SHOP SOLUTIONS
“I originally encountered the software when I worked for JOBS in the 1990s. We used various different software packages, but I was quite impressed by Tebis. Then in 1998 I went to work with a design studio in Italy. There I had the op- portunity to work in CATIA and Tebis. I saw that Tebis had a very different approach than CATIA, one that was excellent in terms of moving quickly and accurately through design and into production,” Cecutti said.
“When I opened my own business, the choice was pretty
simple. Tebis is not a typical decision for a startup. That’s because there are many cheaper products on the market. But Tebis was able to do the things I wanted to do. It fit in with my vision of an excellent machine shop, especially one that uses high-speed machine tools as we do. We’ve been using it ever since.” The performance of Tebis has been no surprise to Cecutti, but it has been an eye opener for some of his customers. “A few years ago we were approached by a customer who needed prototype hinge beams. This was a complex part and the customer presented us with a very strict timeline. Well, we received the forging, our programmer knocked out the roughing program in 24 hours, and a day after the receipt of the forging we were making chips. “When the customer came to visit us they were amazed at the speed with which we created this part, and at the quality. They wanted to know how we did it. We explained it to them, and they went out and bought Tebis for them- selves,” Cecutti said. AC&A has more than tripled in size over the last five years,
in part through a large expansion in high-tolerance aerospace parts for companies like Boeing, Grumman, and the com- mercial spacecraft company SpaceX. The company now has nine seats of Tebis, one of which is a “floater” meaning it opens anywhere for remote viewing and conferencing. “We buy a seat every year.” Cecutti said. Along with being high tolerance, aerospace parts are
frequently made from high-cost materials, such as Inconel, aluminum, and composites. This makes another key feature of Tebis all the more important. “We work with Tebis virtual simulation day in and day out,” said Cecutti. Because Tebis virtual simulation is integral to the package, not an external, third-party product that has to be linked to the package, toolpaths can be rapidly checked, altered if need be, and sent to the machine.” “The fact that you don’t need to post the simulations out to a third-party system and then bring them back into your system
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helps make the entire flow of processing and verification seam- less,” said Thiessen. In terms of process, Cecutti said there is nothing more important to the production process than people—their knowledge and their attitude. “I tell my guys there is always a better way to machine this part, and I expect them to ap- proach their job with the same attitude.” He feels that Tebis approaches its job the same way. “With Tebis the emphasis is on continuous improvement and continuous innovation. It never stops. We give them feedback and they look for ways to help us with a given product or problem. In order for people to realize how good the software is, proper training is needed. Tebis is very good at this, especially since the constant upgrading that they do requires training updates if you are to fully take advantage of them. They host classes in Michigan and we also bring their people out here. Bringing them in-house is a great opportunity to exchange thoughts and analyze problems,” Cecutti said. Most of AC&A’s design work is done in Tebis in order to have a more integrated platform. This lowers the need for cost- ly cross-training, and enhances the agility that AC&A prizes. “We service a variety of different industries, so the ability to move quickly between different applications without having to change software is very important. For instance, Tebis gives us the ability to quickly switch from making an aerospace part to prototype work without losing quality, and to solve many different types of problems, from design work to cutter paths,” Cecutti said. “We want to be at the leading edge of technology and this is the software that is helping us do it.” For more information from Tebis America Inc., go to
www.tebisusa.com, or phone 248-524-0430. Continued from P45
Abrasive Nylon Brushes Finish Parts Inline
T
he abrasive nylon brush is one of the more noteworthy advancements in tools for in-line machine deburring, edge radiusing, cleaning, and other surface finishing applications. With new advances in abrasive technology, machining center operators like Eric Sun, founder of Orange Vise Co., a machine shop and machine tool manufacturer in Union City, CA, are able to complete surface finishing simultaneously with other machining operations, speeding product completion, improv- ing quality, and saving off-line finishing time and costs.
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