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manufacturing technology

New Manufacturing Technology Means Greater Value for Customers

The Factory of the Future, as it has come to be called, is all about lean manufacturing. One of the most important components of lean manufacturing is incorporating the latest and best manufacturing technology, including machining tools and robotic manufacturing.

At the moment, probably in part because they’re leery of another economic downturn, U.S. manufacturers have been slow to embrace many of the improvements now available. This is a mistake because these advances—and many more that are just down the road—make for faster, more durable, more precise and far more productive tools. At Tag Team Manufacturing, we believe these factors together translate into greater customer satisfaction.

Taking Advantage of Today’s New Tools

Incorporating faster, longer-lasting tools doesn’t have to be prohibitively expensive. So the cost of doing business doesn’t have to go up. In fact, the new technology can increase both productivity and quality, giving customers more for their money.

How does this work? The new technology can be implemented easily and inexpensively. Programming manufacturing machinery is simplified, resulting in:

• Reduced production times and greater production accuracy

• Reduced cross-training of operators and programmers

• Greater flexibility in operations, so one piece of equipment can perform a variety of functions

All these advantages reduce our costs and, consequently, costs to our customers without in any way compromising quality. This combination of lower cost and higher quality results in greater value.

The technological advances affect just about every aspect of the manufacturing process. They improve every step, from product design through production and even packaging. Each component of the process, including human and machine, is able to communicate more quickly and more accurately, creating an integration that greatly increases coordination and efficiency.

We at Tag Team Manufacturing look every day for ways to improve our lean manufacturing processes and so move closer to the Factory of the Future. We can see ahead to innovations that are on the horizon. What does the future look like?

The Tools of Tomorrow

What’s ahead in manufacturing technology tools looks great for both manufacturers like us and our customers. Our challenge is to meet the demand for value from our customers. This challenge will be met with:

• Machining that delivers ever more precisely and efficiently made products
• Software capable of increasingly sophisticated operations
• Shorter production time

So we’re looking at software and hardware on the road to greater and greater value. The progression includes further development of things like:

Source ( characters / words)

NTN Technical Review No. 74 (2006) http://advancedmanufacturing.org/advances-cnc-technology http://www.manufacturing.net/article/2012/02/10-trends-manufacturing-technologies http://www.industryweek.com/manufacturing-day/fast-forward-factory-future?page=1

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• Multifunctional machining tools that increase accuracy and reduce machining time while, at the same time, being able to produce products with more complicated shapes

• Control hardware and software that costs less but offers “intelligent” functions that turn information into more efficient and precise production

Not all advances in manufacturing technology apply to the work Tag Team Manufacturing does. But we’re keeping our eye on every improvement to make sure we deliver the best value to our customers.

machinists

How Machinists Can Use Tools Like Tooling University for Continuing Education

Over the past few years, online education has blossomed into a fully-fledged option for learning new skills and trades. People from all walks of life are using the Internet to learn new careers, or enhance existing ones. New tools have enabled machinists to make the most of available courses and learn new skills or trades.

Traditionally, many machinists learn through an apprenticeship program with a journeyman. Tooling University has turned this practice on its head by making all of their training publicly available. No longer do you have to wait for a journeyman to accept you as an apprentice to learn a new trade. Now, you can simply start.

Existing machinists may wish to enhance their knowledge base or learn a new skill in order to advance their careers. Fortunately, Tooling University (and sites like it) have developed a training system for those in manufacturing and machinery.

A Plethora of Learning Options

You have plenty of options for pursuing continuing education courses. When it comes to machinery and manufacturing jobs, Tooling University has cornered the market on applicable training. Tooling University offers over 500 courses and classes that cover a broad spectrum of skills and knowledge. They’ve separated their courses into the following ‘functional areas’:

  • Additive Manufacturing
  • Assembly / Final Stage Processes
  • Composites Processing
  • Design and Engineering
  • Foundational
  • Leadership
  • Machining
  • Maintenance
  • Stamping / Forming / Fabricating
  • Welding

Each of these topics reveals entire courses and programs designed for new and existing machinists. Students will receive all of the training they need to advance their careers, ask for a raise or even get started with a new career entirely.

