Makino Machines Decreased Costs and Increased Throughput and Quality for a Wisconsin Tool Maker.

Capacity/overcapacity is often used as an excuse not to invest in new technology. But, Quadra Industrial Manufacturing and Engineering in Sturtevant, Wisconsin, discovered that investment is a must for acquiring the right capability to meet customer demands for quality, speed and cost-effectiveness while competing on an international level.

Of the 27 CNC machines found in their shop, four Makino vertical machines—a V33, two V55's and an SNC64—handle 75 percent of Quadra's cavity work. With these Makino machines, the company is performing jobs that they could not have ever completed with their older equipment.

"Before, we had plenty of capacity, but didn't have the capability," said Eric Kind, marketing and project manager. "With the Makino equipment, we're not just replacing the older machines, we are adding capability."

Quadra's lead times have dropped. It used to take up to 16 weeks to manufacture a large, multi-cavity tool for the automotive industry. Now it takes only 8 weeks to complete that same job.

"With these machines we're getting more out the door, and with better results," said Mario Lopez, senior programmer.

A Diverse Product Mix [back to top]
Quadra is no newcomer to the molding business. The company has been around for 49 years, since its beginnings in a "little tin hut." Now 50 employees strong, they build rubber injection molding tools used in the medical, automotive, electrical, toy and household industries. In addition, the company has its own injection molding operation—Limtech Incorporated—located right next door.

This market variety has kept the company out of trouble during tough economic times. But recently, the Makino machines have given Quadra's business an additional jump-start.

On the Makino V33, Quadra made a tool for a spark plug boot that is found on almost every General Motors truck. It was an eight-cavity tool, hard milled, with very little EDMing required.

"There was no way we could have done that job without the V33," said Tony Ellingson, manufacturing manager. "We couldn't have even approached it, because of the longer cycle times on our conventional machines, versus the high speeds we get with Makino."

Phenomenal Results [back to top]
Quadra has noticed a 75 percent cycle time reduction on the Makino machines versus running their older equipment. They are also able to machine unattended for several days at a time with no problems. This is something they would not have considered doing before.

"The Makino machines are phenomenal," said Ellingson. "The accuracy is always there. There is no thermal expansion and the heat control is perfect."

On the Makino V55, Quadra manufactured a mold for an electrical enclosure seal. This tool was very small, with 80 cavities and tight tolerances. The quality from the V55 was such that the part needed no EDM machining.

On Quadra's silicone molding jobs, a high quality finish is imperative. The Makino machines accept programming for tighter tolerances and better finishes and then manipulate this information in an economical way. This was the case on a prototype rubber part for a fireman's facemask that was machined on the V33. No polishing and very little EDM machining was needed for this part. Quadra also manufacturers molds for aviation components on the V33, achieving similar results.

"These are projects I don't think we could have touched without the Makino's, including many we do for Limtech," said Ellingson. "These were items that we would initially EDM. Now we are turning out prototype tools in two or three days."

In fact, bench work on most jobs has been reduced 90-95 percent and the finishes are much better than what was achieved on the older machines. Quadra has gone from two polishers, to one—allowing them to reallocate resources elsewhere. Because there are no quality issues, lead-times are more precise.

"We have absolutely changed our internal processes with the new equipment. The way we manufacture a product is completely different because of how the material can be removed and because of the quality finish achieved," said Ellingson.

Cycle times are at least 75 percent lower than with conventional machines. In addition, Quadra is running cutting feed rates of over 400 inches per minute (ipm), where the older machines couldn't get over 30 ipm. Delivery times are predictable and achieved on time.

"Bottom line, it takes less time for a job to go through the shop with our Makino machine. You can directly relate lead-time to costs," said Kind.

"It's all about throughput—the amount of time the product stays in the machines. The best thing is that we've reduced it—we get things in and out and completed with no sacrifice to quality," said Ellingson. "Quadra employees and customers are amazed by the accuracy and finish. The results from the Makino machines are rock-solid."

"You get a predictable result, in terms of quality, and that is a big benefit—it shows up in the steel," said Kind.

