< Previous50 S ince our beginning in 1988, Sulzer Machine has grown into one of the highest quality, largest capacity custom job shops in Central Wisconsin. As a multi-generational company, we take immense pride in our legacy of excellence and continuous improvement. Sulzer Machine specializes in precision machining, fabrication, and assembly services for a wide range of industries, including mining, aerospace, defense, energy, and industrial sectors. Our state-of-the-art facility and skilled workforce enable us to tackle complex projects and deliver superior results. We are committed to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction, making Sulzer Machine a trusted partner for custom manufacturing needs. Through the years, Sulzer Machine has evolved into a premier custom job shop, serving companies across North America with precision machining, large boring, turning, milling, AWS D1.1 certifi ed welding, and wet spray painting capabilities. As a family-owned business, we understand the importance of long-term relationships and have built our reputation on reliability and trust. In the early 2000s, Sulzer Machine faced signifi cant challenges as we ventured into the larger machining sector. The demand for larger, more complex parts with tight tolerances was growing, and we needed to modernize our operations to stand out in the market. The existing machinery was unable to cater to the increasing part sizes and complexity. We aimed to enhance our capabilities without compromising quality, effi ciency, or reliability. Additionally, we needed to improve our throughput effi ciency to handle the growing demand and reduce operational downtime. In 2003, we were introduced to Shibaura Machine Company, America (SMA) and purchased our fi rst CNC machine from them. Over the years, SMA has proven to be a reliable partner, providing high- quality, rigid, and reliable machinery that has supported our growth. Today, we operate nine Shibaura Machine machines, which have been pivotal in our progression. The MPJ-M series machines from SMA off ered functionality not found on any other machine, providing versatility and advanced features that signifi cantly improved our spindle utilization and throughput. The ability to perform live tooling without moving Sulzer Machine and Manufacturing: Advancing Productivity with Shibaura Machine’s Cutting-Edge Machine Tools51 parts to multiple machines streamlined our operations and bridged gaps created by a changing labor force. SMA’s commitment to adapting and upgrading their machines to meet our evolving needs has been unmatched. We worked closely with SMA’s team to customize the equipment, including physical modifications, custom codes, and macro programs. These adaptations allowed us to program in a more universal way, saving time and enhancing efficiency. SMA’s support extended to the design and implementation stages, ensuring seamless integration with our existing processes. The immediate benefits of implementing SMA’s solutions were evident. Minimal setups and the singular machine approach significantly improved our efficiency and precision. The MPJ-M series machine, with its 1-degree capability and no part movement, enhanced our spindle utilization, resulting in superior quality and reduced setup times. We observed substantial improvements in our performance measurements. The four horizontal boring bars (three with rotary tables) and four vertical boring mills (two with live spindles) increased our capacity and flexibility. These advancements have allowed us to enter new markets and take on more complex projects. The support we have received from SMA has been exceptional. Their dedication to providing high- quality parts and responsive customer service has been crucial to our success. We have had great luck with their machines, which have become integral to our operations. Our relationship with SMA continues to strengthen. We are exploring the potential to implement SMA’s IIoT solution, machiNetCloud, to leverage its spindle tracking technology and further enhance our operational efficiency. SMA’s ongoing support with installations, post-install customer service, and training ensures that we remain at the forefront of industry advancements. We look forward to future collaborations with SMA to optimize our current equipment, streamline programming, and explore new technologies that will drive our growth and innovation. As we continue our partnership with SMA, I am confident that our combined efforts will lead to even greater achievements, solidifying Sulzer Machine’s reputation as a trusted leader in custom manufacturing for years to come. ■ SMA’s commitment to adapting and upgrading their machines to meet our evolving needs has been unmatched.52 A t Stolle Machinery, we pride ourselves on being a leading provider of high- speed, precision machinery for the canmaking industry. With over a century of innovation and engineering excellence under our belt, we deliver equipment and services that enable the production of billions of cans, for the beverage, food, and other industries worldwide. Our cutting-edge technology, combined with our unwavering commitment to quality and customer satisfaction, ensures that canmakers achieve unparalleled effi ciency, reliability, and performance. Based in Centennial, Colorado, Stolle Machinery operates globally, off ering industry-leading solutions and support to our clients in over 80 countries. In the canmaking industry, the ability to consistently machine precision parts with tight tolerances is critical. To maintain and exceed industry expectations, our machine shops need to be at the forefront of technology. This need for advanced machine tool solutions led us to Shibaura Machine Company, America (SMA). Our relationship with SMA began in 2017. At that time, we were operating seven, decades older, horizontal boring mills to manufacture die sets. To meet the growing demands for precision and effi ciency, we needed to upgrade to next- generation machine tools. After evaluating four diff erent boring mill manufacturers, it was clear that SMA stood out. What set SMA apart was their holistic approach to addressing our needs. They provided comprehensive