THE EVOLUTION OF SANDING MACHINES Ruud Baaijens
THE EVOLUTION OF SANDING MACHINES Course name
Evolutionary Product Development, Research
Course ID
201100192
Lecturer Prof. A.O. Eger Author
R.M. Baaijens, s1048155
Contents introduction
5
product history
6
& product family tree 10 price development 12 product phases 14 product comparison 15 timeline
4
introduction This report is the result of the course ‘Evolutionary Product Development’ as given by Professor A.O. Eger in the master Industrial Design Engineering. It will give an overview of the history of the product group ‘sanding machines’ and analyse this history by linking it to cultural, social, political and technological events. Furthermore, the theory of product phases (Eger et al, 2007) will be used to interpret the development of the product over time. The results of this research will serve as a base for designing a new generation of the product in the subsequent course, ‘Evolutionary Product Development, Design’. Sanding machines The act of sanding has never been a very favoured job. It is generally considered a time-consuming and tedious activity. Luckily, we live in a time where, after 85 years of evolution, sanding machines are widely available and capable to take over any sanding job, saving us the time and trouble of doing it ourselves. Sanding machines (or sanders), as will prove in the report, come in a variety of types. In general, a clear distinction can be made between stationary and portable sanding machines. Since stationary tools cover a very different application and market, this report will only focus on the latter.
a small but very fast (vibrating) orbital motion, typically with a radius of only millimetres. The sanding paper is often to be cut from a sheet and clamped onto the pad, or sticks to the pad with Velcro (hook-and loop system). Orbital sanders are usually smaller and lighter than belt sanders, and have a smaller capacity. They are however much better in realising a smoothly finished surface. The third type of sander is called a disc sander, and is probably the most basic. It operates by rotating a circular piece of sanding paper. This principle is often used in combination with a power drill. Although it is still used in floor sanders, the disc sanding principle is barely applied in modern portable sanders. The last category of sanding machines is the random orbit sander. It is based on the disc sander, but combined with the orbital motion of the orbital sander. Consequently, the sanding disc of a random orbit sander both rotates and moves in an orbital motion, which allows it to take away a substantial amount of material but still leave a fine finish.
Within the definition of portable sanders, four main product types can nowadays be identified. There is the belt sander, which runs a sanding belt onto two drums, one of which is driven by a motor. This type of sander is capable of taking away a vast amount of material in a short time, but is not very suitable for finishing jobs. This is where the orbital sander comes in handy. The orbital sander uses an (electric) motor to impel a sanding pad into
Figure 1. The three main types of sanders
5
product history Sanding machines have been around since the beginning of the 19th century. Patents for early sanders and polishers go back as far as 1818. These machines were stationary and utilized a drum or belt sanding mechanism. They were mainly intended for professional use in workshops and. Later on, floor sanding machines were introduced. It was only until 1927 that Art Emmons, chief engineer at a company called Porter Cable, invented the first portable electric sander, a belt-type sander called the “Take-About Sander”. This machine incorporates a vertically mounted electric motor that drives the sanding belt by means of a worm-gear drive. As a result, the motor was positioned at the very side of the product. The machine was made from die-cast aluminium and weighed a stunning 6 kg. Soon other companies started making portable belt sanders, and the configuration changed to horizontally positioned motors with a combination of a belt drives and (worm) gear drive. Early models had to be lubricated regularly. Although aluminium was still the main material, the styling of the machines changed to more compact and aerodynamic. The average weight of a belt sander had soon dropped to 4 - 5 kg. Throughout the 1930’s these machines kept on improving. In 1934, a patent for a portable sander with a “dust collection system” was issued, which described using a fan mounted on the motor axis to suck up dust and blow it into a bag. In the 1940’s, little changed to the design of the belt sanding machines. The machines were still expensive, and mainly used by professionals. The advertisements continued to point out the advantage regarding to hand-sanding, which indicates that the machines were not widely used yet. (See Figure 3) 6
Figure 2. 1929 advertisment for the Take-about sander
Figure 3. 1943 advertisement for the Guild sander
In the next years, finishing sanders were a rapidly growing market. Sanders became more popular and appeared in all kinds of shapes, including machines that were to be powered by a power drill.
