Let me start by saying thank you; every one of us at TCI Precision Metals appreciates you. To our customers, thank you for trusting us with your business; for those who have not yet worked with us directly, thank you for following us and for considering us when you have a need.

Every day is a good day for all of us to be thankful and extend gratitude to those who help us succeed, including family, friends, employees, and customers. The Holiday Season places special emphasis on showing gratitude. In addition to marking various religious celebrations, the Holidays represent the end of another year and instill hope for the New Year.

Reflection on the past twelve months and planning to make the next twelve even better is typical. How can I be a better person? How can we improve our business? What should our goals and objectives be for the coming year?

Many companies in the metalworking and manufacturing industries have had a difficult time over the past three years. A slipping economy, higher interest rates, a presidential election, and world events have all contributed to where we are as 2024 winds down. Can we all look forward to 2025 with hope for opportunities?

Economic predictions for the metalworking industry over the past three years have been pretty accurate, and we all had to deal with it, but looking forward, market conditions should improve. The industry is projected to increase orders for new machine tools by 20% over the next year, with continued growth through 2027 and beyond. We all know that few things, including economic predictions, are guaranteed, but I’ll take this news as a reason to celebrate! As we move into 2025, we all need to think about how we can increase efficiency, improve productivity, utilize technology and automation, reduce costs, increase overall throughput, and improve quality.

But for now, let’s give thanks and enjoy our family and friends. We wish you the best this holiday season and hope you have a prosperous New Year.

 

Thanks for reading –

Ben

Based on a recent plan to buy survey for 2025 conducted among job shops and OEM manufacturers, the following were selected among the top reasons to invest in new technology and equipment:

These investment objectives may be attainable by adding more costly equipment to an already crowded shop floor, but what if they could be realized simply by thinking differently about materials and material processing.

Materials that arrive pre-machined and prepped for finish machining are lean. This is a trend shops are realizing in today’s rapidly evolving manufacturing environment. It is important for shops to stay current with best practices while keeping a watchful eye on increasing customer demand. Shops that continue to innovate, rethink, and exceed customer expectations will succeed while at the same time educating customers as to what is possible.

Quality, sustainability, reporting, and the environment related to manufacturing have never been more scrutinized. How can we do more with less? How can we reduce waste? How can we increase quality? How can we shorten lead times? How can we improve the bottom line? These critical discussions are happening in shops everywhere. Working harder is not the answer; you need to think differently. Listen to your customers and challenge the status quo. If you think differently, you will be different compared to your competition.

Most shops have different production process needs based on their unique workflow, but there are common denominators, such as materials handling and processing. If you review the most recent value stream mapping of your manufacturing processes, you will likely see several steps dedicated to material sourcing, logistics, processing, and prep for finish machining or assembly.  There is probably little argument internally about these process steps being required and completed in-house, even though they can account for more than 50% of the total manufacturing time and are often the culprit when a line needs to be shut down due to bottlenecks or processing delays.  To think differently in today’s good, fast, and cheap manufacturing environment, everything must be on the table for review. Lean manufacturing is a commitment; you cannot rest on your loreals because your competition will present a better mousetrap as soon as you do.

When it comes to lean manufacturing and the idea of constant improvement, there are only a few broad areas to look to for answers. You either need to add or replace equipment, introduce more technology, or change processes. It is hard to argue a case against new equipment if that’s what’s holding you back.  Adding more technology, on the other hand, requires a lot more consideration. If you are swayed by marketing messages promising increased spindle time, increased uptime, decreased downtime, etc., you need to dive deeper. The metric you should consider is an overall increase in throughput, which is the bottom line on productivity. Often, the promised benefits of new technology get lost in the process or result in inefficiencies further down the line. Don’t kick the can down the line.  Taking a good look at your processes is where the magic happens.

Process evaluation should precede virtually every investment throughout production, especially when it comes to materials, the lifeblood of any job. Materials sourcing, heat treating, flattening, squaring, deburring, cleaning, staging, and inventory control account for considerable time and resources. Not to mention, the net outcome of materials prep can directly affect the overall quality and the potential for scrap. Consider the impact on your production line, and bottom line, if you could start a job with materials that arrive ready to go directly from receiving to machining.

Materials-Ready for Production

Materials Ready for Production (MRP) is real. TCI Precision Metals, a value-added materials distributor, developed the concept based on its precision Machine-Ready Blanks, which eliminate material prep, shorten setup time, reduce scrap, improve quality, and increase overall machining throughput by 25% or more.

