TCI Precision Metals

Today’s Modern Machine Shop – Increase Throughput, Minimize Waste, and Reduce Cost

2011-10-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

On Thursday November 3rd at 2:00PM Eastern I’ll be hosting a webinar with Modern Machine Shop Online talking about ways to increase throughput, minimizing waste and reduce costs. Mark Albert, Editor-in-Chief of Modern Machine Shop Magazine, will be the moderator.

By now, we’ve all attended a webinar or two. This is my first time presenting one and I’m looking forward to the event.

Here’s the situation: As the manufacturing sector continues to improve, there are more opportunities for those shops that successfully weathered the last recession. In addition, I believe that more work will be “re-shored” due to better quality, faster lead times and increasing upward pressure on Asian costs. Add the critical shortage of skilled workers to the mix and you end up with the issue of figuring out you’re going to satisfy your customers’ demands while holding (or even better, increasing) your margins.

Given the challenges, we’ll talk about how to increase and accelerate work through your shop, reduce costs related to procuring raw materials and machining, and grow your business without unnecessary pressure.

The Webinar promises to present useful information and strategies that will help your business and I hope that you can join us on such short notice. Click here to register.

Until Thursday…

John

Clarification
TCI Precision Metals services our customers from our single, 105,000 sq. ft. facility in Gardena, California, just 12 miles from downtown Los Angeles. It has come to our attention on many occasions that there are companies claiming to be us and actually accepting orders from our customers. If you are not working with TCI in Gardena, California, you’re not working with TCI Precision Metals. If this is the case, please contact me and I will rectify the situation immediately.

Continuous Improvement Helps Us Evolve

2011-09-16T15:37:00.000-07:00

TCI Achieves ISO 9001:2008 and AS9100C Certification

Having been certified to earlier versions of ISO and AS quality management systems for many years, in August we were granted certification to the latest revision of the ISO and AS quality management systems standards, namely ISO 9001:2008 and AS9100C.

For those of you who have been through the latest revision process and for those who are currently working their way to (re)certification, you know how difficult and time consuming it can be. But it’s not about the paperwork. In fact, our system is, for all practical purposes, digital.

Thanks largely to the next generation, (that would be Ben), our system is relatively easy to navigate with a great deal of linkage between and among sections. I can say with some confidence that our third party auditor from QMI found his task easier and quicker at TCI than in other organizations that he has audited. And it’s all up on our company intranet available to all users.

As everyone knows, the purpose of becoming certified and maintaining an ISO and AS quality management system registration isn’t about marketing. It’s about becoming a better organization. The latest revision is also helping us to be a more process-driven company and is reinforcing the need to be on a path of continuous improvement.

In the end, the real measure of our Quality is the degree to which our customers express satisfaction with our products and services through long-term business relationships. That was the case before and is even truer now.

Until next month…

John

"TCI Goes BIG"

2011-08-01T13:04:00.001-07:00

While my monthly topics usually are intended to cover broader issues than those under our own roof, this month I can’t resist shameless self-promotion. Over the past several years, the Engineered Products side of our business has evolved with our customers’ requirements and needs. While evolving has always been the norm here, the early 2000s brought a seismic (after all, this IS California) shift toward larger work.

At the risk of suggesting that our latest addition completes our large part machining cell, our new Hyundai-Kia Horizontal Boring Mill would seem to fit the bill. It complements 3 very large gantry-type vertical machining centers and 3 somewhat smaller horizontal machining centers in that cell.

The new boring mill has travels of 118” in X, 79” in Y, 63” in Z and 28” in W. With a full 4thaxis table that is 79” x 71” and a 22,000# load capacity, it is an addition that will help us provide our customers with larger capacities, faster lead times and throughput along with better quality and accuracy.

We just finished installing it last month and it is currently being booked for large oil & gas components and food packaging equipment.

As my friend Mike Mittler, President of Mittler Brothers Machine & Tool, and Past-Chairman of the NTMA would say, “Sell early and often”. Mike, I hope you’re reading!

I hope that this month’s message finds you well and finding a way to endure this crazy summer heat.

-John Belzer

"Make it in America"

2011-06-17T14:33:00.000-07:00

On a recent road trip to the east coast, I took with me a new book that promised to speak to the issues that I wrote about last month - some of the same ones that NTMA Chairman Grady Cope spoke to this past spring: Marketing Manufacturing to America.

But more than speaking about the importance of manufacturing in America and doing the public relations piece, Chairman and CEO of The Dow Chemical Company, Andrew Liveris, presents a national strategy to revive American manufacturing.

In Make It in America, Liveris discusses among many other things:

Why ideas follow where manufacturing goes (a very real potential for American "brain drain")

Fighting offshoring (to which he devotes an entire chapter)

Reforming our educational system

The need for an emphasis on Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines on a national level

Overhauling tax policy

Preparing the "next-gen" workforce

Getting trade agreements off dead center and implemented

All that in under 175 pages.

While none of us will agree with all of his analysis and prescriptive advice, all of us will agree with most, I believe. Pick up a copy - it's worth the time.

As an aside, we at TCI are participating in a program presented by the South Bay Science Foundation and the South Bay Workforce Investment Board promoting STEM education which includes the mentoring of students and inviting them to our shop to "shadow" our people and processes.

Other worthwhile reading and viewing related to American manufacturing was prolific in the past month. All of the links below are brief and worthwhile:

A segment ran recently on NPR highlighting the National Robotics League (an NTMA venture), called "Robot Wars Prepare Kids for Manufacturing Jobs".

