May 2021 Volume 3

Official Publication of the Forging Industry Association

forging.org

May 2021

FORGING MATERIALS Should You Pay Your Robot MinimumWage? pg. 11

Tempers and Critical Requirements for Heat Treatment of Wrought Aluminum Alloys pg. 26 Selecting the Right Die Material pg. 39 Additive Manufacturing for Forging Die Fabrication pg. 86

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PRESIDENT'S NOTE

President's Note

Trying to put my finger on it… and I’ve found it! The two words that describe the feeling of visiting members in-person at your plants – that doesn’t translate the same over Zoom calls: respect and pride. When in the plant: seeing and feeling it in your bones -- the awesome feeling of respect and pride for what a forger or supplier has to do to get a product out the door; the supply chain ‘symphony’

Following the Annual Meeting, our next chance to get together comes in late August at FIA’s Marketing Workshop (registration will open soon). Stay another day (Sept 1) and participate in the Forging Foundation’s first EVER golf outing. The outing will take place at Quail Hollow Country Club, a great course just east of Cleveland. We’ll be downtown in The Flats area for the workshop. Watch Cleveland come alive in the summer and enjoy Lake Erie, the Metroparks and some great golf. And then themightiest of FIA’s events returns October 26-28: Forge Fair comes to the Motor City. Booth sales are now outpacing 2019 and we expect a barnburner of an event. If you’ve never attended Forge Fair, make this one your first! Let’s Hear FromYou! FIA and FIERF Boards will collaborate on our second effort to strategically plan just before our Annual Meeting. With the boards’ support, we’ve motored thru plans that were established in late 2018. Soon you will have a survey from FIA staff asking your opinion on what should be in this new plan…your opinion on our collective direction. Please do your part and complete it as best you can. As always, thank you for your membership in FIA and we look forward to seeing you soon! ■

that has to come together on cue for it all to work, and finally – the absolute skill, determination and ‘grit’ of every person in that plant or front office to bring it all together. In some ways I’m envious of those who get to be in the plant on a daily basis; truly a special part of my job is to get there occasionally. As FIA staff, we’re on the sideline trying to do what we can to help, and we’ve done that throughout the pandemic. It’s just not the same over Zoom and we are so looking forward to meeting, gathering and visiting your plants…the real ‘greatest shows on earth’…once again as we emerge from this dangerous pandemic that has cost so many their lives and some their livelihoods. Let’s Meet! I’m so proud of the FIA staff! We’ve got a great Annual Meeting coming at the end of June with 72 members already registered – and another 3 3 spouses signed up too. Plus we have a fun first for us – a silent auction benefitting our beloved Forging Foundation (FIERF). A great location, great golf and great speakers are lined up – including Paul Ryan, former Speaker of the House (thank you Scot Forge and Walker Forge for making this happen!). Sidebar: my family lived in the Rockford, IL area for 11 years – not too far from Lake Geneva – and all fell love with the lake and surrounding area navigating our small boat amongst the 30 footers. Attend the Annual Meeting and you’ll see why. There is still plenty of time to sign-up.

Sincerely, James R. Warren

President and CEO Forging Industry Association

PUBLISHER James R. Warren jwarren@forging.org EDITOR Angela Gibian angela@forging.org Editorial Staff

Board of Directors

Peter Campbell Jim Romeo JimKravec Perry Bennett Mark Candy

John Coward Robert Dimitrieff Marcelo T. Garza Chelsea Lantto Greg Timmons

DESIGN Lorean Crowder lorean@forging.org

CHAIRMAN Douglas McIntyre VICE CHAIRMAN Dan Ulven

FIA MAGAZINE | MAY 2021 1

CONTENTS

MAY 2021 | VOLUME 3

DEPARTMENTS 1

AUTOMATION 11 Should You Pay Your Robot MinimumWage? 14 Robotic Billet Loading Systems MATERIALS 17 Forging Die Steels – FAQ 19 FIA Member Feature: Weldaloy Specialty Forgings 22 Aerospace Grade Materials 23 Material Considerations for the Flood Welding Process 26 Heat Treatment of Wrought Aluminum Alloys: Tempers and Critical Requirements 29 Where Does Non-Uniform Residual Stress Come From in Aluminum? 33 BOHLER Steels for Hot Forging Tools – Productivity Meets Innovation 36 Forge Furnace Refractory Lining: Material Selection Matters 39 Selecting the Right Die Material OPERATIONS & MANAGEMENT 43 Leave It Better 45 Strategic Value and the Four Pillars 47 The Tougher the Times, the More Important Effective Strategies Become 49 Navigating the “New Normal” of Work 51 Shifting the Paradigm: Changing Our Approach to Safety in the Forging Industry

INDUSTRY NEWS 54 Welcome New Members 57 Forging Lines Installed for Chinese Customer 57 16,000-ton Line About to Be Delivered 59 Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems Opens Technical Center in Livonia, Michigan Anchor Harvey Launches Electric Vehicle Workgroup 62 FIA Welcomes New Board Members 64 FIA Upcoming Events FORGING RESEARCH 67 Finite Element Analysis in the Metal Forming and Forging Industries: What to Know and Where to Apply 86 Additive Manufacturing for Forging Die Fabrication 88 A SIFCO Co-Op Student’s Perspective on the Industry MEMBERS SPEAK 90 Members Speak AD INDEX 92 May Advertiser Index 60 Forging for the Future,

