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Maysteel Industries Buys Star Precision Manufacturing: In a move to develop its internal capabilities and geographical presence, Maysteel Industries acquired sheet metal fabrication company Star Precision Manufacturing. Star Precision specializes in the fabrication of sheet metal into complex equipment serving a wide variety of industries, including utilities, telecommunications, scientific instrument, medical, data storage and recreational vehicles. It also offers precision machining and complete finishing services.
Most companies, large and small, have their cutting tools resharpened, whether they do it in-house or outsource it to the OEM or, more commonly, a tool resharpener.
Williams pointed out that even a 5 percent savings on some isolated cutting tools still makes resharpening worthwhile because the customer already owns the tools. “There is no procurement process, no purchase order needed for that specific tool,” he said.
If a tool is “pulled” before there is any chipping or significant wear, only a minimal amount of material is removed during regrinding, enhancing the economic gain. “We spend a lot of time educating our customers about tool wear, and most are knowledgeable, but we still get tools in all the time that are too far gone and not economical to resharpen,” Wilkof said.
Carbide and high-speed-steel tools coated with thin layers of aluminum oxide, titanium carbide, titanium nitride, hafnium nitride or other compounds. Coating improves a tool’s resistance to wear, allows higher machining speeds and imparts better finishes. See CVD, chemical vapor deposition; PVD, physical vapor deposition.
While it didn’t match the perhaps record-breaking level of a year earlier, January was a another strong month for merger & acquisition activity in across the industrial, commercial and building supplies distribution landscape.
Thermal Technology Distribution Solutions Acquires Proheat: TTDS, a distribution platform owned by Gryphon Investors, acquired Proheat, a La Grange, KY-based distributor of heaters, sensors, controls, and comprehensive technical support to manufacturers.
Indexable tool repair services typically recommend three repairs for a tool before disposing of it. However, the number of repairs can vary depending on the tool, according to Reiling. It is important to evaluate the application of the tool, the extent of damage and other factors specific to the customer’s needs when determining the repair life a tool has, she said.
Before (above) and after (below) images show a worn solid-carbide drill resharpened by Specialty Tools.
After resharpening, coated tools are typically recoated, either in-house by the tool resharpener or outsourced.
“You could have standard catalog items delivered the next day,” Plummer said. “But instead of buying 20 new drills, you could have the tools resharpened for a lot less money. There is a wait time, so you have to make sure there are enough tools in the crib so it bridges the wait gap.”
All cutting tools eventually wear or break. It is up to end users as to how much tool life they are going to get before a cutter is gone for good. Resharpening cutting tools is a well-established practice, but when does it make sense to regrind instead of buying new? That’s a question any user of carbide and HSS rotary tools should consider. There are many variables in the equation: the tool’s geometry, substrate, coating, wear, damage and application all play a part in the decision to resharpen a tool.
Depending on the complexity of the tool geometries, Star SU works with customers to determine maximum tool life and when the tool should be taken out to maximize the number of regrinds and maintain part print tolerances, Dunneback noted.
Ficodis’ Intercity Industrial Adds SDI Supplies in Canada: SDI Supplies is an industrial distributor which operates from multiple branches across Ontario, including Toronto, Sudbury, Ottawa, Scarborough, Cambridge, Hamilton and Windsor. ISS and SDI Supplies are members of the Ficodis Canada network, a multi-specialized industrial supply network with a presence across 43 locations in Canada and the Northeast USA. Ficodis Canada is also part of Descours & Cabaud.
Foundation Building Materials Adds Distributors in Ohio, Hawaii: FBM (Santa Ana, CA) began 2024 with a pair of acquisitions in different building supply verticals. FBM acquired Monroe, OH-based Stucco Master Supply — a distributor of exterior insulation and finishing system (EIFS) and stone products in the Dayton-Cincinnati tri-state area. FBM also acquired Tradewind Hawaii, Inc. — a distributor of luxury windows, doors, appliances and accessories. FBM acquired Tradewind’s inventory and showroom assets, while its windows business will join FBM’s Pacific Source Branch that exclusively serves Hawaii from its Kailua-Kona, Big Island location.
