Back in the late ‘90’s when MTH Tool Co. first considered incorporating multi-tasking machine technology into its shop’s pump manufacturing operations, most people thought that multi-tasking equipment was too cumbersome to setup and difficult to program. Fortunately, Tim Tremain, President of MTH, ignored those concerns and installed the shop’s first multi-tasking machine tool with gantry robot in 1998.
Tremain hasn’t looked back since, because with that technology, the Plano, Illinois-based shop has all but eliminated work in progress (WIP), reduced the need for any in-process work handling and significantly increased its output without additional equipment or machining personnel. All while slashing job setup time, improving part tolerances and boosting concentricity in addition to ensuring process consistency.
Before the multi-tasking machines, the shop relied on single-process turning machines and six-pallet horizontal machining centers with 120-tool magazines. This manufacturing strategy, unfortunately, resulted in time-wasting bottlenecks as the parts moved between each single-process machine. According to Tremain, the shop would have three or four containers worth of material just sitting in limbo between turning and milling operations.