Mike Rowe of Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs" fame testified in May before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

Finally, NTMA 2008 Chairman Roy Sweatman and president of Southern Manufacturing Technologies, Inc. is interviewed by the Tampa Bay Business Journal and talks about how he found his way into the aerospace precision custom manufacturing business.

Until next month...

-John Belzer

"Marketing Manufacturing in America"

2011-05-11T16:02:00.000-07:00

At the recent MFG Conference in Chandler, Arizona, NTMA 2011 Chairman Grady Cope of Reata Engineering Machine Works in Englewood, CO gave what I feel was a passionate case for the critical importance of rebuilding a manufacturing base in America. He called it appropriately, Marketing Manufacturing in America. It was about the fact that actually making things is what builds wealth. It was about bucking the public’s perception that becoming a nation of service providers is a perfectly swell end game. At its core, it spoke to the issue of once again making manufacturing relevant to an American public and, by extension, their representatives in public office at all levels.

Speaking of the word “public”, Grady’s message was also an “ask”. That is, he was asking all of us who share his passion for manufacturing in this country to create individual public relations efforts to explain, by every means possible, why we do what we do - and why it is essential to America’s economy. Without such an endeavor, media will never understand, never mind translate our story to those who need to know.

This “blog” of mine is but one attempt to get that message out. There have been others and will be more. I hope that you’ll take the time to read Grady’s remarks (and imagine hearing them with the passion with which Grady made them). I’ve included a link to Grady’s speech that can be downloaded and distributed.

My own “ask” is that you also do what you can to make the case for manufacturing in your own way(s). Here are a few suggestions:

· Talk to other parents and school counselors about manufacturing-related careers

· Attend a local high school- or city-sponsored career day

· Write your congressmen and senators (NTMA’s One Voice makes it easy)

· Give plant tours to people and groups who are not related to manufacturing

· Invite a Boy or Girl Scout troop over

· Use social networking platforms like Twitter and Facebook

· Contact your local newspapers to attempt to get visibility

I’m sure that you can think of many, many more.

Until next month…

John

Read Grady Cope's Speech

Recognizing People Who Give Back to the Industry

2011-03-09T17:36:00.000-08:00

Each year around this time, trade associations and non-profits of all stripes gather to elect and install the leaders who will guide their organizations in the year to come, while taking time to recognize and celebrate the efforts and accomplishments of the people who have preceded them.

In January, the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Tooling & Machining Association (LA/NTMA) installed its Board of Directors and officers for 2011. As I reflected on the big event, I realized that we have quite a crew out here in LaLaLand that provides leadership and direction both at home and for “National”. So, if you’ll indulge the proud writer, allow me to list only some of the Los Angeles Chapter’s current leaders (one always takes a huge risk of recognizing some while, for space limitations, leaves others out):

First, the 2011 president of the Chapter is John Martinez. John has 32 years of experience in our industry. I should know. He’s spent all of those years at TCI Precision Metals and is currently our sales manager. We’re delighted that he’s chosen to give back to the manufacturing community with his leadership at NTMA. John has been active with the NTMA, having attended a number of national conferences and quite ably has served for the past few years on the board of directors of the Chapter. He also recently served a 3-year term on the Industry Marketing, Meetings & Business Development Team.

Photos of the installation of officers and directors are below. Aside from the installation, we were honored to have NTMA Chairman of the Board Grady Cope and First Lady Anne Stilson- Cope of Reata Engineering and Machine Works in Englewood, CO join us for the evening.

Our immediate Past President, Patricia Szczuka of Computed Tool, provided 2 excellent years of leadership for the Chapter. In addition, she has taken on the responsibility of Co-Team Leader of the Government Affairs Team at the national level. Oh - I might just mention that she and Jason are expecting their third child this summer!

Preceding Patricia as president of the Los Angeles Chapter was Paul Sapra of Upland Fab. He led our chapter for 2 years prior, and has now taken on the new responsibility of leading the national association’s Membership Value Leadership Team.

This one is a little closer to home. My son, Ben Belzer, who is the Vice President of TCI Precision Metals, has been serving on the Chapter board as a director for the past couple of years. But he has also been actively attending national meetings and recently served as the Team Leader of the Website Team and received an NTMA Outstanding Achievement award in 2009 for his work redesigning NTMA’s website.

Our Executive Director Brenda Baker is the administrative glue for the Chapter. But she has also been instrumental in transforming the work and visibility of chapter executives and leading at the national level as the Chapter Executives Team Leader from 2008-2010.

At the recent NTMA Fall Conference at Amelia Island, FL in October, LA/NTMA Training Centers of Southern California President Michael Kerwin received the highest honor in the field of training from his peers at NTMA. The William E. Hardman Award for Excellence in Training is awarded to a company or individual who has consistently demonstrated strong support and active participation in structured training for the industry. Michael has certainly done all of that. But he is also serving at the national level on the Education Team and on the National Robotics Team.

The Los Angeles Chapter, of course, has a National Trustee who represents the Chapter on the NTMA Board of trustees. Our trustee is Mike Kartsonis of Dynamic Fab who served the Chapter as president in 1996. Mike has served as our trustee since 2004. In the meanwhile, Mike also served nationally for 3 years as Team Leader of the Membership Growth & Retention Team. Not being satisfied that he’s given enough back to the industry, he is now serving at the national level on the NTMA Nominating Team – arguably one of the most important teams in the association.

One of these days, the NTMA will “smart up” and replace me as Team Leader of the Budget & Finance Team. I’m currently serving year 8. If there are any past chairmen of NTMA reading this little blog, know that I’ll be head hunting soon.

