Pictured (left to right): Roger Oliverson (Plant Manager), Mike Straube (Turning Supervisor), Pat Frechette (Multi-tasking Supervisor), Ray Arbet (Vice President) pose in front of their Mazak Dual Turn.

by John Schlevensky Mazak Sales Engineer - Brookfield, WI A year ago, Converse Industries had twenty-nine employees; since then they have added only four new employees, while experiencing sales and productivity growth of 33% and 20% respectively.  Ray Arbet, Vice President of Converse Industries, Kenosha, WI explains how automated Multi-tasking equipment has allowed Converse to gain a competitive advantage.

Converse’s approach to "part process" is simple: complete as many operations as possible in one setup to avoid mistakes and increase productivity. Taking a part from stock to finish with little operator intervention increases efficiencies (reducing WIP, inspection points, etc.) and frees up operators to perform other tasks. Ray commented: "As the competition (both foreign and domestic) increases, we must drive down our overall labor cost while simultaneously being able to attract and retain the best employees. Multi-tasking and automated equipment has enabled us to do this."

Another significant advantage Multi-tasking offers is that it fosters a process that is in control, where throughput and quality can be strictly monitored. A predictable process increases quality, machining efficiencies, and process efficiencies. Ray cited, "When we made the transition from stand alone machines to Multi-tasking machines our labor decreased while quality dramatically increased because the less human intervention that takes place, the less opportunity there is for mistakes."

The benefits of Multi-tasking machine tools were realized when Converse replaced a five stand alone machine cell with two Mazak Multi-tasking Machine tools. Together the new machines reduced the labor burden from 2.5 operators per shift to just one operator per shift. Converse purchased a Mazak Dual Turn 20 with a 16-pallet rotary gantry loading system and a Mazak VTC160A—two pallet vertical machining center. Now the operator stands between the two machines performing any required monitoring and inspection activities. Ray also commented that they have maintained a 100% acceptance level with one of their largest customers. The combination of quality, JIT, and price will certainly earn them more business in the future.

Investment in new technology has driven Converse's ratio of gross sales dollars generated per employee to nearly twice the national average. Ray stated, "In today’s economy, companies must find ways to increase productivity to offset increasing operation cost or face eventual extinction." Converse, like most other companies, experienced annual increases in health insurance of nearly 25% for each of the last three years. Gains in productivity though – have enabled them to absorb the increases (with little effect on profit margins) without passing on any expense to their employees. This is a major employee recruitment advantage in light of today’s tight labor market for skilled workers.

In the future, Converse is expected to break into new markets and purchase exclusive product lines. The global economy has as much potential to succeed as to fail. Companies that realize it is more effective to invest in Multi-tasking equipment will continue to find new opportunities. These opportunities are usually another company’s loss. Converse Industries has thrived when most companies have struggled. The increase in productivity has generated stable revenue so Converse can maintain competitive wages, sufficient profits, and unsurpassed quality. 

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