CNC Machining – Keeping Competitive

Keep A Competitive Edge

There are many forces that influence the direction of a CNC aerospace contract manufacturer. At Intrex, one of drivers of our business model is: CNC Machining – Keeping Competitive. Identifying and correctly responding to the forces can be the difference between success and failure. Some forces are external and out of our control. Others are internal and controllable. Having the experience and the ability to differentiate between them, and to direct your resources appropriately, can make the difference between keeping a  competitive edge and being out of business. Understanding our value proposition and driving our resources toward that proposition is fundamental to competitiveness and profitability.

 Knowledge of our existing customers’ needs

There is a business axiom “your best new customer is your existing customer”. Assuming your existing customer(s) are “good” customers (you define good), we have found this to be true. Our greatest opportunities for growth have been with our existing customer base.

This is not to exclude new customers. We are constantly searching to broaden our base with new customers, but because of our established relationship with our existing customers, we never want to lose sight of the importance of our existing base. In the CNC aerospace machining world, it may take years of delivering consistent high-quality parts to establish deep trusting relationships. Core to our successful relationships is an understanding of our customer’s wants and needs. This requires constant communication and a high level of mutual trust.

Consistent Investment in equipment and Technology

 Remaining competitive requires investment. Keeping abreast with the latest technologies (both hardware & software) is ongoing. In the last several years we have invested several million dollars in machine tools, support equipment, and system software. The net outcome of these expenditures increases our efficiencies and helps drive costs down.

Recent capital investments:

• 1 – Okuma LT-300MY twin spindle, twin turret, turn/mill, 7 axis w/ Fanuc robot
• 1 – DMG/Mori NTX 2500 Series 5 axis turn/mill w/60 ATC
• 3 – DMG/Mori NLX2500SY/700 turn/mill
• 1 – DMG/MoriNLX2000 SY/ turn/mill with Y axis
• 1- DMG/Mori CMX 1100

CMMs

• 5- Zeiss DURAVERTICAL Model 5100

Quality Assurance Integrated with Epicor ERP/MRP

Having a quality assurance program is one of the keys to the successful machining of aerospace parts. Aerospace/space/ defense components require careful and constant monitoring of the quality process. The quality assurance program at Intrex Aerospace, provides real-time detailed information on production part status, with critical quality measurements, and supporting documentation. Our quality assurance is integrated with our Epicor ERP/MRP system. All phases of the manufacturing process are measured and recorded. CNC Machining – Keeping Competitive is all about delivering a quality part on-time to our customers.

Our investment in a quality management software package pays dividends. The high level of integration, between our ship floor and quality department, resulted in maintaining PPMs <50 for the last several years.  Our updated quality software allows us to easily track and record our quality metrics. We can also provide CPk and SPCs upon request. All this information is readily available to our customers. In addition to our world-class PPMs we have maintained OTDs of greater than 98%.

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

 Because we compete not only with other USA contract CNC manufacturers but with “lower priced” offshore sources, we defined some of the elements that impact the “total cost of ownership” – TCO. There is usually dialog with our customers helping identify TCO. Some of the factors that influence TCO are:

• Quality – controlling their product through the entire manufacturing/transportation process (at what point do you find out there is an issue)
• Delivery – Many factors can impact delivery when your supplier is thousands of miles away
• Inventory – Having enough products in the pipeline so as not to impede delivery may require higher levels of inventory
• Communication – Many times offshore is 12 hours out of phase
• There are many considerations/dynamics beyond those listed above that go beyond just “landed cost” in assessing real cost.  We think that in many instances we as a local source can provide a competitive solution that addresses the TCO factors listed above.

There are many reasons in addition to those listed above that make Intrex Aerospace an attractive competitive provider of CNC machined aerospace components, but CNC Machining – Keeping Competitive is our mantra.

We would welcome an opportunity to have further communication with you to discuss matching our capabilities with your needs. Please click here and we will contact you. Thank you!