President's Note

4

Washington Update

8

Equipment & Technology

11 Automation 17 Materials 43 Operations & Management 54 Industry News

67 Forging Research 90 Members Speak

92 Ad Index

PRESIDENT'S NOTE 1 President's Note WASHINGTON UPDATE 4 The American Jobs Plan and Lobbying for the Future EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGY 8 The Use of Superalloys to

Extend Die Life

Official Publication of the Forging Industry Association

forging.org

May 2021

FORGING MATERIALS Should You Pay Your Robot MinimumWage? pg. 11 Tempers and Critical

Requirements for Heat Treatment of Wrought Aluminum Alloys pg. 26 Selecting the Right Die Material pg. 39 Additive Manufacturing for Forging Die Fabrication pg. 86

Photo Credit: Weber Metals and Ellwood City Forge Group

For advertising contact info@forging.org

FIA Magazine (ISSN 2643-1254 (print) and ISSN 2643-1262 (online)) is published 4 times annually, May, August, November and February by the Forging Industry Association, 1111 Superior Ave., Suite 615, Cleveland, OH 44114. Telephone: (216) 781-6260, Fax: (216) 781-0102. One (1) copy of the print version distributed at no charge only to members of the Forging Industry Association. Digital version distributed at no charge to qualified individuals. Subscription requests available at www.forging.org. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid in Cleveland, OH and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Forging Industry Association, 1111 Superior Ave., Suite 615, Cleveland, OH 44114. Copyright © 2021 by the Forging Industry Association in both printed and electronic formats. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations or for any statement made or opinion expressed herein. Data and information presented by the authors of specific articles are for informational purposes only and are not intended for use without independent, substantiating investigation on the part of potential users.

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FIA MAGAZINE | MAY 2021

NORTH AMERICA’S LARGEST FORGING INDUSTRY TRADE SHOW OCTOBER 26-28, 2021 DETROIT, MICHIGAN, USA TCF CENTER

ATTENDEE AND EXHIBITOR BOOTH REGISTRATION NOW OPEN Visit www.ForgeFair.com or contact Angela Gibian at angela@forging.org +1 (216) 781-6260

WASHINGTON UPDATE

The American Jobs Plan and Lobbying for the Future By Steve Haro

TheCOVID-19 pandemic has continued to drive government public policy for well over a year now. Major actions taken by Congress and the Trump and Biden administration sought to eliminate the virus’s threat while also cushioning the economic hardship created by the necessary measures taken to slow and contain the virus’s spread. This included Congress passing multiple bipartisan initiatives in 2020 totaling more than $4 trillion in direct economic relief to individuals, schools, small businesses, hard-hit economic sectors, health care providers, and our public health infrastructure. On March 11th, President Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan into law. In addition to funding vaccine distribution and other items to deal directly with the COVID-19 response, the legislation also provided substantial economic support for lower- income Americans and working families. Key provisions of that legislation included: • $300 per week in enhanced federal unemployment benefits through September 6, 2021; • a $3,000 child tax credit for children ages six to 17 and $3,600 for children under the age of six; • $1,400 in direct payment stimulus checks for those under a certain income threshold; and • $7.25 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, among of host of other investments. Nearly 600,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 related illnesses. Students have had to adjust to remote learning. Families have missed holidays, weddings, and funerals. Millions of jobs have been lost. And though it feels like we are turning a corner, our economy is still in a fragile-enough state to where many policymakers, economists, and the American public believe more should be done. Enter infrastructure. For many years and multiple presidential administrations now, Washington has dreamed of passing a major infrastructure package. Universal, bi-partisan agreement existed on the package’s need given the dilapidated state of our nation’s transit systems, highways, roads, bridges, ports, airports, waterways, and the like. But alas, that dream has not been realized because agreement always falls apart when it comes time to determine how to pay for the need. And with each passing day, the need – and thus, the cost – grows. But for the first time in a long time, the dynamics of the need for further economic recovery assistance by the federal government in the wake of the pandemic could actually thaw the previously frozen status of this effort with the cautiously optimistic amongst

us steadily believing that 2021 could indeed be the year that a major nationwide infrastructure package makes it to the president’s desk. The dynamics for success are tenuous, but they are there. So for this edition of the Washington Update, we’re going to first delve into what a proposed infrastructure plan could look like and how it can benefit our industry. Then we will discuss the politics of the possible and what it will take to get it done. The American Jobs Plan On March 31st, the White House released a framework for an infrastructure bill titled “The American Jobs Plan” calling it “an investment in America that will create millions of good jobs, rebuild our country’s infrastructure, and position the United States to out- compete China.” The blueprint calls for $2 trillion in spending over the next eight years and takes a holistic approach to improving the country’s infrastructure beyond the traditional definition of transit systems. We break the plan’s proposed ideas into seven buckets below. Transportation The planwould look to spend$621billionmodernizing20,000miles of highways, roads, and main streets; fix the 10 most economically significant bridges in the country in need of reconstruction; repair the worst 10,000 smaller bridges; replace thousands of buses and rail cars; repair hundreds of transit stations; renew airports; and expand transit and rail into new communities. Digital If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that access to broadband is now more critical than ever. And not everyone has access. So, for the first time, the definition of “infrastructure” has been expanded to recognize the importance broadband plays in making our lives work – just as highways, bridges and airports do. As such, the blueprint would fund $100 billion to build high-speed broadband infrastructure to reach 100 percent coverage to every American, while also looking to reduce the cost of broadband internet service and promote more widespread adoption. Energy The plan would also focus on our country’s power infrastructure and recommend spending $100 billion to: • build a more resilient electric transmission system; • spur jobs modernizing power generation and delivering clean electricity; and • put the energy industry to work plugging orphan oil and gas wells and cleaning up abandoned mines.

