standar operasi. “Di industri 

baja, tidak ada yang harus disesuaikan. 

Industri baja ini adalah sektor usaha yang pasokan listriknya 

tidak boleh sedetik pun mati. Justru apabila pasokan listrik 

PLN dihentikan, pengoperasian pada saat beban puncak 

akan mengganggu operasional pabrik,” katanya. 

Industri Didorong Pakai Mesin Baru 

JAKARTA: Untuk mensukseskan upaya penghematan energi 

termasuk listrik, pemerintah mendorong kalangan industri 

untuk menggunakan mesin-mesin baru. Pilihan ini diakui 

pemerintah cukup berat ditengah melemahnya daya beli 

masyarakat termasuk kalangan pengusaha. 

Demikian dikatakan oleh Direktur Jenderal Industri Logam, 

Mesin, Tekstil dan Aneka (ILMTA) Ansari Bukhari dalam 

acara konferensi pers persiapan Pameran Bursa komponen 

dan pameran industri logam dan permesinan (MTT 2008) di 

Gedung Departemen Perindustrian (Depperin) Jakarta, Senin 

(14/7/2008). “Dari pemerintah mendorong agar membeli 

yang baru, karena lebih berhemat. Pemerintah inginnya yang 

baru, soal bekas diberikan hanya tertentu saja,” kata Ansari. 

Ditambahkan Ansari, penggunaan mesin baru bukan 

hanya menghemat penggunaan energi, tetapi juga akan 

meningkatkan produksi industri. 

Selain itu juga, dengan menggunakan mesin baru kalangan 

industri bisa melakukan perencanaan industri jangka panjang, 

sesuai dengan perkembangan pasar dan kebutuhan pasar. 

Selama ini menurut Ansari, ada beberapa perusahaan yang 

memang mengimpor mesin bekas dengan pertimbangan 

memanfaatkan jaringan perusahaan mereka di luar negeri. 

Tapi ada juga yang membeli bekas, karena adanya pengalihan 

mesin satu dengan satu lainnya dari negara lainnya. 

“Mesin-mesin dari Eropa kenaikan harganya lebih tinggi, 

karena kenaikan kurs euro, memang agak berat untuk mesin 

dari Eropa, tapi ada perusahaan yang fanatik menggunakan 

mesin buatan Eropa walaupun mahal,” ungkap Ansari. 

Ansari mengimbau bagi kalangan industri yang memang 

tidak mampu membeli mesin standar Eropa bisa saja 

memanfaakan mesin-mesin dari China dengan harga yang 

lebih murah. “Masalah kebijakan mesin bekas impor yang 

akan dievaluasi lanjut. Kalau bisa 10% konsumsi energi bisa 

dihemat, seperti restrukturisasi TPT dengan menggunakan 

mesin baru mencapai 15%-20% penghematan,” katanya. 

52 





JAKARTA: Jepang telah menyanggupi bantuan untuk 

Indonesia pada 2008 untuk salah satu program capacity 

building Pusat Pengembangan Industri Manufaktur yang 

masuk dalam Perjanjian Kemitraan Ekonomi kedua negara. 

Proyek Pusat Pengembangan Industri Manufaktur (Midec) 

merupakan salah satu bantuan teknis untuk meningkatkan 

kemampuan industri Indonesia yang disepakati dalam 

kerangka Perjanjian Kemitraan Ekonomi Indonesia-Jepang. 

Ken Okinawa, Wakil Duta Besar Jepang di Indonesia bidang 

Ekonomi dan Pembangunan, mengatakan pemerintah, 

kalangan pengusaha, dan badan-badan terkait proyek Midec 

di Negeri Sakura hanya dapat mengupayakan pelaksanaan 

seluruh proyek tersebut pada tahun ini. 

“Terkait dengan dana sebesar US$100 juta itu,? kami belum 

dapat memastikan apakah dapat menyanggupinya. Yang 

pasti, seperti harapan kedua pihak, proyek Midec itu akan 

diusahakan untuk terealisasi tahun ini,” katanya kepada 

media baru-baru ini. 

Kendati belum ada kepastian penyanggupan terhadap 

besaran dana tersebut, Commercial Councelor Trade, 

Investment, Industry & Energy Kedubes Jepang Takeshi 

Yasuraoka mengatakan Jepang akan berupaya memberikan 

pendanaan sesuai dengan yang dibutuhkan RI. 

“Kami berkomitmen terhadap realisasi dan keberlangsungan 

proyek Midec. Sejumlah ahli juga sudah kami datangkan. 

Namun, kebutuhan dana masih harus dibicarakan antara 

kedua pihak,” ujarnya. 

Komitmen yang dimaksud Yasuraoka adalah pelaksanaan 14 

sektor industri yang tercakup dalam proyek Midec yang dibagi 

dalam dua kategori yaitu cross sektoral dan sektor spesifi k. 

Kategori pertama terdiri dari pengolahan logam, tooling, 

konservasi energi, pemberdayaan UKM, kerja sama dalam 

promosi peningkatan perdagangan, dan investasi. 

Untuk kategori kedua, terdiri dari otomotif, produk listrik dan 

elektronik, besi dan baja, tekstil, petrokimia, oleokimia, nonferrous, 

serta makanan dan minuman. 

“Dari 14 sektor tersebut, sudah ada empat sektor yang 

berjalan sejak 2006, yaitu tooling, konservasi energi, export 

and investment promotion, dan bantuan untuk UKM.” 


Oleh Diena Lestari & Linda Silitonga Bisnis Indonesia 

Jakarta: Program penghematan listrik tahap dua akan 

diberlakukan secara serentak pada pusat perbelanjaan, 

perhotelan, perkantoran, dan pelanggan industri mulai 25 

Agustus ini. 

Deputi Direktur Distribusi Jawa Bali PLN Ngurah Adnyana 

menuturkan program penghematan penggunaan listri tahap 

dua terpaksa dilakukan karena hasil penghematan dari SKB 

(surat keputusan bersama) lima menteri belum memenuhi 

target. 

