Fundamentals of Tool Design, Sixth Edition Chapter 1: General Tool Design

• Do not use overly tight, expensive toler- Py N t Ty

ances.
• Simplify tool drawings and documentation.
Many aspects of manufacturing economics
are outside the scope of this book, but excellent
literature is available.
Combined Operations
Analysis may sometimes show that operations
can be cost-effectively combined. Tooling costs,
production costs, or both can thus be reduced.
Table 1-2 illustrates a case where the cost of
combined tools was less than the total cost of the
separate tools otherwise required.
Process Cost Comparisons
During process planning, many possible meth-
ods of manufacturing may be reduced to a few
based on alternate process steps, use of available
equipment, or combined operations. Under these
conditions, a comparison of costs for different
tools and process steps may reveal a combination
resulting in the lowest total cost per part.
Let:
Nt = total number of parts to be produced in
a single run
Nb = number of parts for which the unit costs
will be equal for each of two compared
methods Y and Z (breakeven point)
Ty = total tool cost for method Y, $
Tz = total tool cost for method Z, $
Py = unit tool process cost for method Y, $
Pz = unit tool process cost for method Z, $
Cy, Cz = total unit cost for methods Y and Z, $
Then:
Ty Tz
Nb (1-1)
Pz Py
Cy (1-2a)
Nt
Pz N t Tz
Cz (1-2b)
Nt
For example, the aircraft-flap nose rib shown in
Figure 1-1 of .020 in. (0.51 mm) 2024-T Alclad
was separately calculated to be formed by a hy-
dropress, drop hammer, Marform®, steel draw die,
or hand-forming process. For reasons such as die
life, available equipment, and handwork required,
the choice was narrowed down to the hydropress
versus the steel draw die. With the hydropress, the
flanges had to be fluted, and for piece quantities
over 100, a more expensive steel die costing $202
had to be used.
Actual die and processing costs for both
methods are listed in Table 1-3. Py and Pz are
processing costs, and Ty and Tz are die costs
for the steel draw die and hydropress methods,
respectively.
Figures in the last column of Table 1-3 were
not stated in the original report, but can be prop-
erly extrapolated on the basis of the apparent
stability of Py and Pz at Nt = 500, and assuming
their stability at higher production rates.
On the basis of the listed figures at Nt = 500,
and from Equation 1-1, the production at which
total unit costs Cy and Cz will be the same for
both methods is:
810 202
Nb 760 pieces
1.85 1.05
As an alternate method for calculating the
breakeven point between two machines (for
example, a turret lathe and an automatic), a
formula based on known or estimated elements
that make up production costs can be used. The
breakeven-point equation is,

Table 1-2. Cost of combined versus separate operations

Blanking Forming Total Blank Combined
Costs
Operation Alone Operation Alone and Form Operations
Tools $40.00 $30.00 $ 70.00 $50.00
Setup 2.00 2.00 4.00 3.00
Maintenance 2.00 2.00 2.00
Processing 4.00 30.00 34.00 4.00
Total cost $48.00 $62.00 $110.00 $59.00

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