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WASHINGTON UPDATE

• eliminating deductions for Foreign Derived Intangible Income (FDII); • denying deductions on foreign payments that could strip profits out of the United States if they are based in a country that does not adopt a strong minimum tax; and • introducing a new 15 percent minimum tax on “book income” for the largest corporations. The Politics of the Possible: Where Do We Go from Here? The forging industry would undoubtedly benefit greatly from a major infrastructure plan such as this, for what has been suggested is a comprehensive blueprint comprising of countless capital intense projects all of which would require a great deal of planning, materials, and the need for capital equipment to execute. Many of these projects will have to rely on our industry to supply them with the specialized forgings necessary for construction. So when one reads that $50 billion is sought to invest in semiconductor research and manufacturing, this benefits us because what they’re actually talking about is providing grants to companies to build complex fabrication factories to produce microchips – factories that cost billions of dollars to construct and require a great deal of specialized materials and equipment. Again, the plan outlined above is a suggested framework from the White House. If a bill passes, it will look different than what has been suggested. And passage is not imminent, nor guaranteed. Congress is now taking that blueprint and writing a bill, and so some of these details and amounts will be adjusted in the weeks and months ahead as negotiations continue over what can be passed.The most controversial and heated discussion will of course be over how to pay for it. It is very unlikely that raising the corporate tax rate to 28 percent will survive. In fact, there are a number of Democratic senators who are not in favor of such an increase. The corporate tax rate currently stands at 21 percent. If an increase is enacted (and that is a big “if ”), look to it going to no more than 25 percent. So here’s what to expect next: look to the House of Representatives to legislate first. Plan for that chamber to write a bill that looks very similar to the White House plan (or potentially larger than $2 trillion, perhaps even as high as $2.5 trillion) with payfors that will include a corporate tax rate increase close to 28 percent. They will pass that bill before July 4th. It is highly doubtful that any Republicans vote for such a package, but this will set the ceiling fromwhich negotiations can continue. Meanwhile, the Senate will attempt to work in a bipartisan fashion to see what, if anything, can garner 60 votes. As regular readers of the Washington Update know, the Senate has a procedural tool called “cloture” (aka “the filibuster”) that requires 60 senators to vote positively before a debate can begin on any legislation. The Senate currently stands even at 50 Republicans and 50 Democrats, which means Democrats control the chamber as Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris serves as President of the Senate and is responsible for casting a tie-breaking 51st vote. So there needs to

Climate Resiliency The plan calls for $50 billion in dedicated investments to improve infrastructure resilience, safeguard critical infrastructure and services, and maximize the resilience of land and water resources to protect communities and the environment. Community Improvement The plan would invest $111 billion to replace 100 percent of the nation’s lead pipes and service lines, while also looking to upgrade and modernize America’s drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems; tackle new contaminants; and support clean water infrastructure across rural America. It also recommends investing $213 billion to produce, preserve, and retrofit more than two million homes, commercial buildings, schools, childcare facilities, veterans’ hospitals, and federal buildings. This would include building and rehabilitating more than 500,000 homes for low- and middle-income homebuyers. RevitalizingManufacturing & Supply Chain Enhancement With the stated goal of advancing “U.S. leadership in critical technologies” and upgrading America’s research infrastructure, the American Jobs Plan would seek to invest: • $50 billion to create a new office at the Department of Commerce dedicated to monitoring domestic industrial capacity and funding investments to support production of critical goods; • $50 billion in semiconductor manufacturing and research; • $50 billion for a technology directorate at the National Science Foundation (NSF), focusing on areas including semiconductors, advanced computing, advanced communications technology, and advanced energy technologies; • $30 billion in additional funding for research and development that spurs innovation and job creation, including in rural areas; and • $40 billion in upgrading research infrastructure in laboratories across the country, including computing capabilities and networks. Workforce Development The plan would set aside $100 billion in workforce development programs targeted at underserved groups and getting students on paths to careers before they graduate from high school. It would look to do this by pairing job creation efforts with next generation training programs; targeting workforce development opportunities in underserved communities; and building out the capacity of the existing workforce development and worker protection systems. Paying for It In order to pay for all of the above, the White House is suggesting that Congress raise $2 trillion over 15 years by: • increasing the corporate tax rate from 21 to 28 percent; • doubling the rate applied to Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (GILTI) from 10.5 to 21 percent and implementing it on a country-by-country basis;

