• Mr. Roger N. Amrol, Jr. succeeds Mr. Douglas A. Starrett whose career with Starrett spanned 48 years, as President and CEO. Mr. Amrol is poised to lead Starrett forward to a new level, joining the organization after 12 years with Robert Bosch Tool Corporation North America where he was President and CEO for approximately five years. Also, within the Bosch organization, Mr. Amrol was President for the SKIL North America brand for four years and led the North America Accessories Business Unit as President for three years. Prior to Bosch, for five years he was with Techtronics Industries as Vice President in procurement, operations, and product divisions. Mr. Amrol has a Master of Business Administration from Averett University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Charleston.
  Mr. Barry Laughlin, Starrett COO

• Mr. Barry D. Laughlin brings his extensive manufacturing operations experience to Starrett and looks forward to applying his vision and skills to meet the company’s initiatives by implementing day-to-day business strategies and plans. He was most recently COO with Group DEKKO for nine years after being promoted from Executive Vice President of Operations, a position he held for almost two years. Prior to that, Mr. Laughlin was in an operations contract role at Caterpillar Inc. for six months. Before that, he was with Navistar for 26 years in various positions increasing in responsibility, with his last position being Director of Global Manufacturing and Custom Products for Navistar, Inc. Mr. Laughlin holds a Master of Science in Manufacturing from Kettering University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Ohio University.

• Mr. Allen E. Look brings to Starrett over 25 years of information technology experience as Global CIO with skills ranging from business leadership, operational excellence, data analysis and cybersecurity proficiency. Before joining Starrett, Mr. Look held global CIO roles for 6 years at privately and publicly held companies including FBG and Hayward Holdings, Inc., and provided interim CIO and executive advisory services in the private equity sector. He has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from Thomas College and is an alumni of Crotonville Professional Training and Coaching where he received several certifications.

• Mr. Jon-Michael Raymond brings vast experience in the industrial market space where he has held sales and finance roles for over 17 years, most recently as Global Sales and Marketing Senior Vice President at FyterTech Nonwovens. Prior to that he was Sales and Marketing General Manager at Mahr after approximately four years with Starrett as its North American Sales and Marketing Director for Industrial Products. For three years before that, he served as Vice President of Sales for PFERD Inc. and preceding that he held various sales and finance positions including with Norton | Saint-Gobain Abrasives. Mr. Raymond is a graduate of Worcester State University and Assumption College, where he received a Master of Business Administration.

About The L.S. Starrett Company

Founded in 1880 and headquartered in Athol, MA U.S.A., The L.S. Starrett Company is a leading global manufacturer of precision measuring tools and gages, optical comparators, vision systems, and force and hardness testing systems. Starrett also manufactures laser measurement systems, custom engineered granite solutions, custom gaging, band saw blades, power tool accessories, saw blades, workshop tools and jobsite tools. The Starrett brand is recognized throughout the world for exceptional quality and precision. Skilled personnel, superior products, manufacturing expertise, innovation and excellent service and support have earned Starrett its reputation as the “World’s Greatest Toolmakers”. Starrett has over 1,400 employees worldwide. The company has five manufacturing locations in the U.S.A., including facilities in Massachusetts, Georgia, Ohio, Minnesota, and California. Starrett also has three international manufacturing facilities. Plants are located in Brazil, Scotland and China, in addition to distribution centers and offices located worldwide.

“We are very pleased to offer customers a new, faster vision system capable of measuring a broader range of larger part sizes, as well as providing the ability to put more parts on the stage at one time,” said Mr. Mark Arenal, General Manager, The L.S. Starrett Company – Metrology Division. “Users will reduce inspection and measurement time, while maintaining accuracy.”

The Starrett AVR400 offers full CNC capabilities including X-Y-Z positioning and comprehensive zoom and telecentric lens options. Users can also choose to use motorized manual positioning via a pendant with a joystick and track ball. Equipped with the M3 software package from MetLogix, a traditional mouse as well as a touchscreen monitor make user interaction easy and intuitive.

