Industrialization of the product in zinc die casting

Industrializing a product means facing the entire design process taking into account the functional, qualitative and aesthetic specifications of the customer and of the construction technology, which in this case is the hot camber die casting of zinc alloys.

The industrialization of the product is therefore a complex process composed of various phases in which various departments intervene. Let’s analyze the delicate process that leads to mass production.

DFM

Already in the RFQ (Request For Quotation) phase, therefore still in the commercial phase, the project proposed by the customer is evaluated and analyzed in order to present an offer. Afterwards, once the sales process has been completed and the order from the customer has been received, the most substantial and vertical activities are undertaken. One of these activities is, for example, co-design: a phase in which the technical departments of the customer and of the supplier work together to optimize the product.

The study undertaken on the product, the co-design activity mentioned above, makes it possible to propose a series of activities aimed at increasing value and reducing costs, both as regards the product and the production process. The work carried out at co-design level culminates with the drafting of Design for Manufacturing, called in technical jargon DFM, a document that defines the most suitable shapes for the production process of the die cast and the tools that are necessary in the different phases of the process: mold, automations, frame for superficial treatments and others.

For a definition of DFM approved by the scientific community and for additional related information we recommend visiting the Society of Manufacturing Engineers website.

It is important to underline how the modifications suggested in this phase not only concern the aesthetic aspect or the functionality of the product, but also the resolution of problems emerged during the study phase: whether they are at product level, such as critical areas and deformation or too narrow tolerances, or at process level, for example it could be necessary to find alternative solutions for the configuration of the mold extractors.

For further information on DFM we suggest you to read the article Product design for die casting: how to speed up and optimize your DFM.

Kick-off

Once this initial phase has ended, it is time to bring together for a second time all the actors involved in the process with a meeting called kick off. The kick-off is the moment of the launch, typically it is a meeting called by the Project Manager in which all the departments involved in the realization of the project come together to discuss the production aspects. During the meeting, conducted by the Project Manager, the following areas intervene:

• Design: designers highlight the critical aspects of the product and the solutions identified at design level
• Quality: on the basis of the observations of the designers it identifies the elements on which it will have to focus its attention and the kind of analysis that it will be necessary to undertake to guarantee the respect of the requirements of the customer
• Production: it evaluates the technical aspects of the productive process and the relative criticalities, establishing machines, automations and processes necessary for the realization of the product
• Logistic: it manages the warehouse and its critical issues and the shipping of the goods to the customer
• Sales and marketing department: oversee communication with the customer at every stage of the project life, providing feedback on the progress of the processes

Kick-off is a very important moment because at the end of the meeting all the departments are ready to act together for the success of the project. At the end of the kick-off is therefore possible to start the construction of the tools necessary for production.

Sampling

During sampling phase the first samples, defined first off tool, are created. It is in this phase that the die casting mold and all the tools that will be necessary during mass production phase are tested.

All production departments contribute to the evaluation of the samples that are subsequently sent to the customer in order to obtain the approval.

Samples allow the verification of the compliance of the product to the requirements of the customer and the necessary analysis are undertaken by quality department and afterwards by the customer.

Samples, beside die casting process, can undergo different kinds of treatments. In some cases raw parts are sent to the customer, in other cases mechanical operations or superficial treatments are necessary.

In the case of superficially processed samples, external suppliers are involved. In this case it becomes necessary to carry out checks on the products arriving from suppliers and consequently on those delivered to the customer. In fact, it is important to monitor quality throughout the entire supply chain so as to guarantee to the customer products that are always compliant and that have passed strict controls.

Pre-Series

If sampling is aimed at the analysis of the quality and the dimensions of the samples the pre-series allows the verification, on a reduced scale, of the compliance to the established standards for the productive process.

In pre-series phase in fact the products are created with all the techniques and the processes that will be undertaken in phase of mass production allowing the verification of cycle time, of the production capacity of the plant and the respect of the parameters set in design phase.

Since the runs of the pre-series are limited and sometimes the product or the mold have to be subjected to modifications, in zinc alloys die casting it is advisable to carry out the pre-series, and the previous sampling, with prototypal molds. The prototypal molds do not have the lifespan of the molds for mass production but they are more suitable for the execution of modifications.

Importance of collaboration

We have seen how in the industrialization of the product expertise from different departments intervene at different levels and in different phases of the process. The operative bonds between the different departments become particularly evident in this phase and they are decisive in the functions of coordination, timing, management of the resources and project management.

Moreover, in industrialization phase the collaboration goes beyond the boundaries of the company and it involves customers and suppliers. In fact, the process of co-design can be undertaken only together with the customer and it is thanks to collaboration with the latter that it is possible to establish strategies aimed at reducing costs and at optimizing the product.

Also the collaboration with suppliers becomes fundamental because only through a careful monitoring of the entire production chain  it becomes possible to guarantee the quality of the products and to obtain the approval of the customer.

Conclusions

In this brief article we have described the phases that precede mass production of a component, then focusing on collaboration that is necessary for the success of any project, in particular in a delicate phase as the industrialization of a product.

In conclusion, we believe it is important to underline how, in this process, the Project Manager is a key figure that has to constantly monitor the processes and the contribution of every department verifying that, step by step, all the necessary operations are performed. It is only through the right collaboration that, in an articulate process composed by a number of steps, it becomes possible to achieve the goal in the best and efficient way.

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The post Industrialization and zinc die casting: phases and processes appeared first on Bruschi.