FIA MAGAZINE | MAY 2021 5

WASHINGTON UPDATE

be a minimum of 10 Republicans to vote with all 50 Democrats in order to get a bipartisan bill done – admittedly a hard lift. This is where discussions about the corporate tax rate will come into play and again, we believe it will either be raised only slightly or not all. Republicans would like to see a pared down infrastructure bill compared to what the White House is proposing – legislation that looks more to fund transit-based infrastructure upgrades only (and potentially broadband) with a price tag of $600 to $800 billion paid for by user fees, which at the time of this writing, were not specifically outlined. Hard to see Democrats agreeing to this. So, the question stands: is there compromise somewhere in the middle of these two proposals? If the answer is “no,” there is still a way this can get done. Let us call it the “go-it-alone, in-case-of-emergency-break-glass” strategy, which is where Democrats could use an arcane budget process known as reconciliation to pass the bill in the Senate with only 51 votes. It limits what legislation can look like and requires a multi- step process that takes a great deal of time and political capital, but it is nevertheless an arrow in the Congress’ quiver. This was the method used earlier this year to pass the American Rescue Plan that was discussed at the beginning of this article. It was also the legislative method used to pass the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. There is one other way to do this without bipartisan cooperation, and that is by eliminating the filibuster in the Senate. Many have read about the filibuster potentially going away. We do not believe that is a viable option to get infrastructure done, nor do we believe the filibuster will be eliminated any time soon. If Democrats were to look to change the rules to do this, current dynamics make it hard to see this happening any time before the fourth quarter of 2021 or early 2022. There are just too many Democrats who are on the record saying they are not in favor of such a change. Get all that? It is understandably frustrating, borderline confusing and is arguably a difficult, near impossible manner by which to run a government. But as convoluted as this is, hope for getting it done truly exists and we have never been more encouraged than we are right now. Of course, politics and policy being what it is, nothing is ever a done deal, so caveats abound, and we reserve the right to be wrong. But we all know that there exists a need for extensive infrastructure upgrades across the county and that the economic benefits of taking on these upgrades to put America back on track are clear. In March, the Forging Industry Association completed another successful “LobbyDay”where forgers fromCalifornia toConnecticut, with many other states (and Canada) in between, virtually converged on Washington to conduct two dozen meetings with members of the United States Senate and the House of Representatives. In addition to reading in offices about the size of our industry – 36,000 employees across North America with the average salary for each worker being $93,000 a year – we went into detail about how current economic conditions, coupled with nefarious activities by some Hope springs eternal. FIA Lobby Day

foreign actors such as China, have left many segments of the industry struggling. We made sure that offices understood the importance of steel forgings being afforded the same protections as aluminum forgings under 232 tariff protections, as well as lobbying for “Buy American” provisions being extended beyond federal procurement. Our message was received well as our participating forgers were smart, articulate, relatable and had good stories to tell. We matched forgers up with their congressional representatives so that the offices knew they were meeting with their constituents and could thus better understand how our companies are contributing to the economy of that member’s district or the senator’s state. With any luck, things will be back to normal and we will once again be able to do Lobby Day in person in 2022. Stay tuned for more details. ■ Steve Haro is Principal at Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen &Thomas and can be reached at sharo@mc-dc.com

Bruce Mehlman @bpmehlman April 22, 2021

Q2 2021

“Woke Capitalism” & Its Discontents

Navigating Hyper-Activism in an Age of Disruption

http://bit.ly/WokeCapitalism-Mehlman Click the image above to download slides providing an examination of rising business activism on cultural and political issues. The document highlights several “myths & facts” about engagement and offers recommendations for navigating a fraught environment. Source: Bruce Mehlman Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen &Thomas

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FIA MAGAZINE | MAY 2021

screw presses for forging

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FIA MAGAZINE | MAY 2021 7 www.vaccaripresse.com

EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGY

The Use of Superalloys to Extend Die Life By Ted Wilcox & Dustin Wilcox

Today's global market continues to shrink as shipping costs and logistics make bringing parts from across the world just as easy as shipping from the next state over.This means U.S. forging producers are now having to compete with forgers that have drastically different operating costs and regulatory oversight. This makes it difficult to compete and forces U.S. forgers to find all possible cost- saving avenues. As the engineering and alloys of forgings become more complex, forgers are forced to find new ways to overcome these obstacles. Steel producers like Ellwood and Finkl have done great things with the steel they produce, but they cannot make a steel that will address all the issues that forging faces. As a die welding company our goal is to help forgers increase their die life through our use of different alloys that are superior to the die block material. Whether it is alloys that are far more wear-resistant than the block material or alloys that are more crack resistant than the block material, all can be welded into a die impression. By combining the use of these alloys we can address multiple forging problems in a single weld repair. We believe that our ability to increase your die life may be your best way to lower your manufacturing cost to be more competitive. If a forger is willing to work with their die welders and be willing to experiment great results can be achieved. Each forging operation can be different, so it may take a couple of attempts to create the right combination of welding alloys and stress relieving. Doubling Die Life An increase in die life affects the entire forging process. The die blocks can be kept in service much longer, lowering the cost of purchasing new blocks and the machining cost to turn them into dies. When an unwelded die gets too thin to run anymore it has to be scrapped and a new die manufactured.The welded die blocks will be kept at full height and with welded impressions that will get the same performance characteristics every time. Die steel producers try to get through hardness in their blocks, but most forgers see a drop in hardness as they sink deeper into the block. This is especially true with forgers running die blocks measured in feet. On a 50,000 lb die, we've seen the impression in a die as low as 25 HRC. With unwelded die blocks the performance of the die steel decreases as the die is repeatedly forged on and machined, with welded impressions the alloys are new with each run. If die life is doubled you have reduced the die sinking time and cost to half of what it was before, not tomention time spent swapping out dies and downtime on the press. Besides the lowered manufacturing cost, it would free up that equipment and personnel to do other