Custom Machine-Ready Blanks are made to order, based on your unique specifications, to make them ‘machine-ready.’   Typically, they are square, rectangular, or round stock milled to your custom net specifications. They can be produced as close as +/-.0005” dimensionally and as close as .002” in flatness, squareness, and parallelism. Machine-Ready Blanks eliminate the need for squaring up the material prior to finishing the part. Flatness is especially important as it reduces the tendency for part movement during the machining process, especially with large surface area parts.

By starting a production job with Machine-Ready Blanks you reduce the need for specialized machines or tying up machines that are better served performing other operations. Bottlenecks created by time-consuming setup and squaring operations are avoided, saving even more time. This increases shop capacity without adding overhead. Machine-Ready Blanks arrive pre-machined to specifications and are ready to go directly from your receiving dock onto your CNC machines. Machine-Ready Blanks are deburred, cleaned, and vacuum packaged to avoid damage during handling and shipping.

Consider the following applications where pre-machined materials make sense. If your shop is doing these types of jobs you might want to consider giving blanks a try. In many instances using Machine-Ready Blanks will contribute more to overall shop throughput than adding a machining center.

First Articles

The decision to use Machine-Ready Blanks should be made in the materials planning phase of the job. Using Machine-Ready Blanks to produce first articles, then continue right through production is the best way to ensure consistency of process. Since Machine-Ready Blanks are custom-made to order, there are no minimum quantities. As your job ramps to production, you can order the quantity needed, to be delivered JIT as you need them.

Production Machining

Although they are also well-suited for prototype and tooling applications, Machine-Ready Blanks are best suited for production machining jobs where the efficiency and time savings from using them can be projected over multiple parts – the more the better. The value of using Machine-Ready Blanks increases with part count as your shop is able to push out more finished parts, faster, by virtually eliminating bottlenecks associated with time-consuming material prep work.

Feature-Added Blanks

Feature-added Blanks are milled to the same tight tolerances as custom blanks but include one or more specified features. A typical added feature might be a large amount of material removal, e.g., milling all six sides of a rectangular Machine-Ready Blank with opposing steps, or hogging large amounts of material. TCI Machine-Ready Blanks are double disc ground and/or duplex milled, machining two sides of a part at the same time. This translates into cost savings over facing only one side of raw stock at a time. When the Machine-Ready Blanks arrive with additional features added, less in-house machine time is needed.

Are Machine-Ready Blanks Right for You?

Questions to Ask Yourself

  1. Are you a custom precision manufacturing company that could benefit from greater efficiency and increased capacity?
  2. How much of your expensive high-tech equipment is doing low-tech prep work?
  3. How often do you experience production bottlenecks associated with prepping material?
  4. If you could eliminate material prep work, how much more production could you move through your shop?
  5. How much money could you save by eliminating scrap prior to finish machining?
  6. Would your business benefit from being able to ship faster?
  7. Do you have part features you would like to see included in a custom Machine-Ready Blank, ready for finish machining?
  8. If you could have precision Machine-Ready Blanks with guaranteed tolerances delivered to your receiving dock, ready to load onto your CNC machines, how much would that benefit your business?
  9. How much could increase your overall throughput by only having to machine critical features?

Machine-Ready Blanks are designed to:

Thanks for reading.

Did You Feel it?

I did; there was an air of optimism at IMTS.

We exhibited at this year’s IMTS show with low expectations following more than two years of contraction in the metalworking industry. Would customers come, and if they did, would they be in a buying frame of mind or just want to kick the tires to see if there is anything new? We were pleasantly surprised by how things unfolded after the opening bell on Monday. The aisles were jammed, and people seemed to have renewed optimism. We received more inquiries about our machine-ready blanks in the first three days than we did during the whole show in 2022. Customers were engaging and open to hearing about ways to become more efficient.

In my opinion, the general tone around efficiency has changed. It used to be more about improving processes, reducing waste, and managing the bottom line. Don’t get me wrong; these are all still top of mind, but now there is a growing concern about capacity. When the market returns and it will, are shops positioned to meet the demand, especially when it comes to having skilled human resources?

If I were to pick a recurring theme at this year’s IMTS show, it would have to be automation. There seemed to be a lot of technology dedicated to helping shops become more efficient in the face of continuing workforce development challenges, from material handling to autonomous machining solutions and everything in between. The pervasive message being parroted by exhibitors was “do more high-quality machining with less human intervention.”

