Case Study – How Milltech’s mechanical components contributed to the improvement of the vision systems in the postal courier services and distribution centres sector

Today we present you the case study of Milltech, a company specialized in the development and production of high precision mechanical and micromechanical components.

This case study demonstrates the success of the following factors for beating the competitors:

Technical competence: identifying efficient solutions for realizing a particular mechanical component;
Co-development: identifying the technical solution together with the client;
Excellent organizational skills: skills for open orders management and integrated management of different machining processes;
Reliability: respect of the delivery times.

The combination of these key elements ensures high client satisfaction. The client obtained, in a nutshell, the following advantages:

Price advantage due to open orders management;
Quality advantage despite the difficult realization of the component required, which includes several processes: extrusion, welding, CNC machining, paint coating, screen printing, washing and custom packaging.

We thank Mr. Muzzarini who is with us to answer some questions in order to help us better understanding the key reasons why the client chose the solution designed by Milltech.

Which was the challenging request the client made to Milltech?

The client, a worldwide leader in the production of vision systems for automation, asked Milltech to produce a component of considerable dimensions for the positioning and fixing of the vision systems. Precision and appearance were also very important.

Which were the main problems that had to be resolved?

The main problems which Milltech had to resolve were of a different nature and can be summarized as follows:

1. Technical problems:

How to ensure precision of micromechanical machining on an industrial scale? To respond this requirement, Milltech has developed and realized specific equipment that allowed a reduction in machining time;
How to develop and produce mechanical components complementary to the main extruded product? In order to competitively and satisfactorily meet the client’s requirements, Milltech developed an ad hoc solution;
How to support the client in the industrialization of the product in order to reduce production costs? To meet this requirement, together with the client Milltech developed the main machining processes in such a way to make them highly effective and easily to repeat on the competent, and this right from the prototyping phase;
Aesthetic problems: to give the mechanical component a good aesthetical value, Milltech added a specific machining for eliminating welds and enabling the surface to be completely paint coated.
How to manufacture a free pass product? For Milltech, this meant to study a mechanical component able to house other optical, electronic and opto-mechatronic components in a precise way. The solution was a specific ultrasound washing thus to enable the degreasing of the mechanical component itself.

2. How to guarantee on time deliveries during production peaks, too? For this purpose Milltech has organized production so as to constantly keep a minimum quantity of components on stock.
3. How to guarantee worldwide deliveries? Due to its experience in international sales since 2010, Milltech is able to guarantee on time deliveries worldwide.

So, which were the solutions you presented to the client and which the factors that helped Milltech get the job order?

“Milltech had to study various custom solutions in order to find the one that best fits the client’s industrial vision system in both functional and aesthetical terms. The client’s vision system was designed to improve drastically the productivity of postal couriers and distribution centres, and Milltech developed a mechanical component inside which the electronic systems of the client can be easily mounted, the whole component can then be efficiently mounted on the automatic distribution lines. This solution allowed automatic sorting of parcels and packages, in an accurate and quick way.

Which advantages obtained the client by placing the job order to Milltech?

The main advantages the client obtained were:

Cost savings due to productive efficiency of the custom solutions;
Easy mounting of the mechanical components into the electronic system of the client (further cost saving);
High aesthetical value of the product;
On time deliveries worldwide due to efficient internal organization at Milltech.

Generally, which are the distinctive characteristics of Milltech?

The main competitive advantages of Milltech can be summed up as follows:

We carry out the entire production cycle: from prototyping to production;
Complete management of highly complex job orders with state-of-the-art CNC machines;
Flexibility in production lots (from 10 to 5000 pcs.);
High design & engineering skills for developing innovative and customized technical solutions;
Cost efficiency due to computerized management of orders and production cycle;
Efficient management of open orders with delivery schedule adapted to the client’s needs;
Fast, on time and frequent deliveries also due to specific agreements with express delivery companies;
High management skills as the main contractor;
English and German speaking personnel;
Traceability during every single production phase;
100% quality control during each production phase; test certificates available upon request;
Collaboration with Technical Vocational Institutes for fostering the mechanics culture in the region;
Reduced environmental impact due to photovoltaic plant which enables energy independence and cost savings;
Transparency (company videos and presentations available in English and German on the web);
Membership in CAMSER – a network of mechanical engineering companies which strives for constantly improving marketing strategies thus enabling lower company costs to the benefit of clients.

In summary, which are the main strengths of Milltech?