Anthony Machine and Kennametal work together to reduce setup times

For more than three decades, Kennametal's KM™ brand of quick-change tools have been making machine shops more efficient. As thousands of customers will attest, KM offers shorter setup times, greater flexibility, higher levels of machine utilization and the ability to meet increasingly stringent industry demands.

One of these is Anthony Machine Inc. Since 1946, this metalworking company in San Antonio has served several industries, including oil and gas, mining, transportation and power generation. With all that precision machining experience, there is little this machining company in San Antonio can't handle. However, after the company purchased a pair of NLX 3000 1250 universal turning centers from CNC machine builder DMG Mori - this company's first active Y-axis tool turning machine - Anthony's production team was challenged to make the most of that new investment.

Kenniametal senior sales engineer Mark Davis was there to help, as he has been for the past decade. He explained to Anthony that the best way to reduce setup times and maximize the potential of the new machine would be to equip it with "Custom Tool Takes" (TACU) and KM quick-change holders.

"The TACU system supports everything from KM32 to KM63," says Davis. "We offer holders for both stationary and powered tools, and can supply lathes from Okuma, Haas, Mazak, Doosan and, of course, DMG Mori - virtually all major machine tool makers, with more and more online. This makes it both easy and cost-effective for our customers to equip more than 80 models of CNC turning centers with a fast, flexible and accurate tool quick-change system. "

According to Anthony Machine's manufacturing technologist Daniel Goller, the decision to use TACU and KM for the new machines was an easy one. "Over the years, we have built a number of KM-adapted custom toolholders for deep drilling and other machining operations, among others, on our CNC lathes and machining centers, and use Kennametal on several of the companies' conventional lathes to overcome limitations with available tool positions, "he says. "More than once we have earned new customers because KM was able to achieve tolerances and surface finishes that others could not do with conventional tools."

Anthony's operations manager Mohsen Saleh agrees. "The differences are striking," he says. "Compared to the traditional wedge-screw-on holders used as standard on most machines, the KM-equipped TACU units are both faster and more accurate. We have standard tolerances of 0.0005″ (0.013 mm) and I'm told the size doesn't change when changing and re-clamping . The Turret is less stressed, everything is easier to access and you have no vibration and deflection that you often find with your typical rectangular shank tools and conventional screw-type chisel holders. "

"Anthony's experience with TACU is what we have come to expect from KM," says Kennametal's Davis. "Given its breadth of range, accuracy and especially its flexibility, it has quickly become the industry standard in quick-change tools."

Saleh sums up Anthony's recent success with a little business perspective. "We bought our first CNC machine in 1986," he says. "At the time, we were using a well-known competitive brand when Kennametal came over. What struck us first was their service-oriented attitude. They have always been willing to work with us on applications, which along with the quality of their products is why they have since become our preferred tool supplier. We are always competing against smaller, lower-cost companies, and to continue to win new customers in this environment, we must use the latest in advanced tools and tooling technology. This is what has given us the edge, and Kennametal is a big part of it. "