Services
- When tools are required that fall
outside of the normal off the shelf catagory we can provide
"specials" to customers requests or drawings for both
rotary and indexable tools.
Working closely with you to design tools for particular functions and providing drawings for confirmed sign off prior to manufacture, costly mistakes are avoided due to mistaken communication. Modifications to existing items or new tools starting from a blank are available within required timeframes providing adequate consultation time has been planned. - The trend for industry buzz words is not exclusive to engineering encompassing nearly every aspect of modern society. In fact it is the individual and collective interpretation of the word or phrase that needs clarifying to fully appreciate its use. In this case the reference is for “Special Tools”.
For many the term “Special Tool” associated long lead times with a high cost for low volume manufacture, and the fact that this may still be the case for a “one-off” item reflects the issue that engineers are often caught between a rock and a hard place.
The challenges facing an engineer to find a solution to a problem begin with the complexity of the task at hand, followed by finding the most cost effective method to gain the net result along with the basic planning to meet the deadline.
With relatively straightforward tasks getting the job done with whatever means available to hand is often engaged, and yet increasingly the focus for quality, accuracy, dimensional tolerance and shorter working lead times places high demands on the workforce.
Designs can change at short notice which calls for rapid development of new tool concepts which has led to problems of delivery in the past. Initially high unit cost presented many with reasons for moving away from special tools to use standard “off-the-shelf” items which are easier to source with access from numerous outlets.
However this leads to other problems for the users with limited tool storage capacity available in the machine tool library or carousel, longer changeover and set up times, with the added frustration of multiple tool changes extending the production cycle times.
With sophisticated software and corresponding functional machine tools enabling longer machined component run times, the need for “special tools” has more to do with process reliability, product consistency and predictable throughput times than unit cost.
For that reason we work with original manufacturers and specialist tool makers that have similar intricate cad-cam software systems for designing tools to complete specific functions in both solid and indexable tooling, with manufacturing facilities in house to avoid delays.
This enables us to provide prompt quotations and delivery for items outside of the standard category.
Some items such as drill/counterbore and drill/chamfer tools are not so much specials these days with several options available as standard.
However, multiple bore tools, tools with long reach capability and reamers can be complex and may require guide pads to ensure accuracy on fine limits. Contact us today for your own unique requirements.
