Forgers weigh options such as repair, rebuild, remanufacture or new equipment when considering options to increase capacity
March 10, 2020 - When forging operations must expand production to meet greater demand for existing parts or to add new product lines, selecting from various options to bring new equipment online can be challenging. Ultimately, the decision involves striking a delicate balance between fitting within budget constraints and accepting what can often be very long lead times.
Forging machines weigh between 25 and 300 tons and rise 10 to 25 feet above the production floor. The equipment is designed and built to last decades and it is not uncommon to find equipment from 50 or more years ago still in use.
This can be both a blessing and a curse when seeking to update production prowess. The sheer size and complexity of the machine means that items like the massive cast steel frame can take six to eight months for delivery, plus four to six months to install all the internal parts and componentry.
Given the longevity of the equipment, another option is to purchase used forging equipment and have it rebuilt or remanufactured. This can speed delivery by as much as six months and reduce the cost, but worldwide supply of used equipment is dwindling, meaning this option is limited.
The only other alternative is to simply repair out-of-commission units and/or to squeeze additional production by incorporating more automation in existing forging equipment.
Regardless of the choice, forging companies are studying each of the four options available—repair, rebuild, remanufacture or new.
Repair
The most immediate option to bring forging equipment online is simply to repair existing equipment or out-of-commission units. This often comes down to locating adequate replacement parts, which can be quite difficult.
The tremendous longevity of horizontal and vertical forging equipment can create unique challenges for a forging operation when a part they need to replace was built decades ago. Is the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) still in business? Does a drawing of the part still exist? Can a local machine shop replicate it?
“Sourcing spare parts can be an ongoing problem,” says Wade Ferguson, maintenance manager at Modern Forge Companies LLC, Blue Island, Illinois. The company operates five manufacturing facilities with over 25 production forges. “We probably run hammers tighter than what would ever be specified. And together with our high volume of forging, at times we are scrambling to make or find spare parts.”
To produce engine valves and other motorcycle parts for customer like Harley Davidson, Modern Forge uses Chambersburg (CECO) die forgers that date back to the 1980s and weigh between 20 and 50 tons.
When Ferguson heard (years ago) that Chambersburg entered bankruptcy, his first reaction was how would Modern Forge obtain parts? He had some replacement parts in inventory and was able to salvage parts from two offline units. Like other forging operations, he also sent some parts out to be reverse-engineered and machined.
This method has some unintended risk, however. Machine shops often do not have access to critical specifications about high-wear parts including the material grade of the steel, the heat-treating process used or tolerances that all were engineered specifically for that piece of equipment. The result can be parts that fail prematurely or wear much faster.
Later, when Ferguson learned that the Park-Ohio Co. had acquired the intellectual property rights to all Chambersburg and Ajax Manufacturing equipment in 2005, he contacted them. Ajax-CECO, as the company is now known, is one of the oldest manufacturers of forging equipment, having begun operations in 1875. Over a 145-year history, the company built and put into production more than 6,000 horizontal and vertical forging machines.
By purchasing the IP, Ajax-CECO preserves and maintains the provenance of forging equipment for both Ajax and Chambersburg—including the original drawings, bill of materials and service manuals.
“They have very good, detailed information, which is really advantageous for us,” says Ferguson.
Most OEMs today also stock replacement parts using MRP systems that monitor inventory levels and track historical trends for common wear items such as friction plates, driving plates, piston heads, piston rods, rings and packings.
In addition, some OEMs like Ajax-CECO offer stocking programs for long lead time items such as main gears, centric shafts, rams, frames and anvils that most customers will not stock themselves. In this type of program, the part is held in inventory for the customer, who pays a percentage of the cost and then the balance when they take possession of the part, even if that occurs years in the future.
“Ajax-CECO is good about putting a spare part on the shelf for me and not charging full price for it,” says Ferguson.
Rebuild
A step up in order of magnitude from a repair is a rebuild of the forging equipment. In a rebuild, all high-wear items such as bearings, bushings, seals and liners are replaced to get the machine in good working condition. The frame is inspected and repaired, if necessary.