Finally (last but not least, as they say), the Los Angeles Chapter is being represented at the highest level of the national association. Bob Mosey, president of Moseys’ Production Machinists, is currently serving as NTMA Treasurer on the Executive Team. He will become the chairman of the NTMA in 2013. While serving in this extremely busy and responsible position, he has also been serving the Chapter as a director and the LA/NTMA Training Centers as one of three trustees. He served the Chapter as president in 2004. Years ago, I asked Bob to serve the Chapter as a director. He replied that he didn’t have any “political” (leadership) aspirations. Holy Cow!

I am extremely proud of all of our NTMA leaders from the Los Angeles Chapter, both locally and nationally. These are the people who recognize the value that they have received from NTMA and from their many mentors in the industry over the years. Never have so many accepted leadership roles nationally and simultaneously and it’s an amazing achievement. My thanks to all of you who give so much of yourselves to the custom precision manufacturing industry.

-John Belzer

Los Angeles Chapter President John Martinez and First Lady Blanca

Immediate Past Patricia Szczuka and President John Martinez

New Chapter officers and directors (in attendance) L-R: Lee Norton, John Martinez, Mark Osterstock, Ben Belzer, Patricia Szczuka, Michael Dochterman, Milt Thomas, Joe Abbott, Darin Martinez, Mike Del Medico

NTMA Chairman Grady Cope and First Lady Anne Stilson-Cope.

Patricia Szczuka, Lesley Silverstone and Jason Szczuka. Don’t tell us we don’t know how to party!

NTMA Chairman Grady Cope and Past Chairman John Belzer

"Upward Metals Pricing as a Positive Indicator (Redux)"

2011-01-18T11:18:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, nobody wants to see higher metal prices. But within some reasonable band, I would (still) argue that it’s actually not bad news.

A year ago in this column, I spoke about being encouraged by the uptick in aluminum pricing from the mills. When metals costs rise, most of us are caught in the squeeze between suppliers and customers. Mill suppliers are typically not very flexible when it comes to granting cost concessions – keeping prices the same, never mind agreeing to reductions. On the other side, customers aren’t very understanding and many times simply aren’t willing to talk about inflationary pressures and price increases.

But I continue to see the slow, steady rise in aluminum prices as not altogether a bad condition. As you’ll recall, pricing reached historic highs in 2008 and absolutely tanked in early 2009. Depending on what alloy and product you were buying, it had lost between close to 40% of its peak value.

But we didn’t see a double dip in the economy or in manufacturing in 2010. Material pricing from the mills continued to increase. In 2010, we saw two price increases on 6061 plate from our suppliers, amounting to a 10% aggregate increase for the year. It has been suggested that, lacking an economic dip affecting manufacturing in 2011, prices will continue to increase this year. And according to the recent December 2010 Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI Survey on the Business Outlook, activity in the manufacturing sector expanded for the fifth consecutive quarter and there is no prediction of a 2011 dip.

Still, the price of aluminum mill products is off approximately 30% from its peak. If you believe that markets work, as I do, as the manufacturing sector continues to improve we should be seeing higher prices. Likewise, values for scrap aluminum have rebounded from last year by about 15% with values for ferrous and nickel alloys jumping even more.

In the end, if commodity pricing remains in the tank, so do we all.

From all of us at TCI, our best wishes to you for a healthy and profitable 2011!

-John Belzer

"California – So Many Issues Without Clarity in Direction"

2010-12-06T16:06:00.000-08:00

So, the results are in and everyone knows that California did not hear the same message that the rest of the country heard. We did not exactly vote for manufacturing here as I hoped we would do in my mid-October blog. Paraphrasing Hugh Hewitt, a nationally syndicated radio host and professor of constitutional law at Chapman University, the tsunami of fiscal rebuke crashed on the shores of Arizona. It missed California completely.

According to almost any reliable source, California has one of the more unfriendly business climates in the country. CNBC’s annual Top States For Business 2010—Categories And Criteria puts California a lowly #32 in its annual rankings of states, in terms of being business-friendly. And if the election results in November are a preview of what’s to come, don’t expect that ranking to rise anytime soon. Here are the 10 categories that are considered in their rankings:

• Cost of Doing Business
• Workforce
• Quality of Life
• Economy
• Transportation & Infrastructure
• Technology & Innovation
• Education
• Business Friendliness
• Access to Capital
• Cost of Living

These categories are weighted, with the most weight given to the top of the list and the least to the bottom.

OK, so we here in the Golden State take a lot of (mostly) good-natured teasing about living here. But when you look at the bi-polar views of the voters, you really have to wonder. Here are some of the “good” and the “bad” in terms of manufacturing according to the California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA):

Here’s the “Good” for manufacturing -
• Prop 26 passed and taxes can't be passed as fees.
• Prop 24 failed and a few of CA's competitive tax policies remain.
• Redistricting commission remains intact (Prop 20 passed and Prop 27 failed).

Here’s the “Bad” for manufacturing -
• Prop 23 failed, ensuring increased energy rates and other costs for all manufacturers.
• Meg Whitman lost and CA loses our staunchest opposition to the state's "factory tax".
• Carly Fiorina lost and CA loses opportunity to put committed champion of manufacturing in the U.S. Senate.

The sleeper, in terms of a potential huge increase in the cost of doing business is the affirmation by the California Supreme Court of the August 2010 Almaraz/Guzman decision which allows deviation from a strict application of the AMA Guides when rating injured workers’ impairment. The additional costs have already been factored into the recent Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau recommendation for a rate increase of 29.9%. Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner (see our blog from February 2010) has rejected the increases. We’ll see what happens. Meanwhile, California has the 5th highest workers’ compensation premiums in the country.

