TOOLS

Background

The tooling industry is governed by two fundamental requirements – precision processing of components and cost control.

THE VALUE OF DETAIL
On one hand, the task of processing such delicate components poses very high accuracy demands on treatments, which need to be highly sophisticated.
On the other hand, the market is characterized by strong competition and high-volume processing.

OUR SOLUTION
High-volume processing of very delicate parts that require the highest levels of precision may seem to be too complex a challenge. Our in-depth knowledge of the requirements of this industry enables us to develop machines capable of offering the ideal solution to meet the dual requirement of performance and productivity.
Customized automation solutions with specially developed control software and in-depth knowledge of processes mean we can offer tailored solutions with machines capable of processing surfaces quickly and accurately, while ensuring safe handling of components.
One typical application in this industry is that of tool deburring, which requires careful protection of cutting edges.

CASE STUDY

Plate cutting element rounding (honing)

An unrounded cutting element quickly loses its working capacity and the performance of the machining centre decreases drastically.

The production volume of the plates, the variety of geometries and the need to process the plates without one hitting the other, are conditions that can hardly coexist. Brushing is the commonly used technology, which proves effective but leads to an early deviation in the process quality.

Norblast has created an innovative solution capable of responding to all needs, both explicit and implicit, creating an automatic system with a need for set-up, upon size changeover, reduced to a few minutes or almost zero. The treatment is of the “self-regenerating” type, with grit continuous cleaning and the achievement of an extraordinary consistency of the process over time.

PVD, Tin Surface activation

The adhesion of the TIN, PVD, etc. coating to the component surface is strongly influenced by the quality of the surface preparation before the coating itself.

A non-repetitive process leads to great differences in the life of the final tool with a great dissatisfaction of the end customer. In addition, the areas of diffusion of coatings and surface hardening treatments are increasing exponentially. This means that it is necessary to work with geometries that are always different from each other in batches that are often very small. The management of this variability introduces daily criticalities combined with the need to ensure ever shorter delivery times.

Norblast has developed a process capable of preparing the surface while respecting the cutting elements and capable of machining geometries that are also different from each other within the same treatment, thus allowing you to optimise the charges of the coating furnace. All this while maintaining the IT traceability of the machined components. The treatment can be carried out either manually or automatically up to a fully robotised solution.