jobs. If a forger needed to increase die shop capabilities it could be accomplished with cost and time savings instead of adding more equipment and personnel. Most forgers recognize the benefits of superalloys to extend die life, but the cost of an entire die block made of Waspaloy, Hastelloy, or Inconel is usually cost-prohibitive. With the use of die welding a normal die block (4340 material 38-42 HRC) can be turned into a die block with super alloy performance and still have the ability to fight both cracking and wear resistance by mixing iron-based alloys in the cracking locations with superalloys for wear resistance in the impression something that the steel manufacturer cannot produce. A 1,500 lb die block may only require 50 lbs of weld to turn it from a normal die to a die with superalloy performance. Robotic System Impacts For over a decade we have used superalloys to increase die life for the open die and rotary forge industry with traditional MIG welding processes. With the implementation of our robotic systems utilizing pulse arc technology, we have been able to introduce more of these superalloys into closed die forging-both press and hammer dies. With this technology we have successfully weldedWaspaloy directly to the die steel material without the intermediate layers ofHastelloy that was required with traditional MIG welding process. All forging venues can see extended die life with the use of superalloys. The use of Inconel alloys on ring rolling axial cones and main rolls have been extremely successful, but we are always trying to find the next way to increase tooling life even further. We are currently running our second test of applying Waspaloy to Axial cones. The first test was successful but we need more test results to be able to recommend this new process to the whole industry. Work-hardening alloys can offer exceptional wear resistance for flashlands and forming radii. With standard die steels, as the die gets hotter and hotter the steel begins to wear away; if the heat buildup is high enough the die steel anneals and softens which increases the speed of wear until it's out of tolerance. With work hardening alloys, as the surface of the metal starts to move (.001" movement) the alloy will harden and then as the top surface is slowly worn away (.001") the metal beneath it then work hardens, this will continue throughout the thickness of the weld deposit. With our robotic pulse arc power sources we can now safely apply cobalt-based alloys at over a 1/4" thick. In the early days it was only applied at .060" thick. This has given some customers the ability to get two re-sinks out of 1 weld repair. The forger will run the die and see the extended die life that Cobalt can offer then

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EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGY

Ring Rolling Axial Cone A ring roller on the East coast utilizes both a high-performing iron-based alloy and an Inconel welded set of cones. On a typical set of unwelded cones, the customer would see about 700 hours of operation yielding approximately 4.5 million pounds of product before the cone was deemed out of tolerance. A cone welded with an iron-based alloy jumped to 1,500 hours and 5.7 million pounds before being pulled from service. A cone welded with Inconel ran just short of 3,000 hours and netted 10.1 million pounds. Just by welding the cones with a high-performing iron-based alloy the customer saw a 114% increase in tooling life. Changing the weld alloy to Inconel increased the tooling life by another 98%. From base metal to Inconel the customer saw a 325% increase in tooling life. That was three less tooling changes, welding and machinings, and downtime.

the die can then be machined down .125” which gives full clean up on the used impressions and the die can be ran again and still get extended die life. When the die is rewelded it can be brought back to print height and the process can be repeated. Not all the dies in a set need to be welded with the more expensive superalloys, we usually look to weld the first step operation or the step that does the most work, anywhere that excessive wear would affect the next step in the forging process. A buster die that wears out quickly would then be sending oversized parts to the blocker impression and causing it to wear much quicker which ultimately would hurt your finisher die life. Our approach is to use the superalloys in combination with iron-based alloys to achieve maximum die life at the best cost. We have compiled some data points from previous weld repairs utilizing superalloys and the resulting life increase. Press Dies A forger making military parts trialed a cobalt-based alloy on their buster die while welding their blocker and finish dies with an alloy combination of high-performing iron-based alloys. Typical tool life prior to welding was 3,500 to 4,000 parts for a set of dies made of 4340. After welding the forger was able to run the set of dies making over 13,000 parts. This is a 225% increase in die life. This resulted in two fewer machining cycles, die change outs and press downtime. In addition to the die life increase, the blocks had enough alloy deposited that by machining them down .125” they were able to get another full run of 13,000 parts. A single weld took the forger from 4,000 parts to 26,000 parts – a 550% increase. Calculations from the customer indicated that the cost of preparing the die, welding, and re-machining back to a working surface created a breakeven point of 9,000 parts. The customer was able to reach that breakeven point plus an additional 17,000 parts. Nearly a 200% ROI once offsetting the weld cost.

Set of rotary forge dies robotically welded withWaspaloy/Hastelloy combination Open Dies An open die forger in the Midwest was running H13 dies with a life of 40 hours before the center section of the die was washed out 2” deep. They were able to machine the die flat three to four times before the dies would have to be scrapped. We worked with the customer to develop a weld profile of Hastelloy and Waspaloy that resulted in the H13 dies reaching a life of 5,000 hours. Just by welding with superalloys the customer went from running their dies a little more than a week to several years - a 12,400% increase in die life. Not only was their die life longer, but better parts were also coming off the forge.