ABB Acquires Water Metering Sensor Maker Real Tech: Electrification and automation manufacturing giant ABB agreed to acquire Whitby, Ontario-based Real Tech Inc. — a provider of water quality monitoring solutions for real-time detection of critical parameters and compounds. ABB said the acquisition of Real Tech will expand its strong presence in the water segment and complement its product portfolio with optical technology critical for smart water management.
Rush services are available and a tool can be rebuilt in a day or two, depending on the tool. “We receive projects daily that need to be turned around in 24 hours or less because the customer is shut down or running without backup tooling,” Reiling said.
The second reason a tool might not be resharpened is damage, such as broken edges, structural problems or extensive margin wear. However, many broken or excessively worn drills are salvaged. The damaged section is cut off and the drill point is reestablished.
Core & Main to Add Drainage Distributor Eastern Supply: Infrastructure supplies distributor Core & Main reached an agreement to acquire Winchester, VA-based Eastern Supply Inc. — a distributor of a broad range of storm drainage products and custom fabrication provider, and a related entity. Besides Winchester, Eastern Supply has a secondary location in Greencastle, PA.
MEIDOH Acquires Pilgrim Aerospace Fasteners: In a move that will diversify its offering, Japan-based fastener manufacturer MEIDOH acquired Pilgrim Screw Corp., which does business as Pilgrim Aerospace Fasteners. Pilgrim (Chandlzer, AZ) is a manufacturer of screws, bolts, rivets, clevis pins, and other fasteners for the aerospace market, while MEIDOH is the premier supplier of bolts to Toyota, and produces nuts and related forging parts for the automotive industry.
Singer Industrial Closes 2023 with HOSER Inc. Acquisition: The fluid power, hosing and industrial products distributor acquired HOSER Inc. — a distributor hose products and accessories, along with service solutions for on-site hose repair, hydraulic hose assemblies and more. Based in Greenville, SC with a second location in Monroe, NC, HOSER was formed 9 years ago. The company will now operate within Singer’s Industrial Rubber division. HOSER serves customers in markets of agriculture, construction, food and beverage, recycling and general industrial supply.
Our latest forecast called for downward revisions, snapping a three-month streak of optimistic revenue trends.
Badger Meter Acquires Water Monitoring Tech from Trimble: Flow control metering technology manufacturer Badger Meter acquired select remote water monitoring hardware and software from Trimble. The deal provides Badger Meter with real-time monitoring hardware and software targeted at distributed data collection for applications in water, wastewater, stormwater and environmental water monitoring.
TricorBraun Acquires Glass Packaging Supplier in Germany: Packaging supplies distributor TricorBraun acquired German-based glass packaging provider Glassland. Financial terms were not disclosed.The acquisition grows the German footprint of TricorBraun’s premium glass packaging business, Vetroelite, while broadening TricorBraun’s European presence. After a transition period, Glassland will fully integrate with Vetroelite.
Ferguson Starts 2024 with 3 Acquisitions: Plumbing and industrial supplies distribution giant Ferguson will acquire at least three more distributors in the first half of the year after adding eight in 2023. On Jan. 8, Ferguson closed on the acquisition of Austin, TX-based appliance distributor Harway Appliances, and signed definitive purchase agreements to acquire two plumbing and HVAC distributors: Toronto-based Yorkwest Plumbing Supply and Warminster, PA-based Grove Supply.
Although a tool resharpening house tends to resharpen all brands, most OEMs only accept their own and may even limit resharpening to certain product lines.
Milling cutter held by its shank that cuts on its periphery and, if so configured, on its free end. Takes a variety of shapes (single- and double-end, roughing, ballnose and cup-end) and sizes (stub, medium, long and extra-long). Also comes with differing numbers of flutes.
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Of course, it’s highly unlikely that the list above encompasses EVERY M&A deal announced during December for relevant distributors and manufacturers. There will always be deals that weren’t on our radar. If you don’t see one here you think should be included, please let us know at editor@mdm.com.
“Many of our customers are larger manufacturers,” said Jamie Dunneback, product manager of solid-carbide tools and gundrills for Star SU LLC, Farmington Hills, Mich. “Many smaller shops handle tool resharpening on a small cutter grinder, although they might use a local source, depending on the complexity of the tool.”
