Resilience in the Manufacturing Industry
By Jo Gardner for Zagar Inc.
September 21, 2020
The Manufacturing Industry
The world of manufacturing is, as it has been for over a century, rife with resilient organizations who excel at creative problem solving. For over a century, industry, technology, capability, demand and more have changed, and each time, manufacturers and their equipment suppliers have stepped up to answer new needs. From automation to smart machines, digitization, virtual marketing, and more, manufacturers have fought to continue to provide relevant, vital services.
Today, the industry’s resilience means not just finding a way to continue your production as you have, but to be able to alleviate disruptions through innovative thought and to recover quickly from them. As Industryweek.com stated, in its webinar page on Transform 2020 – Resilience in the Age of COVID-19, “To prosper today, nations, businesses and organizations must have the capability to survive, adapt, evolve and grow in the face of change.”
For over a century, hole creation has been a vital part of manufacturing. For over eighty years, Zagar Inc. has dedicated to high production, hole making equipment and accessories. Today, Zagar specializes in hydraulic, pneumatic and high-production drilling and tapping machines and related equipment.
Factors
The elimination of lead in machine metals, changed several industries. Machine metals went from easy to cut workpieces with low cost easy material removal, to cast iron with compacted graphite iron metals, which wears out tooling much sooner. Tooling which is adjusted to increase chip control can gain tool life while making the hole straighter.
Environmental regulations limit the use of chlorine and sulfur in hole drilling coolant systems. That one elimination has resulted in an increase of chip build up, chip sticking, and wear and tear on the cutting tool itself.
Innovations in drilling equipment
In answer to today’s manufacturing needs, machining tool companies have introduced new versions of traditional equipment that can deliver the high production needs while integrating those tools with CNC command electronics, quick changeover features, and chip evacuation features. These features not only increase production, but can save money lost to down time during changeovers, or repairs.
MQ150 SU: The Zagar mechanical quill centerline ballscrew feed unit, while seeming to be similar to its predecessor, is a completely overhauled innovation. The unit can be used with single drilling and tapping, counter boring and reaming, or can be combined with a Zagar Multi-Spindle Head to increase productivity by performing multiple operations simultaneously. It features its own enclosed control cabinet built to NEMA 12 standards. Brushless Servo motors offer feed rate and RPM control, while user friendly operating software allow easy entry of the cutting tool parameters such as stroke, feed, speed, drill or rigid tap, etc. A Siemens CNC means easier, user friendly control and fast changeover.
The built-in PLC is compatible with multiple auto cycling and automatic changeover between stored machining subroutines. Software provides peck drilling cycles, rigid tapping, left or right-hand “drapping” (combination drilling and tapping) cycles. Adjustable feed and retract stops are also provided. Coolant in the MQ150 SU can be pumped through the spindle at up to 1,500 lbs. of pressure, and the unit features a sealed internal lubrication system and grease packed bearings, protecting the unit against chips and debris.
The Zagar lineup constantly adds new innovations, but as Brian Zagar reminded me in an interview, “People know us for drilling and tapping. We do that, but what I’d like people to be aware of, is that we can also design specially engineered machines, to resolve manufacturers’ needs.” For more resilience by design, visit https://www.zagar.com/request-a-quote/ to get information on how Zagar can help you boost your own production.