TK Mold and Engineering expands mold manufacturing capacity with Makino

Facing increasing global competition and the demand for lower pricing, TK Mold & Engineering of Romeo, Mich., sought new technology that could help it apply a production mindset to its automotive mold manufacturing operations. TK Mold wanted to produce its high-quality molds cost-effectively and with repeatability. The company needed additional capacity to accomplish this goal.

THE SOLUTION
With recommendations from Single Source Technologies (SST), TK Mold invested in an a61nx horizontal machining center and an FCS modular work-holding system that would require less time spent in setups and more time machining. The machines replaced the company’s previous commodity vertical machining centers, so operators were trained on how to run the a61nx in order to employ production practices in its mold manufacturing.

THE RESULTS
With its new equipment, TK Mold has seen a 60 percent reduction in handwork and spotting on its molds. EDM processing has been reduced or eliminated in several applications, saving additional time.
On the a61nx, TK Mold operators set up the next pallet outside of the machine while the current job is being processed. The FCS system can be used on mold blocks of any size, and setups that once took hours now take a matter of minutes. The company uses the FCS system with other machining centers on its shop floor, saving time in those areas as well.

With this equipment, TK Mold has been able to adopt more of a production mentality. Processes that used to take three machines to accomplish can be completed on one machine with lower labor cost and shorter setup times. Lead-times have improved, and TK Mold is able to produce more custom molds than it could before. With its additional mold manufacturing capacity, it was able to match its total 2014 revenue in just the first six months of 2015. The company expects to keep doubling revenue each year as the result of its advanced technology.

https://www.makino.com/resources/case-studies/TK-Mold-and-Engineering-Expands-Mold-Manufacturing-Capacity/653/

TK Mold and Engineering expands mold manufacturing capacity with Makino

Latest Case Studies

Automated workpiece set-up boosts forestry equipment manufacture

Laser interferometer error-proofs linear scale calibration

Improving speed and reducing cost with Renishaw additive manufacturing

Venturing into metal additive manufacturing

Renishaw Equator™ gauge enables production growth at major aerospace manufacturer

50% faster turbine blade inspection

FARO® QuantumS ScanArm: Executing the Work of Two Measurement Devices

Laser interferometry assures spherical lens quality

Why The World's Third Largest Motorcycle Manufacturer Opted For Universal Robots

Aerospace: Sogeti - Additive Manufacturing for the new A350 XWB

Overcome the Ongoing Challenges of Long-Reach Machining

BLUM touch probes on Strama-MPS

INTECH DMLS Achieves 27% Weight Reduction in 3D Printed Satellite Component using Altair InspireTM and OptiStructTM

Zoom Technologies Chooses CADbro, a powerful 3D CAD Viewer, to Accelerate Customized Mold Production

Renishaw and Hartford combine to deliver intelligent, ‘smart factory’ solutions

Measurement of free-form surfaces made easy

A Measuring Tool System That Modified the Concept of Machinery

Capacity Ahead Of Demand Is Going To Be The Driving Factor For Growth: General Machine Tools

Customer Support is Very Crucial for The Success: Padmavati Group

HAAS moulds the future for Mechasoft through Reliability and Flexibility

Teamcenter and NX help Avcon Controls streamline processes and optimize use of resources

Related Case Studies

HAAS - Enabling Leonine Deliver Highly Precise, Highly Accurate, High Volume Components

Renishaw AM technology helps Swinburne electric car to best-ever Formula SAE result

Exchanging metal 3D printing solutions with HiETA

KOMET® GROUP innovates cutting tools using metal 3D printing technology

Hermle machines are reliable and helps maintain the desired accuracy: Seco Tools , Case Study

Spiral 3D Technologies enhances investment casting with 3D printing technology from Divide By Zero

Metal 3D printing pushes the boundaries in Moto2™ through defiant innovation

FARO Assists in India's First R&D Project to Modernize Country's Railway Infrastructure

News

DMG MORI will be presenting a new LASERTEC 125 3D hybrid in the field of 5-axis laser deposition welding

Electronica Hitech Machine Tools Pvt. Ltd.: The Tool Room Resource Company @ Engimach 2019.

