Case Study

“We received a big order from our major customer that we had to fulfill, and we just weren’t going to be able to fulfill it with manpower. We needed something that was going to run around the clock,” said Ted Force, Director of Milling and Programming at SpiTrex MDI.

SpiTrex MDI, a Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based, medical device manufacturer with deep family roots, is no stranger to high-volume orders. The company began in 1962 as HDJ Co., followed by several transformations before adopting the MDI brand in 2012, then becoming part of SpiTrex Orthopedics’ global network in 2020. Through it all, the company has prided itself on the development of first-class orthopedic implants and devices.

Samples of SpiTrex MDI’s medical devices

Yet, for even the most efficient manufacturers, maximizing cutting hours remains the priority to ensure customer orders are delivered on time and at the highest quality. For a shop that houses several Haas mills, the constant manual intervention and changeover time no longer cut it.

Continuous production became paramount. A new solution was needed to produce their class of titanium parts. A fortuitous knock on the door from Methods’ dealer-partner MTA Company, Inc., led SpiTrex MDI to adopt its first automated platform.

“The MTA team did a good job of putting together an ROI presentation that showed us when we’re going to get our money back. Stacking the timelines up, it became clear. That was a strong pitch that really helped us understand the right fit,” said Force.

TURNING TO THE ROBODRILL AND AUTOMATION

Enter the Methods RoboDrill Plus K60. A floor-ready solution comprised of a 21-tool FANUC RoboDrill and integrated by Methods with FANUC LR Mate 200iD robot, a side storage rack with 44 extra tool positions, and a rotary storage carousel with 60 part/part career positions.

“One of our sister companies has some RoboDrills and they really recommended them. We looked at them, the work envelope fits perfect with the size of the part we’re making,” said Force. “And with the [Haberle 5-axis] trunnion, it’s very robust compared to the Haas, so the cycle times are a little quicker and the [RoboDrill] itself is lightning fast.”

While the machine performance checked every box, selling the idea to management was another where the conversation shifted from cutting savings to capital savings.

“We had to go our president and make the case,” said Force. “He would beat the drum that you could buy three machines for the cost of [a Plus K60]. What I told him was, you get, say, three machines. Well, here’s one that comes with a 24/7 employee that doesn’t take breaks.  When you walk in on a Sunday morning and no one is there, and the machine is still running since Friday just pumping out parts… it’s an amazing machine.”

The Methods Plus K60 cell on SpiTrex MDI’s floor

The results were readily apparent. Combining the factors of higher efficiencies [Savings of about 10 minutes per part according to Force], unattended machining, and powering through titanium and cobalt chrome, the SpiTrex MDI team reached a new level of machining.

“We were experienced with the BT30 holders, so we knew what we could push, but we’re just getting better quality,” said Michael Mannion, Director of Swiss Machining.

“And we use the same fixturing for probably 80 percent of the work we do. So, if we get different part, we use the tools in the machine, call up the program, and it’s just a matter of hitting the button to get back into production,” added Force.

Internally, the Plus K60 continues to produce at a high level for the SpiTrex MDI team. However, as is the case for most shops, the greatest value in a machine investment is dictated by the bottom-line results for the business and, more importantly, customer satisfaction. To that end, the RoboDrill Plus K60 has met expectations on all sides.