Is This Mold Making Money?

In just five years since Don Dumoulin purchased Precise Tooling Solutions, the company has purchased a five-axis machine that has opened new contract-job opportunities, and its production mix is now more varied due to extra capacity. Revenue lost to scrap and rework dropped from $225,000 in 2014 to $40,000 last year.

While Mr. Dumoulin admits that the transition has not always been comfortable, he was able to accomplish these feats without changing the fundamentals of how machining has been done at the company for the past four decades. What has changed is the company’s approach to strategic decision-making. To gather information for these decisions, Mr. Dumoulin invested in the E2 Shop System enterprise resource planning (ERP) system from Shoptech Software. Read more from the May issue cover story.

Also in this issue of Modern Machine Shop:

• In 2017, global real machine tool consumption was $82.9 billion, which was an increase of 4.5 percent. This was the most significant increase in global machine tool consumption since 2011.
• The two-spindle VMC can double the output where space and other factors are constrained. W-axis compensation eliminates the need for much of the care that has traditionally been associated with using two spindles at once.
• With more the 35 years of grinding experience, one machinist invented and installed a system a simple system to alleviate chronic pain associated with standing.
• A machine tool app enables shops facing urgent service requests to find independent service providers quickly, much like an Uber app.
• Using a laser to track and record axis movement and tool-tip position enables users to maintain accuracy of large machine structures.
• Programmable rotary units built into a double-sided tombstone extend unattended operation and add flexibility to palletized machining cells.

Read the May 2018 digital edition.