Stark Industrial performs on-machine probing to find the proper helix angle for resharpening a tool.
Space provided behind the cutting edges to prevent rubbing. Sometimes called primary relief. Secondary relief provides additional space behind primary relief. Relief on end teeth is axial relief; relief on side teeth is peripheral relief.
PennEngineering Acquires Sherex Fastening in Buffalo: Danboro, PA-based fastener manufacturer PennEngineering acquired Buffalo, NY-based Sherex Fastening Solutions, which manufactures blind rivet nuts and associated fastening solutions. The acquisition will provide additional global manufacturing capability to Sherex customers, and its offerings will complement the PennEngineering’s rivet nut brand.
Any type of tool with an insert pocket can be considered for repair. “Savings on a repaired indexable tool can be from 50 to 85 percent over the purchase of a new tool,” said Olaf Klutke, president of GKI Cutting Tools, Crystal Lake, Ill., an indexable tool service that repairs about 30,000 different tools a year. “Savings on standard tools are typically lower, but savings for custom tools [which are usually costlier than standards] are more significant.”
Big-name distributors highlighted the slate of January moves, including a trio of deals by Ferguson. Other MDM Top Distributors involved included MSC Industrial Supply, Distribution Solutions Group, Motion & Control Enterprises, Bridgestone HosePower, Hillman Solutions Group, Singer Industrial, Core & Main, Border States, Foundation Building Materials and Kodiak Building Partners.
Mallory Expands Mountain Presence with 2 Acquisitions: Industrial safety supplies distributor Mallory Safety and Supply has expanded its presence in the Mountain States through the acquisition of safety and industrial products distributor Rocky Mountain Industrial Supply (Casper, WY) and safety equipment distributor Safety Station (Colorado Springs, CO).
Still, repairing standard tools can provide ample benefits. “A simple indexable tool that is in every shop in the country still costs $80 to $100 new, so repairing it for about $40 is worthwhile,” Klutke added.
United Electric Supply Merges with Kovalsky-Carr Electric: Wilmington, DE-based United Electric Supply has merged with Rochester, NY-based independent electrical supply distributor Kovalsky-Carr Electric Co. Kovalsky-Carr will continue to operate as an independent distributor, a subsidiary of United and service its existing residential, commercial and industrial customers. It will have a focused effort on expansion in Rochester and the surrounding area.
Before (top) and after (above) images show a worn indexable gear cutter repaired by Carbide Tool Services.
However, for large manufacturers that consume hundreds if not thousands of cutting tools monthly, it can still be economical to sharpen tools no matter the size. “Because US Tool processes 500,000 cutting tools per week, setup and operational costs are amortized,” Williams said. “Even twist drills costing less than $1 can be economically resharpened for heavy users of twist drills.” Carbide drills down to 1⁄16 " in diameter are routinely resharpened, he added.
“All of the tools we resharpen are recoated,” Specialty Tools’ Plummer said. “We do not strip the existing coating because it is harmful to the carbide substrate. With the few main types of coatings that we use, we achieve good coating adhesion over the existing coating. Coating thickness is generally never an issue. Even if a tool is coated over and over and suffers some adhesion issues on the existing coating, the new, sharpened cutting edge is not affected by the multiple layers of coating.”
When shipping a custom tool for repair, it helps to include components like setscrews and inserts in the package. In addition, the tool repairer should have a copy of the original blueprint for a special to ensure it is being repaired to original specifications. “Because of the very tight tolerances that are required on many indexable tools, it is important that we have accurate documentation and communication with the customer when rebuilding their tooling,” Reiling said.
Bridgestone HosePower Acquires Cline Hose in S. Carolina: Bridgestone HosePower furthered its expansion of hydraulic and industrial hose solutions with the acquisition of Greenville, SC-based distributor Cline Hose & Hydraulics on Dec. 29, 2023. Cline is a family-owned distributor servicing hose, fittings, adapter and coupling OEMs since 1948. The company has two retail locations in Greenville and Augusta, Georgia, along with a fleet of mobile service trucks servicing customer throughout the Southeast U.S.
