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Good planning makes better threaded holes. (Emphasis: Hole Making).

Article Excerpt
Hole making is as common an operation as exists in metalworking. Tapping those holes is also very common. Finding a way to get quality threads and using efficient processing are ongoing jobs for his Indiana shop.

Blessed with a core of good customers and a steady work flow, Apex Precision Technologies (Indianapolis, Indiana) chose not to simply sit back and enjoy. Rather, the shop works very hard at continuously optimizing each and every metalworking process on the floor. That has been especially true for drilling and tapping operations performed on the hundreds of holes that are required in the workpieces that pass through this shop daily.

This 50-person shop measures success by producing high quality threads faster than previous processes and increasing the relative tool life of the cutters doing the work. Net result for the business is better throughput of customer parts. Delivery is an important metric because the shop operates much of its production around a Kan Ban system of inventory control.

Apex Precision is a 50-year old business. Its original location in downtown Indianapolis was outgrown 2 years ago and was replaced with a custom built facility outside of Indianapolis proper.

Early success for the shop came as a prime supplier to the aerospace industry, specifically jet engine manufacturers including Allison--which is now Rolls Royce--and GE jet engines. The shop continues to supply workpieces to the aerospace industry.

In addition, Apex has grown the business into supplying the off-road, tractor and fork lift truck manufacturing industry. Serving these industries gives Apex broad...

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