“Target penghematan diberlakukannya SKB lima menteri 

adalah menghemat pemakaian listrik hingga 600 MW. Akan 

tetapi, hingga 10 Agustus penghematan yang diberlakukan 

rata-rata henya 150 MW,” tuturnya kemarin. 

Menurut dia , masih diperlukan penghematan listrik hingga 

400 MW lagi. Oleh karena itu, pemerintah melanjutkan 

program penghematan dengan menetapkan tahap dua. 

Adnyana menuturkan pemerintah akan melakukan sosialisasi 

kepada pelanggan besar yang menjadi target penghematan 

sebelum penerapan pada 25 Agustus itu. Nanti, tambahnya, 

terdapat 3000 pelanggan listrik yang masuk kategori golongan 

I-III dengan penggunaan daya listrik lebih dari 200 KVA. 

Ketika ditanya mengenai berapa besar perhitungan 



penghematan listrik yang akan didapatkan dari program 

penghematan tahan kedua ini, Adnyana menyatakan masih 

dihitung. 

Draf hemat listrik usulan PLN 

Penghematan sebesar 10% dengan langkah-langkah: 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

Penggunaan AC pada suhu 25 derajat celcius 

Penggunaan eskalator harus bergantian 

Pengaturan pemakaian Lift 

Menggunakan lampu hemat energi. 

Aliran listrik untuk reklame dan pusat perbelanjaan mati 

satu jam setelah toko tutup 

Penggunaan genset dua kali seminggu 

Mesin genset dihidupkan satu jam setelah toko buka 

Sumber: Draf SKB soal hemat listrik 

Ditempat yang sama, Dirjen Listrik dan Pemanfaatan Energi 

J. Purwono menuturkan penghematan ini diharapkan hanya 

berlaku hingga pertengahan 2009, menunggu pembangkit 

baru dapat beroperasi. Menurut dia , kapasitas baru terpasang 

dari sejumlah pembangkit listrik milik PLN di Jawa Bali kini 

mencapai 22.000 MW, sementara listrik mencapai 16.500 

MW. Sementara itu, Stevanus Ridwan, Ketua Umum Asosiasi 

Pengelola Pusat Belanja Indonesia (APPBI), mengatakan 

peritel tetap menolak untuk menggunakan genset dua kali 

seminggu sebagai langkah yang diharuskan kepada peritel 

untuk penghematan pemakaian listrik. 

“usulan tersebut sangat tidak masuk akal karena 

membutuhkan biaya yang sangat besar,” ujarnya seusai 

pertemuan asosiasi tersebut di Jakarta , kemarin. 

Seperti telah diketahui setelah terbit SKB lima menteri 

tentang optimalisasi beban listrik melalui pengalihan waktu 

kerja pada sektor industri, kembali disusun SKB lainnya untuk 

makin menyokong terjadinya penghematan penggunaan 

energi listrik, khususnya untuk pusat belanja dan mal. 

2 Sektor Industri Dapat Perlakuan Khusus Bea Masuk 

Jakarta - Produk-produk dua sektor industri yaitu sektor 

logam (baja) dan petrokimia mendapat pengecualian khusus 

dalam penerapan pembebasan bea masuk kerjasama 

ekonomi Indonesia-Jepang (Indonesia-Jepang Economic 

Partnership Agreement/IJ-EPA) yang akan mulai berlaku per 

1 Juli 2008. 

“IJ-EPA itu kan penurun tarif yaitu terbagi dua skemanya yaitu 

yang umum yang berlaku Juli, ada yang berlaku setahun, 

setelah lima tahun pokoknya ada jadwalnya,” ungkap Dirjen 

Industri Logam, Mesin, Tekstil dan Aneka (ILMTA) Ansari 

Bukhari, di gedung Departemen Perindustrian (Depperin), 

Jakarta, Rabu (25/6/2008). Dua sektor itu dikatakan oleh 

Ansari, masuk dalam skema khusus yaitu diberlakukan 

penerapan bea masuk 0%. Namun akan diberikan oleh 

produsen tertentu yang telah memenuhi kreteria yang 

disyaratkan oleh Depperin. 

“Untuk baja yang tidak masuk dalam program penurunan tarif 

tetapi pada skema khusus dalam bentuk pemberian BM nol 

tetapi hanya diberikan kepada produsen yang mengimpor 

baja, yang belum dibuat didalam negeri. Yang dikhususkan 

hanya baja dan beberapa produk petrokimia,” ujarnya. 

Nantinya pihak Depperin akan berperan sebagai pihak yang 

berwenang menetapkan produsen-produsen yang berhak 

menerima fasilitas IJ-EPA dua sektor tadi. “Akan kita tetapkan, 

tetapi nanti akan kita buat kreterianya termasuk untuk baja 

itu industri otomotif, elektronika, alat berat, yang bergerak di 

migas itu akan mendapat fasilitas khusus, seperti ATPM yang 

bisa mengimpor baja khusus,” paparnya. 

Mengenai prosedurnya, Ansari mengatakan nantinya pihak 

produsen akan mengajukan produk yang akan diimpor ke 

Depperin, kemudian akan diverifi kasi oleh surveyor, setelah 

itu akan ditetapkan oleh Depperin. Ia menekankan bahwa 

ketentuan dalam pejanjian IJ-EPA itu harus menyeluruh tidak 

ada pengecualian namun, lanjut Ansari, hanya jadwalnya 

saja yang berbeda yaitu ada yang langsung boleh setelah 

berlaku, bahkan ada yang boleh setelah lima tahun setelah 

diberlakukan. “Depperin akan membuat kriteria surveyor dan 

industri yang menjadi kriteria, kemudian akan disampaikan 

oleh bea cukai,” jelasnya. 

Ansari menambahkan, nantinya produk-produk mana saja 

yang akan mendapat ketentuan tersebut, akan diatur dalam 

peraturan menteri keuangan termasuk daftar tabel produkproduk 

yang mendapatkan fasilitas termasuk untuk produk 

yang melalui skema khusus. 

