Precision Manufacturing Solutions
ZTECH Precision – The Perfect Fit
It often happens within the world of precision manufacturing, OEMs place orders, manufacturers accept the orders, and then determine that delivery schedules can’t be met because of internal capacity issues, or the project requires a specialty operation performed on the outside that may take too long and the parts will need to be shipped all over, or both. The Tier-1 manufacturer to the OEM simply needs greater capability and capacity to fulfill the orders and the promises made to their OEM customer. Progressive manufacturing companies look for assistance from dependable, capable and steadily-successful manufacturing partnerships to help with the pace. In theory, this action sounds easy. After all, there are a myriad of subcontract manufacturers ready, willing and able for such a purpose, right? Well, not always the case. Many smaller manufacturing companies that provide these subcontracting services find that they have limited capability or capacity. Many cannot service these manufacturers on a greater, more complete level. Enter ZTECH Precision.
From the beginning stages of business planning ZTECH Precision positioned itself differently. They knew their manufacturing strengths and also what Tier-1 suppliers required in a subcontract manufacturing vendor which was reliability, flexibility, economy, capability, and capacity under one roof with the highest degree of unwavering quality and honesty. Most importantly they needed to know they were working with someone that would protect their reputation as aggressively as they would protect their own. With this understanding and the founders passions for manufacturing ZTECH Precision set out to create a Perfect Fit.
Fast forward, today whether the project requires 4-Axis CNC Machining, Dual Spindle- Live Tool CNC Turning, Large Capacity Wire EDM, CNC Sinker EDM, EDM Drilling, or combinations of these, ZTECH has now proven time and again it is that Perfect Fit.
The team at ZTECH want to share a few Success Stories with you to help everyone understand how this company performs on a different level....
Once Again, ZTECH Provides “The Perfect Fit”
This is a story of confidence, perseverance and capability. ZTECH has developed a great partnership with one of its customers who serve the medical industry as a Tier 1 supplier. ZTECH‘s full-service capability-set has been providing milling, turning, along with wire & sinker EDM services for this customer. This Tier-1 manufacturer was outsourcing a medical project to another subcontractor; however, that company didn’t have the EDM capabilities required for the project. ZTECH’s customer told their other subcontract vendor to call ZTECH, noting ZTECH’s EDM capability, and mentioning, “They will do a great job on the EDM work for you”. From this, another strategic partnership was born. Also, a great example of how the careful planning of a full-service capability manufacturing facility pays-off big, while showing how ZTECH actually does “fit” for so many manufacturing needs and applications.
Just a few months later, ZTECH’s new customer got a call from a well-respected OEM of power generation turbines. This OEM had a customer with a turbine that was down and needed it back on line…fast. The project required a large number of turbine blades manufactured in a very short period of time. Recalling this company did not have EDM capabilities, this time, they knew who to call first…ZTECH. Within two days after receiving the RFQ, the team at ZTECH were up and running replacement turbine blades. They ran two machines, 24-7, for 3 full weeks. ZTECH provided all inspection documentation to its customer, acquired shipping documents from the customer to include with the shipments, and shipped the completed parts directly to the OEM, making for a seamless transfer. The project was completed on-time and within budget. ZTECH’s customer and the OEM were extremely pleased. Today, this relationship is as strong as ever with on-going, successful repeat performances by ZTECH Precision.
This success story is shared as yet another example of how ZTECH works quietly in the background, protecting the customer’s reputation and making them look good simply by providing that perfect fit within the manufacturing process.
“The Goal is to Grow Our Business and We Need Your help”
A respected industrial manufacturing and distribution company located in the Twin Cities, with multiple locations outside of Minnesota, has been a customer of ZTECH Precision for a few years. This company possesses its own internal machining capabilities and as growth has required has tapped into ZTECH to provide CNC milling and CNC turning services for many of their on-going repeat projects. On occasion the customer has stated “you guys just make it easy to work with you” and “I always know what I’m going to get”. Clearly there is a strong and trusted partnership that is enjoyed between these two companies.
The Manufacturing Manager of this company called one day to explain that it was his company’s goal and his responsibility to grow the manufacturing side of their business by 30% in a very short period of time. As those in the precision manufacturing industry know there are many obstacles involved with successfully achieving such a lofty goal while maintaining quality, delivery, and profitability. It requires the right people, the right training, the right equipment, and the right opportunities only to mention a few. To develop all of these assets at one time can be a daunting task which this individual understood well. Because of this and the relationship developed this individual invited ZTECH to play an important role in their growth plan. Of course the folks at ZTECH were happy to play an important, yet quiet role in another customer’s success story.