But, if anything describes us, we are eternal optimists. There are good reasons to live, work and play here in California. After all, check out my late-November photo below (with appreciation to Mike Kartsonis of Dynamic Fab in Santa Ana):

From all of us at TCI, wishing all of you a happy and healthy holiday season…

-John Belzer

Vote For Manufacturing on Election Day

2010-10-18T13:51:00.000-07:00

So says a new poster published by the NTMA and the PMA through their alliance in government affairs called One Voice. These two very familiar associations (as least in this monthly blog) teamed up a few years ago in the interest of solidarity when it comes to economic issues that affect our companies and our industry.

(DISCLOSURE: While nobody who knows me well would dispute that I have political views on a wide range of topics, this monthly piece will not stray into non-economic issues. There are places for such commentary, but the monthly TCI e-newsletter is not one of them.)

One of the best ways to know how the Senators and Members of Congress in your state vote on issues that affect manufacturing is to visit the site, www.metalworkingadvocate.org. In column right, under the “VOTE” graphic, there are several links to actions that you can take – including registering to vote if you are eligible and have not already done so. Unfortunately, the deadline has passed for registering to vote in this year’s federal general election. State election laws vary. If you are not registered to vote, do so anyway today so you can exercise your right and privilege to vote in the next election.

There are links to see how your elected officials have voted on key economic issues. If they have voted against the interests of manufacturing, now is the time to tell them – in the voting booth. If that is the case, chances are that you’ll find a candidate that opposes the positions of your current Senator or Member of Congress. There is also a link to each and every state and federal race, wherever you live. There, you’ll find information on all candidates.

Take the time to know how each representative has voted on issues crucial to the survival of manufacturing. And take the time to understand how an opposing candidate (likely) would vote if he or she were elected to replace that incumbent.

Once upon a time in the mid-90s, here in Southern California, we actually had four members of the California State Assembly who had manufacturing experience. They called themselves the Manufacturing Caucus, an almost tongue-in-cheek name for a group of 4 like-minded businessmen and women in a sea of lawyers and career politicians. For those of you who are familiar with California politics (and for those of you who are not), that 2-year period of 1995-1996 was the only period in which Republicans held a majority in the Assembly since 1970.

One of those new members of the Assembly, Jim Morrissey of Superior Jig in Anaheim, was also a member of the NTMA. The company is still a member today. At the time, Jim was upset about receiving junk fax, costing him lots of aggravation, never mind more trips to the store to buy rolls of fax paper. Somebody said the equivalent of “well, Jim, write your Congressman!”. He took it a step further and ran for State Assembly – and WON. And he won in a district that was, let’s say, not particularly inclined to vote for someone with his “stripes”.

My point would be that, especially in this election season, one that is sometimes referred to as “silly season”, there is nothing silly about it. The issues are large and have huge implications for our businesses and our industry. Make sure that you, your employees, your families and your friends vote. And make it a vote for manufacturing.

-John Belzer

IMTS Is Coming... Make Your Plans Now To Be In Chicago

2010-08-09T16:35:00.000-07:00

Every even year in September, I always know where I'm going to be. That's the decades-old schedule for IMTS. For those of us with long memories (or just plain-old long careers), the show is only half as long as it once was. This year, IMTS will be held from September 13-18, a Monday through Saturday event at the new and improved McCormick Place.

TCI and our sister company, E-Z Lok Threaded Inserts, will be exhibiting like we have since the 60s. Imagine. Forty-plus years of participating in the largest and most comprehensive manufacturing show in the country. And for the 5th consecutive show, we'll be exhibiting alongside our friends and business "partners", Boston Centerless. As I mentioned in my May blog, our two companies complement each other in an industry that is often segmented into different metalworking disciplines.

While TCI specializes in flat, rectangular and square Precision Machine-Ready Blanks, ready for final machining, Boston Centerless specializes in supplying precision ground bar to extremely close tolerances, ready for finish machining for the CNC Swiss screw machining industry and other precision machining applications.

Now, I realize that we're all coming out of what we hope was the worst manufacturing recession that we'll witness in our careers and that it may be difficult for many to justify the investment in being in Chicago and away from the shop. For many, it took a lot of courage in terms of making decisions that we never thought we'd have to make. But we were also creative with resources and re-learned some of the lessons from the last recession. Attending IMTS is the next serious opportunity to get repositioned to leverage what we learned in the recession with new technologies and innovations to get a head start on the next up-cycle.

Come by to visit us in the West Hall at booths W-1267 and W-1271.

Oh. Did I mention that the National Tooling & Machining Association (NTMA) will be at IMTS? Drop by in the same West Hall at W-1671 (you knew I had to fit NTMA in somehow).

Consider the cost of attending the show - and then consider the opportunity cost of staying home. I think the obvious choice is to get off the porch.

See you on the floor in Chicago...

-John Belzer

A Salute to Workforce Development and the People Who Make it Happen

2010-07-02T12:44:00.000-07:00

As I write this month about "workforce development", I'm reminded of NTMA's 2000 Chairman Roger Sustar, president of Fredon Corporation in Mentor, OH. Long before he went through the NTMA chairs, he created a program in his shop called "Cannons of Fredon". Recognizing that the industry needed to do more to assure a reliable workforce for the future, he created a very innovative apprenticeship and training program for local high-school and vocational-school students making parts for and then assembling awesome (non-firing) cannons as a training tool. Full disclosure - I'm a lucky owner of a Cannon of Fredon. It occupies the middle of a conference table in our office for everyone to enjoy.

