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PADPRINT
NOTEBOOK Useful Tips & Information © ITW Trans Tech An Illinois Tool Works Company |
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 Custom Tooling Made To Order: Quality Fixture Holds Line on Quality Job  Owen Ault Tooling Supervisor Value Versus Cost "We hear the occasional complaint that our tooling prices are too high. But once our customers do the math and consider the real value versus the cost of losing time and possibly losing one of THEIR customers-- then they get it. If you think you're saving money on do-it-yourself tooling, I think you'll find that in the long run it's false economy.”  Detail view of finished keyboard bezel fixture illustrates precision tooling to match contours of part for secure holding and support.  Basic bezel fixture shows recessed cutouts for part back structures. Note also the two spring detents for securing loaded part.  Take My Fixture, Please "Sometimes we'll have a customer who thinks he'll save a few bucks by asking us to re-work his existing fixture. But the cost of reworking or modifying an old or badly done one is the same as a completely new fixture. It's another false economy that should be avoided. The net savings is zero.”  Side view of hard-coated aluminum pedestal-type bezel fixture; note the slots for securing unit to work knee. Shown below, detail of recessed areas which have been milled out to exact profile of part.  We Solve Problems For You "There is one thing that we can offer to your operation that you can't afford to do-it-yourself: that is our expertise. We have simply been in this pad printing industry longer than anyone around. And we've learned from our experience-- so you don't have to learn things the hard way. We've been there and done that already.” More Tooling Samples and Fixture FAQs • Tooling 101: A Typical Customer Scenario • Application Case Study: TV Cabinet Project • Shuttle & Special Fixture: Four-Color Application
or Fixture information: Retooling Supervisor: Owen Ault ... 630.909.5777 |
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Are "Do-It-Yourself" Fixtures Good Enough?
LIFE is full of choices and here's one that every pad printer has to make: Should I go to an outside source for a product or service -- or -- should I just throw together something quick-and-dirty on my own and call it "good enough"? This might be an easy call or a tough one, depending on the dollars involved and the risk factor. Now, if you're talking about something small and insignificant, like mowing the lawn, then doing it yourself is always an option. But with an industrial pad printing operation, the real question is: "What is my time worth?" And the next big question: "What can this cost me if something goes terribly wrong?"
Tooling Supervisor Owen Ault discusses installation of an automated component with Machinist Mike Pidgeon.
Do-It-Yourself Horror Story: Time Is Money
Here's a case in point: we recently had a customer tell us, ”You guys are too high priced and I'm in a hurry. I'll make my own fixture." Then he made his own (at a higher cost) and sent it to us to use in test-printing his parts. His do-it-yourself (DIY) fixture arrived at a later date than the one we originally quoted him for ours (delay #1). Unfortunately, the DIY fixture had to be reworked because it didn't load properly once mounted in a machine with an actual operator (delay #2).
At this point the customer was getting further behind schedule and worried that he couldn't meet his customer's deadline. So he asked us to do the production run in order to save the overdue job from being even more late. He shipped us the parts (delay #3) and we completed the production run on overtime at even greater expense to him. And what's worst: this train wreck may jeopardize his status as a supplier to his customer in the future. We were glad to be able to help him out of his pickle, but the sad part is that it was totally unnecessary.
Finished keyboard bezel fixture after hardcoating shows intricate cutting pattern and precision positioning of part features. Side view illustrates thick aluminum base, able to withstand maximum pad pressure without bending, hence negligible image distortion.
Famous Last Words:
What Can Go Wrong -- or -- How Hard Can That Be?
As your part-holding and pad assembly requirements change from project to project, we can help you adapt your machine with new tooling to fit new specs. Our tooling specialists will design, build and test a complete turnkey solution to use in your existing equipment to adapt it to a new pad printing application. It may look easy but that's because we have been at it for decades. Our experience benefits you, our customers.
Typical CAD drawing of tooling for pad printing indicates all part and holding fixture dimensions prior to fabrication. CAD drawings are created for multiple, identical fixtures.
Why Choose ITW Trans Tech When You Re-Tool?
The real choice is guesswork versus experience: Why use trial-and-error methods when an expert is available and ready to help who knows exactly what to do? Your "go-to" guy at ITW Trans Tech is Owen Ault who will work directly with you to define your requirements and expectations-- and to coordinate your entire project.
Master machinist Mike Pidgeon verifies CAD drawing for all dimensions and part profile.
One-Stop Shop
No other source can offer you a complete pad printing solution to suit your application. We not only understand the tooling but also can make recommendations from our full inventory of hundreds of pads, over 30 types of inks and our full line of standard machines. All are lab-tested and used daily here in our facility. You won't have to go from supplier to supplier, looking for answers and hoping for customer support. Our team is the largest in North America.
This custom-designed holding fixture with interchangeable components enables operator to change over to second job without delay.
Each fixture is tested with specific pad assembly and printing machine. Exact positioning of pad on fixtured part ensures desired image transfer and ideal pad printing results.
We'll Ship You a Complete Package-- Guesswork Not Included
Once completed, finished tooling is then shipped to you. The entire process from quote to delivery usually takes from three to four weeks, based on our receipt of your purchase order, production parts and art file. And most of the time we ship early! When you open your package you'll find a complete kit including your fixture, cliché plate, and printing pad used for test printing your approved parts. Guesswork is not included. You will be ready to load your pad, cliché and ink into your machine, mount your fixture and start printing. No tooling worries. That is where our experience makes the difference. You avoid the headaches, and add value to your product. Result: your success is our success.
You Can Quote Me
For more details on our custom tooling and part-holding fixtures, feel free to contact Owen Ault at: www.itwtranstech.com . Let us show you how much value ITW Trans Tech tooling, pad assemblies and fixtures can add to your pad printing operation.
For Tooling, Re-Tooling or Fixture information:
Retooling Supervisor: Owen Ault ... 630.909.5777
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ITW TRANS TECH An Illinois Tool Works Company
475 North Gary Avenue • Carol Stream, IL 60188-4900
Phone: 630.752.4000 • Fax: 630.752.4460
www.itwtranstech.com
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© 2007 ITW Trans Tech • An Illinois Tool Works Company