At This Shop, Jobs “Sell Themselves”
02.21.2018
A few years ago, Okuma customer Alliance Innovative Manufacturing chose the path less taken by making a strategic shift into large-part manufacturing. They went BIG. This transformation, under the leadership of Owner and President Rich St. John, was a big undertaking, but it’s also brought big rewards. Armed with two Okuma VTM-200YB’s and a MCR-A5CII double column machining center they established a position where jobs “sell themselves” because of the unique capabilities they offer.
A Solid Choice
When Alliance transitioned from manual to CNC machines several decades ago, the first thing they bought was an Okuma LC40 four-axis machine (and it’s still running today). When shopping for this machine they compared Okuma with another builder’s offering. While the size of the two contenders was about the same, they went with the Okuma because it weighed twice as much as its competitor. “Coming from an old school perspective, I’m looking at the cast iron of a machine. We elected to go with the solidness of the Okuma, thinking that it would be a lot more rigid and the horsepower of the machine would be higher as well.” This proved to be true.
Going Green – A Profitable Decision
Alliance went on to amass a small army of what they call “Green Machines’, based not only on the avocado-green paint scheme that was used in the day, but also the fact that they reliably made money. “Every hour, every day, every year, they make good parts,” says Rich. By 2011 Rich came to a realization. They were in direct competition with many mom-and-pop shops that were going after mid-range part sizes. The field was crowded, and pricing was cutthroat. Why duke it out when you can rise above the fray? That’s when Rich decided to go BIG. “If we didn’t make a radical move, we wouldn’t stay ahead of the curve.”
Watch the Video: Alliance Innovative Manufacturing
With help from Mitch Vogel and distributor Morris Great Lakes, Alliance dove into large-format machining. They brought in an Okuma VTM-2000YB 5-axis vertical lathe that can perform turning, vertical, horizontal, and angled surface machining in one operation. The VTM has a maximum swing diameter of 95 inches and can hold up to 22,000 pounds on the table (maximum workpiece load of nearly 16,000 pounds). According to Rich, “This machine specializes in doing very large, very accurate work. Today that’s Alliance Innovative’s specialty.”
Failed Experiment with Another Machine Tool Brand
At the same time they purchased the Okuma VTM, Alliance also purchased a competing brand’s double column machining center. With new business lined up and important customer relationships at stake, the company began making chips on the new equipment. They delivered on time with the Okuma machine, but six months late on the competitor's, due to delivery delays. Additionally, the competitor's equipment experienced a pattern of downtime that began almost immediately after installation. Alliance Innovative had staked their venture into large format machining on this equipment and constant downtime was not an option. One year in, Alliance Innovative began turning away work that was to be performed on the competitor's equipment instead of risking damage to the company's reputation. The only thing worse than delivering a job late is not being able to finish the job at all, so something had to change. Rich decided to pull that machine out and put in an Okuma MCR-A5CII double column machining center and another Okuma VTM. “I learned my lesson, buying pieces of equipment that say they can do things, but can’t. As long as Okuma builds a machine in the size range I’m looking for, we’ll stick with them,” says Rich.
Jobs Seem to Sell Themselves
Some of the large parts Alliance produces go into the Okumas weighing about 14,000 pounds, and come out weighing about 6,000 pounds. These are very large pieces (and a lot of chips too), ranging from 30 – 70 inches in diameter. Jason Cowburn, Sales Manager for Alliance Innovative, says “the Okumas are awesome. From a competitive standpoint, it’s actually very easy for me to sell parts made on those machines.” Just by having the larger CNC machines, jobs seem to sell themselves because of their size and what they can do.
Expanding to XL
In 2014 Alliance Innovative completed installation of a brand new Okuma MCR-A5CII double column machining center. This expanded the company’s sweet spot in medium to “extra large” size parts. It has a 110 x 199 inch table, can handle 60 inches underneath the quill and can take nearly 60,000 pounds on the table. With true 5-axis machining in a compact footprint, the solid double column construction of this machine ensures strong rigidity and close tolerances.
Going Big Pays Off
Alliance’s large-format Okumas have been booked since the day they were installed, running some impressively gigantic parts. Going big is not for the faint of heart, it takes risk, and it takes guts. But it’s paid off with a whole new world of opportunity for Alliance Innovative.
