NEWS and ARCHIVES

Steady the supply chain

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As a consumer, it’s nearly impossible to go a day without hearing about issues in the supply chain. As a manufacturer, these issues are part of nearly every conversation as we try to develop action plans to keep manufacturing moving even when just-in-time systems fall behind.

What do you need?

If you’re like most companies we work with, your most important tasks are to minimize disruption and reduce vulnerabilities. In order to solve these kind of supply chain problems you’ll need:

  • Confidence that the products your company uses will be available on time
  • Flexibility with suppliers as your own production schedules fluctuate
  • Access to readily available inventory without exorbitant costs
  • Cost savings to help offset increases in other areas
  • Domestic suppliers to help avoid long lead times or potential disruptions

MITGI can help.

Take cutting tools off of your list of concerns as you work to solve all of the supply chain issues that come across your desk. Not everything is predictable, but having the cutting tools you need can be. Two simple solutions to get you started:

  1. Blanket orders – Cutting tools can be placed on a blanket order and inventoried at MITGI until you need them. Tools are invoiced as shipped which helps with cash flow. The full order is built and on the shelf so that they are ready for same-day shipments; this helps to create security that tools are available on-demand and allows for fluctuations in production schedules. Blankets lock in the price for the full order, creating pricing stability and helping to offset increasing costs in other areas of your production.
  2. Short lead times – Standard tools are available in 3 days or less, and most custom tools can be made and shipped within 2 weeks. Turn to us when your production schedules change quickly or when a regular supplier becomes unable to meet the timeline of the project.

Ready to take one supply chain item off of your list? Contact us today to get started with a quote, conversation, or strategic plan.

MITGI BLOG

Meeting the demands of manufacturing

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Many segments of manufacturing, including aerospace, medical device, automotive, rapid prototyping, and precision manufacturing are all experiencing growth. AGAIN. Pair this up with various issues throughout supply chains, and it can be difficult for manufacturers to meet production schedules. MITGI understands that in order for you to meet the demands of your customers and achieve your own growth goals, the cutting tools you need must arrive on time and perform as expected.

Over the past year, we’ve been working to prepare our teams, facility, equipment, and company structure to handle growth and be ready for more. Here’s how:

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Jesse Korson, Manufacturing Manager

Lights out manufacturing.

“One of the most effective ways for us to maximize production is through the addition of lights out manufacturing. Jobs that fit our criteria for unattended production are added to the weekend schedule. On-call operators can monitor progress and come on-site as needed to ensure tools meet quality requirements throughout production. This means more jobs we can get out the door each week.”

 

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Chad Nordmann, Manufacturing Manager

Increased capacity with short lead times.

“In the center shop we see a lot of small-sized orders and complex form tools, and they always come with short lead times. We’ve more than doubled the amount of equipment in this shop so that we can continue to make the tools you need when you need them.”

 

 

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Jennie Gordienko, Chief Business Development Officer

Scalable, strategic planning.

“During periods of growth, it can be difficult for companies to address big picture goals. While your teams are making sure that production has what they need for tomorrow, let us help to prepare for the long run. We’re adept at developing plans to achieve goals such as continuous improvement, vendor consolidation, and tool development for new production lines and facilities. Our business, technical, and production teams are ready to help turn ideas into action.”

 

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Eric Lipke, President

Investment in people, places, and things.

“Our teams are skilled at developing plans to scale up our growth. It’s my job to make sure they have everything they need to do so. We’ve dedicated ourselves to workforce development for more than a decade, we continue to invest in new technology and equipment, and we’re preparing to expand our manufacturing operations. MITGI is ready to help yours meet and exceed your business goals.”

Ready to get started? Our teams are ready to help. Contact us to start a conversation, schedule a call, or submit a quote for review.
mitgi blog

Top 9 Reasons to Send Your Next RFQ to MITGI

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  1. Fast quoting. Waiting for a quote on hot tools can feel like time is burning up. We understand that your timelines are short from start to finish. You can count on our teams to be responsive and quick throughout the entire quoting process.
  2. Easy quoting. Understanding what you need out of a custom tool doesn’t have to be complicated. Simply email us a tool print, draw a sketch and send it over, send a link to a competitor’s tool, or complete a quote sheet. With that information, we’ll have everything we need to get a quote underway.
  3. Short lead times. Whether a job just got bumped up in production, you ran through more tools than expected, or inventory ran low without notice – we’re ready to make and ship tools quickly. Our lead times for specials are generally two weeks but many times we can make tools even faster. Standard tools are on the shelf or available within three days.
  4. Tight tolerances. In industries like medical device manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, precision manufacturing, firearms, mold making, or electronics, tight tolerances are likely a requirement for nearly every job. Ours too. Our production teams are skilled at achieving difficult tolerances and ensuring that they are held throughout production. Tolerances vary by tool type and feature (examples include: drills and reamers +/- .0001, end mills -.0004, form tools +/-.001, boring bars +/-.001).
  5. Cost reduction goals. We work with engineers, buyers, supply chain teams, and production teams to achieve cost reduction goals. The answer may lie in longer tool life, making right-sized buys, or developing a strategic plan that leverages the buying power of your business. We’re ready to work with your teams to assess each situation and review options to consider.
  6. Difficult to machine materials. Have a material that is abrasive or gummy or particularly hard to machine? Need to reduce heat or achieve better chip control? We can help to address these issues and more by applying material-specific tool geometries or coating. Tell us the material you’re cutting at the time of quoting for the best results.
  7. Technical support. For nearly 30 years we’ve provided at-the-spindle kind of advice while not actually at your spindle. Use our technical teams to provide fast technical support from our Minnesota-based facility. Technology makes the conversation easy and fast via email, photos, conference calls, or video calls by TEAMS or ZOOM.
  8. Vendor consolidation initiatives. Reducing the number of suppliers can help make buying cutting tools easier and more cost-effective. We work with supply chain teams to help identify long-running tools that are a good match for our capabilities, then work to improve performance and/or price to find cost savings. By moving tools to MITGI we can help streamline vendor lists while also making a dent in cost-reduction goals.
  9. Consistency. We know that the work you do requires consistent performance out of every tool you use. Our manufacturing processes are set up to ensure that the tool you receive today will be the same as the tool you order six months from now.