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Metals Supply | Machining
Service to Go & Grow
Metals supply business invests in technology
to better service customers
Bohler Uddeholm's most recent machining investments are two Chevalier surface grinders, seen here,
pruchased through long-time supplier Heinman Machinery.
W
hen a market you serve
undergoes significant
changes, the only way to
succeed is to respond to those changes.
Such is the case with Bohler Uddeholm,
a metals supply business that has been
in operation in Canada since 1953.
“Like many industries flexing up and
down the supply chain, we’re offering
more services so companies that get our
products receive them in semi-finished
condition,” explains Jamie McIntosh,
director of strategic development. “This
allows them to turn their products
into finished goods in a relatively short
period of time.”
To achieve this, Bohler Uddeholm
has made significant investments in
technology and Lean manufacturing
practices at its main facility in
Mississauga, ON, a 5,574 sq m (60,000
sq ft) plant that houses production,
warehousing and offices.
The most recent investments are
April 2016 two Chevalier surface grinders and a
Dah Lih VMC purchased from the
company’s long-time supplier, machine
tool distributor Heinman Machinery,
based in Mississauga, ON.
Designed for service
At the core of Bohler Uddeholm’s
business is supplying metals to the
manufacturing industry. Like its
customers, the company recognizes that
The investments in the
Chevalier surface grinders
help to provide faster service
for customers.
to remain competitive and to secure
future growth, it must provide valueadded services, says McIntosh.
Providing that value-added
service is what spurred the investment
in new technologies for surface
grinding, face milling, saw cutting
and deep hole drilling.
“For many industries we service
and support, we don’t just sell them
pounds of steel. When required, we add
Machining | Metals Supply
more value by providing machining
services. Many of our customers just
require saw cut material, but a growing
portion of them are asking for the
material to be machined.”
With plate, for example, Bohler
Uddeholm can machine the six sides
to bring the plate into flatness and
squareness. “So when a customer puts
that plate into his machine to do finish
machining, it is ready to go.”
Machinery for service and growth
The recent machinery purchases from
Heinman Machinery fit in with a key
driving force that McIntosh describes
as a company pillar: to speed up the
process from when the company gets
the order to when it goes out to the
customer. McIntosh cites the new Dah
Lih VMC as an example.
“One of the improvements in
technology over the older machine is the
power of this machine and the material
removal rate. The machine can remove
material faster while maintaining the
tolerances our customers require.”
“When we were looking for a
new VMC, one of the shortlist of
manufacturers was Dah Lih because
of our experience with them but
also because of our experience with
Heinman. Heinman is a local dealer
just down the road from us and very
well known in the industry. We knew
from our past experience that it could
provide us with the level of support
that we needed to get the machine set
up and running.”
The new Dah Lih VMC, the MCV1350, has a working surface measuring
1,702 x 681 mm (67 x 26.8 in.) and a
maximum table load capacity of 1,497 kg
(3,300). Z, Y and Z axis travels are 1,346,
635 and 701 mm (53, 25 and 27.6 in.)
respectively.
The Chevalier surface grinders also
fit into Bohler Uddeholm’s strategy to
get products to customers faster, adds
McIntosh.
Sample of a finished
metal. Bottom Dah
Lih machines.
“The surface grinders are the only
two we have in the facility. So if we
have an issue with one it cuts our
capacity in half and we can’t afford to
be in that position. It’s all about being
fast and when our machines aren’t
performing up to the level they need to,
we need support quickly to correct the
situation and that’s why we have a bias
towards working with local suppliers
like Heinman.”
The Chevalier surface grinders,
the FSG-4060DC and the FSG4080 DC, are double column bridge
type grinders. McIntosh says Bohler
Uddeholm selected the bridge type
grinders because they’re more stable
and allow the metals supplier to achieve
consistent tight tolerances required by
its customers. The 4060DC is equipped
Reprinted with permission from Shop Metalworking Technology | www.shopmetaltech.com
with a 1,000 x 1,500 mm
(39.3 x 59 in.) table while the
4080DC’s table measures 1,000 x
2,000 mm (39.3 x 79 in.). Both are built
and designed for grinding large, heavy
workpieces. The machine base and table
are made from Meehanite cast iron.
Four square slideways ensure rigidity,
while the spindle head on the Y axis
moves on four hardened, ground and
wide guideways. The machines are
equipped with a user friendly CNC
controller, the PC-based Chevalier
Smart, that uses conversational
programming.
Support for success
McIntosh attributes Bohler
Uddeholm’s success in
the Canadian market to its
April 2016
Metals Supply | Machining
Recent investments include a Tarus gun drilling
machine that can drill holes 1,524 mm (60 in.)
long. It can also drill bore sizes up to 50.8 mm
(2 in.) in diameter.
Bohler Uddeholm's 5,574 sq
m (60,000 sq ft) faclity is
equipped to bring metals to
near net shape for customers.
“
We have probably doubled our
production going out the door
since the investments we've
made in the new machinery.
“
Jamie McIntosh, director of
strategic development.
investments in technology, but also
to support from its Austrian parent
company, voestalpine.
“Our parent company believes
strongly in the Canadian market
and has been supporting us through
investments. There’s more we can
do to support local industry. We’re
April 2016
aligning ourselves so our customers
can benefit from a strong supply
network.”
Being part of a global company
network benefits Bohler Uddeholm
in other ways too. One example is
product traceability. Bohler has the
ability to trace a product from the
initial melt through to the finished
product that is heat treated, coated
and ready for production, “so if any
issue comes up we have process
controls and systems in place,” says
McIntosh. “It allows us to approach
any issues with confidence because
we can trace the product back to
ensure it met specifications. Then
we can help the customer by looking
at where failure may have occurred,
such as how the material was run
in production or the design of the
mould, and we can offer advice to
our customers and address specific
issues.”
The recent investments in
machinery have helped Bohler
Uddeholm improve its service to
customers. More importantly, it
has helped to improve production
efficiencies and get products out the
door more quickly.
“We have probably doubled our
production going out the door
since the investments we’ve made
in the new machinery. We were at a
conference recently and one of the
repeating themes was that time is the
new currency. That rings true with
our business. Getting products faster
to our customers is a major lever to be
competitive in the industry.” SMT
www.bucanada.ca
www.heinmanmachinery.com
Reprinted with permission from Shop Metalworking Technology | www.shopmetaltech.com