Twin cutter boring head reveals more value over time

Just in time (JIT) manufacturing, by nature, increases setups and shrinks batch sizes. This puts shops in a bind, because more setups and smaller batches are typically less profitable; but saying “no” to work can be even more painful. The burden to search out creative ways to reduce cycle and setup time in order to realize a profit falls to the shops that commonly perform JIT work and on the shops that can’t afford to turn it down when the opportunity arises.

A&L Machine’s groove tool.

A&L Machine, a shop that serves primarily the energy sector and its often on-demand needs, is always on the lookout for ways to expedite critical processes. For Allen Dvoracek, A&L Machine president, this occasionally means travelling to suppliers for a firsthand look at how their products work.

One such trip took Dvoracek to Europe to visit a machine tool builder. But, it was a side trip to Switzerland that proved most fruitful. Dvoracek swung through Rǖmlang, Switzerland, and KAISER Precision Tooling’s headquarters in search of insight into how Swiss toolmakers are addressing high-cost JIT production.

While on the tour, Dvoracek saw a demonstration of SW Twin Cutter heads, but the KAISER representative made a point to show that this body could facilitate much more than just common boring jobs. He demonstrated face grooving, balanced- and stepped-boring, and even compatibility with insert holders for back boring and chamfering. That got Dvoracek thinking about a challenging feature that A&L is often called on to produce that requires two different types of tools, and makes for long, complex cycles.