b'We need to have a comprehensiveunderstanding of the customers needs.marketed under the brand nameIts Complicated play in designing for manufactur-STS, which stands for Siegel Tool- Thecomplexnatureofmanying. Machinability, finish, quality, ing Systems. Created for small andmodern parts and the materialstolerance,economyofproduc-midsize parts, the products aim tothey are made from have expandedtion, eventual method of assembly increase output while avoiding thethe considerations that come intoand possible interface with other high cost of customized fixturing.The critical nature of the design function is most apparent in the de-velopment of specialized cutting tools.Special tools place a dual re-sponsibility on the manufacturer, said Engineering Manager Paul Di-tosto of Mitsubishi Materials U.S.A. Corp. in Costa Mesa, California. On the one hand, we have to beINCREASED sure that the tool we design will per-form its desired function for the cus- PRODUCTIVITY tomer. At the same time, we have to consider the most effective and economical means of producingin tough stainless, high-temp alloys, and it. This is further complicated bya variety of steel and cast iron grades.the ever-increasing number of car-bide grades and specialized coat-ings, which have to be matched to achieve the optimum combination. To obtain the best results, we haveUnique dished end to constantly keep in mind our cus- geometry allows for tomers manufacturing process, asramp angles over 10well as our own. Although we can occasionally modify an off-the-shelf item, our prototype designs have to be extremely exact. And because our manufacturing facilities are lo-cated globally, the sequence of op-erations must be spelled out.// The versatility of a 4-flute tool with the feed about the authorrate benefits of a 5-flute toolFrank Burke is// Full offering of corner radiico-owner of Burke & Towner Ltd., a strategic marketing and communications agency in Reeds-ville, Wisconsin. Contact him at 920-443-3008 or frank.b@ www.guhring.com(800) 7766170burkeandtowner.com. ctemag.com/cteguide.com33DesigningParts.indd 33 8/17/20 10:24 AM'