P.O. Box 107 ~ 12-457 Road P3, Napoleon, Ohio 43545

Telephone:  (419) 599-7010  ~  Fax:  (419) 599-7020

Press Release

How much of your annual budget is spent on replacing cutting tools?  How much money would you save if there was a way to increase the life expectancy of your cutting tools by 20%, 30% or more?   Could you reduce your tool inventory?  How much production downtime could you avoid?  In 1997, Macro Specialty Industries, Inc. (MSI) in Napoleon, Ohio developed a process that can turn a nominal tool cost reduction plan into a major tool management initiative.

           What MSI did not do is reinvent another physical vapour deposition (PVD) process requiring a TiN (titanium nitride), TiCN (titanium carbonitride) or TiAN (titanium aluminum nitride) application after the PVD process.  Instead, MSI developed a patented tool treatment process (not coating) that will significantly increase tool performance and life. 

The Treatment Process

            If a tool is placed under a microscope, imperfections are revealed on both new and reground tools.  The MSI process begins with placing the imperfect tools in a heating reservoir of the MSI 2000 treatment machine and raising the temperature of the tools to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.  The surface asperity (imperfections) of the tools expand.  Then the tools are transferred to the tool treatment reservoir.  As the tools cool, MSI’s CVR particles are trapped in the surface asperity as the metal contracts.  What is the end product?  The MSI treatment process creates a smoother surface and adds lubricity to tools without modifying the physical tool dimensions.  Not only can the treatment be performed in-house, 2.5 gallons of processing fluids will treat the equivalent of 1400, .5” x 6” tools at a cost of less than $0.41 per tool.  The MSI process can save your plant thousands of dollars by reducing the need for high tool inventory levels, reducing production down time and increasing product quality.  If this sounds too good to be true, then review what customers have found and you decide.

The Results

            The following Table 1, Field Results, illustrates actual customer findings when using the MSI process:

Tool	Life ~ Untreated	Life ~ Treated
1.32 mm HSS drills-deep drilling	3 hours	9 hours
Carbide keyway cutter/8620 steel	22,000	29,248
Broaching operation/caps	42,000	64,000
HSS oxide coated drills/crankshaft	2,000	4,200
Brazed Carbide tipped drills/Fe lifter bodies	4,800	24,000
HSS step drills/cast block	5,400	12,300

Table 1 , Field Results

            In a laboratory test performed by a major automotive manufacturer, after running a HSS drill bit (dry) for 3,600 drill holes, the untreated bit failed.  The MSI treated bit only had .011” wear. 

Another test using coolants showed that after drilling 1200 holes, the MSI treated drill bit only had an average margin wear of .0066” which was uniformly distributed over both lips of the drill.  The untreated drill bit measured a margin of .0098” and .026” of wear.  This non-uniformity and high rate of wear led to decreased quality and tool performance. 

Further customer testing revealed similar results on exotic metals, stainless steel, cast iron, aluminum and magnesium when using MSI treated tools.  Customers are even reporting increased tool efficiencies when using MSI treated tools with plastics! 

How Do I Obtain More Information

            For information on becoming a distributor or if you would like to try MSI’s products, call MSI at (419) 599-7010 or by E-mail at MSI@Bright.net. 

 

Macro Specialty Industries, Inc.
     Copyright © 2000 Macro Specialty Industries, Inc. All rights reserved.

Revised: February 16, 2004