54 


Machine tool 

financing - Conserve 

working capital 

Just for the thought 

Tax benefits of leasing equipment may be overlooked 

With recession on the horizon — 

if not already here — business 

owners are stepping up efforts 

to maintain profi ts during the current 

bumpy economic storm. Those who 

have been through economic downturns 

previously know that maintaining cash 

fl ow and competitiveness remain their 

highest priorities. 

Tough economic times may require 

businesses to make diffi cult choices 

between maintaining adequate capacity 

and cutting costs. One way to accomplish 

both goals is to make sure the business 

is making use of the most effi cient, upto-date 

equipment. 

Additionally, leasing may provide a way 

of fi nancing new equipment that allows 

the business to conserve working capital 

and minimize payments. Leasing, rather 

than buying equipment, is one way to 

accomplish these goals because leases 

typically have lower payments and 

require no down payment. 

Lease payments are deductible in 

total as business expenses under the 

International GAPP and Taxation Law. 

Purchased equipment is deducted 

through depreciation, and if fi nanced, the 

interest portion of the loan repayments 

is also deductible. 

If equipment is kept in service through 

the entire lease contract and/or its 

useful tax life, the entire cost of the 

equipment will be deductible. Leasing 

often accelerates the tax deduction 

because the entire monthly payment is 

deductible as paid. 

In addition to tax and cash fl ow benefi ts, 

leasing has proven to be a smart 

way to keep equipment from falling 

into obsolescence. With the everaccelerating 

changes in technology, 

growing numbers of businesses are in a 

constant race to keep their equipment 

up-to-date. 

Leasing also can have the advantage 

of matching the tax deduction with the 

expense reported on the company’s 

fi nancial statements. 

One type of lease, a conditional sale, 

is treated like a loan for tax purposes. 

Specifi cally, a conditional sale lease 

can take advantage of federal tax 

for expensing up to $250,000 of the 

equipment’s cost, if the equipment is 

installed in 2008. This limit is reduced 

by the amount by which the cost of 

property placed in service in the tax 

year exceeds $800,000. 

Mixing the use of true leases and 

conditional sales leases can help a 

business avoid exceeding the $800,000 

cap. Due to the passage of the Economic 

Incentive Act of 2008, this doubling of 

the limit may prove extremely benefi cial 

to business owners. 

Businesses may also be able to take an 

additional fi rst-year special depreciation 

allowance for new equipment ordered 

and placed in service during 2008. This 

allowance is an additional deduction of 

50 percent of the property’s depreciable 

basis after any deduction and before 

fi guring a regular depreciation 

deduction. 

With a true lease, the lessor, such as 

a bank or leasing company, is able to 

use the bonus depreciation rather than 

the lessee. Since the lessor receives 

the direct benefi t of an accelerated 

depreciation write off, it can pass the 

benefi t of this savings along to the 

lessee in the form of a lower lease 

payment. Quite often the lessor is in a 

better position to benefi t from the bonus 

depreciation than the lessee. 

Before making any decision on how 

taxes may infl uence a decision to buy 

or lease equipment, business owners 

should talk with their tax consultant. 

In addition to tax and cash fl ow benefi ts, 

leasing has proven to be a smart 

way to keep equipment from falling 

into obsolescence. With the everaccelerating 

changes in technology, 

growing numbers of businesses are in a 

constant race to keep their equipment 

up-to-date. 

Once a lease expires, a company can 

lease new, more cutting- edge equipment, 

tools, and machinery. Not only does this 

go a long way toward competing in terms 

of product and service, but companies 

with the newest in technology can 

also be more competitive in recruiting 

talent. 

Wise business owners can be successful 

in challenging times. The secret to their 

success will depend upon a willingness 

to talk to their fi nancial and tax advisors, 

and their ability to remain fl exible when 

adding equipment to expand their 

business. 


Just for the thought 

Pembiayaan Machine 

Tool – Mengatur Modal 

Kerja 

Keuntungan pajak dari “leasing” mesin mungkin belum diperhatikan lebih dalam. 

Dengan resesi ekonomi di depan 

mata, para pengusaha harus 

pandai memilah milah dan 

berusaha untuk mempertahankan 

profi tabilitas perusahaannya. Mereka 

yang pernah berhadapan dengan 

resesi telah mengetahui bahwa 

mempertahankan arus kas dan 

meningkatkan kompetensi adalah 

prioritas utama untuk kelangsungan 

perusahaan. 

Keadaan ekonomi yang sulit 

mengharuskan pelaku usaha untuk 

mengambil keputusan sulit antara 

menjaga kapasitas produksi yang 

stabil dan pengurangan biaya berlebih. 

Salah satu cara untuk mencapai tujuan 

tersebut adalah memastikan bahwa 

usaha mereka tetap menggunakan 

mesin dan peralatan yang sangat 

terbaru dan efi sien. 

Ditambah lagi, leasing memfasilitasi 

pembiayaan mesin dan peralatan baru 

yang dapat mengatur modal kerja dan 

meminimalisasi cicilan. Leasing adalah 

cara untuk mencapai tujuan tersebut 

karena memperbolehkan pembayaran 

yang lebih minimal dan tidak 

membutuhkan uang muka. Pembayaran 

secara Leasing dapat dikurangi secara 

total dari biaya usaha di bawah aturan 

standar akutansi internasional dan 

hukum pajak. Pembelian mesin 

dapat dikurangi melalui depresiasi, 

dan jika di biayai, maka porsi bunga 

dari pembayaran cicilan dapat juga 

dikurangi. 

Dan jika mesin di rawat selama masa 

leasing, maka keseluruhan biaya dapat 

dikurangi dalam pajak. Leasing dapat 

mempercepat pengurangan pajak 

karena pembayaran bulanan akan 

dikurangi beriringan. 

