Pushing the Limits of Our Capabilities to Tackle Complex Machined Parts
At our precision machine shop, parts are often referred to by nicknames during quick discussions—names like “the one with the weird angle cut” or “the one with all the ops.” At Area Tool & Manufacturing, there’s one phrase that comes up frequently: “the part we thought we couldn’t make.” But there’s one problem with that nickname—people usually have to ask, “Which one?”
By now, there have been countless times we challenged ourselves to take on tough, complex machined parts that pushed our limits. Even if a job initially seems beyond our capabilities, we re-evaluate it and try to find a way forward. When a customer comes to us, we feel a duty to explore every possibility before ever saying “no.”
Our Philosophy: “No” Is a Last Resort
Many shops have a specific niche, and they prefer to only accept projects that fit into that area. Maybe they only handle one material, for instance, or they focus exclusively on high-volume CNC machining.
Area Tool & Manufacturing takes a different approach. We evaluate every request that comes our way with the mindset that we can find a way to tackle any complex machined part. A no-quote is a last resort.
Even if we don’t have the typical solutions for a certain part, we’ll ask ourselves about alternatives: “Is there a different way to fixture this? Can we modify our tooling to reach that feature? Can we approach this from a different angle?” When we do have to decline a project, we are transparent with our customer about why it wasn’t a good fit.
Complementary Equipment for the Widest Range of Parts
Our shop houses a variety of advanced equipment for services from 5-axis machining to sinker EDM, all carefully selected to complement one another. Rather than simply adding capacity with duplicate machines, our strategy centers on expanding capabilities and increasing our versatility.
To find the equipment that will truly fill gaps, we always consult our machinists about challenges they’ve recently faced. That feedback from the front lines ensures we’re addressing actual production bottlenecks.
Our Team in a Word: Grit
Machines are only as good as their operators, though. Fortunately, our team has operators who have decades of experience in the industry. In our shop’s almost 50 years in operation, we’ve built up deep institutional knowledge. There aren’t many challenges we haven’t seen in our years of manufacturing complex machined parts.
But experience alone isn’t enough. When we hire new team members, we are always looking for a certain type of person—someone with grit. We want someone who gets a rush from solving problems, someone who wants the hard parts. That attitude is a huge part of what makes our team special.
Design Collaboration to Problem-Solve
Sometimes, a few design choices make a part difficult or expensive to machine. When that’s the case, we don’t simply move forward at great expense to you—we proactively reach out to discuss potential design changes that save money and simplify manufacturing.
Designs can’t always be changed, and if a difficult feature is critical to its end use, we can push forward. But we believe transparency about pricing helps to build better partnerships, and we always offer honest insights.
We’re Looking for Our Next Challenge
With our attitude, our experience, and our technology, Area Tool is always pushing the limits of our machining capabilities. Whether you need CNC turning or wire EDM services, we’ve built our reputation on tackling challenges when others would say no.
Do you need a complex machined part that’s been no-quoted elsewhere? Request a quote today and work with a team that thrives on your challenges.
