Premier Machining Industries (PMI) has a wide variety of advanced machining equipment in its Midland, North Carolina facility, including VMCs, HMCs, Swiss-types, grinding machines and a waterjet. In addition, Ron Mullis, company president, says the shop strives to complete parts in one setup on one machine to minimize handling and work in process. In fact, the video below shows an aluminum component being machined complete on PMI’s five-axis turn-mill with sub-spindle.
However, PMI also uses advanced software to its advantage. One notable example is its enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, which enables real-time monitoring of production flow. The ERP system offers shopfloor personnel access to current workpiece location and stage of production at any point during the process. The system also enables automated work order and purchase order generation, and facilitates forecasting. A production scheduling capability provides complete control of the workflow to eliminate bottlenecks or guesswork from scheduling as well as to help ensure orders are accurately priced and quoted. In addition, the ERP system is equipped with a messaging system that automatically notifies key employees of activities occurring throughout the production process.
The prime value of this type of system is that it makes it easy to access important process information at the time the information is needed. This is important not only for the shop’s employees, but also its customers. As product manufacturers look to reduce the number of vendors they use, they are more likely to work with suppliers that are more responsive, reactive and flexible. This is only possible when process information is readily available to shop employees.
Company Description
Premier Machining Industries (PMI) has provided quality precision machining, fabrication, welding and assembly services for more than 40 years. Its manufacturing technology is housed in a 37,000-square-foot, climate-controlled facility. The shop employs 70 skilled workers and operates on two shifts.
Over the years, PMI has continued its controlled growth by specializing in high quality, competitive pricing and on-time delivery. Its ISO 9001:2008 certification helps to maintain these goals as it strives to exceed customer expectations. PMI offers other additional services to customers, including, but not limited to, JIT delivery, kanban, part stocking programs, lights-out production and high speed machining. It also ships products around the world.