Increase Your Pay with Continuing Education

Machinists all around the world are being drawn to continuing education as way to increase their pay. Education a great way to earn more money, and Tooling University makes it easy for machinists to do just that.

  • Learn a new trade. Are you an existing welder who wants to get more into fabrication? Or perhaps you’re in maintenance and want to get started with engineering? If you’re looking for a new trade, look no further than Tooling University. You’ll be able to learn an entirely new trade with their courses. You’ll learn everything you need to know in order to start working in a new profession.
  • Pursuing continuing education courses. Of course, many machinists are happy with their existing trade. For such individuals, Tooling University can be used as a source of continuing education. Machinists can hone their skills, specialize in advanced roles and start earning more money. Tooling University and other online education platforms have made continuing education easier than ever before.

Anyone looking to increase their pay will be wise to invest in advancing their education. This is true for everyone, but it’s especially true for those in manufacturing and machinery. You’ll need to remain competitive with your training in order to climb the ranks. Don’t wait until you’ve already been passed up for a promotion to start training.

American manufacturing

Reasons for Optimism in the Manufacturing Industry under President Trump

One of the most polarizing elections in American history is now over and Donald Trump is the President of the United States. Trump promised to boost the American economy by bringing back jobs; however, the manufacturing industry has a right to remain skeptical of this promise. After all, it has been decades since American manufacturing was a strength of the economy. On the other hand, there are numerous reasons for Americans in the manufacturing industry to remain optimistic that manufacturing is on the rise. Numerous polls have already demonstrated that Americans are optimistic about the manufacturing outlook. Why is that?

President Trump has Promised to Lower Corporate Taxes

One of the biggest problems with the loss of manufacturing jobs to overseas is the high corporate tax rates imposed on American corporations, notably 35 percent. President Trump has promised to lower this tax rate to around 15 percent. This translates into more money in the pockets of the companies that they can then use to hire more employees and invest in the company. Companies may be interested in investing money in CNC automation technology. With lower corporate taxes, this can happen.

President Trump has Said he will Increase Infrastructure Spending

An increase in infrastructure spending will demand an increase in American manufacturing jobs because, without the increase in manufacturing, there will be nothing to build this infrastructure out of. This means that companies will need to produce the materials used to build this infrastructure. This means more jobs in the manufacturing sector and more dollars heading into CNC manufacturing. There will be a significant amount of pressure on manufacturing companies to deliver the goods to fulfill the promises of the new president. This means a heavy investment in manufacturing jobs and manufacturing technology.

President Trump is Going to Renegotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership

Also called the TPP, this agreement has drawn the ire of the entire manufacturing industry because this is seen as the culprit that led to the massive job loss and movement of manufacturing opportunities overseas. President Trump has promised to renegotiate this deal, leading to bigger benefits for US corporations that keep their jobs at home. This means that more companies are going to need to hire skilled manufacturing workers to fill these positions. Those interested in positions in the manufacturing industry should keep their eyes open for changes to this agreement.

President Trump will Alter the North American Free Trade Agreement

This deal has been called NAFTA and has led to a significant trade deficit with our trading partners. This deficit has placed a significant amount of pressure on American manufacturing companies, specifically the manufacturing industry, because they feel they are fighting an uphill battle in the global market. A renegotiation of this deal in favor of American manufacturing could help to keep more companies in business, keeping more jobs available in the American economy. All of these reasons have combined to generate a positive outlook for the manufacturing industry under the new President.

Contact Tag Team Manufacturing today for all your cnc manufacturing needs. 303.841.5697.

manufacturing shop

Superior Customer Service in the Manufacturing Industry can be the Difference in Winning Work

Manufacturers may work with machines, but they are working for people, and people like knowing that they are working with someone who demonstrates a genuine concern for their best interests. In many cases, this quality is more apt to win over a potential client than anything else a manufacturing shop has to offer.

Clients Remember Superior Customer Service

Superior Customer service is a good way to win over new clients, but it’s an excellent way to win repeat work from existing clients. As a general rule, clients tend to remember instances of excellent customer service for a long time, and they will reward it with loyalty and repeat work. In contrast, clients remember instances of poor customer service as well and are very unlikely to offer repeat work to a manufacturing company that demonstrates poor customer service even if they were happy with the products they received.