Deciding Factors [back to top]
One of the key items used to select a machine for purchase is the ease of installation and ability to get the machine immediately operational. Quadra was very satisfied with the installation and technology transfer that came with the Makino machines. This training proved to the people running the machines—who had been used to working with conventional rather than high-speed machines—that the machines would work on their applications, and work well.

"We were very interested in making sure we had the right equipment, the right tooling, the right end mills, and the right foot forward to succeed at what we were trying to do," said Kind. "With Makino, we not only bought the machine, we got all their support and all their technology, and that was the deciding factor in putting a Makino on our shop floor."

One of the challenges Quadra faced when switching from conventional to high-speed machining was adapting to programming. The older equipment in their shop cuts at a slower feed rate with much longer cycle times, so employees program ahead of the machines while they run. With the Makino machines, the cycle time is significantly lower, so more programming time is completed up front.

"You can have the best machine in the world, but if you can't program it, you won't get out of the machine what you need or want it to do," said Ellingson. "So it's so crucial to have good programming along with a good machine."

The company is learning to adjust for this enhanced programming requisite when scheduling, according to Lopez. "Even with the additional programming hours necessary to feed the Makino machines, which is substantive, we are still saving time and driving out costs.

"We have cut 50 percent off of our previous delivery times. Using such software as SolidWorks2003™ and Vero Machining Strategist™, we are able to coordinate a steady workflow. As Quadra continues to improve our programming capabilities through technology transfer from Makino, the results we are gaining are obvious."

Global Competition & Survival [back to top]
Quadra knows that keeping up on technology is imperative for competing on a global scale. While many machines last a long time, Quadra needs to stay current with technology for the company to be on the cutting edge. Therefore, upgrading is an absolute necessity.

"If we clung to our previous machines and focused only on those, we would probably be out of business today," said Kind. "If state-of-the-art passes you up, you have to make a change regardless of the age of your equipment."

"The companies who are not using high speed machining won't be in business for long because they cannot keep their costs competitive," said Ellingson.

Kind says this type of investment will get Quadra to the next level of competition. If they do not move to that next level, they will become extinct just like the dinosaur.

Are improvements in quality, time and technology enough to offset costs and keep a business competitive? That depends. Ellingson knows some customers are driven 100 percent on price. But others see the whole picture, recognizing that while it may be cheaper to buy a product overseas, there are other risks involved such as issues with shipment interruptions, mold repairs and maintenance issues.

Quadra has already seen this first-hand. Two years ago, prior to investing in Makino machines, Quadra lost a 40-year customer who took their work to Taiwan. While the upfront price of making this tool overseas has been low for the customer, issues with quality have added cost later and have lengthened delivery time. This has caused them to send their foreign-made tools to Quadra for additional repairs and changes.

Ellingson believes foreign competition will soon become more than just a dollar issue for some companies and that some discrepancies with quality could turn things back around in favor of U.S. manufacturers. Now that Quadra has its investment in Makino technology, they are ready to challenge such foreign manufacturers. Recently, they began work on a tool design for that former customer.

Even more than global competition, a bigger challenge for Quadra is that their success depends on the survival of large manufacturers on whom they depend for tooling jobs. In recent years, many of these companies have moved out of southeastern Wisconsin, taking with them the types of work Quadra competes for. Eventually, this will force Quadra to find global customers, and that will be a daunting transition from a company rooted in Midwestern manufacturing.

"If our end-manufacturers go out of business," said Kind, "then we have problems. The question is how do we keep our customers in business, so that we can continue being in business? We believe the answer is to invest in and compete with technology like the Makino machines, and to challenge our customers to do the same in their business."

"My boss always used to say that the key to this industry is having controlled over-capacity, and that is true," said Ellingson. "If we replace the rest of our older conventional equipment with more Makino machines, we will have the reserve capacity to meet any peak demands."

Ellingson concludes the bottom line philosophy at Quadra is that the product is in the machine for less time in a Makino than any other competitive machine in the shop. That helps them achieve even more capacity than they have already seen, with capability that is keeping them on top of their global competition.

Quadra International Manufacturing and Engineering can be contacted at 1810 Renaissance Boulevard, Sturtevant, Wisconsin 53177-1743. Phone: 262-417-1301 FAX: 262-417-1311 e-Mail: EKind@quadrainc.com.

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