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Salt & Pepper shakers.
with a tail stock. Ansonia took delivery of Okuma 2 right as the country shut down for Covid19, not the best time, but as an essential business it meant they needed to play the hand they were dealt and keep running. “Admittedly it wasn’t great timing,” explains Jamie. “Fortunately, we have another Okuma that is also an LB3000 with the same controls, so we were able to start running parts without much training. That being said training is always helpful, especially from Charlie Gilmore at Gosiger the local Okuma distributor. He is super smart, an amazing teacher and a wonderful person to have in the shop. He has an ability to take something very complex and make it easy. We have learned so much from him over the years. A lot of times people forgo the training, especially if they are already familiar with the machine tool, but we look at it as a valuable opportunity to expand our knowledge by having direct access to a specialist. Zoom meetings, calls and lots of emails helped us to get more dialed in while we waited for a little more normalcy. Once the restrictions eased up, we were able to get Gosiger in for extra fine tuning. Support from Gosiger has been great as we all had to adapt to a pandemic work environment.”
Parts for a glass sculpture at the SLC airport.
Ansonia took delivery of their first Okuma, a twin spindle LB3000MYW six years ago when Gosiger rep Paul Missimer sold them on the capabilities and value of Okuma. “Accuracy and precision are what drew us originally to Okuma, and accuracy and precision is why we just got our second Okuma,” touts Andrew. “All day long they run, and run, and run, with very little change. First thing in the morning, to well into the afternoon they still hold the same tolerances. Our new Okuma replaced a similar tail-stock lathe we had from a different manufacturer and the difference is evident. We were expecting the purchase to be an upgrade, but even with it only on the floor for a few weeks the difference is noticeable. We can run faster, and take bigger cuts, all without giving up quality. The combination of the two Okuma turning centers gives us the versatility we need. One machine we can now dedicate to production type runs while having the other open for smaller quantities or quick turnarounds. It is always a juggling act as a job shop, but similar machines make on the fly adaptability a lot easier. We run parts made from plastic, stainless, bronze, aluminum, to Inconel and other difficult to machine/high wear super alloys and the Okumas handle it all.”
Aluminum bulkhead.
Copper power feed through.
CNC WEST August/september 2020 www.CNC-West.com 27