Guill Tool Extends New 200 Series Extrusion System To Handle Large-Wall Pipes, Tubes and Cable Up to 20” in Diameter

Posted by guilltool on October 15, 2010 in Industrial, Series, Uncategorized

New Series’ Precision Engineering Ensures Closer Tolerances and Thinner Walls

Guill Tool & Engineering has extended its new 200 Series extrusion system to handle sizes of up to 20” in diameter and up to 2” wall size thicknesses.

The new 200 Series is a self-contained extrusion system weighing as much as 7,000 lbs., with a patent pending mounted track with a cart for easy handling and maintenance of the Series 200. A key benefit to users is that the cart system is engineered to tilt the die on-the-fly in order to compensate for the catenary (sagging) effect caused by gravity as the extrusion product exits the equipment.

This is an extremely large and heavy extrusion system. Yet it offers excellent labor-saving benefits for cable, pipe and tubing manufacturers that are required to produce large-walled tubing,” said Bill Conley, Guill Tool’s Technical Sales Manager.

“The self-contained track support system enables one person to easily disassemble, clean and re-assemble the system by sliding the modular plates in and out of position, with no lifts and no rigging equipment,” Conley concluded.

To learn more, click here.

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FlexiSpiral™ Extrusion Tooling Reduces Material Usage In Medical Applications

Posted by guilltool on September 10, 2010 in Medical, Series, Uncategorized

FlexiSpiral™ crossheads/inline dies are engineered with a 1-6-layer capability. By improving performance with better concentricity or product roundness, FlexiSpiral reduces material usage over other tooling.

The die holder utilizes a patent pending FeatherTouch adjustment. No loosening of retaining screws is required, to simply adjust. And, the Seal Right System houses a positive seal, ensuring no leakage between deflectors, plus easy self-alignment reduces operator assembly error.

To read more, click here.

Guill Tool
& Engineering Co., Inc.

10 Pike Street
West Warwick, RI  02893  USA

Tel: 401-828-7600
Fax: 401-823-5310

Email: websales@guill.com
http://www.Guill.com

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Continuous Vulcanization Extrusion Tooling

Posted by guilltool on July 27, 2010 in Industrial, Medical, Series, Uncategorized

The new Series CV 500 tooling from Guill Tool & Engineering Inc. combines elements of its modular design from Guill’s 800 medical series as well as its highly successful polymer/rubber extrusion heads. This technology offers many key benefits to wire and cable and other industrial users, including a higher degree of accuracy to meet the latest stringent wire and cable technology demands.

Flow Analysis

The rigorous flow testing and analysis enables the production of more difficult polymer/rubber applications with a high level of product consistency throughout, resulting in adherence to the precise tolerances and thinner walls required in these applications.

Even Heat Equals Better Flow

Balanced temperature control for better flow is made possible by an integrated water cooling system. With the cooling system, the appropriate processing temperature for the rubber in the crosshead is maintained.

Multilayer Extrusion Capability

Unlike tandem extrusion, multilayer extrusion prevents contamination and ensures greater adhesion.

The CV 500 Series is available in custom sizes, but our most popular size specifications include a core diameter of 0.437” to 5.500” with a maximum die of .0500” to 6.000”.

For more information, read the complete article on our website at http://www.guill.com, or download the pdf from Wire & Cable Technology International that describes the product in further detail.

The new CV 500 Series offers the modular design of the 800 medical series as well as the successful polymer/rubber heads for the highest accruing, improved temperature control, decreased material volume for ultra-precision, plus easier and faster adjustment and cleaning processes of the crosshead and tooling available from Guill Tool.

To learn more, click here.

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A Technology Solution In Tough Economic Times Leading on the cutting edge

Posted by guilltool on April 1, 2009 in Announcements, Uncategorized

A local engineering company invests in technology,
Increases productivity and avoids layoffs.

Roger Guillemette, a small-business owner in West Warwick, says it may take more than a spiking unemployment rate or a housing crisis to convince him that the economy won’t eventually come back.

Business ebbs and flows, he says. There are busts and booms. It comes in cycles.

Guillemette would know. He has run Guill Tool & Engineering on Pike Street in West Warwick for nearly a half century. But with manufacturing jobs steadily declining in Rhode Island, the 75-year-old businessman says he knows when it’s time to take out a loan or two to stay competitive.

