MACHINE TOOL BUILDER INTEGRATES AND REFINES LEAN PHILOSOPHY

Mazak has continued to integrate and refine its approach to Production On Demand at its production facility in Florence, KY. This philosophy calls for a ?lean? approach to manufacturing to allow products to be built with minimum lead times, in small lot quantities, with improved throughput and with minimum inventory levels.

In the last two years, Mazak has invested nearly $13 million in its Florence manufacturing plant. The company installed four of its own VERSATECH V-100Ns for use in production. The V-100N is a multiple-surface, 5-axis, double-column machining center that provides unsurpassed productivity in the machining of very large workpieces. The machines are equipped with a unique and powerful spindle head that can position to the vertical and horizontal position and any angle in between. Mazak also made a considerable investment in expanding the size its production facility.

?Meeting the needs of today?s market requires high levels of flexibility, efficiency and productivity,? says Brian Papke, president of Mazak. ?Our experience in past years has shown us that it is no longer feasible to plan production and build inventory according to forecasts. The needs of American manufacturers are constantly changing and adequately meeting those needs requires the ability to adapt instantaneously. Mazak has made sizable investments in creating a production model that can easily accommodate these shifts in demand. We are convinced manufacturing in North America is practical and profitable with the right manufacturing concept and the implementation of technology that supports this philosophy.?

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