IMCO Products a Complete Solution

When James Baldwin first arrived at Action Tool Inc. (a division of Gesipa) about three years ago, the company was spending about $10,000 a month on machine shop tools. Experience told him the shop was spending about two-thirds more than necessary. Baldwin carefully examined the variety of tooling the company was using and noticed that purchases were being made based on what had been used in the past. As a result, the company ended up with a large menagerie of tools with various geometries and coatings, and a wide assortment of carbide grades.

Unfortunately, in a job shop like Action Tool, such diversification means a lot of confused workers on the shop floor. Machinists end up unsure of exactly what tool works best for what application, a situation that leads to costly "trial and error" attempts. In one specific instance, for example, Baldwin says many of the company's parts require close-tolerance keyways. The keyways require proper sizing and repeatability. "Generally we work on small runs and the keyway is the last component that gets added to, say, a shaft," explains Baldwin. "If the keyway gets messed up, then you've lost all opportunity to turn a profit on that particular job."

Seeking Solutions
To help ensure that his shop would run more efficiently, Baldwin's first task was to narrow the company's purchases down to a line of tooling that "fit in" with its shop operations. After identifying the line, Baldwin planned to stock the necessary items on a monthly basis. He explains: "By narrowing it down, the workers know that if they're cutting aluminum, they'll need a certain tool, for example. I knew this would remove some of the confusion for them, and help them be more productive."

Baldwin says he sought out tooling that would not only be cost effective, but also able to perform. Once he found the right source and set off to stock his shop on a monthly basis, he quickly realized that "you can't buy everything" in a job shop, thanks to budget limitations. As special applications and needs came up, he says, he would order the specialty tools instead of trying to stock them.

"With a job shop, you have to buy tooling to fit in with a variety of materials and changing conditions," Baldwin explains. "I had to look for tooling that I refer to as 'user friendly' because of its large operating window. Meaning, the machinist on the floor can get it and know that he has a wider window [of time] in which to complete the task."

The Distributor's Role
When Baldwin went in search of the proper line of tooling to improve Action Tool's production, he called on a distributor that the company had been working with since 1984. Southeastern Manufacturing, an industrial distributor to the metal working industry, was brought in for suggestions on what line would work best. Knowing that with material applications, time frame is the biggest challenge—next to the requirement for tooling that will "hold up"—Southeastern's sales representative, Jack Ellis, recommended IMCO Carbide Tool, Inc.

"We ran their product against other manufacturers, and found that their product holds up better," recalls Ellis. "Price-wise, they were right in line with the others, but we were concerned about the quality of the tools first. These days, price is really a last detail."

Because Action Tool is a short run shop, Baldwin didn't have the luxury of witnessing any testing of "one tool against another" when it came time to make the choice to stick with the new line. "It's really just a matter of experience and feedback from the machinists on the shop floor," he explains, "If a tool doesn't perform well, we'll generally pick up on it right away."

A Uniform Approach
According to Baldwin and Ellis, the IMCO implementations has resulted in increased efficiencies and productivity for Action Tool, and has also addressed specific issues, such as the "critical point" keyway. "We previously experienced a wear factor and had problems holding the tolerance to get this final, critical step completed," says Baldwin. "We tried an IMCO end mill on it, and we no longer had those problems. Now, whenever we have a close-tolerance keyway to do, if I don't have the right sized IMCO end mill to complete the job, order one and wait for it—it makes all the difference."

Ellis adds: "In some of Action Tool's applications we've run the IMCO TiN-coated micrograin carbide end mill, and have improved tool life. In terms of tool life, we've been able to get more time out of their tools. When we went in, for example, Action Tool had some applications that were being done with high-speed steel, and we replaced them with carbide tools to improve their time and quality of work."

Overall, Baldwin says he's pleased with the results. The products he buys are "over the counter" tools that he refers to as "top of the line." Baldwin has yet to take advantage of IMCO's technical support services, but says he knows "it's there if I need it." The feedback he gets from the shop floor—as well as the recommendations he gets from Southeastern Manufacturing and Ellis—have preempted his need for technical support. The distributor's delivery times are good, he says, and Ellis provided Action Tool with service and backup as needed.

"When it comes to job shops, you can't by everything, and it is imperative that you use your tools wisely," says Baldwin. "Cheaper isn't always better, sometimes you have to pay a little bit extra for a tool because of its performance value."

Reprinted from Industrial Distribution magazine.