Summary
A tire manufacturer in NE Indiana faced issues with plates not meeting specifications. Toolcraft, LLC stepped in, reverse-engineering the plates and collaborating with another company to handle the plate’s large diameter. With our specialized equipment, Toolcraft placed each hole with precision, delivering plates that met the manufacturer’s requirements.
Project Overview
Industry: Automotive
Process: Design, Development, Milling
Category: Contract Manufacturing
In NE Indiana, a notable tire manufacturer encountered an issue: the large diameter steel plates they received from their supplier weren’t up to spec. Measuring at 45” in diameter and 3 ¾” thick, these plates required utmost precision, especially given their many specific hole placements.
Familiar with intricate tooling tasks, Toolcraft quickly identified a solution. We began by reverse-engineering the required plates, producing accurate blueprints to ensure precision. While the large diameter of the plates exceeded Toolcraft’s machining capacity, we didn’t let this hurdle stop us. By collaborating with another company, the plates were turned to the exact size required. To finalize the process, Toolcraft utilized our Devlieg Jig Mill, ensuring each hole was accurately positioned.
- Dimensions: 45″ diameter, 3 ¾” thickness
- Material: Steel (specific grade to be determined)
- Hole placement: Precise coordinates for each hole
- Hole diameter and tolerance: Specific dimensions for each hole
- Hole depth: Required depth for each hole
- Surface finish: Required finish for plate surfaces
- Flatness: Tolerance for plate flatness
- Material properties: Specific requirements for material strength, hardness, etc.
Uses and Applications
- Base plate or component in tire manufacturing equipment
- Fixture or tooling component
- Support structure for heavy machinery
Capacity
- Plate diameter: Toolcraft’s capacity exceeded by plate diameter, requiring external machining.
- Hole machining: Toolcraft’s Devlieg Jig Mill capable of precise hole placement.
- Production volume: Dependent on customer demand and production scheduling.
Quality Control
- Material inspection: Verification of material properties and compliance with specifications.
- Dimensional inspection: Measurement of plate diameter, thickness, and flatness.
- Hole placement verification: Inspection of hole coordinates and diameters.
- Hole depth measurement: Verification of hole depth.
- Surface finish inspection: Assessment of surface quality.
- Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T): Verification of form, orientation, location, and profile.
- First article inspection (FAI): Thorough inspection of the first produced plate.
- In-process inspection: Monitoring of critical dimensions during machining.
- Final inspection: Comprehensive inspection of the completed plate.
Quality Control
Toolcraft’s comprehensive quality control procedures ensured the Brass Die scraper met stringent performance and reliability standards:
- Dimensional Inspection: Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMM) were used to verify all critical dimensions and tolerances.
- Material Testing: Metallurgical tests were conducted to confirm the material’s properties and compliance with specifications.
- Non-Destructive Testing (NDT): Techniques such as ultrasonic testing and magnetic particle inspection were employed to detect any internal or surface defects.
- Functional Testing: The assembled Brass Die scraper underwent rigorous functional tests to ensure proper operation and integration with Michelin’s manufacturing process.
- Final Inspection: A thorough final inspection was performed to validate the overall quality and readiness of the Brass Die Scraper before delivery to Michelin.
Manufacturing Process
Material procurement
Sourcing of steel plates meeting specified material requirements.
Plate turning
External machining to achieve the required 45″ diameter.
Plate preparation
Surface preparation for machining (e.g., cleaning, deburring).
Blueprint creation
Development of detailed blueprints specifying hole locations and dimensions.
Machine setup
Setup of Devlieg Jig Mill with tooling for hole machining.
Hole machining
Drilling, reaming, or boring of holes according to specifications.
In-process inspection
Verification of hole placement and dimensions during machining.
Final inspection
Comprehensive inspection of the completed plate.
Packaging and shipping
Preparation of the plate for transport to the customer.
Conclusion
Thanks to Toolcraft’s methodical approach and ability to leverage collaborative resources, the tire manufacturer now consistently receives plates that align with their exact specifications.