"...reduced turnaround from 3-4 weeks to 1 week"
"...tool life was 1000-1500 (cycles)... NOW our tool life is 12,000+ (cycles)"
"...with a completely different tool design... our tool life has increased 30-50%""...reduced cycle time from 4.0 sec. to 2.8 sec."
"...have helped cut our tool expense by approximately $325,000 last year."
Tier 1 Supplier of Automotive Engine Components:
Since we have been working with West Ohio Tool, we have seen some very good results. For example:
- Our carbide tipped milling cutters:
-Regrind of these in the past was done manually and with a 3-4 week turnaround. Now, West Ohio Tool regrinds them on a CNC machine and gives us a 1 week turnaround.
-Because of the 1 week turnaround, we do not keep as many tools in process. Therefore, our tool inventory is lower.
-Due to CNC grinding, we have shortened our cycle time from 16.5 seconds down to 15 seconds and still were able to double our tool life.
- This tool used to be a big headache to us with short tool life. We asked West Ohio Tool to take a look at the tool design, the actual machining process, the coating, etc., and make some recommendations that will help. Our tool life was 1000-1500 and we constantly fought burrs on the parts. Now our tool life is 12,000 plus and no burrs.
- Solid carbide step drills
- Regrind and new tool manufacturing of these tools took forever (16-22 weeks). We had an extremely high quantity of these in process due to long lead times. Since we switched to West Ohio Tool, our tool inventory has dropped considerably. Regrind and recoat turn around time is now 2-3 weeks. New step drills are manufactured, coated, and delivered in normally 4-6 weeks. They have been known to get us new tools in a week.
- We used to throw out our cutting taps after 1 use. West Ohio Tool suggested that we regrind and recoat them and now we get 4 regrinds out of them before throwing them out.
- In the past this was a HSS tool and our previous regrinder could not regrind the tool consistently - the center of the tool was always blowing out. The first step West Ohio Tool took was a proper regrind. As a result, our tool life increased and we started ordering fewer new tools from our previous supplier. Then they proposed that we change the tool from HSS to carbide and to increase the flute lengths to allow for more regrinds on the tool. West Ohio made both of these changes and the cost was still less than the HSS tool.
- Originally we asked West Ohio Tool to regrind these reamers for us. We had been struggling trying to regrind them in-house along with the manufacturer. One of the great things that West Ohio Tool does for their customers is assess the tool (design, material, etc.), the material being machined, and the cutting conditions in general. After much research, they came back to us with a completely different tool design. We have been implementing their new tools little-by-little and our tool life has increased 30-50%. The tool cost is over 50% cheaper with a 4-6 week delivery time as opposed to 16-20 week lead time for the CBN reamers.
West Ohio Tool is definitely a quality tool supplier that customizes tooling to a specific application.
B.W. - Asst. Production Manager
Screw Machine Manufacturing – Supplier of Automotive Engine Components:
We have 11 screw machines and when we called West Ohio Tool, we were running a 4.0 second cycle time and eating up drills like candy. WOT came in and evaluated the situation and went to work. When the smoke cleared and the dust settled, we had made the following changes:
- complete point geometry changes
- changed drill manufacturer
- changed to different type of coolant
- reduced cycle time from 4.0 sec. to 2.8 sec.
- reduced cost of new drill from $80 each to $20 each
- reduced quantity of drill regrind from 350 to 400 every other day to 350 drills 1 time per week.
I can say that West Ohio Tool is a very large asset to our business. They responded immediately and worked diligently to resolve our problems. Their approach to the situation was very strong teamwork oriented and kept us involved every step of the way.
R.H. - Machining Dept. Engineer
Automotive Transmission Manufacturer:
With the help of West Ohio Tool, our machining department has accomplished to what has seemed to be impossible. West Ohio has helped us understand cutting theories and applications like no one company has been able to accomplish. Their basic theories have proven to work tremendously in our high volume manufacturing of automotive braking components.
With West Ohio's technical support and outstanding service, they have helped us cut our cutting tool expense by approximately $325,000 last year. This figure accounts for an increase of tool life by 65%, faster cycle times and improved finishes on all of our cutting surfaces.
West Ohio has earned our greatest respect and is currently manufacturing 90% of all our solid carbide tooling, and 100% brazing of our brazed insert milling cutters. When we receive new CNC machinery, West Ohio has earned our trust to soley make 100% of the cutting tools for the trials of mass production. The quality and service that our firm receives from West Ohio is bar none.
C.S. - Tool Engineer
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