Selain keuntungan pajak dan alur kas 

yang lebih lancer, leasing adalah salah 

satu cara yang baik untuk mengatasi 

mempunyai mesin yang dapat usang 

tak bernilai atau obsolete. Dengan 

perubahan yang begitu cepat dalam 

industri teknologi, maka perusahaan 

yang berkembang mutlak mempunyai 

kemampuan mesin berteknologi terbaru 

untuk berkompetisi. 

Leasing juga mempunyai keunggulan 

untuk memaparkan pengurangan pajak 

dengan biaya yang dilaporkan pada 

neraca perusahaan tahunan. Salah satu 

tipe leasing, yaitu penjualan bersyarat, 

diperlakukan seperti meminjam dengan 

maksud pengurangan pajak. Secara 

spesifi k, maka penjualan bersyarat 

dapat mengambil keuntungan dari 

pajak hingga nilai tertentu dari suatu 

nilai mesin, jika mesin itu dipasang 

pada tahun yang sama. 

Pengusaha juga dapat mengambil 

keuntungan dari depresiasi mesin di 

tahun pertama dan mengatur pada 

posting di tahun berikutnya. Pengaturan 

posting ini dapat memberikan 

pengurangan signifi kan dari basis 

depresiasi pada mesin secara regular. 

Dengan metode leasing, maka pemberi 

leasing seperti bank dapat menggunakan 

bonus depresiasi tersebut dalam 

pencatatannya juga. Karena pemberi 

leasing menerima keuntungan dari 

percepatan depresiasi, yang mana juga 

memberi keuntungan pada si penerima 

leasing dengan pembayaran yang lebih 

murah. 

Sebelum mengambil keputusan tentang 

bagaimana pajak dapat mempengaruhi 

keputusan untuk membeli atau melease 

suatu mesin, maka pemilik 

usaha hendaknya berkonsultasi dahulu 

dengan konsultan pajak mereka. 

Selain adanya keuntungan pajak dan 

arus kas yang lebih lancar, leasing telah 

terbukti menjadi salah satu cara yang 

pandai untuk mencegah mesin menjadi 

usang tak bernilai. Dengan perubahan 

teknologi yang terus menerus, maka 

usaha harus terus berlomba untuk 

meng-update mesin mereka dengan 

kemajuan teknologi. 

Dengan cara itulah maka perusahaan 

dapat terus berkompetisi dan mesin 

teknologi yang baru dapat juga menjadi 

acuan untuk merekrut talenta SDM 

yang lebih trampil. Pengusaha yang 

bijak akan dapat melewati tantangan 

waktu. Rahasia kesuksesan mereka 

akan tergantung dari kemauan mereka 

untuk berbicara mengenai keuangan 

mereka dengan konsultan keuangan 

dan kemampuan mereka untuk 

beradaptasi secara fl eksibel pada saat 

mereka hendak berkekspansi. 

56 


FUELING THE ENGINE 

OF CHANGE 

A Walk on the Soft Side : How Company Culture Drives Performance and Profit 

Our past columns have addressed 

many technical aspects of 

Lean business practices and 

companion techniques for improving 

business processes. They have alluded, 

directly and indirectly, to the importance 

of effectively involving people in the 

continuous improvement effort to realize 

success. This month we will focus on the 

critical nature of employee participation 

in running, growing and improving the 

business. 

Sometimes called the “soft side” of 

Lean, careful development of a culture 

of excellence – or World Class Culture 

– is the cornerstone of any sustained 

improvement endeavor. To help put this 

concept into practice, we will fi rst defi ne 

a World Class Culture, discuss it in the 

context of the technology that it supports, 

then offer some tips on how to create such 

a culture. 

THE CULTURE 

In the past 25 years we have worked with 

hundreds of companies of all types and 

sizes and learned that every company’s 

organization has a distinct culture. You can 

feel, hear and see a marked difference in 

culture from one group to another. 

When we explore our client’s needs and 

detail proposed projects, we invariably 

talk about both technical and cultural 

issues – this is how we roughly gauge 

the probability of success in a Lean 

implementation. We have learned that the 

state of the culture is just as important 

as core process technologies, facilities 

design, systems and other technical 

features. We have found that if technology 

is the vehicle of superb customer service, 

culture is the high octane fuel that brings 

the engine to life. 

Upon close examination, it almost 

appears as if truly great companies were 

fashioned on a different planet because 

their technical excellence and cultural 

differences are so striking. In World Class 

companies, conversations in the hall, 

lunchroom and board room are more 

process and solution-focused. Attitudes 

are upbeat, progressive and determined 

– even when things are tough. Their dayto-day 

routines are both structured and 

creative. Everyone is expected to think 

and participate. This elusive thing we 

call “culture” penetrates every nook and 

cranny. 

As we have tried to describe these notable 

cultural differences to our clients, we 

have found the task diffi cult. It’s a bit like 

defi ning love. You know when you are in 

love, and you defi nitely know when you are 

not. The diffi culty lies in defi ning something 

as elusive as love or a World Class Culture 

to someone who hasn’t experienced it. 

Notwithstanding the diffi culty of the task, 

here is our attempt at a defi nition: 

A World Class Culture is the set of shared 

attitudes, values, goals and practices that 

drive extraordinary levels of performance 

and continuous improvement in a company. 

This culture is created and sustained by 

leaders who are committed to: 

• Customer satisfaction, now and in 

the future 

• Employee satisfaction, now and in 

the future 

• Stockholder satisfaction, now and in 

the future 

In this culture, people and team 

development is believed to be at least as 

important as the technical implementation 

of World Class business practices. A 

key characteristic of this culture is the 

engagement of every employee and team 

in daily improvement of the company’s 

business processes. 

Note that culture focuses on customers, 

employees and stockholders, as opposed 

to technical areas such as engineered 

layouts, setups, systems or six sigma 

techniques. Culture is all about human 

interaction and leadership. A World Class 

Culture is one in which leaders consciously 

replace the all-to-common environment 

where many employees check their heart, 

soul and brain at the door. 