Jeff Kelly, president of Hamill Manufacturing in Trafford, PA, and NTMA's 2007 chairman has invested years of work in the same pursuit. Locally in Pittsburgh, he chaired the Westmoreland County School-to-Work partnership and chaired the Westmoreland -Fayette Workforce Investment Board. With NTMA, he championed the development of Precision JOBS for American Manufacturing (PJAM), an NTMA initiative to fill and retain a manufacturing skilled workforce pipeline.

The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) was created 15 years ago by several metalworking trade associations (including NTMA) to develop and maintain globally competitive American workforce. NIMS sets skills standards for the industry, certifies individual skills against the standards and accredits training programs that meet NIMS quality requirements.

Skills USA (formerly known as VICA) just held its annual national competition last week in Kansas City, MO. If you've not been to the finals, it's an amazing sight to see - students from across the country competing in every vocational and technical contest imaginable. The winners just happened to be NIMS-trained. (OK, it's not an accident that NIMS training was involved).

Here in the southland, the Los Angeles Chapter of the NTMA has long been the proud owner/sponsor of the LA/NTMA Training Centers of Southern California. Since 1968 and with 2 locations today under the direction of President Michael Kerwin - in Norwalk and Ontario - the Training Centers work very hard to fill that skilled workforce pipeline. At any given time, there are between 500 and 600 students on campus enrolled in Machinist/Advanced Machinist Training, CNC/Advanced CNC Machining Training, Mastercam Training, and Inspection Training. Even during the recent downturn, the LA/NTMA Training Centers were able to place graduates in jobs as a result of its reputation for creating such a good "product."

Why is all this important? Even with the recent loss of manufacturing jobs across the country, the industry remains an important - no, crucial - part of our economy and our way of life. And a full pipeline of skilled machinists and other manufacturing professionals is absolutely vital and necessary. While I've mentioned a few of the most prominent players in filling the pipeline, there are many, many more. And they're supported and staffed by some of the most committed people in the industry, paid and volunteer, nationwide.

So here's a big "thank you" to everyone across the country that is involved at every level in the care and feeding of workforce development and training for the metalworking industry.

-John Belzer

Boston Centerless and TCI – a Powerful Combination

2010-05-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

“TCI Precision Metals is the Boston Centerless of flat work.” - Steven Tamasi
“Boston Centerless is the TCI Precision Metals of round work.” - John Belzer

Thus, a lasting relationship was created when we met at a meeting in Washington, DC and nurtured for close to 20 years now. Having been introduced to each other through the NTMA (there they are again), our two companies complement each other in an industry that is often segmented into different machining disciplines.

While TCI specializes in flat, rectangular and square Precision Machine-Ready Blanks, ready for final machining, Boston Centerless specializes in supplying precision ground bar to extremely close tolerances, ready for finish machining for the CNC Swiss screw machining industry and other precision machining applications.

Here are just some of the qualities that our companies share:

Boston Centerless…

…is a family-owned company.
…operates a clean, state-of-the-art facility.
…is ISO 9001:2000 and AS9100 registered.
…provides quality that is unsurpassed by any competition.
…supplies material precision ground to your exact specifications.
…will provide the same exacting tolerances on customer-furnished material or parts.
…offers Kanban and JIT stocking programs.
…ships nationwide.
…is customer-focused and excels in providing solutions to manufacturing issues.
…is a member of the NTMA (and is also a member of PMPA).
…delivers a high-quality product with outstanding value.

Get the picture?

I encourage those of you whose applications call for close-tolerance precision ground bar to visit the Boston Centerless website or click through on our Affiliations page to find a direct link to their site. Better yet, give them a call at 781.994.5000.

For those of you here in the Southern California area, John Gurtis is the resident Boston Centerless sales rep here to help you with solutions. He can be reached at the number above and at jgurtis@bostoncenterless.com.

Boston Centerless. At providing close tolerance precision ground bar, they’re the best in the business.

Oh, just one thing. We can’t seem to agree on Lakers/Celtics or Red Sox/Angels. Go figure. But it’s a small price to pay for such a great relationship with our histories, integrity and values.

-John Belzer

Could You Use a New Customer or Two?

2010-04-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

As is likely fairly evident to you by now, we’re pretty actively engaged in the activities of the National Tooling & Machining Association (NTMA). We’ve been a member since 1976 and have been attending bi-annual National Conferences, Technical Conferences and Purchasing Fairs for over 20 years. It’s the latter that I write about this month.

One of the primary missions of the NTMA is to help member shops connect with potential customers. It’s accomplished through “backwards” tradeshows – Contract Manufacturing Purchasing Fairs.

We all know how very difficult it is today to make those first contacts with new, potential customers. The obstacles are huge; few receptionists, empty lobbies, direct lines that are hard to uncover, voice mail. You know the drill. So, picture a day in which the Association brings in 30-50 “customers” who are available in one room for an entire day. Imagine making as many as 25 sales calls in a day, picking and choosing who to get in front of, face-to-face, depending on your shop’s own disciplines and core competencies.

Such an opportunity is coming up in Irvine, CA on May 12 as the NTMA partners with the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) with a creative twist. This Purchasing Fair will emphasize “Re-Shoring” – an attempt to attract customers who are interested in bringing their work back to the U.S. from overseas. Harry Moser, Chairman Emeritus of Agie Charmilles, is leading this effort on behalf of American manufacturing in general and the nationwide membership of the NTMA and PMA in particular. A press release describing the re-shoring initiative is available here.

The event brochure and registration form are available and the Fair is still over a month away. Both members and non-members may attend, but attending as a member is surely the economically smart way to do it.

