Vermont-based manufacturer Tivoly Inc. implemented a few key solutions in its machining operations as part of a formal process to improve processes and reduce costs.
There are few companies that can boast the heritage and longevity of Tivoly Inc. Originally founded in 1880 on the idea of manufacturing a wagon axle cutter that could also be used to restore worn axles, the company evolved into part of the Union Butterfield Corporation until it was sold to French-owned Tivoly Inc. in 1989. Today, the company’s product range includes hand taps, production taps, performance taps, application taps, carbide taps, specials, fast service, reamers, and drills, many of which are private-labeled for other cutting tool manufacturers.
Tivoly relies upon key strategies that all employees understand and apply to their every-day work. One of these strategies is a focus on progress and continuous improvement. Another key to Tivoly’s long-term success has been its focus on partnerships both with customers and with suppliers. As one of its long-term partners, Seco Tools provides over 50 percent of the company’s cutting tool needs. Seco also adheres to Tivoly’s Progress doctrine and in 2006, Seco Technical specialist Joe Mecus, and Seco distributor Matt Murray of Blanchard Industrial Supplies, began a formal process improvement/cost reduction initiative.
Mecus visited Tivoly weekly as well as spearheading monthly Tivoly/Seco team meetings to assess machining operations and to decide where productivity or cost savings could most easily be achieved. At the start of this initiative, Seco had just announced its first Duratomic-developed coating for grade TP2500.
Tivoly decided to first apply the TP2500 to its CNC turning area using M1 Tool steel. The initial M1 test was run on .05-inch standard tap blank. The current operation relied upon indexable inserts being run on Citizen L25 Swiss screw machine at 600 surface feet per minute, and a feed rate of 0.005 inch per minute with a 0.060 inch depth of cut to achieve 150 parts per cutting edge. The Duratomic grade was then applied in the MF5 chipbreaker geometry without changing any of the original cutting parameters, allowing Tivoly to now achieve about 1,500 parts per cutting edge.
The three-prong crown-shaped MF5 chipbreaker is designed to perform a low depth of cut (between 0.020- and 0.100-inch), and its open geometry results in the reduction of cutting forces. When used in combination with TP2500, it is not unusual for the MF5 chipbreaker to reveal a ten-time improvement in tool life as compared to competitive solutions.
With such good success, the team then targeted an M11 tool steel application running on a Mazak SQT200MS CNC Lathe where the company was achieving only 40 parts per insert edge. Application of TP2500, again in the MF5 chipbreaker geometry, allowed the company to produce 200 parts per edge as well as anywhere from 300 to 1,000 percent the tool life of the original application.
“The capability of the TP2500 grade then allowed us to increase speed, feed, and depth of cut where possible—often maxing out the machine capability,” says Mecus.
As a result of these changes, Tivoly’s annual perishable tooling dollars spent were reduced by about 70 percent. In other words, Tivoly’s annual consumption of turning inserts decreased from 7,521 inserts down to a mere 1,252.
Typically, perishable tooling is a very small piece of the production cost pie in terms of its impact on total part cost compared to cycle time. However, in this case, Tivoly was able to reduce its cost per part by 20 percent. With its predictable performance and ability to handle mixed production, both material and application, TP2500 eliminated much of time spent to change the cutting parameters for each of the thousands of jobs run through the factory.
Additionally, the current processes and tools had limitations of speed, feed, and depth of cut. “Without Duratomic, improved cost through cycle time reduction would not have been possible unless we made a big investment in capital equipment,” says Tivoly plant manager Scott Gowdy. With the switch to Duratomic grades, Tivoly can decrease cycle times for roughing operations with new equipment by 50 to 80 percent, approaching speeds as high as 1,500 SFM in tool steels where prior operations are only in the 500 – 700 sfm range.
Tivoly’s success with Seco tooling has not been limited to turning operations. In fact, the company has invited Joe and Matt to be part of its decision-making process for future capital investments in order to best utilize additional new technology available from Seco.
For more information, visit www.secotools.com.
