Page 14 - MetalForming July 2016

Tech Update
Toymaker Doubles Productivity Using Waterjet Part-Shuttle System
Toy manufacturer Yoxo recently installed a second waterjet-cutting system from Jet Edge, to meet skyrocketing demand for its creative toy construction kits. Includ- ed is a shuttle system that allows unloading of parts while the machine continues cut- ting, thus doubling productivity.
technologies before concluding that cutting its water-adverse material with 55,000-psi jets of water was, oddly enough, the most effective solution. It turned to Jet Edge, St. Michael, MN, for a custom-engi- neered system, taking delivery of its first waterjet cutter in late-2014.
Yoxo (“yock-so”) kits inspire kids to design and build their own toys using Y-, O-, and X-shaped links that connect with everyday household items such as toilet- paper tubes, paper towel rolls and cereal boxes, according to Yoxo officials. The Yoxo links also can be attached to other connector toys such as Legos, Kre-os and Mega Bloks.
“We saw a 15 to 20-percent pro- ductivity gain without sacrificing quality after switching to the waterjet,” recalls Trevor Burns, Yoxo director of production.
The toys are made in the company’s wind-powered workshop in St. Paul, MN, where the links are waterjet-cut from col- orful sheets of locally sourced recycled wood fiber. Initially, Yoxo cut its connectors using laser cutters, but the lasers burnt the edges of the material, resulting in hours spent cleaning parts. And, buying
“Parents don’t want their kids playing with sooty toys, so we needed a better solution,” Freeland Nelson, Yoxo owner, recalls.
multiple lasers to increase production would have been cost-prohibitive.
A year later, the growing company needed a second system and decided to take production goals a step further by installing a high-production Jet Edge high- rail gantry shuttle system with 10 OmniJet waterjet-cutting heads. The custom-engi- neered shuttle system maximizes pro- ductivity by allowing Yoxo’s operators to continue cutting as parts are unloaded.
With contracts then in negotiation with Target and Barnes & Noble, Yoxo sought a more productive way to cut its parts. The company tested a variety of cutting
“With the shuttle,” says Burns, “the time required for loading and unloading
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12 MetalForming/July 2016
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