Auto part recognition enables creating a part measurement program that comprises the desired features of a part for inspection, which can automatically be saved in the system or to a network. Programmable light output options can be built into the program as defined steps, including being called up as the part recognition program initiates. Once the program is created, placing that part within the camera’s field-of-view allows for the saved program to initiate and run the inspection. A Renishaw Touch Probe may also be utilized for quick acquisition of discreet points along a part’s profile as well as Z-axis measurements.

For high stability, the AVR400 features a granite base. An extensive line of accessories is available including a modular system workstation on rolling caster wheels, providing convenient repositioning on the shop floor and in QC labs. The AVR400 Vision Metrology System is Made in the U.S.A.

About The L.S. Starrett Company

Founded in 1880 and headquartered in Athol, MA U.S.A., The L.S. Starrett Company is a leading global manufacturer of precision measuring tools and gages, optical comparators and vision systems and force and hardness testing solutions. Starrett also manufactures laser measurement systems, custom engineered granite solutions, custom gaging, band saw blades, power tool accessories, saw blades, workshop tools and jobsite tools. The Starrett brand is recognized throughout the world for exceptional quality and precision. Skilled personnel, superior products, manufacturing expertise, innovation and excellent service and support have earned Starrett its reputation as the “World’s Greatest Toolmakers”. Starrett has over 1,400 employees worldwide. The company has five manufacturing locations in the U.S.A., including facilities in Massachusetts, Georgia, Ohio, Minnesota, and California. Starrett also has three international manufacturing facilities. Plants are located in Brazil, Scotland and China, in addition to distribution centers and offices located worldwide.

• An integrated port in the slide to enable measurement of perpendicularity and straightness in conjunction with the Millimess 2000/2001 W digital comparators.
• Motorized measuring functions for reliable results without manual operator influence.
• A variety of ports for backing up measuring data.
• Free MarCom software for seamless data transfer.
• Available Bluetooth printer for users to quickly print out a series of measurements.
• A wide range of probes and accessories to make height measurement tasks simpler.

About Mahr Inc.

“We are excited to introduce our new W4900 Indicator,” said Mr. David Allen, Vice President. “By eliminating buttons and utilizing touchscreen technology we have redefined comparative indicating measurement, developing an intuitive, fast, easy-to-use, highly accurate and rugged wireless gage. And the W4900 Indicator is assembled in America with U.S. and globally sourced materials, right here in our Athol, Massachusetts facility.”

Starrett W4900 AGD Group 4 Indicators are versatile with large, easy-to-read and navigate capacitive touchscreen user interface menus, and have wireless output for statistical process control (SPC) via data collection systems such as Starrett DataSure® 4.0. A customizable backlighting function in the W4900 enables both digital and analog readouts to be viewed in the same indicator—another Starrett innovation, one that enhances user preferences and reduces the need for multiple indicator models and their required calibrations. In addition, users can select multiple option menus for dial configurations, resolutions, presets, limits, up to seven different languages and more.

Starrett W4900 Indicators are rugged and sealed, with IP67 protection for harsh manufacturing environments in shops, OEM applications, on custom build and design tools and machinery and for in-process applications. The indicators are also very suitable in quality lab applications and other inspection areas. Featuring a Corning® Gorilla® Glass screen, new W4900 Indicators have been successfully shop floor tested including drop, vibration, cycle, and thermal testing, enduring all environments similar to standard indicators. The W4900 has an auto-on feature that is enacted via touch of the screen or the indicator stem, an auto-off after the desired pre-set time, in addition to a rechargeable, long-life battery. The indicator has a 1” (25 mm) range and an accuracy of +/- .00012” (0.003 mm), with resolutions of .001/ .0005/ .0001/ .00005 in inch, and 0.01/ 0.005/ 0.002/ 0.001 mm in metric.