The turnout for IMTS 2024 was just over 89,000 people, roughly 3,000 more than attended the 2022 show, and a far cry from the record set in 2018 when more than 129,000 people showed up, albeit driven by a strong economy. From our perspective, we are finally feeling a positive difference. In 2022, you could feel the onset of negativity associated with a slipping economy and projections of a nearly 30% market contraction. This year, as we move into the fourth quarter, we are seeing strengthening orders for machine-ready blanks coupled with optimistic economic projections for the industry in 2025 and forward. We are also keenly aware of how our products fit into the automation value chain.  Machine-ready blanks are consistent, blank-to-blank, making them ideal for automated material handling, placement, and workholding.

My greatest takeaway from IMTS is a reminder that necessity truly is the mother of invention, or in this case, innovation. Capitalism works, and I am proud to be part of an industry that is both creative and resilient to the shifting sands of change. The show delivered real strategies, products, and workflows designed to make OEM manufacturers and job shops more efficient in the face of improving market conditions and a continuing shortage of skilled labor.

Thanks for reading –


Ben

 

Don’t Get Caught Flat-Footed

A company’s success in a booming market is often related to what it did during the down market.

"Stay on your toes" is a good sports analogy that is timely given the recently completed Olympics. This idea of staying agile applies to most sports and is highly applicable to today’s business environment. Things are moving quickly; customers are harder to find and harder to keep. Everyone is looking for ways to be more competitive, more efficient, and more profitable. Sitting on the bench and waiting for things to get better is not a good strategy. Sure, it’s a lot easier to make money when things are booming, but if you can do it in a down market, now that’s something to be proud of.

Investing in Marketing, Sales, and Process Efficiency During a Down Market: A Strategy for Future Success

In challenging economic times, it’s tempting to cut back on spending—especially in areas like marketing and sales, which can feel like a luxury when margins are tight. However, this is precisely the time when strategic investment in these areas can pay off the most. And it is always the right time to invest in process efficiency.

This principle is particularly relevant for manufacturing companies. The manufacturing sector often faces significant challenges during economic downturns, including reduced demand, tighter budgets, and increased pressure to cut costs. Yet, for those willing to think strategically, these tough times offer a unique opportunity to gain a competitive edge.

  1. Strengthen Customer Relationships and Retain Market Share

Manufacturing companies often rely on long-term contracts and relationships. Investing in marketing and sales during a down market can help reinforce these relationships. By staying engaged with customers through regular communication, providing value-added services, and being proactive in addressing their needs, manufacturers can strengthen loyalty and increase the likelihood of retaining business even when budgets are being cut.

  1. Capture New Markets and Diversify Revenue Streams

Down markets can also be an opportune time for manufacturers to explore new markets or diversify their product offerings. By investing in market research and targeted sales efforts, companies can identify untapped markets that may be less affected by the downturn or emerging markets that will grow as the economy recovers. Diversifying revenue streams not only cushions against downturns but positions the company for accelerated growth when conditions improve.

  1. Enhance Digital Marketing and Sales Capabilities

Manufacturing companies traditionally rely on face-to-face interactions, trade shows, and in-person demonstrations for sales. However, the shift to digital marketing and virtual sales has accelerated, making it essential for manufacturers to invest in these areas. Down markets are a perfect time to enhance digital capabilities—whether it's upgrading your website, investing in SEO, or creating virtual product demonstrations. These investments will not only help maintain sales during tough times but also set the stage for more efficient and scalable sales operations in the future.

  1. Optimize the Sales Process and Improve Efficiency Across the Board

Investing in sales and marketing isn’t just about customer-facing activities. It's also an opportunity to streamline internal processes, improve efficiency, and reduce waste. Manufacturing companies can invest in process improvement, automate repetitive tasks, and train employees on new tools and strategies. These types of investments pay dividends by enabling teams in both manufacturing and sales to work more effectively, close deals faster, and exceed customer expectations even in a sluggish market.

  1. Be Ready to Scale Quickly When the Market Recovers

When the market eventually recovers, manufacturing companies that have continued to invest in marketing and sales will be in a strong position to scale quickly. With refined strategies, stronger customer relationships, and an enhanced digital presence, these companies can capitalize on pent-up demand and outpace competitors who pulled back during the downturn.

Manufacturing companies that continue to invest in marketing and sales during a down market are not just surviving—they’re preparing for future success. By staying proactive, exploring new opportunities, and optimizing processes, these companies are positioning themselves to emerge stronger and more competitive when the market rebounds. Don’t get caught flat-footed—use this time to build the foundation for a thriving future.