Several years ago, we earned a new customer from one of the Purchasing Fairs in the midwest. Our lifetime sales with this (still very active) customer are $3.6 million and rising. Was it worth the small investment in NTMA membership? As Fox News would say, “We Report. You Decide.”. See you in Irvine...

-John Belzer

A Visit from California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner

2010-02-02T07:43:00.000-08:00

As I write this month, I realize that many of you don’t live in California and the issues that confront us here may be distant. After all, you probably have similar problems of your own wherever you may live. But even if you don’t reside in the Golden State, don’t stop reading just yet.

You may recall that, in my November 2009 blog in this space, I talked about the need to be actively involved politically, at least in terms of the issues that affect manufacturing and the people that work with us in our companies. Well, the people of Massachusetts got involved last month and created some real change.

The Los Angeles Chapter of the National Tooling & Machining Association (NTMA) is working toward hosting as many gubernatorial candidates as possible prior to the June 8 primaries. Last week, TCI on behalf of the Los Angeles Chapter, had the privilege of hosting California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner for a Monday morning Roundtable Discussion. While giving him a personal tour of our plant I had the opportunity to talk with him about those issues which affect each of us everyday – burdensome regulations, high taxes and workers’ compensation issues to name a few.

Commissioner Poizner then spoke and fielded questions from an audience of around 130 people (see the photos). He understands the issues from a business point of view and knows that we need real structural change here in California to keep business and jobs from fleeing to other states and countries. He spoke at length about his “10-10-10 Plan” and took questions on issues ranging from prisons to immigration to health care to education. In short, Steve was clear in communicating his vision that we need to bring sensible regulatory and tax policy back to this state.

There is a tremendous amount at stake in the next California election. I suspect it’s no different where you live. You know what they say – things tend to start in California and work their way east. That can be bad news and it can be good news. We’re determined to do what we can to encourage good, sound business-friendly policy and see that it’s the latter that moves to points east.

As The Governator might say, “We’ll be back!”

-John Belzer

Visit Steve Poizner's Blog to see what he had to say and view a few of his photos from the event.

Upward Metals Pricing as a Positive Indicator

2010-01-05T11:06:00.000-08:00

It’s been a long time since I was encouraged by increases in aluminum metals pricing. Typically it’s a sign of inflationary pressures or simply the natural result of markets working efficiently and effectively. Not so long ago, we saw the “perfect storm” of excess demand driven by commercial aerospace, semiconductor and automotive coupled with alumina shortages, dislocation of affordable energy and a shortage of aluminum scrap. All these factors combined to push prices to peak levels by 2008 while creating aluminum shortages and allocation conditions with the producing mills. A weakening dollar sure didn’t help any.

But probably like you, I didn’t smile as prices continued to rise.

Pricing peaked in 2008, and as we all know, demand fell off a cliff shortly thereafter. By early 2009, lead times were short, supply was not an issue and pricing fell through the floor. With a worldwide glut of aluminum scrap, prices for scrap dropped near 50%. (I should note that aluminum was anything but alone in these markets swings. By late 2008, steel borings were worthless.)

But now we are seeing some signs of life in metals, broadly speaking. A recent increase in aluminum pricing from domestic mills has seemed to stick. I figure that they (and especially the markets) know more than I do, so I pay close attention. Scrap prices, too, have rebounded from their lows in 2009. Instead of being off peak numbers by 50%, prices for aluminum scrap are “only” off 30%. I’m encouraged by these leading indicators that we may have seen the bottom.

Counter-intuitive as it may be, if higher prices for metals mean we’re on our way out of this manufacturing recession, I’ll gladly embrace them.

From all of us at TCI, our best wishes to you for a healthy and profitable 2010!

-John Belzer

P.S. In our first issue back in September, I promised blogs that would be short and to the point. I intend to make good on that promise. But I’ll be talking more later on about metals pricing and its broader implications for our businesses. There’s so much more to say!

Inventory Management as Musical Chairs

2009-12-01T16:00:00.001-08:00

Remember when, as kids, we would play the game of "musical chairs"? When the music started, we walked in a circle as someone removed one of the chairs. When the music stopped, inevitably someone was left without a seat. I sometimes feel that we're playing that game; but oddly, in reverse. Who will be left sitting on unwanted inventory?

The recession has given the metal service center industry a refresher course in inventory management and it's not metal-specific. According to the November issue of Metal Center News, distributor inventories of aluminum are down an average of 42% from a year ago and steel inventories are down an average of 46%. One can safely assume similar conditions for inventories of other metals. Now that inventories are slowly approaching a state of equilibrium, distributors will be reluctant to add significantly to their stocks.

The mills, in turn, produce mostly for production and partly for depot stock. As distributors have turned to depots to replenish low inventories, purchasing low volumes of standard items, mills are likewise reluctant to add to expensive depot stocks preferring to run more profitable production orders that can be shipped relatively quickly. As depot stocks are depleted, mills will likely leave them as close as possible in that condition.

Our customers have been demanding smaller, more frequent shipments for many years now. In a low-demand environment like today's, that is the rule rather than the exception. And their customers are just as reluctant (and, ok, sometimes absolutely unwilling) to sit on inventories whether in raw, WIP or finished goods.

What I know to be reality is that the supply chain will be leaner moving forward. What I hope to be just as true is that customers and suppliers will likely learn to work more closely with each other so that, in my backwards game of "musical chairs", no one part of the supply chain will be left sitting on the "inventory chair".