simulations of our die sets and processes, allowing us to thoroughly analyze cycle times, tool paths, as well as capability, longevity, and machine rigidity. Their innovative machine tool solutions and customization capabilities ensured that we received equipment tailored to our unique requirements, including fully enclosed machine designs and high- pressure coolant systems. Their customer service has been exemplary, consistently rising to the occasion and proving their reliability time and again. Achieving Precision Manufacturing: Stolle Machinery’s Success with Shibaura Machine’s Advanced Machine Tools One of the key benefi ts of working with SMA has been the ability to cut targeted operation times by up to 50%.53 Upgrading to SMA machines has resulted in significant cost savings and increased capacity for us. It has enabled us to bring previously outsourced work in-house, giving us greater control over our processes. One of the key benefits of working with SMA has been the ability to cut targeted operation times by up to 50%. As an OEM, having the capability to design and manufacture our parts in- house has been invaluable, giving us a higher level of control over quality and production timelines, allowing us to better meet customer expectations. Customization has been another crucial aspect of our partnership with SMA. We have had unique requirements, such as fully enclosed machine designs, custom lighting requirements, OSHA approved platform designs, as well as floor space limitations and Stolle designed fixturing which SMA met with tailor-made solutions. They built the entire infrastructure around the machine, providing us with a fully customized turnkey solution. This level of customization has been critical to our operations. Our partnership with SMA started with one machine and has now expanded to five. By replacing older equipment with SMA’s advanced machine tool technology, we have seen incremental improvements in productivity and addressed issues of obsolescence. The new machines have brought modern capabilities that will sustain our operations for years to come. Looking ahead, we plan to replace all of our older boring mills with new ones from SMA. The collaboration with SMA and local dealer Jones Machinery has been a cornerstone of our success. Our North Canton, Ohio location, one of our 24 global locations, is the only facility dedicated to manufacturing die sets. This single location, therefore, needs to be the center of excellence and has a critical path in the corporation to provide solid and consistent solutions and end products for the organization worldwide. Its performance significantly contributes to our corporation’s success on a global scale. Teaming up with SMA has confirmed our commitment to strengthening our capabilities and delivering exceptional quality. As we continue to evolve and innovate, we look forward to further advancements and collaboration.■ Shibaura Machine Company, America built the entire infrastructure around the machine, providing us with a fully customized turnkey solution. This level of customization has been critical to our operations54 V DI Manufacturing specializes in custom injection molding, producing everything from Frisbees to Chevy Bowties and everything in between. Manufacturing, particularly in the custom injection molding industry, comes with its unique set of challenges, and machiNetCloud has enabled us to overcome many of these hurdles eff ectively. At VDI Manufacturing, we faced numerous challenges before partnering with Shibaura Machine Company, America (SMA). Our small, lean team of 12 people was constantly grappling with issues related to capacity, productivity, and the ability to output key performance indicators (KPIs) quickly. Tracking the life cycles of our tools, managing downtime, and monitoring scrap were daunting tasks that we struggled to handle effi ciently. Before implementing machiNetCloud, our operations appeared busy, but we lacked clarity on our actual capacity and utilization rates. We often found ourselves guessing how much of our capacity we were using, and we were frequently off the mark. As a small company, understanding our real- time capacity was crucial for making informed decisions about whether to invest in new machinery to meet sales demands. One of the most signifi cant revelations after adopting machiNetCloud was the VDI Manufacturing: Overcoming Challenges with Shibaura Machine’s machiNetCloud VDI’s manufacturing capacity has increase 10-fold using machiNetCloud.55 realization that we did not need additional machinery. Instead, we needed to optimize the capacity we already had. machiNetCloud provided us with the real-time reporting and data analysis capabilities to identify that we had 60% to 70% of capacity available on the floor, which we were not utilizing efficiently. This insight alone transformed our approach to production planning and resource management. The implementation of machiNetCloud has improved our efficiency tenfold. The ability to access and analyze data quickly has empowered us to make informed decisions regarding capacity and productivity across different tonnage ranges of machines on our floor. This capability has also enhanced our ability to direct new business effectively and determine when a new machine purchase is genuinely necessary. From a sales perspective, having real-time data on our capacity allows us to provide accurate quotes and schedule production more effectively. Knowing what we can and cannot commit to in terms of production capacity has streamlined our operations and improved customer satisfaction. For any manager, having real-time, verifiable data on monthly capacity is invaluable. It enables us to evaluate our overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) during weekly management meetings, quickly identifying gaps in productivity or issues within our manufacturing process. If a particular tool or press experiences more downtime or generates more scrap than others, machiNetCloud pinpoints these problems immediately, allowing us to focus our efforts precisely where they are needed without extensive manual data collection. Before machiNetCloud, we relied on an old analog system