Press dies robotically welded with cobalt-based alloys

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EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGY

YOUR AD HERE

Open die robotically welded with Waspaloy/Hastelloy combination

These three examples show a die life increase from325% to 12,400%. We have many more examples we can share. In our 27 years as a die repair facility, our goal has always been to increase tooling life to allow the forger to be more competitive. We consider ourselves partners with the forgers and are willing to work hand in hand to find the best weld profile that will yield the forger the best die life. We have always strived to lead the industry with technology and weld alloys that will allow our customers to be competitive not only domestically, but internationally. The question is not can you afford to weld your dies, but can you afford not to? ■

Ted Wilcox President, Absolute Welding , Inc. Email: tedwilcox@absolutewelding.com

For more information contact Jim Warren at jwarren@forging.org or call (216) 781-6260. www.FIAMagazine.com

Dustin Wilcox Chief Financial Officer, Absolute Welding , Inc. Email: dwilcox@absolutewelding.com

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AUTOMATION

Should You Pay Your Robot MinimumWage? By Jon Cocco

In one of my previous roles before becoming a business owner, I worked as a general manager at a global manufacturing company. I had the fortunate opportunity to lead a $500 million business unit operating eight global manufacturing facilities located in China, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Mexico, Brazil, and the United States. I remember relating to the work of Thomas L. Friedman in his best-selling book The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century (April 2005) which analyzed globalization, and his view of a new level playing field. The decisions I was making seven years ago of whether to put a new manufacturing cell in China verses in our existing facility in the United States, is not so dissimilar to what forgers are likely trying to decipher today. However, the main difference now is the pace of automation, and how that changes the decision matrix. It is not just about finding the best labor arbitrage anymore. You also must account for automation and what hourly wage you are going to pay for that technology. TheWorld Is Flat Thomas L. Friedman made the point in 2005 that we are now in a world with a level playing field, in which all competitors, except for labor, have an equal opportunity no matter the geographic boundaries. Friedman argued that technological innovation, foreign investment, capital flows, and trade were transforming the world -- breaking down national borders, constraining governments, and triggering grand struggles between nationalism and the forces of economic integration. In his article to the New York Times (1) , he outlines the different stages of globalization: Globalization 1.0 (1492 to 1800) shrank the world from a large to medium size, and the dynamic force in that era was countries globalizing for resources and conquest. Globalization 2.0 (1800 to 2000) shrank the world from a medium to a small size, and it was led by companies globalizing for markets and labor. Globalization 3.0 (which started around 2000) shrank the world from a small to tiny size and leveling the playing field at the same time. I find it intriguing that Friedman’s globalization depiction aligns very closely to the industrial revolutions witnessed starting in 1800s. Now, nearly two hundred years after the start of the first Industrial Revolution, we are in the middle of the fourth Industrial Revolution, often referred to as Industry 4.0. Developments in automation and data in manufacturing technologies have resulted in a new era of smart factories and intelligent manufacturing. These technologies are not only changing how we do business, but for manufacturers, it changes how we make investment decisions.

Figure 1: History of Industrial Revolutions

Three ImportantWays toLookatAutomationDecisions One of our customers at Feedall Automation is Linamar (www. linamar.com). Linamar is among the top 100 automotive suppliers globally in terms of automotive parts sales and has 61 global manufacturing facilities. They know manufacturing and forging as well as anyone, and I have found they are always looking for better manufacturing solutions in their facilities. Early this year, I had the opportunity to speak with their engineers about some of the technology that Feedall was developing for robotic bin picking. In doing so, I learned how they think about automation investments and technologies. In today’s competitive environment,

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manufacturing companies have to continually invest to be more productive (Reference: “Why Automation Matters to Forgers”). This has enabled companies not only to make processes more efficient, but also to give leadership and shop managers better quality and predictability of their equipment and output. That is great to say, but how should you look at these type of automation decisions if you are not an expert like Linamar? Here is what I came up with from my daily interactions with companies trying to find equipment solutions to solve everyday problems. I will warn you, that these are not always the conventional ways of looking at making investment decisions. 1. Return on Technology (ROT vs ROI) As amanager in themanufacturingworld, the one question I amsure you always get fromyour team is “Can I havemoney for this project?” My response to that question has historically been: “It depends on the return we get for that investment (ROI).” In business school, I learned that the proper way to measure these types of investments is to put together a discounted cash flow model. Discounted cash flow (DCF) is a valuation method used to estimate the value of an investment based on its expected future cash flows. It attempts to figure out the value of an investment today, based on projections of how much money it will generate in the future. A simpler way to look at this is by using payback: How long will it take to payback this investment? A rule of thumb that many manufactures use is to require projects to have less than 18-24 months. However, this strictly financial approach leaves out some intangible factors also required to be included into the discussion. For example, if you do not already have a robot in your facility, it will be very difficult to justify and meet the 24-month pay back threshold set by your ‘bean counters’. An industrial robotic cell will cost you a minimum of $200,000 and if you want to add the latest vision technology which Feedall can provide, it will be over $300,000. So, how do you justify this expense of you cannot meet the financial threshold? My recommendation is to look at using a Return on Technology (ROT) method (yes, I just made this up). The investment needs to be broken down into traditional capital investment and “Technology Investment”. The technology investments need to be seen as research and development in which the value will pay off over a longer period of time for the company. The second and third robotics cell will have higher value which will eventually carry the full burden of the capital. As a supplier of capital equipment and automation, we need to do a better job of helping manufacturers understand the return on the upfront capital and technology investments. Feedall works with customers to outline the payback on our equipment.