 Thanks for reading –

Ben

 

 

In other words, focus on your core competencies and avoid processes outside your expertise. Would you reduce bottlenecks and shorten manufacturing lead times? Would you improve overall quality? Would you realize better resource utilization, including equipment and employees?

When it comes to CNC machining operations, sticking to your knitting involves concentrating on the high-value finish machining processes central to your company's expertise while eliminating low-value processes like material preparation that involves squaring, flattening, and milling to net or near-net dimensions. These preparatory tasks, although necessary, do not add significant value compared to the final machining operations that determine the product's quality and precision. Outsourcing these lower-value tasks can free up resources and allow your shop to focus on its primary, high-value machining activities.

This concentration on high-value processes enables you to invest in the latest technologies and methodologies specific to these operations. For example, implementing advanced CNC machines, automation, adopting lean manufacturing principles, and utilizing precision measurement tools can significantly enhance productivity and part quality. This specialization also fosters deep expertise among your workforce, leading to better problem-solving abilities and innovation within your core domain.

Outsourcing low-value processes like material preparation can also streamline operations. Sources specializing in these preparatory tasks can perform them more efficiently and cost-effectively. This approach allows you to receive pre-prepared materials ready for final machining, reducing lead times and operational bottlenecks. By doing so, you can dedicate more resources to refining your finishing processes, ensuring the finished parts meet the highest quality standards.

By prioritizing high-value machining processes, your company can establish a robust reputation in the industry. Clients and partners are more inclined to collaborate with specialists with a proven history of delivering top-notch, dependable products. A shop that excels in its core competencies will likely attract repeat business and long-term contracts, ensuring a steady flow of revenue and fostering market growth.

Sometimes, trying to do too much can dilute your shop's focus and resources, potentially leading to subpar performance. For example, taking on material preparation tasks without the necessary expertise or dedicated equipment might lead to quality control and efficiency struggles. This diversion can strain financial and human resources, negatively impacting the core finishing operations.

The rapid pace of technological advancements in manufacturing necessitates companies to continually adapt and innovate to remain competitive. By adhering to core competencies, your shop can stay at the forefront of these advancements, channeling resources toward relevant research and development. This strategic focus facilitates the adoption of cutting-edge techniques and materials that can further bolster your company's competitive edge.

When it comes to sticking to your knitting, we can relate. At TCI, material preparation is all we do. We start with full sheet and plate material and make it ready for finish machining, so you don’t have to.

Thanks for reading-

Ben

Planning to attend IMTS? If so, add us to your show planner and stop by to see us.

September 9-14

Chicago, IL

Booth #432123

 

TCI Precision Metals announced the installation of a new You JI DSM1200 Series duplex mill. The machine is the latest addition to a growing number of duplex mills used in the production process of precision Machine-Ready Blanks. The DSM1200 Series boosts an impressive X-axis travel of 68.9” (1,725mm) and a Y/Z-axis travel of 29.3” (745mm), with a max load capacity of 11,024 lbs. (5,000kg). The addition of the large new format mill is intended to support the production of larger parts while improving efficiency and shortening customer lead time as demand for Custom Made-to-Order and Ready-to-Ship Machine-Ready Blanks continues to rise.

MORE...

TCI Precision Metals Expands Duplex Milling Capacity

New Amada THV460 Supports Increased Demand for Machine-Ready Blanks™

Today, TCI Precision Metals announced the installation of its newest Amada duplex mill, the THV460. Representing the latest technology in precision duplex milling, the machine is the newest addition to the TCI line of optimized milling machines used in the production of Machine-Ready Blanks. The THV460 will continue to reduce customer lead time as demand for Custom Made-to-Order and Standard Ready-to-Ship Machine-Ready Blanks continues to rise.

TCI Machine-Ready Blanks are milled in width and length, using the THV460’s specially designed twin spindle, in one setup instead of two. This reduces set-up time and increases efficiency.  One or more Machine-Ready Blanks can be milled simultaneously to the machines' overall dimensional capacity of 18.4"W x 18.4"L x 5.9"H.   The value is passed to TCI customers through shorter lead times and competitive pricing.

“We continue to invest in our people and equipment at TCI, focusing on what we do best: helping our customers eliminate material prep with Machine-Ready Blanks,” said Ben Belzer, President and CEO of TCI Precision Metals. By refining our equipment and processes to maximize quality and efficiency, we can provide customers with cost-effective, high-value, Machine-Ready Blanks that can reduce a shop’s overall cost by as much as 25% on a given production job,” added Belzer.

