Customer: Leading Automotive Component Manufacturer
Application: Machining Ă47.00mm bore in ductile iron steering knuckles
Volume: 30,000+ parts annually
Industry: Off-Road Vehicle Production
âThe Diatool reamer helped us eliminate tool setting headaches, cut cycle time, and finally get consistent results. Itâs been a game-changer for this program.â
â Engineering Manager, Automotive Manufacturer
John, the Engineering Manager at a top-tier automotive components manufacturer, was tasked with reducing machining costs for a new line of off-road vehicle steering knuckles. Each knuckle, made from ductile iron, required a precise Ă47.00mm bore held to a tight tolerance of ±0.0125mm.
His team had been using a traditional single-point boring process, but several persistent issues were impacting production:
Frequent tool changes due to rapid tool wear
Inconsistent bore tolerances, leading to high scrap and rework rates
Excessive machine downtime during tool adjustments and setups
With over 30,000 parts annually, the inefficiencies were compounding quickly.
After researching alternative solutions, John reached out to Monaghan Tooling Group, known for their high-performance tooling expertise. Upon reviewing the application data, Monaghan's engineering team recommended a Diatool monoblock reamer with 8 precision-ground cermet cutting teethâdesigned specifically for high-volume ductile iron applications.
Key features of the Diatool reamer included:
Pre-set diameter for easy installationâno manual sizing required
Consistent surface finish and size across extended tool life
Increased stability and process repeatability
John approved a trial of the Diatool reamerâand the performance exceeded expectations:
Cycle Time Reduction: 54 seconds saved per part
Annual Cost Savings: $36,000 in machining and scrap reduction
Tool Life Improvement: 400% increase compared to previous boring tools
Setup Time Elimination: No more difficult adjustmentsâreamers came preset and ready to run
The stability and repeatability of the Diatool solution allowed Johnâs team to eliminate the variability of manual boring, freeing up skilled personnel to focus on other critical process improvements.
Partnering with Monaghan Tooling Group delivered measurable value to Johnâs team. The Diatool high-performance reamer not only solved key process challenges but also drove substantial cost savings, improved part quality, and boosted productivityâall while reducing operator burden.
For more information on Diatool reaming visit: www.MonaghanTooling.com