Kodiak Building Partners Acquires Gross-Yowell in Waco: Kodiak kicked off its 2024 expansion with the company’s latest acquisition in the form of Gross-Yowell, a construction supplies distributor based in Waco, TX. In business since 1946, Gross-Yowell is a distributor of building supplies, lumber, roofing, windows, doors and hardware. It caters to professional contractors and remodelers, carrying brands that include Canfor, Tolko, Georgia Pacific, Norbord, Louisiana Pacific, James Hardie, Yellawood, Boise Cascade, Certainteed and Tyvek.
The number of times a cutting tool can be resharpened depends on tool type and condition, but three to six times is typical. For instance, a general-purpose drill might be resharpened five or six times before being discarded, but a drill for making tight-tolerance holes might only be reground three times, according to cutting tool resharpeners.
Microprocessor-based controller dedicated to a machine tool that permits the creation or modification of parts. Programmed numerical control activates the machine’s servos and spindle drives and controls the various machining operations. See DNC, direct numerical control; NC, numerical control.
Customers generally let the tool resharpener determine what tools are cost-effective to resharpen. “The customer sends in a whole box of dull tools—drills, endmills, custom tools, everything—and asks us to evaluate what is economical to resharpen and what is not,” said Jonathan Wilkof, manufacturing engineer, Stark Industrial LLC, North Canton, Ohio. In addition to operating as a job shop, Stark makes and resharpens cutting tools.
MCE Acquires Piedmont Electric Motor Repair: Following a busy 2023, Motion & Control Enterprises (Zelienople, PA) continued its expansion into 2024 with the acquisition of Piedmont Electric Motor Repair, Inc. Founded in 1971 and based in Asheboro, NC, Piedmont offers a broad range of industrial products and services, including electric motors, cranes, material handling, fabrication/welding and machinery services. The company serves industrial and commercial customers across diverse end markets.
Indexable tools are not repairable when damage negatively impacts overall tool integrity. “The issues that we see where the tool shouldn’t be repaired are a cracked or bent tool. If the damage affects the integrity of the original structure, we recommend replacing it,” Reiling said.
Whether specials or standards, tool resharpening makes great economic sense. “The key is to get good- quality regrinds so you don’t have to adjust speeds and feeds or sacrifice part finishes or other part requirements because you are using a resharpened tool,” Plummer said, adding that receiving them back in a timely manner is also important. “If that is happening, it works for the whole industry. That is what makes it click.” CTE
Stellar Industrial Acquires Metalworking Distributor IMC: The Tacoma, WA-based MRO supplies distributor will acquire IMC Supply — a 64-year-old metalworking supplies distributor based in Memphis, TN. IMC brands itself as a wholesale MRO supplier specializing in cutting tools for the industrial and construction industries throughout the U.S. mid-south throughout much of Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas. IMC’s product portfolio of steel and carbide drills, reamers, taps, dies, end mills, indexable carbide, blueprint special tools, abrasives, PPE and other MRO supplies are accompanied by industrial vending and VMI programs. IMC’s sister company, 1sourcevend, offers distributors nationwide a selection of software-powered coil and locker vending machines and inventory management planning. The deal does not include the assets of 1sourcevend.
Anderson Process Acquires Rep Agency Tighe-Zeman: Brookfield, WI-based fluid process equipment distributor Anderson Process acquired long-standing manufacturer’s representative Tighe-Zeman Equipment. Since 1952, Tighe-Zeman Equipment has specialized in the representation of mixers, pumps, tanks and engineered systems throughout Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Located in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, its target markets are general process, food and beverage, biopharma, pulp and paper, power, chemical and municipal.
Plumbing & HVAC Distributor Plimpton & Hills Privately Acquired: Private equity firm Green Mountain Partners (Atlanta, GA) acquired a majority stake in Plimpton & Hills, a 125-year-old, family-owned distributor of plumbing and HVAC equipment based in Meriden, CT. Plimpton & Hills services the greater U.S. northeast, with more than 20 locations across Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York.
The main reason tools are not resharpened is because they have been resharpened enough times that there is no more value in them, according to Williams. “Either they are too short or too small in diameter.”
These acquisitions by distribution giant Ferguson have an aggregate annualized revenue of approximately $220 million.
