An SME Finds the "Sweet Spot" and Achieves an Overnight Success

A progressive BC manufacturing company, Redline Pro Manufacturing, has always invested into new technologies, and they have benefited greatly over the years. They transformed 450 sq. ft. garage shop with a single low end machine tool into a successful, fully automated, state-of-the-art job shop that is running around the clock and making parts for the high tech sector.



When I first met the owners of Redline Pro, I was impressed with their enthusiasm over technologies. Unlike other SMEs of their size, they were very open to learning new ways of manufacturing and getting ahead in the game. After being introduced to high speed machining techniques, they had become eager to give this a try at their facility. I was then invited to their facility to demonstrate how they could improve the productivity by "tap testing". Tap testing is an experimental method that is used to determine dynamic behavior of a machine tool, cutting tool, and tool holder assembly. This dynamic foot print is then used to determine the best possible cutting conditions or sweet spots. Although the mathematics and physics behind this process is extremely complex, MAL Inc's ShopPro software makes machinist's life very easy. An accelerometer similar to the one in iPhone is placed at the tip of the stationary tool and a light hammer blow is given to the tool. ShopPro measures the vibration at the tool tip and determines the most productive spindle speeds and depths of cut. And this was exactly what I did at Redline Pro Manufacturing and increased the productivity of a part in a way the company had never thought possible.


Read the rest of the story from the owners of Redline Pro.