Starrett W4900 Indicators are ideal for use with industry data collection devices and systems such as Starrett DataSure® 4.0, the most scalable, secure, robust data acquisition solution with unprecedented range and capabilities and for leveraging data for SPC and Industry 4.0 applications.

About The L.S. Starrett Company

Founded in 1880 and headquartered in Athol, MA U.S.A., The L.S. Starrett Company is a leading global manufacturer of precision measuring tools and gages, optical comparators and vision systems and force and hardness testing solutions. Starrett also manufactures laser measurement systems, custom engineered granite solutions, custom gaging, band saw blades, power tool accessories, saw blades, workshop tools and jobsite tools. The Starrett brand is recognized throughout the world for exceptional quality and precision. Skilled personnel, superior products, manufacturing expertise, innovation and excellent service and support have earned Starrett its reputation as the “World’s Greatest Toolmakers”. Starrett has over 1,400 employees worldwide. The company has five manufacturing locations in the U.S.A., including facilities in Massachusetts, Georgia, Ohio, Minnesota, and California. Starrett also has three international manufacturing facilities. Plants are located in Brazil, Scotland and China, in addition to distribution centers and offices located worldwide.

Starrett Optical and Video-based measurement systems combine high-resolution images, powerful intuitive software and precision mechanical platforms to deliver superb accuracy and repeatable measurement results.

Starrett will demonstrate pattern recognition and automated inspection on several metrology systems at ATX West including:

• New! KMR-Mx Series Video Inspection System will be introduced at the show. This unique new platform fills the gap for companies that want the speed and accuracy of a Video-based platform, but do not need or want a PC-based system.
• AVR200 Multi-Sensor Vision System, a full CNC benchtop Vision System, ideal for repetitive measurements and automatic comparison to CAD files.
• HDV Horizontal Digital Video Comparator, which combines the best features of Vision and Optical Comparator technology.
• HD400 Horizontal Dual Lens Optical Comparator offering a two-lens mount, enabling instant switching between two magnification lenses or video camera adapter.

Starrett will also showcase its Force Testing Systems, highlighting the flexible architecture that enables the range of Starrett force and material testing software programs to be compatible with its different test frames. At ATX West, the company will demonstrate its FMS Series test frame measuring the force to draw fluid in and out of a syringe. This application uses Starrett L2Plus software to capture peak and average load data.

About The L.S. Starrett Company

Founded in 1880 and headquartered in Athol, MA U.S.A., The L.S. Starrett Company is a leading global manufacturer of precision measuring tools and gages, optical comparators and vision systems and force and hardness testing solutions. Starrett also manufactures laser measurement systems, custom engineered granite solutions, custom gaging, band saw blades, power tool accessories, saw blades, workshop tools and jobsite tools. The Starrett brand is recognized throughout the world for exceptional quality and precision. Skilled personnel, superior products, manufacturing expertise, innovation and excellent service and support have earned the company its reputation as the “World’s Greatest Toolmakers”. Starrett has over 1,400 employees worldwide and annual sales exceeding $250 million. The company has five manufacturing locations in the U.S.A., including facilities in Massachusetts, Georgia, Ohio, Minnesota, and California. Starrett also has three international manufacturing facilities. Plants are located in Brazil, Scotland and China, in addition to distribution centers and offices located worldwide. The company is publicly traded on the NYSE, symbol SCX.

Starrett TENNAX-PRO Band Saw Blades feature high-speed M-42 steel teeth with a new special tooth geometry/ profile that optimizes the tip profile for tube, pipe and other structural cuts, dissipating stress during cutting for greater resistance to wear and tooth breakage. In addition, TENNAX-PRO band saw blades are designed with an exclusive tooth-setting process which minimizes pinching when cutting structural and bundled materials.

“We are excited to introduce TENNAX-PRO, the next generation of Starrett Bi-Metal Band Saw Blades,” said Charlie Starrett, Product Manager, Saws and Hand Tools, The L.S. Starrett Co. “Specifically designed to cut structural materials, TENNAX-PRO blades offer a higher level of productivity and extended blade life in difficult cutting processes, increasing your saw operation’s efficiency.”

