In our December blog we discussed the benefits of custom aluminum extrusions. We also talked about two pieces of inspection equipment we had purchased for specific customer projects:
1. Optical Measurement System to inspect finished parts for one of our medical device projects.
2. LED Optical Micrometer for a high RPM telescoping 2-piece drive shaft application to measure straightness of both parts.
In both of the above examples we worked closely with the customer to select inspection tools & develop inspection procedures. Doing so helps us to launch new project prototypes in a shorter amount of time, ramp up to production quantities in less time and achieve higher yields for both ourselves and our customers.
In addition to investing in inspection tools, we are investing in new production equipment which will benefit our customers.
1. Extrusion Press – in May we were excited to announce that we had ordered a new extrusion press. Some of the benefits our customers will see are:
a. Shorter lead times
b. Increased size capability
c. Seamless tube availability
d. Reduced risk of catastrophic failure since we will now have 2 extrusion presses
2. Swiss CNC
a. Better quality
b. Lead times reduction from 9 weeks to 4.
c. Improved on-time shipments
3. Pre-Hardened Die blanks
a. Customers benefit by having shorter lead times for new dies and replacements
4. Long Bed CNC – this is equipment we are researching & evaluating actively. This will allow us to machine extrusions up to 4 meters in length. The benefits to the customer are:
a. 1-stop shopping for long length, machined aluminum extrusions
b. Reduced lead time
c. Eliminate the need to import extrusions from offshore