Typical turnaround time for repaired indexable tools is 3 weeks. The repair service is even more critical for delivery of custom tools, as new tools can take up to 16 weeks from the OEM.
While that three dozen figure considerably trails the 50 we covered in January 2023, it nonetheless was above the industry’s past decade monthly average and shows that we’re likely in for another healthy year of dealmaking activity, as suggested in our MDM Podcast from mid-January:
Imperial Dade Acquires Insight Distributing in Spokane: Foodservice packaging, printing papers and JanSan supplies distributor Imperial Dade has acquired Spokane, WA-based JanSan and foodservice distributor Insight Distributing. The company — owned and operated by Ken and Luke Pearlstein — has two locations serving a diverse customer base throughout Washington and Idaho.
It helps if the customer practices preventative maintenance. “We have a customer that makes large diesel engines,” Klutke said. “Imagine a 48 " milling cutter that costs $60,000 to $70,000 new that is used to machine an engine. The customer sends that tool in even though there is no visible damage. We essentially give it a tune-up so the cutter continues performing like new.”
Valin Corp. Acquires Ad Tech Seal: Valin (San Jose, CA) — a distributor of automation, fluid management, precision management, process heating and filtration products — acquired Brea, CA-based Ad Tech Seal, marking Valin’s first acquisition since being acquired by electrical products distributor Graybar on May 1, 2023. Founded in 1976, Ad Tech Seal specializes in a wide range of sealing products and O-rings, alongside providing customers with consulting and design services. The company is an authorized distributor of Parker seals, including a dedicated Parker O-Ring Division.
Border States to Acquire Winston Engineering: Electrical supplies distributor Border States (Fargo, ND) is set to boost its services offering in the form of a pending acquisition of Winston Engineering. The deal is set to close on March 1. Based in Hollywood, CA and licensed in 13 states, Winston provides professional mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) engineering services for residential, commercial, educational and governmental needs.
Find our rundown of December M&A news below, mostly in reverse chronological order and separated by distributors and manufacturers.
Wyatt Seal Adds Florida Seal & Rubber in Tampa: Wyatt Seal acquired Tampa, FL-based sealing product distributor Florida Seal & Rubber. The acquisition will expand Wyatt Seal’s geographic footprint and add to its team of sealing technology experts. The Tampa location will join the company’s existing locations in Charlotte and Columbia, SC; Covington, LA; and Arlington, TN.
“You can save from 35 to 80 percent on the cost of a new cutting tool by having it resharpened,” said Bruce Williams, president of US Tool Group, Farmington, Mo., with a savings of about 50 percent being the most common. With 400 employees, US Tool reconditions more than 500,000 cutting tools per week. Customers ship 30 lbs. to 3,000 lbs. of a variety of tools per week to US Tool.
It is inevitable that resharpening reduces tool diameter and length. Resharpening a drill or other tool that cuts on its tip affects its diameter less than other tools because only the end is resharpened, so the drill essentially remains the same nominal size. All drills have back taper, meaning they are larger in diameter at the end, so only a minute amount of diameter is lost, Williams noted.
Tool damage is generally caused by routine wear and tear but could be the result of a crash. Carbide Tool Services removes the damaged area from the tool pocket, builds up the damaged area with proprietary welding rod that matches the original material and machines it to OEM specifications. “We control our welding process, and the material we use, to match the variety of materials used today,” Reiling said.
When resharpening an endmill, however, the material removed from the cutting edges does decrease the diameter.
Most types of round cutting tools are resharpened, with the majority being specials. “About 70 percent of our work involves custom tools, meaning the customer has a specific print and we recondition to that print, and about 30 percent are standards,” US Tool’s Williams said.
“In the past 10 years there has been an explosion in tool geometries, with things like variable helixes and differential helixes,” he continued. “The first thing we do before resharpening is probe the helix to find the helix angle. We have to probe each flute because they are often different on some high-performance tools.”
Atlas Copco Acquires Hycomp in Salt Lake City: Sweden-based compressors and pumps manufacturer Atlas Copo acquired Salt Lake City, UT-based Hycomp, a manufacturer and seller of specialized high-pressure oil-free compressors and boosters for a variety of industries. Atlas Copco noted that Hycomp has 37 employees and had total 2023 revenues of approximately $8.3 million.
