Kennametal ToolBOSS System Reduces Costs, Increases Productivity for Woodward

Kennametal ToolBOSS System Reduces Costs, Increases Productivity for Woodward

Problem
Being a primary vendor to some of the world’s largest companies certainly has its benefits, but it also means operating in the post-Jack Welch era of cost-cutting strategies and constantly seeking productivity gains. Woodward Governor Company, an independent designer, manufacturer, and service provider of energy control and optimization solutions for electrical power system equipment, engines, aircraft, and industrial turbines, continually seeks ways to improve its manufacturing operations in order to compete effectively.

Woodward’s Aircraft Engine Systems division in Rockford, Ill., develops and manufactures integrated turbine engine control and combustion systems, including fuel, combustion and electrical systems, as well as heat-management components. Their systems are used in high-thrust military engines such as the F135 and F136 that power the Joint Strike Fighter, and used in the GE turbine engines for the Black Hawk and Apache military helicopters. Among their commercial applications, Woodward systems are found in the GEnx™ engines that power the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the 747-8, and in the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW600 family of engines for the revolutionary Eclipse 500 and Cessna Mustang VLJs (Very Light Jet) that recently entered the marketplace.

Engine manufacturers continue to expect Woodward and all its suppliers to deliver annual cost reductions while maintaining exacting standards of quality. To help achieve these goals, a Woodward engineering and manufacturing team, led by Woodward tooling application engineer Jim Hedlund, meets every two months with its authorized suppliers to discuss innovative ways to reduce costs throughout its manufacturing operations.

The focus on quality and productivity improvements is a constant theme for the Woodward staff, and it drives them to evaluate every step of their processes. They concentrate on changes that will lead to significant savings or increases in throughput, rather than accepting small performance increases.

A Six Sigma Black Belt, Hedlund regularly invites Kennametal senior application engineer Terry Cesar to the bimonthly meetings. Kennametal offers a comprehensive portfolio of metalworking tooling systems and services to Woodward, including turning, milling, holemaking, end-milling, and tooling systems. Cesar shares his expertise in maximizing tooling performance and tooling life, as well as how to manage inventory for cost reduction and productivity enhancements.

During one such bimonthly meeting, Cesar, along with Woodward engineers and machinists, discussed the need for better tooling usage and auditing data on the shop floor. The uncontrolled use of metalworking tooling systems can quickly lead to lost tools. Some tooling simply disappears through misplacement, causing unnecessary purchases. Other tooling is replaced before its useful life has ended because of a lack of accountability by the users. Another problem is machinists lose valuable time searching for tooling that isn’t consistently placed in an established location.

Woodward had been relying on vending machines supplied by a tool distributor to retrieve and store their tooling. Unfortunately, the machines provided no usage or auditing data, causing Woodward to retrieve its own usage data from the distributor, who would manually count the tooling on hand monthly or quarterly and produce a report.

Solution
Cesar recommended that Woodward consider converting from the vending machines to Kennametal’s ToolBOSS® Management System. The ToolBOSS system integrates with a company’s supply-chain service to cut tooling inventory, decrease spending on tooling, reduce administrative costs, and gain continuous improvements by gathering and analyzing tool usage data.

Working with Woodward manufacturing teams to plan the ToolBOSS application, Cesar recommended 14 bays, or storage columns, stationed in three strategic work cells on the manufacturing floor at Woodward’s Rockford facility. The ToolBOSS system is a locked, drawer-based system for secure and controlled dispensing and replenishment of metalcutting tools and supplies. In addition, the system provides a full audit trail of usage and consumption.

The Woodward machinists now interface with a computer touch screen by using a stylus to select the tooling needed. The built-in user-access feature requires each employee to swipe a magnetic identification card that tracks the tools he or she removes or returns. The system automatically unlocks the correct drawer and has the capability of dispensing reconditioned tools before issuing new ones. The system can also prevent the dispensing of a tool until the user returns a previously issued tool. When the machinist clicks on a particular tool, a color photo displays to show exactly what is being retrieved, ensuring that the correct drawer is opened. The system is also set to automatically reorder tools and supplies from authorized vendors.

The ToolBOSS bays are configured with an array of drawer sizes, cupboards and lockers to accommodate various tools and dimensions. Kennametal’s Knowledge Center provides both onsite and online turning processes training. More than 20 Woodward engineers and machinists participated in the two-day program, helping many to achieve status as certified metalcutting professionals.

Woodward uses other tooling systems from Kennametal, including KenTIP® drills with carbide inserts, for machining the various types of stainless steel parts that are used in turbine engine production.

With the significant amount of turning centers, the Woodward manufacturing team has concluded that rigidity of the toolholder is vital to making high-speed turns for greater productivity. Kennametal provides Woodward with KV toolholders. KV flanges provide a larger face contact to mount to the turret face, thereby increasing the rigidity of the toolholder.

In addition, Woodward machinists preset each tool using a Zoller pre-setter, a Kennametal heat shrinker, and a balancer in order to run the tools “at the max” and ensure long tool life with no chatter or vibration. Woodward also uses Metal Removal end mills and drills, and Kennametal boring bars.

Results
With the ToolBOSS system and Kennametal tools, Woodward has documented cost saving, thanks to higher productivity, increased tool life, and reduced cycle times, according to Hedlund. Although Woodward did not disclose exact dollars saved, Hedlund says he is enthused that the ToolBOSS system will enable Woodward to track actual tool usage and expenditures.

Even though the ToolBOSS system contains an inventory of new tools, Woodward does not pay for any tool until it is actually dispensed, a Lean Manufacturing concept that holds down costs on inventory. Hedlund says Woodward now has full inventory control and audit information of all its tooling, and it has complete ownership of the information. Woodward supply-chain managers no longer have to contact their distributor to obtain monthly or quarterly tool reports containing limited information.

Plant and work cell managers now have accurate, up-to-date details about who is using which tools, and how often they use them. The managers also have a better understanding of the life-cycle management of the tools because they can determine which tools are being consumed at what rate, how often tools need reconditioning, and the rate at which tools reach their end of life. Such information also enables Woodward managers to compare different grades of tooling to determine the most cost-effective solutions over the full life cycle.

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