Absolute Machine Tools Chief Marketing Officer Courtney Ortner was published in the April 2016 edition of Manufacturing Engineering – the leading source of technical information for the manufacturing industry. Ortner’s magazine article, “Big Parts Need Swiss-Type Machines on Steroids,” is an insider look at how plummeting crude oil prices are strengthening the relationships between the energy and manufacturing industry. The search for high-efficiency production during the current North America oil downturn has ignited a wave of innovation, and Absolute Machine Tools is riding at the forefront with a new technology.
Advancements in Swiss-Type Machines
Courtney Ortner and Absolute Machine Tools are proud to announce the new You Ji machine is set to be released in Chicago at this year’s International Manufacturing and Technology Show (IMTS). Ortner described the new “machine on steroids,” giving a nod to the article’s title and the machine’s application in the oil and gas industry:
“It’s like a giant Swiss machine – just vertical and massive – offering 50 horsepower for turning and 20 horsepower for milling, along with the necessary rigid construction characteristics to produce parts that will be pounding through the earth’s toughest layers.”
Ortner continued with praise for the new machine, explaining how the real prowess of the Taiwanese machine is the Swiss-like precision of the 5-axis machining center.
“They complete all milling and turning operations on five sides of a workpiece – eliminating the need to transfer the workpiece to another machine for secondary operations,” she says in the article.
The one-and-done machining capabilities means a reduction is tooling errors. This devotion to error free tooling promotes greater efficiency by reducing machine downtime and repair.
Falling Crude, Rising Innovation
“Demand from oil and gas OEMs is virtually non-existent,” the article says. Ortner’s evaluation of oil’s economic circumstance is spot on and felt across the energy and manufacturing industry. Part makers are pressured by the same tightening of the belt that is squeezing drillers, servicing companies, and energy investors.
Is there a solution? According to Ortner, there is a bright side: “The downturn in the oil and gas industry is encouraging innovation, as down cycles often do.”
Falling crude ushers rising innovation by demanding efficiency. Leading this search for better parts and production is the team of manufacturing professionals at Absolute Machine Tools. “During the down times, the smart companies encourage creativity, engineering, invention, innovation and that’s what’s happening now”, said Ortner. This year’s introduction of the You Ji VTM-800 milling center is a shining example of Absolute Machine Tools’ dedication to advancement in manufacturing technology. Oil and gas will cycle up again, and until then – Absolute Machine Tools will continue to raise the bar with CNC machine tools that produce industry leading tolerances.
