The 'Hard' Way

摘要

When business conditions are difficult, most people focus on the problems. Others see opportunity. Clarence Melt-zer Jr. started CAMmand Machining LLC in February 2002--when the U.S. moldmaking industry was bottoming out--and targeted 3-axis contour milling to distinguish his business. Since then, CAMmand has grown and employs 10 to 15 workers, depending on work fluctuations. "Anybody can do 2-D work," said Meltzer, president of the Romeo, Mich.-based die and mold "service" shop. "Drilling, tapping, reaming and stuff like that is generally pretty easy, but to be able to contour mill and get it right isn't." Getting it right requires putting the exact shape of the part to be molded, including intricate details, into a block of metal, holding tight tolerances and frequently cutting a mold to "zero." This means molds lack significant spotting stock, which customers would otherwise need to spend considerable time removing via grinding and other bench work in order to fit a mold's components together.