Cascade Pattern of Elyria, Ohio has been a long-term JTEKT Machinery customer, with their first JTEKT Machinery machine purchase dating back to 2013. Since then, Cascade has purchased JTEKT Machinery exclusively, giving their machining area the nickname, “The JTEKT Machinery Room.” The lineup of 10 bridge mills and vertical machines are Cascade’s lifeline in serving their broad range of customers. Cascade is not your typical machine shop—they specialize in pattern tooling, creating casts from aluminum, iron and steel for foundries. The casts then go on to make everything from aerospace parts to pipes and fire hydrants. As the company has grown, so has their need to expand their capacity with the same set of goals in mind.
When it was time to add to their machining arsenal, Cascade’s primary focus was increasing capacity across the board. Because of their unique and varying customer base, versatility is also essential for success. Cascade was looking for detailed, high-speed machining for metals including aluminum, iron and steel. As veteran JTEKT Machinery owners, Cascade knew that they are a worthwhile investment. “From my experience, the machines typically pay themselves off in a couple of years,” said Nick Petek, President of Cascade Pattern. “They are really rigid, quality machines and are at a competitive price point."
| SB316 Bridge Mill | Stealth 965 (3) Vertical Machining Center | RB212 Bridge Mill |
| Stealth 1165 (4) Vertical Machining Center | Stealth AA 1365 Vertical Machining Center |
Cascade relies on a combination of JTEKT Machinery bridge mills and vertical machines for their metal work—a Stealth AA1365, four Stealth 1165 VMCs, three Stealth 965 VMCs for tool work, and SB316 and RB212 Bridge Mills for larger casts and pieces. Bridge mills provide the power, stability and durability required when machining large workpieces. “Having these machines really opened up the potential for new business,” Patek said. Cascade recently started machining pieces as big as 120”x 60”. The vertical machining centers provide the versatility for a variety of high-speed, heavy-duty needs. Overall high load capacities helped to lower cost per part and increase ROI.
Unbeatable ROI.
With the amount of parts that Cascade is able to produce, they are able to pay off a new JTEKT Machinery addition within two years.
Increased capacity 50%.
The combination of adding new machines and choosing JTEKT Machinery has helped Cascade increase their metal machining capacity by 50%.
Increased uptime.
Programming allows the machines to run 24 hours with tool changes—a feature that has proven beneficial for both capacity and efficiency.
With each new addition, Cascade Pattern increased their capacity by 50%. In addition to output, programming allows the machines to run lights out—so the machines are up and running 24 hours a day with tool changes. “It’s amazing to hit a button and you come in the next day to finished parts,” said Patek.
“Quality and service are why we have stuck with JTEKT Machinery throughout the years. We’ve tried other machines over the past 20 years, but JTEKT Machinery is by far the most reliable.” Working with JTEKT Machinery's factory technicians was a huge bonus for Cascade. “JTEKT Machinery's factory-trained technicians provide excellent support, reducing issues with setup, service and parts,” said Patek. “We recommend JTEKT Machinery based on their reliability, level of service and quality of product we are able to produce on their machines.”
Cascade Pattern doubled capacity with SB316, RB212 (Bridge Mills), Stealth 965, Stealth 1165, and Stealth AA1365 (Vertical Machining Centers).
