Under its MAG Cincinnati Automation brand, Cincinnati Automation & Test designs and builds a variety of automated assembly and quality testing equipment. Its core business is the design and fabrication of special automation systems for the assembly of light and heavy-duty finished products. Key to the company's success and competitive strategy is the identification and establishment of relationships with unique suppliers for its component needs.
"We rely heavily on our supplier base for the production of components, allowing us to focus on our core strengths of engineering and system integration," says Noel Nichols, director of standards and development. "Once our design solution is established, we have a regimented system of part supply and procurement. Engineering identifies the part, such as a shaft, collar, roller, switch assembly, structural section, motor or bracket, then procurement places the orders. We emphasize the functionality of the part, the price, and the delivery schedule."
Nichols outlines the typical machine build, highlighting the impact each component acquisition has on the cost scenario. Impact is minimal during the design stage, as the best components are sought, but as the design begins to take shape on their factory floor, the cost impact ramps up dramatically. Should a part be out of spec, or the delivery late, or the quantity not exactly what was ordered, the impact becomes progressively more severe, and failures become critical during final assembly and system testing.
When Off-the-Shelf Won't Do
On many occasions, "off the shelf" just won't do, putting many conventional suppliers at a disadvantage. "If the standard part no longer meets the specification, we need to be adaptable and diligent to costing while reinventing or reworking our previous design," Nichols observes. "Compounding this design side scenario is the need to maintain minimal inventory, faster turnaround on projects, and overall cost containment. It all adds up to quite a challenge."
For about six years, Misumi USA has been a supplier. The company has a unique business model that dovetails effectively with Cincinnati Automation & Test's fast-paced, technology-focused operation.
"Misumi USA has found a niche among the suppliers to Cincinnati Automation & Test because it offers configurable factory automation components," notes Nichols. "MAG Cincinnati Automation products utilize a wide range of Misumi components, including linear shafts, linear bushings, locating pins, pivot pins, washers, collars and circular posts, as well as dozens of others.
"We chose Misumi as a supply partner because they have good quality, prompt delivery and excellent cost advantages for us -- these factors contribute significantly to our customers' satisfaction. Often, we buy many parts in small quantities and with most suppliers there are cost issues, right from the start. However, in working closely with Misumi, we quickly realized there were cost and quality advantages to their standard components," added Nichols.
Moreover, he notes, Misumi's delivery system allowed small and large lots of parts, whether standard or configured, to arrive on the assembly floor at the optimum time for the machine build schedule. In the overall cost picture described by Nichols, this was a dealmaker, as it complements Cincinnati Automation & Test's Vendor Managed Inventory strategy. In recent months, Misumi has received increased opportunities for more and larger parts, as well as for some assemblies.
One such part assembly is an anti-backup latch used at the end of MAG Cincinnati Automation conveyor systems. Previously, the latch was sourced at a local machine shop, but after realizing they could configure this part and purchase it directly from Misumi, saving both time and money, Cincinnati Automation & Test shifted sourcing on the part to Misumi.
CAD Configurator Adds to Savings
"Another differentiator is that Misumi has a CAD configurator that allows our engineers to configure a part, download the native CAD file, modify the file, and then insert the file into our CAD assembly, thereby saving substantial time and cost in the design phase," notes Nichols. SolidWorks and AutoCAD programs are primarily used in designing MAG Cincinnati Automation products. These programs and others are resident in the Misumi CAD Configurator, thus allowing Cincinnati Automation & Test engineers to easily import the native files into their assemblies.
"Overall project management is founded on the triangle of quality, price, and delivery," concludes Nichols. "The old business maxim that you can only have two of those things simply doesn't work in today's business environment. We can and we must have all three, working in concert to support our unique machine build requirements, or the supplier is simply off our team."
"Oftentimes, a customer requires a unique product solution for a particular job and we find that it also provides a solution for many other customers with similar applications," says Chris Blaszczyk Misumi's manager of product development for the Automation Components Division. "After working through any proprietary design issues, we offer such products through our catalog to achieve cost advantages by producing in higher volumes. Working in synergy with our customers yields superior results for everyone."