Given the extent of the work involved, however, this approach represents a significant investment in time. Rebuilds can take six months, depending on the number of components. On the other hand, a rebuild can save forging companies six months or more compared with ordering and installing new equipment. This approach also reduces the overall cost to bring the equipment online.
Rebuilds can be approached several different ways. The forging equipment can be sent to the OEM for rebuilding; the OEM can send repair personnel to the manufacturer’s facility to rebuild equipment on site; or the OEM can supervise a rebuild by maintenance staff. This allows the in-house staff to ask questions and better understand the operation of the equipment they are maintaining.
At its forging operation in Kearney, Nebraska, Eaton Corp. operates 26 Ajax-CECO 100-ton to 1,300-ton forging presses. Eaton produces engine valves and precision gears.
Although some Eaton plants purchase rebuilt equipment from companies like Ajax-CECO, Randy Kreutzer, Eaton’s lead maintenance manager, sees the value in rebuilding the equipment in house with components sourced from the OEM.
“I like the experience the maintenance staff gets from rebuilding the equipment. That way, when future repairs are required, the time frame to complete them is much shorter,” he says.
Eaton often incorporates automation upgrades that speed production in rebuilt equipment. Today, many of these manual tasks are instead being replaced with robots or by integrating servos that can lift, insert and deposit materials. Even tasks such as automated tooling changes can be completed with the push of a button.
By doing so, tasks that were once performed manually—such as moving heavy steel rods, pipe and other stock in and out of equipment—are now automated to improve worker safety. This creates a safer environment for forging operators and improves productivity.
Remanufacture
Sometimes only the cast steel frame of the forging equipment is salvageable, in which case all the internal components can be replaced in a full remanufacture of the equipment. Given the extent of the work required, a remanufactured forging unit can still cost 85 to 90 percent of the cost of new equipment, but delivery time is reduced by about six months. When it is finished, a remanufactured machine comes with a new machine warranty.
In essence, a remanufacture saves the cost and the time of acquiring a new cast frame. The frame on a 3-inch upsetter press weighing 55,000 pounds, for example, could take six months plus another month for shipping (especially from a foreign equipment builder).
“With a remanufacture, all internal parts are built to factory specs,” says Kreutzer. “With a remanufactured unit, you don’t need the man hours to rebuild it. It can just be set in place, hooked up and is ready for forging.”
As with a rebuild, a remanufactured forging unit can include a variety of automation option upgrades.
New
While purchasing new equipment may offer a forging operator the most confidence in long-term performance and the most tailored solution to the company’s forging needs, it also has the longest lead times. Moreover, a manufacturer must plan for one year before taking delivery of a new piece of forging equipment. But the decades of value that will be generated from the new equipment means the return on investment will be significant.
Regarding new forging presses, Kreutzer cautions that quality can sometimes be an issue when sourcing from overseas sources. “We like Ajax-CECO presses for their quality, and even prefer to rebuild that equipment instead of pursuing some other options out there that will not perform or last as long,” says Kreutzer.
New equipment also gives forgers the opportunity to take advantage of the most advanced automation options available today. For example, entire forging line “cells” can be created that include sophisticated communications that report production rates and machine performance back to company networks.
Multiple choice
Some forging operations hedge their bets by using more than one strategy. Given the shortage of available used equipment and the lead times, some customers order a new machine while another is being remanufactured. Others get quotes on new equipment while continuing to seek out used equipment opportunities as they arise.
Regardless of the approach, forging operations have a lot to consider when attempting to meet increasing production demands. Whether repair, rebuild, remanufacture or new, bringing forging equipment online requires careful consideration and foresight, as well as a more complete understanding of the options.
“You have to constantly keep a lookout for equipment, worldwide, and do your price comparisons to ensure you stay within the budget,” says Kreutzer. “Usually when we are acquiring in new equipment, it is well into the future so we have adequate time. But there are always timelines that must be met. So we have to consider all the available options.”
