Plant Applications: Tooling manufacturer makes changes to help customers achieve green goals

February 1, 2011

Situation

Seco Tools, Troy Mich., is a manufacturer and supplier of carbide cutting tools and associated equipment for milling, turning, and holemaking.

The manufacturer realized that while its customers might want to make their shops more environmentally conscious, going green can seem like a daunting task. The company decided to make some changes to its products to help customers achieve their sustainability goals.

Resolution

Seco put its efforts into producing carbide with chemistry and geometries to help make machining more efficient. As a result, fewer inserts are required to machine a part, less scrap is produced, and less energy and coolant are used to create the part. In addition, the carbide can be used over and over, increasing insert life.

When the carbide inserts need replacement, about 95 percent of the carbide is still intact and capable of being recycled. Of this carbide, tungsten comprises 75 percent of the content. Tungsten is a finite resource that can be recycled infinitely.

The company also has established a service of working with customers to optimize their operations for quality and productivity gains. Efficiency is monitored by examining what happens to energy consumption when customers alter their machining processes. If the customer’s scrap rates are high, Seco works with the firm to re-examine the overall operation, including the equipment, tools, and process.

Seco Tools, 2805 Bellingham Drive, Troy, MI  48083, 248-528-5200, secotools.us@secotools.com, www.secotools.com