“We’ve heard enough down talk,” he said. “You have to be on the cutting edge. We [manufacturing] are the backbone of the country. Everything is started in a machine shop — everything that is made. Rhode Island is suffering from the loss of manufacturing jobs. We are losing our tax base.”

The manufacturing industry, the state’s fifth largest in a ranking that includes health care, government, professional and business services and retail, has taken a beating in Rhode Island.

Since December 2007, Rhode Island has lost 3,800 manufacturing jobs. Nationally, manufacturing jobs are slowly shrinking. In 2006 there were roughly 14.1 million jobs in manufacturing, but according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2016, the country will lose 1.5 million more manufacturing jobs, which include tool and die makers and machinists.

In a sickly economy, many small businesses are trying to stay afloat by trimming expenses, freezing new hires or laying off legions of employees. The principals at Guill took a different approach. They say the way to nurse a company in an ailing economy is to invest back into the business, particularly with high-tech equipment.

To that end, management at Guill — which designs and manufactures the tools that make everyday consumer goods — used the 2008 federal stimulus package as a springboard, and invested $800,000 to purchase four major pieces of equipment. The stimulus package, under the Internal Revenue Code 179, raised the schedule deduction for the 2008 tax year from $128,000 to $250,000, allowing the company to write off more of the equipment’s cost.

Glen Guillemette is Roger’s nephew and the company president. He runs the company along with his cousin and Roger’s son, Richard Guillemette, who is the engineering manager.

Glen Guillemette said that company principals for years had talked about purchasing CNC and EDM equipment that could increase production. With the stimulus package, the wish became a reality.

“It was somewhat cost prohibitive. [The stimulus] was the driving force,” he said. “We have to find better ways of doing things to remain competitive. It enables us to eliminate setups, cut down on labor and reassign labor, and increase our accuracy. We are trying to move people around and move them up the ladder, get them more technology training. People who were running manual machines are learning how to run more high-tech machinery. It’s a gamble. It’s something we felt we needed to do.”

So far, the gamble has paid off. Guillemette announced last month that productivity is up by 20 percent. The company has not laid off anyone.

“We weren’t afraid to pull the trigger. We went after the equipment we felt we needed to be competitive,” said Glen Guillemette.

Roger Guillemette began the company in 1962 with a handful of employees. It now has 65, who work in the 33,000-square-foot two-building facility and headquarters. They are engineers and sales representatives, machinists and toolmakers, computer programmers and clerical workers.

Officials say the company’s growth has been about 10 percent annually, with some fluctuations — 11 percent in 2004, 9 percent in 2006 and 7.89 percent last year. In the last couple of years, roughly 18 percent of the business has come from international accounts.

“We did notice a slowdown at the end of 2008. We started off the first couple of weeks [of this year] better. We have been ‘cautiously optimistic’ as they say,” Glen Guillemette said.

Glen Guillemette said growth hasn’t always been this steady. Prior to the late 1980s, the company struggled and was doing more machine shop work. By the end of that decade, he said the company began to redefine itself and started doing more in the plastic and rubber extrusion dies. It’s only recently that results have improved.

According to MarketResearch.com, there are about 7,000 companies in the U.S. machine-tool manufacturing industry, with combined annual revenue of $25 billion.

However, the 50 largest companies hold less than 30 percent of the market. That means that even if large companies such as Thermadyne [makers of welding products] and Hardinge [which makes machine tools and grinding and milling equipment] have annual revenues of more than $100 million, the bulk of manufacturing business comes from small shops such as Guill.

Guill, which ranks about fifth in the state among machine tool manufacturers, produces the tools that other companies use to make everyday items — pens, plastic tubing, ribbed vacuum cleaner hoses, or the strips on disposable razors. “We make the tools that make these type of products,” said Glen Guillemette.

© 2009 The Providence Journal

To learn move, visit us at www.guill.com.

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Extrusion Tooling Corner – Extrusion tooling maintenance yields financial benefits – Part II

Posted by steers on September 23, 2008 in Helpful Tips, Uncategorized

Check Your Operator’s Manual
Follow the guidelines outlined in your operator’s manual. Individual tools may have specific recommendations, so contact your supplier if anything is unclear. They understand that optimum performance relies upon proper care and maintenance, and they’ll be happy to help. Here are some useful tips:

• Clean your equipment while it is still hot, since residue will be easier to remove. It helps to remove and clean one piece of tooling at a time in order to maintain elevated temperatures.

