Source: Modern Machine Shop

There’s something special about a manufacturing facility where the main structure is modeled after a Swiss Bernese farmhouse, the entrance and conference areas are more like a meticulously cared for home and the employees share a level of pride that’s infectious. That something special is what’s made C&A Tool Engineering, Inc. (Churubusco, Indiana) so successful. What began 40 years ago from vacant retail shops in the quaint downtown of Churubusco has grown into C&A Tool’s Industrial Village, consisting of 13 buildings, plus a 46-acre headquarters (doubled in size to 180,000 sq. ft. in 2007), a 105,000 sq. ft. facility in Auburn, Indiana, and most recently the former 344,000 sq. ft. Dana Corp. plant in Churubusco, Indiana, acquired just weeks ago.

While C&A Tool possesses old-world charm and a dedication to craftsmanship, it’s clear upon entering the manufacturing area that the company is also deeply committed to 21st century technology and innovation. C&A Tool’s headquarters contains eight ergonomically designed pods, allowing for manufacturing flexibility and expandability. In the Material Preparation Pod, metal is tested for purity and consistency. Upon approval, certification is generated real-time from a state-of-the-art handheld Nitron Analyzer. Approved stock is transferred through Milling, Grinding, Lathe Work and other Pods for processing. The latest pod at C&A Tool is dedicated to new laser sintering technology. A central corridor serves each pod and is wide enough to allow lift trucks to easily transport materials. Within these pods, C&A Tool utilizes some of the industry’s most advanced machinery and equipment, allowing for anything from production of precision-machined automotive fuel injection tips in 200,000 piece lots to one-of-a-kind orthopedic surgical replacements.

Diversity, Quality

"We are toolmakers and engineers at heart. C&A Tool is the largest provider of prototype through-design for diesel fuels systems, but we’re also making mouthpieces for clarinets and air cylinders for paint ball guns,” explained Dick Conrow, founder and owner, C&A Tool. "What keeps us strong is we do a little work for a lot of people. No one is any more than 15% of our work base.” While C&A Tool is capable of manufacturing a diverse range of components, the company is consistent in its emphasis on quality. Pods are equipped with highly advanced metrology labs for thorough inspection and quality control. Tolerances of less than a micron are standard procedure at the company. To review flatness and confirm quality of parts, C&A Tool has invested in high-tech Zeiss CMMs and ZYGO interferometers. "A lot of people do a lot of things and nothing very well. We do a lot of things and we do a lot of things very well,” said Conrow. In addition, C&A Tool is registered with the FDA, its facilities and operations are certified to ISO 9002, AS 9100B, TS16949, and the company recently earned ISO 13485 medical designation.

Cost-Effective 5-Axis Solution

C&A Tool’s Auburn facility was once owned and operated by the U.S. government to develop undersea submarine detection devices for the military. Recently acquired and renovated by C&A Tool, the company has mainly devoted this expansive facility to the production and final inspection of a new orthopedic spinal implant. The implant is designated for surgical insertion into a cervical vertebra, providing mobility to patients with spinal conditions. "With the ability to meet tight tolerances, we simply migrated into surgical components. We generate the titanium carbide housing for orthopedic implants, providing higher tolerances than job shops or general production facilities,” said Conrow. 

To ensure the cost-effective, quality production of the orthopedic implant, C&A Tool consulted Dave Werblo from Ellison Technologies (Fishers, Indiana) for machining system recommendations. Werblo suggested that, rather than investing in costly 5-axis machinery, C&A Tool consider Mori Seiki NV-5000 3-Axis Machines integrated with Nikken 5AX-200II Full 5-Axis Rotary Tables. Werblo’s recommendation reduced machinery investment costs by 50%. "When using a ‘factory built’ 5-axis machine, you lock yourself into both a more expensive machine and a 5-axis dedicated machine. However, when adding of a precision 5-axis rotary table to a 3-axis mill, you gain the flexibility of being able to use the machine for both 3-axis and 5-axis work,” stated Steve Baier, regional manager, Lyndex-Nikken.