Enlightened leaders also see that culture 

goes far beyond the here and now. They 

know that their actions must benefi t all 

parties today and in the future as well. 

A SHORT STORY 

Employees at a company where one 

of the authors worked were preparing 

to welcome a new Division President. 

Everyone was both excited and nervous. 

About a week before the new President 

arrived, he asked for a list of all employees 

with details about their department, title 

and longevity. He also asked for photos 

of every individual. The word immediately 

went out that he was a people person. This 

was very different than the past President, 

who seldom set foot in the factory or 

warehouse and often forgot the names of 

managers. The culture was beginning to 

change, even before he arrived! 

A week later, he showed up for his fi rst 

day of work in jeans and a T-shirt. With 

no announcement or introduction, he 

simply walked to the middle of the plant 

and started cleaning up a particularly 

cluttered, disorganized maintenance crib. 

The maintenance team thought he was 

a temporary laborer and were about to 

throw him out of their area. Fortunately, 

they noticed the name on his identifi cation 

badge. Once they realized who he was, 

there was a sudden, burning desire to 


help him clean. Before he left, the area 

was spotless. It was an instant change of 

attitude and practice. His fi nal comments 

were “I expect the area to be this clean 

every day.” The culture took a large step 

forward. 

Employees didn’t fully appreciate it at the 

time, but the new President was laying 

the foundation for a World Class Culture. 

There were a lot more changes to come. 

Structured employee participation and 

teamwork became the norm. Early team 

meetings were frustrating and ineffective, 

but they got better over time and eventually 

became an invaluable way of life. 

Past management practices had 

inadvertently conditioned employees not 

to think for themselves. Improvement 

came when decision making was driven 

to the lowest possible level. Over time, 

many of the decisions and responsibilities 

that had belonged to senior management 

were delegated downward. Front line 

supervisors and direct labor employees 

gradually began to have much more 

control over their world. The management 

team spent much more time driving 

improvement and less time fi ghting fi res. 

As a result, the rate of improvement began 

to accelerate dramatically. 

Other changes included the ways in which 

employees were recruited and trained 

and the methods for communicating 

expectations. In addition, performance 

evaluation and reward systems were 

enhanced and disciplined to ensure 

that the company was measuring and 

rewarding desired behaviors. The net 

effect was an internal cultural revolution 

that positioned the company to effectively 

access powerful Lean, Six Sigma and 

related improvement tool kits. They now 

dominate their industry. 

HOW ITÊS DONE 

As stated in our defi nition, “A World 

Class Culture is created and sustained 

by leaders,” anyone can achieve a 

mediocre culture, without trying. A World 

Class Culture requires enlightened, hardworking 

leadership. There is no exact, 

“one-size-fi ts-all” approach to developing 

the culture that we need; but there is a 

distinct pattern employed by leaders who 

are successfully creating World Class 

organizations. This pattern is a continuous 

loop characterized by new ideas and ongoing 

experimentation. When something 

works, it is adopted into the culture. This 

constant effort and experimentation 

keeps the cultural improvement process 

alive and well. The basic pattern follows: 

1Benchmark – It has been said that 

wisdom begins with wonder. Look 

for the best cultures in any industry (not 

just your own). Read about them. Visit 

companies who are further along than you 

are and focus on what is good about their 

culture. Steal shamelessly those practices 

that you believe will work for you. 

2Plan Carefully – Next, you need to 

carefully plan the development of your 

World Class Culture. We fi nd it very helpful 

to start by examining the current culture 

and comparing it against World Class 

Culture practices. Once that is done, 

you will need to plan out exactly what to 

work on and in what sequence. This can 

be daunting because every situation is 

different, but the effort is well worth it. 

Simply put, you need to know where you 

are now, where you are going in the future, 

and how you will get there. 

3Lead by Example – The third step is 

a vital test of character because it 

requires the leader to change also. Once 

your plan is set, you need to communicate 

your new vision and set the example. 

You must fi rst change yourself, your own 

behavior. For example, if you advocate 

teamwork, you have to require and allow 

for it with your direct reports. You will also 

need to be directly involved in facilitating 

teamwork throughout the organization 

by participating on Kaizen teams and 

attending routine management meetings. 

Telling everyone they need better 

teamwork in not enough. “What you DO 

shouts so loudly in my ear that I can’t here 

what you SAY!” 

4Change Expectations – Sharing your 

new vision is important. You will have 

to be sure that changes in expectations 

are communicated in detail throughout 

the company. The logic here is simple. 

Your people can’t hit a target they can’t 

see. The process of communicating new 

expectations can be cumbersome, but 

it is absolutely necessary to overcome 

inertia and the human tendency to resist 

change. New expectations, expressed as 

clear cut goals and supporting plans will 

create a positive change in culture faster 

than anything we know of. 

5Encourage Progress – The next step 

is to encourage progress and support 

those who buy into your new vision of 

the culture. Be especially aware of the 

early adopters and make sure they are 

recognized quickly and often. You want 

to make it exciting and socially rewarding 

to do things the new, enlightened way. 

Please don’t forget those who progress 

more slowly; as long as progress is being 

made, you will want to encourage and 

support them. 

6Communicate! – It is a bit of a cliché, 

yet we seldom communicate as often 

as we should. Communication keeps the 

cultural change process alive, and lack of 

communication will kill progress quickly. 

Human nature is such that if you don’t 

communicate factually about the state 

of affairs, people will create their own 

stories. The stories they create are 

seldom positive and supportive of your 

effort. Don’t let the “grapevine” send out 

or distort your message. 

CONCLUSION 

Developing a World Class Culture is 

certainly not easy. It takes years of effort 

and is never completely done. Through it 

all, however, there is some very good news. 

A World Class Culture actually makes life 

as a leader much easier. Once teams 

and individuals are trained and properly 

engaged in the improvement process, it 

takes a lot of pressure off the leader. 