• When cleaning dual-compound crossheads, such as plastic and rubber, always clean the plastic tooling first and the rubber tooling second.

• Never use steel tools such as scrapers or screwdrivers. These can scratch and mar the tooling

• Do not use open flames. This generates excessive heat, especially in thin sections, which can affect hardness, concentricity, and tolerances of components.

• Select tools and materials for cleaning:

• Brass pliers to grip material and aid in pulling.

• Brass scrapers, available in different widths for cleaning flat exposed surfaces.

• Brass bristle tube brushes, available in diameters from 1/16 inch to 1-inch, in 1/16-inch increments (ideal for cleaning holes and recesses).

• Brass rods – different diameter rods are good for pushing material out of flow holes

• Copper gauze for cleaning and polishing exposed round or conical surfaces.

• Copper knives for removing residue form recesses and other hand-to-reach areas.

• Polishing compound to restore polished surfaces

• Compressed air, which is more effective for releasing plastic but also aids in rubber removal (be careful not to force debris into recesses with compressed air).

• Cleaning solutions may be useful – remember to use fresh, clean rags (used rags often have metal chips embedded in them, which may scratch polished surfaces).

• Cleaning oven – use for plastic only, not rubber. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation. If no temperatures are specified, do not exceed 850oF and do not quench the tooling to cool, because this could affect the hardness, concentricity, and tolerances of the tool parts.

• Cleaning materials – several compounds are available to purge the extruder screw and barrel of residual polymer (this helps considerably in the final cleanup).

Die components, especially those with sealing and locating surfaces, are a key to die performance and successful end products. These surfaces received the most care and attention during manufacturing and are the control surfaces that ensure uniformity through-out. Precision-machined alignments are affected by even a speck of dirt measuring only a couple thousandths of an inch. A human hair is about three thousandths of an inch in diameter, and since there are many such surfaces in a high-quality tool, cleanliness is critical.

It is important to check tools for deformities. Burrs, scratches, and scrapes are usually a result of careless handling and/or storage of equipment.

As compared to single-layer heads, double- and triple-layer extrusion heads pose an even greater challenge for maintenance. The number of sealing and centering surfaces multiplies and can magnify the result of dirty tools.

During changeovers, the head may be disassembled in order to change compounds and/or tips and dies. Foreign matter is usually introduced at this time, and residual materials must be thoroughly removed.

Physical tool damage often occurs during this phase due to mishandling and poor storage techniques. These are highly precise parts, but can also be heavy and bulky to remove by hand.

Make Repairs As Needed
Examine all surfaces for any irregularities such as burrs and scratches, since these must be repaired before the head is reassembled. Most manufacturers recommend using a hand polishing stone to remove the offending burr. Follow stoning with a light application of 600-grit emery cloth if necessary, but avoid rounding edges that are intended to be sharp.

Flat sealing surfaces can be cleaned using a stone, following by a 600-grit emery cloth. Place the cloth on a clean, flat surface, preferably a surface plate, then apply friction in a circular hand motion until the area is clean and even. The parts in question should all be hardened steel alloys and will not be adversely affected using these methods. Monel and Hastalloy are typically not heat-treated, requiring special care and handling to avoid any damage.

Putting It All Back Together
Working from your dedicated tool cart, follow the die manufacturer’s instructions for reassembly. Give each component a final wipe down with a clean rag before installing. Even the smallest amount of grit, dirt, and residual material must be removed.

Use either mechanical or manual assistance for heavy and awkward components, in the hope of avoiding unnecessary mishaps. Reapply antiseize compound to all fasteners if required.

Tighten fasteners to manufacturer’s recommended specification, as well as in the recommended sequence. This fastening sequence should be specified in the manual and is generally in a star pattern, tightening gradually until the proper torque is achieved. This prevents distortion of the tooling.

One of a die manufacturer’s main goals is to form a concentric cone of compound as a quickly and accurately as possible in the primary section of the die, when the extrudate first emerges from the die’s distribution capillaries.

A properly designed and manufactured die has even distribution close to the extrudate entrance point, but this effort is negated once the die is adjusted, shifting the extrudate off to one side. An eccentric cone is formed in the primary area, and a concentric cone exits at only point in the process, rather than a smooth, continuous flow path with decreasing volume. A properly manufactured and aligned extrusion head, along with well-maintained tooling, should require little or no adjustment.