1950’s: Finishing / orbital sanders In 1948, the company Dremel (from the well-known multitool) started advertising with a small sanding machine that used a reciprocating sanding pad to produce a smoother and more delicate finish, at an affordable price. The machine was also suitable for getting into corners and “awkward places”. The ‘Moto-sander’ also one of the first to use plastic in the housing. A few years later, Dremel offered a second version of the Moto-sander, the heavy duty ‘model 2000’. By doing this, they were one of the first to make a distinction between the home user and the professional user.
This period was characterised by the growing interest in DIY and home improvement. Manufacturers began focusing more on this group, as can be seen from the Black&Decker ‘Home-Utility’ logo (see Figure 6) Finishing sanders from this period used two types of motion; the orbital action and the reciprocal (or straight-line) action. The latter was known to have a better finish on wood, since it would only leave sanding marks in the direction of the wood grain. That is of course, if one would use the machine in the right direction. A third category of machines (‘dual action’) incorporated both techniques, allowing the user to choose between them with the flick of a switch.
In 1951, the German company Festo introduced the first Orbital sander, the Festo RTK. This was a relatively small machine on which sanding paper was clamped to the sanding surface, and used small orbital motion to sand the surface.
Throughout the 1950’s, the most used material was sill aluminium, although some plastic was used. The Weller Power Sander from 1956 was an early all-plastic bodied sander. This entailed the advantage of not having to ground the machine electrically, which had been the case with aluminium bodies.
Figure 4. Festo RTK, the first orbital sander
Figure 5. 1948 ad for Dremel´s Moto-sander
Figure 6. 1952 Black&Decker ‘Home-utility’ logo
7
1960’s
1970’s and 1980’s
In the 1960’s, electric motors used in sanders became more efficient and more reliable. Belt sanders were not just used by professionals anymore, but dropped in price and became more popular for the home user. An article on belt sanders from the magazine Popular Science from 1963 stated: “Belt sanders, once an expensive tool used only by professionals, have been coming steadily down in price. With models selling for as little as $40, the belt sander has become practical for home-shop use”.
In this period, electronic speed regulation and control appear in power tools. Automatic tracking systems for belt sanders appear in the market. Bodies of sanding machines are mainly made from plastic, but the aesthetics do not change dramatically. In 1976, Festo develops the first known random orbit sander. It is a pneumatic machine, intended for use in workshops. It is only until the late 1980’s that the first electric versions of this type of sander appear.
Vacuum cleaner attachments for dust extraction started to become a common feature from this period on. Also, bench stands for mounting the sander as a stationary tool were often provided.
In 1987, Makita launches a series of cordless woodworking machines including a cordless orbital sander.
In 1965, Rockwell launched an early version of the palm sander. Their Speed-Bloc featured a square sanding pad and a palm-grip, which allowed for sanding in difficult corners. The machine was also exceptionally fast, moving at 12.000 orbits a minute. It was one of the first orbital action sanders that matched the quality of straight-line sanders.
Figure 7. 1963 illustration of a belt sander
8
Figure 8. The Rockwell Speed-Bloc, 1965
1990’s and 2000’s In this period, electronic speed regulation and control appear in power tools. This means that the sanding speed can In the early 1990’s, both Bosch and PorterCable introduce electric random orbit sanders. These type of sanders combine the strength of belt sanders and orbital sanders. This new product group becomes popular in a relatively short period of time. In 1998, Black&Decker introduces the ‘Mouse’ orbital palm sander. Its shape is inspired by the ergonomic computer mouse. This product becomes the archetype for the productgroup palm sanders (or now often referred to as multi sanders) For the last ten years, the styling of sanders and particularly palm sanders has changed dramaticallly. For the past five years, cordless sanding machines have taken up a significant role in the sander market.
