Centerline sales and marketing manager. “But we offer much more than just speed. Most of our customers don’t come to us for easy, high-volume parts. They turn to us when they need complex work with tight tolerances. Many of the parts we
produce require three to four operations and can take up to 3–4 hr to machine a single part.” By providing just in time (JIT) manufacturing to its custom-
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ers, Centerline is able to help them reduce inventory costs and meet spikes in demand. The ability to fulfi ll JIT orders didn’t happen overnight. Centerline adopted a philosophy which focused on streamlining operations from top to bottom and ensuring that quality control remains consistent throughout the process. While its new facility and staff expansion contributed, in many ways, it was waterjet technology that al- lowed Centerline to make that transition. Centerline purchased its fi rst waterjet machine, an Omax 80160, in 2000. The company quickly found that abrasive waterjet technology provided it with fl ex- ibility and value it couldn’t get from EDM and laser-cutting machines. Centerline has since upgraded the 80160 to an OMAX 120X-2 JetMachining Center. The Omax 120X-2 is one of the larger machines Omax produces. It is a bridge-style machine featuring Intelli- TRAX high-precision, traction drive technology that was designed exclu- sively for the abrasive waterjet environ- ment. The 120X-2 allows Centerline to perform complex cuts for its customers. Another key benefi t is the versatility to change from one material to the next with reduced setup time. “We had jobs recently that required us to quickly switch from cutting 3" [76-mm] plate to rubber to armored glass. Without the 120X-2’s ability to cut different types of material without long setup changes, we couldn’t have turned those jobs around as quickly as we did or been able to keep costs at the level we have,” said Tews.
In addition to the 120X-2, Centerline recently purchased an Omax 55100 Jet- Machining Center with the DualBRIDGE