Follow these 10 golden rules and you can be sure that your
life will be full of interest and excitement. In the longer term, there is also the
distinct possibility of an extended period of leisure!
Rule 1. Always buy tool steel at the cheapest possible price per kilogram.
Be absolutely certain never to enquire how big the plus tolerance will be. You will then
rightly be able to claim that your scrap bin is full of the cheapest swarf that money can
buy.
Rule 2. Where possible, purchase blocks from a supplier who cuts them
every-which-way from much bigger blocks. That way you stand a good chance of sinking the
impression into what was the centre line of the original ingot with its potentially
doubtful analysis and properties. You can then look forward to many hours of stimulating
discussion with your customer whose tooling has only run 25% of its normal life before
failing.
Rule 3. Always purchase standard commercial qualities whatever the job in
hand. This is particularly important where the job is very complex and requires a highly
polished or textured finish. The sheer excitement of finding a tiny defect during final
polishing is impossible to describe. This rule can also provide great fun for gamblers,
ninety-nine times out of one hundred there will be no problem, will you hit the jackpot
with the next one? Look forward to many happy hours pursuing a hopeless claim against your
supplier and making a new tool. Never be fool enough to pay more for ESR or similar
special qualities that often carry a guarantee against defects.
Rule 4. Never ask a supplier to stock material machined close to your final
size and with the correct grain flow. This would spoil all the fun of removing the surplus
tolerance that you have paid for. Furthermore, the correct grain flow will usually enhance
tool life so you will not be able to sell so many.
Rule 5.Always assume that all tool steel at whatever price and from
whatever source is of the highest possible quality. This will give you a valuable
opportunity to brush up on your metallurgical terminology as you read reports on central
unsoundness, piping, decarburisation and surface cracks to name but four.
Rule 6. Never bother to calculate the benefits of buying pre-machined or
other ground flats. Your skilled staff and expensive machinery will thrive on some
occasional `roughage'. This is adequately provided by the need to remove the hot rolled
black surface and decarb and to square up. The yield loss on machining is not significant
...is it?
Rule 7. Always EDM tool steel in the annealed condition as supplied. That
way you will enjoy the challenge of correcting any slight movement in heat treatment by
careful grinding. Never enquire about pre-hardened blocks that only require EDM as the
final operation.
Rule 8. Ignore new surface treatments such as Laser Hardening or Ion
Implantation. Stories that these technologies can extend tool lives up to eight times are
obviously hogwash!
Rule 9. Ensure that your well-deserved reputation among suppliers and
customers for knowing all there is to know about tool making is protected at all costs. If
you have any doubts, ignore them. Above all, never ask for advice!
Rule 10. Always buy commodity type tool steels from non-specialist
suppliers who operate on the `pile it high, sell it cheap' principle. When something
difficult comes up, your specialist tool steel supplier will always be around to help
...won't he? |
