A unique, three-year, $18 million joint venture to create a new level of stamping technology.
by Jon E. Jenson, President
Precision Metalforming Association
"Near Zero Stamping, Inc." may sound like the name of an ordinary
stamping company specializing in high precision products. But it's much more than that --
and there's nothing ordinary about it.
In actuality, Near Zero Stamping, Inc. is a joint venture research and development program that employs both government and private funding, along with the combined expertise of 24 companies in the Auto Body Consortium -- including the Big Three domestic auto producers -- and five research institutions in pursuit of design and processing advances, which will translate into unprecedented levels of metalforming accuracy and efficiency.
The principal twin goals of this massive research and development effort can be summed up in two words: precision and agility. meeting the goal for precision means improving the accuracy of stamped sheet metal parts from present industry standards to sub-millimeter tolerances. The goal for agility is to reduce the time currently required for design, tryout and production of stamping dies associated tooling by 30 percent.
In 1995, after substantial progress in reducing dimensional variation,
the domestic auto industry ound near zero stamping (NZS) technology required for further
progress. The goal is variation of less than 1 mm.
It is estimated that realizing these capabilities would reduce the cost of making stamped parts by as much as 50 percent. The resulting technology also would yield benefits for the aircraft, appliance and furniture industries, as well as other that are heavy users of metal stampings.
The challenge is nothing short of transforming current industry practice -- the "art" of stamping -- into near zero stamping precision and agility -- the "science" of stamping. This is to be accomplished by converting non-concurrent sheet metal design into design practices that optimize stamping and assembly processes, by converting trial-and-error die design and tryout, by replacing reactive die and press maintenance with predictive maintenance programs, and by moving away from experience-oriented stamping process control toward scientific control of key process characteristics.
Origins
The average automobile has about 300 stamped sheet metal parts. These include
external body parts that strongly influence purchasing decisions, as well as internal
components that -- although largely unnoticed -- are crucial to the integrity and overall
performance of the vehicle. For years auto makers and their suppliers have sought ways to
improve the precision of these stampings and the related assembly processes. Fundamental
quality, competitiveness in the international marketplace and customer satisfaction -- as
well as manufacturing efficiencies -- depend on it.
During the period of 1990-93, dramatic improvements were achieved in assembly processes, brining typical 6 sigma levels of dimensional variation down from about 6 mm to less than 3 mm. From 1993 to 1995, intense focus on assembly and stamping processes further reduced typical assembly variations to about 2 mm. The benefits of this progress indicated that additional improvements in the precision of stamped parts would make a substantial contribution toward further enhancing the quality of the average automobile. The domestic auto industry had reached the point where "near zero" stamping technology -- dimensional variation of less than 1 mm -- was becoming critical.
It was this need for design and process improvement that led directly to the creation of Near Zero Stamping, Inc. by the Auto Body Consortium (ABC). It was felt that the knowledge and skills to develop such technology existed, dispersed among the companies and institutions that now comprise Near Zero Stamping, Inc. But the research and development required for creating the near zero stamping technology was though to be beyond the scope of any individual company in the group.
The Organizational structure
of NZS is designed to get things done. The Executive Committee meets four times annually,
preceding each quarterly project review. The project reviews each involove three or four
companies at one time, and the groups change each quarter. Task leaders and teams meet
weekly, while systems integratioin maintains the exchange of knowledge.
So, a proposal for strong financial support under the Advanced Technology Program (ATP), administered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), was prepared and submitted. The proposal noted that "without strong support from NIST/ATP, the ABC members cannot pursue this high-risk endeavor that, if successful, can have such a dramatic impact on the U.S. automotive industry's position in the world market and hence the national economy."
The proposal further pointed out that ATP funding would:
The proposed three-year budget included $8,301,000 in ATP funding, which is to be matched by $9,708,000 in contributions from the participating companies (see chart). Late last year, the proposal was selected by NIST for funding, and Near Zero Stamping, Inc. (NZS) was launched in December.
Organizationally, NZS is headed by Chairman of the Board James R. Lozelle, executive vice president, Tower Automotive, and Principal Investigator Ernest O. Vahala, president of Auto Body Consortium, Inc. Both are members of the 10-person executive committee (see list) which meets four times a year, preceding each quarterly project review.
Lozelle, former chairman of the Precision Metalforming Association, emphasizes the value of comprehensive research. "A tremendous amount of research has been done in metalforming," he says, "but it's usually focused on specific, narrow areas of interest rather than the stamping process as a whole. There's a real need for studying and understanding the many interacting factors that can result in process variation. That's where the NZS program really shines," he says, "it covers the whole metalfoming process. It starts with design and ends with shipping products to the customer."
The scope of NZS's activity
is evident in this diagram, which has become the unofficial logo of the enterprise.
Vahala echoes these observations. "Everyone in the
program is excited because they're beginning to see the collective knowledge that's coming
together," he says. "The extent of technical cooperation between competitive
companies is increasing accordingly,"
Participants
The human, financial and material resources comprising the NZS effort are enormous by
and standard. members of the consortium include:
A.J. Rose Mfg. Co.
Cleveland, OH
Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.
Troy, MI American Iron and Steel Institute Washington, DC Atlas Technologies, Inc. Fenton, MI Autodesk, Inc. Novi, MI Autodie International, Inc. Grand Rapids, MI Chrysler Corp. Auburn Hills, MI Classic Design Troy, MI Data Instruments, Inc. Acton, MA Deneb Robotics, Inc. Auburn Hills, MI Ford Motor Co. Dearborn, MI General Motors Corp. Flint, MI Helm Instruments Maumee, OH HMS Co. Troy, MI Lamb Techicon-Western Atlas Warren, MI Lobdell-Emery Mfg. Co. Alma, MI Perceptron, Inc. Farmington Hills, MI Tecnomatix-Valisys, Novi, MI Tower Automotive Farmington Hill, MI Verson, Inc. Chicago, IL Ohio State University* Columbus. OH *(which participates in a dual role as a full member of the consortium and as a research institution).