Custom Machine-Ready Blanks are precision milled to the customer’s net specifications and can be furnished as close as +/-.0005” dimensionally and as close as .002” in flatness, squareness, and parallelism. Each Machine-Ready Blank is deburred, cleaned, and vacuum packaged – ready to go directly from receiving into CNC machining centers.  Machine-Ready Blanks helps shops eliminate material prep and reduce set-up time, part movement, scrap, and wear and tear on machine tool inserts and cutters used to square material in-house.

Customer Service

Always do the right thing.

Service touches every aspect of doing business, and with its far-reaching influence, there can be a lot to unpack about the subject.  At TCI Precision Metals, we have many service initiatives in place. Still, to ensure there are no misunderstandings of intent, every employee is empowered to do the right thing regarding customer service.

In today’s manufacturing environment, the significance of service often takes a backseat to the production process. However, it is crucial to recognize that service is equally vital internally and externally. Service can be a potent differentiator against competition, but to truly deliver on the promise, you must cultivate a service-oriented culture within your company.

Service in manufacturing encompasses everything beyond the actual production of goods. It involves pre-sale support, such as consulting and product customization, as well as post-sale services, like maintenance, repair, and customer support. These services are not just about mitigating immediate customer service issues; they are about building long-term relationships. They ensure customer satisfaction, build brand loyalty, and foster long-term relationships, making every interaction with a customer a valuable opportunity.

Providing excellent service ensures customers have a positive experience with your brand, increasing their likelihood of repeat purchases and referrals. A company known for its exceptional service earns trust and loyalty from customers, even amidst fierce competition. It can also support revenue generation through maintenance agreements, spare parts, and other value-added services.

Service in manufacturing extends far beyond the initial sale. It encompasses various touchpoints throughout the customer journey, including:

Creating a Service-Oriented Culture

To instill a service-oriented culture within your company, the following key elements are critical:

Service plays a critical role in the success of virtually every manufacturing company, extending far beyond production. By making service excellence a priority, you can differentiate your brand in the market, build strong customer relationships, and drive long-term growth.

To ingrain a service-oriented culture requires commitment, investment, and a relentless focus on exceeding customer expectations at every touchpoint. Most importantly, when service issues arise, always do the right thing.

 

Thanks for reading –

Ben

 

OnlineMetals.com Adds MIC-6 Aluminum Cast Plate
Ready-to-Ship Blanks from TCI Precision Metals

Gardena, Calif. April 24, 2024 - TCI Precision Metals announces that its MIC-6 aluminum cast plate, Machine-Ready Blanks, is now available from OnlineMetals.com, the World’s leading e-commerce metal and plastics supplier. MIC-6 Machine-Ready Blanks eliminate material prep and arrive ready to go directly from receiving to finish machining. Customers can order flat, square, and parallel materials to close tolerance specifications.

MIC-6 aluminum cast plate is a blend of the most desirable features of many individual metals with zinc as its primary alloying element. The result is a cast aluminum plate that meets the challenge of product accuracy demanded by today's industry. MIC-6 has excellent machining characteristics and is dimensionally stable and flat compared to 6061 rolled plates. MIC-6 is stress-relieved and has very low internal stresses. It is a popular choice for tooling and base plates and is often found in aerospace, marine, electronics, hydraulic equipment, machine components, and automotive applications.

“MIC-6 Machine-Ready Blanks help customers shorten setup time, reduce scrap, and increase overall throughput up to 25% or more by eliminating material prep. Blanks arrive machine-ready for production,” said Ben Belzer, President and CEO of TCI Precision Metals.

Precision blanks eliminate the need for in-house sawing, grinding, flattening, squaring operations, and outside processing. Blanks are consistent, part-to-part, which reduces setup time. In the case of MIC-6 aluminum cast plate, the production process at the mill turns out flat and stress-relieved material that reduces part movement during CNC machining.

MIC-6 Machine-Ready Blanks are available in standard thicknesses from 0.25” to 1.00” and tight flatness tolerances from the mill. Each blank is duplex milled on length and width to +/- .002”. Each blank is deburred, cleaned, and individually packaged to avoid damage during shipping.

“We are seeing an increase in demand for MIC-6 aluminum cast plate from our customers.  At OnlineMetals.com, we specialize in cut-to-size, small-to-medium-quantity orders shipped directly to any location. MIC-6 material provides that extra processing value that lets customers order exactly what they need, and it arrives ready to go directly from receiving to machining. They can use the time they previously spent in setup and prep for more productive use of their CNC machining centers,” said Matt Holzhauer, Marketplace Manager at OnlineMetals.com

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