Free At Last! With CNC Control Apps

IMAGO MANUFACTURING

“I think people can really relate to not having to stand in front of their machine. With Okuma’s CNC control apps, it is possible”

-Ryan Bankel

Location: Woodstock, IL

Equipment: Okuma LB3000 EX-II

Ryan Bankel, CEO of Imago Manufacturing was looking for a new CNC machine that would allow him to complete parts in one operation and also run unattended. As he described his goals to distributor Morris and folks from Okuma, he proposed a unique challenge. “If I can be in a swimming pool making parts, with the machine running without me being right next to it, I’ll buy your machine.”

Make no mistake, Ryan is no slacker. He spent many years working till midnight during the week, and all through each weekend. The pool idea was simply a way to convey what he really wanted: a little more time to spend with his wife and kids.

LIKE HAVING AN “EMPLOYEE” INSIDE THE CNC CONTROL

As he compared machines, he decided Okuma’s LB3000 EX-II was the one. Then he was introduced to Chris Robson from Morris. Chris showed Ryan how to use a CNC control app called Machine Alert that could be used to notify him on his mobile phone if something interrupted production. Morris also customized an app for tool load monitoring, so he could see when diminishing tool life might compromise his production, and proactively change to new tools. “I’ve always invested in the latest technology, with the goal of running unattended. This makes me less dependent on adding employees. Okuma’s apps are like having another, easier-to-manage employee inside the CNC control.”

FREE AT LAST!

Ryan still hasn’t spent much time in that pool. (But he did get to catch all the action during the Chicago Blackhawks’ NHL playoff games.) He uses most of his newfound time to visit customers and run his business, rather than the business running him. Most importantly, now that he’s not chained to his CNC machine he has freedom to attend his son’s Little League games and watch his cheerleading daughter. “I think people can really relate to not having to stand in front of their machine,” he says. “With Okuma’s CNC control apps, it is possible.”

Ryan Bankel

CEO, Imago Manufacturing