Polish cutting tool manufacturer Fanar met its goal of fulfilling customer orders within 72 hours with the acquisition of an ANCA MX7 Linear CNC tool grinder.
One of Europe’s top five tool manufacturers, Fanar is known for uncompromising quality. The company supplies a wide range of tools for threading, drilling, milling and turning, specialising in shank tools for machining holes. Fanar’s global customer network encompasses the automotive, aerospace, medical and home appliances industries, among others.
Fanar has always invested in technology and machine tools. In 2016 Fanar realised that if it was going to remain ahead in the market it needed to improve the production time for manufacturing complex cutting tools.
Dariusz Ptaszkiewicz, Technical Director at Fanar said: “In the era of eBay people are accustomed to products delivered within two to three days. This mindset can be challenging when customers expect the same service when purchasing specialist cutting tools. We needed to find a way to meet customers’ expectations without compromising on quality.
“The more complex the tool, the longer it takes to produce and may require several machines and different set-ups as part of the grinding process. This process can be quite lengthy. However, at Fanar we are not afraid of a challenge and we set ourselves the ambitious goal of delivery to our customers within 72 hours from receipt of the order.”
Fanar looked for a supplier who could provide a solution that enabled fast changeovers, precision and repeatability. Another important requirement was that the grinding machine had a software package that was intuitive to use and didn’t require highly skilled programmers.
“After reviewing what was available, we were confident that ANCA’s MX7 Linear was right for our business because of its numerous innovative features,” continues Ptaszkiewicz. “The polymer concrete base, linear motors, ability to prepare tools (wheels) on the machine and integrated measuring system meant we could achieve our goal of 72-hour delivery with a grinding machine of the highest standard.
“When investing in a new product, there is always some concern that the machine may not deliver what was promised. ANCA’s MX7 Linear exceeded our expectations and I am yet to find a product that offers so many innovations and features that are unique to the market. Once we had the latest technology, combined with our years of experience in grinding and metalworking, we could quickly begin production of the most complex geometry and high dimensional precision tools.”
Special features such as RoboMate have enabled simple, accurate automation, and ANCA’s in-process measuring system Laser Plus means that Fanar has implemented unmanned production for the first time without concerns over defective products. The inclusion of the Statistical Process Control (SPC) software package enables Fanar to continue to meet ISO 9001, ISO / TS 16949 standards. Overall the investment has helped Fanar meet its goal of slashing lead times and production costs, while opening new potential markets.
“I am excited that Fanar is now in a position where we can consider orders that in the past we avoided,” adds Ptaszkiewicz. “The technology means we have the capacity to produce complex tools, even for individual orders, at the highest quality with minimal risk.”