New Laser Cutting System Provides Edge in Cutting Intricate Climbing Gear

A leading producer of equipment and accessories for "on-the-edge" sports (rock climbing, ice climbing and backcountry skiing), Black Diamond, has sharpened its manufacturing edge with a new Cincinnati Incorporated CL-7A laser cutting system. Delivered in December, 2002, the 3300W laser with twin 5 x 10-ft. pallets is boosting productivity to meet strong sales growth. The company's first laser, the CL-7A enables Black Diamond to produce a new design of ice-climbing crampon, bring out-sourced laser work in-house, and reduce manufacturing noise to allow multiple shifts of production without disturbing residential neighbors.

Employee-owned, Black Diamond is structured so its people can live and work near where they play. Its headquarters and manufacturing operations are located in a residential "Swiss Village" at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains in a building converted from a shopping mall. "We're primarily made up of climbers and outdoor enthusiasts," said Bill Reimann, Black Diamond director of manufacturing and process engineering. "That gives us an edge in that we use and appreciate our products, and put our hearts into our work."

Looking to expand production, the company considered adding another stamping press, but had a noise agreement with neighbors to only run presses during the daytime shift. This limited productivity and equipment payback, said Reimann.

The low-noise laser allows Black Diamond to be a good neighbor, while achieving greater operating flexibility. Not only is Black Diamond able to run the CL-7A more hours per day, but also it is using the laser for prototyping and product development as well as production parts, Reimann notes. "The capability to use the actual production process to prototype new parts is a first for us," said Reimann. "This will definitely help speed our time to market."

Besides operational flexibility, Black Diamond saw the laser cutting system bringing superior capabilities to a complex, new design of crampons-ice-climbing "spikes" that clamp onto boot soles. Black Diamond manufactures about 10,000 pairs of crampons per year, and the laser produces all six metal components required for each crampon. The crampon's sharp points have always been a manufacturing challenge, according to Reimann. The CL-7A's 3300W diffusion-cooled resonator concentrates beam power into the laser field's tightest focus spot, providing superior edge finish and point sharpness. Nitrogen assist gas further helps ensure clean edge finishes, notes Reimann.

After laser cutting, crampons receive three to four bending and coining operations, heat treatment, and powder coating. The crampons feature tight bends which can fail if the material is hardened, so parts have been annealed to make them more malleable before the bending operations. However, the company finds that the CL-7A with nitrogen assist gas reduces the edge hardening effect to the extent that annealing may be unnecessary. "We may be able to eliminate the annealing process to save cost and time," said Reimann.

Two months after installation, Black Diamond was already running 100 different parts on the laser. Besides the crampon components, the laser cuts a variety of climbing aids such as safety pins, grappling hooks, tools to help remove gear from rock cracks, and ski binding parts that are cut from stainless and aluminum plate. Black Diamond has recently started to use the laser to cut nylon fabric for ski skins, which users can attach to the bottom of downhill skis to make it easier to climb uphill.

Black Diamond compared lasers from various manufacturers before selecting the Cincinnati laser. "We liked the CL-7A's rigid construction and the Rofin 3300W resonator," said Reimann. "And, the service and  support we experienced with our Cincinnati OBS press was also a big factor in the decision.

"The Cincinnati's CL7A provided the best combination of performance and overall value for the 0.05- to 0.25"-thick 4130 steel we process, taking initial price and operating cost into consideration," said Reimann. "We had virtually no experience with laser cutters, but the easy-to-use control, optional programming and nesting software, and Cincinnati support flattened the new equipment learning curve. We were up and running full production in only one month."

Black Diamond had relocated its warehouse to a separate building to expand total manufacturing space to 25,000 sq. ft. Cincinnati worked with Black Diamond to meet the challenge of getting a laser with a 5 x 10-ft. bed into a shop that had an 8-ft. bay door. "We had to take out a couple windows and remove an interior wall in order to get the machine in the shop, but the Cincinnati crew was very helpful in getting the 'ship into the bottle,'" said Reimann. "It's definitely here to stay."

Black Diamond's shop has 100 employees and a wide variety of machines, including presses from 5 to 300 tons, CNC machines, grinders, lathes and test equipment, but none of its operators had much experience with laser cutters. After only a month learning all the nuances of this new machine, the company was in full production.

Cincinnati part nesting software speeds production

Cincinnati's optional programming and nesting software was another big factor in Black Diamond's decision to choose the CL-7A, according to Reimann. Close part nesting allows for maximum material usage. "We haven't crunched the numbers on material savings going from blanking to nesting on the laser, but I'd bet we're saving about 25%," said Reimann. "That adds up to a cost savings over $25,000 per year."

The software also automatically performs sequencing, process optimization and feature avoidance, which typically require manual input by a skilled operator. The highly visual interface makes it easy to use even by people with little or no direct machine experience. It allows users to take standard format drawing files and convert them to part programs and machine code for running the laser. Feature avoidance, paired with the laser head's magnetic breakaway head, gives Black Diamond the confidence to run with the head down to maximize production.

"We're about ready to run the laser on two full shifts, which wouldn't be possible with a press," said Reimann. "The CL-7A will help take both our production and R&D capabilities to a new plateau."

For more information contact:

      Ed Bosse

      Cincinnati Incorporated

      Box 11111

      Cincinnati, OH 45211

      513-367-7165

      Fax: 513-367-7592

      www.e-ci.com

      E-mail: ed.bosse@e-ci.com