Star Rapid Partners with Gühring

Star Rapid Ltd. (Zhongshan, China), a rapid prototyping, rapid tooling and low volume manufacturer, announced a partnership with Gühring KG (Albstadt, Germany), a manufacturer of carbide and PCD cutting tools, including drills, reamers, taps and mills for machining operations. Through this partnership, Star Rapid will now use Gühring cutting tools, which have a proprietary thin-film, vacuum deposited coating technology that extends cutting tool life and performance by protecting against the high temperatures, friction, vibration and chip adhesion associated with everyday use. They will also use a Gühring Custom Tool Management System that provides computerized tracking of tool storage, inventory control and real-time monitoring of tool consumption. It creates a more efficient work flow through improved tool tracking and allows for more precise tool ordering based on anticipated future usage.

In addition to being their supplier for new tools, Gühring will also provide full-time onsite technical support and regrinding expertise to help Star Rapid further elevate their CNC and rapid prototyping services. They will supervise sharpening and regrinding of the tools that are currently in use, providing expert understanding of the metallurgy and the complex geometry of each end mill or cutting insert to ensure these tools are in peak condition and able to hold precise tolerances for excellent finished parts. Star Rapid machinists will work with this onsite support to optimize the “speeds and feeds” for every cutter, reducing total time and cost while increasing output.

“We are never complacent when it comes to high speed and quality, and are always looking for new strategies to increase these aspects of our service,” said Gordon Styles, the president and chief executive officer of Star Rapid. “This partnership allows us to gain a greater competitive edge to meet the growing demands of our global customers.”

“It’s rare to work with such a forward-thinking customer,” noted Dr. Steffen Lang, the head of Gühring’s service department. “With the measures that have been put in place, they will be able to ensure that their cutting services are running as efficiently as possible and creating parts that are of optimal quality.”

www.starrapid.com