Blue Chip Engineering, Inc.

Blue Chip Engineering machines the majority of medical components from stainless steel and titanium. Increasing product specifications where pushing the limits of current machine platforms, creating the need for labor intensive inspection requirements and slowing throughput capability. To remain competitive, it was critical for Blue Chip Engineering to improve the cost and efficiency of the manufacturing process.

Assessment
The current 5 Axis machining platforms were unable to meet increasing tolerance requirements, causing operators to interrupt the process to verify component dimensions and machine positioning. Scrap and costs of quality were increasing against the backdrop of rising material costs, while process interruptions resulted in spindle down time that threatened the ability to meet customer delivery requirements.

Solution
Ellison and Blue Chip engineers, collaborated to reengineer the manufacturing process and evaluate leading-edge technology platforms that would meet expectations for labor efficiency, cycle times, and product quality. The optimal solution utilizing a Mori Seiki DuraCenter with a Nikken 5 axis rotary table was evaluated against a stringent return objectives, taking into consideration the elimination of in-process component verification, increased machine performance yields, and improved spindle availability.

End Result
The enhanced performance capabilities of the Mori Seiki DuraCenter have strengthened Blue Chip Engineering’s high-quality, rapid-response strategy. Machine process repeatability has eliminated the need for process interruptions, freeing machine operators to focus on critical value-add activities and contributing to a 30% overall reduction in component manufacturing cycle times. Additional spindle availability and process yields have increased overall manufacturing capacity and the ability to exceed customer quality and delivery expectations.