The Tech Group in Scottsdale, Arizona, a West Pharmaceutical Company, is a premier custom injection molder, offering contract manufacturing services to the medical devices and consumer products industries. To support manufacturing operations, the company machines technically demanding four, eight and 16 cavity molds, plus singles and occasionally 64 and 96 cavity molds.

Aggressive investment in technology has been the key to the company's growth. As Director of Tooling, Todd Kuhn, understands that the continual upgrading of machine tools is a big part of the company's commitment to meeting customers' quality requirements. He has replaced older machines with an Okuma MB46-VA vertical machining center and MC-V4020 C-frame vertical machining center to introduce hard milling techniques into the mold machining process. The machines are also used for electrode machining, as a backup system for a dedicated machining center. The high spindle speeds and overall rigidity of the Okuma machines make them ideal choices for these applications. "Hard milling offers the advantages of improved productivity and throughput, as well as superior surface finishes, which are all critically important for competitive success in today's market."

Tech Group operators made the transition to the Okuma machines quickly and easily. "Our operators had never run Okuma machines before, but they were able to produce parts quickly because the intuitive controls are straightforward and easy to use. The learning curve was minimal, and that's an important consideration for us," he added.