Ben Zoubek stated, “There is weekly, sometimes daily on-going capacity planning discussions with this customer. Communication is key to making a partnership such as this work well. We are happy to help him succeed, and it’s a perfect fit for us.”
Another great example of how ZTECH Precision strives to be that Perfect Fit.
The ZTECH Customer: “Our Reputation is in Your Hands”
Doing Business at the Speed of Trust
ZTECH Precision has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with a Tier-1 supplier to the Aerospace and Avionics industry. For this particular customer, the perfect fit includes our Milling, Turning, and EDM services. This customer had a tight tolerance, complex component that they’d been manufacturing for some time, but found it was greatly consuming capacity on several pieces of in-house equipment.
In order to lessen the load, they called us and shared the production price goal. They also shared their process, documentation and programs. ZTECH met with their team and saw how the part was being made, reviewed cycle-times, tooling, required inspection equipment and ultimately committed to the project.
This customer spent a lot of resources determining the best process for this part up to that point, so we mirrored their process as close as possible. As time went on, we naturally conducted research; we brought in tooling specialists, invested in other custom tooling and continued to refine the process. As a consummate precision manufacturing house, we feel strongly about our role. Such research and determination needs to be done to remain “a perfect fit” for our customers.
Over time, we were able to develop a very repeatable process, reducing fallout, and were able to reduce cycle-times. After running the part for several months, the customer stated they were required to requote the part (along with other parts that were all part of long term agreement that was expiring with the OEM). They were being pressured to reduce costs. In that ever-valued, evidence of trust, the customer simply told us what they needed to pay for the project and asked if we could find a way to “make it happen”. Ben Zoubek looked at the improvements ZTECH made to the process and ultimately agreed to the new price structure and the customer was awarded the renewed agreement. If we can make it happen for our customers, we will. ZTECH exists to help, that’s our place.
Don Zoubek , ZTECH co-owner stated, “We take on projects based on pre-established pricing like this often. Many times, by the time we are involved with the project, the customer has already secured the business based on a price they gave to their customer. It’s simple, our customer has spent the money on marketing, sales expenses, up front engineering expenses and so on, and we understand they have to make money, period. We can’t charge our customer $100 if they are receiving $100. We understand they need to cover their expenses and still make a profit on what we do for them “.
In the position ZTECH occupies, it’s not uncommon for customers to simply disclose the goal amount. When they can do that, the ZTECH team reviews the information and if it’s determined we can produce it in the time needed for us to make our rate, we take it on. No problem. It’s actually a preferred way of doing business. With the quoting process completely bypassed, there are no long days going back and forth and wasting resources.
Now, this may mean we have to get creative, as in reprocessing the part, investing in fixtures, custom tooling or even new or different equipment in order to hit the required numbers, but as long as it is a longer term, repeat-project, we look at it as, “whatever it takes, we’re going to try and make that number”. That’s how we add value.
We realize that this approach leaves one open to a firm simply trying to get something made for less, but we rarely worry about that. We have solid, trusting, and honest relationships with our customers. We treat them right and they do the same. We refer to this as the Speed of Trust. Many incredible things can happen very quickly and very successfully in business, when that level of trust exists. This is a primary reason we’ve positioned ZTECH comfortably in the middle...helping you…to help your customer…we all win. Another Perfect Fit.
Check back later for more Success Stories......
We hope the next story we share in this series is how ZTECH was able to help your company succeed!
ZTECH Precision understands how manufacturing relationships work best. Most everything they do surrounds a certain respect for the manufacturer they call “our customer” while playing an integral part in making them “the hero”. Often, the ZTECH Success Story is a very quiet one. Relieving their customers of certain production burdens is where ZTECH shines and these customers need not include ZTECH in their stories of success. And, why should they? ZTECH Precision is a performer for them, not their customer. The professionals at ZTECH are often silent partners working behind the scenes getting the job done, time and again.
That is why the performances of ZTECH remain at such a high-level. One wrong move and the reputations of others can fall short. While the truth of how a part, component or assembly is made may well be a mystery, the OEM just wants it done, perfectly, on-time and in many cases month after month.
ZTECH knows its role is critical, especially when asked to be involved in one of their customer’s projects. That’s why ZTECH takes such strides to make sure they have the right equipment, and more importantly, employ professionals who know how to get the best from every workstation within their full-service facility.
Your reputation and good-standing with your customers will remain strong when utilizing ZTECH Precision professionals. They really do provide The Perfect Fit.