“Our Existing Grinder Can’t Do It…Can Yours?”
On Gaining New CustomersDuring this time of material scarcity and mills being pushed to their limits, it looks like quality is suffering even at some of the better mills.
This industry has witnessed a dramatic negative shift in both the straightness of raw materials and the tightness of tolerance that we receive (We won’t even talk about one year lead times on some products!)
It does not surprise us that we have encountered a common theme lately; the inquiry “My existing grinder says that these bars are too bent to grind, so they won’t grind them… can you?”
In most cases we say: “Yes, we can!”
There are instances where our competitors either don’t have the equipment to straighten some materials, or just don’t have the skills.
The former comes to the tune of their machines not being big enough, or lacking the calibration capabilities for desired grinding or straightening tasks.
The latter comes not only from a shortage of qualified candidates to work in mills, but employee satisfaction and retention as well. If your operators aren’t being given the right tools to do their jobs effectively… if the machines in your mills are out-dated or run poorly… they’ll seek employment elsewhere.
Mom, Dad & Baby
At Certified Grinding & Machine we have three straightening machines which I affectionately refer to as “Mom,” Dad,” and “Baby.” We are a small diameter grinding, house whereas 95% of the bars that we straighten and grind are smaller than 1” diameter.
The three straightening machines give us the ability to straighten material from .0937” diameter up to about 1.25” diameter, with some limitations based on material hardness.
Check out videos of each member of “the family” in action below:
Avoid “The Whip:” The Importance of Establishing a Stable Machining Process
Straightness is critical when grinding to tight tolerances. It is also important for stable machining processes. I am sure all of us have seen the negative impacts of the whipping of a bent bar in a machining center. It can be devastating to both the machine and the product.
Take a look at the video we uncovered of a whipping incident from the YouTube channel “Giang The Tool.” The video discription is an understatement… “Long Overhang + Poor Support + High Speed + Cycle Start = Apocalypse.” Incredibly fortunate no one on the floor was injured!
Conclusion
If your existing grinding house is having difficulty grinding your bars because they can’t buy them straight or get them straight, then give us a call at Certified Grinding and we will see if we can help you out.
We are ISO-9001 accredited, and provide precision-ground bars and parts for the most demanding of machining applications in a variety of industries, grinding tens of thousands of bars and millions of parts to extremely tight tolerances and superfine finishes each year for our growning customer base throughout North America.
Contact us to learn more.
When timelines are tight, we have your back with pre-ground, pre-straightened and quick-to-grind premium materials.
Find out what standard and exotic materials we routinely grind.
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