Leaders can now “row less and steer 

more.” As a result, the rate of improvement 

accelerates. The benefi ts growing out of 

the implementation of Lean, Six Sigma 

and other technologies are realized more 

quickly with attendant improvements in 

performance and profi tability. 

We believe that creating a World Class 

Culture, as defi ned herein, is as important 

as mastering the technical aspects of 

Lean and Six Sigma. Great companies 

don’t make this investment because it is 

an interesting social experiment or just to 

be benevolent; they do it because it is a 

better way to run a business. 

58 


News Snippets 

Dutacipta siapkan Rp120 miliar 

bangun baja siku 

SURABAYA: PT Dutacipta Pakarperkasa, anak perusahaan 

PT Bukit Jaya Abadi (industri baja), siap tanamkan dana 

sekitar Rp120 miliar untuk membangun pabrik besi siku di 

Surabaya. 

Dirut PT Bukit Jaya Abadi J.E Sendjaja mengatakan setelah 

berhasil mengembangkan industri heavy steel structure serta 

hot dip galvanizing, perusahaan yang beroperasi sejak 1982 

ini siap untuk fokus pada pengembangan produk besi siku. 

“Selambat-lambatnya tahun depan Dutacipta menyelesaikan 

pembangunan pabrik khusus untuk memproduksi siku besi di 

Surabaya,” ujar Sendjaja kepada media di Surabaya, hari ini. 

Pabrik dengan kapasitas produksi sebanyak 120.000 

ton per tahun itu diperkirakan akan menghabiskan dana 

sekitar Rp120 miliar. Menurut dia, kebutuhan besi siku di 

pasar domistik masih sangat besar. Apalagi jika program 

pembangunan pembangkit listrik 10.000 megawatt sudah 

memasuki tahap penyelesaian fi sik. 

Menurut Sendjaja, populasi industri baja di dalam negeri masih 

relatif sedikit dibandingkan dengan tingkat konsumsinya. 

Indonesia, katanya, boleh dikatakan merupakan nomer 

empat di dunia yang memiliki pertumbuhan konsumsi baja 

cukup besar, meski kondisi tersebut erat kaitannya dengan 

perkembangan ekonomi masyarakat itu sendiri. 

Selain itu, simpanan bahan baku baja di dalam negeri juga 

tergolong besar, kendati belum banyak diolah. Sampai saat 

ini rata-rata pasok pabrik baja Indonesia terhadap kebutuhan 

masyarakat baru tercatat 5-6 juta ton per tahun. Sementara 

total permintaannya bisa mencapai 8-9 juta ton per tahun. Itu 

sebabnya sebagian masih harus diimpor. 

Sendjaja mengatakan Dutacipta memang bukan tergolong 

industri baja skala besar yang investasinya mencapai ratusan 

triliun seperti Krakatau Steel. Pasalnya, investasi industri yang 

memusatkan kegiatan usahanya pada sektor besi dan baja 

berkategori ringan dan berat ini hanya ratusan miliar.(yn) 

Mittal garap pabrik baja 

terintegrasi senilai US$800 juta 

JAKARTA: Setelah gagal mengakuisisi saham PT Krakatau 

Steel melalui kerja sama strategic partner, pengusaha 

baja asal Inggris Lakhsmi Mittal akan membangun pabrik 

pengolahan baja baru (greenfi eld) yang terintegrasi. 

Pembangunan pabrik baja terintegrasi ArcelorMittal tersebut 

diperkirakan akan menelan dana hingga US$800 juta. 

Kalkulasi working capital sebesar itu didasarkan pada asumsi 

biaya investasi pabrik steel making milik KS yang membangun 

tin slab free mill (pengolahan baja lembaran) sekitar US$500 

juta. Pejabat pemerintah yang menangani sektor industri baja 

mengungkapkan bahwa Mittal positif membangun pabrik 

baja terintegrasi yang meliputi iron making (hulu/upstream) 

dan steel making (sektor antara/intermediate) total investasi 

diperkirakan akan mencapai sekitar US$600 juta-US$800 

juta. 

Biaya investasi tersebut kemungkinan bahkan bisa 

membengkak hingga US$1 miliar jika perseroan juga 

membangun beberapa unit pembangkit listrik berkapasitas 

400 megawatt (MW) sebagai pemasok energi. Pembangunan 

pembangkit listrik swadaya merupakan syarat mutlak, seiring 

dengan terjadinya defi sit daya listrik di dalam negeri. 

Kendati rencana tersebut masih simpang siur, Badan 

Koordinasi Penanaman Modal (BKPM) belum lama ini 

memberikan sinyal positif bahwa ArcelorMittal--perusahaan 

milik Lakhsmi Mittal--berniat membangun pabrik baja (steel 

making) di Pasuruan, Jawa Timur, dan Banten. 

“Memang sudah ada rencana, tapi belum resmi mengajukan 

izin investasi,” kata Kepala BKPM MuhammadLutfi seusai 

rapat dengan Komisi VI DPR, (14 Juli 2008). 

Direktur Industri Logam Departemen Perindustrian I Putu 

Suryawirawan mengungkapkan pemerintah telah bertemu 

dengan manajemen ArcelorMittal dan utusan Kadin Indonesia 

bidang British Committee Maxi Gunawan di Depperin, 

kemarin. 

“Di dalam pertemuan itu, Mittal hanya meminta restu 

pemerintah terkait dengan komitmennya membangun pabrik 

baja terintegrasi di Indonesia. Kalau soal nilai investasi 

ataupun kepastian lahan pabrik baru tersebut belum 

dibicarakan secara mendalam,” kata Putu saat dikonfi rmasi. 

Dirjen Industri Logam Mesin Tekstil dan Aneka Departemen 

Perindustrian Ansari Bukhari mengatakan perusahaan 

baja sekelas Mittal tidak akan berinvestasi hanya di sektor 

hulu atau hilir baja. Kecenderungan perusahaan baja dunia 

biasanya akan membangun perusahaan terintegrasi. 

