Technology Exposition:

BlueSwarf Cutting Tool Technology and the Machine Tool Distributor

You can call it many things; the “final mile” or “where the rubber meets the road”. It’s the cutting tools that actually cut the metal in the machine tools you sell. Yet, it is an area that most AMTDA members stay away. Why? There are thousands of tooling manufacturers and tens of thousands of distributors, catalogs and integrators selling tooling in the United States , and with this much market fragmentation comes inefficiencies, a lack of innovation and very little education. Why would you want to get in the middle of that?

Most shops continue to use tooling technologies that have changed little in 50 years. Meanwhile, machine tool technology has exploded with computer controls, more power, faster speeds and travels. That is the problem BlueSwarf has set out to solve.

After 15 years of research BlueSwarf determined that each machine tool model has its own unique frequency, as does each cutting tool assembly. If these frequencies (the machine’s and the tool’s) are not compatible, excessive vibration and chatter occurs. Vibration causes excessive tool wear, damage to the machine, inaccurate dimensions and poor finishes. BlueSwarf found that the same tool will perform very differently from one machine tool model to the next.

So BlueSwarf developed a patented process to measure the machine and tool’s frequencies then identify – definitively – exactly where the sweet spots are for that tool in that machine. There is a quick non-invasive test of the tool assembly in the machine, in which data is analyzed and a Tool Dashboard™ is compiled. With the Dashboard™ your customer can instantly determine the maximum available speeds, feeds and cutting depth in your machine. No guessing, no charts, no trial and error.

In addition to addressing the tool dynamics, BlueSwarf had to solve the inefficiencies of the current supply chain. The BlueSwarf tool processing lab receives and inspects all the components from the different manufacturers. They are then assembled, balanced, preset, and delivered to the customer complete, error-free and ready-to-run. BlueSwarf created an easy to use Tool Card® program, available at www.blueswarf.com, along with an online tool configuration expert system for redeeming the card.

NEWS!! BlueSwarf has opened a new state-of-the-art facility adjacent to the Penn State University campus in State College, Pennsylvania. This is in addition to the BlueSwarf Tool Processing facility located in nearby Clearfield. The 3000 square foot Machine Tool Monitoring Center (MMTC) is located literally across the street from Penn State’s highly ranked Colleges of Engineering, Information, and Science & Technology. In the MMTC, BlueSwarf engineers analyze data sent to them from their tool testing kits deployed in the field around the globe. They also provide training and support to the Kennametal field salesforce, as well as, remote diagnostics via sound files using their patented Harmonizer® technology. Computer scientists are working on the next generation of internet-based technologies to serve the machine tool industry. Improved Tool Dashboards™, online expert systems, machine tool characterization and remote monitoring black boxes are currently in development.

BlueSwarf partnered with Kennametal in 2006, America ’s largest tooling manufacturer. And to date, they have trained and certified over 30 Kennametal field engineers in BlueSwarf technology.

So why should the tooling be important to machine tool dealers?

The tooling selection and performance will have an enormous impact on your customer’s satisfaction with their machine tool purchase. The wrong tools can negate the performance advantages of your machine. The right tools, properly applied, can give you a huge competitive advantage.

You will also have new opportunities to sell additional capital equipment, such as, presetters, balancers and shrink-fit machines. As customers become better educated on the value of accurate and repeatable tool assemblies they will create a demand for these products.

There is no reason to leave the tooling to chance anymore. Make sure your customer gets the maximum benefit from their machine tool investment. Go that “last mile” for them and put BlueSwarf to work for you.

For more information contact Dave Barton at www.blueswarf.com.