Customer Service is Critical to Word-of-Mouth Advertising

Good or bad, people tend to talk about their experiences with a company’s customer service, often much more so than they tend to talk about any other aspect of their experience with a particular company. With this being the case, great customer service can lead to valuable word-of-mouth marketing while poor customer service can be a serious blow to a company’s reputation. In a digital world where people are constantly connected and able to communicate to larger audiences than at any other point in history, word-of-mouth marketing ad reputation management are more important than ever before, and customer service is key to maintaining these things.

Putting Superior Customer Service to Work for You

There are a lot of aspects that go into making a manufacturing company successful, but customer service is certainly one of them. At our Denver manufacturing shop, we recognize the undeniable value of superior customer service and always strive to provide an experience that leaves our clients completely satisfied and eager to work with us again. In addition to promptly addressing any questions or comments a client may have, we believe that superior customer service entails protecting all of a client’s proprietary documents and intellectual property with the best possible security, making ourselves available at all times, and always striving to deliver high quality parts on time and at the lowest cost in the industry.

If you would like Tag Team Manufacturing to put these qualities to work for your business, let us know how our manufacturing shop can help you today by contacting us at 303-841-5697.

manufacturing automation

Making Every Component Once and Making It Correctly  

Your clients require, indeed demand, quality and minute accuracy in the parts you provide for them, as well as timely delivery. And you try to do your best to provide that for them, because the future of your business depends on it.

That’s why you have to have suppliers that can deliver every time, the first time. And that’s what Tag Team Manufacturing can do for you.

The Cutting Edge Of CNC Manufacturing

When you need quality machining, Tag Team Manufacturing is your go to source. We are devotees of the cutting edge of manufacturing automation technology. It’s what we do. We utilize current technology, including robotics, to produce the perfect OEM part, with continuing and consistent quality. We represent the future of CNC manufacturing.

The secret to our success is our highly qualified team of professional machinists, quality inspectors, and finishers. We only hire the best, people who not only understand the intricacies of CNC manufacturing automation and business processes, but who also understand the technology behind it all that makes it work. That’s a hard order to fill, but we’ve put together a team that is second to none in the industry. They combine their knowledge and expertise together into a highly coordinated whole to provide you with the high quality OEM parts you need to keep your business running at the peak of success, and your customers happy.

Superior Quality Management

Tag Team Manufacturing utilizes a sophisticated and highly effective Quality Management System that is fully compliant with the guidelines of ISO 9001, ensuring that our products meet all customer requirements consistently. We do this using a variety of advanced software and manufacturing automation.

Our E2 software system comprehensively tracks every phase of the manufacturing process, and clients can log into the system to check the status of their order at anytime.

The automated coordinate measuring machine (CMM) constantly checks to make sure parts have been manufactured with the required tolerances, and a report showing key measurements can be generated for the client and submitted upon delivery if desired.

These, in conjunction with the MasterCam CAD/CAM CNC programming software, and the SmartScope Flash 200 automatic measuring system, ensure the highest quality parts achievable by current technology, with much less scrap and at a lower per-piece cost.

Excellent Customer Service Is A High Priority At Tag Team Manufacturing

Customer service is more than just manufacturing the highest quality parts at the lowest cost, delivering them on schedule, and being available to consult and answer questions at any time. It also means protecting a client’s documents, digital files, parts, and all intellectual property with the highest level of security 24/7, both inside and outside the facility, and providing near flawless document control. We go to great lengths to provide the best customer service we possibly can, because we care about our clients, and our reputation within the industry.

We believe Tag Team Manufacturing is your best choice for CNC manufacturing. Let us show you what we can do for your business. Call us at 303-841-5697 or contact us online for more information.

Shop Class

Why Consider Adding Shop Classes Back into High Schools?

Lots of folks have different opinions about the nature of a quality education. For instance, some people narrowly define their expectations for high school students when they design academic standards and programs. Though new programs get justified by claiming they help make graduates employable, they may only concentrate on building a tight set of academic skills that are needed to get accepted to a four-year college.