Jika Mittal hanya membangun pabrik steel making atau iron 

making, sambungnya, struktur industrinya tidak akan kuat, 

apalagi, karakter investor seperti Mittal tidak akan bekerja 

setengah-setengah. 

“Secara teori, agar pabrik baja bekerja efi sien, tentu harus 

ada pengintegrasian dari hulu ke hilir.” 

Beri insentif 

Dia menuturkan pemerintah menjamin akan membuka 

ruang seluas-luasnya bagi kalangan investor asing yang akan 

mendirikan pabrik pengolahan baja di dalam negeri. Sebab, 

investasi baja tidak masuk dalam daftar sebagai negatif 

investasi (DNI). 

“Bahkan, pemerintah akan memberikan insentif pajak bagi 

investor yang akan membangun pabrik baja terintegrasi, 

karena industri baja resmi masuk sebagai salah satu industri 

yang diprioritaskan mendapatkan diskon pajak sesuai dengan 

Revisi PP No. 1/2007.” 

indometalworking news newsVol. Vol. 1 / 32008 / 59 59

Quotes on work 

Danilo Dolci: 

It’s important to know that words don’t move mountains. Work, exacting work moves mountains. 

Edward Kennedy: 

The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dreams shall never die. 

Francoise de Motteville: 

The true way to render ourselves happy is to love our work and fi nd in it our pleasure. 

Henri Frederic Amiel: 

Work while you have the light. You are responsible for the talent that has been entrusted to you. 

Henry David Thoreau: 

The fi nest workers in stone are not copper or steel tools, but the gentle touches of air and water 

working at their leisure with a liberal allowance of time. 

Jonas Salk: 

The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more. 

Lane Kirkland: 

If hard work were such a wonderful thing, surely the rich would have kept it all to themselves. 

Marian Wright Edelman: 

Never work just for money or for power. They won’t save your soul or help you sleep at night. 

Pearl S. Buck: 

The secret of joy in work is contained in one word - excellence. To know how to do something well is to 

enjoy it. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson: 

Don’t waste life in doubts and fears, spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right 

performance of this hour’s duties will be the best preparation for the hours and ages that will follow it. 

60 


Calendar of Events 

2008 

27 - 30 August 2008 

MTT Indonesia 2008 

JIExpo PRJ Kemayoran, Jakarta 

Organiser : PT ECMI Services 

Tel : +62-21-2664 5464 

Fax : +62-21-2664 5485 

Email 

: mtt@ecm-intl.com 

URL 

: www.mtt-indonesia.com 

3 - 6 September 2008 

MTA Vietnam 2008 

Ho Chi Minh International Exhibition and Conference Centre 

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 

Organiser : Singapore Exhibition Services Pte Ltd 

Tel : +65-6738 6776 

Fax : +65-6732 6776 

Email 

: events@sesallworld.com 

URL 

: www.mtavietnam.com 

8 - 13 September 2008 

IMTS 2008 

McCormick Place, Chicago 

Organiser : AMT Association For Manufacturing Technology 

Tel : +1-800-524-0475 

Fax : +1-703-893-1151 

Email 

: webmaster@imts.com 

URL 

: www.imts.com 

1 – 3 October 2008 

Metalex Vietnam 2008 

Ho Chi Minh International Exhibition and Conference Centre 

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 

Organiser : Reed Tradex Company 

Tel : +66-2- 686 7299 

Fax : +66-2-686 7288 

Email 

: metalexvietnam@reedtradex.co.th 

URL 

: www.metalexvietnam.com 

21 – 25 October 2008 

EuroBlech 2008 

Hannover Messe Fairground, Hannover 

Organiser : Mack Brooks Exhibitions 

Email 

: info@euroblech.com 

URL 

: www.euroblech.com 

30 October – 2 November 2008 

EPM – Machine Tool Saigon 2008 

Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center, Ho Chi Minh 

Organiser : Chan Chao International Co Ltd 

Tel : +886-2-2659 6000 

Fax : +886-2-2659 7000 

Email 

: overseas@chanchao.com.tw 

URL 

: www.epm-machinetool-saigon.com 

30 October - 4 November 2008 

JIMTOF 2008 

Tokyo Big Sight, Japan 

Organiser : JIMTOF Fair Management (JMTBA) 

Tel : +81-3-5530 1333 

Fax : +81-3-5530 1222 

Email 

: jimtof@tokyo-bigsight.co.jp 

URL 

: www.jimtof.org 

20 – 23 November 2008 

Thai Metalex 2008 

Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre, Bangkok 

Organiser : Reed Tradex Company 

Tel : +66-2- 686 7299 

Fax : +66-2-686 7288 

Email 

: metalexvietnam@reedtradex.co.th 

URL 

: www.metalex.co.th 

3 - 6 December 2008 

Manufacturing Indonesia 2008 

JIExpo PRJ Kemayoran, Jakarta 

Organiser : PT Pamerindo Buana Abadi 

Tel : +62-21-316 2001 

Fax : +62-21-316 2016 

Email 

: info@pamerindo.com 

URL 

: www.pamerindo.com 

2009 

22 - 28 January 2009 

IMTEX 2009 

Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, Bangalore 

Organiser : Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association 

Tel : +91(124)4014101 to 4104 

Fax : +91(124)4014108 

Email 

: imtma@imtma.in 

URL 

: www.imtex.in 

2 – 7 March 2009 

TIMTOS 2009 

Taipei World Trade Centre, Taipei 


Tel : +886-2-23494666 

Fax : +886-2-23813711 

Email 

: timtos@taitra.org.tw 

URL 

: www.timtos.com.tw 

25 – 28 March 2009 

MTA 2009 

Singapore Expo, Singapore 


Tel : +65-6738 6776 

Fax : +65-6732 6776 

Email 

: events@sesallworld.com 

URL 

: www.mta-asia.com 

6 – 11 April 2009 

CIMT 2009 

China International Exhibition Center, Beijing 

Organiser : China Machine Tool Builders’ Association 

Tel : +86-10-6334 5268, 6334 5696 

Fax : +86-10-6334 5700 

Email 

: cmtbagj@cmtba.org.cn 

URL 

: www.cimtshow.com 

indometalworking news Vol. Vol. 1 3 / 2008 / 61 61

Jokes 

Jokes Jokes 

High Expectations 

Reaching the end of a job interview, 

the Technical Recruiter asked a young 

Engineer fresh out of MIT, “And what 

starting salary were you looking for?” 

