Walking Side-by-Side Our Customers Into the Future
Emerging industries such as space exploration or green energy are pushing the limits of innovation and developing products and technologies that are transforming our way of life. When those companies look to partner with a machine shop, evaluating the condition of the shop’s equipment is as important as the skill of the people running the machines.
Machine shops can’t produce parts for the future from nickel-based superalloys using stone age equipment. Older equipment simply can’t compete with new technology that was designed for nickel-based superalloys. It’s nearly impossible to meet the extreme accuracy and tolerances required by leading OEMs without advanced CNC machines.
Why We Only Use DMG MORI, and Why We Keep It Current
Years ago, we decided to be an exclusive DMG MORI shop. This gives us several advantages. Beyond our confidence that DMG MORI makes the most advanced CNC machines on the market, having uniform equipment also makes us more efficient. We only need to train our staff in one technology, and any of our technicians can operate any of our machines. Using the same equipment also gives us consistent, predictable performance.
We also have a philosophy of replacing our CNC turning centers after 10 years. That’s where we believe the technology curve is, and where we find equipment becomes outdated and needs to be replaced. Many machine shops won’t commit to making that type of investment.
Of course, CNC machines that are 10 years or older still have life left in them. When we replace our equipment, we often look to donate our old machines to area high schools. Our machine donations helped establish CNC labs at Shawano Community High School and Bonduel High School.
Expanded Capacity and Efficiency
Earlier this year we purchased and installed two DMG MORI NLX 4000 CNC turning centers to make complex parts up to 18-inches in diameter and increase our capacity. The machines featured the latest CELOS controls that make us more efficient by providing important performance data to support our Industry 4.0 efforts.
Around the same time, we also opened our new Engineering Center and state-of-the-art Tooling Storage Room, which automatically updates our inventory records and alerts our supplier to restock before we run out. All these enhancements are designed to streamline production and help us achieve the extreme precision, accuracy, and delivery timelines our customers require.
More Advanced CNC Machines & Capabilities on the Horizon
Our commitment to continuous improvement means we never settle for “good enough.” Through our relationship with Schneider Resources Holding, we continue to aggressively invest in the company and plan to add 5-axis mill/turn centers in the near future, diversify into other machining processes, and expand our in-house manufacturing services.
This new technology will open doors to a wider range of complex parts we can machine.
Our customers continue to push the limits of innovation and develop products and technologies that are transforming our way of life. Our commitment to being a world-class machine shop with the advanced CNC machines allows us to walk side-by-side on their journey.
Stay tuned for more updates in the coming months as our equipment capabilities continue to expand.