Figure 9. The Black&Decker Mouse, launched in 1998
Figure 10. Advertisment of the first PorterCable electric random orbit sander
9
timeline
1929 introduction of the first portable hand sander, the Porter Cable “take-about sander” by Art Emmons
& product family tree
Porter cable’s 503 “locomotive”
1956 Weller Powersander
1948 First reciprocating semi palm-held sander, the Dremel Moto-sander
1934 First dust collection system
1951 First hand-held orbital sander by Festo (Festool)
1934 Belt driven sanders
1930
1965 First “Palm-type” sander, the “Speed-bloc” by Rockwell
1940
1950
1968 Electronic speed control by Black&Decker
1960
1970
PRODUCT PHASES 1965 Availability of micro-electronics 1940 World War 2
10
1950 DIY and home improvement gain popularity
1960 First MOS transistor 1970 Integrated Cicuits prices drop and appear in consumer products
1976 First eccentric sander by Festo (pneumatic)
1989 First electric random orbit sanders
1994 Introduction “Delta sander”, Bosch PDA 100
1998 Black&Decker Mouse
1987 First cordless orbital sander by Makita
1980
1990
2000
2010
1991 Lithium-ion batteries 1989 Nickel Metal-Hydride batteriesBatteries
11
price development Price development of Belt sanders over time corrected for inflation
€ 400 Lowest Price
Highest Price
€ 350 € 300 € 250 € 200 € 150 € 100 € 50
12
2005
2000
1995
1990
1985
1980
1975
1970
1965
1960
1955
1950
€0
Price development of Orbit sanders over time corrected for inflation
€ 400 Lowest Price
Highest Price
€ 350 € 300 € 250 € 200 € 150 € 100 € 50
2005
2000
1995
1990
1985
1980
1975
1970
1965
1960
1955
1950
€0
13
product phases
14
awareness individualisation segmentation itemisation optimisation performance
Performance From the invention of the first portable sander on, the product only stays in the performance phase shortly. The functionality of the product is pretty good in the first place, and later versions of competitors focus alread on new features, reliability and ergonomics. Optimisation The optimisation phase starts with the arrival of a competitor, who introduces a dust collection system. Other improvements deal with reliability and ergonomics. During this phase however, only two serious competitors are on the market. The product is still very expensive, but price competition can be observed. Itemisation As soon as 1940, eleven years after the first product, styling begins to play a role in the product development. Warranties and service are more common in this phase. However, the number of competitors is significantly higher than in the previous phase. Segmentation With the development of other products for other applications, the segmentation phase has begun. A few years into the phase, some competitors start to offer different models for different end users. This continues to happen during the rest of the product’s evolution history. Individualisation The product group of sanders is not anywhere near the product phase Individualisation. Would it be imaginable that eveyone wants his own customised sanding machine? There is already enough choice on the current market, and sanding machines are not product that are subject to fashion.
newness functionality product development styling number of competitors pricing production promotion service ethics
+ + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + +
+ + + + +
+ + + + + + + +
product comparison In this chapter, Metabo orbital sanders will be compared to two competitors, knowing Makita and Bosch. These products are all orbital sanders in the same price category. (€100to €210)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Newness Functionality and reliability Technology Number of parts Ergonomics Safety Assortment/ is there much choice? Adaptability to consumer wishes and ethics Product development Styling Integration of form Number of competitors Price Production Assembly Promotion Influence of the consumer on the final product Service organisation
Apart from the styling, all three products have the same functionality. Reliability is something that should be a point of interest when designing a new Metabo, especially regarding the competitors. Electronic speed control should be considered in new tools. This is not of interest, all competitors are on the same level. Ergonomics are important, but currently all score equally. All products have to meet the same safety legislation Metabo schould expand their assortment a little more when looking at Makita and Bosch. All competitors score equally In order to be more competative, product development should have a higher priority. The Metabo clearly underperforms when it comes to styling. This should be better in new products. Metabo outperforms both competitors on this level Metabo competes with both high-end and mid-end brands. Choosing the right strategy is of great importance Pricewise, Metabo should stay just under the prices of Makita and Bosch All competitors score the same, there is not much to gain here. All competitors score the same, there is not much to gain here. Metabo should not do more promotion than its competitors. In this market, promotion is not very important. All competitors score the same on this. In order to innovate, Metabo could involve customers more. Metabo would benefit from a better service program, it would help competing with the high-end brands. 15
Ruud Baaijens, 2012