The Engineer said, “In the 

neighborhood of $125,000 a year, 

depending on the benefi ts package.” 

The recruiter said, “Well, what 

would you say to a package of 5 

weeks vacation, 14 paid holidays, 

full medical and dental, company 

matching retirement fund to 50% of 

salary, and a company car leased 

every 2 years - say, a red Corvette?” 

The Engineer sat up straight and said, 

“Wow! Are you kidding?” 

And the recruiter replied, “Yes, but 

you started it.” 

Headless Engineer 

A priest, a shaman, and an engineer 

were caught up in a military revolt 

in a hostile small nation. The revolt 

was suppressed by the dictator who 

summarily sentenced the three to 

death by the guillotine. 

The priest was chosen to be 

beheaded fi rst. He asked that he lie 

face up so that he could look to the 

heavens and to God when he was 

beheaded. The executioner raised the 

guillotine blade as high as it went and 

then let go. The blade stopped a few 

inches from the priest’s neck. The 

dictator’s guards believed that this 

was an omen from God, and let the 

priest go free. 

The shaman asked that he be 

beheaded face down, so that he 

could see mother earth when he was 

beheaded. The executioner raised the 

blade as high as it went and then let 

go. The blade stopped a few inches 

from his neck. The dictator’s guards 

believed that this was an omen from 

Mother Earth, and let the shaman go 

free. 

When it came time for the engineer 

to be beheaded, he said to the 

executioner, “I believe that I could 

help you with the problem of that 

dysfunctional blade. I have been 

observing and think that if you use 

a little oil and don’t pull the blade 

all the way to the top it would work 

better.” 

Fire!!! 

A physicist, a biologist and a mathematician 

were all in a hotel sleeping 

when a fi re broke out in their respective 

rooms. 

The physicist woke up, saw the fi re, 

ran over to his desk, pulled out his 

CRC, and began working out all sorts 

of fl uid dynamics equations. After a 

couple minutes, he threw down his 

pencil, got a graduated cylinder out 

of his suitcase, and measured out a 

precise amount of water. He threw it 

on the fi re, extinguishing it, with not a 

drop wasted, and went back to sleep. 

The biologist woke up, saw the fi re, 

ran into the bathroom, turned on the 

taps full-blast, fl ooding the entire 

apartment, which put out the fi re, and 

went back to sleep. 

The mathematician woke up, saw 

the fi re, ran over to his desk, began 

working through theorems, lemmas, 

hypotheses, you-name-it, and after 

a few minutes, put down his pencil 

triumphantly and exclaimed, “I have 

proven that I can put the fi re out!” He 

then went back to sleep. 

62 


fuel has caused this failure to occur.” 

The mechanical engineer replied “I 

disagree, I would surmise that an 

engine component has suffered a 

catastrophic structural failure.” 

The electrical engineer also had 

a theory. “I believe an electrical 

component has ceased to function, 

thereby causing an ignition 

malfunction.” 

The software engineer thought for 

some time. When at last he spoke he 

said “What would happen if we all got 

out and then got back in again?” 

The Challenge 

A Programmer and an Engineer 

were sitting next to each other on an 

airplane. The Programmer leans over 

to the Engineer and asks if he wants 

to play a fun game. The Engineer 

just wants to sleep so he politely 

declines, turns away and tries to 

sleep. The Programmer persists and 

explains that it’s a real easy game. 

He explains,”I ask a question and if 

you don’t know the answer you pay 

me $5. Then you ask a question and 

if I don’t know the answer I’ll pay 

you $5.” Again the Engineer politely 

declines and tries to sleep. 

The Programmer, now somewhat 

agitated, says, “O.K., if you don’t 

know the answer you pay me $5 and 

if I don’t know the answer I pay you 

$50!” Now, that got the Engineer’s 

attention, so he agrees to the 

game. The Programmer asks the 

fi rst question, “What’s the distance 

from the earth to the moon?” Then 

Engineer doesn’t say a word and just 

hands the Programmer $5. 

Now, its the Engineer’s turn. He asks 

the Programmer,”What goes up a hill 

with three legs and comes down on 

four?” The Programmer looks at him 

with a puzzled look, takes out his 

laptop computer, looks through all his 

references and after about an hour 

wakes the Engineer and hands the 

Engineer $50. The Engineer politely 

takes the $50 turns away and tries to 

return to sleep. 

The Programmer, a little miffed, 

asks, “Well what’s the answer to 

the question?” Without a word, the 

Engineer reaches into his wallet, 

hands $5 to the Programmer, turns 

away and returns to sleep. 

Car Breakdown 

Four engineers were travelling by car 

to a seminar, when unfortunately, the 

vehicle broke down. 

The chemical engineer said 

“Obviously, some constituent of the 

On Compiling: The Best 

Wrong Answer 

This defi nition of “compiler” must 

rank as the best of all possible wrong 

answers. Written by a student in 

an introductory Computer Science 

course: 

“A compiler’s primary function is to 

compile, organize the compilation, 

and go right back to compiling. It 

compiles basically only those things 

that require to be compiled, ignoring 

things that should not be compiled. 

The main way a compiler compiles, is 

to compile the things to be compiled 

until the compilation is complete.” 

from the earth to the moon?” Then 

Engineer doesn’t say a word and just 

Optimist or Pessimist 

To the optimist, the glass is half full. 

To the pessimist, the glass is half 

empty. 

To the engineer, the glass is twice as 

big as it needs to be.

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