Introduction

In a previous post we discussed the importance of the metrology laboratory in a zinc alloys die casting productive plant. The metrology laboratory, in fact, assures the quality of the products throughout the production chain by guaranteeing the compliance to the requirements of the customer from a dimensional, structural and chemical point of view. The activities of the metrology laboratory described in the post Dimensional measurement: production control and reverse engineering are:

– Constant monitoring of each production cycle
– Fast checks of new projects and sampling
– Checks of projects that have undergone changes over time
– Control of parts incoming from external suppliers
– Reverse engineering, both on the product and the mold

To deepen these themes, we suggest you to read the post.

In this post we will instead examine different devices paying special attention to the need to choose the most appropriate tool on the basis of the characteristics and the requirements of the product.

Importance of the metrology laboratory

The presence of a metrology laboratory in the production plant is not enough to guarantee the quality of the products: in fact, this result can only be achieved through the employment of appropriate tools for the component to be tested. The set of devices must be up-to-date, advanced and comprehensive of different technologies, in order to allow the minimization of risks that is necessary to meet the requirements of the customer.

This is particularly true in a plant that employs zinc die casting technology for products intended for different market sectors: the variety of products corresponds to a diversification of the tools and of the technologies that the metrology laboratory needs in order to carry out its analysis.

To be specialized in different market sectors allows the competences acquired in a sector to be transferred in another and this is also true for the tests of the metrology laboratory. The choice of the tool in fact is not only determined by the requirements of the customer or by the necessary documentation in the different stages of a project, but it is also defined by the necessity to obtain the most indicative and effective data for the assessment of the compliance of a component with the design standards. The expertise acquired in the measurements of the components intended for a sector can then be transferred to the analysis that are necessary in another sector with advantages that affect the entire production chain.

The tools of the metrology laboratory

After depicting the importance of the metrology laboratory let’s now analyze the tools that allow the metrology tests to be complete and effective.

Industrial computed tomography

The technology of industrial computed tomography, referred to zinc alloys die casting, has a double usefulness. In fact, it allows defect analysis on the internal structure of the components aimed at detecting defects in the internal distribution of the material and thus at identifying porosity and air inclusions. Moreover, thanks to tomographic analysis, it is possible to evaluate the success of the assembly of components. In the case of the assembly of different materials the tomographic analysis allows a functional evaluation of the clearances between assembled parts and the verification of the absence of flaws such as air inclusions or deformations.

3D Scanner

3D Scanner is particularly suitable in the case of components with complex shapes. The device is less accurate than a Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM), but it allows the capture, without contact, of all the visible surface of the measured object and it makes the comparison with the theoretical model possible. For this reason, whereas a test with CMM would be too time-consuming for the necessity of a complete reconstruction of the shape of the object, the 3D scanner allows the result to be obtained rapidly and effectively.

CMM

In a metrology laboratory CMM is surely the most common technology. The machine allows the selection of the desired areas and the execution of very accurate checks to be performed. For this reason, it is particularly suitable for the measurement of elements of components with simple shapes for which the tolerances are very narrow. However, the CMM does not guarantee the same results with different materials. In the case of zinc alloys, it is particularly suitable because the metal, differently from other materials such as plastics, does not run the risk of deforming during measurement.

Polyworks

Polyworks is the Innovmetric software that allows the tools of the metrology laboratory not only to be complete, but also complementary. What previously said about CMM and 3D scanner must not suggest that, during testing, a measurement method is to be chosen rather than another one. In fact, thanks to the software, it is possible to make the acquired data interact and to overlap the measurements of the 3D scanner with those of the CMM. For this reason, the software, allowing different data to interconnect, makes it possible to the metrology laboratory to unify its technologies for a complete and detailed final result.

UTM Machine

The Universal Testing Machine is the device employed in order to test tensile and compressive strength of a component. It is a very versatile machine that makes it possible to perform different kinds of tests on a wide range of materials and components. For example, concerning tests on zinc alloy die casts, the UTM is fundamental to work with the automotive sector. The verification of the resistance of products intended for this sector is in fact a fundamental part of the documentation that is necessary for the approval and the good outcome of projects.

In-line machine for the 100% dimensional control of production

This in-house designed and developed machine is intended to the verification of the compliance with the dimensional tolerances of automotive components. The device uses a camera for the detection of dimensions, volume and superficial quality of the components and a profilometer. The profilometer, thanks to laser technology, allows the reconstruction of the profile of the measured component and it is particularly useful for the reconstruction of the profile of complex shapes such as threads.

Other devices

Eventually, other common but fundamental devices in a Zamak die casts productive plant are the spectrometer, the density scale and the electronic microscope. The spectrometer allows the chemical composition of Zamak to be analyzed and it is of fundamental importance when, on the same machine, the mold is changed, and we move from the production of a component to that of another in different alloy. Thanks to the spectrometer in fact it is possible to verify that Zamak bath is concluded and that all the material employed in the process is the new one. The density scale is used to verify the compactness of the component and to exclude the presence of air inclusions or other similar flaws. Finally, the microscope makes it possible to detect superficial defects that would not be identifiable at sight, proving to be a valid aid in detecting cold laps, laminations, cracks and lakes.

For further information on the most common die casting defects we suggest you to read the article Die casting defects: internal and superficial.

Other tests

The various tests carried on in a metrology laboratory are aimed at measuring the dimensions of the components, their weight, the internal distribution of the material and their resistance. Moreover, other kinds of tests can be carried out, such as for example salt spray testaimed at evaluating the resistance of the component to environmental corrosion or the leak test that through the employment of dedicated tools, aims at verifying the absence of air inclusions in the component.

Conclusions

With this brief overview on the tools of the metrology laboratory we wanted to focus the attention on the importance of this department.

If you are interested in this theme and you want to be updated on the news of the sector we suggest you to visit Metrology News web site, an important online review rich in information on metrology tools and their employment in different industrial sectors.

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The post Tools of the metrology laboratory appeared first on Bruschi.