Customers send in boxes of dull tools (above and below) and US Tool, after determining what is economical to resharpen and what is not, resharpens and packages them to be sent back. Customers ship from 30 lbs. up to 3,000 lbs. of tools per week to US Tool.
Available in two major types: tungsten high-speed steels (designated by letter T having tungsten as the principal alloying element) and molybdenum high-speed steels (designated by letter M having molybdenum as the principal alloying element). The type T high-speed steels containing cobalt have higher wear resistance and greater red (hot) hardness, withstanding cutting temperature up to 1,100º F (590º C). The type T steels are used to fabricate metalcutting tools (milling cutters, drills, reamers and taps), woodworking tools, various types of punches and dies, ball and roller bearings. The type M steels are used for cutting tools and various types of dies.
When Stark Industrial designs cutting tools, it prefers to use cam relief for its endmills, Wilkof noted. “The benefit of cam relief is that when you resharpen the tool, you only have to resharpen the flute face, right at the cutting edge. If you have a primary and secondary relief, then you have to essentially resharpen the form itself and add back the primary and secondary relief, which takes more time and costs more.
MDM covered 37 different news announcements of M&A involving distributors, as well as manufacturers that sell into the channel. The vast majority — 28 — involved distributors.
TricorBraun Acquires Plas-Pak WA in Australia: TricorBraun has added plastic packaging distributor and manufacturer Plas-Pak WA based in Perth, Australia. The acquisition extends the packaging distributor’s Australian footprint to Western Australia.
Loosely, any milling tool. Horizontal cutters take the form of plain milling cutters, plain spiral-tooth cutters, helical cutters, side-milling cutters, staggered-tooth side-milling cutters, facemilling cutters, angular cutters, double-angle cutters, convex and concave form-milling cutters, straddle-sprocket cutters, spur-gear cutters, corner-rounding cutters and slitting saws. Vertical cutters use shank-mounted cutting tools, including endmills, T-slot cutters, Woodruff keyseat cutters and dovetail cutters; these may also be used on horizontal mills. See milling.
Hillman Adds Ropes & Chains, Acquires Koch Industries: Fasteners and industrial hardware distributor and retailer Hillman Solutions has added a new product category with the acquisition of Koch Industries, a provider and merchandiser of rope and twine, chain and wire rope, and related hardware products. Koch — co-owned by co-CEO’s Randy and Dave Koch — has 2,300 SKUs in the rope and chain and associated hardware category, which will be added to Hillman’s existing 112,000 SKU-portfolio
2-D or 3-D path generated by program code or a CAM system and followed by tool when machining a part.
Machining operation in which metal or other material is removed by applying power to a rotating cutter. In vertical milling, the cutting tool is mounted vertically on the spindle. In horizontal milling, the cutting tool is mounted horizontally, either directly on the spindle or on an arbor. Horizontal milling is further broken down into conventional milling, where the cutter rotates opposite the direction of feed, or “up” into the workpiece; and climb milling, where the cutter rotates in the direction of feed, or “down” into the workpiece. Milling operations include plane or surface milling, endmilling, facemilling, angle milling, form milling and profiling.
DSG’s Lawson Products Acquires Emergent Safety Supply: Distribution Solutions Group subsidiary Lawson Products acquired Safety Supply Illinois, which does business as Emergent Safety Supply (ESS) and is a national distributor of safety and JanSan products based in the Chicago suburb of Batavia, IL. According to DSG, ESS generates annual sales of about $13 million and is expected to be accredited to DSG’s adjusted EBITDA margins.
Fluid that reduces temperature buildup at the tool/workpiece interface during machining. Normally takes the form of a liquid such as soluble or chemical mixtures (semisynthetic, synthetic) but can be pressurized air or other gas. Because of water’s ability to absorb great quantities of heat, it is widely used as a coolant and vehicle for various cutting compounds, with the water-to-compound ratio varying with the machining task. See cutting fluid; semisynthetic cutting fluid; soluble-oil cutting fluid; synthetic cutting fluid.
