http://www.openforum.com/articles/5-steps-to-boosting-your-company-iq?extlink=em-openf-SBdaily
Interesting article
June 13th, 2011Manufacturers Reps, are they good for your business?
June 9th, 2011As a manufacturer/supplier, the selling function is THE most important program you develop for your business. You know what they say, the closer to the customer, the more important you are for the organization…and no one gets closer to the customer than your sales team.
As you look to establish or make adjustments to your sales organization you have choices to make and there is great debate around how your sales team should be assembled. One thing is for sure, you need to bring the most talented sales professionals you can find to your organization. The stakes are too high to settle for anything less.
Finding and hiring talented sales professionals is easier said than done, and before you begin your search you need to decide how you want to set up your sales organization. It’s decision time.
- In House
- Manufacturers Representative
- In House / Mfg Rep combination
There are a variety of factors that must be considered as you look at your options.
- Do you sell regionally, nationally or internationally?
- Does your product line require a technical expertise to sell and if yes, how intense are the technical requirements?
- What is your budget?
- How much control over the process do you want?
An in house (direct) sales organization brings more control and with it typically more cost. With a Mfg Rep organization it is just the opposite; less control and lower costs…typically. The question that needs to be answered first is what program will be most effective for your business? This is not so easily answered and will be different from business type to business type and from brand to brand.
Let’s look at it from the standpoint of a new to the market company or brand. We have some experience with this as our Gator and BPT lines are both new to the US market. We did not have the benefit of being able to market and sell through existing relationships; we had to start from scratch.
For a new business covering a large territory, mfg reps can give you access to the market very quickly and with limited upfront costs. A quality rep firm will provide excellent coverage for their stated territory, have strong existing distributor and end user relationships and have complimentary lines that make it easier to sell your products.
This kind of pioneering activity has its challenges as reps typically will require some existing business to fund the early “get the word out” activity. In this case your line(s) better have some significant upside and you will have to work hard to show the rep the long term opportunities that exist selling your product.
Having a desirable product and a strong value proposition will bring qualified reps to your lines. You can gain more of your reps time and energy by treating them as an important part of your business. Ask for their input, provide incentives, pay on time and follow through on commitments made.
What is your experience? Reps, direct sales employees or a combination of both? Where have you had success and where have you seen failure? Do you have any suggestions for manufacturers looking to establish a rep organization or are already managing one?
Manual Lathe Chuck Selection
September 9th, 2010Manual Lathe Chuck Selection…you have options and you have decisions to make. For example, you need a lathe chuck and you know your lathe can accommodate a 12” chuck…easy right, give me a 12” chuck? Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. Knowing the size of the chuck you need is the starting point and from there you have a lot of options and a lot of additional choices to make.
Decision # 1; make sure you select a supplier that produces to a DIN/ANSI standard. This decision will provide some early assurances of quality, durability and safety. The most reputable manufacturers of manual lathe chucks produce to the DIN/ANSI standard, Gator being one of them.
The rest of your decisions are application and convenience based and can be systematically worked through. I would suggest the following sequence.
1) SCROLL or INDEPENDENT Chucks – Once you know the size of the chuck you’re looking for (see the owner’s manual for your lathe to determine the ‘swing’ of the machine) and you have settled on a DIN/ANSI standard producer you need to decide on a SCROLL or INDEPENDENT Chuck. This decision will be based upon the material to be machined, tolerance requirements and convenience.
- SCROLL Chucks or self centering chucks are just that, self centering. The chuck jaws are engaged to a scroll and the scroll to a pinion. As the pinion is turned all of the jaws move simultaneously and will self center around the work piece. A scroll chuck offers accuracy and convenience for jobs using round bar stock and requiring frequent changeovers.
- INDEPENDENT Chucks are different. Instead of each jaw being engaged to a scroll they are individually engaged to an operating screw. The jaws are moved individually and typically independent chucks are used in applications where the work piece is irregular in shape.
2) BODY MATERIAL – After you have selected the type of manual chuck you want/need it is time to determine what chuck body material type you need. You typically have 3 choices.
- Semi-Steel (Cast Iron) – A semi-steel body is selected when the application is medium or maintenance duty and for some production applications. Semi-Steel is also selected when cost is a factor as it is typically 30% – 40% less expensive than an equivalent forged steel body chuck. Semi-Steel bodied chucks are less durable than cast or forged steel and will lose accuracy more quickly than cast or forged steel over time.
- Cast Steel – A cast steel body chuck is selected when the application is for medium duty and some production applications. Cast steel chucks are typically available in the independent series only. Cast-Steel bodied chucks are more durable than semi-steel and not as durable as forged steel bodied chucks.
- Forged Steel – Forged steel is selected when the application is medium to heavy duty and production based. Forged steel chucks are more durable and will hold their accuracy longer than Semi or Cast Steel chucks.
