Remco Swiss in the news

Reprinted from: CUTTING TOOL ENGINEERING Magazine

From the Editor….

“Old-world” craftsmanship still alive and well.

For this issue's cover story about Swiss-style machining, CTE editors talked to more than a dozen cutting tool manufacturers and job shops, and had the opportunity to visit a couple of shops to see first-hand how these intricate, precision parts are made. The impression I came away with was that workers at Swiss-type machine shops have an "old-world' sense of pride in craftsmanship-even when they're working on the most modern CNC machinery.

Steve Baroni, foreman at Remco Swiss Ltd., Arlington Heights, III., reinforced this perspective when he spoke about Remco's origins. "We started in 1965 with a bunch of old guys who worked at Walter Precision, the premier Swiss screw machine shop in the area at the time. They were mostly German and got their training overseas:' he said.

When the company’s founders passed the torch to the next generation, they instilled in the shop's current crew the same dedication to detail. in-depth knowledge of the process and special “feel” for the work that established the reputations of the finest European watchmakers.

Like many, if not most. Swiss-style shops, Remco produces parts using both cam-driven and CNC machines. And although the CNC equipment is more efficient and productive, a skilled operator can produce parts with tolerances that are just as tight on cam-driven machines, even ones that are decades old. Of course, that's as long as the shop keeps its machines well-maintained, applies cutting tools with the proper configurations and produces accurate cams.

Making the cams is a demanding task, one requiring significant mathematical and mechanical aptitude-talent Swiss-style machinists possess.

For a shop looking to branch out into Swiss-style machining, one expert interviewed for our cover story recommended hiring the personnel with the required skills and mindset before acquiring the machines. And if a skilled Swiss-style machinist were to seek a position at your shop, it would probably be wise to hire him, even if you are not currently making Swiss screw machine products. The reason? He would bring valuable skills and be extremely difficult-if not impossible-to find at a later date.

If there’s one thing every modern job shop always needs, it's someone who understands old-world craftsmanship.

Alan Richter Managing Editor

http://www.ctemag.com