Contact Us
Contract Manufacturer Slashes Set Up Time with Swiss
- Industry: Medical Manufacturing
- Process: Swiss Turning
- MGI Division: Rem Sales
- Customer: More Information
- Outcome: With all of the TMU1's features in play, Tier One can now machine the gear housing part complete in one setup, reducing cycle time by about 40 percent.
» Challenge
Kendro Laboratory Products, an established producer of centrifuges, decided in 2003 to consolidate operations and eliminate its Newtown, Connecticut facility responsible for the production of motors, rotors and other precision parts. Several ambitious managers from the machining department proposed that they continue to manufacture and become Kendro's vendor. Tier One LLC was soon born. Today, Kendro remains a loyal customer as Tier One has grown and diversified its customer base. Transitioning from an OEM to a contract shop spurred the need for a more agile environment at Tier One.
» Solution
Don Stankus, Director of Manufacturing and stake holder spearheaded the mission. "Contemporary Swiss-type turning centers with live tools seemed like a smart solution or perhaps a mill/turn center of some sort," says Stankus. "One of the machines that piqued our interest at the IMTS show and which we ultimately installed was the TMU1 from Tsugami." The TMU1 is a 1.5" diameter capacity Swiss-type machine with a unique feature - a fully automatic 60-station (118 optional) tool changer serving its independent 7.5 hp milling spindle. The main 15 hp spindle is a sliding head-stock Swiss-type with an adjustable guide bushing. A 16-station front turret accepts two ID tools. Other features include full front and rear C-axes, and a B-axis on the tool spindle with 210 degrees of positioning.
» Assessment
"It was certainly a different mindset when we launched Tier One because suddenly we had to redefine ourselves to be a source for the companies we wanted to attract, rather than maintaining the status quo of a captive shop" says Joe Young, one of the Tier One principals. "We initiated a strategy to stay away from work that could be generated off-shore. We wanted to be perceived as a solutions- oriented firm providing low to medium volumes of highly engineered, function-critical parts as well as design services and assemblies as required. We identified medical as one industry we could serve well, along with aerospace and electronics. One of the first contracts Tier One landed was to produce 10,000 gearbox housings for a stomach suturing instrument. The process plan called for one operation on a CNC Swiss-type turning center and two additional operations on a CNC mill.
» Results
In process on the TMU1, the turret cutters, which can either plunge or traverse as required, are delivered to the 17-4 stainless steel bar as it inches out through the bar stock guide bushing. The 16-tool turret services both the main and sub spindle for the backworking functions. “With all of the TMU1 features in play, we can now machine that gear housing part complete in one setup, reducing our cycle time by about 40 percent,” says Stankus. “Deburring, which is minimal, is accomplished right in the machine, and the parts have a nice, shiny finish on them – a medical directive.”
Keywords: TMU1, Swiss turning, Medical manufacturing, Tierone, Tsugami