3) JAW TYPE – Next on the list, what jaw type do you need or want? You have two choices, 2 Piece Reversible or Hard Solid.
- 2 piece reversible jaws offer more versatility and convenience. Changing from ID to OD application is as simple as unbolting the top jaws from the master jaws, inverting them and reapplying the bolts. 2 piece jaws also provide more versatility allowing you to use a variety of soft or specially jaws. Be sure to purchase a chuck produced with ANSI standard tongue and groove jaws.
- Hard Solid Jaws are just that, they are solid and one piece and require a second set of jaws to convert from ID to OD. Converting from ID to OD requires that you remove the jaws completely and insert OD jaws. Hard solid jaws provide more rigidity and thus more accuracy.
4) MOUNTING – Last but not least, you need to determine your lathe spindle type so you can mount the chuck on your machine. Consult your lathe manual for this information. The most popular spindle types are A (short tapered), D (camlock), L (long taper), C (DIN) and Standard Thread Adapters. Here you do not have options; your machine will make the decision for you.
Once you determine your spindle type you now need to determine if you will use a Plain Back chuck with an Adapter (back plate) or go with a Direct Mount chuck option.
- Plain Back – A plain back chuck provides some flexibility and in certain instances may allow you to use the same chuck on a number of machines by unbolting the chuck from the adapter and remounting it on a different machine. In most cases, the adapter for plain back chucks must be machined to match the counterbore on the back of the chuck and in some cases (semi-machined adapters) you will have to drill and thread the mounting holes. Adjustable body chucks are the exception. Adjustable chucks utilize Fully Finished adapters and the chuck and adapters can be pulled from the box and mounted directly on the machine.
- Direct Mount – Direct mount chucks provide convenience as the adapter is integrated into the chuck and can be mounted directly on the machine requiring NO additional machining. You may run into some limitations on the spindle types available for direct mount. Most producers will offer popular spindle types in direct mount but may not offer some of the less popular types.
It seems like a lot of work but really is just a process of elimination. Follow the above steps and you will end up with the right chuck for your application. If you want or need more insight on the choices available to you contact the tech team at Global Tooling Solutions. The tech reps at GTS are ready, willing and able to assist you. Gator Chucks provide the best combination of quality, product selection and price on the market.
© Global Tooling Solutions 2010
Why you should choose a DIN/ANSI Standard Lathe Chuck
August 3rd, 2010Time to purchase a manual lathe chuck? You have important application decisions to make. Scroll or independent? Two piece or solid jaws? Plain back or direct mount and many more decisions that must be made. All are important if you want to select the best chuck for your application.
One non application choice may be the most important decision you make. Do I select a DIN/ANSI standard lathe chuck or a chuck produced to some other standard? You need to know the difference to make the right choice. DIN (German) /ANSI (American) standards establish ALL aspects of the finished product. These standards determine a variety of dimensional, performance, material requirement and even safety specifications.
The industry’s most reputable manual lathe chuck producers follow the DIN/ANSI standard INCLUDING Gator Chucks.
Mounting Dimensions – All plain back chucks mounted on a lathe must be mated up with the appropriate chuck adapter. The DIN/ANSI standard calls out the counter bore and mounting bolt circle diameter. Adapters produced to a DIN/ANSI standard can be used on ALL DIN/ANSI standard chucks. This “interchangeability” provides great flexibility for the end user swapping out a chuck.
Chuck Run out Specifications – The DIN/ANSI standard provides assurance of accuracy and repeatability. This is called out in the standard and is built into every chuck produced. DIN/ANSI sets a much more rigorous accuracy and run out standard than many other standards.
Safety – The DIN/ANSI standard specifies important chuck material and chuck bolt requirements. The DIN/ANSI standard requires the manufacturer to use specific materials and to harden specific and critical parts of the chuck. The DIN/ANSI standard also determines the bolt size and thread execution for securing the Top Jaws to the Masters and also the size and number of bolts required for mounting the chuck to the adapter.
This standard has a significant impact on rigidity and accuracy but more importantly on safety. If you look specifically at an 8” semi-steel DIN/ANSI scroll chuck, the standard requires the use of 6 or more bolts to mount the chuck to the appropriate adapter. There are other standards and chuck producers that require only 3 mounting bolts for an 8” semi-steel chuck. What chuck would you want to be working with?
Know what you’re buying!
Be careful, there are producers that offer hybrid chucks that are built with some of the DIN/ANSI standards but not all of them. Most producers provide chucks with ANSI standard top jaws. This does not necessarily mean that the rest of the chuck is produced according to the DIN/ANSI standard.
Ask questions to ensure that the chuck you’re purchasing is produced to a DIN/ANSI standard.
© Global Tooling Solutions 2010