TENNAX-PRO blades are ideal for cutting a wide range of materials including carbon steel, carbon steel alloys, stainless steel, and non-ferrous materials. In addition to pipes, tubes, structural and bundled materials, TENNAX-PRO applications include small solids. The blades are available in widths of 3/4″, 1″, 1 1/4″, 1 1/2″, 2″, and 2 5/8″, and can be used with manually operated, gravitational, and hydraulic machinery, making them a versatile and adaptable choice for a variety of applications.

TENNAX-PRO Band Saw Blades replace the Versatix MP line.

As the “World’s Largest Saw Blade Manufacturer”, Starrett offers a wide range of saw products including Bi-Metal band saw blades for cutting a variety of ferrous and non-ferrous materials, and Carbide Tipped, which are ideal for cutting extremely hard, abrasive materials. Band saw blades coated with Carbide Grit and Diamond Grit cut abrasive materials with precision, producing an excellent finish. A complete line of Carbon Band Saw Blades is also available for horizontal and vertical machines with manual or gravity feed. Other saw products include Hole Saws, Jig and Reciprocating Blades, Hacksaw Blades and Portable Band Saw Blades. The Starrett team of saw experts can help select the right saw blade, set up band saw machines, and help customers maximize their sawing operation.

About The L.S. Starrett Company

Founded in 1880 and headquartered in Athol, MA U.S.A., the company is a leading global manufacturer of precision measuring tools and gages, optical comparators and vision systems and force and hardness testing solutions. Starrett also manufactures laser measurement systems, custom engineered granite solutions, custom gaging, band saw blades, power tool accessory saw blades, workshop tools and jobsite tools. The Starrett brand is recognized throughout the world for exceptional quality and precision. Skilled personnel, superior products, manufacturing expertise, innovation and excellent service and support have earned Starrett its reputation as the “World’s Greatest Toolmakers”. Starrett has over 1,400 employees worldwide and annual sales exceeding $250 million. The company has five manufacturing locations in the U.S.A., including facilities in Massachusetts, Georgia, Ohio, Minnesota, and California. Starrett also has three international manufacturing facilities. Plants are located in Brazil, Scotland and China, in addition to distribution centers and offices located worldwide. The L.S. Starrett Company is publicly traded on the NYSE, symbol SCX.

Starrett video-based measurement systems combine high-resolution images, powerful intuitive software and precision mechanical platforms to deliver superb accuracy and repeatable measurement results. Automatic edge detection or video edge detection locates edges of parts being measured, enabling go/no-go comparisons to an engineering design, with no need for Mylar overlays. This dramatically increases measurement throughput while eliminating operator subjectivity.

Starrett will demonstrate pattern recognition and automated inspection on several metrology systems at EASTEC including:

• Recently enhanced AVR300 Multi-Sensor Vision System, featuring the largest field of view (FOV) to date for Starrett and ideal for repetitive measurements and automatic comparison to CAD files.
• HDV Horizontal Digital Video Comparator, which combines the best features of vision and optical comparator technology.
• HD400 Horizontal Dual Lens Comparator offering a two-lens mount, enabling instant switching between two magnification lenses or video camera adapter.

Starrett will also showcase its Force Testing Systems, highlighting the flexible architecture that enables the range of Starrett force and material testing software programs to be compatible with its different test frames. At EASTEC, Starrett will demonstrate its FMS Series test frame featuring a new Long-Range Extensometer which is used to calculate elongation based on the overall distance moved. This easy-to-use, practical fixture provides a long travel distance, critical for rubber and elastomer applications. Also, the Starrett FMM Computer-Based Force Testing Solution, which is compact and ideal for high volume, lean manufacturing production, will be featured. Starrett L1 software, ideal for quality control and incoming inspection, and engineered to meet the requirements for fast, efficient, high-volume production testing, will be demonstrated on the FMM frame.

