The following article is courtesy of American Machinist

The powerful, and heavily armored, troop carrier called the MRAP (for “mine-resistant ambush protected” vehicle) won’t win any prizes for style, though the people who ride in it don’t mind a bit. That’s because thanks to a V-shaped hull that deflects the force of explosions beneath it, and its outer shell of thick steel plate, it has brought U.S. soldiers and Marines an unmatched level of protection against explosives and small arms fire. Once the effectiveness of these vehicles in saving lives and preventing injuries became obvious, the U.S. Dept. of Defense rushed to increase the number of them available for deployment to combat zones. In May 2007, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates declared that the acquisition of MRAPs was the DoD’s highest priority.

Among the companies charged with supplying these vehicles is Navistar Defense. Navistar and its suppliers had to move quickly to fill the DoD’s order. The work of developing new components for this evolving family of vehicles had to be done rapidly and it had to be done right. Navistar Defense supplier Inteva, a manufacturer of door systems, was tasked with producing a new door-assist module for the Navistar Defense MaxxPro MRAP, as well as the heavier MaxxPro Plus and MaxxPro Dash models. The module assures that the vehicle’s 2,000-lb armored door with its air-assisted hydraulics opens in case of an accident or emergency. It also prevents the door from accidentally closing on a person.

As a partner in this vital work Inteva chose 3-Dimensional Services Group, a firm that specializes in design, engineering and analysis, in-house tool construction, and complete build of prototype first-off parts and low-to-medium volume production runs. Its use of advanced process methods, manufacturing technologies and staff talents means that prototype parts—not just models—are typically provided up to 70% faster than conventionally equipped prototype shops are able to offer.

The door-assist module is a complex part and 3-Dimensional Services was tasked with creating 63 components in all. These included the base plate, two latching components designed to be mounted to the body inside the door skin, hinges which are, similarly, covered by the door skin, side rods, and slider blocks.

An array of production processes
To create this complex part an array of production processes were required. Forming was used to produce the angle supports for slide system. Welding, both manual and robotic, was employed: manual welding for the module’s handles, levers, and angle supports, while the main base plate and close out brackets were robotically welded. Plastic injection molding, using tough, metal-like Delrin (Polyoxymethylene) as well as Sanaprene thermal plastic elastomer was used to make the wedges and handle covers.

Laser cutting and CNC machining were primary operations used on nearly all of the module’s metal components. Materials included A36 stainless, high strength/low alloy steel and, for the hinges, CNC 1045 steel. Fortunately, 3-Dimensional Services was able to bring both a high degree of staff expertise and a virtual arsenal of equipment to bear in each of these areas.

“Our lasers—both 3- and 5-axis—can cut through thick armor plate or slice through thin sheet metal, all with amazingly tight tolerances,” notes Mike Brabandt, Senior Sales Engineer for 3-Dimensional Services Group. The 3-axis laser cutting systems excel in speed, accuracy and flexibility, while the 5-axis systems are ideal for cutting complex contours and shapes, and 3-Dimensional has designed, developed and produced needed laser systems in house, including an ultra high-speed unit with cutting speeds up to 50,000 mm per minute.

In terms of machining 3-Dimensional Services has over 40 CNC machining centers along with 75 knee mills and lathes, and the ability to machine steels hardened to 60 Rockwell at feed rates of up to 20,000 mm per minute, as well as machine and finish grind with machining centers that provide a 40,000-rpm spindle with 30,000-mm per minute feed rate. Thus, neither machining capacity nor machining expertise was an issue when it came to processing the metal components for the door-assist module.

Seven-day turnaround
Capabilities like these allowed 3-Dimensional Services to complete the prototype in a mere seven days. Four design iterations followed, and all were successfully performed over the course of a single month thanks in large measure to the size and capabilities of 3-Dimensional Service design and engineering department, which boasts over 30 high-speed CAD terminals and employs nearly all major CAD/CAM packages, including CATIA, Delcam, Mastercam, Unigraphics, SolidWorks and ProE.

The final design of the MRAP door modules called for components to be zinc yellow chromate-plated for superior corrosion resistance, and for the module to be CARC (chemical agent resistant coating) painted. CARC, which is typically used on today’s U.S. military vehicles, is a polyurethane paint that provides superior durability, extends service life for military vehicles and equipment, provides surfaces with superior resistance to chemical warfare agent penetration, and greatly simplifies decontamination.