Lyndex-Nikken’s service engineers fully integrated and interfaced the Nikken 5AX-200II Rotary Table into the Mori Seiki MSX-511 Controller. "With the Nikken 5-Axis Rotary Table fully interfaced into the machine, C&A can do full 5-axis simultaneous milling exactly like, and to the same accuracy as, factory built full 5-axis machines - at a fraction of the cost,” continued Baier. "Also, with Nikken’s patented Ion Nitride Worm Wheel and Carbide Worm Screw, C&A enjoys the most reliable 5-axis solution available.”

C&A Tool also realized reductions in production time and expenses with the use of integrated Nikken rotary tables. "Because everything is based on centerline rotation, this arrangement eliminated numerous machining setups, the need for two wire EDM operations, centerless grind operations and the need for a qualified blank,” said Boyd Pruitt, North Mill go-to-guy, C&A Tool. 

With the implant produced at tolerances within 25 microns or less, and surface finishes of .32 RA, the integrated system satisfied precision requirements. "We chose the Nikken rotary table for its accuracy, repeatability, low maintenance and good name in the industry. We do expensive parts and need to have confidence,” commented Shane Manth, South Mill go-to-guy, C&A Tool. 

The versatility of an integrated rotary table also offered advantages. C&A Tool can mount standard vises on the machine with the Nikken 5-Axis table still installed on the right side of the machine. "We can put vises on them and fixtures for parts up to 10” with the rotary table still in place. If we need 3-axis work, it takes just one hour to take the rotary table off,” stated Manth. 

C&A Tool has been successful for the past 10 years using six Nikken 5AX-2MT-105 Double Face Tilt/Rotating Tables for fuel system development. For orthopedic implants, C&A Tool has incorporated 16 Nikken 5AX-200II Rotary Tables into 16 Mori Seiki NV-5000 Vertical Machining Centers. "Integrated in the Mori Seiki, Lyndex-Nikken’s installation of the tilt tables is so clean you can’t tell it’s not a factory install,” stated Manth.
The 5AX-200II CNC Rotary Table from Lyndex-Nikken performs the fastest rotating and tilting speeds in the industry and provides exceptional brake torque. It features a drop trunion and clamping torque of 588/490Nm. The faceplate diameter of the rotary table is 200 mm and the maximum workload is 176lbs. The 5AX-200II and all Nikken rotary tables feature a patented carbide worm system that increases reliability. The carbide worm system uses a carbide worm screw and ion nitrided worm wheel, rather than a conventional bronze or bronze alloy actuation mechanism. These result in a reduction of friction and wear by up to eight times. The worm screw consists of a less brittle V-grade form of carbide, while the worm gear is ion nitrided to a depth of 0.1 mm and an external surface hardness of 68 Rc. These properties, as well as a steel way hardened to 58-60 Rc, all work to enhance system rigidity and longevity. "We sold 40 rotary tables to a single customer six years ago and have never had a service call. That’s what makes a Nikken a Nikken,” said Baier.

Lessons

    C&A Tool’s unique approach to business is not limited to manufacturing. Operators at C&A Tool are cross-trained to work on all equipment within their pods. As operators are regularly rotated to work on a variety of systems, operator fatigue is not an issue. What’s more, during these difficult economic times, rather than lay off any of its 500 plus workforce, C&A Tool has chosen to challenge them. Conrow has recently asked his operators to research and produce a marketable product. The result is the development of a stainless steel hose nozzle, etched personalized license plates and other ideas. "Through these projects, Dick is teaching his operators business basics … how to make something cost effectively,” concluded Werblo. It takes a special kind of business to output high-precision parts, while producing real-world lessons.

For more information, contact :
Lyndex-Nikken Inc., 1468 Armour Blvd., Mundelein, IL 60060, Phone: (847) 367-4800.

To learn more about C&A Tool, contact:
C&A Tool Engineering, Inc., P.O. Box 94, 4100 North U.S. 33, Churubusco, IN 46723, Phone: (260) 693-2167
www.catool.com

Ellison Technologies is located at:
9587 East 131st Street, Fishers, IN 46038, Phone: (317) 577-3723
www.ellisontechnologies.com