Starrett DFC Digital Handheld Force Gages will also be featured. The DFC may be used as an advanced digital force gage and controller with Starrett FMM Force Testers, and can serve as a universal interface.

Starrett Special Custom Gaging solutions and capabilities will also be showcased at EASTEC. Even with the availability of hundreds of standard precision tools and gages, sometimes measuring challenges are best solved with a specially made gage. The Starrett Special Gage Division designs and builds dimensional measuring instruments for a wide range of industries that provide guaranteed performance to meet customer specifications.

About The L.S. Starrett Company

Founded in 1880 and headquartered in Athol, MA U.S.A., The L.S. Starrett Company is a leading global manufacturer of precision measuring tools and gages, optical comparators and vision systems and force and hardness testing solutions. Starrett also manufactures laser measurement systems, custom engineered granite solutions, custom gaging, band saw blades, power tool accessory saw blades, workshop tools and jobsite tools. The Starrett brand is recognized throughout the world for exceptional quality and precision. Skilled personnel, superior products, manufacturing expertise, innovation and excellent service and support have earned Starrett its reputation as the “World’s Greatest Toolmakers”. Starrett has over 1,600 employees worldwide and annual sales exceeding $200 million. The company has five manufacturing locations in the U.S.A., including facilities in Massachusetts, Georgia, Ohio, Minnesota and California. Starrett also has three international manufacturing facilities. Plants are located in Brazil, Scotland and China, in addition to distribution centers and offices located worldwide. The L.S. Starrett Company is publicly traded on the NYSE, symbol SCX.

Scientific metrology involves establishing internationally accepted units of measurement and the implementation of these standards into society. Legal metrology is the application of linking measurements back to reference standards, or traceability. Lastly, there’s applied or technical metrology which is concerned with the application of measurement, ensuring proper use of the measurement instruments, the calibration of the tools and quality control. These practices date as far back to almost 3000 BC, when the Egyptians established the cubit, based on the length of the Pharaoh’s forearm and hand, giving builders a reference for architectural developments including the building of the pyramids.

In the context of manufacturing, applied or technical metrology or measurement, refers to the numeric expression of a manufactured object’s dimensions based on a fixed reference (unit). These measurements are primarily used to ensure that parts and products are made to precise specifications and tolerances – which are generally focused on units of length. Precise measurements are crucial to ensure that products are of high quality, function as intended, and can be reliably reproduced.

Metrology in manufacturing typically involves using a wide range of measurement tools, such as micrometers, calipers, optical comparators, and coordinate measuring machines (CMMs). By using these tools, the dimensions and geometric properties of parts and products can be measured precisely. Measurements are used to confirm that parts and products conform to the intended design specifications, and that they meet the necessary quality standards. In many cases, clear traceability to component measurements are required to track batches or lots that are produced. Not only are increasingly large amounts of data capture and management necessary to track measurements for traceability – but shrinking part sizes and advanced material characteristics have also increased the complexity and frequency of these measurements during advanced manufacturing processes.

These challenges can be addressed by automating metrology steps within a manufacturing operation. One of the primary benefits of automated metrology is increased efficiency. Automated metrology systems can perform measurements much faster than manual methods (generally reducing work minutes to seconds of compute time) and can also collect and analyze data more accurately. This can help reduce the time to manufacture finished products and the overall cost of manufacturing, while also improving product quality.