-John Belzer

Make Sure You're Heard

2009-11-03T09:32:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, mid-term elections referred to those that were held midway between the 4-year -cycle of presidential elections. Maybe it's just me, but now that it's November and there are at least three critical statewide elections being held across the country, I can't help but feel that it's not too early to be actively engaged, on behalf of manufacturing, in the next election cycle.

I don't know about you, but here in California we constantly battle a state legislature that is, at best, indifferent to manufacturing. At worst, it has enthusiastically encouraged businesses, especially those in manufacturing, to leave the state for over two decades. But it's where we and our employees choose to live and raise our families, doing our best to provide meaningful work, good benefits and career opportunities.

It has long been the case that in our manufacturing world, regardless of title or status within our companies, we tend to be far too busy making a living to get actively involved by lobbying and attending meetings, near and far. The good news is that you don't have to leave your desks to do so.

There are a number of ways to contact senators, congressmen and state representatives. I'll only list a short few:

www.congress.org - By entering your zip code in the box in the middle of the landing page, you'll have access to all of your national and state legislators.

Write Your Representative - This gives you direct access to your congressperson.

US Senate - This gives you direct access to your senators.

Making the process even easier, the NTMA (National Tooling & Machining Association) and the PMA (Precision Metalforming Association) have combined efforts to represent small custom precision manufacturing on the national level. By becoming a member - and there are so many reasons, on so many levels to be a member of either or both - you get more than the access listed above. NTMA and PMA already have staked out positions vitally important to manufacturing and have written the letters for you. You can edit if you want. Or just click "send". Either way, it doesn't get any easier to make your voice heard.

We are constantly told that our legislators at all levels actually pay attention to what their constituents say. Today that is easily done through webmail. Let's all be advocates for manufacturing and encourage them to support legislation that works for precision custom manufacturing.

-John Belzer

"Decisions... Decisions"

2009-09-30T12:45:00.000-07:00

In the custom precision manufacturing industry, we all are confronted with purchasing decisions on a daily basis. How much should we ask a vendor to do for us? Should we just purchase raw stock? What if we have our supplier provide value-added services? Will it be cost effective? Will the parts show up on time within tolerance? Will it eat into our lead time or improve it?

When it comes to the "make or buy" decision, it's usually easiest to make the same decision we've made in the past.

But as you'll learn in our "Did You Know" feature this month, the easiest decision isn't always the best economic one. Take for instance, the customer who saved $5,000 on a recent job by asking TCI to provide Machine-Ready Blanks for a job going up on his horizontal. Because TCI is specially equipped to provide blanks to net sizes and tolerances in almost any kind of material with double-disc grinding and duplex milling, most customers can save both time and money by making the counter- intuitive decision.

Let one of our inside sales specialists help you out with your next "make or buy" decision. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

We hope you enjoy our motto of the month for October...some things are just hard to argue with.

-John Belzer

Our New Newsletter

2009-08-19T14:49:00.000-07:00

Our newsletter is almost ready! Here is the president's corner for our first email:

Welcome to our new e-mail newsletter, news@tci! For those of you who have been recipients of our monthly mailer, which included the letter and motto card featuring Joe the Official Parade Horse, we invite you to receive the same timely and helpful information from TCI online, along with the latest humor and nonsense from Joe. Our intention is to make this newsletter as quick and easy to read as possible, while adding a little fun to our days as well.
In addition to providing you, our readers, with money- and time-saving ideas from TCI, we'll also bring to you our take on what we feel are some of the more important issues facing our industry. I suspect you'll find us talking about topics that are so specific to our common interests that you'll not find these discussions anywhere else, online or off. And, in keeping with the universal need to be brief, we promise that we'll be concise...no long blogs!
So, welcome aboard...and if you'd like to leave a comment, please do. All correspondence will be held in confidence. Unless, of course, you'd like to give Joe some advice for a future Motto of the Month. You just never know...yours might be the one featured in the next issue.

-John Belzer

New Mori-Seiki Lathe (SL-403B/2000)

2009-02-09T12:43:00.000-08:00

In December 2008 we introduced our newest CNC lathe. With this addition we have increased our capacity to a total Z travel of 86.4 inches and turning diameter of 24.4 inches.

After our initial week of training, we successfully produced our first part - a 7" diameter steel connector with A.P.I. threading, ACME threading and a 32 RMS finish throughout.

13 Ways to Save Time and Cost by Using Machine-Ready Blanks

2009-02-05T14:38:00.000-08:00

Click this link to view the article published in American Machinist Magazine on 9/5/2008.

13 Ways to Save Time and Cost by Using Machine-Ready Blanks

Benefits of Machine-Ready Blanks

2009-01-27T15:47:00.000-08:00

Precision machine-ready blanks reduce your per part price by eliminating prep time and minimizing setup time, freeing up production time for more jobs.

End Prep Time
* Do not need to be squared like sawed blanks
* Load and Go – no sawing, grinding, flattening, or squaring

Minimize Setup Time
* Reduce or eliminate the number of tool offsets
* Cycle time reduction frees operators and machines for more jobs (or production) without adding labor and investing in more machines

Increase Throughput
* Increase operator and machine throughput levels by eliminating prep time and minimizing setup time
* Frees operators and machines for more jobs (or production) without investing in more machines or additional labor, such as second shifts
* Second operation fixtures eliminated with guaranteed dimensional, flatness, parallelism, and squareness tolerances

Improve Quality
* Eliminate end mill taper
* Ground and/or milled at least two sides at a time versus typical in-house milling operations of one side at a time, ensuring parallelism

Cut Costs
* Cut labor and machining cycle time, typically costing much more than the savings from prepping raw material in-house, reducing per part costs as much as 15% and more
* Cut labor costs by eliminating or reducing the time operators spend adjusting setups and fixture offsets

Contract Machining Benefits

2009-01-27T15:40:00.000-08:00

We specialize in repeatable lots of small, medium, and large parts that are delivered daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly throughout the year. Our lean philosophy makes scheduling easier, enable fast and smooth handoffs between departments and processes, and ensure material availability. This allows us to deliver good parts. On time. Period.

