»Smile«: The Key to Greater Efficiency and Higher Quality

ZOLLER is the ideal partner for tool setting

This is a detailed analysis of the implementation of ZOLLER’s »smile« tool setting device at Five Straight, a company based in Kanzakigun, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. The company’s goal is to efficiently manufacture high-precision parts for the manufacturing industry.

To carry out high-mix, medium-volume production (multiple industries, multiple materials) with a small number of employees, the company constantly strives to streamline and optimize all processes. Specific challenges in the workshop included dimensional errors and tool wear, as well as improper setup procedures, which directly led to poor quality and inefficiency. To solve these problems, Five Straight introduced the ZOLLER »smile« tool setting device.

Challenge Accepted

Previously, discrepancies in tool dimensions had a significant negative impact on the company’s production efficiency and quality. For example, they thought they had purchased a 12.03-mm drill bit, but the tool actually delivered had a diameter of 12.05 mm. This meant they did not have enough clearance for finishing and ultimately could not use that drill bit. With the introduction of »smile«, Five Straight was able to detect these dimensional errors in advance and set up the tools precisely. The ability for users to inspect and evaluate tools has proven to be a major advantage.

The investment in ZOLLER »smile« paid for itself within a year.

Mr. Shinagawa Five in a Row

Improved Efficiency

Drill rods: Compared to conventional tool setup procedures, the time required for this process has been significantly reduced, resulting in fewer production interruptions. For example, with drilling tools, the condition of the cutting edge (wear status, etc.) can now be accurately checked, allowing target and actual data to be entered. The average tool life has increased from 100 drillings/inserts to 150 to 200 drillings/inserts, which is more than 1.5 times the previous tool life. This has not only led to a reduction in tool costs but also to an increase in efficiency, as fewer inserts need to be replaced.

The test grinding process for the drilling operation was very inefficient and took up a large portion of working time. With the standard settings, the time-consuming lubrication of the drill head is almost completely eliminated, as the adjustment range is minimized. If the drill head is not lubricated, its service life is shortened. Another major advantage is that only a minimal number of drill rods need to be kept in stock, as adjustments can now be made easily and precisely. Previously, this company had to purchase a drill rod for every size, despite only slight differences in diameter.

Complex Tools

»smile« can be applied to complex tool configurations, particularly when setting up multi-edge tools. This has reduced the number of cases where rework was required due to setup errors and increased overall productivity.

Mr. Shinagawa of Five Straight in front of the ZOLLER »smile 420«

A Complete Success

Before the introduction of ZOLLER »smile«, no tool setting device was used, which meant that the machine would sometimes be idle for very long periods, leading to a significant waste of resources. Now, machine utilization has increased significantly. The high accuracy of the tool setting device has also significantly improved the efficiency of the CNC machine. We have seen direct productivity gains, improvements in quality assurance, and cost reductions thanks to precise tool settings, as well as a reduction in the burden caused by inefficiencies and non-conforming parts. ZOLLER thus has a direct impact on productivity at Five Straight.