using clickers to count scrap, 56 with data being reported 24 hours later. Now, we receive real-time scrap alerts, which can be sent to my cell phone or email if a machine runs outside the control limits for scrap. This immediate notification capability has significantly reduced our response times to issues, improving overall quality control and operational efficiency. The integration of machiNetCloud with our machinery has been seamless and powerful. The system consolidates various data points, from capacity to productivity to quality, into a single, easily accessible environment. What would typically require an entire IT team to manage is now at our fingertips. I can log into machiNetCloud and generate reports on anything from the number of shots on a specific tool to the previous day’s scrap rates. This comprehensive data access is extremely powerful and has made choosing SMA an easy decision. machiNetCloud has revolutionized how we operate at VDI Manufacturing. The system’s real-time data capabilities have not only solved our immediate operational challenges but have also positioned us for future growth and success. The ease of implementation and the breadth of data available through machiNetCloud have made it an indispensable tool for our business. Partnering with SMA has been a game-changer for us, enabling us to meet production goals, exceed customer expectations, and look forward to continued success in the custom injection molding industry. ■ VDI can log into machiNetCloud and report on anything from capacity and productivity to quality, d owntime and life cycle, how many shots were on a specific tool to how much scrapwe had aon a praevious day. 57 F ounded in 1953, Hoffer Plastics has grown into an industry leader and innovator in both the proprietary line of products and the custom plastic injection molding sector. Located in a sprawling 365,000 sq. ft. facility on 24 acres and employing over 350 people, Hoffer Plastics produces more than three billion plastic parts annually. With a consistent 99% on- time delivery record, Hoffer Plastics has earned numerous accolades, including Plastic News’ “Processor of the Year” and is a finalist for the 2024 Industry Week Magazine Best Plants Award. Our journey with Shibaura Machine began with a shared vision of excellence and efficiency. In today’s fast- paced world, timely delivery is paramount, and cycle savings have become a crucial metric for our success. The introduction of Shibaura machines into our operations has significantly contributed to achieving this goal. The most notable achievement has been the substantial cycle savings on the products selected to run in Shibaura presses, which has greatly improved our overall efficiency. Additionally, the energy savings associated with the all-electric press helps to meet our environmental sustainability objectives. Hoffer Plastics operates across various industries, including packaging, automotive, appliance and consumer industrial sectors. Our customers demand products more efficiently and quicker than ever before, and Shibaura Machine Company, America (SMA) has assisted us in meeting these expectations. The reliability of Shibaura Machine’s machines has provided us with a dependable solution in our fast-paced production Hoffer Plastics: Enhancing Efficiency and Reliability in Injection Molding with Shibaura Machine58 environment. The advanced technology of Shibaura Machine’s machines has allowed us to streamline our processes and deliver superior products consistently. One of the key reasons we chose Shibaura Machine is because they have consistently proven to be a reliable partner. The brand has performed well in our facility, reinforcing our decision to continue this Our biggest achievemnt with Shibaura Machine machines’ has been cycle savings on products we have chosen to run in those presses. valuable partnership. The machines’ durability and efficiency have ensured that we can maintain high standards of quality and meet the stringent demands of our customers. Another key deciding factor is the responsiveness of the Shibaura service organization . They ensure that our up time is maximized whenever we have an issue and they are always on-site to support new press start-ups. The integration of Shibaura machines has not only enhanced our operational efficiency but has enabled us to maintain our high standards of quality and on-time delivery. The advanced technology and superior performance of these machines have allowed us to optimize our processes, reduce cycle times, and ultimately deliver superior products to our customers. By improving our cycle times, we have been able to increase our production capacity without the need for additional machinery. At Hoffer Plastics, our 59 commitment to innovation and excellence is unwavering. The collaboration with Shibaura Machine has been a key driver in our journey towards continuous improvement. Shibaura Machine’s dedication to innovation aligns perfectly with our own values, and together, we have been able to push the boundaries of what is possible in the injection molding industry. As Shibaura Machine Company, America (SMA) celebrates its 50th anniversary, we at Hoffer Plastics are proud to acknowledge the significant impact their machines have One of the best benefits of purchasing Shibaura Machine is in our training. We have been given support from real human beings. had on our operations. The reliability and efficiency of Shibaura machines have been instrumental in our ability to meet the demands of our diverse customer base. Their machines have consistently been reliable, allowing us to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market. Looking ahead, we are excited about the future possibilities our partnership holds. The continuous advancements in SMA’s technology promise to provide even greater efficiencies and capabilities, which will be crucial as we strive to meet the ever-changing needs of our customers. Congratulations to SMA on this incredible milestone. Your dedication to quality and innovation inspires us, and we are excited about the future possibilities our partnership holds. Here’s to another 50 years of success, innovation, and growth!■Next >