3-Dimensional Services moved swiftly to commence limited-run production of the approved door-assist module design, making 300 to 400 per month for an eventual total of 2500 units. According to Mike Brabandt, successfully completing a demanding prototyping challenge is always a professionally rewarding experience, but in the case of the MRAP door-assist module it was something more.

“We know how important these modules, and the vehicles they’re a part of, are for the safety of our troops, so we’re gratified that we were able to work closely with Inteva to make this happen.”

The 3-Dimensional Services Group, consisting of 3-Dimensional Services, Urgent Plastic Services, and Urgent Design & Manufacturing, provides rapid prototyping services that encompass virtually all relevant processes, including injection molding and casting, stamping, machining, robotic and manual welding, laser cutting and welding, waterjet, hydroforming, tube bending, vibration welding, casting and pattern fabrication, RIM tooling, SLA, LOM and SLS rapid prototyping, and assembly.

One of the fundamentals of lean is a commitment to continuous improvement. Fortunately, an upcoming workshop free to those in manufacturing will be held later this May. Here are the details:

Lean Thinking Learning Opportunities

in partnership with

Pawley Institute (http://www.oakland.edu/lean) at Oakland University

Lean is a culture, a way of seeing and thinking about the world, and a philosophy which is frequently counter-intuitive to many people. Many Lean training programs jump too quickly into lean tools, without first establishing a sound foundation in Lean Thinking.

The lean training program is focused on developing a solid foundation in Lean Thinking and helping you successfully develop your company’s journey to lean transformation.  This training in Lean Thinking will consist of two phases.

Phase I – A two-day seminar on Lean Thinking that will occur on May 21^st and 22^nd.  It will prepare the participants to successfully participate in Kaizen workshops. This two-day seminar will be led by Mark Doman from the Pawley Learning Institute at Oakland University.

Phase II A– Twelve weeks of workshops this summer (from June to mid-August, 2010 on Fridays) will provide in-depth formal knowledge with respect to the foundations of Lean Thinking.

Phase II B – Participants may also elect to commit to applying Lean Thinking in their plant by way of a field project with the assistance of OU students.

Participants can chose to be involved at three levels of commitment.

• Phase I – Attend the two-day Lean Thinking seminar – Free but need to register since seating is limited
• Phase II A – Participate in weekly workshops – Free, but need to register since seating is limited in each workshop.
• Phase II B – Commit to applying Lean Thinking to improve a chosen process at you company by way of a field project with the assistance of OU students. Those committing to Phase II B will be required to attend the two-day seminar and the twelve weekly workshops over the course of the summer, and make a $1,000 tax deductible donation. Those who can’t afford this should register and ask for special assistance, as we are still looking for some external funding.

If you are interested in availing of any level of this training, please sign up with TDFI as soon as possible.   Please note there will only be a limited number of openings for Phase II B, so if you are interested in participating at that level be sure to sign up soon.

I will post the Lean Thinking Learning Curriculum Plan for the weeks of June 4 – August 27 Monday or Tuesday. To all T&D free email subscribers, check your inbox by tomorrow (May 10) evening.

The Polo, Missouri company has remained steadfast in their search to find a temporary location as they rebuild. Despite this setback, they are looking forward to maintaining levels of support their customers have counted on for many years.

WALKER, Mich. (WZZM) – Tool and die companies have been hit especially hard in the last several years, but Focus Mold and Machining has a new focus that’s helping them survive the economy.

The small business is retooling itself in an unlikely industry: bird feeders.

David Dault has been in the tool and die trade for 25 years. But he says the last three years have been a challenge ever since JCI, his biggest customer shut down the division he supplied.

"There went my work and I was heavily dependent on JCI and the work that they gave us," said Dault.

Luckily Dault’s passion isn’t cars. "Birding is my love. I love to feed the birds and watch the birds," said Dault.

Dault and his team used his automotive mold software to engineer high-end humming bird feeders. Dault plans to market the feeders to a growing industry of "birding."

"I said I have all the equipment I have all the knowledge."

Dault has already sold several feeders to local shops and is marketing the idea online at www.LoveMyBirds.com. He hopes to make them in the shop, full time, taking a lesson from his love of nature: only those who adapt can survive.