Small Parts
For your small parts, our VMCs allow quick setups to get into production fast. We can configure our Mori Seiki HMCs to machine different parts on each pallet/tombstone or the same part on every pallet. Either way, our Mori Seikis will cut even your largest run down to size. For small turned parts, Okuma and Mori Seiki CNC turning centers ensure quick delivery of the highest quality parts. For a list of our equipment, click here.

Large Parts
We can machine most parts that fit in a work envelope up to 166” x 55” x 20”. Using large multi-pallet Mazaks and Viper VMC bridge/gantry mills, we can make quick work of your large part lots. For large turned parts, our Haas CNC turning centers feature a 30-inch swing. For a list of our equipment, click here.

Cellular Manufacturing
Get maximum productivity from custom-configured work cells. Material moves from process to process, eliminating delays between processes and/or departments. This allows shorter lead-times, improved quality, reduced inventories, simplified scheduling, and minimal material handling.

Lean Manufacturing
Our team of lean experts is completely focused on identifying and eliminating wasted time, processes, and material through continuous improvement. Lean techniques maintain the highest quality processes with the flexibility to adjust schedules that meet your requirements.

Just-in-Time
By combining Just-in-Time and lean practices, we provide you with the right parts, at the right price, at the right time. We work with you to determine the appropriate quantities and types of products needed at a given time. Then we calculate the time required for producing the required quantities of parts to determine the production quantities of each process. These techniques ensure our delivery commitments.

Vendor-Managed Inventory
Developing vendor-managed inventory programs reduces costs for our customers and focuses delivery times on actual needs. Basically, as the parts are consumed, they are replenished in our finished goods inventory. This allows us to decrease your inventory and stock-outs, while improving productivity.

AS 9100B:2004 & ISO 9001:2000 through QMI
In addition, to our continuing ISO 9001:2000 certification, AS 9100B:2004 certifies our quality management, processes, and product control to meet requirements specific to the aerospace community. This ensures our comprehensive quality system focuses on areas directly impacting product safety and reliability in the aerospace industry. The value to all of our customers includes documented quality management and manufacturing processes that ensure repeatable quality from part to part.

TCI Precision Metals

2009-01-27T13:52:00.001-08:00

Since 1956, we have been providing precision machine-ready blanks and contract machining services for repeatable production lots. Our processes have received ISO 9001:2000 and AS 9100B:2004 certification.

We are also a warehouse distributor for Alcoa, Kaiser and Hulett Aluminum. Our combination of people, processes and machines allows us to deliver the best parts at the right price on time.

A combination of pre-machining and machining capabilities make TCI your ideal partner in manufacturing.

Machine-Ready Blanks: Load, lock, and go with our precision machine-ready blanks. Consistently tight dimensional, flatness, squareness, and parallelism tolerances eliminate second operation fixtures, simplify clamping, as well as reduce tool changes and cycle times.

Contract Machining: Consistently high quality machined parts delivered quickly and economically. Contract machining services provide consistently high quality parts, as large as 77" x 166" on our VMCs and as large as 40" x 120" on our HMCs, in repetitive lots for daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly deliveries.

TCI Precision Metals

240 E. Rosecrans Ave.
Gardena, CA 90248
310-323-5613 - Phone
310-323-1255 - Fax
www.tciprecision.com

For more information, please visit our website at www.tciprecision.com.

Slideshow

2009-01-27T13:25:00.000-08:00

Cost Savings Demonstration

2009-01-27T12:05:00.000-08:00

Click on the image below to view the presentation:

Materials

2009-01-27T11:10:00.000-08:00

We supply, grind, and machine a wide range of materials. Contact us the next time you have trouble finding a material... we'll do our best to track it down, and, if you would like, premachine it with unbeatable tolerances.

We welcome customer-furnished materials.

Here is a partial list of materials we can process:

ALUMINUM
1100
2024
3003
5052
6061
7075
2011-T3
2124-T851
2219-T87
5083-H321
5086-H116
7050-T7451
7050-T7651
QC7
Fortal
Foils
Laminates
Shim Stock

STAINLESS
301
302
303S
303SEL
304
304L
316
347
410
420
430
440C
13-8 Mo V.M.
15-5 PH
17-4 PH
17-7 PH

ALUMINUM BRAZING SHEET
21-F
4047
22-F

BRASS
260 Soft or 1/2 Hard
360 1/2 Hard
Muntz 365

COPPER
110
101 Oxygen Free
102 Oxygen Free
Beryllium Copper

TITANIUM
6AL4V
6AL2SN-4ZR-2MO
6242
6AL6V

CARBON STEELS
J-20
A-36
Ledloy (12L14)
C1010
C1215 1045
4130*
4140*
4340*
* Commercial and Aircraft Quality

PLASTIC
Black Acetal
Natural Acetal
G-10
UHMV
ABS / Styrene
Nylon
PVC
FR-4
Phenolic-Linen & Paper
Polycarbonate
Acrylic

HIGHTEMP & NICKEL BASED ALLOYS
Monel 400
Hy-Tuff
Refractaloy 26
Hastelloy Alloy
Waspaloy
Inconel Alloy 625
Inconel Alloy 718
VascoMax-300
C1018