While everybody values this sort of academic readiness, it’s also important to make certain that many students have skills and experiences that will help them find employment right after high school. Every student won’t choose college. Even many of those who do pursue higher education can benefit from more hands-on training and experiences during their high school years.

Why Reintroduce on Shop Classes in High School?

The American workplace needs skilled workers with vocational training as much as it needs students who are prepared for college or graduate school. In fact, it’s not impossible to argue that traditional classes like home economics and shop provide useful educational opportunities for all kinds of students. However, the sensible path to grooming the next generation of people who are competent inside and outside of their homes may not offer a strong enough defense when public school budgets are tight. Consider some ways that a shop class can and have been modernized to better suit today’s students.

Modernizing Shop Classes for the 21st Century

Do high school students need to learn traditional skills that shop class teaches? The argument could go either way. In any case, these classes could be modernized to also introduce students to modern manufacturing methods that can serve them well if they end up working in a shop floor or in the engineer’s office. A few years ago, Time Magazine reported that there were almost six million people between 16 and 24 who did not work or attend school. At the same time, companies were begging for skilled labor to employ and advance.

One large problem is the gap between the things that high school students learn and what these companies seek. Manufacturers, for instance, don’t necessarily need to recruit people with two- or four-year degrees. However, they do want to find recruits who have demonstrated some aptitude in their industry. At the very least, these companies need eager recruits that have had enough exposure to know that it’s the type of job they would like to do.

The Time Magazine article mentioned a school that transformed an almost totally unused old shop room into a modern vocational setting. High school students could still learn how to cut vinyl and saw wood, but they also got to experiment with robotics, CNC automation, 3D printers, and other electronics. Not only did a modernized shop class attract students who wanted vocational shop training, they also became popular with students who had seats in honors math and science classes. In this school, shop classes became popular and valuable places to learn again.

Tag Team Manufacturing is Here for Tomorrows’ Students

Tag Team Manufacturing specializes in CNC manufacturing and automation. As a growing company, they have room for tomorrows’ high school, vocational school, and college graduates. To learn more about how Tag Team Manufacturing values clients and employees, contact them today with your questions.

Denver Manufacturing

The Search for Talented Machinists

As a Denver Manufacturing company with over 30 years of experience serving customers of all shapes and sizes, Tag Team has always prided itself on being a forward thinking and tech-savvy organization. We’ve employed a wide range of different techniques to guarantee that our customers can expect to receive a quality product every time, with CNC machining being just one of them.

What is CNC Machining?

Short for “computer numeric control,” CNC manufacturing involves the automation of tools that can be programmed very precisely using computers and software. With CNC manufacturing it’s possible to automate every aspect of component design, for example, through the help of not just CAD and CAM systems but also the types of tools that needed to be controlled manually just a few short years ago.

For a Denver Manufacturing company like Tag Team, CNC manufacturing is about more than just saving time. It’s about increasing production in a meaningful way. It’s about boosting product volume and delivery figures. It’s about delivering the type of consistent quality that our customers have come to expect and depend on, helping to drive the success of their own businesses and forge the types of relationships that will last a lifetime.

We’re Always Looking For Talented CNC Machinists

Tag Team is ALWAYS looking for passionate individuals who have the skills and talents necessary to take our CNC efforts to bold new heights. Our CNC machinists are senior level positions, as without them our operations would cease to function. In addition to three to five years of real-world experience both programming and operating CNC mills and lathes, we’re searching for talented machinists who:

  • Have experience in the operation of CNC horizontal mills
  • Have at least one year of experience programming MasterCam and/or SurCam, the state-of-the-art CAD/CAM programming system that guarantees the speed our customers need with the accuracy they deserve.
  • Have the ability to produce parts from a set of engineering prints to develop things like fixtures, jaws and more
  • Are ready to bring fresh and new ideas to the table in an effort to minimize run time
  • Are efficient at burr removal techniques for most materials, including but not limited to ones like aluminum, steel, titanium and more
  • Are excellent at reading detailed engineering drawings and who know how to correctly interpret key dimensions, finishes and more
  • Have the ability to set up and edit jobs fast, efficiently and accurately

More than anything, Tag Team is looking for the type of person who is never satisfied. Someone who understands the power that CNC manufacturing already brings to the table and is always looking for new opportunities to do better work at faster speeds with higher quality. Someone who is ready to not just start a career, but to become a part of a family – who excels in the type of working environment where everyone can truly come together and help Tag Team become the living, breathing whole it was meant to be.