Stratasys Introduces Work Order Management Software for 3D Printing Shops as Industry Adoption of 3D Printing Booms

The Prediction of Laser Cutting Industry in Next Five Years

Additive manufacturing competence and digital innovations

Objectify Technologies at Additive Manufacturing Exhibition, Formnext 2019

EMAG Production System: Perfecting the Finish-Machining of Turbocharger Shafts

Hardinge Introduces New Kellenberger 100 And 1000 Grinding Solutions

DMG MORI offers digital connectivity as standard for networked production and integrated service optimization

Doosan Machine Tools Participated in EMO 2019 and Introduced Diverse, Far More Sophisticated Hands-On Solutions

Makino Introduces U6 H.E.A.T. Extreme Wire EDM Utilizing First of its Kind 0.016” Coated Wire Technology

Ready today for the production challenges of the future!

Interviews

CNCTimes in conversation with, Ankit Sahu, Director, Objectify Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

Niraj Wanikar, M.D., CNCTimes P. Ltd. talks about Plant Manager – a revolutionary Production, Planning and Control software.

Mr Cyril Pereira, MD, Reed Triune Exhibitions, talks about AMTEX 2018

Mr. Benedikt Ruf, MD, GINDUMAC GmbH and Mr. Pankaj Patel, Country Manager, GINDUMAC GmbH share their views about AMTEX 2018 and the Indian Market

HMB International is getting overwhelming response at AMTEX 2018: Mr Gopal Bali, Country Manager Sales, HMB International

SLTL is a global leader in CNC laser services: Mr Maulik Patel, Business Development - International, SLTL Group

Indian customers shower trust on HAAS, and Phillips has perpetually strived to make this a reality.

“Engimach helps you to reach the right audience.”:Macpower CNC

‘Engimach is the best platform to showcase your products’ : Gravotech

Nicolas Correa is Expanding Presence in India by Providing Complete Solutions:Jose Nicolas Correa

Indian market is very interesting and important for GROB: Alexander Attenberger

LMW always adds values to its system: K Soundhar Rajhan

Product Showcase

Electronica HiTech brings Latest Technology in CNC Wire CUT EDM- Model Job Master D zire

Electronica HiTech brings CNC Vertical Machining Center MVP Series (Linear Guide Way) from Hartford

Electronica HiTech offers you high speed, High Accuracy, Precision Machining Centers- TGV series from Hartford

Electronica HiTech brings Centerless GrinderMachine- JHC 18 From Jainnher

Electronica HiTech brings High-Rigidity & Heavy-Duty Cutting Horizontal Turning Center from Doosan Machine Tools

Electronica HiTech brings High Productivity Gang type Global Compact Turning Center from Doosan Machine Tools

ELTECH-D400 ZNC EDM from Electronica HiTech Machine Tool Pvt. Ltd

Electronica HiTech deals with VMC that guarantees unmatched performance

CNC Precision Grinding Machine from Tsugami G300/G350

VA3 High Speed Vertical machining Center from Tsugami

Electronica HiTech brings High Precision Surface Grinder from Proth Industrial Co.,Ltd

MASTER SERIES WIRE EDM FROM ELECTRONICA HITECH

Technical Articles

Faster and better machining performance: on existing equipment

The 3D FABRI GEAR Advantage

Development of Two Types of Sintering Bonding Materials for Next-generation Power Modules

THE PRECISE GEOMETRY OF 3D CUTTING KBM motors as a byword for accuracy in laser cutting

Fire risks in a CNC

Group Technology: Operational Excellence in the Industry 4.0 Era

PRACTICAL APPROACH TO CONTROL WASTE IN MANUFACTURING

PiWeb from Zeiss Metrology: Quality Data Management with Easy Reporting