Industry passion strongly evident at Boss Tooling
To visit Boss Tooling in Melbourne’s manufacturing heartland of Dandenong South is to witness a team with an outstanding passion for the industry, high integrity in performance for the customer and an unbelievable work ethic that will ensure success for this growing business.
Boss Tooling was established in 2013 by Partners and Directors Simone Kramer and Brian Cogley. Located in a small building within a business complex, their original purchase was a second-hand Okuma machine at auction and this was ultimately upgraded to 4-axis.
From one machine Brian and Simone purchased another second-hand machine privately in a brand that Brian had been familiar with during his training and with the business continuing to expand, an additional new 4-axis Okuma Machining Centre was also commissioned early on.
Prior to the pandemic, the company experienced a quiet period which was of concern to the young couple so a rather nervous and inexperienced salesman Brian, set out on a sales mission to drum up business and expose the company’s capabilities to the industry. His technical knowledge soon shone through and after a face-to-face call of some two hours discussion with a potential customer, new business was assured. This cold call turned out to be a catalyst for the continued growth of Boss Tooling with this business now a key customer for the fledgling company.
Servicing clients in a range of industries Australia-wide, the company specialises in highly sophisticated intricate products in shorter runs such as components for firearms, medical, oil rigs, specially designed cutting tools, etc. Boss Tooling has also invested in the latest 5-axis CAM/CAD software.
To meet the demands of the expanding business, to expand their capabilities and fulfil customer expectations, Boss Tooling has recently commissioned an additional new OKUMA GENOS M460V-5 axis Machining Centre.
The new generation 5-axis OKUMA Vertical Machining Centre is specifically designed to manufacture high-precision parts and deliver impressive metal removal rates in a compact design. Its solid double-column structure, full 5-axis simultaneous control and thermal stability performance give it the reliability to easily cut a variety of materials.
“From day one with a second-hand machine,” describes Cogley, “Okuma engineers have supported us with technical expertise and assistance, particularly when upgrading our first machine. If it’s not a personal call from a technician their technical assistance by phone is just excellent,” he said. ”Time permitting we plan to take advantage of the ongoing training offered by Okuma but with just three of us in the team at present, including Simone’s sister, Melanie, the workload does not allow us much spare time.”
“The new OKUMA GENOS Machining Centre provides us with even greater capabilities for intricate work, it is quick to set up and the cycle times are greatly improved,” said Cogley. “With such high levels of support from Okuma, we plan to grow the business with this company going into the future.”
Expansion plans are certainly on the agenda for Boss Tooling and given the tight working conditions within the present building with four operating machines, a new factory will ultimately provide much-needed space for further development and growth.
“The Boss Tooling work ethos fits perfectly with Okuma with each having a passion for the industry and service for our clients,” said Mark Richards, Branch Manager – Victoria & Tasmania for Okuma Australia. “It is exciting to see young people like Simone and Brian with such passion and obvious skills, developing a successful business going forward as a team and we look forward to working with them to meet their objectives,” he said.