Tag Team Manufacturing

If you’ve got the skills necessary to become a CNC machinist and are looking for the perfect opportunity to put those skills to the test on a daily basis, you’ve come to the right place. Contact our Denver Manufacturing Company, Tag Team Manufacturing, today to find out more about available positions, job requirements, training programs and more.

roboticsmanufacturing

The Wave of Robotics Manufacturing

It’ll be a long time before we see the rise of Skynet, the global artificial intelligence that controlled an army of robotic automation warriors as depicted in the movie Terminator, but robots are already very much a part of our lives and will be even more so in the very near future.

There are already almost a million robotic machines at work around the world in a variety of automation manufacturing roles, and with rapidly developing technologies, and falling costs, that number is expected to grow almost exponentially over the next two decades.

In the 1980s, almost all robots were used in the auto industry. Today they are used in many different industries for robotic automation including; manufacturing, as well as in warehouses, hospitals, laboratories, nuclear power plants, and more.

Some futurists are predicting that by the year 2055 at least 50% of the manufacturing jobs that are now performed by humans will be done by robots. Ready or not, robots are the future of manufacturing, and the future is here now.

Robots And CNC Manufacturing

Yes, robots can do many things well, and they are constantly improving their skills. One part of the manufacturing process that they have proved particularly effective at is CNC machining. When you need precision parts made to exacting tolerances, over and over again, no human can match the tireless performance of a robot.

Of course, robots could do nothing without humans to program them and tell them what to do. Artificial intelligence may get to the point some day that they’ll be able to do it themselves, but we’re not there yet. That’s why we employ professional machinists with years of experience, who also understand the technology behind the robots they direct. That’s a tall order, and you could say our staff is among the elite in their profession.

Robotics manufacturing not only increases productivity and produces and produces an exacting product every time, it also significantly lowers costs. That’s why we can deliver superior OEM parts at the lowest cost, every time.

Meet Sawyer, The Newest Member Of The Team

Sawyer is a robot, and he has amazing capabilities. Even though he only takes up about four square feet of space, he can accomplish many tasks. Sawyer is a collaborative robot, with a visual interface that allows his fellow workers to communicate with him, and to anticipate his actions. He has seven degrees of freedom, extremely advanced in robotic automation, and he has over a four-foot reach, can lift almost nine pounds, and can be controlled to the most exacting specifications required for high-tech CNC machining. Sawyer can work independently, and requires very little supervision. He is one of the most valuable members of our team, gets along great with his co-workers, and is our leading edge in providing you with the highest quality OEM parts.

To learn more about how Sawyer, robotic automation, and high-technology CNC machining can help your business, contact Tag Team Manufacturing today.

lean manufacturing

Lean Manufacturing at Tag Team

At Tag Team, we believe that “lean” as a concept is more than just a way to streamline and simplify the manufacturing process. It’s a way to shine a powerful light on the areas of manufacturing that add value in a way that lets you support them and strengthen them. It’s a methodology that lets you get the right products into the right places at the right time. Most importantly, it’s a way to guarantee the type of competitive advantage necessary to be able to constantly grow and evolve within the ever-changing demands of the market as a whole.

What is Lean Manufacturing?

At its core, lean manufacturing is a concept built on the idea that if you take steps to identify and eliminate waste and overburden within a system, you immediately identify the core pillars that are truly adding value to your organization. It’s a philosophy that was spearheaded by Toyota during the 1990s and is also directly responsible for that company transitioning from a small, niche company to the largest automaker on planet Earth.

