Do you believe in magic?

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END USER: Single Source Inc., (574) 656-3400, www.singlesourceinc.us. CHALLENGE: Reduce programming and setup times when producing increasingly complex parts. SOLUTION: A combination of CAD/CAM software and mill/turn machines. SOLUTION PROVIDERS: DMG/Mori Seiki USA Inc., (877) 275-6674, www.dmgmoriseikiusa.com; DP Technology Corp., (805) 388-6000, www.dptechnology.com; Ellison Technologies, (630) 393-8900, www.ellisontechnologies.com

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Courtesy of DP Technology

Programmer Nathan Ellinger uses ESPRIT CAM software from DP Technology to program a part for machining on a DMG/Mori Seiki NT-1000 mill/turn machine at Single Source.

A job shop can seem like a magical breeding ground. After all, job shops turn daydream concepts into physical parts—with nary an abracadabra to boot. Single Source Inc. is one such place where parts are born.

Founded in 2001 by co-owners Tom Moore and Greg Singleton, the North Liberty, Ind., manufacturer specializes in producing fixtures and tooling for the automotive and other industries, as well as medical implants and instrumentation. “We like to lead with quality, and quality is everything,” Singleton said. “We see that the industry is changing and, considering the competition and economy, we have to find ways to set ourselves apart.”

That requires machining increasingly complex and challenging parts quicker and less expensively. “If our pricing is not right, we won’t even get a shot at the job,” Moore said.

To tackle those demands, Single Source decided to purchase its first mill/turn machine about a year ago. After researching its options, the shop purchased an NT-1000 multitask machine from DMG/Mori Seiki USA Inc., Hoffman Estates, Ill. According to Moore, Single Source’s relationship with DMG/Mori Seiki and Ellison Technologies, an equipment distributor and provider of engineering services in Warrenville, Ill., led to the purchase. “What those guys do for us is exactly the way we like to approach and do work for our customers,” he said, noting that Single Source has since purchased a second NT-1000. “It’s striving for the highest quality, best product and best support.”

The shop also needed software to program parts for multitask machining and drive the mill/turn machine, and the involvement of DP Technology Corp., the Camarillo, Calif.-based developer of ESPRIT CAD/CAM software, with the machine tool builder influenced Single Source’s software purchase. Moore added that DP Technology also has a similar approach to customer relations.