Sub Micron Tooling is specialised in diamond tooling and the repair (relap) of diamond tools. Due to the importance a tool can have, as being part of a production process, the performance of the tool can have great impact on the success of the user. Hence, any optimalisation of a tool is recommendable and close relation is needed with the user. Sub Micron Tooling is a world-wide operating company based in the south of the Netherlands. Yet, a good communication with the user of a tool is needed in order to continue evaluating the performance of a tool and to continue striving to optimise the processes the tool is used for. For this, we developed "Tool Management®" in 1996, a service that has some great advantages over any conventional service.
To name some interesting benefits of Tool Management
Fast relax service
On a standard basis, tools will be relapped and shipped back within 48 hrs after receipt. This means that you will have fewer tools in circulation, thus less investments involved.
Consistent quality
All tools are inspected and measured before and after repair to guarantee that tools will work. All the important tool information such as radius size, waviness, wear patterns, cutting height, etc. will be updated after each relap and corresponded to you.
Longer tool life
Because we realise more relaps per tool, you will have to buy fewer new tools. All our new tools are designed for maximum diamond life.
Building up knowledge
As we analyse and inspect each tool on its wear, causes may be found and therewith learning know-how. This will be reported to you for each tool.
After the aforementioned benefits and promises, we would like to explain how we keep them. Therefore we add in more detail what "Tool Management" is about.
"Tool Management makes it possible to optimise the use of diamond tools".
By using diamond tools, wear and damage will develop. This wear and damage is related to a great variety of factors, such as the tool geometry, the lathe being used, the material cut, the product being made, the cutting parameters (speed, feed), the operator, environmental conditions, etc. etc. So, by looking at the wear and damage we are able to obtain information about the cutting processes at the customer and their quality needs. By obtaining this information we are gaining knowledge about the customer, from which the customer benefits. On base of our knowledge on diamond tools in general, applications, lathes, cutting strategies, customer related knowledge and the quality needs of the individual customers we can give advise, come up with solutions and improve processes.
The above approach, together with a fast relap service, maximum diamond life, tool trace ability, state of the art technology and very competing prices will give you, our customer, the possibility to optimise the use of your diamond tools.
In short, the steps are as follows:
- Customer ships tool(s) to SMT by post or forwarding agent.
- Tools are being received by SMT and generally inspected. The customer receives a confirmation that tools are received, an expected delivery time and estimated price.
- Tools are individually inspected and the wear analysed. For each tool, a tool record is being made, and if possible and needed a pre-inspection report is being made. The waviness of the radius is being measured before the relap, as this may be an indication of the wear and the cutting process it is used for.
- On base of the pre-inspection and measurement, we decide how the tool will be relapped in order to take off a minimum of diamond height, obtain a maximum tool life and remove all wear and damage.
- The tool is relapped on specially designed relapping machines, which prevents stress in the diamond and lapping lines.
- After relap the tool is inspected and measured to make sure all wear and damage is removed.
- Radius-size and waviness of the tool are measured. This information is put on the tool record, including other useful information such as depth removed, cutting height, etc.
- Customer receives a confirmation that the order is ready for shipment.
- The tools, together with the tool records and inspection reports, are being returned to the customer.