Page 26 - MetalForming November 2015
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Miniature Parts
project per month, to increase tool life. And, we closely track the cost savings from each project implemented, in some cases offering savings back to our customers.”
Prototyping a Key Value-Add Proposition
As parts get smaller and smaller and the geometry challenges increase, pro- totype development becomes more
critical to landing new jobs, and new customers. Among the value-added opportunities at Meier Tool & Engi- neering, therefore, prototype develop- ment rates at the top. Signifying its importance, the firm completed a sig- nificant week-long kaizen event focused on its prototype department.
“We created a kaizen team of nine staff members to survey the entire pro- totype process,” says VanDanacker. “In
Workholding Cla
am
mps
Many of the parts produced at Meier are as miniature as miniature can be—as tiny as 1 by 5 mm, with a lot of geometry packed into that tiny space. Shown here are just a few of the several parts that are assembled into disposable biopsy forceps.
the end, we redeployed several pieces of manufacturing equipment, moving them from the production floor to cre- ate a separate room dedicated to pro- totyping. Now we develop prototypes in a cellular environment using dedicat- ed equipment—wire EDM, mills, grinders, presses, etc.—as well as a dedicated CAD/CAM station and pro- grammer and an estimator.”
The end result of the new, focused prototype factory at Meier is quicker flow, from estimating to finished parts. “Feedback throughout the develop- ment process amongst the team— designers, estimators, machinists, etc. —is immediate,” adds VanDanacker. “We’re much more responsive to cus- tomer requests, more agile when design changes come in, and throughput has increased as well. We can, in some cases, turn projects that might have taken days to complete before in a mat- ter of hours now.” MF
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24 MetalForming/November 2015
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