Lean focuses on eliminating three core types of waste from within the manufacturing process:

  • Muda. As a term meaning “futility” in its original Japanese, these are all the steps within your process that may get you the results you want, but in the least efficient way possible.
  • Muri. This is the type of waste generated by overburden. These are decisions that may have seemed great when you made them but that, over time, prevent you and your team from working “smarter, not harder.”
  • Mura. This refers to the waste in your process created by uneven workloads.

By overhauling a manufacturing process with an eye towards these three simple ideas, you don’t just improve the quality of the work you’re doing – you improve costs, delivery times, stability and absolutely everything in between.

The Lean Manufacturing Approach

At Tag Team, lean is the very foundation on which our entire manufacturing process has been built. We use one of the best manufacturing software systems available in the world today – E2 – to track everything from machine and employee efficiencies to material and labor costs. We automate wherever possible, allowing us to not only use technology to do things we couldn’t have dreamed of even 10 years ago but to free up the valuable time of our employees so that they can focus on the things that matter the most.

At the end of the day, lean manufacturing doesn’t just allow us to support our own growth and profitability. It lets us support yours, too.

Tag Team has over 30 years of experience serving customers just like you by way of a highly trained, passionate staff with a commitment to quality that is second to none. If you’d like to find out more information about how lean manufacturing can benefit your organization, or if you’d like to sit down and speak to someone about your situation in a little more detail, please don’t delay – contact Tag Team today.

high speed machining

What Is High-Speed Machining?

When referring to CNC machine tools, the term high speed machining (HSM) usually means making products or prototypes rapidly by using milling machines at higher spindle rates with lighter, shallower cuts to achieve greater metal removal rates and lower operating costs.

How Did HSM Develop?

HSM grew out of CNC techniques developed in aerospace manufacturing at companies such as McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Originally, one of the reasons for using HSM was to machine at specific speeds that would avoid what’s known as “chatter” (machine vibration that can become noisy and/or violent) by taking advantage of milling at natural frequencies. By keeping high speeds stable, parts could be more milled more accurately and have less “ribs,” resulting in a lower weight. Lighter parts meant less heavy, more efficient aircraft. The goal for McDonnell Douglas became reducing the weight of many of its sheet metal parts and combining pieces together for even more efficiency. Eventually, so dramatic was the success of HSM that a jet that formerly was built with 14,000 parts now required only half that number. This greatly reduced costs and allowed speedier production of finished airplanes. As such, HSM became an assembly solution for McDonnell Douglas and eventually other aircraft manufacturers.

What Makes HSM Effective?

Although it may seem counter-intuitive, the way high speed machining works is that a higher machine “spindle rate” (measured in rotations per minute of the tool) combined with lighter cutting will actually remove more material faster than slower spindle rates and heavier cutting. Lighter cutting also means more efficiency from a power perspective — some CNC machines may be rated at a high horsepower but can become overloaded if their cuts are too deep.

With HSM, cutting temperatures are actually reduced; surface finish is also improved, and the machines’ spindle and cutter acquire less wear-and-tear over time. This is especially true with harder materials. Cutting becomes more consistent and more reproducible. Often, HSM combines the roughing and finishing passes that are normally separate at lower speeds. This means that throughput generally increases when HSM is applied to process workflows.

What Are the Benefits of HSM?

In mold making, HSM allows for intricate cavity and core geometries and can enable the quick machining of large, complex components out of solid blocks of material. Material walls can be made very thin, and edges can be very sharp. Accuracy and precision are improved, and time spent polishing surfaces can be reduced. Automation can be improved because errors and interruptions are fewer. Molds and dies have more durability because fatigue cracks are lessened, hence there’s less risk of breakage. Assembly of finished products often can go faster. In general, customers are very satisfied with the output of pieces produced with high speed machining.

How Has HSM Helped Tag Team Manufacturing?

At Tag Team Manufacturing, high speed machining has allowed us to boost our capacity and handle more orders in a shorter timeframe. This, combined with our sophisticated MasterCam CAD/CAM programming system, makes us the leading provider of machined components in the Denver, Colorado region.

Source:

https://www.makino.com/about/news/Ramping-Up-To-High-Speed-Machining/204/

http://www.mmsonline.com/zones/hsm