Tooling breakdown caused a production emergency? Get expert advice from experienced toolmakers

Any period of downtime on manufacturing production lines can prove hugely costly for manufacturers, yet many businesses simply don’t have the specialist in-house knowledge to quickly assess the problem when processes relying on highly-sophisticated press tools suddenly stop.

Production lines can sometimes be ground to a halt due to relatively easy to fix scenarios such as dirt, grit, or slugs accumulating in the tool’s mechanisms, causing friction and damage, or from a lack of cooling or lubrication during the manufacturing process.

Often, in such cases, our team at Paragon Toolmaking have been able to help factory managers get their processes back up and running by quickly identifying such issues by talking through the problems, and advising on a few simple steps to take over the phone, or video call.

However, tools also often need regrinding or refitting, realigning, or need broken parts fixing or replacing completely, and in such scenarios, expert support is of course needed quickly.

At Paragon Toolmaking, we ensure any emergency calls we receive about tooling breakdowns are directed straight to our experienced tool-making team, whether or not the tool in question was made in our factory.

We know that short periods of downtime can mean the loss of thousands of pounds, and that is why we ensure any emergency calls over manufacturing tooling breakdowns are passed immediately to team members with decades of experience.

Things to consider when faced with a manufacturing tooling breakdown

There are many things which could cause a breakdown of tooling in a manufacturing process. Common issues we see are;

• Poor maintenance: Despite best intentions, busy factories with demanding production schedules can lead to a failure to ensure regular maintenance and cleaning of tools, which can result in a build-up of debris, corrosion, or deterioration of critical components. Thankfully, some breakdowns caused by a build-up a debris can be resolved quickly with a thorough clean of the tool, but if there has been damage to key components, a full repair may be required.

• Wear and tear: Our tools at Paragon Toolmaking are designed to last for decades – but none last forever. Regular use of tools can lead to wear and tear on their components, causing them to weaken or break over time.

• Incorrect usage: Misusing or operating tools beyond their recommended limits can lead to their premature failure. Overloading can occur when too many pieces are in a tool, and issues can arise from not setting up the press properly. This is why we always ensure our clients are given full training on using our tools, often on site at their own facility after installation.

• Contamination: Foreign materials, such as dirt, grit, or slugs, can accumulate in the tool’s mechanisms, causing friction and damage. This is a common cause of failure and one which, with an effective maintenance schedule, can largely be avoided.

• Inadequate lubrication: Insufficient lubrication during the manufacturing process can cause excessive heat and wear, leading to tool failure. It is essential to understand the lubrication requirements of a tool.

Not a Paragon tool? We can still help – and even manufacture replacements

At Paragon Toolmaking we’ve carried out many emergency repairs on press tools, stage tools, blanking tools and jigs and fixtures tools over more than five decades in business.

We regularly carry out repairs and tool modifications including debris clean-ups, part lubrication, regrinding and re-sharpening, and refits and repairs of broken parts.

Our team will also be able to identify any required timing and alignment corrections, and, if required, may even be able to manufacture exact replacements of your tooling, even if we were not the initial manufacturers ourselves.

This is because our investment in the latest technology means we are able to work to drawings or models of tools to reverse engineer them, using our CMM Computer-Aided Design (CAD) facilities to scan the tool and create a detailed 3D plan to manufacture a replacement.

Need advice about a tooling breakdown, or maintenance and servicing of tooling? Call 01482 497777 and ask to speak to our emergency tooling repairs experts.

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