Turnaround Time
"I want to thank you for the proactive …No...more than proactive the way you approached this problem. You forced us to make these changes which are going to save us $150,000 per year – we've never had a supplier do that before ”
Why did a customer recently tell us that? Because we proved to him that we are MORE than just another Grinding Wheel supplier!!! Our world does not begin and end with the grinding wheel. In the end, helping you to make your grinding operation as efficient as possible is the real reason we are in business. And it’s the only way we will all continue to be competitive in the long run.
That’s the difference: We view superabrasive grinding wheels as only one of many inputs to a much larger process: Running an efficient grinding operation. By the way….that’s a process owned by YOU – not us.
Superabrasive grinding wheels are an input to that process, and can make that process more or less efficient in a number of ways:
Performance and Throughput – The logistics involved in managing the inventory of grinding wheels are unlike any other in your operation. How well do you manage that process? How much time does it take? You have a job coming through your shop – it will be in grinding in 3 days. Where are the wheels you are going to need? At Supplier #1? At Supplier #2? In transit? Will they be here in time? “Why aren’t they here even after I paid a 25% upcharge for guaranteed delivery?” Sound familiar?
Improper management of this minor but critically important input can result in costly interruptions to your production. Above average freight costs (overnight deliveries, “RED” deliveries) are also usually involved in this process. What good does it do to save $10 per wheel if you end up overnighting wheels 50% of the time?
Grinding Costs – Are you burning through new grinding wheels at an alarming rate? Is a less-than-optimal grinding process causing catastrophic loss too often, and making your grinding wheel supplier wealthy in the process? Have you reviewed your process to look for opportunities to extend grinding wheel life, reducing the frequency of buying new grinding wheels and using stripped and replated wheels instead?
Until your process is optimized, chances are that you are using the wrong grit size or the wrong speeds and feeds in your grinding operation. How many parts per wheel are you getting? What would a 10% increase mean to your costs?
Working Capital – Do you have a Swiss bank sitting in your tool crib? If you have too many Diamond/CBN plated grinding wheels sitting in your tool crib, your grinding operation is absorbing too much working capital. Too many wheels can be a result of poor planning on your part, or because of poor turnaround time by your supplier. Why stretch out your payables and beat up your customers to collect receivables, when you may have an extra $25,000 sitting on your tool crib floor, gathering dust. Wouldn’t that money look better in your bank account?
To answer these real-life questions and problems DiamondBack Abrasive has developed the following comprehensive services to help you improve your grinding department efficiency:
Inventory Management – DiamondBack has led the industry in turnaround time for stripped and replated products for a number of years now. Plenty of people talk about providing superior turnaround time – we do it. Ask to see the data.
Grinding Wheel Optimization – DiamondBack will work with you to optimize the superabrasive grinding wheel for your particular material and grinding application, focusing on:Grinding Consulting – DiamondBack offers an in-house grinding consulting service available to help you optimize your grinding operation. We can review everything from speeds and feeds, to coolant usage, to manufacturing processes.
- Wheel Design
- Crystal Type
- Grit size
- Depth of nickel coverage
We want to be more than just your grinding wheel supplier.
