Re: Survey: Has the Economy Affected Your Shop?



Kirk Gordon wrote:
BottleBob wrote:

So refresh my memory, what is it you guys make/do?


We're a job shop. We make components for medical devices (like vacuum regulators or tiny fluid/gas manifolds), scientific instruments (like gas chromatographs), and parts for auto racing (like pistons for high-perfomance shock absorbers). Over the past two years, we've been getting more and more bone screws, spinal implants, and the parts that go with them.

The company's "personality" is that we run multi-spindle mill/turn equipment, including Swiss types. We put bar stock in one end, and get finished parts out the other end - including in-process deburring, and things that most shops would consider secondary operations. We also have a couple 5 axis mills. We're good at small parts (under 6" cube, typically, and down to little needle-like things) with lots of features and dimensions, close tolerances, and difficult or tight relationships from one axis or surface to another.

We spend a lot of skill and effort on setups, but then run with very little operator intervention, and often fully unmanned for long periods. We even ship work to some of our customers' assembly plants in China.

I feel for those who are getting pinched by the economy; but for me, life is very, very busy.

KG

Kirk:

Saw the pictures of your shop. Real spiffy!

--
BottleBob
http://home.earthlink.net/~bottlbob

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Relevant Pages

  • Re: Survey: Has the Economy Affected Your Shop?
    ... And we still have red notes all over the shop schedule, ... We put bar stock in one end, and get finished parts out the other end - including in-process deburring, and things that most shops would consider secondary operations. ... We also have a couple 5 axis mills. ... We even ship work to some of our customers' assembly plants in China. ...
    (alt.machines.cnc)
  • Re: Survey: Has the Economy Affected Your Shop?
    ... We're a job shop. ... things that most shops would consider secondary operations. ... have a couple 5 axis mills. ... We even ship work to some of our customers' assembly plants in China. ...
    (alt.machines.cnc)