The Minster Machine Co., Minster, OH, is an associate joint-venture member, and made a substantial contribution of state-of-the-art press equipment to assist in related research at the University of Michigan.
In addition to members of the consortium, five institutions bring their educational and research capability to the program. They include the Ohio State University, the University of Michigan, Wayne State University, Sandia National Laboratory and ITI Center of Electronic Commerce.
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A total of 45 stamping plants are involved in the effort, including 23 from the Big Three auto makers (in the U.S. and Canada), and 19 represented by A.J. Rose mfg. Co., Lobdell-Emery manufacturing Co., and Tower Automotive. When the Big Three's 64 assembly plants and 56 powertrain plants are considered, the number of production facilities potentially involved reached 162.
Projects and Tasks
The program of work is organized into four major areas:
Each of the first three projects is broken down into several tasks. Each task is assigned a team of consortium members, a task leader, one or more research institutions, and a group of four participants -- Allen-Bradley, Autodesk, General Motors and ITI Center for Electronic Commerce -- which tasks part in each task, and is responsible for system integration. The organizational structure of each project reveals the magnitude of the overall effort.
Integrated Design
Project No.1, integrated design for stamping and assembly, has the following
objective: "To develop design methodologies and evaluation methods for stamping
processes and subassembly architecture to achieve sub-millimeter dimensional variation and
eliminate engineering changes."
The "deliverables" expected from the project include:
Associated with Project No. 1 are four tasks. Task 1.1 covers development of an optimized design process for stamped sheet metal components and assemblies. The task leader is HMS Company. The task team includes Autodie, Classic, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Sekely and Tecnomatix, as well as the systems integration group. Research capabilities are provided by the University of Michigan's Assembly Lab and Wayne State University.
Task 1.2 deals with the development of a computerized formability evaluation system for sheet metal part design. The task leader is Sekely. The team includes: the American Iron and Steel institute, Chrysler, Lobdell-Emery and Ohio State University. The University of Michigan's stamping lab, intelligent manufacturing lab and material science department, as well as Ohio State are the assigned research institutions.
Tasks 1.3 involves a sensitivity analysis of critical parameters for reducing stamping variation. The task leader is Autodie, and the team includes the American Iron and Steel Institute, General Motors, Ohio State University, Tower Automotive and Verson. The University of Michigan's stamping lab and material science department, and Ohio State are the research institutions.
Task 1.4 seeks product and process optimization for key hemming characteristics. The task leader is lamb Technicon, and Ohio State University, the University of Michigan's stamping and assembly labs, and Sandia National Laboratory comprise the balance of the participants.
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Agile Stamping
Project No.2, agile stamping system design and tryout, has a two-fold objective:
Four deliverables are anticipated from the project:
Project No. 2 is structured into three tasks. Task 2.1 is to develop a global strain-based system for fast die evaluation. Task 2.2 is agile die tryout and modification. Both tasks are being undertaken together and are served by task leaders Autodie and Sekely. Team members are HMS Products and Perceptron, and the University of Michigan's stamping and intelligent manufacturing labs provide research support.
Task 2.3 involves the integration of material handling and press motion in die design. Major task leaders are HMS Products, Lamb Technicon and Seleky. Team members include: A.J. Rose, Atlas Technologies, Chrysler, Deneb, General Motors, Technomatix, and Verson, as well as the University of Michigan's assembly and intelligent manufacturing labs.
Intelligent Stamping
Project No. 3, intelligent stamping process monitoring and control, has as its
objective and development of an intelligent in-process monitoring, diagnosis and control
system for stamping processes to control dimensional variation within sub-millimeter
levels during production. Results from this activity are expected to be:
The project is structured into four tasks. Task 3.1 involves development of an innovative measurement strategy. Perceptron is the task leader. Chrysler and the University of Michigan's metrology lab are the other participants. Task 3.2 involves signature analysis for stamping process monitoring and diagnosis. Lobdell-Emery and Tower Automotive are major task leaders, with A.J. Rose, Allen-Bradley, Data Instruments, Signature Technologies and Verson on the team, and the University of Michigan's stamping and intelligent manufacturing labs providing research support.
Task 3.3, which involves development of a multi-attribute decision supporting system for die predicative maintenance, shares the same team as Task 3.2, with the inclusion of the University of Michigan's operations engineering department. Developing an in-process adjustment/compensation system for stamping operations is Task 3.4. Major task leaders are Atlas Technologies and Allen-Bradley, and members of the team include Data Instruments, Deneb, General Motors, Ford, Helm Instruments, Lobdell-Emery, Tower Automotive, Verson and the University of Michigan's intelligent manufacturing and metrology labs.
System Integration
Project No.4, system integration, is the continuos, built-in, concurrent knowledge
exchange mechanism among the various R&D task teams. As mentioned earlier,
participants include Allen-Bradley, Autodesk, General Motors and ITI Center for Electronic
ommerce.
Stressing the importance of the system integration function, Lozelle points out that "Interaction between the project participants clearly enhances the quality of the research." And he makes it very clear that "the intent of the system integration and technical transfer activity is to go beyond the three years of the project, so that in the future, technology transfer is accomplished in a way that truly leverages our capability.
"The Internet will be a powerful tool in broading the dissemination of technology, he says, "and I look toward the day when all the key players are interacting at the technological level as a matter of routine." MF
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