Hommer hits a homer with grinders

END USER: Hommer Tool and Manufacturing Inc., (847) 394-3355, www.hommer.com.
CHALLENGE: Increase complexity of ground parts while maintaining tight tolerances.
SOLUTION: CNC cylindrical grinding machines.
SOLUTION PROVIDER: United Grinding North America Inc., (937) 859-1975, www.grinding.com.

Hommer Tool and Manufacturing Inc. literally centers its operation on precision and quality. The company’s 24,000-sq.-ft. Arlington Heights, Ill., facility is laid out in a hub-and-spoke arrangement that puts QC in the center of its 11 machining departments. This strategy, along with a transition from manual to automatic OD grinding, has helped the manufacturer of custom mold-ready components succeed.

When James “JR” Hommer Jr. assumed responsibility for the company 15 years ago, its business model was to manufacture simple, round components for the injection-molding market, but customers were beginning to ask for more complex parts. Because its CNC OD grinding was basic, the company could only make pieces up to 1 ” (25.4mm) in diameter and 12 ” (279.4mm) long.

“My first major move was to hire a marketing manager,” Hommer said. “Then, out of the blue, I received a promotional mailer from a manufacturer of automated grinding machines, which put that kind of machine on my radar.”

After researching the available options, Hommer opted for the Studer line of cylindrical grinders from United Grinding North America Inc., Miamisburg, Ohio. Today, Hommer’s OD grinding department consists of five Studer machines: two S40s, an S31, a basic S33 and an S33 with B axis.

The S40 machine offers a grinding length up to 63 ” (1,600mm) and a fast direct drive of the infinite B-axis, a functionality that has created new business opportunities for the shop.

Courtesy of United Grinding North America

James “JR” Hommer Jr. (left) and Operations Manager Rick Frankowitch with a Studer S33 grinding machine.