CNC Machinery Online Information

Six-Axis Swiss-Turn CNC Lathes Boost Precision Shop’s Profit Margins By 50%

to make complex parts in one setup, with greater flexibility and faster turnaround on short run work, is a major advantage over cam-driven Swiss machines.

Instead of sacrificing its future growth to conventional technology, one precision machine shop has profited from new CNC (Computer Numerical Control) Swiss machines. Devon Precision Industries (Wolcott, CT) has expanded its capabilities by acquiring three Conquest® ST220 six-axis Swiss-turn CNC lathes from Hardinge Inc. (Elmira, NY). All purchased within the past three years, the CNC Swiss machines have enabled Devon to generate more profit on short run jobs. These demanding precision jobs for medical, automotive, telecommunications, and aerospace customers now represent about 5% of Devon’s business, and their share is increasing.

Devon brought in their first Hardinge lathe after trials comparing its performance with three other CNC Swiss machine manufacturers. The company sent blueprints for the same trial part to each potential supplier. After the parts were delivered, Devon’s representatives visited the manufacturers’ facilities, verified the data, and conducted a spares availability test. Because Hardinge outperformed the other suppliers in the performance testing and support evaluations, Devon placed the order with them.

Devon’s migration to CNC machines from conventional cam-driven Swiss machines reflects the changing nature of today’s workforce. Currently, more workers are experienced in CNC machine operation, with programs stored in computers and downloaded to the machines. In addition, Hardinge was included in Devon’s initial short list because they were already a reliable supplier of collets for Devon’s conventional Swiss machines. According to Devon president Yvon Desaulniers, Hardinge is the only U.S. manufacturer of this type of machine. “We had negative downtime experiences in the past because we had to wait for parts,” he says. “So we made spares availability a part of our vendor evaluation.”

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