Going Above and Beyond When You Need a Swiss Machine Shop
At United Centerless Grinding and Thread Rolling, we’re not limited to one specialty. We combine complementary processes under one roof to simplify your projects and reduce your lead times. That can be especially helpful when you need a Swiss machine shop, but precision, efficiency, and throughput are all equally important to your project.
In one recent project, a customer came to us with a need for a high-volume part as soon as possible. They also needed us to help reverse engineer it, as well. Learn how we supported them through the quoting process and helped them build a path to production.
The Challenge: Reverse-Engineering a Complex Part
This customer approached our team with a need for a critical component, but they could find only two manufacturers in the country, both with two-year lead times. They brought us the part for reverse engineering, and we found it was an assembly of three pieces with a variety of demanding features.
The part had difficult geometry and tight tolerances that required careful process planning. This includes multiple groove features in the head area that are also set down in between two flanges. There is also what is similar to a hose barb configuration at the opposite end of the part. Not only that, they were looking for extremely high volumes and the lowest possible lead time and cost.
To make this part viable at scale, we knew we had to determine the best possible manufacturing process.
The Solution: Combined Capabilities for an Optimized Process
Designing the Right Blank
For a part like this, process efficiency is critical. Our first priority was to work with the customer to design the best starting blank. We developed a plan that used Swiss precision machining to create a blank that would then move to centerless grinding for the most intricate features. That approach allowed us to balance precision and throughput, because grinding often delivers the fastest cycle times for these features.
Custom Tooling to Cut Lead Times
Custom tooling played a major role in keeping this project efficient. The blank design included two small grooves with sharp edges, and we built a special tool to machine those grooves in a single shot. Many shops would have to outsource tooling like this, which can add days or weeks to a timeline. But we can produce tooling in-house, allowing us to move faster.
Specialized Grinding
We were also ready to support the process with our specialized grinding capabilities. Because several features were small and held to tight tolerances, we manufactured a crush roll in-house to form the profile.
Automation for Reduced Pricing
Once our manufacturing strategy was set, we tried to maximize automation to help keep the part’s price as low as possible. At UCGTR, we continually invest in automation to help improve stability and reduce handling. Our automation helped to maximize output and support their volume requirements.
The Result: A Reliable Path Forward on a Difficult Part
The customer was impressed not only by our ability to reverse engineer the part, but by how many steps we could consolidate at our shop. They saw that partnering with United Centerless Grinding and Thread Rolling would improve their lead time while reducing their risk. We’re now partnering with them on this project and helping them to scale quickly to their volume needs.
Simplify Your Next Project at Our Swiss Machine Shop
Do you have a complex project that requires multiple manufacturing processes? We’d love to help you reduce handoffs and improve your efficiency. UCGTR goes beyond the capabilities of a Swiss machine shop by handling precision centerless grinding, wire EDM machining, and more. UCGTR is built to support you by doing as much as possible with a single partner.
Request a quote today and let’s simplify your next project!
