From Scrap to Rebuild: A Magna-Lock USA Case Study

The old saying “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” applies to many different aspects of life. At Obsidian Manufacturing Industries, Inc., we see this scenario play out quite often when it comes to electromagnetic chucks going from scrap to rebuild, and really, all our products.

This is a unique case for us. It involves problem-solving, perfect timing, and a tad bit of sustainability.

CUSTOMER CHALLENGES

• Electromagnetic chuck and controller issues. The chucks and controller shorted out, meaning they were looking for rebuilds or new ones.

  
  

• The chuck top plates that needed rebuilding did not match, but the customer was attempting to use them in tandem. The top plate designs are made for different applications, so having them match is the recommended approach.

OUR SOLUTION

We first talked to the customer about troubleshooting their controller. Although we can handle most controller repairs for most brands, this is not one we could do. The age of the controller was so outdated that, with the natural obsolescence of parts over time, we suggested the customer replace it with a new controller, which they agreed to.

With that problem easily solved, the next issue was their chucks. While Obsidian Manufacturing Industries, Inc. is the OEM for Magna-Lock USA chucks, we look to provide workholding solutions to our customers, no matter the brand, situation, or any other circumstance, the customer's needs come first.

A few weeks prior to this, we had received word from a neighbor of ours that they were looking to offload electromagnetic chucks that were being replaced on their machines.

There were 10 electromagnetic chucks of various brands that had stacked up and were ready to be scrapped unless we took them in. We happily acquired them and added them to our used inventory.

When we take electromagnetic chucks like these in, we require full rebuilds on them before selling them. Even though a few were Magna-Lock USA chucks, our engineering team has experience with repairing and rebuilding all brands of chucks, so rebuilding them would be no problem.

The timing of the two events was perfect, as two of the electromagnetic chucks that were being offloaded were the perfect size that our customer needed. They were in rough shape, but good repair and clean-up, and the chucks would be a great match for our customers.

The customer agreed, and we turned towards rebuilding the two 20” x 60” electromagnetic chucks.

OVERALL IMPACT

It took us less than a month to complete the new controller, the two rebuilds, and ship them. The new controller actually took longer than the chuck rebuilds, and without the controller, the job would have shipped approximately two weeks earlier.

Additionally, the lead time was significantly reduced with a rebuild versus a new chuck. A typical new chuck takes eight weeks to produce, while rebuilds are around two weeks.

Included in this job was a two-year warranty that is included in our products and most services, which states that the product will be free from mechanical defects in material and workmanship, and for 90 days with respect to non-mechanical parts.

The customer saved 97% on these chucks compared to the price of a new Magna-Lock USA chuck that is comparable, excluding the rebuild cost.

The full before/after picture is below, and it is hard to believe these electromagnetic chucks were the same ones after the rebuild was complete. Paired with the new FluxMaster controller, these chucks will not give the customer issues for many years to come.

In this case, we prefer to describe ourselves as not in the manufacturing industry; we are in the solutions industry. While we do produce new machine tools quite regularly, our primary focus is to help our customers find solutions. We work with those customers and connections to find the right combination to find a solution that works for all parties involved.

We still have the rest of the used electromagnetic chucks available for rebuild and sale. Check out our currently used inventory list here.

Obsidian Manufacturing Industries, Inc. is a Rockford, IL, manufacturing company and is the OEM for Magna-Lock USA workholding, MagnaLift & Power-Grip lift magnets, and Arter Precision Grinding Machines, as well as providing surface grinding services. They are located at 5015 28th Ave. in Rockford, IL, with a phone number of 815-962-8700. Check out more at obsidianmfg.com/brands