Traditionally, many manufacturers have taken sole ownership of the efforts tomaximize the efficiency and effectiveness of their processes. As the rate of technological innovation has increased exponentially, though, this approach has often become inefficient. Today, significant benefits can be realized by relying on the expertise of suppliers. Founded in 1948, Vermeer Corporation (Pella, IA) is an internationalprovider of agricultural, construction, environmental and industrial equipment. Its many years of success and reputation for quality can be traced back to the philosophy of its founder, Gary Vermeer, who stated, “Find a need. Fill that need with a product built to last. And simply build the best!” Today and in years past, the company utilizes suppliers that can support the high levels of innovation found in its products. To help stay abreast of the latest developments in cutting tool technology, Vermeer works closely with tooling supplier Sandvik Coromant. While the tool s produced by Sandvik Coromant play a vital role in the processes of Vermeer Corporation, the relationship itself provides an additional value, says the company. “The technical resources Sandvik Coromant hasmade available to us are exceptional,” said Laird Dahm, Manufacturing Engineer at Vermeer. “To support our operations, they’ve provided comprehensive onsite operator training, conducted productivity improvement studies and identified opportunities for us to reduce the number of inserts and tools used in our manufacturing operations.” In mid-2008, Dahm had occasion to take advantage of Sandvik Coromant’s tooling and process expertise. Vermeer had just purchased two Mori Seiki NL3000 turning centers to add to amachining cell dedicated to a specific family of parts. Machined from 4140 prehardened steel, the family of parts contains starter rods that are used in underground horizontal directional drilling equipment. As the new machines were integrated into the cell, Vermeer requested Sandvik Coromant’s assistance in tooling up the machines and evaluating the machining processes. During the evaluation phase, the team identified the goal of increasing productivity on outer-diameter turning for the starter rods. Initially, the process was running at 694 RPM with a feed rate of 0.013” (0.03 cm)/revolution. With a cutting depth of 0.15” (0.4 cm), the operation required three passes and took 4.14 minutes per component. Because Vermeer had selected the highpressure coolant option on its two new machines, a better approach appeared possible. “After reviewing the job, I felt that the process could be significantly improved by moving to a Coromant Capto cutting head with built-in highpressure coolant nozzles,” said Eric Jenkins, the local Sandvik Coromant representative for Vermeer. “The use of high-pressure coolant through the tool can provide significant benefit in terms of productivity and tool life.” On Jenkin’s recommendation, Vermeer adopted the new Coromant Capto head.With the new tool, spindle speed was kept the same, but the feed rate was increased to 0.016” (0.4 cm) /revolution and the depth of cut was raised to 0.2” (0.5 cm). Total process time per component shrunk to just 2.34minutes, a reduction of 43 percent. “The tool’s ability to deliver highpressure coolant directly to the cutting point really improved performance,” said Dahm. “It also helped boost tool life andmade the processmore reliable and consistent.” Vermeer also relies on Sandvik Coromant to expand the expertise of its workforce. Over the past several years, the company has requested on-site, biannual training seminars to teach operators and programmers about new techniques and processes. The most recent of these occurred in mid-2009 and focused on advanced turning techniques. “Whenever Sandvik comes to Vermeer for a training seminar, we receive a lot of positive feedback from our employees,” said Dahm. “We have operators that have run machines for decades and they’re often the first ones to sign up. Nomatter howmuch someone in this business knows, there’s always something new that can improve their effectiveness on the machines. Our employees learn how to get more out of the machines and tooling.” Partnering with suppliers like Sandvik Coromant, Vermeer has taken an aggressive stance towards employee education in the face of the current economic downturn. While many companies have undergone layoffs to trim costs, Vermeer recalls observations it made during a past economic crisis and sees a competitive advantage in taking a more unique approach. “During the downturn in and around 2001, a lot of manufacturers laid off talented people and then had a tough time rebuilding their skilled workforce when the work came back,” said Dahm. “Vermeer is very committed to trimming costswithout reducing our workforce whenever possible and we use slow periods to really expand the expertise of our employees. When things rebound, it’ll have put us in a really strong position to capitalize.” With an aggressive approach to enriching itsworkforce and constant dedication to improvement, Vermeer is striving to ensure a continued competitive advantage for years to come. For more information contact: Sandvik Coromant Company 1702 Nevins Road Fair Lawn, NJ 07410-0428 800-SANDVIK 201-794-5000 us.coromant@sandvik.com www.coromant.sandvik.com/us