A large automotive supplier was using 3 separate standard ISO inserts to complete a 3-sided part geometry on a 1018 steel automotive tube housing. They were having to run the same production cycle three times per part in order to create the desired finish. The inserts that they were using had inconsistent tool life, resulting in unpredictable production results. The inserts cost $260 per set, and the tools made 300 parts each. This resulted in a need for about 1,700 inserts per year, or $442,000 in tooling costs. While the main focus for the customer was to increase tool life and consistency, reducing tools costs was also important.

GWS sales and engineering teams came in and realized in order to create the finish the customer wanted, we would need to combine the three inserts. To reach all the places on the part needing a finish, we created a custom carbide form insert to reach the 3 edges with one pass. These new inserts were able to complete 500 parts with just one insert, resulting in a massive 67% increase in tool life. This meant they only needed 1,000 inserts a year, saving them $142,000 in annual tool costs. GWS not only met the customer’s goal of reducing cycle time, but they also decreased annual tool cost and increased overall tool life.

Interested in finding out more information about our standard and custom tools? Consider contacting the experts who make Custom Come Standard, and let us find the perfect cutting tool for you. Just send us an email at sales@gwstoolgroup.com to get started!