Visit us at www.guill.com, to learn more.

 

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Order Tooling Today & Reap Huge Savings

Posted by steers on August 14, 2008 in Announcements, Uncategorized

Order Tooling Today & Reap Huge Savings
See Internal Revenue Code Section 179. Save thousands!
Let Guill’s tooling help you put more money back in your pocket.

The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 provides that machinery and tooling plus other tangible goods purchased and put into service in 2008 – are all eligible to receive a special 50% bonus depreciation allowance for 2008 only.

Review the 2007 form 4562-FY available at IRS.gov website. Also, contact your tax advisor to ensure accuracy in all aspects of your purchase or lease for tooling and equipment.

Take advantage now. Time to save on equipment tooling and replacement tips and dies for all 2008 purchases!

Call today (401) 828-7600 or visit www.Guill.com.

 

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Extrusion Tooling Corner – Extrusion tooling maintenance yields financial benefits – Part I

Posted by steers on August 12, 2008 in Helpful Tips, Uncategorized

Extrusion can be an inherently expensive activity, and it is important to perform tool maintenance to minimize costs as much as possible. Extrusion processors need to be aware of the following factors to contend with in their attempts to be profitable:

• Materials usually cost more than labor:

• Running a product oversize to hold the minimum tolerance can waste valuable material.

• Downtime due to poor or damaged tooling is costly.

• It is expensive to keep an extruder running if it is producing scrap.

Appropriate tool maintenance addresses all of the above issues. New tips and dies are machined to a determined specification, ensuring concentricity and alignment. It is important to remember that minor misalignment of the tools may result in major problems in the final product.

Another adverse affect of unnecessary die adjustment is the stress introduced to the extrudate caused by unbalanced flow. The net effect is the final product retains memory of this imbalance and unpredictable die swell occurs.

Dirty, neglected, and improperly adjusted tools contribute to excessive material use. In turn, this complicates the die’s ability to maintain a minimum thickness tolerance. The excess material results in unnecessary costs that directly affect the profitability of the company and may in turn harm a valuable relationship with customers.

Maintenance and cleaning of tooling is necessary; and when you are fully prepared for it, easy. This is an important, controllable function that ensures a quality extruded product – one that meets dimensional specifications, maintains the specified minimum tolerance, and delivers an economically produced end product.

Preparing For Proper Maintenance
Use a dedicated work cart exclusively reserved and equipped for extruder head maintenance. This cart should have a supply of spare components and hardware. Create a clean, organized work area with soft and clean renewable work surfaces. The work cart should include:

• A vise with jaws of a soft metal, such as copper.

• Special equipment, such as tip-removal tools.

• Standard tools such as wrenches and soft-faced hammers.

• A supply of soft, clean rags.

• A spray bottle of cleaning solution.

Spare parts suggested by your tooling supplier, properly organized and stored. The operator’s manual contains a list of these.

• The repair and maintenance manual, which comes with your equipment.

• A small surface plate for a true, flat surface.

• A set of appropriate gauge and tip pins for initial tool location adjustment.

Make sure you have all the proper lifting aids available, including overhead hoists and hydraulic lifts. In most situations, the head and tooling are still at high temperatures, therefore lined gloves are needed when handling. Get help for moving heavy parts in awkward situations. Surfaces and edges are hard and therefore somewhat brittle, so dropping a part or striking parts together can result in damage.

Store you tools properly in a dry, clean area. A dedicated spot for each tool is best. These areas should have soft surfaces and each instrument should be covered after cleaning. Tools should be segregated so that they do not come into contact with each other. Clean all instruments thoroughly before storage.

For disassembly of tooling, it is imperative to use purpose-built tools to facilitate disassembly. These should be available from your supplier, but if they are not, consult with a reputable tooling house for replacement. The cost of these tools is easily offset by potential damages caused by improper equipment such as hammers and drifts.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

PART II – Extrusion Tooling Maintenance
In the next installment these important considerations in maintenance will be reviewed.

• Check your operators manual for guidelines – often overlooked
• Making timely repairs ¬– saves money & time
• Why and how to assemble tooling – a tool cart works best – see why?

Contributed by

Roger Guillemette, CEO
Glen Guillemette, President
Guill Tool & Engineering
www.Guill.com

 

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