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Resolve Surgical Technologies wanted to achieve maximum productivity in its operations. They were running a product line on multiple platforms due to the range of sizes in the product family. Resolve needed to find a solution allowing them to run all products in the family on the same platform to maintain a consistent, repeatable machining process.

The company’s local tooling representative, Tom Lemkau of Lemkau & Associates, familiarized Resolve with the Mate workholding product line. After attending a Mate webinar offered by Modern Machine Shop magazine, Resolve began researching modular workholding solutions that could fit the entire product line with minimal changeover. During a visit with the machine tool manufacturer, Resolve scheduled a visit with Mate.

PARTNERED COLLABORATION

For its first meeting at Mate, Resolve brought the parts and initial concept drawings to share with Mate’s engineering team. Resolve wanted to load 72 parts using nine very narrow pallets, each measuring 300mm high by 330mm wide. Creating a non-standard solution is nothing new for Mate, which has over seven decades of experience making custom high-precision metal products. A short time later, Mate presented its first concept sketch.

Partnered collaboration ensued between the two companies over the next ten weeks, resulting in several design iterations. Upon selecting the final design, Resolve placed the order for 20 custom tombstones, 120 bases, 96 vises and two different sets of custom jaws, which had a tight delivery schedule to meet the launch targets for the two machines. All of these products were made in the USA at Mate’s Minnesota factory. The total time from concept to delivered product: 19 weeks.

EXCEPTIONAL ENGINEERING SUPPORT

Mate’s customer service didn’t stop once the order was placed. Both parties were willing to iterate post-order, using Finite Element Analysis and Design for Manufacturing techniques that leveraged Mate’s decades of advanced machining expertise. Mate also provided weekly project management calls to keep the project on track. Tapping the depth and breadth of its engineering team, Mate also sent its experts on-site to help with installation and share best practices. Since Mate has a 100% unconditional customer satisfaction guarantee, it was essential for Mate to get it right.

“From concept to delivered product, the Mate team was focused on providing a robust solution and customer satisfaction,” says Dan Sloat, Continuous Improvement Manager for Resolve Surgical Technologies. “Mate went above and beyond and met a tight delivery schedule so we could meet our launch targets for the new machines.”

Today, Resolve’s two Matsuura MX-330 machines are running 24/7, making high-quality, high-precision titanium parts. Mate’s custom solution provided Resolve with the required consistency and repeatability for its production process.