Manitowoc Tool & Manufacturing started in 1965 as a small shop focused on stamping dies and stamping. As the business expanded to machining, Manitowoc needed the right equipment for the job and identified Milltronics as the perfect fit.
“We started out with Bridgeports®, moved up to the [Milltronics] RH30s, and then eventually the enclosed machining center,” explained Manitowoc Tool and Die Supervisor Bill Schmidt, who has been with the company for nearly 40 years.
The team at Manitowoc stressed that having machines they could trust and rely on was determining factor in choosing Milltronics.
“Adding equipment that we can rely on, count on, trust in, is something that is so important in our industry,” said Max Ashenbrener, sales manager. “We talk about lead times with our customers all the time. Ensuring that we can deliver a quality product on the time that they need it is so critical.”
“Bulletproof” and “maintenance free” is how the Manitowoc team described Milltronics machines. That kind of durability allows them to spend less time troubleshooting and more time manufacturing. Manitowoc has invested in 13 Milltronics machines thus far, including:
Currently, Manitowoc produces a lot of parts in the automotive industry, often making one-offs and doing custom machining. The demands of this work require flexibility, to which Manitowoc called Milltronics’ conversational control a “game changer.”
With every die being specific, Schmidt noted that 90% of their programming is done conversationally on the machining center, which gives Manitowoc a big advantage.
“Conversational programming is key to keep us up and running, especially on second and third shift when we do not have a design team in-house,” said Brandon Shedal, training coordinator. “If we have a catastrophic failure and we need to make a part very quickly, there may be times where we don’t have a print for it. Our team, our tool and die makers, can do the dimensioning on the part and make the part within a matter of hours without having a print or having to rely on somebody to make that program.”
While the crew said they utilize every branch of the Milltronics control, their favorite feature is Chip Boss TM, a conversational pocketing feature that allows for higher metal removal rates by increasing the depth of cut while controlling the allowable cut width, which reduces cycle times, extends tool life and reduces wear on the machine tool.
“[ChipBoss TM ] allows us to machine very quickly, machining out pockets and different geometries,” explained Shedal. “Starts in the center, works its way out, and in a matter of minutes, the pocket is cleared out. That’s a cool feature.”
Additionally, the control’s ease of use is a major asset in training inexperienced personnel.
“We train a lot of apprentices here. You can have them drilling holes efficiently within a week,” stated Schmidt.
Hard-working employees, a commitment to serving customers and the right choice of equipment has enabled Manitowoc to grow into a full-service, 300,000-square-foot machine shop that runs 24/7.
Schmidt summarized the company’s selection of Milltronics CNC machines by saying, “First of all, it’s the ease of programming, and second of all, I have very little maintenance issues with them. They’re pretty much maintenance-free machines,” summarized.
