Articles
Multitasking With Brand Loyalty
SureFire LLC (Fountain Valley, California) has found one name in machine tools it can trust, and therefore, has invested in several different types of machines with at least one thing in common—the name "Index" in large letters written on the machines’ bodies.
Read MoreKao Ming Industrial Co.,
VIGOR teams up with our CNC Machining Center supplier, Kao Ming, to assist you with your various types of milling applications. Kao Ming Machinery Industrial Co. , Ltd.
Read MoreMaking It Big In Small Parts
This New Hampshire manufacturer is an expert in manufacturing small, complex parts. Having a niche is one solid strategy for survival, but it takes dedication, focus and technology to pull it off.
Read MoreOnline Tool Enables Company To Refocus
Perma-Brass, Inc. (Plymouth, Michigan) has had to make strategic changes in its manufacturing in order to survive. These changes included implementing new technologies, such as MFG.com (Atlanta, Georgia), to find new customers.
Read MoreSwiss Democracy
Many builders of Swiss-type moving headstock machines have introduced models that do not require the use of a guide bushing to support the workpiece.
Read MoreWhirling As A Separate Operation
For those looking for a faster, more economical method of producing bone screws, whirling as a separate operation may be an option.
Read MoreInventory Control Systems For The Shop
An ongoing effort towards more efficient operations drove this shop to take a closer look at indirect material usage, subsequently leading to implementation of a new system for tracking toolroom inventory.
Read MoreNumbers –The Delta Is The Difference
Numbers carry far more information than their value or size. Numbers can be thought of as having three dimensions or aspects: 1) the numeric value (arguably, the least important to the shop owner); 2) the delta (change) it represents in the quantity being measured; and 3) the vector or direction of the difference of that change from the preceding value or target (benchmark).
Read MoreMember Profile: Gormac Products Inc.
Gormac Products Inc. of Racine, Wisconsin had its roots in the George Gorton Machine Company, which was founded in 1894 by George Gorton II. Initially, the company produced disc grinders and pantograph engraving machines. But over the years, the inventive Mr. Gorton built a wide variety of machine tools and equipment that enabled his customers to be more productive.
Read MoreWhere Is Your Profitability Engineer
Go to any business and ask, "Who is responsible for generating profits?" You’ll typically get a limited number of answers. "Of course, it’s the boss" is the typical response. "The chief accountant or controller" is another common reply. While both "the boss" and the chief accountant are accountable for the company’s profit or loss, you may find that, in most companies, the profitability engineer is not the boss.
Read MoreSupporting Lean Manufacturing With Digital Photographic Internal Audits
Visual management has been and will continue to be a key driver in the manufacturing world. Lean principles are predicated on visual activities. 5S — the building block of all lean activities — is based on the motto, "A place for everything and everything in its place." Cellular manufacturing focuses on isolating machinery and tools within an area of the plant in order to increase efficiency. Alarms, flashing lights and other poka-yoke techniques are visual assurances of compliance in work cells.
Read MoreWaste Management
As an avid gardener, I always notice the plantings and landscaping when I make visits to manufacturing shops. The foundation plantings, shrubs and the neat appearance of the landscaping are meant to convey a positive image about the plant, the premises, the company and its people. However, I seldom take photos of the landscaping on my visits. What I really long for is a photo of a nice trash dumpster.
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