Figure 2: Payback options for loading centerless grinders We spend the time upfront with customers to better assess the solution they need, but also work with them on putting together the justification on the upfront capital costs. Once the decision is made to move forward with a new automation system, the next thing you need to consider in the decision is who is going to support this new technology. 2. Re-Skilled Labor Analysis shows automation is likely to push output potential far ahead of demand potential. The rapid spread of automation may eliminate as many as 20% to 25% of current jobs—equivalent to 40 million displaced workers (3) . The benefits of automation will likely flow to about 20% of workers—primarily highly compensated, highly skilled workers. As a result, automation has the potential to create a seismic shift in the skill levels needed in manufacturing facilities over the next 10 years. Once you install the turn-key robotic cell with help from your systems integrator, then what? If you have a problem or want to change something, you are going to need the capabilities in-house to address the programming requirements. Brennan Palmiter wrote an interesting article about this in the February 2021 FIA Issue (Who’s Going to Program My Robot). There are many integrators out in the market that can help with robotic programming, but as a manufacturer, you will want to invest in re-skilling your labor to address this technology shift and the overall shortage of labor. 3. Hourly Cost of Equipment Faced with a rising scarcity of labor, companies are likely to draw increasingly on automation technologies. But with fewer labor employees, how should we look at these investments in automation? Typically, productivity is measured by the output of production for every labor hour. However, with the increasing usage of automation equipment, you also need to weigh a comparison between amortizing the upfront costs of capital to the reduction in labor costs. One way to do this is by deciphering labor costs for your

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equipment. My undergraduate economics professor would likely give me a dissertation on how this does not fit the traditional model of economic theory, but I believe it is a fruitful way of looking at our new world with robotics and automation equipment. Today, robots (and Feedall’s Model 4800 Billet Feeder – sorry for the plug) are already cheaper than human workers in every advanced economy and less than the current Federal minimumwage.

By enhancing the productivity of their human counterparts, automation will likely make manufacturing costs attractive closer to home. So, paying your robot minimumwage would be a pay raise for most robots on the market. The fourth industrial revolution has begun, and the question you need to ask yourself (and your teams) is how will you weigh these new investment decisions? Traditional ways of measuring Return on Investment without looking at the intangible dynamics at play regarding the shrinking labor force and re-skilling labor will put your company at a disadvantage. With automation technology increasing the competitive advantage of typically higher labor rate economies, we should ask Thomas Friedman if the world is still flat or if Christopher Columbus was correct in 1492. ■ Notes: Hourly cost of robot and Feedall unit using 10 year utilization; Country wage date from 2016. Sources: Conference Board; Robotworx; Bain Macro Trends Group analysis, Statista 2021 References: 1) It’s a Flat World After All; New York Times by Thomas Friedman, April 2, 2005. https://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/03/magazine/its-a- flat-world-after-all.html 2) 2019 Manufacturing Trends Report; 2018 Microsoft 3) Labor 2030: The Collision of Demographics, Automation and Inequality, Bain Company: Karen Harris, Austin Kimson, Andrew Schwedel; 2018.

Author Jon Cocco is the owner and CEO of Feedall Automation in Cleveland, Ohio. He may be reached at jcocco@feedall.com or 440-942-8100 or follow him on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/joncocco/. For additional information, visit www.feedall.com.

Figure 3: Average hourly cost of manufacturing workers

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Robotic Billet Loading Systems By Joe Stambaugh

Elevator feeders and vibratory bowls are two of the most popular methods used to reliably load and feed induction heating systems. Regarding these systems there are often complaints about noise, dust and various feeding issues. Over the past ten years, robots with vision systems have evolved to the point that it is now possible to utilize them to reliably feed an induction heating system. Considerations When Selecting a System When considering a robotic billet bin pick system for an application a good procedure is to first consider the billet shape and its dimensions. A cylindrical shaped billet presents the easiest shape for a vision system to identify using 3-D vision software. Then consider the diameter and overall length of the billet to be picked, keeping the billet diameter and length within a known range of pickable billet diameters and lengths. Typically the overall length should be 1.5 times the diameter of the billet. In addition, the billet should be no smaller in diameter than 1 inch. If the billet is outside of the range, testing must take place to ensure that billet picking is possible. In the case of larger diameter billets, a feeder shaker loader can be utilized to level out the billets to form a single layer making it easier for the robot to pull out the heavier larger diameter billets. Integrating the Robotic System Some companies, such as Ajax TOCCO, prefer to design their robotic billet picking systems to be fully integrated with fast-moving infeed chain conveyors, which feed the billets into the pinch roll drives or linear actuator pushers. In these cases it is possible to utilize a two-bin system where a second bin provides a full bin of billets for the robot to pick fromwhen the first bin is empty. At that point, the robot switches over to the second bin of billets, and the first bin is removed and replaced with a new full bin of billets. In a typical Ajax TOCCO installation, a rail mounted FANUC iRVision® system is placed above the dual bin arrangement on one side of the machine. After the robot empties one bin it automatically switches bins and the rail mounted 3D camera simply moves to the second bin via the linear rail unit. Optionally the 3D camera can be mounted to the robot’s arm. By utilizing a Safety PLC in conjunction with dual check safety speed and position check software the travel of the robot can be restricted. By restricting the robot to Cartesian space the robot now can be restrained to the area where it needs to work to accomplish its tasks. Dual Check Safety Speed and Position Check Software enhances protection as it limits robot travel. Limiting the robot’s travel consumes the minimum amount of the customer’s floor

