A whole lot of tribal knowledge, and plenty of support from Ellison.
If you want an example of how powerful a strong skill set and a good niche can be, TJB Couplers of North Ridgeville, Ohio serves as an excellent case study. Founded back when Baby Boomers were still whippersnappers themselves, the company has decades of experience dragging a comfortably status quo segment of manufacturing into the future—sometimes while they’re kicking and screaming.
Coupler technology is better off because TJB exists, but of course, even the best companies can’t do it alone. That’s a big reason they count on one-of-a-kind machining expertise from Ellison, and powerful equipment from DN Solutions.
First Things First: What’s a Coupler?
A coupler is really just a plug & outlet combination that all of us know so well, except it’s amped up to an industrial level due to higher voltage and power draw. It’s a crucial component, and TJB Couplers was founded because of a man who knew he could make improvements.
“My grandfather, TJ Brenner, founded the company in 1970. He initially worked for a company that made the first cable couplers,” said DJ Fiske, General Manager of TJB Couplers. “He wanted to make some changes, which they weren’t interested in. So he went off and did it on his own.”
The TJB Difference
In the decades since, TJB Couplers has pioneered numerous coupler innovations: a double start 4-pitch thread in the late 1970s, followed soon after by a no-thread connection. An elastomer button installed in malle copper contacts came about in the 1980s. And the one that really put TJB on the map once and for all: the industry’s first PTFE insulator in the early 1990s, which removed the reliance on troublesome rubber.
“We’re still fairly small, but everyone who works here is so invested,” Fiske said. “Keeping employees for decades in a highly specialized segment means a majority of coupler knowledge is housed under our roof. We’re able to respond better and work more efficiently than anyone else can.”
The Latest Arrivals: Twin Lynx 2100LMSB Machines
These tiny-but-mighty lathes are decked out with features that ensure cycle times and part quality are in a satisfactory spot. “We went with the Lynx machines because we were looking to reduce handling time on bar-loaded parts,” Fiske said. “We have some small parts where operations are needed on both sides, plus milling too. These machines do all of that.”
A PUMA & Cobot Pairing
TJB Couplers has also gotten consistent and high-quality work from its PUMA lathe and accompanying cobot, which has two turning operations and a couple of milling operations. The parts they make are castings with a long lead time, and it’s costly to get the part in rough.
“Our manual labor savings and reduced scrap has been huge there,” Fiske said. “Plus, we’re just doing things faster now. Previously, we were at 2-3 minutes per operation for the four operations. Now it’s 5-7 minutes and it’s done.”
TJB landed on the cobot because it wasn’t necessary to wall off an area and dedicate an entire cell. Everyone on the floor can work close to the cobot while it works without safety concerns. “Where we’ve really seen big improvement is in those little moments of downtime,” said Fiske. “Before, the machine might sit for a minute after finishing a cycle. But with the cobot, it’s a seamless transition at all hours of the day."
