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The problem: inconsistent machinable bar.
A&N Corporation, located in Williston, Florida, manufactures high vacuum components such as vacuum flanges, fittings, feedthroughs, and valves.
When A&N Corporation needed 304 and 316 stainless steel bar for machining, they based their purchasing decision - as many companies do - on price and availability. "As a result we had a variety of stainless coming in the door, both domestic and foreign," said A&N President and CEO Dave Vaudreuil. They also found they had problems.
"Everyone says they make a stainless bar suitable for machining, but we found a wide variation in terms of consistency," Vaudreuil noted. The inconsistencies caused poor surface finish, longitudinal cracks, and breaking tools from hard spots - which resulted in downtime on A&N’s production line, scheduling problems, and added expense. "One hard spot can cost us $1,000 of tooling material," he said. "Not only did we have problems with bar purchased from the same manufacturer, we even found inconsistencies within the same bar!" Vaudreuil said.
The solution: 304 and 316 PRODEC Bar
Inconsistencies in machinable bar caused a special problem on an important product manufactured by A&N: the ISO KF flange. "No matter which manufacturer’s stainless bar we used, we could not get an acceptable finish on the angle of the ISO KF flange," Vaudreuil explained. Then one of A&N’s sales people suggested they try PRODEC. "We were amazed. It was the only machinable bar that gave us what we needed," he said.
"We brought in every diameter of PRODEC, and it didn’t seem to matter what we fed into the machine." Vaudreuil said. "The consistency of PRODEC was remarkable - from one diameter to another and from one bar to the next, all the finishes were excellent."
What is PRODEC?
PRODEC (which stands for PRODuction EConomy), is a special quality of austenitic stainless steel produced exclusively by Outokumpu. The uniformity and optimal machinability of PRODEC allows fabricators to machine at higher speeds and feeds, producing superior quality parts at the lowest total cost.
PRODEC is the result of a special ladle-injection technology that controls the composition and distribution of non-metallic inclusions while maintaining corrosion resistance, weldability, forming characteristics and mechanical properties of stainless steel bar. PRODEC meets all standard ASTM and ASME specification requirements.
Increased productivity and quality with PRODEC
Using PRODEC, A&N Corporation now is able to run CNC lathes three shifts, 24-hours a day, at the same RPM ranges and speeds. "Because the quality of PRODEC is always the same, we’re able to stay at a fine edge without losing tooling," Vaudreuil said. "We’ve never had any machining problems or unpleasant surprises since we started using PRODEC," he notes.
PRODEC gave A&N an additional benefit: a better quality product. "Our parts are used in high vacuum and semiconductor applications, so we need material that is uniform, clean, and that has very few inclusions of foreign matter," Vaudreuil said.
"We have not found a single instance where PRODEC - even at a microscopic level - has led to a leak at the flange," he said.
Recently, A&N Corp. ran out of internal inventory of PRODEC and purchased a different machinable stainless. "All of the old problems came back instantly," Vaudreuil said. "We learned our lesson. We gladly pay a premium for PRODEC because that cost comes back to us many times over in higher productivity and longer tool life with PRODEC."
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