Palmer Johnson Acquires Continental Engines in SC: Palmer Johnson Enterprises — the parent company to a group of off-highway equipment sales and service providers, including distributor Palmer Johnson Power Systems (Sun Prairie, WI) — acquired Greenville, SC-based Continental Engines, a distributor specializing in diesel engines and generators. Continental Engines will continue to operate and support all of its current portfolio of distribution.
Coated or not, typical lead times for resharpened tools range from 2 to 4 weeks, although rush service is available.
CNC machine tools have adjustable offsets, making it possible to apply resharpened tools. “CNC machines are programmed to compensate for the actual diameter and length of each tool and recalculate the toolpath to maintain the finished workpiece geometry,” Williams said. “More cost-effective and cost- conscious companies use cutter compensation effectively so they can use their tools multiple times.” (It is common practice for most tool sharpening services to label the tool package with the new diameter.)
“We are building on material, where they are taking it off,” said Julie Reiling, president of Carbide Tool Services Inc., Anoka, Minn., an ISO-certified company that specializes in indexable tool repair. “We pride ourselves on economically repairing damaged tools to their original specifications without compromising the integrity of the manufacturer’s original material.”
Gear hobs and cutters, because of their high cost, are almost universally reconditioned. “Most gear cutters are designed for resharpening and reconditioning, where the tool user has an expectation of how much life the tool can provide and, therefore, has a systematic method of running the tool, pulling it out to resharpen and recoat, and then reinstalling it,” said Tom Bell, vice president of sales for cutting tools at Star SU’s facility in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
In GKI’s process, it removes the entire damaged section of the tool and material congruent with the original material is added. Insert pockets, coolant holes and screw holes are recut into the new material.
MSC Acquires KAR Industrial in Canada: Metalworking and MRO supplies distributor MSC Industrial Supply continued its expansion by acquiring KAR Industrial, a metalworking distributor providing measuring and cutting tools, machine tool accessories and other manufacturing supplies across Canada’s industrial landscape. Based in Mississauga, Ontario an in business since 1954, KAR also has locations in Montreal and Edmonton. The company has positioned itself as a master distributor serving distributors throughout Canada.
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WALTER Acquires Cutting Tool Maker Greenfield Industries: WALTER Surface Technologies (Montreal, Quebec) acquired fellow cutting tools manufacturer Greenfield Industries, gaining a company that has roots dating back to 1874. Seneca, SC-based Greenfield makes branded and private label drills, taps, end mills and other cutting tools for a variety of industrial, maintenance, commercial and construction applications. Greenfield sells through industrial distribution under brand names Cleveland, Chicago-Latrobe, Cle-Line and Greenline Threading.
CD&R Buys “Significant” Stake in Foundation Building Materials: Clayton, Dubilier & Rice — the private investment firm behind numerous major acquisitions in the distribution sector over the past decade — has purchased a “significant” ownership position in Foundation Building Materials (Santa Ana, CA) from fellow private equity firm American Securities, which will continue to own a majority stake in FBM.
In general, the bigger the tool, the more economical it is to resharpen. “For example, a ½ "-dia., through-coolant drill that goes 10 diameters deep might cost $170 and can be resharpened for $25 to $30,” said Jerry Plummer, president of Specialty Tools Inc., Beloit, Wis., which specializes in solid-carbide high-performance drills. But Specialty Tools generally draws the line at solid-carbide drills 1⁄4 " in diameter and smaller for sharpening because it is not as economical.
GKI’s repair process takes a damaged indexable drill through a process, from left to right, of cutting off the damaged end of the tool, adding new material and machining a new end on the tool, which results in a repaired tool with a new pocket, screw holes and coolant holes.
Cisco-Eagle Adds Trinity Controls in Birmingham: Material handling systems integration manufacturer Cisco-Eagle acquired Birmingham, AL-based controls engineering company Trinity Controls. Established in 2005, Trinity specializes in programmable logic controls (PLC) engineering. It focuses on design, programming and PLC panel fabrication for automation projects in the manufacturing and distribution sectors.
Feature that allows the operator to compensate for tool diameter, length, deflection and radius during a programmed machining cycle.