space. Safe zones can be both enabled and disabled via the Safety PLC. Utilizing these safe zones along with the proper guarding, an operator can now safely replace a tub of billets or stop the system and enter and exit the workspace.

IR rail mounted vision system in operation. The goal in positioning the robot within the cell is to develop a placement of all components that will minimize floor space and further require the fewest and shortest movements by the robot, so that it can achieve the fastest possible cycle time. Cycle times as fast as 6 seconds can be achieved, with the average cycle time closer to 10 to 12 seconds. The robot is commonly equipped with an electromagnet end effector of the proper size and configuration to best pick the billet diameter and length range. In the event that the billets are made from a non-magnetic material then grippers must be used. This sometimes results in a reduced range of billet diameters that the unit is able to pick. It is assumed that in most cases the robot magnet or gripper will come into contact with the side of the bin.This generally happens when a customer introduces a bin that has been damaged and the sides are dented or bent. Additional impact spring loaded slides are then added to the tooling with integral limit switches. When impact occurs the springs allow the tooling to retract to the point that the limit switch is closed and sends a signal to the Safety PLC which signals the robot to retract and select another billet. It is best for a customer to supply straight wall bins for these applications, or at least corrugated style totes that are uniform and with limited dents. A straight wall tote also makes it easier for the totes to be able

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Important Considerations When considering robotic billet bin picking systems using vision it is important tomake sure that the lighting in the area remains at the same levels at all time for the system to properly identify the billets in the bin. For example, opening an overhead door near the equipment can result in erratic image capture which will impact the ability of the system to properly identify the billets in the bin. The lighting at the time of adjustment should remain the same during all times of operation. Also, consider the range of billet diameters and overall lengths andmake sure that they are within the capability of themachine.

to be completely emptied. To better empty a tote, generally the tote can be tilted towards the robot.The bottom of the tote, which is now angled, results in the billets rolling or moving down to the lowest area making it possible to completely empty the tote bin. Bear in mind the tote bins must always be placed in a fixed position. Guide angles can be applied to facilitate the placement of a replacement bin into the cell. Mounting the area sensor above the tote bins allows the sensor to be moved over from the first bin to the second via a linear actuator.This saves the expense and integration of a second device. This overhead design allows for the fastest possible cycle time as the area sensor can now take images while the robot continues in motion with no lost time. Mounting a smaller area sensor to the robot arm is also an option, but bear in mind the robot must stop its motion above the bin and capture an image, and this takes time to accomplish. Additional Functions In addition to picking random billets from a tote and placing them onto the in-feed conveyor of the induction heating system, robotic billing loading systems can also have other functions such as checking the size of each billet and/or verification of the material. The robot can pick and place the billet onto a V-shaped holder fitted to a weigh scale at the end of the conveyor. This V-shaped holder also serves the same function as a repick station. The angled side walls and gravity results in the billets dropping into perfect alignment of the billet prior to pushing it onto the infeed conveyor. The billet is weighed while in this fixture prior to being pushed onto the end of the conveyor chain as the robot moves to pick the next billet, with no loss of time to align the billet. If the billet is not within the weight tolerances it can be rejected from the top of the scale, off of the side and down a chute into a smaller tote bin. If time and tolerances permit, the robot can also pass the billet in front of a 2D camera which can determine the diameter and overall length of the billet and check to see if it is within the proper range.

Area Scanner Captured Image

Summary Billet bin picking is not a new technology. Ajax TOCCO has been doing this since 2009 and awarded a patent for this technology, US Patent 2009/011694.0. Today there has been more emphasis on this technology, as the technology has improved dramatically due to the further development of smaller higher speed area scanners that provide a 3D detailed map in less than 1 second. In using a robotic bin picking system, a forge is able to reap the following benefits: 1. Reduce noise to a minimum. 2. Eliminate dust. 3. Reduce floor space to a minimum. 4. Verify weight of billets in-line. 5. Reduce maintenance cost. 6. Eliminate loading labor costs. ■

Joe Stambaugh, Segment Leader Forging Products Group, Ajax TOCCOMagnethermic Corporation, Warren, Ohio. Video of robotic billet picking available upon request. Please contact Joe Stambaugh for more information. Email: jstambaugh@ajaxtocco.com Phone: 614-440-0945 Special acknowledgement to FANUC America and Laura Evans, Sr. District Account Manager FANUC America.

Robotic Billet Picking Using Magnetic End Effector As the billets move onto the fast-moving chain conveyor, they can also be fed through an eddy current testing device to further test the material composition of the billet.

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