May 2023 Volume 5

FORGING RESEARCH

identify an issue with sensitive settings associated with the anti backlash nut blocks. Solving and documenting this is very useful. Repeated check outs over several months has confirmed the successful restoration of this facility. Our intention is to make this device available to students. Developing and demonstrating the resurfacing of a die using this device represents an intriguing application as the basis for future

FIA Orders & Shipments Survey

student senior projects. Acknowledgements

Funding for this project by the Forging Industriy Educational and Research Foundation (FIERF) through a Stage-Gate Research Gate in partnership with Presrite Corporation and the Lincoln Electric Company is gratefully acknowledged.

FIA’s Orders & Shipments Survey program was re launched in 2019 as a web-based high-end survey product. The survey’s scope is confidentially tracking FIA member North American shipments and bookings for forged products inclusive of the Impression Die, Open Die and Rolled Ring processes. About the FIA O&S Survey: • FIA partnered with MTInsight, the statistical tracking division of The Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT), to build a custom analytics program to serve the forging industry. • Categories tracked include OPEN DIE, CLOSED DIE and ROLLED RING forging as well as markets served, and material used. • Survey takes 30-minutes or less to complete each month • Included reports: • Monthly Index Overview • FIA members enter their monthly orders & shipments data into AMT's custom-built, confidential software system.

Fig. 8: CWRU freeform welder built on the TorchMate Plasma cutter table and a Lincoln Electric Powerwave MIG welder. The fixturing of the welder to the plasma torch mount was custom.

• Market Share Report (Dollars) • Product Report (Index Values) • Profile Report

• As first step members complete their full 2016 sales (in Excel), then gain access to the program for monthly data loading • This is a members-only benefit. Questions?

If you would like more information or a Zoom demonstration to walk through the process of working with the software and loading monthly numbers please contact JimWarren at jwarren@forging.org.

Fig. 9: Parts built using the CWRUWBMMdemonstrating the ability to build closed outlines, inclined walls in the absence of supports, and closed forms. The native control software was used without alteration, through with student developed programming.

FIA MAGAZINE | MAY 2023 89