Receiving and Turning
Our tour begins in the material receiving and turning departments. All incoming steel is color coded and identified to maintain traceability as part our ISO 9001:2008 registered quality system. This traceability is maintained all the way through production to the etch which is placed on every tool.
In Turning, modern CNC lathes are used to produce high quality blanks and semi-finished tools. Most High Speed Steel tools are produced using M42 Cobalt, but are priced similar to M7 industry pricing.
Milling
All HSS and HSS Cobalt end mills then are given a standard Weldon shank and sent to the Milling Department for milling of the flutes.
After milling (and every other operation at Melin), each tool is carefully inspected in the respective department for conformance to shop order specifications. With thousands of standard tools as well as numerous custom-made special end mills, constant inspection of tolerances is top priority.
Tools are then sent off site to be heat treated. Upon returning to Melin, tools are again tested individually for the correct Rockwell Hardness and inspected for any visual imperfections.
OD Grinding
The tools are then sent to the outside diameter grinding department where our tool makers grind the shanks to your close tolerances using the latest CNC machinery.
CNC Finish Grinding
All of the end work and finishing to the cutting edges of both HSS and our premium carbide tools are completed in our largest department ... CNC Finish Grinding. In this department, production on each tool is completed using a modern 7-axis CNC grinding machine. Melin has made substantial investments in these machines over the last several years. They are capable of producing industry leading tolerances as tight as +/- .0002".
In order to substantially reduce lead times, Melin makes extensive use of machine auto loading capabilities, off machine simulation of tool designs, and in house made cobalt HSS blanks in our CNC Finish Grinding Dept.
In Process and Final Inspection
In process inspection remains a critical component of tool production at Melin. Methods of inspection range from traditional methods (i.e. visual comparitor, micrometers, and calipers) to more sophisticated methods (i.e. computerized optical comparitor, laser micrometers, and stereo vision systems for magnification).
During the final stages of production and after all grinding work has been completed, each tool is cleaned and deburred then individually inspected. Critical dimensions are checked one last time before it is added to inventory or shipped out to the customer.
Packaging & Shipping
Following final inspection, tools are etched with identification information such as tool number, size, manufacture date, lot tracking numbers, etc. Melin applies marks using laser etching technology to substantially improve the legibility of the etch on both cobalt HSS and carbide tools.
Tubes are identified with tool information as well as barcode symbols for use in distributor inventory tracking systems. Automatic labeling of tubes by machine is a recent advancement in our packaging department.
Shipping is a careful and efficient process which insures that all tools are carefully packaged to prevent tool damage during shipping. Melin maintains substantial finished tool inventories which usually allow us to fill and ship orders the same day.
Customer Service
Our Customer Service and Sales Department associates are trained to make your ordering experience with Melin as easy as possible. Inventory verification, finding the right end mill, order placement, problem resolution, and return authorizations are all handled by our friendly and courteous staff.
Order acknowledgements and/or invoices are sent same day by fax so that you can be confident your order was received and know if has shipped.
In addition, we are able to provide many value added features/products to enhance your own distribution efforts. On-site sales presentation facilities, specialized reports, promotional literature, competitor tool conversions, and cutting tool use educational information can all be obtained from our Customer Service Department.
Thank you for taking the time to view the photo tour of our new facility! Distributors are welcome to take an actual plant tour if you are in our area.