We can categorize automated metrology benefits within a manufacturing operation into 7 key areas:

1. Save Time: Automated metrology systems can significantly reduce time spent inspecting parts. Parts that could take 10-15 minutes to inspect and record data with manual tools can be done in less than a minute, allowing manufacturers to increase their profitability through increasing efficiency.
2. Improve Accuracy and Consistency: Automated metrology systems can take highly precise and consistent measurements, reducing the likelihood of human error, especially reducing the repetition of the task which increases the chances of mistake. They help ensure the overall accuracy of the manufacturing processes and can help to confirm that parts and products are made to the same exacting standards every time.
3. Reduce Labor Costs and Increased Flexibility: Automating metrology reduces the need for human operators to perform manual measurements, allowing them to focus on other areas helping to increase production. These tools require skilled metrologists to develop proper measurement programs and routines according to print requirements. However, once created, the system’s automation simplifies the procedures and allows a broader range of employee skill levels to help with QC tasks, addressing many of today’s challenges with skilled labor gaps.
4. Reduce Scrap and Rework: With typical in-process checks, parts are inspected periodically. Due to these periodic checks, operators can be late to discover that parts are being manufactured incorrectly and either need to be reworked entirely or scrapped which can be costly with rising material costs. Automating metrology allows for earlier defect detection allowing manufacturers to save significant costs by addressing upstream processing and performance issues..
5. Manage Data: Automated systems can collect and store large amounts of data, which can be used to identify patterns, track performance over time, and make data-driven analytics-based decisions. Data management supports transformation to Industry 4.0 digital connectedness..
6. Improve Quality Control: Automated metrology systems can be integrated into various manufacturing control systems, allowing manufacturers to monitor and control the quality of the manufacturing process in real-time, and make adjustments as needed to improve the quality of the final product. Additionally analytics can be used with the trend data to identify and schedule preventive maintenance needs for critical machines. For example, your measurement system can help you identify a trend in steadily increasing measurements on parts produced on a mill, indicate this is wear on a cutting bit, and sending signals to operators or the machine tool to change it before a failure actually occurs and generates an unplanned downtime scenario.
7. Enable Business Growth: Industries with strict part requirements like aerospace and medical typically need 100% part inspection, have tight tolerances going into the micron or millionths of an inch level, and call for specialized traceability, reports, and validation. Automated metrology systems provide the conditions for the manufacturing operations to be compliant with these requirements and enable sales into new markets and business development.

Overall, automating metrology in manufacturing can help to improve efficiency, reduce costs, improve product quality, and increase consistency. It can also provide valuable insights into the manufacturing process that can help to make it more efficient and effective. A tool that has helped manufacturers ranging from job shops to large aerospace and medical companies automate inspection processes has been Keyence’s IM-8000 Series Instant Measurement System.

Keyence’s IM-8000 Series uses a combination of an ultra-high-definition camera, telecentric lenses, and intelligent software to quickly identify a part (or multiple parts) in its field of view, extract part edges with optimal built-in lighting conditions, and accurately measure dimensions while automatically saving the data. The technology enables any operator to accurately measure up to 300 dimensions on a part in 3 seconds or less by simply placing the part on the system and pushing a button. The latest generation introduced an automated rotary that allows for 360-degree part inspection.

Using an automated optical comparator with an automated rotary allows for high-precision part inspection in seconds at the push of a button, in addition to automatically generated reports. Whether machined or turned parts, or injection molded parts, this tool was designed to address all of the key benefits of automated metrology.

About the Author

Manny Lopez is the Technical Marketing Manager – Quality and Metrology Systems – Keyence Corporation of America

The rest, as the saying goes, is history.

Though Mike left us in 2017, his sons Tim and Jason carry on the tradition of high-quality, short-run tool production, selling nationwide both directly to end users and through a network of distributors, some of them who started with Mike Winters and remain with TJ Grinding to this day.

As Tim Winters explains, “You don’t get to the point we’ve reached without three things…a passion for what you do, the very best equipment available to do the work and, most importantly, the people to do it. That includes the people who represent your suppliers. When you find people who know their business, share your passion for it and always act in a straightforward, honest manner, you’ve found pure gold. You help their business and they help yours.” This simple yet often elusive formula has served both companies well, over the years. ANCA has grown to be a major player in the tool grinding, laser marking and integrated automation business for tool producers and users worldwide, while TJ Grinding has grown substantially and today supplies tools nationwide plus in Canada and Mexico. The company currently operates 10 ANCA tool grinders and credits the advanced 5-axis grinders with “changing the industry,” as Tim Winters observes.

