Abbott Tool Inc. of Toledo, OH, had been operating their business with hand-built, antiquated bridge mills for some time. Though they got the job done, they were cumbersome, and it was difficult to find replacement parts that worked with the design. When Abbott Tool anticipated an influx of work machining high precision glass molds, including windshield molds and press rings, they made the decision to upgrade their lineup. Primarily a job shop, it was imperative for Abbott to invest in a machine with versatility that could handle a range of work including stainless steel, iron and carbon steel. “As a job shop, we need to be ready for anything that comes our way. If it’s out of our scope, that’s a loss of potential income,” said Karle Stange, Owner and President of Abbott Tool Inc.
With that goal in mind, the JTEKT Machinery SB316YM Bridge Mill was a perfect fit for Abbott. Not only was it one of the only machines on the market that could handle the glass mold work, but it had the perfect footprint for their small shop and the right-angle head would allow for an all-in-one machining solution as well as open up possibilities for other jobs.
The SB316YM is a fixed rail bridge mill designed for heavy cutting applications and features roller guides, a hydraulic counterbalance system on the headstock and a powerful spindle for cutting hard metals. The YM model has an extended Y-axis travel with five-face machining capabilities to allow for the machining of more complex workpieces. It also features automatic tool changes in vertical and horizontal orientations and automatic head changes. Abbott was so impressed with the bridge mill, in fact, that they added a second machine shortly thereafter.
Increased efficiency.
Overall, Abbott Tool drastically increased efficiency by replacing the outdated machines with the faster, higher precision bridge mills.
Increased capacity.
The new bridge mills also increased capacity so that Abbott could take on more high-volume work and get products to customers faster.
Decreased machining time by 33%.
The automated features of the SB316YM reduced machining time for glass molds by 33%.
Increase in contracts.
Having JTEKT Machinery machines on the floor has single-handedly delivered secured contracts for the tool shop.
“It’s the best machine for the money. You can utilize it across verticals and finish everything out on one machine,” said Mr. Stange. Overall, Abbott Tool drastically increased efficiency by replacing the outdated machines with the faster, higher precision bridge mills. They also increased capacity to handle high volume projects and decreased machining time for molds by 33%. Combined, these improvements help them deliver better products to their customers, faster than ever before.
“Just having the JTEKT Machinery machines has helped us win other mold work and opened new avenues for our business,” Mr. Stange continued.
“We count on these machines every day. We’ve recommended them to other shops as well,” Mr. Stange said. Touring a shop in Michigan sold Abbott Tool on JTEKT Machinery and now they are doing the same for others. “Service and reliability are huge factors. Time is money, if something breaks, we don’t want it to be down for too long.” As for the future? Abbott Tool expects to expand their capabilities with larger machines to meet the needs of an evolving industry—but one thing is for sure—it will be JTEKT Machinery.
Learn how Abbott Tool decreased machining time by 33% with the SB316YM Bridge Mill.
