Metalworking exec rolling out speedier tooling technology
DAVID PRIZINSKY
James R. Knirsch has been patiently fine-tuning metalworking technology that could help Northeast Ohio manufacturers fend off increasing competition from China and other locations where low-cost molds and dies are produced. The founder of RSP Tooling in Solon showcased his rapid toolmaking system this month at machinery builder Belcan Corp. in Solon for more than 150 manufacturing company owners and managers from the Midwest. 'The excitement was high and the feedback good,' Mr. Knirsch said. One of the people attending the open house at Belcan was Jack Kaput, president of Edge-Rite Tools Inc. in Valley View, a maker of mold parts for aluminum die casters. Mr. Kaput said he considers the RSP technology to be an important addition to the area's production capabilities. 'RSP has the ability to drop costs dramatically,' Mr. Kaput said. 'Some of my customers may be able to benefit' from the RSP technology, he said. RSP, which is in the final stages of debugging the system, plans to move the machinery in early March from Belcan to The Technology House, a Solon company that makes prototypes for manufacturers and whose president, Chip Gear, is an investor in RSP. Commercial production of tools is scheduled to begin in March. The technology, called the 'rapid solidification process,' involves the spraying of molten metal onto a ceramic pattern to create molds and dies. Tools typically are produced by machining steel or aluminum in a time-consuming process. Mr. Knirsch acquired the exclusive rights to the rapid solidification process last year from the U.S. Department of Energy. The RSP technology is capable of making tools for about 30% less than the cost of traditional machining methods, Mr. Knirsch said. The savings result from the elimination of machining and some finishing operations and from the speed of the process, which requires half the time needed to produce tools by traditional methods, he said. These advantages offer an alternative for companies looking to reduce the cost of tooling and for tool shops that may be able to acquire an RSP system to serve their customers. Mr. Knirsch said access to lower-cost tooling can help Northeast Ohio companies improve their competitive position. 'The Chinese and the Koreans are taking a lot of business away from Cleveland tool shops,' Mr. Knirsch said. 'People tell me that the Chinese tooling costs about 30% less' than U.S. molds and dies, he said. Mr. Knirsch has more than 30 years of experience in the metal casting industry. Before forming RSP in January 2002, he was director of technical services for Global Metal Technologies, a Chicago die casting company. In addition to making and selling tools, Mr. Knirsch's business plan projects the sales of rapid solidification machines to be the company's primary source of revenue. The RSP business plan envisions the sale of as many as three machines this year, Mr. Knirsch said. He said the price of a machine would be about $1 million. RSP is taking orders for tools, primarily from customers who are investigating the purchase of a machine. When the machine moves to the Technology House, RSP will receive a $200,000 loan from the state of Ohio, according to Gerald Meyer, senior director of Growth Capital Corp., a unit of the Greater Cleveland Growth Association that processes loans for the state. Mr. Meyer said the loan is for five years and has an interest rate of 3.4%.