TJ Grinding specializes in short-run production of custom reamers, endmills, drills and burrs, with an emphasis, as Jason Winters remarks, “on the ‘custom’ part of that sentence.” He notes that the ANCA software and CNC, both developed by the machine builder, “…give us great flexibility and speed in our design work, working from ideas that often come our way in a variety of formats, including the cocktail napkin,” he muses. “The flexibility and versatility of the ANCA machines allow us to do much more than ever and that’s a testimony to their non-stop innovation,” says Tim Winters. “The company never settles for their last accomplishment, they’re always looking to do more and do it better for their customers, something we try very hard to do for ours.”

On the training front, Tim Winters notes the machines are very intuitive, so the TJ Grinding workforce is easier to train and especially cross-train to run multiple machines. There are currently 15 employees at the shop but, as Tim points out, “We have 9 of our 10 ANCA machines running with robotics, so the production in the shop is designed to remain at a very high level. The company had started as a strictly manual job shop, sharpening mills and drills. “As you can see, we’ve come a long way down the road to automation and higher-level production,” says Jason. “We look to solve some big challenges for our customers, another way my brother and I have fun in this business, every day.”

TJ Grinding specializes in the short-run per print specials but today runs up to 1000 pieces quite often. Here again, Tim Winters credits the speed and flexibility of the ANCA machines to keep the schedule of work at a consistently high level of production, with minimal downtime. Assisted by Sales Manager Mark Sauer and Sales Associate Paul Ferguson, himself a machinist by trade, TJ Grinding is a fast-paced, high-production facility in Waukesha, Wisconsin, home to myriad job shops and equipment builders in a variety of industries. “That’s another fun part of the job here,” says Tim Winters. “We’re rarely working in the same industry sector, so the variety of work and especially the material substrates we encounter challenge us, every day.” He further credits the onboard integrated robotics with changing the face of TJ Grinding. “I subscribe to the ‘automate or die’ philosophy, so our ANCA machines have kept pace with our expectations and often exceeded them. I’m frequently impressed with the next generation of machines and how much more they help us do here.”

In the service area, the Winters brothers sing in harmony about the value of ANCA service. Jason notes, “We once had a problem over a weekend and I called the office in Detroit, spoke to somebody and it was fixed on Monday. How often do you see that nowadays?” In fact, Tim recalls when John Francis, the ANCA sales rep for the area, took over the account and Tim spoke to him. “I told him he could better spend his time canvassing the area for new customers, because we were all set with service and were very happy customers. ANCA uses our shop as a showroom for their potential customers. That makes us proud.”

In the end, as Jason Winters remarks proudly, “We gravitate to the weird stuff and we love it.”

TJ Grinding works in various substrates to produce tools, including specialty coatings, so their products are used on all types of metals, as well as composites, specialty plastics, carbon fibers and more. One of the company’s specialties is solid carbide rotary cutting tools, used in the orthopedic, orthodontic, catheterized and other surgical instrument markets. The shop also produces such cutting tools for auto parts, engines, motorcycles, snowmobiles, pattern and moldmakers, plastic parts and the woodworking industry. Once made, these cutters are inspected using a variety of metrology equipment, from optical comparators to RAM optics and a laser micrometer. Additional measurements are frequently made to meet specific, necessary customer certification standards.

Specialty coatings are a frequent happening at this shop, including Titanium Aluminum Nitride (TiAIN) and Aluminum Chromium Nitride (ALCRN).

Lastly, it should be noted that Tim Winters has a strong commitment to workforce development, not only for the company’s employees but also for the next generation of machinists, programmers and machine maintenance personnel. He works with a local high school to give talks about the value of manufacturing, the good wage and work conditions of today’s machine shop and the “…cool opportunities you get when you make things.”